SAN JOSE, CA
The megalopolis of San Jose is the 10th largest city in the nation, third largest city in California and the largest city in Northern California. With a million people inside its city limits and millions more in the area that surrounds, San Jose is a veritable hotbed of music lovers, creeping and crawling down the freeways and through their lives waiting to hear about your band. The city has a long musical heritage, from Ohlone Indians beating drums to 1960s garage rockers like The Count Five and Syndicate of Sound to modern-day weirdos like Xiu Xiu and The Mumlers. Despite this, the city often gets lost in the cultural shadow cast by San Francisco, 50 miles to the north. However, millions of people don’t want to drive 100 miles every time they want to see a show – so don’t forget about San Jose when you’re planning your next tour!
Guide to Gigging in San Jose
VENUES
The Blank Club
44 S. Almaden Avenue, San Jose, CA 95113
(408) 29-BLANK
www.theblankclub.com
This is the club with the best sound in town. They book mostly rock music and are 21+. With a capacity of 250, it can be difficult for out-of-towners to get a show here unless they hook up with a big-name act or a local group with a draw, but it’s always worth a try. Email booking@theblankclub.com .
Johnny V’s
31 E. Santa Clara Street, San Jose, CA 95113
(408) 947-8470
www.myspace.com/johnnyvslivemusic
Johnny V’s will book any kind of music from punk to hip-hop, and is a good place to start if you’ve never played in San Jose before. Smack in the middle of downtown, if people like how you sound, they will trickle in. Contact through MySpace to book.
VooDoo Lounge
14 S. 2nd Street, San Jose, CA 95113
(408) 286-8636
www.voodooloungesj.com
The VooDoo Lounge is even bigger than The Blank Club, however they’re open to a wider range of music and they do book a lot of out-of-town acts, especially on off-nights. Look on their website calendar to see the various promoters who put on shows there or contact matt@voodooloungesj.com for booking.
PinUp Productions
www.pinupproductions.net
www.myspace.com/pinupproductionssj
PinUp Productions put on all kinds of shows at a bunch of all-ages venues around San Jose, including San Jose Skate, an old-school roller rink, and Nickel City, a videogame arcade. See their website or MySpace for booking info. Another all-ages promoter, albeit with more of a hardcore bent, is The Cave Promotions. More info at their MySpace: www.myspace.com/thecavesj .
The Caravan
98 S. Almaden Avenue, San Jose, CA 95113
(408) 995-6220
www.myspace.com/thecaravan
21+ dive bar a block down the street from The Blank Club that books bands Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. The Caravan is always packed, there’s no cover and they pay out of the bar, so you can actually make some decent gas money. However, you have to supply your own P.A. and they will probably only book you if your band is LOUD. Contact Meghan through MySpace.
Mission City Coffee
2221 The Alameda, San Jose, CA 95050
(408) 261-2221
www.missioncitysc.com
If you’re more of the singer-songwriter-finger-picking-troubadour type, then Mission City Coffee is your best bet. They have a nice stage, fancy lighting and a sound person. To book, give them a call.
Streetlight Records
980 S. Bascom Avenue, San Jose, CA 95128
(408) 292-1404
www.myspace.com/streetlightsanjose
You never know who will be milling around this independent record store, and if you can make fans of the clerks, you will be striking the nerve center of San Jose’s music nerd scene. Check out the booking info on their MySpace, then email phil@streetlightrecords.com .
PROMOTE A GIG: MEDIA
Metro Newspapers
550 S. 1st Street, San Jose, CA 95113
(408) 298-8000
www.metroactive.com
Metro is San Jose’s free weekly paper and is distributed throughout the Silicon Valley. They’re pretty good at promoting a mix of big-name acts as well as low-to-the-ground events in their concert calendar and features. Submit events by mail or through the website form.
KFJC 89.7 FM
12345 S. El Monte Road, Los Altos Hills, CA 94022
(650) 949-7260
www.kfjc.org
KFJC is a really good college radio station broadcast from Foothill College. They play every kind of music from folk to metal to reggae to ambient noise experiments, and have an on-air/online concert calendar called the Concert Outlook. Contact them at promo@kfjc.org with show info. Individual DJs occasionally host on-air performances and interviews as well.
KZSU 90.1 FM
POB 20510, Stanford, CA 94309
(650) 725-4868
http://kzsu.stanford.edu
Stanford’s radio station plays all kinds of independent music. They regularly host live performances from local and touring bands on their program Wednesday Night Live. To get your show listed on their calendar, email calendar@kzsu.stanford.edu .
KSCU 103.3 FM
500 El Camino Real, #3207, Santa Clara, CA 95053
(408) 554-4414
www.kscu.org
Santa Clara University’s radio station. Send CDs to the address above, Attn: Music Department, and email promotions@kscu.org to promote your show.
KSJS 90.5 FM
San Jose State University
Hugh Gillis Hall Room 132, San Jose, CA 95192
(408) 924-4548
www.ksjs.org
As you can see, there is a wealth of colleges and therefore college radio stations in the area. San Jose State is in downtown San Jose, which is where almost all the venues are, so it’s a good idea to let them know about your show too: ksjs@ksjs.org .
GEAR/REPAIRS
The Starving Musician
3427 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA 95051
(408) 554-9041
www.starvingmusician.net/cart/
Can perform all manner of repairs and sells most anything you might need to replace, from fuzz pedals to clarinets. Hours: Mon-Fri 11-7, Sat 11-6 and Sun 12–5.
King Amplification
1141 Campbell Avenue, San Jose, CA 95126
(408) 261-8260
www.kingamplification.com
Services all types of tube and solid-state gear. Factory authorized to perform warranty repairs for many major manufacturers. Hours: Tues-Fri 9-6 and Sat by appointment.
|
