South First Fridays Art Walk Tonight!

19 venues will be open for tonight's art walk, rain or "shine!" Looking at the walking map over here, it's interesting to see how things have changed over the past year. I remember when SLG was the only place open on Market Street. Now the Art Glass Center, Higher Fire Clay, and Works are all on Market. The Tech Shop and Pho69 are also new additions not around last year. Looking forward, I'm sure the new Zer01 Garage will be participating in future First Fridays as soon as they get up and running.

For more details on tonight's event, the highlights are down below:

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from Phantom Galleries by Cherri Lakey

Join us this Friday for the South FIRST FRIDAYS Art Walk in downtown San Jose! 7-11pm, FREE & Open to the public.
Lots of new exhibitions with artists' receptions, special performances and on site demos!

Opening Reception for featured artists Gianfranco Paolozzi and John Eric Paulson
KALEID Gallery, 88 South Fourth St.


A Box Is A Box Is A Box by Gianfranco Paolozzi
In search of new surfaces to apply my marks, to write my journals, the everyday boxes used as packaging for products that we consume, are becoming my canvasses. the box is a canvas when it is disassembled or not.


Photographs from Italy and Greece by John Eric Paulson
Each day I wonder what photographic surprises await me. When I focus on an area, I look for what I would like to see if it were a perfect world, creating the ideal, capturing the basic beauty and enhancing its drama.


Kanji Garden by Shannon Amidon
Phantom Galleries 95 South Market St.
Kanji Garden was created using hundreds of cut, hand dyed, and folded books that were destined for a landfill. The reused books that received a new life were titled “Understanding Kanji Characters” by Ping-gam Go.


Milk and Bones new paintings by Izer the Mizer
Good Karma Vegan Café, 37 South First St.
An amalgamation of images from children’s book illustrations and horror films, the teachings of Rush Limbaugh and Friedrich Nietzsche, a humanity that Gandhi would have eaten for, the end of the world, the birth of a child, the death of your mother, true love, true fate, true hate, true blood, a three headed hound with no legs, a drunk on a roll.


…..of light & shadows (de la luz y de las sombras) by Robertino Ragazza
Pho69, 321 South First St.
A new collection of new works by Robertino Ragazza mainly focusing the usage of high and low key lighting on his subjects or within the framing of his poetic photographs. All photographs are hand-printed Selenium-toned Silver Gelatin.
Pho69 also features live contemporary music on First Fridays. Come check out local bands performing favorite covers and original music.

There's 19 lively art / performance venues to peruse this Friday night, visit www.SouthFIRSTFRIDAYS.comfor full exhibition lineup and join us!

Heroes Golf Tournament II to Raise Funds for Fort Ord Veterans Cemetery

WHO:

The Central Coast State Veterans Cemetery Foundation will hold its second annual Heroes Golf Tournament November 12, 2011, at the famed Fort Ord Bayonet Course. KSBW personalities Dan Green and Dennis Lehnen will share emcee and auctioneer duties. The Heroes Open II is proud to announce the first Presenting Sponsor, Choice Home Health Care, and is honored to have the support of KSBW, Stahl Motor Company and others.

WHAT:

The scramble format tournament, at $150 per player, is the centerpiece of the day complemented by The Heroes Tea and Silent Auction, $25 per guest, and The Santa Maria Barbecue at $75 per guest.  Those who cannot attend the tournament are asked to sponsor a veteran’s entry fee.

WHEN:

November 12, 2011.  Registration 8:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. cannon start. 

WHERE:

Bayonet Course, Fort Ord.

WHY:     

Proceeds will go toward creating a final resting place for veterans and their spouses on 178 acres of the former Fort Ord.  Players, guests & volunteers are invited to bring non-perishable items for the Food Bank

For information, register to play golf, donate or sponsor go to www.ccvcf.com or call (831) 679-2610.  Their rest depends on you.

Sharks Return From Road Trip For Six Game Home Stretch

The Sharks return home after putting up a successful and dominant display of skill during their six game road trip in the east coast. While the Sharks left home with a disappointing 1-3-0 record, they returned with a more favorable 6-4-0, winning five of their six away games. While the Sharks’ impressive road trip may have concluded with an unfortunate loss to the New York Rangers, their five game win streak proved their capability of being the top team in the NHL. Even the best teams have less than remarkable games and lose, and the loss to the Rangers was no exception.

Despite being away from the loud and supportive HP Pavilion crowd for six games, the Sharks return home to Silicon Valley for another six – this time with the support of the Sharks’ well-known exuberant crowd. This time, the fans should be able to see a more experienced team; a team that has ironed out their beginning season woes.

