Help Launch Strike Brewing Company's Taproom

Strike Brewing Company's own production brewery is scheduled to open shortly, hopefully this June, at 2099 S. 10th St., but to make sure that their taproom -- where people can actually have a place to visit, taste, and hang out -- opens around the same time, they're calling on the community for assistance.

Strike has launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise $20,000 to help fund the taproom. The campaign is more than half funded, but there needs to be more backers as the campaign closes this Saturday, April 26.

Visit the Kickstarter page to read more about Strike and the taproom story. As both a San Jose enthusiast and South Bay beer fan, I'm excited that Strike chose to build their brewery in San Jose. It'll be great if we could help them get to the $20,000 mark and play a part in building their taproom.

I've written a bit more about the Strike campaign on Examiner.com.

Prost! Gun bae! Cheers!

~Andy

Strike Brewing's Jenny Lewis (c) and Drew Ehrlich (r) joined by Santa Clara Valley Brewing's Steve Donohue (l), Credits: Andy Lee

LINQ at Berryessa Station

A new transit-oriented development is set to break ground in Berryessa this August and be ready for occupancy well before BART's arrival in 2017. The developer is Republic Family of Companies and the project is called LINQ at Berryessa Station.

In the plans are 230 residences with a mix of studios, one- and two-bedroom units. Amenities include a pool, fitness center, skydeck (rooftop patio?), landscaped garden with BBQs and a gazebo. The ground floor will have 12,000 SQFT of retail space, and I'm really hoping they won't all be national chains. Also part of the project is a new one-acre park.

LINQ looks like it will be about five stories tall and will be an easy walk to the BART station. Light rail will be a one station hop away and several freeways are within two miles (101, 680, 880). I wish it was taller, but overall this looks like another interesting project that we have BART to thanks for.

Source: SVBJ

San Jose Stage Company Presents "An Iliad"

San Jose Stage Company Presents An Iliad

April 9 – May 4, 2014

 

San Jose, CA – April 07, 2014 — San Jose Stage Company presents the captivating epic tale, An Iliad, adapted by Lisa Peterson and Denis O’Hare, opening April 9 and running through May 4.

 

Based on Homer’s The Iliad and translated by Robert Fagles, An Iliad is a breathtaking and relevant, modern retelling of a timeless classic which unleashes the thrilling tales of the Trojan War and delves into the psychology of passion and rage, ancient and modern. In this tour-de-force, one actor plays the Greek classic's famous characters Achilles, Hector, Agamemnon, and ‘the face that launched a thousand ships’ Helen of Troy. From Mt. Olympus Gods such as Apollo, Athena and Hermes come and go.

 

"Every time I sing this song, I hope it's the last time." So says ‘The Poet’ as he digs deep to sing Homer's epic story of war, honor, violence and the Greek siege of the city of Troy.

 

He's told this story for centuries. It’s a good story,” says the lone figure, emerging from the darkness, as he launches into this modern, enthralling adaptation of Homer’s epic poem that relives the glory and brutality of the Trojan War. Now in the shadow of war in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria, he unleashes the power of Homer’s classic poem for a modern audience.

 

Bay Area favorite, Jackson Davis, plays ‘The Poet’ in this lean, muscular, tour-de-force performance he combines the majestic language of Homer with the informal way we speak today.

 

As The Poet recites, comments and chats, he compels his audience to connect with his story, to feel what he feels, to believe in the importance of this story. Maybe if he tells the story one more time the violence will end. 

An Iliad premiered in 2010 and has been lauded by critics across the country, including The New York Times: "Mr. O'Hare and Ms. Peterson have telescoped the mighty expanses of Homer's great poem into an evening that scales the conflict of the Trojan War down to an intimate solo show illuminating both the heroism and the horror of warfare." 

