Watering holes all over the country see a significant uptick in thirsty customers the night before Thanksgiving as college students and those who’ve moved away for work come back home for the long weekend. Plan your big night out with our Black Wednesday Guide, featuring an appearance by Kid Ink at Pure Lounge. Also this week: A Yawn Worth Yelling at the Art Boutiki and ARW—a supergroup comprising three members of progressive rock titans Yes—comes to the City National Civic. If you want to leave the cooking and cleaning to someone else on Turkey Day, we’ve got you covered. Check out our guide to Silicon Valley restaurants open for Thanksgiving.
Black Wednesday
Wed, Various Times
Silicon Valley
Don’t get us wrong. Family is great and all… but Grandma’s house—with it’s weird wallpaper and odd odors—and Auntie Beth’s overly sweet candied yams aren’t exactly party-starters. And while it can be nice to catch up with family, good old Uncle Fred isn’t the ideal partner for a round of Jager-bombs. Fortunately, there’s Black Wednesday. Watering holes all over the country see a significant uptick in thirsty customers on this night, which brings college students and those who’ve moved away for work back home for the long weekend. Check out our guide to the best places in Silicon Valley to get your pre-Turkey Day party on. (NV)
Deep Sea Mysteries
Wed, 9am
The Travel Channel
Outer space has been getting a lot of attention on the big screen lately. But on his new TV show, Paul Clerkin is more interested in exploring Earth’s greatest frontier—the oceans. Dive into the abyss with Clerkin, a current student of marine biology at San Jose State, as he journeys around the globe in search of undiscovered and little-understood species of shark on Deep Sea Mysteries, which airs Wednesdays on The Travel Channel. On this week’s episode, Clerkin will make his way to Taiwan in search of the bigeye thresher. (JT)
Downtown Ice Celebration
Wed, 6:30pm, $10-$17
San Jose Museum of Art
Twinkling lights, ice skating and palm trees come together once again for a few magical weeks in the heart of Silicon Valley. Bay Area native and 1992 Olympic figure skating champion Kristi Yamaguchi will usher in the annual Downtown Ice skating rink—presiding over the celebration, which will feature a live performance by Nina Ouellette, a rising star in the figure skating world. San Jose Councilman Raul Peralez and Stan Vuckovich of the San Jose Downtown Association will also be on hand to ring in the festivities. Bundle up and bring the family for a chance to skate alongside world-class athletes. (JT)
Kid Ink
Wed, 10pm, $20-$25
Pure Lounge, Sunnyvale
Deriving his name from his early love of art and tattoos, Los Angeles-based rapper and producer Kid Ink began his career making beats—looking to artists like Pharrell, Swizz Beats and Timbaland, all of whom had enjoyed crossover success. It would seem he chose the right role models, as his track “Roll Out,” which strikes a balance between pop hooks and hip-hop swag, landed on 2015’s Furious 7 soundtrack. Ink’s latest mixtape, Rocketshipshawty 2, features West Coast heavy hitters Casey Veggies and Nef the Pharaoh and finds him reflecting on his life, career and the costs and benefits of success. (JT)
Megan Gailey
Fri, 9pm, $14-$22
Rooster T. Feathers, Sunnyvale
Indianapolis-born, Chicago-based comedian Megan Gailey has an easy, disarming smile and all the girl-next-door charm you’d expect from a young, Midwestern woman of good breeding. She was recently featured in Marie Claire… Oh! And she has the dirty mind and foul mouth of drunken, Michigan State fratboy, 12 Natty Lights deep at a Saturday afternoon tailgate kegger. The combination works in her favor, as she deals out fantastically funny, one-two punches—couching her dark humor inside a fluffy, angel food cake delivery. She’s performed on Conan and contributes to the MTV show Ladylike. (NV)
Circle Mirror Transformation
Fri, 8pm, $18-$36
Los Altos Stage Company
When a motley crew of unlikely strangers sign up for an adult creative drama class in a small Vermont town, the drama unfolds like a cross between The Breakfast Club and Larry Crowne. The class—consisting of a high school junior, a former actress, a divorced carpenter, and the teacher’s husband—starts by engaging in a few theater games and role play. Things quickly get personal, however, as the students work to find their inner child and understand how others see themselves. Written by Annie Baker, Circle Mirror Transformation premiered off-Broadway in 2009 and received the Obie that same year in the category of “Best New American Play.” (JT)
A Yawn Worth Yelling
Sat, 7:30pm, $10
Art Boutiki, San Jose
The kinky rhythms and feel-good vocal harmonies of A Yawn Worth Yelling have propelled the San Jose indie rock band to nearly 20,000 likes on Facebook and sent them wheeling across the country on tour. Balancing a strong sense for pop songwriting and technical musicianship, they craft tracks that are catchy, slickly produced and still full of surprising turns. Since returning from a North American sojourn in support of their excellent Play Pretend EP, A Yawn Worth Yelling have been mostly laying low—playing a few shows here and there. They headline the Art Boutiki with support from Docks this weekend. (JT)
Calendar Girls
Sat, 8pm, $19-$42
City Lights Theater, San Jose
Queue up and brew a cuppa in preparation for City Lights Theater Company’s newest production, Calendar Girls. Based on the hit 2003 British comedy, which itself was based on a true story, Calendar Girls follows a group of senior Yorkshire women who, after the death of one member’s husband, from leukemia, find an unconventional and exhibitionist way to raise money for cancer research—printing and selling nude calendars of themselves. The results are more humorous than salacious…and ultimately touching. Directed by Jeffrey Bracco, the show runs through Dec. 18. (TM)
ARW
Sun, 8pm, $65+
City National Civic, San Jose
Progressive rock band Yes have a rather fractured history. Since forming in 1968, they have gone through so many different members that there is an entire Wikipedia page dedicated to enumerating them. Three of these musicians—Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin and Rick Wakeman—now form the core of the new Yes-dedicated supergroup ARW. They’ve come together this year for the first time since Yes’ 1991-92 Union Tour. Fans should expect plenty of Yes hits, songs from their other projects and some new material. (NV)
