The Usuals One-Year Anniversary!

Illuskrate at The Usuals
New works by dNA

Friday, April 22nd
7:00p – 10:00p
On view thru May 23rd

We’ve made it through our first year here on The Alameda! Help us celebrate this milestone.

This time last year, dNA graced our walls with his pieces. dNA is back with new works in our year anniversary installation of Illuskrate.

In the back room, introduce yourself to a new collection from Closet Invaders. Closet Invaders has teamed-up with us to introduce a series of pieces for our ALLMIXEDUP projects. Make sure to check these out.

TREATBOT will be here! Bring your singing voice and an appetite for ice cream!

Music from our resident DJs…
Squareweezy and Cutso from The Bangerz
Beats to tantalize your earholes…
David Ma of nerdtorious.com
Hells Bells!!

Health & Fitness perks? YES!
The good folks at GO TEAM MO are raffling-off one free two-week voucher toward the upcoming bootcamps starting this May! [Offer applies to the first 2 weeks of the May 2011 season only. A $150 value.]

Food? Yes, of course! Grab a silog plate from The WOW Truck!!

Ice Cream?? Yes! As a matter of fact, it’s Ice Cream AND Karaoke…TREATBOT will be here.

Tea Sampling? Of course. Thanks to Tori and Staff at the Satori Tea Company for keeping the tea flowing!

Don’t miss the continued raffle frenzy…dNA is raffling-off two of his famed caricatures at opening night! Check them out here: illuskrate.blogspot.com.

It will be great to see all of you here!

Here’s a sneak peak:

San Jose Earth Day Events Next Week

Friday, April 29, 2011
11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
San José City Hall Plaza – 200 E. Santa Clara Street, San José, CA

Bright Green Day is a one-day event held on April 29. The Showcase will feature an Efficiency and Solar Energy Fair on Saturday, April 30 for additional self-guided tours.

• Tours & Workshops
• Activities
• Music & Special Guests
• Local Food
• Receive a Free Reusable Bag
• Transportation
• Zero Waste Event
• Safety
• ADA Amenities
• Sponsors

This free event is a partnership between the City of San José and Department of Energy's Solar America Communities program.

For more info, click here!

Blendz is Back

It looks like Blendz (healthy quick food restaurant) in Downtown San Jose is back in business and under new ownership. It has been closed for quite some time, but I noticed employees in there over the weekend and their Yelp page is advertising a grand opening on April 28th, 2011 from 4-6PM. You can find the restaurant at 132 E. San Fernando Street right next to Whipps.

History ain't over till it's over.

Wednesday Wishlist: BART to San Jose

This is one Wednesday Wishlist we may achieve sooner rather than later. A couple of weeks ago, $900M in federal funds moved into the final stages of approval for the South Bay BART project. Groundbreaking is being earmarked for early 2012 and passenger service to Berryessa is expected by 2018. For more info, click here.

San Jose Sharks Mount Comeback of Legend, Win 6-5

The San Jose Sharks made an unbelievable comeback against the Los Angeles Kings, winning their game in overtime, and putting them ahead in the series, two games to one.

This must have been a very interesting day for “fair weather fans” of the Sharks. First, it started with “The Sharks suck. Here we go choking again!” to “The Sharks are awesome! They’re comeback kings!” (Yes, I read most of the social web site BS from people claiming to be from Silicon Valley.)

Even as a true Sharks fan, since their inaugural season in 1991, I will admit there were times I felt disappointed, but in no way did I lose my support and energy with hopes my favorite team would not give up. To watch the Los Angeles Kings escalate the score to a 4-0 lead, even the more supportive Sharks fans felt it was, yet again, not the Sharks’ day. After all, last Saturday, the Kings beat the Sharks by the same 4-0 tally at the Shark Tank to even the series at one game apiece.

The first period ended with a 3-0 advantage for the Kings. Likewise, I did not feel too bad, as the Sharks had overcome similar deficits in the past, and two periods could have been enough for at least a three goal comeback to tie the game. After the Kings’ fourth goal less than a minute into the second period, it seemed it would not be so easy. Many of my “friends” sent me text messages, informing me they had turned their televisions off and were heading to bed. Even coach Todd McLellan had enough of goaltender Antti Niemi (who, I admit, really was not on his game) and pulled him in favor of fellow Finn Antero Niittymaki.