Kenneth Kelleher directs the 100-minute performance. Mr. Kelleher has directed over twenty performances for The Stage, including The Threepenny Opera, the World Premiere of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, Red, Reckless, Buried Child, On The Waterfrontand Rock ‘n’ Roll. He is currently the Artistic Director of Pacific Repertory Theatre and Resident Director of The San Francisco Shakespeare Festival. He has also directed for San Jose Repertory Theatre, TheatreWorks, California Shakespeare Festival, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, Sacramento Theatre Company and B Street Theatre.

 

THE CAST:

 

Jackson Davis * (The Poet) returns to San Jose Stage Company, where he first performed in the Bay Area nearly 30 years ago inMixed Doubles, a trio of one act plays. He returns to perform in An Iliad, a piece he first performed last year at Pacific Repertory Theatre. His other theatre credits include The Fourth Messengerat The Ashby Stage, Happy End at American Conservatory Theater, Mizlansky/Zilinsky or Schmucks at San Jose Repertory Theatre, The Best Man at Aurora Theatre Company, The God of Hell at Magic Theatre, MacBeth at The San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, Dead Man’s Cell Phone at SF Playhouse, Lovers and Executioners at Marin Theatre Company, Ben Franklin in Paris at 42nd Street, She Loves Me at Center REPertory Company and The Merry Wives of Windsor at Livermore Shakespeare Festival. He has also performed extensively with TheatreWorks in a variety of comedies, dramas, classics and musicals.

 

*Member of Actors’ Equity Association

 

Run Dates:     April 9 – May 4, 2014

 

Previews:       April 9, 10 and 11, 2014

 

Opening:        April 12, 2014

 

Shows:            Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 pm

Friday and Saturday at 8:00 pm

Sunday at 2:00 pm

 

Location:         The Stage, 490 South First Street, San Jose, CA

 

Tickets:           $25 - $50 with discounts for seniors, students and groups

 

Box Office:      408.283.7142 or www.thestage.org

 

Author:           Adapted by Lisa Peterson and Denis O’Hare

                        Based on Homer’s The Iliad, Translated by Robert Fagles

 

Director:         Kenneth Kelleher

 

Featuring:      Jackson Davis*

 

   # # # 

 

About San Jose Stage Company:

 

Now in its 31st Season, San Jose Stage Company is recognized as the San Francisco Bay Area's Premiere Off-Broadway Theatre. The Stage is known for its devotion to new and cutting-edge work and for its commitment to showcasing high-quality local talent.

 

Ranked the 3rd largest professional theatre in Silicon Valley by the Silicon Valley Business Journal, San Jose Stage Company is a vital force in the community. The Stage has earned a reputation for artistic excellence by providing high quality, edgy theatrical experiences that engage, educate and provoke audiences. That includes 148 productions, 45 new works and 13 world premieres.

 

The Stage offers five core education and outreach programs and has housed over 250 independent performance groups. Located at the Gateway to the City's Arts and Entertainment District, San Jose Stage Company, the SoFA District's first arts anchor organization, continues to promote San Jose's stature as a burgeoning regional arts center by providing live theatre experiences that enrich the quality of life in the community.

 

  # # # 

Saturday Stats: San Jose has the #3 Lowest Obesity Rate in US (For Large Cities)

We all know that obesity is a growing problem in the US, but the good news is that it is much less of a problem here than it is in other places. In a recent Gallup Well-Being survey, the San Jose area ranked as having the 3rd lowest obesity rate for any metro with a population of more than one million people. If you look at the largest 189 US Metros, we still fared quite well in 8th pace.

The most obese community in the US was Huntington-Ashland, where every two out of five people is considered obese. San Jose has half that rate with one one out of every five people being statistically obese.

Source: Gallup, Hatip to Filipe Medeiros

Great Forbes Article on Anno Domini

Silicon Valley's secret subculture is becoming less of a secret with each passing year. Forbes has just put out a great interview with Cherri Lakey and Brian Eder, the two founders of Anno Domini in SoFA. Their gallery is often ranked one of the best in the US and is a key anchor for the arts movement in Downtown San Jose. Not only did they start and continue to participate in South FIRST FRIDAYS, but they also throw the awesome SubZERO Festival each year.

