Your Oakland Weekend

Whatever else you do or don’t do, you can’t miss the Oakland Museum’s grand re-opening this weekend. The museum is hosting a 31-hour-long free extravaganza from Saturday through Sunday evening. But you don’t have to spend all 31 hours at the museum — there’s a lot more going down in Oaktown this weekend.

Friday, April 30

The Coup

In these frustrating political times it’s cathartic to hear voices like Oakland’s Coup, one of the most lucid producers of socially conscious hip hop since 1993. Boots (nee Raymond Riley) and DJ Pam the Funkstress will be at New Parish Friday night. The fire on the stage just might even restore your belief in democracy.

What: The Coup with Katdelic Featuring Ronkat
When: Friday April 30, 8:30 p.m.
Where: The New Parish, 579 18th Street
How Much: $20

The Secret Society

This is the Oakland Museum of California’s big reopening weekend, so we feel a little unfaithful mentioning an artsy thing in Berkeley, but The Secret Society at the Berkeley Art Museum sounds awfully interesting, if only because L@TE’s taking the secret part seriously. Joseph del Pesco (The man who turned moonshining into art) has programmed the evening and all we’re told to expect are parachutes, speakeasies, and a secret “porchlight” event somewhere in the museum. And don’t worry about hitting the hometown party, too. The Oakland Museum of California is going to be free and open for 31 hours straight all weekend. You can do both.

What: L@TE
When: Friday, April 30, 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Where: Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft Way, Berkeley
How Much: $5

Saturday, May 1

Brew for the Beautiful Game

The brewmasters over at Linden Street have whipped up a special batch of suds for a fundraiser at the brewery Saturday afternoon. For $25 dollars you can drink the specially crafted Unity Lane Lager, enjoy wine from Periscope Cellars and taste the entries from a Jamaican jerk cook-off. The best part is that it’s all for a worthy cause. The proceeds will go to My Yute Soccer Camp, which runs a one-week, absolutely free summer soccer camp for 60 kids in Oakland.

What: First Annual Jamaican Jerk Cook-Off
Where: Linden Street Brewery,
When: Saturday, May 1, 1 p.m. – 6 p.m.
How Much: $25

Walking in Jane’s Name

Join Annalee Allen, historian and director of Oakland’s walking tour program, through a 90-minute-tour of Old Oakland. Walk through what was once the western terminus of the Transcontinental Railroad. Formerly Oakland’s bustling downtown district in the days of railroads and streetcars, this area’s restored brick and Victorian buildings now live on as offices, galleries and eateries. Visit the historic Washington Inn, G.B. Ratto & Co. International Grocers, Swans Marketplace and the “Friends of the Library” bookstore. The tour will end at La Borinqueña Mex-icatessen at 582 Seventh Street.

This walk is meant to be Oakland’s Jane Walk and will launch the 2010 Walking Tour program. Jane’s Walk is an international day of city walks in honor of the late urban theorist Jane Jacobs.

The 10,000 Steps team will join Annalee Allen to share some of the stories they have collected for their Walking the Invisible City tour.

What: Jane’s Walk
When: Saturday, May 1, 10 a.m.
Where: Meet in front of Ratto’s Deli, 821 Washington Street in Old Oakland
Free

Opening of the 57-33 store

The people behind Fiftyseven-thirtythree, those popular and stylish handmade-in-Oakland tee shirts that you’ve probably seen at local street fairs and night markets, are moving on up to their own store. It’s a store where you might go just to look at the cool art, thanks to artist Eddie Colla’s work on the walls. The grand opening party’s this Saturday.

What: 57-33 Opens.

When: Saturday, May 1. Store hours: Noon to 6, the party begins at 7.
Where: 4125 Piedmont Avenue (2^nd floor)
First 50 guests get free shirts.
fiftyseventhirtythree.wordpress.com

Keep Oakland Beautiful

If you care about how Oakland looks and want to do your bit to keep it beautiful, you get your chance this Saturday.  From 9 a.m. to noon, Keep Oakland Beautiful’s board members, volunteers and local residents will be working to clean up and beautify 42^nd Avenue, between International and Foothill.

