Wednesday Wishlist: For the San Pedro Square Market to Open ASAP!

Sharks Top Capitals In Fierce D.C. Battle

With three periods of fierce hockey coming to a close, the San Jose Sharks emerged victorious with a score of 2-0. Logan Couture scored again with his 24th of the season, and Sharks netminder Antti Niemi earned his second shutout in a row (after the Sharks’ 2-0 win in Boston last Saturday).

Coming into the game, fans and players alike knew this would be a hard-fought game, as the statistics showed the San Jose Sharks and the Washington Capitals almost dead even in each of their respective conference standings. Both the Sharks and Capitals are each well known for their offensive prowess, and facing each other would prove to be a significant test for each of the teams’ defensive lines.

The Capitals started their lineup with the young Michal Neuvirth in net and played without their star defender, Mike Green, after he had been hit to the side of the face with a wayward puck from a Brooks Orpik shot from their game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The first two periods of the game, based on the scoresheet, were fairly uneventful. By the time the second period was over, the two teams remained scoreless, with only two minor penalties in the contest up to that point. As the scoreless streak continued, both teams played defensively well, until rookie Logan Couture broke the tie with eight minutes left in the third after receiving a beautiful board pass from Ben Eager, gently shooting the puck through Capitals netminder Neuvirth’s five hole. Only two short minutes later, defender Dan Boyle pinched in to one time a Heatley pass over Neuvirth’s shoulder to increase the score to 2-0.

From Boyle’s goal until the end of the game, the Capitals emerged with a strong offensive push, even pulling Neuvirth with two minutes to go while on a power play, giving the Capitals a 6-4 advantage. With the advantage, the Capitals failed to capitalize, even with powerful sniper Alex Ovechkin sending quick shots to the net, only coming short to Niemi’s quickness. The Capitals had many close opportunities, giving the local Caps fans the hope they would come back.

Both goaltenders were the highlight of the game, with Niemi making unbelievable kick saves and absorbing rebounds and Neuvirth making similarly wonderful saves. Although Niemi ended with a well-deserved shutout, Neuvirth still emerged with a respectable .944 save percentage.

Despite the outcome, the Sharks face the Capitals again next Thursday, the 17th, at the Shark Tank for a rematch. (As both a Sharks and Ovechkin fan, I will definitely be there.)

Catch the Sharks tomorrow at 4pm as they face the Columbus Blue Jackets, who themselves just came off of a victorious 4-1 game versus the Pittsburgh Penguins.

San Jose Metblogs: Cinequest 21!!!

Cinequest 21 is headed our way!

from San Jose Metblogs by Cynthia Corral

I hope everyone is taking their vitamins, getting their exercise, and soaking up lots of this February sun…  there are only 25 more days until Cinequest 21 hits downtown San Jose.

This year you can expect 173 films, starring such notable actors such as Edie Falco, Edward James Olmos, Uma Thurman, Catherine Deneuve, John Turturro, Dennis Quaid, Helen Hunt, Jenna Fischer and Chris O’Donnell… and even MORE.

Cinequest turns 21 this year, so it’s now of age, and of course in celebration there will be ten Maverick Meetups, 11 VIP Soirees, and of course the fantastic Openingand Closing Parties.

Passione

The opening film will be PASSIONE, screening at 7pm on March 1 in the California Theatre.  These tickets go quickly, so you should be making plans now.  This film is written and directed by John Turturro, and he is expected to attend the festival to receive the Maverick Spirit Award this year.  The opening party will be at Eulipia Restaurant ANDThe Swinging Hookah on South 1st Street, right after the film.

The closing film will be SOUL SURFER, the story of Bethany Hamilton.  This young surfing star lost her arm in a shark attack, and many teenage girls, including my daughter, have her poster on their wall – still surfing, even after the accident.  But this story goes even further.  Bethany found a great purpose in life when she visited Thailand after the tsunami.  Played by AnnaSophia Robb (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) and also starring Dennis Quaid, Helen Hunt and Carrie Underwood, this film should make a great end to the festival.  Bethany and AnnaSophia will both be receiving Maverick Spirit Awards.  The closing party will follow at South First Billiards and will last until they kick us out (kicking and screaming).  This will be another event you need to start looking at tickets for now to avoid missing out.

Nosferatu

Other highlights include:

The 1922 silent film NOSFERATU, A SYMPHONY OF HORROR in a 35mm color tinted restoration.  One of the first vampires on film, you’re sure to have nightmares watching Edward Cullen’s great-great-great-great-great grandfather.

