San Jose Artists Sculpt with Sunlight

Below is a story on how emerging San Jose artists are utilizing solar energy to produce their art. Thanks Matt for sending in this information.

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Two San Jose artists have integrated solar electricity into their artwork, creating sculptures made with the power of the sun—while protecting themselves from utility rate hikes thanks to electricity provider Gen110.

San Jose native Richard Starks has been fascinated with working metal into imagined shapes for more than 50 years. He’s a San Jose State University graduate, and his work has featured around the region, including Santa Clara's City Council Chambers and Carmel's Sculpture Garden.  Starks has also worked as a welder and metal fabricator for many years, and is intimately familiar with the pragmatic, artistic and electric-bill-boosting impact of power tools.

San Jose resident Keith Bush been creating large and small-scale sculptures for both indoor and outdoor, private and public spaces for more than 30 years. After starting as a painter, Bush moved into sculpting where he employs vibrant color and design to combine a “Wow” factor with peace and thoughtfulness. He went solar to keep up with growing electric demand of his new craft and is known for his social commentary, including creating the world's largest Breast Cancer Ribbon—a nice fit for breast cancer awareness month in October—and “The Educators,” a series of eight sculptures commemorating the 150th anniversary of the San Jose State University.

The solar installations were handled by 'energy concierge' Gen110, which has managed more than 1,200 solar installations across the South Bay since 2009. The company scouts heavy energy users who can save money right away by going solar and provides a high-touch customer facing approach to make going solar as easy as possible. Gen110 pays for a home solar system up front and sells power directly to homeowners like the artists just like PG&E, protecting them from utility rate hikes to the tune of saving $37k over 20 years. 

Saturday Stats: San Jose Claims Fastest Job Growth Title

A study from CareerBuilder and Economic Modeling Specialists pegs San Jose as having the fastest job growth experienced by any US city. A total of 63,290 jobs were added between 2010 and 2012, an increase of 7%. To top it off, these are mostly high-wage positions.

Rankings
1.) San Jose - 7% Growth
2.) Houston - 6% Growth
3.) Austin - 6% Growth
4.) Detroit - 5% Growth
5.) Salt Lake City - 5% Growth
6.) Oklahoma City - 5% Growth
7.) Raleigh - 5% Growth
8.) Dallas - 4% Growth
9.) San Francisco - 4% Growth
10.) Phoenix - 4% Growth

Source: Huffington Post (Thanks to Bun for the tip)

Halloween version of ANNIE Tomorrow

A special Halloween version of ANNIE is going to be performed live tomorrow at the Historic Hoover Theater. All the info is below:

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Leapin' Lizards! One of the world's best-loved musicals comes to Hoover Theatre!

With equal measures of pluck and positivity, little orphan ANNIE charms everyone's hearts, despite a next-to-nothing start in 1930s New York City. She is determined to find her parents, who abandoned her years ago on the doorstep of a New York City Orphanage run by the cruel Miss Hannigan. 

With the help of the other girls in the Orphanage, ANNIE escapes to the wondrous and magical world of NYC. In adventure after fun-filled adventure, ANNIE foils Miss Hannigan and befriends President Roosevelt. She finds a new home and family in billionaire Oliver Warbucks, his personal secretary Grace Farrell, and a lovable mutt named Sandy.

$10 Adults   

$7 Children (16 and Under)

$5 children (10 and under - floor seating)

Historic Hoover Theater

1635 Park Ave, San Jose, CA

Cast Performance Schedule:

TIMES SQUARE CAST (kids):

10/26- 7:00 PM

10/27- 2:00 PM

11/3- 10:00 AM

CENTRAL PARK CAST (kids):

10/27- 10:00 AM

10/28- 2:00 PM

11/2- 7:00 PM

RADIO CITY CAST (family):

10/27- 7:00 PM

10/28- 10:00 AM

10/28- 6:00 PM

HALLOWEEN EVENT 

Saturday, Nov 3, 6:00p

a dark interpretation of the original play featuring Vampires, zombies and cyborgs... set in a terror strewn landscape of an alternate New York. 

$15 tickets

This show is not recommended for children under the age of 10.