What: Keep Oakland Beautiful/the 2010 Great American Cleanup, a national campaign organized by nonprofit Keep America Beautiful.
When: Saturday, May 1, 9 a.m.
Where: Volunteers are to meet in the FAMSA furniture store parking lot at 4215 Foothill Blvd., www.keepoaklandbeautiful.org,

Second Kids Otter Read Around the Bay Day

Take your kids to Laurel Bookstore and meet four authors of books for kids, ask them your questions, and find out about some new books. The bookstore will be hosting Rachel Rodriguez (Building on Nature: The Life of Antoni Gaudi), Madeleine Dunphy (Here is Antarctica), Debra Sartell (Time for Bed, Baby Ted), and Sara Kahn (Opus and the Red Chair.)

What: Kids Otter Read
When: Saturday, May 1, 1 p.m.-3 p.m.
Where: Laurel Bookstore, 4100 MacArthur Blvd.

Sunday, May 2

Lag BaOmer Picnic

In Israel, Lag BaOmer is a holiday for bonfires. On Sunday, the Jewish Community Center of the East Bay andWilderness Torah are hosting a picnic at Lake Temescal. Expect barbecue, arts and crafts, hikes, and games. The JCCEB will have kosher hot dogs, veggie burgers, and drinks.

What: Lag BaOmer
When: Sunday, May 2, 12 PM – 4 PM
Where: Lake Temescal, 6500 Broadway
How Much: Free

The Deconstruction Orchestra

Sax master Josh Allen returns for a four-week residency at East O’s own Flux 53 with his monster avant-improv ensemble, and the word is they’re bigger and badder than ever.

This Sunday, Allen opens at 8 p.m. playing with drummer Kjell Nordeson. At 9 p.m. the Orchestra goes on, featuring well known local musicians, such as Henry Kaiser, Darren Johnston, Ava Mendoza, Tom Djll, Ron Heglin, Damon Smith, and Roberto Haven of the Church of Coltrane.

What: Allen and the Deconstruction Orchestra
When: Sunday, 2 May, 8 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.
Where: Flux 53 Theater, Foothill & Fairfax
$10 suggested donation

1/8: A Winter Weekend

It’s a chilly weekend: A perfect time to pack into a church basement to hear some bluegrass or seek out some soul-warming Oakland art.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 8

Comedy Nights

Every Friday night, comedians from all across the Bay Area descend on Washington Inn to entertain. They’ve been on Comedy Central, they all seem to have performed at Punchline comedy club as well as various other Bay Area venues. They are Joe Klocek, Mike Moto, Samson Koletkar, Joe Gleckler, Dhaya Lakshminarayanan and others. They may not all be Oakland residents, but together, they’re as diverse as Oakland — not just in how they look, but what they present.

Friday, January 8, 9 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., doors open at 8:30 p.m.
The Washington Inn, 495 10th Street @ Washington Street
$10/$8 w/ student ID
Reservations online:comedyoffbroadwayoakland.com
(415) 676-1371/comedyoffbroadwayoakland@gmail.com
Ages 18 & up

The Names Project

This project sounds more like a test of artist Renetta Sitoy’s memory than the pleasurable work of art it no doubt is. The artist has created a mixed media installation by collecting, from memory, more than 500 names of people from her past. Her intention is to re-create histories, as well as to explore the extent to which the Internet can aid and extend one’s memory.

Friday, January 8, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Royal NoneSuch Gallery, 4231 Telegraph Ave
Free

Love of Fate

Check out Amor Fati, a thought-provoking exhibit at Joyce Gordon Gallery, which highlights the work of fêted local artists like Favianna Rodriguez, Carlos Villa, Miju, Kwantro-Kantos, and Malaquias Montoya. “The work has a lot to do with the parallel side of history and progress, says Lian Ladia, the show’s co-curator.” This may include politics, chaos; it may include passion.”