The Day of the Writer forums will focus on Sci Fi!  Part One is called “Crafting the Heart of Sci Fi: The Story”.  Howard Suber from UCLA will use films such as 2001, ALIEN, BLADE RUNNER and TERMINATOR as examples in this story development forum.  Part Two is “Sci Fi Writing Comprehensive” and will be run by writers Steve Cuden (“Startgate Infinity”) and Paul Chitlik (“The New Twilight Zone”).  Part Three is a discussion with two of the industry’s most prominent sci-fi writers:  Academy Award winner David Webb Peoples (BLADERUNNER, 12 MONKEYS) will join whomever wins the Maverick Spirit Award.  Should be interesting to anyone who loves Sci Fi!!

We will have Cinequest updates and film reviews up as we get closer to festival time.  Keep checking back for all your Cinequest updates, and while you’re waiting, head over to the Cinequest site to purchase your tickets and film passes!

But most importantly, take care of yourself this month, because in 25 more days we’re all headed back to the theater for a marathon of independent film — JOIN US!

Cinequest Film Festival 21

March 1 to March 13, 2011

Twitter: @Cinequest

Twitter hashtags:  We use #CQFF.  Cinequest inexplicably wants #CQMMC.

Pick one or mix and match!

February 2011 Downtown Dimension Highlights

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

• Redevelopment agencies are under fire by our new Governor and SJ is fighting (along with many other cities across the state) to keep the redevelopment agencies alive. Many projects including the HP Pavilion, Convention Center, Fairmont, and Adobe HQ would not have been possible without the RDA.
• Police, VTA, and city officials are cracking down on drug dealing around Fountain Alley. Stakeholders are also discussing improving lighting and adding more police patrols.
• The San Jose Cultural Plan for 2011-2020 strengthens downtown as the creative and cultural center of Silicon Valley. 1stAct, zer01, California Theater renovation, and Artsopolis all came from previous Culture Plans. The 2011 plan suggests:
• Nurturing small-scale performing arts venues
• Creating a fund to support small art organizations
• Locating a dedicated festival site such as the Arena Green or Discovery Meadow
• Celebrating diversity through arts and culture
• Including big public art projects
• Promoting economic development through the arts
• The City Parks Alliance gave national recognition to the Guadalupe River Park as being a leading example of an urban park.
• This summer, San Carlos Street between Market and Fourth will receive a $4 million renovation that will:
• Widen sidewalks
• Add planters, benches, garbage cans, and bike racks
• Improve lighting
• "The city received an $80k grant that will allow an interactive public art display to be added to San Carlos Street, connecting the university to SoFA and the Convention Center." Street poles will be lit with LED lights that will change and react based on movement on the street. [Josh: I love this idea, the more interactive/dynamic art the better!]
• Downtown Ice brought in 41,926 skaters and despite rainy days, broke the previous single day attendance record 4 times.
• 44 utility boxes will magically disappear. Groundwerx crews have taken pictures of what's behind each cabinet and will wrap each utility box with vinyl decals of the pictures, creating an optical illusion. 22 others (most in SoFA) will be hand painted or wrapped in local art. [Josh: Very, very cool]
• La Pinata is now open on San Pedro Square.
• The remodeled and expanded La Vics is also now open.
• Brixton Hue Salon and Style Studio has moved into what used to be Chic Chateau at 96 S. 3rd. They are also planning to sell handbags, jewelry, and fashion accessories.
• Motif has been remodeled by one of the designers of the Hard Rock Cafe and Palms Hotel in Vegas.
• The San Jose Sabercats are returning to the HP Pavilion for a 9 game season starting in March. 
• Downtown hotel occupancy rose from 50% in 2009 to 59% in 2010. Total revenue increased by almost $9M.

To read the full newsletter, click here!

Tesla is Coming to Santana Row!

Tesla may not have been able to relocate their offices and factory to North San Jose as originally planned, but they will have a presence here. The word just got out that they are planning to build a "store" at Santana Row! Instead of using dealers and 3rd parties, they are planning to sell cars directly to consumers much like an Apple store. They already have 30 of these worldwide that are either open already or near opening, and the closest one right now is the original in Menlo Park.

I imagine the first car they will sell at the store will be the Model S (pictured below), a $56k all electric vehicle with up to a 300 mile battery, 0-60 of 5.6 seconds, a 17 inch LCD touchscreen, and seating for up to 7 people. These will start shipping in late 2012.

This year Tesla will also announce the Model X, which is a crossover version built on the same platform as the Model S. Eventually they will also release a Model C (~$30k compact or midsize electric car) and a new roadster to replace their current $100k+ speed demon--which may transform into a 4-seat convertible in it's second life. While I'm a huge advocate of Downtown San Jose, I think Tesla made the right choice with Santana Row. Now please excuse me while I check my couch for some spare change.