Playful People productions is a unique theater experience for each project we employ professional designers, artists, choreographers & directors to guide our students. We hire experienced college and high school students to do jobs in the production such as directors, stage managers, lighting, make-up, set designers, choreographers and assistants. This allows students to gain important work experiences in all aspects of production in theatre. The goals of Playful People Productions are to provide the communities of the San Jose bay area with a variety of performing opportunities for children, youth & families to experience. Playful People Productions will challenge young people in the community, provide a safe, caring environment, and involve parents in a wholesome, well-rounded activity.

Little Red Lung Coming to Art Boutiki Novemeber 10th

SLG Art Boutiki is continuing to become a destination for indie music. Next week on November 10th they will host Little Red Lung from LA, which is promoting their latest album. Also performing will be Koruscant Weekend, Fossil Tree, Major Powers, and the Lo-Fi Symphony. The show starts at 8pm and costs $10. For more info, just check out their official website right over here.

Little Red Lung    

OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO FOR "50 FINGERS" OUT NOW :  

Vimeo : https://vimeo.com/45935015

YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kx-xE8GOoxk

Official Website :  www.littleredlung.com

Bandcamp :  www.littleredlung.bandcamp.com

Soundcloud :  www.soundcloud.com/littleredlung

Facebook :  www.facebook.com/littleredlung

Twitter : www.twitter.com/littleredlung

Willow Glen Town Square Grand Opening!

This Saturday is the official grand opening celebration of the Willow Glen Town Square. I really like what they did with this project. It's a three story building with medical and professional offices on the top two floors, retail on the ground floor, a community common area with a fountain (the "square") and two story parking in the back. Lou's Village, Crepevine, and Willow Glen Creamery are some of the eateries on the ground floor.


Some highlights of this event include:

• Live music and entertainment
• Face painters and balloon artists
• Samples from local restaurants 
• Raffles
• Platter painting contest
• Interactive characters
• Giveaways
• 2nd Harvest Food Drive 

The Petroglyph Cermaic Lounge platter painting contest will encourage local residents of all ages to paint their interpretation of Willow Glen Town Square. The entry fee is $10 and the winners will receive a $300 Apple Gift Card.

Sounds like a stellar event and a great opportunity to check out the new iconic project in Willow Glen.

Happy Halloween 2012!

Hope you all have a happy and safe Halloween! 

If you are still looking for ideas on where to go today, check out our full guide right over here.

Lavazza Espression Opens Today in Santana Row

Today Santana Row will get yet another premier attraction. The very first Lavazza Espression on the West Coast is opening in the 300 Building right around the corner from The Yard House. Lavazza is the most popular coffee brand in Italy and this cafe will likely blow the doors off of Starbucks in terms of quality. They will also feature fresh food with locally sourced organic ingredients, desserts made in house, and gelato.

To top it off, the cafe opens early and stays open until late. The hours are 6am-10pm Sunday through Thursday and 6am-midnight on Friday and Saturday.

For more information, check out the press release below.

San Jose, CA (Oct. 25, 2012) - When is a cup of coffee not merely a cup of coffee? When it’s Lavazza, Italy’s best-known coffee brand. Lavazza is famed not only for quality and innovation, but also for its integration with high fashion, sleek design and contemporary cuisine, including its collaboration with revolutionary Chef Ferran Adrià, the pioneer of molecular gastronomy.

It’s only fitting then that the first Lavazza Espression café on the West Coast opens on Tuesday, Oct. 30 in the heart of tech-driven Silicon Valley: Santana Row. Additional locations are planned in San Francisco, the East Bay, North Bay and on the Peninsula.

The 2,200 square foot café, with 35 seats in the restaurant and 32 on the patio, will introduce a unique taste of Italian culture, where coffee is not just a beverage, but a celebrated way of life.

“Lavazza is creative in every sense of the word,’’ says Erich Fleshman of Espression Coffee West, the Bay Area franchisee. “The Bay Area has a very sophisticated pallet for coffee and Lavazza Espression completes the full experience.’’

The company was established in 1895 when founder Luigi Lavazza opened a small grocery store in Turin that later began specializing in roasting and selling coffee. Family-owned for four generations, the company’s coffee is now available in more than 90 countries. It is the most recognized coffee brand in Italy and familiar to anyone who has traveled through Europe.

