Category — music

This is the first First Friday since the City of Oakland’s cabaret ordinance was reformed, a long-time goal of cultural mavens. As of Wednesday, restaurants and cafes are allowed live music, and DJ bars no longer have to worry about being ticketed. The late-night permits and easier cabaret permitting process for clubs will hopefully encourage more nightlife, and tonight many are expected to enjoy the freedom to play music in public. With newly-legal live performance as the backdrop, today’s sunny First Friday offers a wealth of cultural opportunities.

Highlights of the monthly Art Murmur can be found in the OakBook’s regular article about the art scene. Uptown’s newest hotspot, The New Parish, hosts a Feria Urbana for local designers to sell their wares, ranging from art to jewelry to t-shirts to hats. More details are available at FeriaUrbanSF.com.

For the Bike Month of May, cyclists will ride the map of the Art Murmur from 23rd and Telegraph starting at 6:30pm, “in a fantastic parade of hometown fashion and music.”

The Uptown Nightclub, just slightly off the beaten Art Murmur path, will host a First Friday extravaganza with no cover charge. Several bands and DJs including The Mumlers will perform, while Warner Records will play new albums from The Black Keys and The Dead Weather.

Further afield, newcomer Urban Legend Cellars winery will keep their tasting room open until 9pm tonight. 621 4th St. Nearby, on Saturday and Sunday, Jack London Square will host The Sweet Shoppe, a festival dedicated to sweets. Just in time for Mother’s Day, its probably the best place to pick up bonbons in the DTO.

Uptown’s resident pedicab service, Backseat Driver, will be out and about tonight. Check out OaklandNorth.net’s video interview with urban micro-entrepreneurs Ken and Lulu Ott. Look for Ken and his rickshaw around town tonight. While Ken pedals around, The Rock Papers Scissors Collective will display of human-powered machinery, an element of their Beyond Bicycles project.

Since we’re on the topic of transportation, allow me to plug a professional project of mine. I am helping Friendly Cab offer free taxi rides on First Fridays. A $5 taxi coupon, enough for a free bar-hopping trip downtown, will be available tonight at three downtown bars: Penelope at 11th and Clay, The Layover at 1517 Franklin, and Era Artbar at 19 Grand. Stop by a bar and ask for your coupon, and enjoy a free or heavily discounted ride on Friendly Cab! Sponsored by Kapsack & Bair DUI Attorneys, the coupon can help you have fun while avoiding drunk driving. Read more about it at TheOakbook.com and the Trib’s Nightowl blog.

Whether you’re cabbing, bicycling, walking, riding a rickshaw, or even driving, downtown’s First Friday is where all roads lead. Legalizing live music this week adds to the cultural celebration.

“Art bar” and nightclub Era arrived with a splash last Friday; the Oakland Tribune reports that 700 people enjoyed the 5000 square-foot, two-story lounge on its opening night. Tomorrow evening Era hosts its first dance party, featuring DJ fflood. A few blocks away, at 2022 Telegraph, Saturday sees a V-Day “Pleasure Tasting” party, featuring neo-soul music and custom-created appetizers, for a $10 cover charge. Though Uptown is increasingly sexy, it’s also the site of the city’s most depressing Valentine’s window display.

Proving itself no slouch, newly-christened Midtown continues to excite the center of downtown with art and fun. The Joyce Gordon Gallery features a show of woman-created art opening with a reception tonight, while the Layover hosts a DJ tribute to late hip-hop producer J-Dilla this evening, behind newly-installed bike racks. Further downtown, Beer Revolution is bringing amusingly-named suds to Third Street near Jack London Square, not far from the Linden Street Brewery, Pacific Coast brewpub, and The Trappist temple of beer.

But not everything downtown is adults-only or even nightlife. Tomorrow the African American Museum and Library in Old Oakland hosts a screening of African-Italian film Inside Buffalo, about a segregated WWII combat unit. The Oakland Ice Center is offering free curling classes to kids, for Canadian expatriates in our diverse, multicultural city. Farley’s East next to Era has been called one of the most family-friendly coffeshops in the Bay Area. Though other parts of Oaktown host everything from fashion to art parties this weekend, the DTO offers everything in a few square miles.

Uptown’s long-awaited Era Art Bar opens today at 4:30pm. Created by the impresarios behind several Old Oakland spots including B Restaurant, Air Lounge, and Tamarindo, Era promises to be a uniquely styled club. Era boasts hand-crafted cocktails, carefully-chosen wines, two floors for lounging, top-flight DJs, and stunning interior design. See what the buzz is about at 19 Grand Ave.