Check out the interview over here. It's well worth your time, especially since you don't see an article on the San Jose art scene on a national publication like Forbes very frequently.

Source: Forbes, Hat tip to our friend Dan De La O

100% Pure Expansion

Not every company in North San Jose is tech oriented. 100% Pure is a vegan cosmetics company that sold 7 million products in 2013 through online sales, wholesale, and brick-and-mortar stores. Currently they have six boutiques in the Bay Area, including one in Santana Row.

The company is planning a huge expansion with 16 new stores across Southern California, Seattle, Portland, Chicago, and the East Coast. Instead of going with VC money, they are utilizing their own funds and loans from banks they have pre-existing relationships with.

Oh, and about that first comment: "Not every company in North San Jose is tech oriented"... I lied. 100% Pure also developed a freemium enterprise collaboration and task management tool called Incville. They are planning to spin this off into its own company with separate staff later this year. For more details, just head over to the source link below.

Source: SVBJ

Die Hards Co. Kickstarter!

San Jose natives Adam and Ben Mayberry launched the Die Hards Co. four years ago with the mission of creating unique gear for die hard Bay Area sports fans. Now they are ready to take their company to the next level with higher-quality apparel made locally in the Bay Area that will perfectly match the official colors of all seven Bay Area teams. The team launched a Kickstarter to turn their entrepreneurial dreams into a reality. Combined with a Creative Industries Incentive Fund grant that they received from the City of San Jose, this campaign will have a huge impact on helping a local San Jose business achieve success.

The best part is that they already hit their goal, meaning any pledges $5 or more will receive a guaranteed reward. To find out more, watch the video below and then head over to the Kickstarter page to contribute!

Bay Area Sports Apparel From  The DIE HARDS COMPANY Announces Launch Of A KICKSTARTER To Manucature Made In The Bay Area Apparel

SAN JOSE, Calif.,—Since 2010, local clothing company, The Die Hards Company. has been providing Bay Area sports fans apparel, including t-shirts, sweaters and hats, to wear proudly when cheering on their favorite team.  Their tagline “Sport Your Colors” is the foundation for their brand as they strictly cater to the loyal fans of the seven professional sports teams in the San Francisco Bay Area.

With innovative designs—including their best-selling “Hella,” “Fin City” and “I Survived the Stick” t-shirts—The Die Hards Co. has continued to grow, mostly from their strong social media presence. With their 4th Anniversary closing in, they intend to take their company to the next level.

The Die Hards Co. is pleased to announce the launch of a Kickstarter campaign to crowd source the funds needed to manufacture their tshirts using factories in the Bay Area.  Previously they have purchased shirts from companys that sew they blank shirt options over seash.

Through the City of San Jose Office of Cultural Affairs and the Center for Cultural Innovation, they were selected to receive the Creative Industries Incentive Fund grant. Using Kickstarter to match the funds provided in the grant, we can produce high quality, Made in the Bay Area shirts matching official colors of all seven Bay Area teams.  Without these funds they would not be able to meet the minimums needed for manufacturing

Wednesday Wishlist: More Innovation with High-Rise Designs

I recently ran across the below renders for the Hualien Wellness & Residential development over in Taiwan. Several aspects of this project stood out to me. The most obvious is the stunning and unique design which also happens to be eco-friendly. What may be less obvious is that these are actually homes for seniors and the project is no taller than 18-stories.

There is absolutely no reason why we couldn't have buildings like this in San Jose, especially since they are well within our height limit. Not only are we the Capital of Silicon Valley, but we are at the center of the Green-tech industry. We should have buildings like this that could demonstrate innovation in the housing sector in addition to traditional green industries like solar energy.

I would even go so far as to call the designs below "suburban-friendly." I could see these types of buildings replacing strip malls near transit for traditionally suburban areas without causing much of a visual disturbance to nearby neighbors. Of course, I would love to see some of these Downtown... but at some point we will have to start thinking about urbanizing other parts of San Jose while minimizing impact to surrounding areas.

Source: Inhabitat