Opening reception: Friday, January 8, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The show continues through February 8.
Joyce Gordon Gallery, 406 14^th Street, joycegordongallery.com/

Cool Meets Comfy Bluegrass

The always-excellent Utunes Coffeehouse hosts the Circle R Boys Friday night at the First Unitarian Church of Oakland. Imagine the melding of Greenwich Village folk club circa 1960 with a Lake Woebegon church basement social and you’ll have a sense of the friendly, fun vibe at the Utunes Coffeehouse. The Circle R Boys are 10 year-old Bay Area Bluegrass group. “They are known for their vocal harmonies and solid instrumentation, with not a lot of fancy stuff – ust good, clean pickin’.”

Friday, January 8, 8 p.m.
First Unitarian Church of Oakland, 685 14th Street
$18

Marx in Soho

The Flux 53 Theater out in East O is putting on Howard Zinn’s Marx in Soho this Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. “Historian and activist Howard Zinn (best known for his People’s History of the United States) has created a one-man play resurrecting the iconic and controversial historical figure, who returns to clear his name and reject the ideological rigidity of many of his followers with the declaration “I am not a Marxist!” Zinn paints a poignant, funny, and intimate portrait of the man as he was – an impoverished immigrant struggling to survive in London amid family, friends, and enemies – while demonstrating that Marx’s critique of capitalism is more relevant than ever.”

Saturday, Sunday, Monday January 8-10, 8 p.m.
5306 Foothill Boulevard
$15 suggested, $20 on opening night with wine and cheese reception

SATURDAY, JANUARY 9

East Bay Vegan Bakesale

Calling all East Bay vegans! Get over to Issues this Saturday for an all-vegan bakesale. This one’s in front of Issues, the popular Piedmont bookstore. The organizers, Ashley Rowe, Chelsea, and Carolynn Webb, will be putting this together every other month and are looking for bakers and volunteers. The money raised from the sale will go to groups and causes they want to support. This month, the proceeds go to the Bad Rap Pit Bull Rescue and to the Laurel Elementary School to construct and maintain a school garden.

Saturday, January 9, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Issues, 20 Glen Avenue

Zodiac Death Valley

Zodiac Death Valley, the weird and enigmatic San Francisco band, headlines at Uptown nightclub Saturday night. Also on the bill: Bare Wires, Hot Daxx, Hanna Moriah.

Saturday, January 9, 9 p.m.
Uptown nightclub, 1928 Telegraph Avenue
$10

SUNDAY, JANUARY 10

Memories of Oakland

For this show, local artists have collaborated with Oakland musician and artist Winston Goertz-Giffen’s on his concept: Memories of Oakland. The gallery will showcase original artwork that has gone into the making of an art book devoted to memories of Oakland. The book and the accompanying CD, a compilation of the work of musicians that Winston has worked with while he has lived in Oakland, will be celebrated.

The following artists contributed work for this show: Vanessa Maida, Conor Ottenweller, Sarah Haba, Willey Frick, Ian Huebert, PJ Calihan, Jaden Alexander, Naaman Rosen, Eric Philpott, Priya Ray, Fatimah Guienze, Kristi Holohan, Lexi Babayan, Niki Banffy-Nesbitt, Michael Steffan, Aubrey Ferreira, Rosie Steefy, Cansafis Foote, Dirk Schmidt, Winston Goertz-Giffen, Roberto Miguel, Amanda Stahl, Zach Houston, Luke Judd, Andrew Macy, Aaron Handler, Jon Latimer, Annie Alonzi and Boguslaw Moravec.

The opening reception will feature music by Saything, Trainwreck Riders, The Aimless Never Miss, Anteater Eats Ant, Roberto Miguel, Tyler Wagner, and Tall Grass

Memories of Oakland will be installed at WE Artspace from Jan 10-Jan 31.
Opening reception: Sunday, January 10, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
768 40th Street (on the corner of West Street, two blocks from the MacArthur Bart Station)
Free

12/11: Your O-Scene Weekend’s Here

The weekend starts today with the Holiday Buy Night market in Jack London Square. There’s shopping, more shopping, lots of art, parties, music and a lot more to see and do in Oak-town this weekend.

