College Rock, The Damaja, Ben Harper & The Godfather of Soul

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Thu.-Sun., Aug. 17-20, All Day Various locations in Downtown San Jose 408.288.7557 $5 per day MORE INFO		San Jose Jazz Festival JUMP, JIVE AND WAIL: The 17th annual San Jose Jazz Festival, one of the largest on the West Coast, kicks off on Thursday with a gala event at Santana Row featuring one of the best modern day jazz trumpeters from the Big Easy, Kermit Ruffins, but the real fun starts on Friday with the Iguanas taking the main stage at 7:30pm. The San Jose Jazz Society has packed this year's festival with a ton of performers on more stages than ever before with more restaurants participating this year as well. Some of the highlights at the 17th annual San Jose Jazz Festival include: Youth Speaks on Friday at midnight at Smoke; Dr. John on the main stage at 6pm on Saturday; Pete Escovedo laying down his signature Latin beats on the Salsa stage on Saturday and the Neville Brothers closing out the main stage on Sunday. Check the full lineup on the San Jose Jazz Society website.

Wed. Aug. 16, Dusk San Pedro Square San Pedro & Santa Clara Sts., San Jose 408.279.1776 Free

Ghostbusters @ Cinema San Pedro WHO YA GONNA CALL: One of the best summer blockbusters ever made and not only for the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man as the apocalyptic destructor of worlds, Ghostbusters plays this week at Cinema San Pedro. If you haven't seen Ghostbusters in a while, the comedic humor has stood the test of time even if the cutting edge 1984 special effects haven't. But, heck Bill Murray's Peter Venkman still holds the humor record for two of the best movie lines ever uttered: "We came, we saw, we kicked its ass" and "Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together - mass hysteria." Here's toasting that you don't get slimed.

Wed. -Thu., Aug. 16-17, 7pm Mountain Winery 14831 Pierce Rd., Saratoga 408.998.TIXS $35 - $45 BUY TICKETS

Toad The Wet Sprocket w/ Big Head Todd & The Monsters GRADUATE SCHOOL: Two of the biggest college alt-rock bands of the '90s team up for two shows at the Mountain Winery, both Toad the Wet Sprocket and Big Head Todd and The Monsters skyrocketed to the top of the charts due wholly to massive touring and play on radio stations with questionable bandwidth. Toad the Wet Sprocket has been on a hiatus ever since their last offering, 1997's Coil. Big Head Todd also left the scene for a bit when Warner dropped them like a freshman year chemistry course in 1998--both a severe blow to melancholy introspective 20-somethings everywhere. But, now TTWS and BHT are back hitting the circuit. Big Head Todd headlines for Wednesday's show while Thursday's honor goes to TTWS.

Wed., Aug. 16, 9pm San Jose Bar & Grill 85 S. Second St., San Jose 408.286.2397 No Cover

Trailer Park Bistro BRING YOUR COUSIN: Feeling like you've been away from the trailer park too long? Missing that '74 Maverick that you left up on cinder blocks all those summers ago? Well, everyone's getting back to some white trash roots Wednesday's at San Jose Bar and Grill where a can of Hamms--arguably the most white trash of all the white trash brews--will only set you back a buck and the snacks available read like the menu at a West Virginia debutante ball. Don your best stained wife beater and let that beer gut hang.

Thu. Aug. 10, 5:30pm Plaza de Cesar Chavez Market & San Carlos Sts., San Jose 408.279.1775 Free

Lenny Williams @ Metro's Music in the Park WHAT IS HIP: Although Lenny Williams only led the influential funk/ soul band Tower of Power for three years becoming famous for such major hits as "What is Hip?" and "Don't Change Horses (In the Middle of a Stream)"--both of which still get air play today--his solo career as an R&B man was always what drove him. After leaving the venerable soul funk outfit, Williams had a few lackluster releases before hitting it big again with his ABC release Choosing You that produced the single "Shoo Doo Fu Fu Ooh!" (hey, it was the late '70s--take the name of the song, look at the clothes and the music of the times, the "recreational activities" and discuss). Today, Williams has a loyal following of R&B fans and he's still recording soulful hits with much better titles.

Thu. Aug. 10, 7:30pm SoFA District S. First St. & San Salvador, San Jose No Phone Free

Insolence @ Music After Dark SUBORDINATION AIN'T THEIR THING: Blending a unique style of hip-hop, reggae and hard core riffs, true San Jose rockers Insolence make their way back to the town and times where it all began with an exclusive hometown show on the streets of the SoFA district. Insolence's new stuff is moving further into dub and reggae with a break-beat style, but these local boys still rock hard when it counts and we bet that when playing a street show, Insolence will have the amps cranked.

