Omescape San Jose adds a 5th escape game: Sorcerer's Sanctum!

Escape games are now all the rage in the Bay Area, but some rooms are far better than others. The concept is similar for all escape games: you are locked in and have an hour to solve a series of puzzles in order to unlock the door and escape. So far I have done all of the Omescape rooms in San Jose, and they have been by far my favorites. 

Omescape uses a lot of special effects, tactile challenges (as opposed to solving lots of math problems), and utilizes multiple rooms/secret doors for each escape. Some challenges can feature as many as 6 rooms to explore.

Omescape San Jose has recently added a 5th room called Sorcerer's Sanctum, and that officially makes it the largest venue for escape games games in California. There are very few locations in the world with more than 3 rooms. Omescape kindly invited the San Jose Blog team to come to Central San Jose and try out the new room.

Sorcerer's Sanctum has a brilliant set design that sets a new benchmark for these types of game. We were not allowed to take photos in the room, but have provided a few stock photographs below. The theme is magic--there were magical wands, potions, hidden doors, and so many other surprises that you might expect from a Sorcerer's laboratory. Some of the clues and pieces had RFID chips in them so that they would electronically unlock the next challenge when placed in the right spot. It was as high-tech as escape rooms get. Here is the official description:

Sorcerer's Sanctum
You and your friends have accidentally stepped into a house occupied by great magicians. Your team work will be crucial in helping you pass through a series of magical puzzles in order to escape from the spell in time!

I will say that the 4/5 difficulty rating is way off. This room only has a 2% escape rate so far, which is the lowest of any of their games. They are thinking about making some of the challenges easier or bumping up the rating to 5/5 difficulty. We did get out, but it took 72 minutes. If you go over 60, that means you do not win. The brilliant thing about the room is that we had so much fun even though we were not able to get out in time. Most of our team had never done an escape game before, but they all had a blast and are eager to do more! If you are a beginner, I recommend doing Kingdom of Cats to start.

Omescape San Jose is located at 625 Wool Creek Dr, Ste E, San Jose 95112. Check out their Facebook page over here and book tickets here.

Roots reggae band Katchafire leads off 2017 Music in the Park season in San Jose on June 28th

Blues Traveler, Brenton Wood and WAR dates also set

SAN JOSE – Music in the Park, presented by Metro kicks off its 28th season on June 23 with New Zealand-based roots-reggae rockersKatchafire.

Island reggae artists One-A-Chord from Monterey Bay, Mango Kingzfrom the Bay Area, and guest reggae DJ Robert Rankin from San Jose open the show, which starts at 5:30 p.m. at Plaza de Cesar Chavez, off Market Street in the center of downtown San Jose.

Katchafire, a five-piece all-Maori band formed in 1997, is regaled as one of the most cherished, original live reggae bands in the world.  Roots reggae artists at their core, Katchafire also integrates R&B, funk, dancehall and pop themes into their live playing.  Most recently they put out a single Burn it Down and offered Stir It Up on a recent tribute to Bob Marley, in the wake of four studio albums, multiple awards and platinum sales.www.katchafire.co.nz

Also coming to Music in the Park this summer:

• July 20:  Grammy-winners Blues Traveler, one of America’s favorite jam bands, celebrating their 30^th anniversary.www.bluestraveler.com/
• Aug. 3:  Brenton Wood brings his chest full of R&B hits up from Los Angeles to perform for his South Bay audience. twitter.com/brentonwood Wood will perform in lieu of Bootsy Collins, who was previously announced but had to cancel for medical reasons.
• Aug. 25:  WAR, self-described as “The Original Afro Cuban Jazz Rock Blues band.”  Hit parade includes “Why Can't We be Friends,’ “Low Rider,” “Cisco Kid,” “The World is a Ghetto” and more classics.  Eric Burden of the Animals co-founded the band in 1969. www.war.com

All shows include local openers.

Advanced tickets are $10 per adult and free for 12-under when accompanied by an adult.  Tickets and information are available at www.musicintheparksj.com. Day-of-the-event admission will cost $15 per adult.

Music in the Park is produced by the San Jose Downtown Association and supported by the City of San Jose.  Other major sponsors include:  Deloitte, Coors Light and Ballast Point.