Tonight: Holiday Buy Night

Tonight, come to Jack London Square to shop for gifts, accessories, clothes, art and specialty items that were made and manufactured locally. Hosts Oakland Unwrapped, ProArts, Oakland Grown and Jack London Square want this event to be your mall-ternative.

Jack London Market, 55 Harrison Street @ Water Street
Thursday and Friday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

FRIDAY, December 11

Strumming, Picking, and Sawing

A banjo, a fiddle, and a geetar – that’s the Paper Crocodiles. The Oakland trio will be one of three East Bay bands performing at Mama Buzz Friday evening. The Paper Crocodiles, along with Scattered Like Birds, and Glass Cake will be at the venerable coffee house/art gallery starting at 7 pm. A $3 donation is suggested.

Friday, 7 p.m.
2318 Telegraph Avenue
$3 Donation

Uptown Improv

There’s something about the daredevilry of improv that makes audience participation inevitable. If the performers go down in flames, the house goes with them. The improv masters at Pan Theater take the thrilling demolition of the fourth wall a step further by using audience suggestions as the departure points for their sketches. On Friday night, Pan’s performers put on a theater jam and comedy show with both comedic and dramatic sketches.

Friday, 8 p.m. – 10 p.m.
2135 Broadway
$10 at the door

The Wiz at the Fox

This is the inaugural event of the Oakland School for the Arts in the Fox Theatre. If you feel like seeing some musical theater at the Fox, or are just curious about the school that Jerry Brown built, this is your chance. And they have a special offer for you — If you buy 20 or more general admission tickets, you’ll get 50% off the adult $20 tickets.

Friday, 7 p.m.
Fox theater, 1807 Telegraph
Tickets: $30, $20, $10 (youth and seniors)

Beer fest

Old Oakland’s beer bar, the Trappist is hosting the KerstBier festival this weekend. They’ll have more than 20Belgian, Danish, French and America Christmas beers for you to try out.

Friday & Saturday; Starts at 4 p.m. on Friday
The Trappist, 460 8th Street,www.thetrappist.com,(510)326-5881
$25 tasting flight includes commemorative glass & 5 – 5 oz samples

A Long Way from the Cabbage Patch: Art@TheOakbook’s Holiday Art Show

This holiday season, Art@theOakBook invites you to discover the work of six local emerging artists who have received positive critical accolades on the local and national level. Affordable art will be presented by Marcos LaFarga, Kevin Earl Taylor, Jake Watling, Savanna Snow, Theo Konrad Auer, and Joel Scilley. Their beautiful – and inexpensive — artworks make for great Made-in-Oakland holiday gifts.

Friday, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Art@theOakBook, 423 Water Street (inside Jack London Square)
The show runs through January 9, 2010 (Disclosure: This gallery is run by the OakBook.)

SATURDAY, December 12

Jingletown Art Walk

It’s called Jingletown because the Portuguese cannery workers who used to work there would jingle their wages in their pockets on the way home from work. You can stroll the neighborhood tucked between I-880 and the Estuary Saturday and Sunday with an eye for affordable, local art. The many artists who now live and work in Jingletown are holding their 4th annual Holiday Art Walk. Click here for directions and a list of participating artists. You’ll get to see mosaic art, metal work, ceramic sculpture, oil paintings, stationary, and much more.

Saturday and Sunday: 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Fun for Kids: Candy Cottages

The Museum for Children’s art is calling kids to build candy cottage or cookie castle using sugary frosting paste, licorice, lollipops, gumdrops and more.  Your kids will have their fair share of sticky, gooey fun.

