San Jose’s Pride celebration returns this weekend with a massive dance party and parade through downtown. Also, Australian rockabilly punks The Living End play The Ritz, San Jose pop punk outfit Callsign tears through a blistering set at Art Boutiki, Tower of Power bring their signature, horn-heavy sound to the final Music in the Park of the summer, andDogcatcher celebrate the release of their new, self-titled album.
The Living End
Wed, 8pm, $16-20
The Ritz, San Jose
Teetering on a balance beam between punk rock and rockabilly, the Australian trio who broke out big in 2005 with the single “Prisoner of Society” and the ARIA-winning album, White Noise, are still going strong. Currently touring behind their latest album, 2016’s Shift, The Living End come to The Ritz with Wild Roses, a band who refuse to be defined by any genre, and San Jose natives Ghost Town Hangmen, who have strong psychobilly roots and often tour with Santa Cruz music veterans The Chop Tops. (MH)
Life Of The Party
Wed, 8pm, $35-$59
Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts
This potpourri musical showcasing the songcraft of Tony Award-nominated composer Andrew Lippa is making its American debut after a successful run in London. The medley of Lippa’s biggest musical hits includes songs from productions like The Addams Family, Big Fish, I am Harvey Milk and Lippa’s most acclaimed work, The Wild Party—which won the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Off-Broadway Musical, and which was recently produced by San Jose Stage Company. The show, which stars Lippa, runs through Sept. 18. (ST)
Callsign
Thu, 8pm, $10
Art Boutiki, San Jose
Featuring former members of The Parade, San Jose outfit Callsign craft fast-paced, highly melodic pop punk, packed to the brim with soaring harmonies and cutting lyrics. This is the kind of music you play at full volume while speeding down the freeway at night—cigarette in hand, singing along at the top of your lungs to every single song. These are tunes about breaking up, bottoming out and then living to see another day—if only out of spite for those who never believed you would amount to anything. Till I Fall and Spiller share the bill. (NV)
Tower of Power
Thu, 5:30 pm, $10
Plaza de Cesar Chavez, San Jose
Oakland-based purveyors of “urban soul music” Tower of Power have been in the game for a long time. And for nearly 50 years, their jams have remained upbeat and infectious. Known for their distinct, horn-driven sound and the pride they have in their East Bay home, they’ve been rocking crowds all over the world since 1968. Regulars at outdoor Bay Area music festivals, TOP return to Plaza de Cesar Chavez to close out this year’s Music in the Park series. They’ll be joined by San Jose’s very own jam band all stars, The Super Soul Bros. (DM)
Elsa Nilsson & Tammy Scheffer
Thu, 7 pm, Free
Morocco’s Restaurant, Mountain View
Talented young flautist Elsa Nilsson began her love affair with music at the age of two. Since then, Nilsson has built her reputation and unique style by pursuing the common thread she believes unites all of the world’s folk music traditions. Vocalist and composer Tammy Scheffer combines her impressive scat-singing abilities with technology—building beats and chord changes on a looping pedal, using only her voice as an instrument. The two come together this week to combine their skillsets. (DM)
Dogcatcher
Fri, 7:30pm, $10-$12.50
Art Boutiki, San Jose
It’s been four years since we’ve seen a proper release from South Bay band Dogcatcher. Since then, they’ve relocated from Mountain View to San Jose and polished up their sound, adding more elements of soul to their catchy mixture of indie rock and Americana. The result is a seven-song self-titled set, Dogcatcher. The album’s lead single, “My Sunshine,” recalls bouncy, funked-up grooves of Minus the Bear and boasts stronger production values than their previous effort, It’s Easy. They play the Art Boutiki this Friday with Fialta, Cold Eskimo and Aisea Taimani. (NV)
Dogcatcher by Dogcatcher
Silicon Valley Pride
Sat, 6pm, $10-$100
Downtown San Jose
Living in the age of 24-hour news cycles, it can be easy to forget that life is fun and that there are plenty of decent people in this world. The 2016 Silicon Valley Pride festival returns to the South Bay to celebrate diversity and show everyone that the world isn’t as bad as it seems. The party begins with an Electronic Dance Music Night, featuring DJ Sean Bass, DJ Buddy Mason and more. Bring your glow stick and get ready to shake it. The festivities continue on Sunday morning with a parade and festival. There will be video game booths, live performances and seven full hours of PokémonGo lures. (ST)
Polarscapes
Sat-Sun, 11am, Free
Triton Museum of Art, Santa Clara
Elaine Heron’s LinkedIn profile details her work in drug development companies and life science tools. But in her free time, she is a shutterbug and nature enthusiast. A member of the Palo Alto Camera Club, Heron recently spent several days in the freezing waters, documenting windswept icebergs at the ends of the earth. Her new exhibit at Triton, “Polarscapes: Sculpted by Wind and Water” captures the majesty of these floating behemoths of ice and snow. Her images explore the transitory nature of these massive formations, reminding the viewer that one day soon they will melt into the world’s warming waters. (MH)
The Public Offering
Tue, 7pm, $20-$50
Social Policy, San Jose
Enjoy a food and wine pairing prepared by one of San Jose’s rising culinary stars at this dinner hosted by Social Policy. Chef Marshall Reid—who has worked at San Jose’s Cafe Stritch and Alexander’s Steakhouse in Cupertino—captains the inaugural Public Offering, which will be a regular showcase of local chefs’ and entrepreneurs’ style, personality and creativity. Reid has planned a “Blue Collar Fine Dining” experience featuring Mariscos y Maiz (lobster polenta cakes), and a main act of fennel-and-coffee-crusted pork loin. The dinner will be hosted by Veronica Ruckman, a San Jose native and co-owner of Social Policy, Kickback Coffee Roasters and B2 Coffee. (LS)