With stunning artwork by some of the world’s most acclaimed fashion photographers, including Helmut Newton and Annie Leibovitz, the café has a contemporary, European feel with furnishings from Italy. With its comfortable, modern décor and free Wi-Fi, Lavazza Espression invites visitors to linger when they don’t need to grab and go.

Lavazza coffee can be enjoyed through classic preparations such as espresso and drip, along with more creative riffs such as a “Monterosa’’ (a custard and berry compote with an espresso shot and whipped cream), the signature Èspesso™ (Adrià’s ingenious liquid-to-solid coffee creation served playfully with a spoon that sports a hole in it) and the Èspessone™ (light foam, with a soft and velvety texture in combination with an intense aroma of the espresso).

 Other offerings include velvety thick Italian hot chocolate, Espresso Shakerato served in a chilled martini glass and blended coffee drinks such as the Blendissimo® (a cool blend of espresso, vanilla gelato and caramel, topped off with whipped cream).

With a nod to California sensibilities, the menu will include gluten-free choices and incorporates as many locally-sourced and organic ingredients as possible with items such as “Chicken and Mushroom Tramezzino,’’ “Salmon Caprese” and “Fruit and Parmesan Salad’’ with passion fruit vinaigrette. Desserts will be made in-house and gelato is provided from a local artisan to Lavazza’s specifications. Coffee drinks will be priced from $2-$4; salads and sandwiches from $5-$10.

Appealing to the Bay Area’s inclination to embrace social responsibility is Lavazza’s ¡Tierra! Project, started in 2002 and certified by The Rain Forest Alliance. Lavazza set up its ¡Tierra! Project in coffee growing countries with the aim of improving the living and working conditions of local communities by providing training and technical support. The initiative combines productivity with social responsibility and attains excellent results not only within the targeted regions, but also in terms of product quality.

Lavazza and Fashion 4 Development, a United Nations partner organization which uses fashion to develop strategies for female self-empowerment, have teamed to unveil the Lavazza ¡Tierra! limited edition tins designed by internationally acclaimed designers Marni, Roberto Cavalli, Missoni, Etro, Versace, and Moschino. The tins contain a blend of coffee made from 100% sustainable crops and a large part of the proceeds will be donated to Fashion 4 Development’s efforts in Africa, India and South Africa. The tins will be available for purchase for a limited time at Santana Row’s new Lavazza Espression location.

Lavazza Espression, 300 Santana Row, Suite 110, 408.261-1830 Hours: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sun.-Thurs.; 6 a.m. to midnight, Fri. and Sat. 

21-Story Residential High-Rise Will Break Ground in Downtown San Jose!!!

This is news I have been eagerly anticipating for years. Finally, there will be cranes in the air and the next generation of residential towers will rise Downtown!

KT Properties (Axis) and Essex Property Trust have filed a site permit for 285 apartment units in a quarter million sqft, 21 floor tower. There will be 6,000 sqft of retail on the ground floor and potentially more on the second floor. Amenities include a swimming pool and Jacuzzi on the 4th floor, a fitness room, community kitchen, and terraces on the 4th and 17th floors. The building will have 420 parking spaces, half of which will be underground.

Location wise, it could not be more central in Downtown. The tower will be on the corner of Santa Clara Street and Market Street, right across from San Pedro Square, 5-7 minutes from the HP Pavilion and Diridon Station, and a couple blocks away from Plaza de Cesar Chavez. The future BART station will be no more than a few blocks away. This is an uber-prime location that has been a parking lot for way too long. The impact will be dramatic.

If our rental market continues to stay hot over the next two years, you can expect the entire building to be leased within 3 months of opening. We all saw what the last 4 residential towers did for Downtown, imagine what these next ones will do. And yes, I did say ones with an s.

Barry Swenson Builder is also working on a 21-story tower of their own called The Carlysle. This building will be across the street from the San Pedro Square Market and be even larger at 347 units. In fact, I just saw an advertisement last week from Barry Swenson that featured the Carlysle with the caption "First downtown San Jose tower out of the ground since the great recession." They haven't filed their site permit yet, but that quote is definitely a good sign that it is going to happen soon.

As soon as either of these break ground, we'll have to have a celebratory meet-up at The SPSM.



Sources: SJBJ, The Registry