Tonight the Fox Theater celebrates its anniversary of reopening as a live-performance venue with a party at the Den. Despite not having any dedicated parking, the Fox has sold out almost all of its shows and was the top Google search term in San Francisco in 2009. Joined by the New Parish at 18th and San Pablo, the Fox is establishing Uptown as a live-music destination, though there is a growing perception the Paramount is falling behind (a position disputed by a boardmember in a recent OakBook column).

Downtown’s good news is not just about bars and nightclubs. The DTO, or more specifically Uptown, has seen several new restaurants open this short new year. Though we’re still waiting for Bakesale Betty, True Burger has opened on the same block as the erstwhile bakery, and Hibiscus at 18th and San Pablo adds a sweetly Southern note to downtown dining in a handsome historic building with a focus on Creole foods and unique cocktails.

With the announcement of Barnes & Nobles’ closure in Jack London Square, some observers mourn the passing of yet another bookstore, while others see potential for destination retail to emerge in the prominent space. On the other side of downtown, the Broadway Specific Plan, meant to outline the transformation of Auto Row into a “lifestyle” shopping center, is seeing fierce criticism from both anti-development types led by the Oakland Heritage Alliance who are critical of the goals of the project, and from urbanists who are very uncomfortable with the huge amounts of parking called for in the study (more parking than retail, actually).

Today is of course the First Friday of February, and without rain, it’s likely tonight’s Art Murmur events will be crowded. Highlights include local cityscapes at Pro Arts Gallery, a multimedia exhibition by French artist Pierre Alain Clauzin at Hatch Gallery, and a retrospective of late graffiti artist Mike “Dream” Franciso at the New Parish. From Jack London Square to Midtown to Uptown, the DTO offers art and entertainment tonight for any budget, or no budget. See you at the hot dog stand on Telegraph!

If you’re still looking for a way to celebrate the end of the Noughties, there’s no better place to ring in 2010 than downtown Oaktown. The DTO’s growing assortment of bars and nightclubs offer many different New Year’s Eve experiences. Here is a sampling of public New Year’s Eve parties in the DTO and its environs.

Audrye Sessions and Hottub at The Uptown

The Uptown presents a varied show for New Year’s, with pop-rock band Audrey Sessions headlining a lineup with electro-dance outfit Hottub and the soul group Soft White Sixties.

$12-$15, uptownnightclub.com
1928 Telegraph Ave

Eclectic Fever at the New Parrish

Native favorite Kev Choice and his ensemble headlines a cosmopolitan lineup at the New Parrish, downtown’s newest live-music venue. Also featuring Aphrodesia, Doca Do Rio, several DJs, and samba dancers.

$40 in advance, eclecticfever.com.
578 19th St at San Pablo

Lovemakers at Ghost Town Gallery

The Lovemakers came from Oakland’s underground warehouse party scene and rose to almost-stardom with a major-label record in 2005. The electro-pop-rock outfit return to their roots for their final performance, with dance DJs, guest performances, and art displays.

$15
2519 San Pablo Ave

Make Love: LaToya London and Ise Lyfe at Maxwell’s

American Idol finalist LaToya London returns from touring the country as the lead in The Color Purple to perform one night in her hometown of Oaktown. With poet Ise Lyfe and DJ G Wayne.

$25 – $40, airbornetickets.com
341 13th St

New Year’s Eve at Penelope

Downtown’s newest bar, known for outdoor seating, slick decor, and spicy cocktails, will host its first New Year’s Party.

No cover.
11th and Clay Streets

New Year’s Eve at Radio

Radio Bar presents its signature New Year’s Eve celebration, with champagne and party favors, without a cover. DJ Barracuda will spin rock, funk, and electro, and dancing on the bar will be encouraged.

No cover.
435 13th St at Broadway

New Year’s Eve at Ruby Room

The DTO’s venerable hipster spot Ruby Room celebrated its tenth anniversary this year, and will celebrate its tenth New Year’s Eve in its trademark punky style, with no cover, rock DJs, and a raucous champagne toast at midnight.

No cover.
132 14th St at Madison

Top Ten Social at Levende East

Top Ten Social is a house music party on Fridays at Levende East. For New Year’s they’re bringing famed house DJs Vikter Duplaix and Mark Grant to Old Oakland.

$40, with discounts for groups, toptensocial.com
827 Washington St

White Party at the Easy Lounge

The Easy Lounge, which now has a cabaret license, will ring in the new year with dancing under blacklight. Wear white while DJ Jerry Ross spins pop, rock, and hip-hop.

