A taste of alt-rock from the past and a look at the future of the genre. This week, She Wants Revenge are back for more. It’s been 10 years since the L.A. duo’s breakout hit, “Tear You Apart,” and they are on the road to celebrate. Also, The 1975 are rolling through town with their updated take on moody dance rock. Step into the shoes of the Montagues and Capulets at the Montalvo Arts Center, as We Players stage a fully immersive production of“Romeo & Juliet.” Walk around the historic Villa Montalvo as The Bard’s best-known tragedy unfolds before you, with the players acting out scenes at various locations around the grounds.
Pattern Recognition
Wed, 12pm, Free
MACLA, San Jose
Opened at the beginning of September, “Pattern Recognition” explores the evolving Latino identity in the United States. The exhibit features new and recent paintings, drawings, sculptures and mixed media works from three artists—Linda Vallejo, Adrian Esparza and Aaron De La Cruz. Vallejo’s “Brown Dot Project” uses data collected from the 2010 U.S. Census to provide snapshots of Latin American communities. Esparza plays with the concept of identity—demonstrating that it is both durable and frail—with unwoven sarape shawls. Taking the lengthy, multi-colored string, Esparza traces engrossing geometric patterns on the walls of the MACLA gallery. Pattern Recognition runs through Nov. 13. (NV)
Romeo and Juliet
Thu, 5pm, $40-$80
Montalvo Arts Center, Saratoga
No other star-crossed love affair has been retold and reinterpreted as often as Romeo and Juliet. In an effort to add to the experience of this romantic and bloodstained story, the Montalvo Arts Center is hosting a new production of the Bard’s tragedy, which allows audience members to walk in the footsteps of his well-known characters of fair Verona. This immersive event drops the audience in the middle of the action as the Montagues and Capulets clash swords, recite the infamous vows and meet their demise in this site-integrated production. (JT)
Goddesses and…
Fri, 8pm, $29-$75
California Theatre, San Jose
The sjDANCEco’s season-opening program will feature four new performances, including a three-way collaboration among Maria Basile, artistic director of sjDANCEco; Karen Gabay, long-time principal dancer for Ballet San Jose; and Rasika Kumar, an artistic associate with Abhinaya Dance Company. Incorporating movement motifs and thematic material from each choreographer, Goddesses and… will weave three disparate styles of dance—modern, ballet and the traditional Indian form known as Bharatanatyam—into a cohesive whole, as dancers move to music by Ravi Shankar and Philip Glass from their collaborative chamber music album, Passages. (NV)
She Wants Revenge
Fri, 8pm, $20-$25
The Ritz, San Jose
Formed in 2003 by two L.A.-based DJs, She Wants Revenge scored a major hit in 2006 with “Tear You Apart,” from their self-titled debut LP. Fans of American Horror Story may recognize the song from the soundtrack to the show’s fifth season, Hotel. Like so many of their dance-punk contemporaries—The Bravery, Interpol, Franz Ferdinand—the SoCal duo drew inspiration from Joy Division, Depeche Mode and other new wave and post punk acts of the late ’70s and early ’80s. It’s been 10 years since Justin Warfield and Adam Bravin’s breakout single and the group is on tour to celebrate. (JT)
Le Nozze di Figaro
Fri, 8pm, $35-$83
Lucie Stern Theatre, Palo Alto
One of the most frequently performed operas of all time, this comedic tale was birthed in a collaboration between Mozart and famed librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte. A sequel of sorts, The Marriage of Figaro picks up where The Barber of Seville leaves off—recounting a single day in the palace of Count Almaviva. The lascivious old Count is attempting to woo the young bride-to-be of his head servant, Figaro. Of course, Figaro and his fiancee, Susanna, aren’t having it, and they conspire to humiliate the count, expose his scheming, and help him reconnect with his wife, the countess. Hilarity ensues. (NV)
Ian Harris
Sun, 6:30pm, $12
Rio Theatre, Santa Cruz
To science-loving comedian Ian Harris, the only thing funnier than joking around about Bigfoot is making fun of the guys who actually search for the hairy beast. The Santa Cruz-born funnyman has made a career out of busting the chops of climate change deniers and creationists. This weekend, he will tape a new stand-up special—dubbed ExtraOrdinary—at the Rio Theatre. After appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Comedy Central and creating his own show, Critical & Thinking, Harris says he is proud to be able to produce this special in his hometown. (JP)
The Gentle Cycle
Sun, 8pm, $30-$35
The Ritz, San Jose
This show brings San Jose’s most promising indie-psych outfit, The Gentle Cycle, into direct contact with pioneering garage-rockers The Sonics for a night of warmly overdriven amps, swirling delay and waves of wah-wah pedal. Led by Derek See—formerly of Careless Hearts and The Bang Girl Group Revue—The Gentle Cycle might not exist if it weren’t for the music of The Sonics and their contemporaries. Known for their buzzing, lo-fi sound and spooky chord progressions, The Sonics earned fans by playing punched-up early rock & roll hits by the likes of Little Richard and Richard Berry. Their sound helped birth punk and blazed a trail for bands like Thee Oh Sees and, of course, The Gentle Cycle. (NV).
Follow Light by The Gentle Cycle
The 1975
Tue, 7pm, $35-$45
SJSU Event Center, San Jose
Hailing from England, The 1975 meld a ’70s glam rock attitude with gauzy EDM textures and catchy chord progressions. The 1975 brings a fresh approach to 2016 with all the themes you’d expect; sex, drugs and affirmations of existence. Though their sophomore album bears a lengthy emo-esque title—I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it—it’s packed with to-the-point, synth-tinged pop songs, like “Love Me,” which recalls ’80s new wave and power pop artists like Oingo Boingo, Peter Gabriel and Huey Lewis; and “UGH!,” a song that wouldn’t feel out of place on a Prince greatest hits compilation. (JT)
Circus of Sin
Tue, 10pm, Free
The Caravan Lounge, San Jose
Fans of San Jose’s backyard wrestling league, UGWA, know him well. He is the gender-bending star—or “face,” in pro-wrestling parlance—of the long-running pugilistic performance art group. But when he’s not using massive dildos to beat down his opponents in the ring, KP spends his time organizing burlesque performances. So far he’s held sexy shows at Lido and The Caravan Lounge. Dubbed the “Circus of Sin,” KP’s fun and fleshy extravaganza returns to The Caravan on Oct. 18 with a leggy lineup of local burlesque talent. (NV)