To successfully win hockey games, especially on the road, it requires the effort of the entire team to push themselves ahead of their opponents. No doubt the Sharks were hungrier and played a more intelligent game than they teams they played on their victorious road trip games. As the NHL already encompasses the most elite players, the difference between good teams and great teams relies entirely on strategy and finding crafty ways to score. Although an entire team is responsible for their on-ice victories, there were indeed several notable players who stood out that much more and must be recognized.

Joe Pavelski undoubtedly rises to the top, as he was far and away the most successful Sharks player on the road trip, notching eleven points, placing his total firmly on top of the team with thirteen total points so far in the season. It is clear his placement on the first line with Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau is clicking quite well.

In addition, captain Joe Thornton has not failed to disappoint, scoring two goals in the Detroit Red Wings game and contributing helpers in each of the Sharks’ away games, with the exception of the game against the New York Islanders. Logan Couture added a few goals as well, and the ex-Minnesota Wild duo of Martin Havlat and Brent Burns have proven to be terrific assets to the team.

While the first road trip game against the New Jersey Devils was won in a shootout, the other winning contests were more decisive; three out of the five wins were two goal victories, each capped with empty net goals to bring each respective game to their conclusion.

The Sharks may have looked extremely sloppy when they played the New York Rangers, however fans alike should be hopeful they will come back to display the chemistry they demonstrated during the first five games of their road trip.

Tonight, the Sharks begin their home stretch with a game against the Eastern Conference’s Pittsburgh Penguins. The Sharks have statistically done well versus the Penguins (with their last win in San Jose occurring in 1997), although the Penguins should not be taken lightly, especially with their currently impressive 8-3-2 record.

Let’s hope history works in the Sharks’ favor again tonight by starting off the comfortable home stretch with two points!

GO SHARKS!

20 Year Anniversary of DRUM!

San Jose-based DRUM! is celebrating their 20th year this month, a pretty amazing feat for any publication. Full press release below:

Enter Music Publishing Has a DRUM! Déjà Vu With Charlie Benante: Smashing The Cover Then And Now

 

San Jose, Calif., -- Anniversaries can often bring reflection. And, Enter Music Publishing, publishers of hip, drum/percussion magazines, worldwide and online, is no exception as it celebrates 20 years of publishing DRUM!. Two issues ago, the magazine had Chad Smith on the cover, discussing new Peppers percussion. Indeed, appropriate since Smith has been on the cover of DRUM! more than any other drummer.

 

So, it’s quite apropos, that its October issue features Anthrax drummer, Charlie Benante, since it was 20 years ago last month that he appeared on the first cover of DRUM!. At that time, the magazine was a free tabloid with a circulation mainly in Northern California. Benante, on the other hand, had already made a name for himself with his eight years of blast beats that had propelled Anthrax to the forefront of the rock/metal music scene during the late eighties and early nineties.

 

Indeed, Benante was and remains very well respected for his drumming, guitar playing, and song-writing abilities. And, as noted in the “Epilogue” (20 Year Thrashback Charlie Benante and DRUM!) to the story on page 104 of the current issue, Benante reveals that his fame, then and now, had not made him a snobby rock star since he shared the first cover with Joe Franco. In fact, “He (Benante) seemed thrilled to be in the same room with Franco, one of his idols,” back in 1999.

 

DRUM! And Drummer Roll On

As further discussed in “Thrashback,” the success of DRUM! and that of Benante, have intriguing similarities. Benante continues to evolve and influence drummers all over the world with those original blast beats and double bass and DRUM! is now a color newsstand magazine with a worldwide readership. Thus, having Benante featured on the cover of DRUM! simply makes sense because Anthrax has shattered an eight-year hiatus with the release of its 10^th album, Worship Music. And Benante is in rare form in term of all his artistic output and also discusses some of the challenges related to the group.

 

So the syncopated story goes…

 

Benante, during his candid interview with DRUM! assistant editor, Andrew Lentz, gives the reader a complete insight regarding what Benanate and crew had been up to since the 2004 release, We’ve Come For You All?. Over that period, the group experienced a series of ups and downs, based on each player’s interests. Benanate had let his passion for the fret board loose, which resulted in new material that he explored with guitarists Scott Ian and Rob Bello as well as bassist Frank Bello. However, after a brief, successful reunion in 2006, Joey Belladonna, vocalist and a solid drummer as well, announced that he would not take part on the album of material led by Benanate.

 

During this time, the vocal seat was a revolving door with vocalist John Bush coming and going twice. As Benante explains, “At first, there was a honeymoon period and then it ‘the honeymoon’ was gone.”

 

Benante: Breath-taking Blasts With Ease

Interestingly enough, Belladonna’s return to work with Benanate on a solo project resulted in a new, fresh perspective for Anthrax in 2010. Rather than pursue the solo project, Benante explains, the material was a better fit for Anthrax even though Belladonna had been absent from the vocal position for almost 18 years.