$5 if you’re wearing white, $10 otherwise
3255 Lakeshore Ave

Yes, it is once again the first Friday of the month! That means open galleries and people out and about enjoying the beautiful weather of downtown Oakland. Artsy events in and around downtown include of course the Art Murmur, but also a Saturday crafts fair at ABCo in West Oakland.

East Bay Open Studios, an annual peek into the studios of the East Bay’s artists and artisans, begins today. Stop by ProArts, the organizer, for more information and a guide, and get started by visiting neighboring Swarm Gallery and Hive Studios.

Not everything to do is indoors, though. Saturday will see the Jack London Aquatic Center hosting their Summer Splash event, and on Sunday the Lake Merritt gardens celebrate their fiftieth anniversary.

Today’s the last day to register for the National Homebrewers’ Conference, to be held at the City Center Marriott June 18 – 22. Nearby beer temple The Trappist will surely be busy that weekend! Though perhaps not as busy as Uptown.

Though not an event, Jack London Square’s handsome The Bond building opened to the public this week. The large apartments include views, services, and that most coveted of Oakland amenities, a dog park.

Saturday, horns-driven funk band Damon and the Heathens releases their long-awaited album with a show at the Uptown. I included the Heathens on my Oakland mixtape for Rebecca Kaplan’s election to the City Council, not just because they are excellent, but because many of their songs touch on the Oakland condition (such as their live cover of Life During Wartime). The lyrics of Trite Life mention one of West Oakland’s most pressing problems, food insecurity:

Ghost Town is a motherfucker

So take your ass to the corner store

It says groceries but you will find

The only vegetables are waiting in line

Check out their high-energy show and great new album, featuring audio samples of disturbing news reports on Oakland compiled by V Smoothe, at the Uptown tomorrow. See you there!

UPDATE: A Better Oakland makes a pitch for enjoying the DTO on Saturday.

On this second Friday of the month, sunny downtown Oakland may not be hosting a big art walk or a restaurant opening, but there is much to read about the DTO on this beautiful day.

Dashe and JC Cellars, local urban wineries, are profiled in AppellationAmerica.com. Taste their wines at their shared warehouse, or at next week’s Oakland Indie Awards.

Bloggers, contributors, commenters and readers enjoyed meeting each other at one of Uptown’s hottest spots last week. Read Zennie’s take on the party, and the neighborhood.

A Chronicle food critic blogs that “it’s happening in Oakland,” about the recent spate of high-quality restaurant openings. Four of his favorites are downtown. OaklandGoods visits a new favorite, Pican, and an old favorite, the Paramount Movie Classics.

Many activists are quite pleased that the City Council gave public art a crack at using a prominent Uptown lot instead of car parking. Stay up to date on the two-week process by keeping an eye on the blogs.

Walk Oakland Bike Oakland posts the progress on Lake Merritt improvements as reported by Councilmember Pat Kernighan. Now that the rainy season is ending, the long-promised paths and bike lanes around our crown jewel are ready to be poured!

The Chronicle profiles Anthony Holdsworth, chronicler of a changing downtown in pastel. See his triptych of 14th and Broadway in the lobby of Oakland’s City Administration Building, 250 Frank Ogawa Plaza.

Nice to know, the reader may think, but what am I doing tonight? Three downtown events stand out tonight, Friday May 8. The Franklin Square Wine Bar is hosting one-dollar tasting flights of Italian wines on their lovely plaza. With two weeks until their cabaret license may be suspended, tonight at Oasis may be a last chance to dance to reggae, dancehall, and techno. And at Café Van Kleef tonight, West Oakland horns-driven outfit Damon and the Heathens will perform danceable funk with plenty of local references. But with Uptown, Old Oakland and Chinatown all offering a variety of walkable dining and entertainment options, it’s easy to come downtown without a plan! See you on the sidewalk.

Though doom and gloom surround the economy on many fronts, downtown Oakland is only getting more happening. But it’s not all new ventures. A traveler to Downtown Oakland this week sees new businesses, but also transformed businesses, rescued businesses and long-lived businesses.

As I mentioned in an update to last week’s blog, Bakesale Betty has received all necessary permits and is building their new bakery in Uptown, which will hopefully open this summer. Also under construction are two spots in Old Oakland near City Center – a wine bar and a sushi restaurant, both on Clay near 11th St. Though it’s true that Old Oakland’s designer denim boutique closed after two years in business, nearby retailers Verse, Mignonne, and Fiveten Studio are still going strong. Check out Mignonne’s mailing list for their Saturday sales and vintage trunk shows.