Niemi Shuts Out Bruins In Sharks' 2-0 Victory

The San Jose Sharks extend their current road victory to 2-0 with a victory over the strong Boston Bruins with a score of 2-0. Logan Couture's power play goal just seven and a half minutes into the first period was all the team needed to win, especially with the strong, stepped up defensive play that allowed goaltender Antti Niemi to earn his third shutout of the season. Forward Devin Setoguchi increased the score to 2-0 with three seconds left in the game on an open net, as the Bruins pulled their goaltender Tim Thomas in an attempt to tie the game late in the third. Although the Sharks' 18 total shots on net were the lowest of the season, it was enough to earn their much-deserved two points.

The Sharks' defense was continually impressive all game, defending the net and keeping the Bruins scoreless for their four power plays. Even during the Bruins' fourth power play in the third period from a Joe Thornton tripping call, the Bruins failed to register a single shot on net for the entire two minutes. It became clear, to those of us either watching the game on television or listening to the game on the radio, that the fans in Boston's TD Garden were disappointed and began booing their team in disgust.

Although the Bruins played a decent game, almost scoring from a Milan Lucic shot that hit the post, and their many almost-successful attempts to capitalize on the several large rebounds given by Niemi, the Sharks' defense today was too strong. In addition, the Bruins failed to win the puck battles in the corners (something the Sharks have been great at all season, with the likes of Ryane Clowe and Scott Nichol), giving the Sharks more control over the puck's movement.

Couture's goal (after missing two straight games from the flu) puts his tally to 23, giving him a comfortable lead thus far in the rookie goal scoring race (five ahead of the Hurricanes' Jeff Skinner).

With the win, the Sharks are now tied with the Anaheim Ducks in the Western Conference standings at 62 points (taking up the 4th and 5th place spots), although the Ducks have played in one more game.

The Sharks continue their road trip next Tuesday (the 8th) against a powerful Washington Capitals team in D.C.

WIGGLERAMA at Trieste

from Phantom Galleries by Cherri Lakey

WIGGLERAMA - A DJ Night w/ DJ Coco and Boboso!
Saturday, Feb.5th 8pm - 11pm
at Caffe Trieste
315 1st St.
San Jose, CA 95113
Free. All Ages but there are some adults beverage for sale at the cafe.

One More First Friday Plug, Because it's Worth It!

Phantom Galleries:

Join us for South FIRST FRIDAYS Art Walk February 4th!
An eclectic evening of arts and culture in downtown San Jose's SoFA District (& beyond)!
Venues are open 7pm-11pm & are free of charge

HIghlights include:

Phantom Galleries in the windows of 386 South First Street:
Two exhibitions featuring Yumiko & Reiko Miyagawa and Mike Park
Miyagawa sisters' first collaboration photo show. The sisters came up with themes that have contrastive ideas, and each one took photos with "our weirdo heads' imagination!"

Mike Park exhibits the different colors of VINYL.


Phantom Galleries at Caffé Trieste - 315 South First Street
Opening Reception - Around the World in 30,000 Photographs by Frances Freyberg
In 2008, emerging photographer Frances Freyberg left her job in high-tech communications to travel the world for a year, taking photos and writing about her experiences. Over the course of the year, she took more than 30,000 photographs across 41 different countries. This exhibit includes some of her favorite photos from Asia, India, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and North and South America.
First Fridays are Opera Night! at Caffé Trieste with some of the Bay Area’s best opera singers performing your favorite arias and duets.


Phantom Galleries at Good Karma Vegan Café - 37 South First Street
Opening Reception: Art Alive by Trina Merry A rich collaboration with a variety of talented Bay Area photographers- wet plate, fine art, fashion, and maternity photography.
Trina Merry has been exploring and focusing on bodypainting solely since her installation "The Television Totem Pole" at the SubZERO Festival 2010. This exhibit showcases her explorations that have spawned and informed her other bodypaint series, music videos, and current work.


Phantom Galleries at Pho69 - 321 South First Street
Opening Reception- Just In Time: Abstracts by Jane Peterman. The series of paintings is a meditation on time and space beginning March 2009 and ongoing.
Join us for a Vietnamese New Year celebration with Lion Dancers, traditional New Years food tastings, and lucky red envelopes fortunes.


Anno Domini // the second coming of Art & Design - 366 South First Street
Artist's Reception- Auroral Dreaming new sculptures by Derek Weisberg
Derek Weisberg returns to Anno Domini for his second solo exhibition with a brand new body of ambitious and courageous work. Weisberg continues to examine his own life and the world around him, attempting to answer questions, which have plagued humans since the beginning of time.
Live music by Suzanne Vallie


The Education of Hopey Glass: Day by Day with Hopey, Jaime Hernandez, ink on paper, 2010
MACLA - 510 South First Street
Join MACLA for an extraordinary evening of art: In MACLA’s Gallery: Novelas, Love and Other Adventures Featuring: Jaime Hernandez, Favianna Rodriguez, Rio Yañez and Mayra Ramirez.
Please join us for our Opening Reception & Artist Talk: at 7:00pm Join Jaime Hernandez of famed comic book series Love & Rockets and Bay Area Artist Rio Yañez for an engaging conversation about their work.