The Museum of Children’s Art (MOCHA), 538 9th Street,  510-465-8770, www.mocha.org
Saturday, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
$7 per child, $3 per adult (This includes the cost of all materials)
No need to pre-register

KFOG’s 24th Annual Concert for Kids to benefit Toys for Tots and Ronald McDonald House

The concert features Brandi Carlile, Mat Kearney, and Eoin Harrington. Concert attendees are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped book or toy to donate to the Marines’ Toys for Tots program. Proceeds from tickets sales benefit The Ronald McDonald House of San Francisco.

The Paramount, 2025 Broadway
Saturday, December 12 @ 7 p.m.
Doors open 60 minutes before show time.
$125.00, $65.00, $50.00, $45.00, $35.00

For more, visit KFOG

LOCAL LOVE

Join Rowan Morrison Gallery and the businesses of the 40th Street Corridor are hosting Local Love, a holiday stroll and an informal open house.

If you didn’t already know, Rowan Morrison is one of the best galleries in Oakland. Their show Double Exposure is worth seeing. If that weren’t enough, they’ll be serving up chai, snacks, treats, & drinks (later on).  The other businesses in the corridor include Manifesto Bicycles, Premium Tattoo and Vintage, 1234GO! Records

Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Rowan Morrison, 330 40^th Street
http://www.rowanmorrison.com/doubleexposure.html

SUNDAY, December 13

Let us Break Bread Together

This is Oakland’s musical holiday event. The Oakland East Bay Symphony celebrates the holidays with performances of gospel music, classical selections and other holiday favorites, as well as a few sing-alongs. The ever-popular Michael Morgan conducts the orchestra. You’ll also see (and hear) the Oakland Symphony Chorus, Terrance Kelly and the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, Mt. Eden High School Choir, Klezmer ensemble  Kugelplex, and others.

Paramount Theatre, 2025 Broadway
Sunday, 4 p.m.
Tickets: $40, $25, $15, $10 (youth), Family pack – $50

The Silver Screen

WE Artspace, the brainchild of artists Tina Dillman and Naaman Rosen, hosts the first of its short film series – the Silver Screen. In December, WE will be showcasing California film-makers, who explore the realm of documentary and experimental film through portraits and music. We will be screening short films by Brigid McCaffrey, Erika Anderson, K.C. Bull, Molly Snyder-Fink, Orlando Richards and Luke Judd.

Sunday, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
768 40th Street (two blocks west of the MacArthur Bart Station)
$2 donation at the door, snacks and beverages available.
For more, visit their website.

Get Those Cool gifts at the Crucible

Support local artists and community arts education for youth and adults while you shop at the Crucible’s Holiday Gifty celebration. Shop for gifts created by over 70 Bay Area artisans — handmade jewelry, glass creations, sculpture, clothing, ceramics and more. Catch the demonstrations of glass blowing, metal casting and blacksmithing
from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Santa gets in at 1 p.m.

Saturday & Sunday
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
1260 7th Street, 510-444-0919, http://thecrucible.org
Free admission

Saturday: Tibetan Breakfast

Churu, it’s what the folks eat for breakfast in Kongpo, a Tibetan area of China along the banks of the Yarlung River. Learn to make this delicious fermented cheese soup, along with parched barley flour, and tingmo, a steamed leavened bread at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center Saturday morning. There’s a $30 donation to cover materials, but no one will be turned away. Space is limited, so call to make sure there’s a spot: 510-637-0462.

Saturday, December 12 10 am – 1pm
388 9th Street
$30 Donation for materials

11/20: Your O-Scene Weekend’s Here

Friday, November 20

 

The Swell Season

Irish performer Glen Hansard and Czech pianist and singer Marketa Irglova, who found fame, glory and love with their album, Once, roll into town tonight to perform at the Paramount. They’re on tour to promote their latest album, Strict Joy.

Friday, November 20, 8 p.m.
2025 Broadway
$35 and $40

Sentinel, Maldroid and Goodbye Gadget

Some really good local indie bands play tonight at the Uptown: Sentinel, Maldroid, Tornado Rider and Goodbye Gadget.