One of downtown’s two (or three) completed but empty condo developments opens this evening with a party featuring Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown and wannabe Mayor Don Perata. I’m sure Jean Quan will be there too, though Robert Bobb is probably tied up in Detroit. The Ellington is a 134-unit high-rise near Jack London Square. Meanwhile, Old Oakland’s Dwell, built by now bankrupt AF Evans, has received multiple offers and a new owner is expected to be announced soon. I understand that the Jackson St project with construction defects has been renovated, but if anyone knows what’s going there, please let us know.

The former Maxwell’s Restaurant and Lounge on 13th St is now Maxwell’s Soundstage, thanks to new operator Dwayne Wiggins of Toni Tone Tony and Alicia Keyes fame. He also operated the coffeeshop in the Alice Arts Center until it closed in 2007. Look for respected singers to draw a sophisticated urban crowd, though so far there’s only been one show. Maxwell’s is near another soon to open club in the area southeast of Broadway. Perhaps other districts are starting to eclipse Uptown’s light; a local architect makes an argument for Jack London Square in a design interview.

On Sunday, the Museum of Children’s Art, a wonderful children’s art center in Old Oakland, celebrates its 20th birthday! From noon to five pm on April 26th children and their parents can enjoy refreshments, entertainment, and hands-on arts and crafts including miniature golf! Year-long memberships will be available at an anniversary discount, too. In addition to retailers, nightlife, and urban housing, there are some great resources for kids in the DTO as well. MOChA is at 538 9th St in the Swan’s Market courtyard.

 It’s a week of things to get excited about in the DTO, though the city may screw that all up with an Uptown parking lot right in the middle of Telegraph! Check out ABO for the details, and enjoy your downtown weekend!

This evening is of course First Friday, an art-oriented day popularized by the Art Murmur galleries around 23rd and Telegraph. Besides other Oakland neighborhoods muscling in on the action, tonight’s First Friday includes downtown art exhibits outside of the immediate area around Mama Buzz. Those include:

Swarm Gallery 3rd Anniversary

It’s the third anniversary of arguably Oakland’s most professional art gallery, an Indie Award winner in 2007. The exhibition features John Casey’s pen and ink drawings, a politically-oriented group show called Regime Change, and faux-naive pipe-cleaner sculptures by Don Porcella in the conceptual space. April 3, 6-9p, 560 2nd St, with live music. Exhibit closes May 10.

Hive Space Gallery: Paper Works

The Hive is an innovative experiment in providing high-quality studio space in the Oakland’s competitive real estate market (as opposed to the less-competitive industrial real estate market). Tonight, a dozen artists who use the studios present works on paper, appropriately titled Paper Works. April 3, 6-9p, 301 Jefferson St. Exhibit closes April 15, gallery open only by appointment.

Uptown art presentation

The Uptown Apartments, having spurred much of its neighborhood’s revitalization even before its construction was complete, is helping emphasize Uptown’s cultural scene by hosting a temporary art exhibit and party in its retail space. Catering by Yoshi’s, including free food and drinks. 1951 Telegraph Avenue.

Enjoy your First Friday in the DTO!

On Tuesday, at a Council Committee meeting, I joined three other pedestrian advocates in calling for the city to scrap a Redevelopment Agency plan to build a temporary surface parking lot on Telegraph Avenue, next to the Fox Theater. To argue for a pedestrian-friendly streetscape, fellow blogger Becks and I pointed to Uptown’s recent resurgence, with restaurants and clubs beginning to line the streets just like a real urban destination. Only the remaining parking lots and empty storefronts mar an Uptown stroll, but it seems that every month several establishments are springing up to fill in the void. This month has seen three openings, taking a big step toward the promise of a continuous, active pedestrian connection throughout Uptown. Thanks to Somar, Pican, and especially AVE, an Uptown bar crawl now appears to more than a flight of tipsy urbanist fantasy.

Somar and AVE, each filling big holes along Telegraph, are hip watering holes with unique amenities. Somar lies behind a Modernist facade at 1727 Telegraph, its 1970s entrance disguising high brick walls and hand-welded iron sconces, lending a surprisingly warm and sophisticated vibe. The drinks list is well-priced, or even downright cheap by the standards of downtown’s newest establishments. Somar’s unique addition to Uptown is its large dance-floor, with DJs spinning House and Pop several nights a week.