Higher Fire Clayspace & Gallery - 499 Market Street
Artist's Reception- Joy Imai: Soda-Fired Porcelain
Botanical elements dot the surface of Joy Imai's soda-glazed pottery, but her work is pure pyromaniac in origin! Joy sprays baking soda & water into a 2300 degree kiln causing the solution to break down into sodium vapor glaze. The vapors flash her pots with color - all surprising, unique, and a tangible record of what pieces endured in the kiln.
Reception for the featured artist will be held in conjunction with South First Friday festivities on Feb 4 from 7pm 'til late... plus an evening of pottery wheel demonstrations, kids' clay table, and light refreshments too.


SLG Art Boutiki & Gallery - 577 South Market Street
SLG Art Boutiki presents the art of Vesha Valentine by Des Taylor. Celebrating the release of the new storybook by Taylor, SLG will be showing unseen art from the book. Live music and of course all the things that make The Art Boutiki the best comics art gallery in town!


Targets by Myrrh, acrylic on wood
Works San José - 451 South First Street
Opening Reception- Better Luck Next Time
Have you ever heard these words? It is defined as “an expression that comforts someone for a minor disappointment.” Whether it’s a matter of the heart, life experiences, work or leisure, there is almost always a time when this applies. It might be that piece of art that is loved but just didn’t fit the bill. Engaging in a conversation, examining social or political issues, creating humor, capturing history or chronicling a new work—this exhibition will reveal the artistic expression for the meaning behind the phrase. These artists are making the choice to be lucky this year, presenting some great art that will empower time and again discovering hilarity in Better Luck Next time. Presented by Works in collaboration with South Bay Area Women’s Caucus for Art.


METRO Photo Exhibit - 550 South First Street
Come join us in the Metro building for Pulp Female, photography by Jen Anderson and Ian Healy


Blue Boy by Jay Ruland
KALEID Gallery - 88 South Fourth Street (at San Fernando)
Surgery.Art presents Dark Matter a group study of the dark and immeasurable.
Featuring dark analytical work by: Matthew Pugh, Marie Dvorkin, Alla Viksne, Jay Ruland, Alex Yanushkevich, Kelly Nelson, Emily Feucht, Haley Goodlett, J. Marie Valdivia, Centa Schumacher, Mike Dvorkin, Genevieve Hastings, Shauna Mork + more. Fashion study by Mike Kemling. Auditory guidance by Audrey Stats, Kevorkian/Dvorkin, Geoffrey Smith. Curated by: Marie Dvorkin, Dora Lee


Patty, John Renzel, acrylic on canvas
Psycho Donuts - 288 South Second Street
On view: Local Characters - Crazy, quirky and colorful characters populate this favorite donut shop art gallery! San Jose's Psycho Donuts has new original art by local artists: John Renzel, Lacey Bryant, Michael Foley, Christine Benjamin, Laura Callin Bennett, Valery Milovic, John Hageman, Murphy Adams and Michael Borja.


South First Billiards Club & Lounge - 420 South First Street
The Prophecy - A night of music, art, and good energy with Audiopharmacy
Hip-Hop, Reggae, Funk, Soul, World, Latin featuring Kaotic Souls and Special guests. Beats By Teao N Offerings. Live Acrylics by- Nice Onem, Mia Ante, Jaiv1. Art Works by- Deth Brain, Nice One, Jaiv1, Dee Jae Pa'este, Mia Ante, Majick, Soil
5-9pm ALL AGES. 9pm-close 21+


San Jose Jazz at Eulipia Restaurant - 374 South First Street
8pm- Joe Bagale
A San Francisco based singer songwriter/composer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer; he is pushing the envelope of what we know as pop music. His compositions are a blend of old-school funk/R&B mixed with the sounds of late 60's/70's rock and topped off with a jazz/avant-garde influence, coming together to create a style entirely all his own.

For full listing of events and information: please visit www.SouthFirstFridays.com or call 408-271-5155

Media Sponsor: Metro Newspapers
Enjoy FREE PEDICAB RIDES between art venues courtesy of South First Fridays and Eco City Cycles!

This event is produced by Two Fish Design with additional support provided by the San Jose Downtown Association, the San Jose Redevelopment Agency and 1st ACT Silicon Valley.