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About San Jose Downtown Association:  SJDA, a non-profit membership-based organization founded in 1986, represents business and property owners and works to enhance downtown’s vitality and livability.www.sjdowntown.com

Saturday Stats: San Jose is a "millennial magnet"

Realtor.com has put together a list of the top cities in the country millennials are most interested in moving to, and San Jose just barely squeezed into the Top 10. This is based solely on the age of people researching homes in a region, but it provides some indication that we are attracting millennials despite our reputation for being geared towards families. The writeup below is quite flattering, as it should be (Realtor.com used to be located Downtown).

San Francisco only edged us out by one slot, and Salt Lake City somehow got the gold in this list.

Source: Realtor.com

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Elvin Bishop headlines 36th Annual Fountain Blues Festival presented by Metro

If you are a fan of Blues music, mark your calendar for June 24th. Silicon Valley's longest running music festival is coming to Downtown San Jose and features an amazing lineup of musicians including Elvin Bishop and Bettye LaVette. All sorts of supporting events will also be hosted throughout Downtown (list below).

To feed your appetite, the festival has Southern food from Poor House Bistro, Smoking Pig BBQ, and Seymert's along with a full assortment of craft beers. 

Tickets range from $20 to $75. For more info, check out the press release below or head over here.

San Jose, CA – Silicon Valley’s longest running music festival returns to downtown San Jose’s Plaza de Cesar Chavez, June 24. Back for a 36th year, Fountain Blues Festival Presented by Metro, supported in part by a Cultural Affairs grant from the City of San Jose, will feature performances by well-known blues musicians and craft beer tasting from over 20 fan favorite craft beers. Fountain Blues Festival provides a one-of-a-kind, laidback atmosphere that is perfect for blues fans and musicians alike.

• Legendary blues guitarist, songwriter and singer Elvin Bishop
• Three time Grammy nominee R&B singer Bettye LaVette
• "The West Coast Godfather of the Game" blues vocalistFillmore Slim
• Dynamic front man & traditional blues harp player Aki Kumar
• Soulful vocalist, guitarist and prolific songwriter Maxx Cabello, Jr.

 
In addition to an impressive lineup of local blues artists playing the SJZ Mobile Boom Box Stage before and between main stage acts – courtesy of Silicon Valley Blues Society, festival promoters are bringing the Brews to the Blues – festival goes can sample over 20 craft beer selections Abita, Allagash, Ballast Point, Drakes, Elysian, Faultline, Firehouse, Firestone, Golden Road, Lagunitas, Lost Coast, North Coast, Oskar Blues, Sierra Nevada, Stone, Tilt, Wildcide Hard Cider and more.

“We support blues musicians by facilitating live performances of blues music for seasoned and emerging artists while providing programs to expose and promote blues music to a broader music community; says Fountain Blues Foundation President Bob Gonzalez. “It’s gratifying to be a part of something so positive in a cool downtown San Jose location.”

Southern inspired food will be featured: Poor House Bistro (New Orleans staples); Smoking Pig BBQ; Seymert's (catfish); Nita B's Tasty treats (cobblers and funnel cakes); Crab Fiesta; and Carmen's Taqueria (South of the Border favorites). Picnic-style games and cool fountain for families to enjoy - kids 12 and under are free with paid adult.

General admission tickets are $20, VIP tickets $75 and can be purchased at www.fountainblues.com. There’s VTA light rail stations nearby and free bike valet 10 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. near main entrance, courtesy of Silicon Valley Bike Coalition.
 
BLUES WEEK ACTIVITIES SUPPORTING BLUES FEST:

• Sunday, June 18, 2 – 5 p.m.: Tebo’s Howlin’ Wolf Revue, San Pedro Square Market, 87 N. San Pedro Street, San Jose. FREE.
• Monday, June 19, 7 – 10 p.m.: John Nemeth CD Release Party, The Studio at Poor House Bistro, 91 S. Autumn St., San Jose. Donations welcomed.
• Tuesday, June 20, 7 – 10 p.m. Aki’s Downtown Jam, Poor House Bistro. FREE.
• Wednesday, June 21, 5 - 6 PM: Make Music Day: Fountain Blues Foundation board member Ned Kraft will lead free harmonica lessons. The first 75 lucky participants will receive a free harmonica, Discovery Meadow (West San Carlos Street at Woz Way, San Jose) FREE.                         
• Wednesday, June 21, 8 p.m.: Matt Schofield with A.C. Myles and Terri Odabi, Club Fox, 2209 Broadway, Redwood City. Tickets:  $20 general admission / $35 VIP  http://www.clubfoxrwc.com/
• Thursday, June, 22, 6 – 9 p.m.: Big Blues Week Jam with special guests and hosted by Chef Ramon, Poor House Bistro, donations welcome
• Friday, June 23, 6 – 10 p.m.: Jerry Miller Band (founding member of Moby Grape) at Poor House Bistro, FREE.
• Saturday, June 24, 9p.m. – midnight: Post Fountain Blues Fest special event with Daniel Castro Band, The Studio at Poor House Bistro. FREE to Blues Festival attendees who show their Fest wristband, or $20 donation to Fountain Blues Foundation at the door.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Elvin Bishop: A lot has happened since guitar legend Elvin Bishop released his last album, 2014’s Grammy-nominated Can’t Even Do Wrong Right. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and soon after into the Blues Hall of Fame. He won the Living Blues Award for Best Blues Album Of 2014 and three 2014 Blues Music Awards: Album of The Year, Song Of The Year (for the title track) and The Elvin Bishop Band took the award for Band Of The Year. 

Now, Elvin–along with his friends, guitarist/pianist Bob Welsh and percussionist/vocalist Willy Jordan–launches The Big Fun Trio. Preparing for one of the first live gigs with his new trio, Bishop told The San Jose Mercury News, “Every time I pick up the guitar, something new comes out of it. I guess you’d call me a late bloomer. When you get to be my age, you’re not expecting to be progressing or coming up with any new ideas, but for some reason, I’m lucky enough that that’s what’s happening to me.” His new album – Elvin Bishop’s Big Fun Trio – is among his very best musical ideas ever. The music is rootsy, spirited and soulful, performed by serious musicians hell-bent on having a good time.

Bettye LaVette: Three time Grammy nominee Bettye LaVette is no mere blues singer. She is an interpreter of the highest order. Whether the song originated as country, rock, pop, or blues, when she gets through with it, it is pure R&B. She gets inside a song and shapes and twists it to convey all of the emotion that can be wrought from the lyric. Her career began in 1962 at the age of 16. Now 71 years old, she is still performing with the ferocity of a woman half her age. Her voice has only gotten better with age. She is one of very few of her contemporaries who were recording during the birth of soul music in the 60s and is still creating vital recordings today.

Fillmore Slim: He grew up on a farm picking cotton and plowing the fields utilizing a mule. As a youngster, he discovered music from his grandmother. He moved to the Los Angeles area in 1955, performing with his band Eddie and the Blues Slayers; he relocated to San Francisco opening shows for the likes of BB King and Dinah Washington; his first single released in the late 50ʼs, was a song entitled ‘You Got the Nerve of a Brass Monkey’ on the Los Angeles based Dooto record label.

This VIP of the music and underworld would go on to be revered by the members of the hip hop world including Snoop Dog, 50 Cent, Big Daddy Kane and MC Lyte. Among other celebrated musicians, he has toured with Joe Tex, Harmonica Slim and Little Willie John, performed with Sly Stone and T-Bone Walker, and recorded with Joe Louis Walker, Bobbie Webb and Rick Estrin. “Fillmore Slim” continues to master his gift of storytelling as singer/guitarist/songwriter. He is currently working on his 7th blues c.d. titled “Playa’s Ball” on the Mountain Top Label.

Aki Kumar: Dynamic frontman and harp player Aki Kumar is a rising star among the next generation of SF Bay Area blues artists. A master of the amplified Chicago blues sound, Kumar inherits his style from the harp legends of the 1950s and 60s. Aki has a unique voice in the blues, blending elements of blues harmonica pioneers of yesteryear with a signature sound of his own.

