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San Jose Jazz Summer fest
Jazz is America’s music. Born in New Orleans, it came of age in Chicago, before fanning out across the nation. And while the Big Easy, Windy City and New York have long topped lists of the country’s biggest jazz hubs, San Jose gives each a run for their money every summer.
August 2015 marks the 26th annual San Jose Jazz Summer Fest. And from Aug. 7 to Aug. 9, downtown will once again be saturated with some of the best jazz performers from all over the world.
Since its founding in 1986, San Jose Jazz has worked to bring great jazz music to downtown. From traditional trios and quartets playing standards, to Latin and European groups, to boundary-pushing artists fusing jazz and funk with hip-hop and electronic production—Summer Fest has done it all.
This year’s extensive list of performers includes JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound; Zigaboo Modeliste; Kamasi Washington; Shai Maestro Trio; Zydeco Flames; the Eddie Palmieri Latin Jazz Band; Etienne Charles & Creole Soul; Letieres Leite & Orkestra Rumpilezz; Bria Skonberg; Adrianna Marie and Her Groovecutters; Legally Blue; and the San Jose Jazz High School All Stars, among many, many others.
Performances will be held all over town—at venues like The California Theatre, Café Stritch and at the Plaza de Cesar Chavez. For more information visit summerfest.
Incubus/Deftones
Shoreline Amphitheatre Aug 26
Before every local band with heavier tastes wanted to sound like Underoath, and “indie” bands were just plain-old “alternative,” these two California-bred rock behemoths ruled the airwaves and influenced kids with guitars everywhere. After shaking off their RHCP-tendencies and finding their own sound, Calabasas, Calif.-based Incubus exploded onto the alt-rock scene two monster albums—Make Yourself and Morning View. Deftones never achieved the level of mainstream radio airplay Incubus did at their height. Nonetheless, the Sacramento nu-metal titans schooled plenty of garage bands on the power of melding down-tuned guitars with eerie synths. Frontman Chino Moreno’s melodic choices on albums like Adrenaline, Around The Fur and White Pony have stood the test of time, and are still as hauntingly beautiful today as they ever were. The two groups have new music coming and are hitting the road together this summer to prove that the late ’90s and early-aughts were not entirely devoid of great rock music. Death From Above 1979 and The Bots share the bill.
Outside Lands
Golden Gate Park Aug 7-9
You never know what you’re going to get in Golden Gate Park—at least when it comes to the weather. Fortunately, you can count on great tunes at least twice a year: Hardly Strictly Bluegrass in October, and Outside Lands in August. This year’s Outside Lands lineup includes headliners Mumford & Sons (Aug 7), The Black Keys (Aug 8) and Elton John (Aug 9). But that’s not nearly all. Alternative rock’s goddess of guitar, St. Vincent, will be on the main stage on Friday; Kendrick Lamar, arguably the greatest rapper working today, will provide direct support for The Black Keys on Saturday; and Sunday’s lineup features a trio of incredible and diverse producers: the super psychedelic Caribou, the chilled out Odesza and the ruler of all things ratchet, DJ Mustard. So, be sure to dress in layers, and figure out who is playing (and on which stage)—it’s easy to get lost wandering around in there (especially when taking too big a bite out of a space cake).
BottleRock Napa Valley Music Festival
Napa Valley Exposition May 29-30
No matter the time of year you visit the Napa Valley, great food, beer and wine await. But for those making the trip to BottleRock, an impressive live music line up is also in store. Headliners include Imagine Dragons (May 29), Robert Plant (May 30), and No Doubt (May 31). Local indie rockers Fritz Montana and The Trims will also be there.
Live 105’s BFD
Shoreline Amphitheatre June 6
Summer music festivals are everywhere you turn these days—from Coachella to Sasquatch to Bonnaroo. And that’s not even mentioning all the EDM extravaganzas. Live 105’s BFD was one of the very first—eclipsed only by the likes of Lollapalooza and CMJ. This year the leader in alt rock radio brings Modest Mouse and the Cold War Kids to the main stage. Best Coast, YelaWolf, Waters and K.Flay rock the festival and subsonic stages. The South Bay will be represented on the Local Band stage by Beta State, Picture Atlantic and Curious Quail.
Vans Warped Tour
Shoreline Amphitheatre June 20
Started in 1995, the Vans Warped Tour has been bringing circle pits, backstage barbeques, big air and every iteration of punk rock to alternative music fans for two decades. Now in it’s 21st year, the tour is as strong as it’s ever been. This year’s lineup features everything from metalcore acts like August Burns Red, to the alternative hip-hop of Mod Sun, to the pop punk of Trophy Wives. There’s even a comedy tent.
