Feathers of Fury 2018

Feathers O' Fury: The 8th Annual Pillow Fight in Downtown SJ will be held this Sunday, Feb 22nd at noon. This year, the location is Paseo de San Antonio in front of the Old Camera 12 at 12pm. This is a free event that is a lot of fun (and way more tiring than you would expect). For rules and photos from previous events, hit one of the links below!

FB: facebook.com/PillowFightSJ
Twitter: @pillowfightsj
Instagram#: #pillowfightsj

EVENT PAGES:
Main Event Page
https://www.facebook.com/events/1168258806619915/

Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/pillowfightsj

BeatifySJ Grants

Last month, the city launched a new program called BeatifySJ that will provide micro-grants to 71 different community organizations. The goal is to make San Jose a better place by enabling grassroots and community organizations. Grants will be $5,000 or less, which is enough to fund hundreds of projects from tree plantings to cleaning up graffiti. To see the full list of projects, head over here.

SJC might be getting direct service to India

This tidbit is deep in the rumor-mill, but there was a special surprise embedded in an Air India announcement for new flights at SFO. The airline already has a direct flight to New Delhi that flies six times per week and this summer they are launching a new Mumbai route with three flights per week out of San Francisco. However, check out this portion of the announcement:

"...This has prompted to us to connect Mumbai directly with San Francisco and we plan to launch a flight service to the Silicon Valley from the coming summers,"the official said."

The only airport they could be referring to is San Jose International. A direct flight to India from San Jose would make perfect sense given the large South Asian population in Silicon Valley and the business relationships between local companies and those in Mumbai, Bangalore, and other Indian tech centers. The bigger question is what does the "coming summers" mean? 2019? 2020? It's not clear from the article, but hopefully more details will be released soon.

Source: India Times, hat-tip to Daniel Martinez for sending this in!

sjDANCEco presents program of World Premieres with “On The Edge” Feb 16 & 17 in San Jose

WHO: sjDANCEco presents

WHAT: "On The Edge"

WHEN: Friday, February 16 and Saturday, February 17, 2018 at 2:30pm & 7:00pm 

WHERE: SJSU Dance Theater; SPX 216. 

The theater is located in the Spartan Complex building on the San Jose State University Campus at One Washington Square, San Jose, CA 95112 near 4th Street and San Carlos.

Inexpensive parking is available at the City garage on San Carlos between 2nd and 3rd Streets.

WHY: The South Bay and the East Bay come together in sjDANCEco’s winter offering, “On The Edge”, a shared bill of contemporary choreography. "On the Edge" was initiated to give greater opportunity to sjDANCEco's seasoned and aspiring company choreographers. It brings together an evening of World Premieres by Company dancer/choreographers Hannah McNany, Kelisha Gardeen, Katherine House, Jazmyn Turner and Danielle Galvez. Diablo Ballet's Resident Choreographer, Robert Dekkers, presents the touching duet "No One Does It Like You" performed to music by Department of Eagles.  The ballet, originally created for Arizona's NovaBallet premiered in July of 2010 at the Tempe Center for the Arts in Tempe, Arizona. 

TICKETS: $30 General, $25 Senior (65 & up). $20 Student (w/student ID) - plus fees for all tickets levels.

BOX OFFICE: 408.520.9854   www.sjDANCEco.org

PHOTO CAPTION: sjDANCEco1.jpg.  

ABOUT US: sjDANCEco is a year-round contemporary dance company based in San Jose, California that produces world premieres by its core and guest choreographers, and presents the very best of Contemporary and Classic Modern Dance and Masterpieces of the American Modern Dance Repertory. In addition to a full season of dance concerts, sjDANCEco also is a major participant each Spring in free outdoor dance presentations during National Dance Week, international dance festivals, and has a full schedule of contemporary dance classes for the advanced and professional dancer. sjDANCEco ignites the spirit of dance.

sjDANCEco is a registered 501c3.  Fed ID 61-1446985

Photo Clockwise from Top Left: Dancer/choreographers Hannah McNany, Frankie Reviera, Kelisha Gardeen and Katherine House. Photo by Thomas Hassing.

Super Bowl Watch Party at Bourbon Steak & Pub

What better place to watch the big game than at the location of Super Bowl 50? Michael Mina's Bourbon Steak & Pub will be transformed into a special culinary extravaganza on February 4th from 11am to 9pm.

