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Krenshaw debuted new material at the Blank Club. Edged Out New management causes talent buyer Jimmy Arceneaux to resign from the Edge By Sarah Quelland THE ONE CLUB in the South Bay that consistently rivals premier San Francisco venues like Slim's, Great American Music Hall and the Fillmore in the quality of its bookings is going through yet another major shakeup. The Edge in Palo Alto is under new management again. Matt Taylor, creator of the World Music Peace Awards, is reportedly the new decision maker at the club, and he's taking it in a different direction. Taylor was unavailable for comment at deadline, but recent changes to the Edge's print ads speak volumes. The club's been advertising topless sushi (the drinks not servers are topless �Ed.) and karaoke with barely a mention of the rock shows coming up. A hiring notice on craigslist.org describes the Edge as an upscale nightclub, restaurant, bar, cigar patio and karaoke lounge and encourages those with Asian venue experience and language ability to apply for positions at the club. A classy karaoke joint just isn't the Edge rock fans know and love. It's not the Edge Jimmy Arceneaux knows and loves either. The talent buyer for the all-ages club says his show calendar has dried up because his hands have been tied by a new no-guarantees booking policy that's caused agents to stop calling. He says he'd hoped his affinity for rock shows could co-exist with the new business plan, but about a month ago, he realized that wasn't going to happen. After weeks of soul searching, the man who spent 10 years (his anniversary is Feb. 25) inside those walls making that peninsula venue a destination for rock bands and rock fans decided it was time to move on. He put in his two weeks notice on Monday (Feb. 23) and has accepted a position at the Pound in San Francisco which he'll begin on March 8. It's been an emotional ride but he's keeping things in perspective. "It's probably the toughest decision I've ever made in my life," Arceneaux says. "The building is such a special place. For the music fan, it's just a magic place. It's like leaving a friend." However, he says he doesn't think live music should take a backseat to any kind of concept, and he's excited about the creative control and booking freedom the Pound has offered him. "The people at the Pound believe in the same thing I believe in. Not just national shows, but local shows. In fact, that was the first thing they said to me in our first meeting, which sounded like music to my ears--no pun intended," he says. His loyalty to the South Bay hasn't waned, but there's currently no club in the area doing the types of shows he wants to do in room big enough to hold the caliber of bands he brings in. The South Bay's loss is San Francisco's gain. Citing the contrasts between artists like Brian Setzer and Deftones, Arceneaux says he intends to make bookings that mirror his own record collection. He'll also concentrate on local talent and says he wants to create a broader Bay Area music community by really blending the strengths of the various local regions on different bills. He's planning to make his grand entrance with a big show at the Pound on March 26. Arceneaux's booking record goes back to the days of the Omni, One Step Beyond and the Stone. "It kind of takes me full circle back to where I started," he says. "It's like restarting the machine. It makes me think that I can do it all over again, but I have to do it someplace else." WEB EXTRA: Read about Krenshaw's big return to the live circuit here at www.metroactive.com. HOT TOPIC: This Friday (Feb. 27) Waves Smokehouse & Saloon hosts Planned Parenthood Mar Monte's Dance-for-Change, an event designed to raise funds to send young activists to the March for Women's Lives in Washington, D.C. There's a $10 donation and doors open at 9pm. ... The same night (Feb. 27), an all-ages PAC Session is being held 7pm­midnight at the City Lights Theatre Company with live music by Delta Activity, Datz Hym and Hym2 with Xsplicit, Aphasia and the Betting Fraternity plus standup poetry, dance performances and a live painting battle. Visit www.pacsession.com. PLAN AHEAD: Atomic Mint and Proffitt, Feb. 28 at Johnny V's; Agent Orange, Feb. 29 at the Blank Club; BATES, Day One Symphony, Mercury Sound and Myzar, March 2 at the Blank Club. Send a letter to the editor about this story to letters@metronews.com. [ Silicon Valley | Metroactive Home | Archives ]