Uptown, 1928 Telegraph,
9 p.m. 21 and over
$10

For more on Sentinel, go to sentineltheband.com

If you want to learn about Maldroid, read this OakBook article on the band.

A Comedy Revolution

The Revolution Café on 7th Street out by the main post office has been slowly expanding over the past few years, growing in size and ambition. Now the Revolution Café is getting into comedy. On the third Friday of each month, it hosts a cover-free comedy night. The café is only three blocks from West Oakland Bart.

Friday, November 20, 8:30 p.m.
1612 7th Street

Holiday Shopping – Locally

Stop by Namaste Yoga for a holiday bazaar and henna lounge this Friday evening. The studio and store will be filled with locally made handicrafts and trinkets. You’ll be supporting Oakland artisans, and a hefty 20 percent of proceeds go to the Options Recovery Center, an outfit that helps parolees.

Friday November 20 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
5416 College Avenue

Cornel West Reads

Cornel West, one of America’s most interesting public intellectuals, will be at Barnes and Noble in Jack London Square Friday evening to discuss his new memoir, “Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud.”

Friday, November 20, 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Barnes and Noble, Jack London Square
Free

Saturday, November 21

Dominoes Downtown

Do you throw the bones? Maxwell’s Lounge is holding a dominoes tournament Saturday afternoon. Twenty bucks gets you a spot. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishers win cash prizes. Registration starts at 11 a.m. on Saturday

Saturday, November 21, 11 a.m. onwards
341 13th Street

For the Fashionistas

Oakland designer Cari Borja is having a pre-holiday sample sale on Saturday afternoon. Head over to her Berkeley studio to grab some bargains on her beautiful clothes. 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

30% off any one new collection item and extra 50% off on all samples
Baby Royal and Baby August hats are 2 for $25
Saturday, November 21
2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

2117 4th Street, Studio B, Berkeley
510-981-0067, www.cariborja.com

Book Reading, Belly Dancing and Coffee

Romney Steele, an Oakland-based writer, cook and food stylist, has written a book about growing up in the famous Big Sur restaurant, Nepenthe. She will read from My Nepenthe: Bohemian Tales of Food, Family, and Big Sur at Caffe Trieste on Piedmont Avenue this Saturday evening. There will be a no-host wine and coffee bar. Belly dancing, an integral part of the Nepenthe experience, will begin at 8 p.m.

Saturday, November 21, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Caffe Trieste, 4045 Piedmont Avenue
mynepenthebook.com/my-book/

Black Dynamite

The always-engaging Oakland Underground Film Festival presents Black Dynamite on Saturday night at the Grand Lake Theater. The 2009 blacksploitation spoof will be preceded by Will “The Thrill” Viharo and Monica the Tiki Goddess of Thrillville with 70’s movie trivia.

Saturday, November 21, Midnight
Grand Lake Theater, 3200 Grand Avenue

Sunday, November 22

Philippine Dance Showcase

From tinkling to dances with roots in the Spanish Court, Philippine dance is as varied as the archipelago itself. On Sunday afternoon, the Oakland Asian Cultural Center and The American Center for Philippine Arts present a showcase of Pilippino dancing. After the dancing, there’ll be food and activities like Make Your Own Parol for the kids.

The center is less than a year old, but already teaches 40 kids in the age range of five to 15. Executive director Herna Cruz-Louie says that traditional dance forms can be a tool that help second and third generation kids develop pride in their culture and learn about their history and heritage. The center, which also offers classes in the traditional Philippine mandalin, plans to eventually expand beyond music and dance. But this Sunday, explore Philippine arts through the performances of the center’s dance students. Come for the dancing, stay for the lumpia.