The $49/person all-inclusive menu highlights items from the restaurant's new BBQ smoker, including Allen Brothers beef brisket, baby back ribs, and BBQ chicken spicy sausage links. There are also vegetarian-friendly options like marinated portabella mushrooms, braised greens, mac 'n cheese, potato salad, backed beans, and brussel cole slaw--not to mention plenty of desserts like Michael Mina's signature cookies.

Tickets are available over here.

Catalyze SV Launch Party

Catalyze SV is on a mission is to "engage community member, developers, and city leaders to envision and create sustainable, equitable, and vibrant places for people in Silicon Valley." This includes advocating for inclusive and diverse communities that feature smart urban designs. The organization was founded in a living room last year and received a $29k grant last month from The Knight Foundation to take things to the next level.

They have already had some early successes with Volar in Santana Row and the Agrihood in Santa Clara. Catalyze SV could have a great impact on future San Jose development, and now is the perfect time to get involved.

Today they are holding a launch party at the historic Arts Mercantile building from 6-8pm featuring several city leaders. For more on the event or to RSVP (free), head over here.

New arts center coming to Japantown

An empty lot in Japantown at 7th Street and E. Taylor Street is now destined to become a 55,000 SQFT arts center. It will become the new home base for several nonprofits including Silicon Valley Creates, for San Jose Taiko, the New Ballet School, and CreaTV. If it looks anything like the render below, it should also be quite stunning.

The goal is to kick off construction by June of 2019 (this is highly dependent on funding), and it won't be the only project in the area. Eventually the arts center is expected to be surrounded by new housing midrises and a park.

Source: The Merc  Hat tip to Vianka Villanueva for sending this in!

SJC is planning a $1 billion Expansion!

San Jose International has been growing by leaps and bounds over the past five years and has finally hit a point where a major expansion is feasible. Three additional gates were recently added, bringing the airport to a total of 31 gates. The new expansion being planned would add at least 9 more at the end of Terminal B, bringing the total to 40 gates or more.

This would mean more flights, destinations, and tax dollars for the city (San Jose owns the airport). While still in the early planning stages, it would be interesting to use some of the new gates as a dedicated international terminal given all of the new overseas routes.

The target cost of the expansion is $1 billion (for context Terminal B was $1.3 billion) and the goal would be to open all of the new gates by 2024.

Source: SVBJ

January 2018 Downtown Dimension Highlights

Here are my notes from the latest edition of Downtown Dimension:

• The Bank of Italy Building, Fairmont Hotel, Riverpark Towers, Towers@Second, and Bella Mia all recently changed ownership.
• The Pierce earns the Jim Fox Golden Nail Award
• Office Moves
• Tech firm Wrike moved into 24,000 SQFT at 70 S. Second St. and expects to grow from 70 to 100 San Jose employees in the next year.
• Signet has moved 30 employees into 630 S. First St.
• Voce Communications has moved from Sunnyvale to 75 E. Santa Clara.
• Critical Mass has moved 65 employees to 75 E. Santa Clara St.
• Cold Iron is a gaming company that has moved 25 developers into 4 N. Second St., Suite 460.
• Invoke, P.C. is an intellectual property law firm that has moved from the Peninsula to 84 W. Santa Clara St., Suite 500.
• Downtown Yoga Shala has moved across the street to 467 S. First St.
• 3Below Theaters and Movie Lounge is now open and features indie flicks, singalongs, retro movies, ComedySportz, and live performances.

To read the newsletter, click here!

3Below Theaters & Lounge opens its doors with Sondheim on Sondheim

When it comes to musicals and plays, we are fortunate to have the Center for Performing Arts with Broadway San Jose, The San Jose Stage, and the Children's Musical Theater.

Now we are lucky to have another venue to consider!

On Thursday, January 18, 2018, 3Below Theaters & Lounge officially opened its doors to the public as they welcomed patrons to the musical: Sondheim on Sondheim. You can read their press release on The San Jose Blog here.

As we covered about the closing of Camera Cinemas (Part 1 and Part 2) along with options for the Camera 12 Cinemas, it’s been a heartbreak for many of us wondering about the future of these properties. However, a glimmer of hope came alive when it was announced that the property, formerly known as Camera 3, was to be renovated and revitalized!