Born and raised in Bombay – India, Kumar established his mark on the West Coast blues scene starting in 2009 as frontman of the SF Bay Area’s highly acclaimed blues outfit Tip of the Top. His latest venture, The Aki Kumar Blues Band, involves several Bay Area blues luminaries and has been the culmination of his journey through American roots music. The band performs vintage blues with tremendous skill and energy and is guaranteed to entertain audiences across all venues, from intimate listening rooms to large festivals.

Maxx Cabello, Jr.: The American music flame will never go out as long as young artists such as Maxx Cabello Jr. take the torch and keep it burning. This young amazing guitarist, soulful vocalist, and prolific songwriter, hails from the streets of the San Francisco Bay area where he is turning heads and bending the ears of the most jaded veteran musicians and music aficionados. Straight out of the South Bay, this quiet-spoken young man turns into a powerful and captivating artist when he begins to play the guitar. We expect his star to be on the rise in the musical sky before long.

About Fountain Blues Foundation

It all started in the spring of 1981 with a sold-out concert at the San Jose Civic Auditorium by the rock group, Ambrosia. San Jose State University Associated Students wanted to do a Free-of-Charge show to repay their fans for their support during the year. The board of directors decided on a blues festival format for the following year. In 1982, John Lee Hooker and the Coast to Coast Blues Band was hired to headline, over 2,500 people came and the rest is history.

Fountain Blues Festival is organized to preserve and promote blues music. Preservation activities take a variety of forms, including live performances, broadcasts, lectures and community education about the history of the blues, culminating in the annual Fountain Blues Festival.

The Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization supports blues musicians by facilitating live performances of blues music by seasoned and emerging artists; providing programs to expose and promote blues music to the broader music community; providing education for musicians, including mentorships and music industry experiences that promote professional artistic exchange; partnering with local venues and merchants to promote a community that supports the blues art form. www.fountainblues.com

18th Annual San Jose International Piano Competition

Between June 16th and June 25th, 83 contestants from 12 countries will compete for prizes and scholarships at the San Jose International Piano Competition. These are the best piano players in the world, practicing anywhere between 2-8 hours per day and ranging in age from 6 to 32.

There are competition rounds everyday which are free to attend. There are also three ticketed events.

Today is the Open Night Gala Benefit Concert. Four of the competition Jury Members will perform, and all are world-acclaimed professional pianists. It's an incredible opportunity to enjoy classical piano music of the highest caliber and dedication in an intimate setting, the Trianon Theatre. Tickets are only $25 ($20 for students)

Pianists on June 16:

• Antonio Pompa-Baldi – President of the Jury and Van Cliburn top prizewinner, 
• Chih-Long Hu –  Professor at University of Tennessee, 
• Stephan Moller – President of the Vienna International Pianists Assn, 
• Pierre Reach – Professor at Paris Conservatory, and 

On June 24th, the finalists will all compete in the last round. On June 25th the winners will play in a finale concert along with high-end food and wine. To see the full list of both free and ticketed events, heard over here.

June 2017 Downtown Dimension Highlights

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

• 2017 Groundwerx scores are in. 71% of respondents saw improved cleanliness, 39% saw an improvement in safety, 66% think our image improved, 85% are satisfied with the condition of Downtown, 94% approve of clean teams, 89% approve of beautification projects, and 75% approve of enhanced security.
• Music in the Park kicks off on June 23rd with reggae rockers Katchafire. Blues Traveler performs on July 20th and WAR performs on August 25th.
• DASH has sadly been scrapped after 20 years of service when BART opens later this year.
• Dine Downtown restaurant week runs July 7-16 and is expected to include more participants this year.
• Amazon R&D team Lab126 has leased one of the WeWork floors at 75 E. Santa Clara Street.
• Signet has moved from Santa Clara to 630 S. First Street in Downtown San Jose.
• Twenty more "Downtown Doors" are now adorned with local art from San Jose high school students.
• St. John Street will be closed between Market and San Pedro through part of July to work on infrastructure and install sidewalks on both sides.

To read the newsletter, click here!

