Beat Street

By Todd S. Inoue

Put on Your Red Light:

San Jose's Red Light

sees bright future

Positive changes are afoot at the Red Light District in downtown San Jose. Talent buyers from established East Bay live venue the Berkeley Square are taking over the booking at the South First Street club. The Square has always had its finger on the pulse of the youth with adventurous bookings from Counting Crows to Green Day. Omar Nashir, who has been promoting underground parties and booking the Square for five years, says, "I want to bring the same scene as Berkeley Square--where we book large national acts and get local bands to open up."

One of Red Light's biggest obstacles is the staunch over-21 policy. Nashir says that it has scared off a few high-profile bands like No Doubt and the Voodoo Glow Skulls. He's aiming to get a permit to allow under-age attendance at shows. When I ask if he is familiar with Red Light's past foibles, Nashir replies that the Square was plagued by similar problems, but that under his helm, the club has become profitable. He predicts that the Red Light will be an entirely new operation by January. Interested bands can send packages to Omar Nashir, 157 Windjammer Road, Vallejo, 94591.

Meanwhile, former Red Light impresario Manny Alfarez is planning to give the nearby Phoenix a new look. The San Jose club will close down for an unspecified time between now and the end of the year to make improvements. He also has instituted the Northern Soul Jazz Society, a traveling club concept that brings the Greyboy All-Stars to South First Billiards on Saturday (Oct. 21).

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Apples to Oranges

Free, well-run, good-sounding live music shows are in jeopardy. The San Jose State University Amphitheater--site of tremendous live noontime performances by Rancid, Heavenly, Seaweed, the Dance Hall Crashers and a ton of local bands--is on the chopping block in a budget reassessment. In a memo sent to the Associated Students Program Board of Directors, Associated Students Controller James De La Cruz writes, "I seriously question the expenditure of hundreds of dollars of A.S. funds for the purpose of doing a noontime band which has only 20 students in attendance." De La Cruz goes on to ask when was the last time 3,000 people appeared at an A.S. Event, as they will for the Pearl Jam show? Apples to oranges--give me a break. Attendance at amphitheater shows is exponentially higher than 20, and anything that adds diversity to a day of academia should be supported. So, all you music fans--concert director Tyler Kogura and his staff need your help. Send letters to the A.S. Board of Directors, c/o Program Board, Student Union, Room 350, San Jose State University, San Jose, 95192-0132. Fax letters to 408/924-6239.

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alt.fan.caballero-soda

Soda is ex-Shovelhead, ex-Faction guitarist Steve Caballero, former Audio Fungus' Matt Ramirez and Jim Leonard, Todd Jackson from Clay Wheels and vocalist Meegan Goad. At F/X last Tuesday, Soda raced through seven songs (titles included "Basically the Same" "Dizzy" and "Diligent") plus a cover of Culture Club's "Karma Chameleon." Soda had played one show earlier this year, but the F/X appearance was Soda's debut with vocals. "We're playing around just to play," says Cab. How does this venture compare to the past incarnations? "It's fast punk-rock and [Goad] has this nice girly voice. Having a girl singer changes the sound."

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Talking Headbanger

David Byrne was spotted checking out UFO at the Edge in Palo Alto last week. Word was that the former Talking Head was autographing books at Kepler's. After having dinner, Byrne called up the club asking which UFO it was: the dance music dudes United Future Organization or the Brit rockers. When informed it was the latter, he ambled over for a rockin' good time.

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