Sunday, November 22, 2 p.m.
388 Ninth Street
Free

Lake Merritt Vigil for Murdered Gay Teens

A group of queer and transgendered people of color are holding a vigil at Lake Merritt this weekend for gay teens murdered in Maryland and Puerto Rico. For more info, call 510-282-5223 or e-mail morethanavigil@gmail.com

Sunday, November 22, 3.30 p.m.
Grand and MacArthur
morethanavigil.blogspot.com/

Toy Drive

If you’ve been hit by the economy, and are getting worried about holiday gifts for the kids, head over to City Hall on Saturday morning. Take your ID, proof of an Oakland residence, proof of kids’ ages and proof of income, and get on the list to receive toys through Mayor Ron Dellums’ toy drive. For more information, call 777-toys or just show up at 10 a.m. on Saturday. If you’d like to find out how to donate toys, call Albert Lujan at 510-238-7366.

Saturday, November 21
Oakland City Hall, Hearing Room 3
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

San Francisco Bay New Year’s Events

O-Scene’s Bay Area New Year’s Eve Calendar

Sugar and Gold headline the New Year’s Bash at The Uptown

11/6 Shake it for Obama, one mo’ time

He did it! Obama won! And all over the Bay Tuesday night they were dancing in the streets, thankin’ the lord and passing the wine.

The crowd at Everett and Jones gets down

Extra Action Marching Band doin’ the Obama in San Fran

A new era is on the way, but I figure we have only a couple of months before we have to remember that dude is, after all, still a politician. But until then there’s more partying to do, this event has been a long time coming. And to keep things festive Ruby Skye and Bay Area for Obama are throwing a huge FREE bash tonight over at the Skye. They’ve pulled together a list of crowd favorite DJ’s including Sake-1, Manny Black and Sam Isaac and free eats from Paplote. Eat, drink and be merry Obama lovers, cause soon it’s back to giving the powers that be a hard time.-Kwan

Photos: Rock The Bells 2008

Another year, another festival, another blissed out moment in hip hop history.  Overall, this past weekend’s Rock The Bells at Shoreline Amphitheater was a classically mellow affair with measured rounds of head nodding, way-back-when jamming and some well timed wildin’, drinkin’ and smokin’ the f- out, courtesy of Messieurs Redman and Methodman.

Performers on both stages were on their game but while the big names-from Rakim to The Phaycyde to Tribe Called Quest to the Bay’s own Blackalicious-rocked the packed main arena with the energy of old school heads proving they could still kick it, the hyperactive young guns on the second stage, including the Kidz in the Hall, Berkeley’s The Pack, Spank Rock and Amanda Blake, buzzed over their pint sized audience like first graders after way too much sugar.  Where do these kids get all that energy?

As the sun rolled down behind the hills of the amphitheater and headliners Tribe put the finishing touches on a satisfying old school set, the crowd was all smiles and hip swaying, secure that if the day’s perfomances were any indication, hip hop’s past and future were in good hands.  Check the pics inside.-kwan