Exterior of 3Below Theaters & Lounge on January 18, 2018
(Photograph courtesy of John Huân Vu)

When we arrived to 3Below, we noticed that the exterior hasn’t changed much aside from the removal of Psycho Donuts and the subtle interludes of blue and white. However, once you enter into the lobby, you can definitely see, feel, and even - ah - smell the new changes including a new snackbar; a remodeled dining area with plenty of tables and chairs; and renovated lobby with new flooring, wall coverings, and lighting. As shown below, I love their chosen wall pattern because it gives the exact feel that 3Below is trying to achieve: “a social spot for stage, screen, music, comedy, family fun, and events.”

Interior Wall Covering of 3Below Theaters & Lounge

(Photograph courtesy of John Huân Vu)

Arriving early to take pictures and look around, I was excited when they decided to let people in to see the musical in Theater 3. I found out that I was the first official patron to set foot in Theater 3! As you can see by my panorama, Theater 3 is a multipurpose theater for musicals, plays, movies, operas, cabarets, concerts, and a coveted screening room for Cinequest Film & VR Festival. You can find more about the other two theaters yet to be completely remodeled on their website under Who We Are, including an “intimate 87-seat theater” and another theater which will be the homebase to ComedySportz!

Panorama of Theater 3 at 3Below Theaters & Lounge
(Photograph courtesy of John Huân Vu)

Of course, it’s also not everyday that you get to sit in a brand new theater. It doesn’t quite have a new car smell but the room feels and smells so clean with brand new wall coverings and lighting; beautiful new seats; and fortunately, gum, scuff marks, or food on the floor were nowhere to be found!

Seats and interior of Theater 3 at 3Below Theaters & Lounge
(Photograph courtesy of John Huân Vu)

As for Sondheim on Sondheim, the musical is a big nod and honor to Stephen Sondheim, a famous American composer and lyricist best known for his work on Company, Follies, West Side Story, Sweeney Todd, and Into the Woods. The musical is on a limited engagement until February 4 and you can purchase tickets here.

With movie clips showing interviews of Stephen Sondheim featured on the big screen alongside cast members live on stage singing, dancing, and acting out many of his musical numbers, it was great to appreciate this living legend, or as some call him – “God”, for his work, sense of humor, and personal life.

Cast members on stage look on as Stephen Sondheim is featured on the big screen
(Photograph courtesy of Guggenheim Entertainment)

Under the direction of Guggenheim Entertainment, the cast members performed well. Theresa Anne Swain and Amy Bouchard amused us with their interludes of “The Wedding is Off” and “Bless This Day”, respectively, from the musical Company. Given his work as an opera singer, Stephen Guggenheim nailed “Epiphany” from Sweeney Todd. Jim Ambler amused us with “Franklin Shepard, Inc.” from Merrily We Roll Along. Then we had two deep and emotional numbers from Passion: “Is This What You Call Love?” and “Loving You”; both were performed eloquently by Jeremy Kreamer and Susan Gundunas, respectively. Martin Rojas Dietrich sang a number that many of us can relate to in life called “Being Alive” from Company. And Hayley Lovgren’s performance of “Do I Hear a Waltz?” from Do I Hear a Waltz? made me want to get up out of my seat and dance along to the waltz rhythms. After all the musical numbers were finished, I began to not only appreciate Sondheim’s lesser known works including Road Show (previously Bounce/Wise Guys), Merrily We Roll Along, and Passion, but also appreciate and empathize with his struggles in life including his psychologically abusive mother.

The cast members of Sondheim on Sondheim at 3Below
(Photograph courtesy of Guggenheim Entertainment)

All in all, 3Below has done a great job and I’m excited for their upcoming renovations of the other two theaters and additions to the lobby dining area including their Pix & Pints Cafe for dining options before, during, and after events. We will certainly be coming back and can’t wait to see another musical, play, movie, show, sing-a-long, or ComedySportz! They will win my heart, any day, if they are able to have a classy cabaret show or a jazz concert with some great wine and h'orderves. Great job 3Below Theaters & Lounge!

Sincerely Yours,

John Huân Vu

Sondheim on Sondheim at 3Below Theaters & Lounge
(Photograph courtesy of John Huân Vu)