Just collecting a few random flyers around downtown and SJSU and passing the info on to you. This stuff ranges from comedy to theater to nightclub events to ballroom dance lessons to talent shows to… well, you’ll see. There’s got to be something here you’re interested in. I’m also splicing in some events I found here on the San Jose Downtowner e-mail newsletter, and a couple of gems I saw on Artsopolis.com. I wish I could do this more often. Alas, school.

Wednesday, Oct. 1

Comedy at the Improv: Komedy Kegger – San Jose Bar and Grill teams up with The Improv to supply top notch laughs and affordable drinks and appetizers.  Tickets are good for buy one get one drink at San Jose Bar and Grill after the show.  8 pm.  62 S. Second St.  $10, 280-7475 or www.symfonee.com/Improv/sanjose/home/index.aspx

Thursday, Oct. 2

Groove Suite — An Open Turnatble Gathering: Every first Thursday of the month. 9 p.m.-2 a.m. at SFB Lounge, 420 South First St. All styles and genres welcome. Featuring a heavy monthly line-up of local and international guest DJs, live art, vendors, billiards, arcade/gaming area, food and drink specials all night. All sets are recorded live and will be available free to download at http://www.groovesuite.podomatic.com/. Resident: ThatGirl. Guest list free all night: thatgirlmelanie@yahoo.com. Email for priority open turntable sign-up.

Ma’BOO’Hay Talent Showcase: In celebration of Pilpino History Month, Akbayan presents their 8th annual talent showcase. Pilipino artists from around the Bay Area perform for a night of great music and fun, with proceeeds going to Bantay Bata 163, a charity that serves sick and abused children. Sponsored by the Akbayan Filipino-American Organization of SJSU. Tickets are $8 presale and $12 at the door. Doors open 6:30 p.m., show starts at 7 p.m. Email maboohay2008@gmail.com for tickets or more information, or visit http://akbayansjsu.wordpress.com/.

Comedy at the Improv presents Henry Cho: (Thursday-Sunday) Cho is going to star in his own sitcom based on his life as a Korean-American born and raised in Tennessee.  He has also been featured on Comedy Central and several films like “Material Girls,” “Revenge of the Nerds III: The Next Generation” and “Say It Isn’t So.”  8 pm Thurs; 8 pm and 10 pm Fri; 7 pm and 9 pm Sat; 7 pm Sun.  62 S. Second St. $16-$18, 280-7475 or www.symfonee.com/Improv/sanjose/home/index.aspx

City Lights Theatre presents “Noises Off”: A funny story of an English acting ensemble that is touring a production of a farce called “Nothing On.”  Thursday-Saturday through October 19. 8 pm Wed-Sat; 7 pm Oct 5; 2 pm Oct 12 and Oct 19.  529 S.  Second St.  $15-$40, 295.4200 or www.cltc.org

Friday, Oct. 3

South First Fridays: Downtown art venues are free and open to the public late into the evening, every first Friday of the month. You can also ride the new rickshaw service between galleries. See highlights, read about the venues and download a map at http://www.southfirstfridays.com/

Ballroom Dance: Take lessons every Friday from now to Oct. 24. This Friday and Friday Oct. 10 both focus on the Bolero. Oct. 17 and 24 teaches Salsa, Nov. 7 is the Foxtrot and Nov. 14 and 21 are East Coast Swing. No dance experience necessary! Cost is $25 for a semester or $3 for drop-in. Beginning classes are at 7:30 p.m. and intermediate is at 8:30 p.m. Visit the Ballroon Dance Club’s website at http://studentorgs.sjsu.edu/sjsubdc.

SiliCon 2008: Through Oct. 5. The SiliCon 2008 Convention for Fans of Science, Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror features seminars covering hard science, science fiction, fantasy, and horror genres. Some of the topics covered include astronomy, robotics, and other scientific areas, as well as writing, painting, costuming, singing, model making, computer graphics, and film studies, along with diabetes education and outreach. SiliCon is a non-profit organization devoted to science education and raising funds and awareness for diabetes education and research. Info: http://www.siliconventions.com/2008/

Death of a Salesman: October 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11 at 7 p.m., University Theatre, SJSU. Tickets are $10 students/seniors, $20 general admission. For more info or to order tickets online, go to http://www.tvradiofilmtheatre.com/.

San Pedro Farmers’ Market: Fresh produce, food vendors and live music, takes place each Friday to Dec. 12 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. along San Pedro Street between Santa Clara and St. John streets. http://www.sjdowntown.com/eve_eve_far.html.

WAIT! There’s 7 more events behind the jump!

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Did you know that Music in the Park is 20 years old? I had no idea!

Tomorrow’s headliner is Rocco DeLuca and The Burden. I’ve only heard a few songs by Rocco, but they’re all pretty good. I’ve heard he puts on a great show. As described on the downtown site, his music is “high energy blues/folk rock”. Opening acts are Five A.M. and Jonny Manak & the Depressives (Surf Rock)

I haven’t been to a Music in the Park since last year (Finger Eleven) so I’m really looking forward to it. If you’re out there and you spot me, don’t be shy!

Music in the Park
5:30 p.m. to 9:15 p.m.
Plaza de Cesar Chavez

This year, it looks like I’ll only make it to one day of the Jazz Festival, so I tried to make it a good one.

I tried to see David Sanborn on the main stage, but I wasn’t able to find a seat close enough to get good sound. The main stage is for fans more devoted than I am. I think you’d have to stake your claim before 10:00 AM to get a good seat.