6/13/08 O-Scene Weekend

Featured Event: Emily King and Anthony David

A guitar, a mic and a head full of songs combined with a few beers and a reasonably attentive audience-it’s such a simple formula really, and that’s what makes it so damned hard to pull off.
Before the digitization of all things melodic turned everyone and their momma’s into laptop producers, the easiest way to jump into the industry was as a singer/songwriter: get a halfway decent guitar, a few heartfelt lyrics and a couple of people to listen to you and boom-you’re a musician.
But while a hand full of newbies have successfully pulled off the Joni Mitchell/Traci Chapman steez, the road to Bob Dylanhood is littered with discarded guitar cases, cried in beers and song lyrics scribbled on barroom napkins. But for singer/songwriters Emily King and Anthony David, playing tonight at Q’s lounge in Jack London Square, the road has put them on the highway to success and a possible place among the coffeeshop greats.
22 year old Emily King is a bit of a musical prodigy. After leaving school at 16 because classes were moving too slowly, the ambitious New Yorker got her GED and set out to start her own musical movement that so far has led to international acclaim and a 2007 Grammy nomination for her debut album “East Side Story”. From the beginning, King’s music-nimble guitar playing under soul, jazz and pop melodies that lives somewhere between Corinne Bailey Rae, Norah Jones and Mary J Blige, has been drawn from her life story, independent ideology and desire to make a difference in the world. “I think music is such a revolutionary thing” she says “and that’s what it should be.”
Atlanta’s Anthony David isn’t necessarily out to start a revolution, he just wants to make some good music. “Sometimes (my music) is escapism, sometimes it’s sympathy or emotion,” he explains. “Sometimes it’s grounded in the present and some times it’s taking you away from it.” The modern day troubadour calls his style “Millennium Blues” because of the way it “all goes back to the blues. The lyrics, the music, my using everything from acoustic to hip-hop, the story telling…all of it connects through the blues like a bridge.”
A product of Atlanta’s singer songwriter and spoken word scenes, David is signed to close friend India.Arie’s Soulbird Music label and has worked with some of the ATL’s most prolific performers. When he straps on his guitar southern influences drip from his music like molasses. His guitar playing on his new album “Acey Ducey” has a relaxed, “on the front porch” ease to it, and his lyrical honesty paints a picture of a man who’s comfortable in his skin and with what he has to offer.
David’s songs are impressive without trying to impress. From the duet “Words,” that reveals his musical relationship with Arie, to the “Red Clay Chronicles,” a candid depiction of hustling and city life to “Smoke One,” an ode to kicking back with friends-David says this relaxed, no frills approach to music is the only way he’d ever think of creating.When the young revolutionary from back east meets the laid back southern crooner tonight over dueling guitars, it should be a great meeting of the musical minds as well as an instructional session on how to make this deceptively simple style sound as sweet as we all know it can.-kwan

Emily King and Anthony David
$35
Doors at 6, Show at 8pm
Q’s Lounge
126 Broadway, Oakland, CA
www.eandjbbq.com

5/23 O Scene Weekend

Featured Event: Decoy

The ability to manipulate form and color in order to blend into your surroundings is one of nature’s true wonders and a time honored tool for hunting and basic survival. Whether it’s a frog turning itself all types of rust colors to snag that tasty fly, or a fish that blends into the background whenever the big bad eel comes along, or the short skinny kid from middle school who strikes a ninja pose and vanishes into the crowd to avoid that weekly ass kicking, in certain situations, the ability to fade and mimic have proven to be crucial skills.

Along these same lines, certain industries have been known to use visual deceptions to their advantage in several, sometime shiesty ways. From passing counterfeit twenties to packaging a generic product to look just like the New! Improved! Tide! sitting right next to it, media and marketing especially have been using mimicry,camouflage and decoys to get over for years.

Tonight a group of artists are giving the technique a try. Decoy, the new show at Lobot Gallery is a group exhibition of sculpture, painting, video, and works on paper featuring recent work by Patrick Blaeser, Robert Burden, Ross Campbell, Diane Derr, Robert Jackson Harrington, Claire Jackel, Whitney Lynn, Jana Rumberger and Brian Stinemetz. The show attempts to engage the political and psychological aspects of deception, perception, cognition and abstraction.

There’ll be music by The Tea Set, MNDR and Family Tree, and Lobot Resident Artist Patrick Blaeser will open his studio for viewing.

Decoy
Friday May 23
Free
8:30
Lobot Gallery
1800 Campbell St. Oakland
www.lobotgallery.com

Love Oakland Friday Night at Luka’s

You love Oakland. And so do we. And if you want to celebrate this love, head over to Luka’s this Friday night. With a club night called We love the town, DJs Zita and Dmadness will unleash their version of Oakland love by playing hip hop, funk, dancehall and “lotsa Town bizness.”

Expect to hear Toni Tony Tone, En Vogue, Club Nouveau, The Coup, Too $hort, Digital Underground, Hieroglyphics, Goapele, Zion I, and Mistah FAB. Also expect to see the latest issue of the OakBook. Get it while you can this Friday night at Luka’s.

2221 Broadway (at West Grand)
10pm to 2am,
$10
21+