“Not me! I am a true fan!” I replied to each message of capitulation. The Sharks didn’t quit, so neither did I.

Soon, Patrick Marleau put the first goal on the board for the Sharks, being set up by both Dan Boyle and Joe Thornton. A few minutes later, it was Ryan Clowe, and then another six minutes of hard-nosed play saw the Sharks score yet again with a goal by Logan Couture (who, by the way, was just revealed as a nominee for the 2010-2011 Calder “Rookie of the Year” Memorial Trophy).

With the score then 4-3, the Sharks were right back in it.

The Kings’ Ryan Smyth scored only fifteen seconds after Couture’s goal to calm the Sharks’ hot streak, but as the second period unfolded, the Sharks scored twice more: once by Ryane Clowe (again, for his second, from a beautiful setup by Dan Boyle), and another by Joe Pavelski with a great front of the net effort.

Sharks fans rejoiced with their massive comeback, and the seven goal second period left the game at a 5-5 between the two teams.

Although the third period saw some close chances by both teams, the period ended scoreless, forcing the game to be decided by sudden death overtime.

Three minutes in, after a three on two break by the Sharks, Patrick Marleau slid the puck over to Devin Setoguchi for a beautiful setup, allowing him to wrist the puck into the top corner of the net, beating Kings’ netminder Jonathan Quick and sealing the Sharks’ victory.

The epic surge by the Sharks was only the fourth time in NHL Playoff history a team mounted a comeback from a deficit of at least four goals.

Now all of you fair weather fans can wake up and pretend like you’re all excited.

TWO BUCK Tuesday Today!

from Phantom Galleries by Cherri Lakey

KALEID Gallery presents
Two Buck Tuesday APRIL 19th 7-10pm
You're invited to join us for our monthly $2 art sale and quirky people get together!
We have another great lineup of art, demos and hands on activities!

FEATURING:

Sandi Billingsley will show us how to make recycled styrofoam picture frames!

Maria's Make Ur Own Button station is back!
In a world filled with buttons, you can’t seem to find the right button...well come by our button making machine table! this month- Maria will help u design & make a button that is all YOU!.


Laura Callin Bennett will help us make Pysanky (Ukrainian Dyed Easter Eggs). These are not your typical pastel dyed eggs! You will be able to draw intricate designs in wax and use brilliant dyes to create one of a kind egg artwork.

San Jose is Lame Because You’re Lame calendar will be making the next month's diy calendar. If you have an event you'd like to add, let them know!


Deb & Omar Barba Do you love musical instruments? Want to make one? Come join us and construct your own Diddley Bow. The original, single string slide guitar! Materials to build, and demonstrations on how to play one is all provided!


Joanne Yada & Courtney Thiesen will teach us how to turn plain ol’ photos into surreal ol’ photos using a bleach pen! Create new reds, oranges, and glowing whites by drawing with a Clorox stain removing pen directly onto photographs. More fun than doing yer laundry!


Alan Hackler will teach you to hand tie your own white sage incense smudge, using deer grass cordage. We will have a DIY demo and allow people to create their sage smudge from materials that will be provided. White sage and deer grass starter plants will be on sale as well, so participants can create smudges from material in their garden. Other plants will also be on sale for $2!

LIVE PAINTING by:
Kori Thompson
Jehoiakim Santos
Morgan Richardson
MUSIC by: DJ Coco
Enjoy Easter Candy compliments of Two Buck Crew!
As always, $2 art will be on sale throughout the evening!
Tuesday, April 19, 7-10 pm - free & all ages welcome!

KALEID Gallery
88 South 4th Street
Downtown San Jose
www.KALEIDgallery.com
(408) 947 1785

New Art Show Coming to The Usuals this Friday!

Dion Bello at The Usuals

from Phantom Galleries by Cherri Lakey

Leon by Dion Bello

Dion Bello's charicatures (Illuskrate) will be the next art show up for viewing at The Usuals on Friday April 22nd which is also The Usuals' 1 year anniversary!

1020 The Alameda
San Jose, CA 95126
www.ShopTheUsuals.com