Le Marché Santana Row Farmers Market

Last week I attended the grand opening of the Le Marché Santana Row Farmers Market, located at the southern end of Santana Row. Le Marché is held every Wednesday from 4-8 p.m. and includes over 50 vendors offering vegetables and fruit, local cheeses, flowers, herbs, olives, and even whole rotisserie chickens! Le Marché passed all of my criteria for what qualifies as a great farmer’s market:

• “Food on the fly” or food ready to eat from local food trucks in case you’re hungry for a meal right then and there
• Fruits and veggies to make salads or sides for lunch and dinner during the week
• High percentage of local vendors
• Range of dessert, from pies to pastries

Some of my favorite purchases were the scallops from the Santa Cruz fishermen (all fish is sushi grade), the black raspberries from Borba Farms, and the olives from O’Live Healthy.  The live cooking show hosted in the center of the market was also a special treat! There is ample seating around the chef’s table so you may sit and listen to the chef during her show. While there weren’t any arts or craft tables, Le Marché has a smaller footprint than other local farmer’s markets. Le Marché is also very kid friendly as the site is closed off to vehicles and much of the plaza is dedicated to seating, socializing, and eating.

I would highly recommend getting to Le Marché before 6:30 p.m. as the parking garages were decently full by then. Although, a huge benefit to Le Marché at Santana Row is that there is always free parking! And a friendly reminder that due to health codes, dogs are not permitted in the market area. I was unaware of this rule and brought my dog with me, as shown by the picture below, but was never approached to leave the market. 

Overall, great food, great location, and a great time!

For more information, check out the Le Marché website:  http://www.santanarow.com/events/le-marche-on-the-row/

-Kimberly Vacca

Despite the name change, SVO continues to break ground with small business owners

When asked to write my first article to cover an organization AND see the insides of Avaya Stadium, I was totally stoked to do it for The San Jose Blog! Plus, getting some h'orderves and a drink doesn’t hurt either!

View of the Avaya Stadium sign welcoming SVO (Photograph by John Huân Vũ)

That opportunity came on the evening of Thursday, June 8, 2017 at a June Networking Mixer hosted by the Silicon Valley Organization (SVO). I had only heard of SVO once when Josh Santos wrote an article about its name change earlier this year. Josh stated that the removal of San Jose from its name followed “an unsettling trend preceded by The Business Journal and The Mercury News, our two top news publications.” However, like Josh Santos, we are both “not completely opposed to the idea” especially when it can “better raise our [city’s] global awareness.” Put simply, the San Jose Chamber of Commerce is now the Silicon Valley Organization.

Let’s start out with the venue. As shown on their infographic below, Avaya Stadium seats 18,000 people with free wireless internet along with indoor and outdoor patio suites. Sweet deal if you want to be involved in the game! On hand were two employees of the San Jose Earthquakes who gave us the rundown of the venue and their field known as their “sanctuary.” The highlight for me was seeing the insides of the locker room (sorry, no cameras). Inside the locker room, there are high resolution photographs depicting the evolution of the San Jose Earthquakes spanning from its infancy to their location today at Avaya Stadium. However, what amused me the most was the nicely pressed and folded uniforms, undershirts, and grey underwear briefs for every player ready to use for the next game!

Source: www.sjearthquakes.com/avayastadium

During the networking mixer, I met a lot of people whom I got to hear more about SVO, why they are part of SVO, and most importantly, how they benefited from SVO. I met a handful of first timers who were invited by other SVO members or wanted to check out if the organization is right for them. The people who impressed me were those who were part of SVO (before the name change) for 5, 10, or even 15 years. I met realtors, caterers, photographers, doctors, graphic designers, and salespeople from other sports teams, banks, and hotels. Most importantly, the people were generally friendly, open to talking about their business, with diverse backgrounds in industry, age, ethnicity, and national origin.

View from one of Avaya's patio suites (Photograph by John Huân Vũ)

They all had one thing in common: SVO opened doors for their small business. As a software engineer for a big company, listening to their stories really brought me down to how small businesses are thriving (and struggling) every day. I also realize how stupid I was for not having business cards! I met a woman who works as a caterer but attends the SVO events to network with others who might be a florist or finding a business owner that needs delicious lunches. People said that it was much better to put a face to a business name instead of reading a review online. The SVO also builds business partnerships and even friendships along the way.

When asked about the membership fees, a SVO member and sole proprietor said that, “If I can just get one referral for my business, then that just paid for itself for my annual membership.”

For future events, networking opportunities, and ribbon cutting, check out their website at www.thesvo.com.

-John Huân Vũ