Thu., Aug. 17, 10pm Agenda 399 S. First St., San Jose 408.287.3991 $12

Jeru the Damaja COME CLEAN: Progenitor of street-wise, old-school conscientious hip-hop, Jeru the Damaja brings his lyric barrage to the Agenda for a night of slappin' down wannabe MCs. The Damaja first gained acclaim as part of Gangstarr with Guru and DJ Premiere who specialized in hardcore raps that slammed home the truth. His best works, The Sun Rises in the East and Wrath of Math, have been released independently, but certainly haven't lost any of the Damaja's signature stopping power. Reggae rockers The Whiskey Avengers with DJs Cutso and As Is start things poppin' before Jeru the Damaja lets loose his beat salvo.

Thu., Aug. 17, 5:30pm SoFA Lounge 372 S. First St., San Jose 408.294.7632 No Cover

Super FHT @ SoFA WELCOME TO SOFA'S HOUSE: The SoFA Lounge kicks down some pretty slick happy hour action and once a month the good folks extend the Fine House Thursday's to last the whole night. This week, house fans prepare to for a beat heavy time 'cause joining resident DJs Les Carter and Marz Faram on the turntables are Mike Slim and Tamotsu. FHT is one of the best intros to the weekend in Downtown San Jo, so break over and start the chillin' early.

Thu., Aug. 17, 6:30pm Park Valencia @ Santana Row Winchester Blvd. & Olin Ave., San Jose 408.288.7557 $150 - $175 BUY TICKETS

Kermit Ruffins @ Park Valencia BLACK TIE JAMBALAYA: Every year--well for the past 17 of them anyway--the San Jose Jazz Society has thrown a huge opening night gala event to kick start the San Jose Jazz Festival. The formal evening this go around features venerable New Orleans trumpeter Kermit Ruffins, who's garnered comparisons to Satchmo himself, and his band The Barbecue Swingers throwing down Big Easy rhythms with plenty of jump. Usually a venue for watered down, adult contemporary soft jazz, the swanky digs of Santana Row's never seen anything like this.

Fri. Aug. 18, 7pm San Jose Museum of Art 110 S. Market St., San Jose 408.271.6867 $12 MORE INFO

PAC presents Cultural X-Posure LOCAL EXPRESSIONISM: Another phenomenal installment of the Pacific Art Collective's monthly mash-up of cutting edge live music and mind bending art invades the San Jose Museum of Art Friday for a expansive cultural experience like no other. Catch live music from the likes of Femi, Electric Quintet, Goodword and MC Enhale with live art exhibitions by local artists Jersey Joe, Jessereno, Pawn and many others. The San Jose Slam Team will be on hand and you'll also get a fashion show by Nalej. If you're tired of the same old club scene, get out and get your culture on.

Fri. Aug. 18, 9pm Avalon Nightclub 777 Lawrence Expwy., Santa Clara 408.241.0777 $20

Hot August Booty Nights THIS AIN'T RENO: The immense space of the Avalon Nightclub will be popping off in August with the premiere of Hot August Booty Nights featuring Bay Area club stars DJ Reflecta and DJ Johnny spinning hip-hop, new soul and club hits. Plus the Avalon staff is going to be practically giving the bar away with some killer drink specials.

Fri.-Sat., Aug. 18-19, 7pm Greek Theatre UC Berkeley Campus, Berkeley 408-998-TIXS $39.50 BUY TICKETS

Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals BURN TO SHINE: Kicking out an undeniable mix of funky soul and blues, Ben Harper and The Innocent Criminals have a cult following bigger than The Moonies, the Jonestown crew and those Hale Bopp/ Heaven's Gate nuts rolled into one. Seriously though, Harper's infectious grooves, blues revivalist lyrics and his signature slide guitar moves the crowd like few artists can. His latest offering, Both Sides of the Gun double set again showcases Ben Harper and The Innocent Criminal's solid skills, urban leaning grooves and propensity for politically tinged introspection.

Fri. Aug 18, 10pm Fahrenheit Ultra Lounge 99 San Fernando St., San Jose 408.998.9998 $15

Chris Clouse w/ Zhaldee INDIE REVIVAL: Chris Clouse is no modern day coffeehouse beatnik folk singer and as his musical prowess grows, so does his following. Playing everything from fiddle to electric guitar and melodiously blending them with house style break drum beats, Clouse gets his hooks into the crowd right from the first chord. This show, Clouse teams with DJ collaborator Zhaldee and when the two are together it sounds like a toned high-five between two seemingly variant musical styles.

Sat. Aug. 19, 9pm The Vault Ultra Lounge 81 W. Santa Clara St., San Jose 408.298.1112 $10

Diva @ The Vault ROLL OUT THE RED CARPET: The Diva party is back at The Vault Ultra Lounge and with FHM in the house, you won't want to miss this one. An impressive slate of top spinners will be manning the decks including David Savior, Danny Brown, Francisco Murguia and David Q blasting out the house, hip-hop, reggaeton and top 40 tracks with an exclusive session by DJ Mein in the back room.

