“This is ground zero,” says rising Vallejo rapper Nef The Pharaoh. He’s talking about the Bay Area. “We are the mecca. Hip-hop might have started in New York, but the Bay Area gave it its style. We gave it its slang.” And with The Chang Project and the soon-to-be-dropped The Big Chang Theory, Nef aims to underscore his assertion. “I’m bringing it back to the Bay,” Nef says. And that’s more than your typical hip-hop bluster. Nef has scored tons of mentions in prominent music publications—including SPIN, Pitchfork, Noisey, and The Fader. Neffie plays BackBar SoFa this Saturday.
Metro Podcast
Thu, 5pm, Free
iTunes & SoundCloud
Metro has long discussed starting a podcast, only to turn our attention to other pressing concerns (usually lunch). But in an effort to better reach readers and tell our story—that is, the story of life, art and news in Silicon Valley—we’ve decided to take the long-overdue plunge. Last week we launched the damn thing with a conversation between Josh Koehn, Metro’s managing editor, and Nick Veronin, A&E extraordinaire. We plan to publish our next installment of the ’cast this Thursday. Join our discussion of the cover story, news and upcoming nightlife at activate.metroactive.com. (NV)
Star Wars Trivia
Thu, 8pm, Free
7 Stars Bar & Grill, San Jose
Fans of puns, Star Wars and cold beers, rejoice! San Jose’s best Star Wars-themed cantina, 7 Stars Bar & Grill, has figured out a way to extend the fun of May 4—better known as “May the Fourth be with you” among Star Wars fans. Namely, with more puns. On Thursday, use the Force to best all opponents in a round of Star Wars trivia. Then come back for a little hair of the wampa on Friday, “Return of the (May) Fifth,” and Saturday, “Revenge of the (May) Sixth.” Watch out for Imperial traps and be sure to designate a pilot. (NV)
Always… Patsy Cline
Fri, 6:30pm, $50
Gordon Biersch, San Jose
San Jose Musical Theater is taking over one of downtown’s favorite brewpubs with a month of shows celebrating the life and music of country icon Patsy Cline. Opening this Friday and running through May 28, the musical play will feature 27 of Cline’s biggest hits—including “Crazy,” “Walking After Midnight,” “I Fall to Pieces” and “Sweet Dreams.” The performance also promises to give fans of Cline a nostalgic look back at her career, while also serving to inform those new to her legacy. Price of admission includes dinner and kids’ tickets are half price. (NV)
Dance Series 02
Fri, 8pm, $31+
Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts
Fifty years ago, in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, the “Summer of Love” marked the beginning of a cultural shift, as tens of thousands of young adults adopted hippiedom and its dream for a more peaceful and harmonious future. To honor the semi-centennial anniversary of the Summer of Love, Smuin Ballet is delivering two world-premier works. Acclaimed choreographer Trey McIntyre will debut a dance piece titled Be Here Now that pays homage to the seminal late-’60s movement, and The Poetry of Being by Nicole Haskins honors company founder Michael Smuin. Performances run from May 5-7. (BS)
Bach & Mahler
Sat, 8pm, $45+
California Theatre, San Jose
The penultimate performance of Symphony Silicon Valley’s season brings two of the greatest Germanic composers together under the same roof—bridging nearly 200 years of European orchestral tradition. Bach’s Chaconne was originally written for solo violin, but has since been rearranged for just about every instrument. Symphony SV plays an orchestral version of the work. Composed in 1905, Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 is a sprawling opus known for its epic and triumphant horns, as well as its opening nod to fellow Austrian Ludwig van Beethoven. Director Tatsuya Shimono leads the ensemble. Saturday’s performance is follwed by a 2:30pm Sunday matinee. (NV)
A La Carte and Art
Sat, 10am, Free
Castro Street, Mountain View
For the 21st time, Mountain View’s Castro Street will close to traffic for two days of art, crafts, live music and handcrafted beer. The A La Carte and Art festival will feature more than 200 West Coast artists who will set up colorful tents to showcase their handcrafted work. This open-air festival is family-friendly with a Super Duper Funzone for children to play in while mom and dad check out the classic car show, “A La Car and Art,” and sip some wine. Also on display will be health and wellness booths, home and garden exhibits and a farmers market. Runs through Sunday. (BS)
Free Comic Book Day
Sat, All Day, Free
Various Locations, Silicon Valley
It’s a big day for fans of comic books. Major publishers, including DC, Marvel, Dark Horse and IDW will be releasing free titles at independent comic book shops across the country. In the South Bay, comic collectors can get in on the action by visiting one of six locations: Spacecat and Hijinx Comics in San Jose, Illusive Comics & Games and Legends Comics and Games in Santa Clara, Heroes in Campbell, and Black Cat Comics in Milpitas. Be sure to look for Bongo Comics’ special Simpsons comic—written and illustrated by Matt Groening—as well as a Rick & Morty book and the first issue of the DC Universe Rebirth series on Wonder Woman. (NV)
Silicon Valley Open Studios
Sat-Sun, All Day, Free
Valleywide
Opening this Saturday and running for three consecutive weekends, Silicon Valley Open Studios returns for its 31st year of exposing the wide array of talented artists working in the region. Over the course of the event, painters, illustrators, sculptors and creatives of all stripes will open their studios in 28 Bay Area cities to art lovers and collectors alike. The opening weekend, May 6-7, will focus on the northern half of the Peninsula, from Los Altos to South San Francisco. The following weekends—May 13-14 and May 20-21—will descend through Palo Alto on down to Gilroy. More information at svos.org. (NV)
Made in 1977
Sun, 11am, Free
San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles
When it was founded in 1977, the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles was the first of its kind. Today, 40 years later, the museum continues to collect and display some of the best “fiber art” work from around the country and the world. This weekend, the museum celebrates making it over the hill with a number of great textile pieces, live music by Aki Kumar and Jon Lawton, interactive activities and the SJMQT’s artist in residence, Laurie Shapiro. New works will be on display alongside the museum’s permanent collection, which includes textiles dating back to the the 1800s. (BS)
