While it will most certainly dominate the local arts page headlines, San Jose Jazz Summer Fest isn’t the only hot ticket in town this weekend. Sango, a Seattle-bred producer and DJ, performs at The Continental, Jeff Beck and Buddy Guy trade killer licks at The Mountain Winery and Ben Harper is reunited with his old band, The Innocent Criminals, at The Mountain Winery. All this, plus the EDM violinist, Lindsey Stirling, Shakespeare in the Park and the Peninsula Roller Girls.
Sango
Fri, 9pm, $20-$25
The Continental, San Jose
Though he was raised in Seattle—or perhaps because of it—hip-hop and electronic producer Sango gravitates toward the throbbing sounds commonly found in Brazilian “baile funk” clubs, a mashup of African and Latin American rhythms with American funk samples. Sango takes plenty of inspiration from these sounds, while also incorporating his hip-hop sensibilities. Mixing in boom-bap drum loops with the humid pulse of Rio de Janeiro nightlife, he conjures up feverish, sub-equatorial beats hot enough to burn off the dreary clouds so commonly hanging over his Pacific Northwest home. (NV)
Kid Nuñez Photography
Fri, 11am, Free
Cukui, San Jose
Julian “Kid” Nuñez is not your average 13-year-old. While most kids are trying to catch Pokémon on their phones, he spends his free time capturing photos of classic cars. He was introduced to photography at the age of 7 by his dad, who would bring him along to classic car shows. To keep little Julian entertained, his dad handed over the phone and he’d snap away. Since then, his photographs have appeared Deadend, a lowrider magazine. Although his photography is mainly focused on cars at the moment, he’s learning to shoot other subjects as well. He is the youngest artist to showcase his work at Cukui. (ST)
AIT Players
Fri, 8pm, $12
Black Cat Licorice Theater
Enjoy a one-of-a-kind experience every night with the brilliant improvisers of the American Improv Theater. The show begins with fun warm-up session, full of improv games. Later the night evolves into a series of more complex performances. What may look like a staged and rehearsed scene is actually improvised right on the spot. The audience also takes part in the action by recommending scenes. No two shows are ever the same, so take a break from routine and take part in new performances daily. AIT Players runs every Friday through September. (ST)
Peninsula Roller Girls
Fri, 8pm, $10-$17
Redwood Roller Rink, Redwood City
Roller derby can trace its roots all the way back to 1884, with the formation of endurance races. Once a simple race on roller skates, it has evolved into a fast-paced contact sport with collisions and falls. Players take on different personas based on pun-inspired derby names like Anne Tagonize, Drew Grit, and Gloria Vanderbitch. Nowadays, roller derby leagues are created and operated by the players themselves. Although the majority of roller derby players are female, there has been an increase in mixed-gender and all-male leagues. The Damas de los Muertos and Psychopathogens face off Aug. 12. (ST)
Lindsey Stirling
Fri, 5:30pm, $40-$70
The Mountain Winery, Saratoga
With a unique blend of classical violin playing, EDM, hip-hop and dubstep, Lindsey Stirling has created a sound completely her own. Stirling received praise and gained fans after appearing on America’s Got Talent in 2010 where she was dubbed the “hip-hop violinist.” Her self-titled debut album, composed of 12 original songs, has sold over 300,000 copies in the U.S. and topped the Billboard Dance and Electronic Albums charts. Her sophomore album, Shatter Me, debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard’s Top 200 chart. Stirling is also famous for her beautifully choreographed dance performances while playing the violin. Her latest effort, Brave Enough, comes out Aug. 19. (ST)
Shakespeare in the Park
Sat-Sun, 4pm & 7:30pm, Free
Sequoia High School, Redwood City
The San Francisco Shakespeare Festival proves year after year that high-quality theater doesn’t need to be expensive. Currently celebrating its 33rd year, the festival brings SFSF’s company of talented actors to downtown Redwood City where they’ll be performing one of the Bard’s deeper cuts, The Winter’s Tale, a play some historians classify as a comedy but others identify as a romance. In the play, a series of uproarious events are set into motion when King Leontes wrongly accuses his wife, Queen Hermione, of infidelity with his longtime friend King Polixenes. This classic story runs for three weekends in August and is free of charge. (ST)
Jeff Beck and Buddy Guy
Sun, 7:30pm, $60-$150
The Mountain Winery, Saratoga
Jeff Beck and Buddy Guy are easily two of the most influential blues guitarists in the world. Beck emerged from The Yardbirds, which also produced guitar legends Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page. He’s been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice—once as a member of The Yardbirds and once as a solo artist. As for Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton has been quoted as saying “Buddy Guy is by far and without a doubt the best guitar player alive.” The Chicago blues singer and guitar player has influenced many greats, including Jimi Hendrix and Keith Richards. (ST)
Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals
Tue, 6:30pm, $52-$92
The Mountain Winery, Saratoga
Ben Harper and The Innocent Criminals are back. After the group disbanded in 2008, Harper continued to work on solo projects, including a rock and blues record with his band Relentless7 and a collaboration with legendary blues harp player Charlie Musselwhite—Get Up!—which went on to win a Grammy. After a seven-year hiatus, Harper reconvened with The Innocent Criminals and hit the ground running with four sold-out shows at the Fillmore in San Francisco. In April, the group released its first collection since reuniting, their 13th studio album, Call It What It Is. (ST)