Before that though, I saw three great acts on the side stages. First I saw Samba Da at the Latin Stage (see photo). They were upbeat, catchy, and got the crowd moving. Then I went over to the Blues Stage to hear the Chicago Blues Revue: definitely a great down-home blues group. Then back to the Latin Stage for John Santos Quintet; a bit slower and mellower than the rest of the bands I saw, but playing well. The sound and sightlines were great at these side stages.

I can hardly wait to get through the morning! Though the music starts at 11:00am, I won’t make it to the Jazz Festival until later.

1:00pm: My first stop will be the blues stage.
The Gary Smith Blues Band’ Gary, the ‘Godfather of Blues Harmonica’, calls San Jose his hometown.

2:00pm: The main stage will be the place to be.
The last time I saw John Densmore (Tribaljazz) was in 1967 at the Continental Ballroom. He was then with a group called ‘The Doors’.

The Continental Ballroom, once a roller-skating rink that was located at 1600 Martin Ave., Santa Clara just north of SJC. Those were the days…

4:00pm: The San Jose Rep Stage.
In nineteen and forty-one Eddie Gale was born in Brooklyn. He came west and in nineteen and seventy-two he found his way to San Jose, and by 1974 Mr.Gale was named ‘San Jose’s Ambassador of Jazz’.

6:00pm: Back to the main stage.
I’m Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town when six-time Grammy winner, David Sanborn plays his tribute to Ray Charles and his arranger, saxophonist Hank Crawford.

From a young age David suffered with polio. When he was eleven doctors recommend that for therapy David take up a wind instrument. As a fan of Ray Charles and his sax players, ‘Fathead’ Newman and Hank Crawford, he chose the sax. The rest, as they say…

For some, 8/8/08 is considered the ‘luckiest day’ for many reasons. For me it marks the first day of the Comcast San Jose Jazz Festival.

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy performs in the 8 o’clock hour.

Here’s hoping the lucky eights will help bring wealth and prosperity to the city.

On and off stage last year.

The San Francisco Symphony visits downtown San Jose’s Plaza de Cesar Chavez this Tuesday.

James Gaffigan leads the Orchestra for a lunchtime program that includes Verdi’s Overture to La forza del destino, Dvořák’s Allegro con fuoco from Symphony No. 9 in E minor, and Tchaikovsky’s Andantino in modo di canzona and Allegro con fuoco from Symphony No. 4 in F minor.

The free concert begins at noon in the circle of palms, Plaza de Cesar Chavez. Bring the boss so you can spend extra time outside. Mention the word “free.”

San Francisco Symphony
Plaza de Cesar Chavez, San Jose

Tuesday, July 15
Begins 12:00 noon
Admission: Free

The Sixth Annual Jazz on the Plazz is a midweek concert series featuring local, national, and world-renowned jazz artists.

Beginning this Wednesday, June 25 and every Wednesday through August 27, this free concert is presented at the Los Gatos Town Plaza, located at the intersection of W. Main Street and N. Santa Cruz Avenue.

The series kicks off with a performance by Claire Martin, an acclaimed jazz vocalist from England. She recently released her 12th album, He Never Mentioned Love. Check the Jazz on the Plazz website for a schedule of upcoming artists in the series.

Pack a picnic dinner (you may also bring beer or wine) and bring lawn chairs, blankets, and/or folding tables. Get there early to park nearby and to get a good place to sit. Parking is available in the area.

For more information, including artist profiles, schedule, seating and alcohol policies, check here.

Los Gatos Town Plaza
W. Main Street and N. Santa Cruz Avenue, Los Gatos

Wednesdays through August 27
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Admission: Free

Bruce Springsteen “The Boss” and the E Street Band will perform for San Jose.

April 5th. HP Pavilion at 7:30pm!

Tickets go on sale Monday Jan. 28 at 10 a.m
San Jose’s HP Pavilion
Tickets - $65-$95

* Live Nation
* Ticketmaster
* (408) 998-TIXS.

Free tickets? 98.5 KFOX will most likely have a contest

Photo by TabascoKid

The Spice Girls visit San Jose tonight; the second stop of their concert tour that opened Sunday night in Vancouver.

It has been about seven-years since we heard from them, as a group that is. Posh Spice and Scary Spice seemed to individually find their way into the media; be it marrying a soccer player, going to court with Eddie Murphy, or Dancing with the Stars.

In 1994 a management team placed an ad in a trade magazine looking for young 18-23 females with the ability to sing and dance formed a group that would be known as the Spice Girls.

They have released only three CDs, Spice, Spiceworld and Forever; selling in excess of 55 million records worldwide. They were given their Spicy names by Top of the Pops Magazine in 1996 the year of their debut single, Wannabe (largest selling single by an all female group).

If you cannot make it to the concert (allegedly sold out), you can see them tonight on The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2007. There is no escape.

Our friend Jeffery Simpson with Metroblogging Vancouver went to the Sunday night concert and survived to tell us all about it in his post here.

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The So You Think You Can Dance Tour on November 25th was the second time this year that I attended an event at the HP Pavilion. (The first time this year was my one and only Sharks game… I believe it was this year.. my how time flies.)

Oh by the way, SYTYCD was *awesome* - if you are unaware of what it is, basically it’s a reality show tour - much like that of the American Idol tour, I assume. But better. (Slightly biased opinion, but you’ll survive.) Where was I? Oh reality… “dancers” and dancers audition, dance, get voted off, someone wins, big tour for top 10-12 finalists. This was SYTYCD’s third season and it was fabulous.

Moving on…
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