San Jose music fans work to reopen the Mexico Theater
Efforts are underway to get the Mexico Theater, a vacant theater on the corner of Santa Clara and 25th Street in San Jose, up and running again. Opened as The Mayfair in 1949, The Mexico has long been counted among the Bay Area's lost theater gems, and historic preservationists have often lamented its being left to rot. Just this week, a formal campaign began to restore The Mexico and reopen it as a community arts space. Organizers envision it as primarily an all-ages venue for music, film, and other live entertainment, with the possibility of a cafe and/or coffeehouse on [...]
Best of 2013: Jody Amable on the Best New Venue, San Jose's Café Stritch
Since forever and ever (and ever), South Bay music fans looking for something to do on the weekend have shared a common complaint: "There's no good music in San Jose." And you know what? For a long time, they were right. Aside from performing arts centers, some restaurants that let cover bands play every once in a while, and other trappings of suburbs that want to convince outsiders that they are cultural destinations, San Jose has had hardly anything substantial to offer the country’s – even the Bay Area’s – musical landscape for who knows how long. It’s not for [...]
In Defense of San Jose
Okay, people, I get it. San Francisco is cooler than San Jose. Believe it or not, I actually agree with you. You guys have a thriving art scene and people flock to you from all over the world. What’s not to love about that? You’ve worked hard to make that happen, and that's something to be commended. Hats off to ya. However, I, and I’m sure many other folks, would really appreciate it if you’d stop making fun of San Jose. That’s right, we know what you say about us behind our backs – and, more often than not, right [...]