AVE (2022 Telegraph), from the team behind Air Lounge, breathes new life into a neglected block. The makeover of a long-abandoned watering hole into a sleek gathering space for Oakland’s hippest is nothing short of stunning, and was the brainchild of Old Oakland architect Alfonso Dominguez, of Fiveten Studio. Already the home of networking events for young professionals, AVE offers appetizers and some larger plates, finally giving Oakland a taste of food along with our libations.

Pican (2295 Broadway), the star of the show, complements its next-door neighbor Ozumo with another destination dining experience. Its pre-opening party a week ago was a wonderful showcase for this unique establishment. The decor was elegant, yet understated, though thankfully not quite as understated as some Oakland establishments (like Oliveto). In addition to California-inflected Southern cuisine (like fried oysters topped with microgreens), owner Michael LeBlanc, a New Orleans native, boasted “the greatest selection of bourbon in the Bay Area,” a welcome amenity for Oakland’s underserved whiskey connoisseurs. At the opening, representatives from three distilleries provided samples and information about their traditional craft, which is seeing a resurgence of interest. Pican boasts not only a unique approach to regional food and drink, but its bourbon tasting room, appointed with cabinetry apparently straight from the French Quarter, promises to be an educational excursion for the elite tippler. Between Southern comfort food, Southern craft liquor, and the caring staff’s genuine Southern hospitality, Pican is well on the way to establishing itself as one of Oakland’s restaurants of renown.

At Tuesday’s hearing, members of the Council Committee seemed fairly persuaded that the up-and-coming neighborhood around the Fox Theater deserves better than a surface parking lot, though no final decision was made. Uptown’s aspirations are now quite visible: from Pican to Van Kleef, with Somar and AVE in the middle, there is a pleasant pedestrian experience to go along with Uptown’s entertainment. This evening boasts another addition to Uptown’s potential pub-crawl: the Den at the Fox (1807 Telegraph) opens its doors, allowing Oaklanders a glimpse into the beauty and glamour of the Fox Theater even if one has not yet found an appealing performance. See you there!

In last Friday’s euphoria of the DTO’s renaissance, a downtowner commented that there were 10,000 people downtown. Now, of course, 10k gets thrown around a lot when it comes to the DTO, but the sheer, attention-getting scale of such a crowd was both appealing and plausible. So, I decided to do a bit of digging to see if that was true. In fact, it probably was roughly true during February’s first Friday night.

The maximum capacity of the new Fox is 2800 swells, the Paramount seats 3040 patrons, the Uptown holds 575 fans, and the small live theaters (Oakland Metro Operahouse and Café Van Kleef) combined probably add another 500 bodies. So, with all the packed restaurants and bars, and of course the Art Murmur, there probably were about 10k visitors to the DTO last week. Altogether, the live performance venues downtown have a total maximum capacity of almost 7000 people.

Under Oakland’s fire code, the capacity of a restaurant or nightclub with only one exit is 49, essentially limiting each storefront to 50 customers. Assuming two turnovers before a show (and music shows are more casually-scheduled than, say, an opera), that’s about 100 theater-goers served per restaurant, permitting up to 70 restaurants supported solely by theater-goers to be packed to capacity on show nights. And of course many people go out to dinner even without visiting a theater, perhaps including some of the thousands of people expected to move downtown as projects like the Uptown Apartments and The Grand fill up. Then there are nightclubs, Chinatown restaurants, DJ bars, and art galleries.

Restaurants like Flora and Mua opened in anticipation of the Fox, and were immediately successful even without the extra 2800 people that will now populate Uptown five nights a week. Aside from popular but occasional events like the Art Murmur, the draw of the existing nightlife and the reputation of some downtown restaurants will continue to bring gourmands and daters to the DTO. As the Uptown neighborhood takes shape as an entertainment destination, we can expect visitors from across the city as well as the dreaded “bridge and tunnel” crowd to seek out the DTO. Which of course makes sense, since downtown is by definition and in actuality the hub of the regional transportation system.

Geisha, a two-story dance club on 14th, will open soon. Tablehopper has some details about Levende’s new venture in Old Oakland. This year will see the debut of Pican, next door to Ozumo, and rumors are flying that closed or under-populated nightclubs in Uptown and the City Center area are in negotiations with aspiring owners. Despite the financial freeze preventing further commercial or residential development, and the sometimes ham-handed civic leadership causing protests and bad PR in the DTO, its emergence as a regional nightlife destination has only begun.