Sat. Aug. 19, 9pm The Blank Club 44 S. Almaden Ave., San Jose 408.292.5265 $10

The Shltkickers POTENT PUNKS: The Shltkickers are back and you all know that means loads of booze and rampant uncivilized behavior--but, heck, that's why we love 'em. These urban hillbillies always throw down a rocking hootenanny spitting out banjo licks and singing about drunken infidelity while shotgunning a can of Hamms. Local San Jose retro punks, The Odd Numbers along with All Time Low open up.

Sat. Aug. 19, 9pm SoFA Lounge 372 S. First St., San Jose 408.294.7632 $10

Choklate & The Rebirth SCION OF SOUND: Forget grunge revival, the next big thing to come out of Seattle is soulful jazz, hip-hop and R&B artist Choklate who's only committed a few tracks to vinyl, but is already being touted as the unequivocal inheritor of the genre. Choklate cuts deep to your soul with her silky vocals backed by wicked beats and in your face lyrical gems. Los Angeles based jazzy soul funksters The Rebirth will also be on hand lending their seven strong progressive instrumentation and solid lyrics to the mix at SoFA.

Sat. Aug. 19, 7:30pm Mountain Winery 14831 Pierce Rd., Saratoga 408.741.0763 $40 - $55 BUY TICKETS

Lewis Black FROTHING AT THE MIND: Bashing the insanity of it all is second nature to Lewis Black, his ripping the insanity of the current state of politics almost seems like comedic whimsy, but cuts to the ironic and hilarious truth just the same like a cranky knife through brain jello. His fits of on stage rage are legendary while he oozes sarcasm from every pore. Although not the first crotchety humorist to riff on the world, Lewis Black throws intelligent bile like The Rocket throws an inside fastball--straight at your head.

Sat. & Mon., Aug. 19 & 2, 8pm HP Pavilion 525 W. Santa Clara St., San Jose 408.998.TIXS $19.50 - $79.50 BUY TICKETS

Shakira w/ Wyclef Jean YOU GOT FRIES WITH THAT SHAKE: The most recognizable name (along with her many other assets) to come out Columbia since Pablo Escobar, Shakira--the biggest Latin pop female crossover artist since easily eclipsing J. Lo in record sales--plays two all ages shows at the HP Pavilion, Saturday and Monday. Former Fugees star Wyclef Jean, a Shakira collaborator on more than just the "Hips Don't Lie" track will back up the fiery pop superstar.

Sat. Aug. 19, 9pm The Fillmore 1805 Geary, San Francisco 408.998.TIXS $25 BUY TICKETS

Gary Numan ELECTRO-POP: Often called the father of electro-industrial, Gary Numan has maintained an underground following for nearly three decades during which his synthesizer laden pop flew to the top of the UK charts only to recede again and again furthering his hip cult-like status. Nearly every band from every genre--punk, alt, metal, goth, industrial--has covered a Numan song or two in their concert play list, the most famous of which being Marilyn Manson's cover of "Down in the Park" a B-side of the "Lunchbox" single. If you want to know where bands such as Nine Inch Nails got their sound from; look no farther than Gary Numan.

Sat. Aug. 19, 9pm Taste Ultra Lounge 87 N. San Pedro, San Jose 408.885.1016 Free before 11pm

Saturday School @ Taste PLAID SKIRTS AND COCKTAILS: Five of the Bay Area's top DJs are taking you to school this Saturday at Taste Ultra Lounge's Saturday School party: DJ Class 101 edition. Pat Allen, DJ Remedy, DJ Sin and the Lux DJ crew will be spinning hip-hop, dance, old school and mash up tracks while the Taste girls (and hopefully the rest of ya'll) will be sporting their school girl best. Good little boys and girls that show up before the bell rings at 11pm skirt the cover charge.

Sat. Aug. 19, 7pm Shoreline Amphitheatre 1 Amphitheatre Pkwy., Mountain View 650.967.3000 $19.50 - $75.50 BUY TICKETS

Wild 94.9 Comedy Jam PROBABLY OFFENDING SOMEONE: This annual edition of explosive comedy features Carlos Mencia headlining along with the wickedly funny and profane Lisa Lampanelli who rattles cage with equal opportunity offensives about race and sex. Also appearing on the bill are 94.9 Comedy Jam regulars Gabriel Iglesias, Johnny Sanchez and Dennis Gaxiola with Russell Peters, Katt Williams, Ralphie May, Bill Burr and Tony Rock.

