For those who weren’t moved by the mascara and brooding synth experimentation of bands like Depeche Mode and The Cure, or the caustic affront of hardcore punk bands like Black Flag and Bad Brains, the 1980s marked a dark time for popular, guitar-driven music. By ’81—the year The Rolling Stones released their last great song, “Start Me Up”—drum machines were everywhere, and gauzy soft-rock was fogging up the FM dial.
Fortunately, The Replacements were ready and willing to take up the mantle of bare-bones, beer-soaked rock. Taking cues from The Stones, The New York Dolls and adding a splash of punk and new wave flair, The Replacements paved the way for the slack, indie rock of the early ’90s with their spartan aesthetic and sardonic point of view. Tommy Stinson, former bassist and driving creative force for The Replacements, left the group to form his own band, Bash & Pop, in 1992. The project never really caught fire and he hung it up for more than two decades. But now Stinson is back with a new lineup and a rollicking new Bash & Pop record, Anything Could Happen. He plays The Ritz this Saturday.
Also this week: Cinequest 2017, Audien at Pure Lounge, a new exhibit at the Computer History Museum and Matilda The Musical.
Cinequest
Thru Mar 12
San Jose & Redwood City
From George Lucas’ pioneering special effects studio, Industrial Light & Magic, to Steve Jobs’ wild personal gamble, Pixar, the Bay Area has long been home to powerhouses in movie and TV production. But for all the incredible work done in the region, Los Angeles has remained the film capital of the world—while Silicon Valley has served only as a consultancy outpost for the big Hollywood studios. That is poised to change as more filmmakers adopt virtual reality and augmented reality technologies to tell stories, according to Halfdan Hussey, CEO and co-founder of Cinequest, which this year is expanding its mission statement and rebranding itself as the Cinequest Film & VR Festival. (NV)
Make Software
Thu, 10am, $13.50+
Computer History Museum, Mountain View
Opened in late January, “Make Software: Change the World!” is the Computer History Museum’s newest exhibition. Featuring in-depth explorations of some of the biggest innovations in the history of software—from Adobe’s game-changing desktop publishing program Photoshop, to Wikipedia and the MP3—the exhibit provides historical context to some technologies that have now become commonplace and allows patrons to give coding a try in the Strata Family Foundation Software Lab. Whether you’re someone with an interest in the architecture behind the programs you use on a daily basis, or want to see if coding might be your thing, this exhibit is for you. (NV)
Ryan Consentino-Roush
Fri, 7pm, Free
SoPo, San Jose
San Jose-born photographer Ryan Consentino-Roush will show images taken in the Deer Park neighborhood on New York’s Long Island. Captured on a recent trip to visit family, the collection features photos taken in the summer of 2014 and the winter of 2015. Consentino-Roush spent his first visit with his grandfather and returned less than a year later after his sudden passing. This two part series combines snapshots of suburban sprawl and family portraiture. Together the photographs deal with memory and nostalgia. Check out the collection during the First Friday art walk. (NV)
Airport Insecurity
Fri, 8pm, $25+
Cubberley Theater, Palo Alto
Based on a true story, Airport Insecurity follows the mishaps of a traveler who loses his identification papers at a German airport. The red tape of citizenship was also a problem for Tom Hanks’ character in The Terminal. But unlike Steven Spielberg’s 2004 film, Vikas Dhurka’s play doesn’t even allow his Indian protagonist to board a plane, let alone arrive back home in the United States. Despite his work visa, and a pregnant wife about to give birth in Silicon Valley, this tech worker is considered suspect because of his country of origin. By making the story recognizably human, the play is a timely reflection of American anxieties about difference and misguided travel bans. (JE)
Audien
Fri, 10pm, $35+
Pure Lounge, Sunnyvale
Born in a small seaport town in Connecticut, the 25-year-old electronic music producer and DJ Audien has been making music since 2008. He got his first big break 2012 when he was featured on Armin van Buuren’s A State of Trance compilation and Above & Beyond’s 2012 EDC set. He topped the Billboard dance charts in 2015 with the hit single “Insomnia,” and has been selling out major venues and headlining EDM festivals since. He brings his unique, progressive trance sound to Pure Lounge this Friday on one of the final stops on his 22-date Feels Trip Tour. (BS)
Feminism Roundtable
Sat, 11am, Free
San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles
In commemoration of National Women’s Month, SJMQT is hosting a “Feminism Roundtable,” featuring six notable panelists—including leader of the ecosexual movement Dr. Annie Sprinkle. A porn star with a Ph. D, Sprinkle has worked in the feminist art movement for decades. The event is open to people of all genders and viewpoints, feminists and self-styled “conservative feminists” alike. While at the museum, check out participatory art installations, videos, speakers and an open forum for the public to actively speak and listen. The roundtable is free with price of admission: $6.50 for students and seniors; $8 for adults. (BS)
Community Mural Bike Ride
Sat, 10am, Free
Garden Community Center, San Jose
Snap on your helmet and get active by cruising through San Jose on a bike tour of more than 10 local murals. Silicon Valley De-Bug and Empire Seven Studios host the cycling event—part of De-Bug’s “People’s 100 Days” project, which is aimed demonstrating a unified front against Donald Trump’s political agenda. Explore the art and history of San Jose and get some exercise with a 12-mile trek through San Jose’s downtown, Japantown, Mayfair, East Side and Gardner neighborhoods. It’s a bit of a ride for the novice cyclist, but the pace will be slow and steady with the goal of taking in the community’s vibes. (VS)
Bash & Pop
Sat, 8pm, $15+
The Ritz, San Jose
Tommy Stinson, former bassist for alternative rock pioneers The Replacements, has resurrected his debut solo project, Bash & Pop. The original early-’90s version of Bash & Pop faltered, leading Stinson to dissolve the group and join up with Guns N’ Roses. Never one to rule anything out, Stinson is taking another crack at it. After pulling together a new cast of players and recording a PledgeMusic-funded full-length album, Anything Could Happen, he is taking the show on the road and enjoying positive reviews—including a 7-out-of-10 rating on Pitchfork, which praised Stinson for turning in “cathartic, shout-it-out hooks” on the energetic, live-tracked collection. (NV)
Nature Speaks: Listening Together
Sun, 2:30pm, Free
San Jose City College Gallery
World-renowned artist Deborah Kennedy celebrates the natural world and addresses the current state of climate change in her latest exhibition and book, Nature Speaks: Art & Poetry for the Earth. In 1989 Kennedy emblazoned the Berlin Wall with a copper and brass collage that depicted the hopes and fears of many Germans and Americans. In her current gallery, she questions why society turns away at the thought of climate change. Her eco installation titled “Changed Climate 2017” aims to connect viewers with the past and future of our pale blue dot. Live reading March 1; reception is March 5. Show runs through March 23. (VS)
Matilda the Musical
Tue, 7:30pm, $43+
San Jose Center for the Performing Arts
Winner of 50 international awards and Time Magazine’s No. 1 Show of the Year, Matilda the Musical is a journey into the mind of a 6-year-old girl with a vivid imagination and the gift of telekinesis. Born into a bozo family, her inept parents send her to an awful school run by a sociopathic principal. Matilda finds her only comfort in books and a kindhearted teacher, who helps her find the confidence to take charge of her own destiny. Based on the Roald Dahl children’s novel of the same name, the production is adapted by Dennis Kelly and features music and lyrics by Tim Minchin. (DSJ)