 

As Lentz explains, the material that became Worship Music really demonstrated past success with new ideas, especially in the drum parts. Benante, well known for his speed and agility, embraced more straight-ahead rock. He had learned new strategies for playing fast without knocking himself out A good example is the tune, “Judas Priest,” described as a real “ankle breaker.” Describing his approach, Benante said:

 

 “Let’s say on some shows I don’t feel like playing it as fast as I would alternating feet so on my right kick, I’ll do two hits and then on the left kick, I’ll do one … It sounds like you’re doing singles. And then sometimes, I’ll do two on the right and two on the left.”

 

Of course, the story includes great transcriptions and a surprise sidebar discussing Belladonna’s drumming and vocal approach. The Benanate issue is available now so don’t hurt yourself trying to find it.

 

About Enter Music Publishing

Founded in San Jose, CA in 1992, Enter Music Publishing, Inc. is a leading publisher of hip, drum/percussion magazines, with distribution in 20 countries. DRUM! is the flagship publication of Enter Music Publishing, Inc. and continues to set the industry standard for editorial quality and innovation. Enter Music Publishing, Inc. also publishes great content on its website, drummagazine.com. Over the company’s history, Enter Music Publishing has pressed other well-respected publications, such as How To Play Drums, and TRAPS magazine. The company’s mission is to be the best source of drumming news and info on this planet and others as they become populated. The company’s founders, Phil Hood and Andy Doerschuk, are well-respected drum industry veterans with more than 50 years of experience in the field.

The Tech Museum After Hours Tomorrow!

Time	Wednesday, November 2 · 6:00pm - 11:00pm
Location	The Tech Museum 201 South Market Street San Jose, CA
Created By	The Tech Museum After Hours
More Info	After Hours is the new monthly themed event where adults only can enjoy science, technology, entertainment and cocktails together with their friends. Each month is new and different. Cosmos Under the Cosmos Wednesday, November 2nd 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. • Sip on a glow-in-the-dark Cosmo from our no-host bar as you enjoy the cosmic music stylings of Lynda Williams, also known around the Bay Area as the Physics Chanteuse. • Learn about cosmic dynamics with hands-on activities by UCSC astrophysicists, led by Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz. • Journey through the universe in the Holt Digital Starlab. • Be the first to see NASA’s brand new image collection, “From the Earth to the Solar System”. • Explore the entire museum under moody lighting and music as you decide whether to play a bevy of giant games, lounge in our Cosmic Cabaret, or just relax with friends! • Limited cafe menu available for purchase. Tickets are $12 $10 for members Group rate for 10 or more! For more information or to buy tickets please call +1 (408) 294-8324, or visit our website at http://tickets.thetech.org/calendar/view.asp?id=24551 Service charges may apply. Members’ service charges waived. For guests 21 and over only. Please be prepared to show I.D. at the door.

Cool Video of the San Jose Jazz Volunteer Recognition Dinner

Happy Halloween San Joseans!

Photo is from the Annual Halloween Doggie Social & Costume Parade in Willow Glen

Dia de Los Muertos in San Jose

What better place to celebrate Dia de Los Muertos than in California's oldest secular cemetery? Full details below:

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All Saints Day/Day of the Dead/ Dìa de Los Muertos

At Oak Hill Funeral Home and Memorial Park

Sunday, November 6 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

San José, CA – October 19, 2011 --- It has become a tradition on All Saints Day to celebrate our ancestry, our forebearers who have passed on before us.  This year to commemorate Dìa de Los Muertos/Day of the Dead the festivities will again be held at Oak Hill Memorial Park with an outdoor mass on Sunday, November 6.

Oak Hill Funeral Home and Memorial Park is Celebrating their 165th anniversary as California’s oldest secular cemetery. Oak Hill welcomes friends, family, neighbors and beyond to commemorate their 6th annual Dìa de Los Muertos, also known as All Souls’ Day or Day of the Dead, on Sunday, November 6 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The ceremony is dedicated to honor those friends and relatives that have passed away. An outdoor mass will be held at 10:30 AM. 

“It is an honor to invite everyone,” said Brian Kestenblatt, General Manager of Oak Hill Funeral Home and Memorial Park “as we welcome, honor and celebrate the memories of our beloved souls. Join us for Mass as we rejoice and observe the mystical beauty and wonder of this ancient spiritual celebration.”

The Mass Service will be held at Our Lady of Guadalupe section of Oak Hill Memorial Park, and will include the traditional sweet bread, coffee, champurrado, live music and ceremonial dances.

The custom of All Saints’ Day and Day of the Dead dates back to 600AD and is a custom that is preceded by Halloween or All Hallow’s Eve.  It has evolved into a ceremonial commemoration.

Oak Hill Funeral Home and Memorial Park is located at 300 Curtner Avenue at Monterey Highway in San José.  For more information call 408.297. 2447.