Sun. Aug. 20, 7:30pm Mountain Winery 14831 Pierce Rd., Saratoga 408.998.TIXS $47.50 - $67.50 BUY TICKETS

Styx MR. ROBOTO: Theatrical prog-rockers Styx perform their choice selections of power ballads and arena rock classics at the Mountain Winery. Styx's lineup has changed dramatically since their humble days on the '70s Chicago bar circuit and the current band members resemble about a 50-50 split of original Styx rockers and the boys from REO Speedwagon. Odds are if you attend, you'll probably see your fairly strange older neighbor brandishing a lighter and swaying to "Come Sail Away."

Sun. Aug. 20, 3pm Villa Montalvo 15400 Montalvo Rd. Saratoga 408.961.5858 $45- $55 BUY TICKETS

Etta James R&B MATRIARCH: Etta James has toured for more than 50 years, landing on the road after her first single "Roll With Me Henry" hit in 1954 and hasn't stopped for directions since. Unlike her contemporaries, who soften their image through constant makeovers and wafer-thin pop, Etta James has maintained her solid R&B roots while the world around her changed dramatically. Today, she's still recording, releasing All The Way earlier this year, while doing the vagabond touring thing. Charlie Musselwhite--harmonica wizard and progenitor of the white blues movement of the late '60s--accompanies the sassy soul queen.

Sat. - Sun. Aug. 19 - 20, 11am Fort Mason Great Meadow 100 Fort Mason, San Francisco 415.256.8499 $35 - $75

Festival of the Golden Gate SUPER BAD: It seems that San Francisco just can't let us have anything to ourselves down here in the South Bay, always having to one up us in some fashion or another. This weekend--in contrast to our own San Jose Jazz Festival--the Festival of the Golden Gate will be happening with performances by The Donnas, Lyrics Born, Sean Hayes, Dr. John, The Blind Boys of Alabama and Leela James split between the two days. Oh yeah, one thing we may travel up for though is the headliner closing out Sunday. The Godfather of Soul himself, James Brown.

Mon. Aug. 21, 8pm Blue Monkey Lounge 1 E. San Fernando, San Jose 408.275.6600 No cover

Monday Night Live @ Blue Monkey IT AIN'T OVER YET: Upstairs hipster lounge, The Blue Monkey has your Monday night house fix with their Monday Night Live dance party featuring drink specials all night long and resident spinners DJs Ernesto Cruz and The Face. Why not extend that weekend vibe just one day longer? Come on, nothing ever happens at work during the beginning of the week anyway.

Tue. Aug. 22, 7pm Wente Vinyards 5565 Tesla Rd., Livermore 408.998.TIXS $89 - $249

Lynyrd Skynyrd FREE BIRD: Normally we don't go this far out of our sphere of influence and into the Livermore Valley, but $#!% this is freakin' Lynyrd Skynyrd the definitive hard living, greasy blues Southern rockers and you'll just have to forgive us. Although, the Wente Vineyards venue and astronomical ticket prices kind of creep us out a little so we'll probably crank up the Chevelle and pop in the 8-track of Second Helping and atonally belt out "Sweet Home Alabama" to no one in particular.

Tue. Aug. 22, 9:30pm Cuccini 72 N. Almaden Ave., San Jose 408.287.1737 No Cover

2 Buck Tuesdays @ Cuccini TUESDAY = BOOZEDAY: This Tuesday night throwdown at Cuccinis has been going off all summer with some damn cheap drinks and slick DJ stylings by some of the Bay Area's finest turntable scientists. Resident DJs at Cuccini's 2 Buck Tuesdays include Zhaldee, Chris Fenton, Michael Toast, Felipe Avelar and a host of others laying down deep tracks in the main room and the patio.

coming up

Sun. Aug. 27, 2pm Smoke Tiki Lounge 154 Post St., San Jose 408.292.4266 $10

The Lost Party HOUSE IN THE TROPICS: The Lost party returns to Downtown San Jo's Smoke Tiki Lounge for an all day island flavored house party. Lance DeSardi will take a spin on the tables backed by resident Lost DJs Rick Preston, M3 and Mike Slim. While the Smoke crew will dish out their usual barrage of mind-bending tropical cocktails, you can get your solid house beat groove on, kicking it on the best patio in town.

Sun. Sep. 10, 7:30pm Shoreline Amphitheatre 1 Amphitheatre Pkwy., Mountain View 650.967.4040 $55 - $89.50 BUY TICKETS

Mary J. Blige SOUL IN THE STREETS: Fueled by a powerful combination of street wise rap and soulful modern R&B, Mary J. Blige took the music world by storm in her signature combat boots, ropey blond locks and throaty vocals. She may be a bit older and wiser, but the bad girl image still remains at Blige's core and shines through her emotive performances.

--This week's newsletter by: RO, AR & TI

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