Music In The Park
Plaza de Cesar Chavez, San Jose
Freshlyground and Sister Carol, Jun 18
Pa’l Bailador and Julio Bravo y su Orquesta Salsabor, Jul 17
Fountain Blues Festival
St. James Park, San Jose
Tommy Castro and the Painkillers, Carolyn Wonderland, John Nemeth, John Primer, Nikki Hill, Andre Thierry and more, Jun 20
360 Saratoga Ave., San Jose
Boris Grebenshikov and Aquarium, May 21
The Purple Ones, May 23
Millennium Sound Orchestra, May 24
Saxon and Armored Saint, May 29
Duran Duran Duran, May 30
Tony MacAlpine, Jun 2
Missing Persons, Jun 11
Gamma feat. Davey Pattison, Jun 19
Quiet Riot and L.A. Guns, Jun 20
Stephen Pearcy of RATT, Jul 18
Orgy, Aug 14
4900 Marie P. DeBartolo Way, Santa Clara
Grateful Dead, June 27-28
One Direction, Jul 11
Taylor Swift, Aug 14-15
Luke Bryan, Aug 29
400 S. First St., San Jose
Locked & Loaded w/G-Juan in the Front Bar, May 26
Pinata Protest, Jokes For Feelings and Copper Gamins, May 27
The English Beat, Jun 20
Citabria, Cado and Amelia Romano, Jun 26
This Charming Band, Jun 27
Anya & The Get Down and Steely Nash, Jul 3
The Adolescents and The Weirdos, Jul 11
Fu Manchu and Dusted Angel, Jul 22
The Faction and Los Olvidados, Jul 24
The Queen is Dead, Jul 25
The Trims, Aug 1
Mac Sabbath, Aug 9
Strangelove and Temptation, Aug 21
525 W. Santa Clara St., San Jose
Bette Midler, May 26
June Boom w/ Pitbull, Ne-Yo, Jason Derulo, Meghan Trainor and Shaggy, June 12
Mana, Jun 14
Kevin Hart: What Now Tour, Jul 16
Rush, Jul 23
Shania Twain, Aug 17
14831 Pierce Rd., Saratoga
Erykah Badu, May 22
KC and The Sunshine Band, Jun 6
Peter Frampton and Cheap Trick, Jun 9
Gordon Lightfoot, Jun 11
Audra McDonald, Jun 12
Paul Rodgers, Jun 14
Brian Wilson, Jun 18
Willie Nelson, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Jun 22
Smash Mouth and Toad The Wet Sprocket, Jun 24
The Roots, Jun 28
Blackstreet and Ginuwine, Jul 1
Rob Thomas and The Plain White T’s, Jul 2
Boz Scaggs, Jul 7
Ozomatli, Jul 9
Jake Shimabukuro, Jul 12
Harry Connick Jr., Jul 14-15
Creedence Clearwater Revisited, Jul 17
Sugar Ray, Better Than Ezra, Uncle Kracker and Eve 6, Jul 21
Barenaked Ladies and Violent Femmes, Jul 21
Jim Gaffigan, Jun 23
Blondie and Melissa Etheridge, Jul 24
Big Head Todd & The Monsters, Jul 25
Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo, Jul 29
Boston, Jul 30
Sheryl Crow, Aug 4-5
Huey Lewis and the News, 6
Gladys Knight and the O’Jays, Aug 7
Ziggy Marley, Aug 13
Chris Isaak, Aug 14
Buena Vista Social Club, Aug 15
Michael Franti & Spearhead, Aug 18
Heart, Aug 26
1 Amphitheatre Pkwy., Mountain View
Train, May 22
Bryan Adams, May 23
Toby Keith, May 29
Live 105’s BFD, Jun 6
Brad Paisley, Jun 13
Vans Warped Tour, Jun 20
Nickelback, Jun 24
Lady Antebellum, Jun 26
Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival w/ Slayer, King Diamond, more, Jun 28
Steely Dan, Jul 11
Van Halen, Jul 16
The Art of Rap Festival w/ Ice-T, Too Short, EPMD, more, Jul 18
5 Seconds of Summer, Jul 22
Phish, Jul 24
Darius Rucker, Jul 31
Kelly Clarkson, Aug 23
Dierks Bentley, Aug 21
Incubus/Deftones, Aug 26
Kid Rock, Aug 30
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