Two jazz operas are coming to town — SOON.
The first, "The Sisyphus Syndrome"  is by Black power poet-playwright Amiri Baraka and sax-man David Murray. The show begins 8 p.m. Thursday and runs through Saturday at the Eastside Cultural Center. 
In "The Sisyphus Syndrome"  the Baraka-Murray duo combines poetry, live music and mixed media to tell the story of African Americans' struggles in the United States. The Eastside Cultural Center is located at 2277 International Blvd. General admission for the play is $20 and $10 for students up to age 19 with student ID. Discounts are available for student groups by calling 510-533-6629. For more information, visit the Web site www.eastsideartsalliance.org.
Then Friday, an adaptation of jazz great Duke Ellington's last large-scale work and only opera opens. The premier of the restored opera will be the first time Bay Area audiences will be able to hear "Queenie Pie," which was unfinished in 1974, when Ellington died.  Showtimes are 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays.
Advance tickets for the show at The Oakland Opera are $28 (or $35 at the door) and can be purchased online at www.oaklandopera.com, by mail (1734 Campbell St., Oakland, Calif., 94607) or by calling 510-763-1146. For more information, visit the Web site www.oaklandopera.com.

You remember the story I wrote in January about no nightlife in downtown Oakland? I said that might be changing? Well, Friday night — art murmur night – it was changing. We'll see how it looks this weekend, but on Friday, 14th Street between Broadway and Franklin was livelier than it has been since the lights started getting not "so much brighter there." No disrespect, Petula Clark, but downtown has been more ghost town than O-Town for a long time. If a lack of parking is any indication of the area's future success, downtown is going to see a revival.
Friday the Awaken Cafe on 14th Street stayed open late while droves of Burning Man rave types waited in line for what is supposed to be some of the best java in town. I just wasn't into it. My boyfriend and I were ready to fall asleep standing after three days of moving (how the hell does one woman collect so much stuff???). Besides, I was all excited that finally the cafe/gallery/performance space (used to be the Golden Bull bar) renovation was ready. But when we arrived it turned out they were operating only the daytime coffee-to-go business. Oh well. Still, it was good to see the life bursting out of the cafe storefront like an overflowing candy jar. Next door, Joyce Gordon's gallery was pulsing with art hipness at the reception for artists Chris Trueman, Sam Nejati and, in the photo gallery, Michael Johnson. I've never seen so many white folks in the gallery before. Come to think of it, I have never seen white artists displayed there. Whatever.

So things didn't turn out Friday night like I expected. Instead of a mellow night hanging out and checking on upcoming Cinco de Mayo events for Friday's upcoming Night Owl, I spent about four hours down on the Embarcadero waiting for a whack job holed up in a 3rd Street condo (the Sierras on Oak and 3rd) to give up his gun and let his girlfriend and children go. Otherwise, he was toast. The genius had fired at police when they knocked on his door, responding to a domestic disturbance call. Scores of officers and SWAT were there to help him decide to surrender and let the woman and two young children go. Of course, my cell phone was dead, my car was stuck inside the perimeter police had set up and I had no laptop. Thanks to all the neighbors and reporters who lent me theirs. I even headed over to Heinold's out of desperation. Read the rest of this entry »

I have a feeling it's going to be a sweet weekend. I'm going to start it out by a drink at the Washington Inn, now that I wrote about it, I can just go and relax there. But after that, I'm conflicted. It's one of the weekends when there's so many things going on it's hard to choose and impossible to be at them all. Saturday is a big day as far as I'm concerned because it the homecoming of the Bay Area Derby Girls to Oakland after a year of wreaking roller havoc all over the Bay Area — except their birthplace — because the fire marshall pulled the plug on their rink. Not safe for the crowds the BAD Girls were drawing. The story has a happy ending, though. Doors open 8 p.m. at the Dry Ice Hockey Arena, 210 Hegenberger Loop, in OAKLAND. They are so O-Town Soul.
Saturday also marks the next installment of the People Party at the Oasis on 12th Street.  "Blossom into the groove," baby, beginning about 10 p.m. (The Oasis folks really need to do something about their myspace page. How about a Web site for goodness sake?) Then there's the UpSurge! Jazz poetry festival from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday as usual at the Berkeley Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. Call 848-3227 or visit the Web site for more info. Admission is $20.
I don't know a thing about the House of Stormz but the ad for their Saturday show called "Trilogy" looks intriguing, although the theme this Saturday is a bit too freaky earth-woman for me:  Drum Warriors, Herstories Project and Amorpheous 1. BUT next time, May 24, includes a fire dancing burlesque show called Pyro-A-Go-Go. Now that's a hard act to beat. There's also Simone De La Ghetto doing the Harlem Shake and drag king extraordinaire AfroDisiac.  No, Simone is not DOING AfroDisiac. Syntax can be tricky sometimes.

At first I said what we want is a superhero Ninja fighter to swoop down and declare an end to crime in Oakland. Then I changed my mind after Wednesday's press conference. I think what people want is for Dellums to swoop down in a crime-fighter superhero Ninja suit and declare Oakland safe. "I will save this city!" he would bellow.  I write this because the one complaint yesterday from the restraunteurs who met with city officials and police to hash out measures for preventing robberies like the ones that happened recently was that  Dellums wasn't at the meeting.  What difference would that have made? (Yeah, I forgot to ask that question. Bad reporter!) Maybe instead of a superhero mayor, we would settle for a mayor who is in town often enough to be on the streets, showing his face. I am no big fan of Jerry Brown (or his crew of hoodlums and crooks), but he made people feel like someone was steering the ship, even if they objected to the direction. Brown was very very visible and ran his mouth a lot. Dellums' policy is the opposite. It ain't working out too well.
Personally, to get back to p.m. issues, I think the reaction could have been a little less hyper reactive. But City Hall was reacting to perceptions of Oakland being a dangerous city and the mayor being a do-nothing leader. Not that the takeovers weren't serious and scary and traumatic (they made me think twice, in a gut reaction, about my nocturnal activities). BUT, Read the rest of this entry »

I should have known it. But I just didn't expect it, although Oakland is no stranger to racist maniacs like the guy who raged at me the othe night because I would not print that Dellums is — in his words — a rotten, dirty n—–.  (I don't even know if one capitalizes the n-word. It's not exactly in the AP Stylebook.)  I was on a mission at B Restaurant to find a patron to bother with one of those necessary but annoying questions: Did the string of recent robberies make you think twice about coming out at night to dine? (BTW, one guy caught Friday and OPD looking for the other two geniuses.) I thought I had hit paydirt because he had great quotes etc until he starts talking about what he really thought. Read the rest of this entry »

It's time for the 2008 Oakland Indie Awards:
Oakland Unwrapped is hosting the second annual Oakland Indie Awards on May 2nd

When: May 2, 2008
5:30 - 8:00pm
Awards Party, Oakland Food & Drink Tasting
(Wine, chocolate, yummy hors d'oeuvres, and so much more — all from Oakland!)

8:00 - 11:00pm
Afterparty - Live Music and Cash Bar

Where:Historic Sweets Ballroom
1933 Broadway Downtown Oakland BART & AC Transit Accessible

for more info click HERE

News from the Speakeasy Theaters: Don't bother looking for the schedules of the Parkway or Cerrito in the Chron or East Bay Express 'cause you won't find anything. The Speakeasy folks are sticking to their newsletter and hotline.
I don't know about this...how many times have you grabbed a paper to look up show times? And are we supposed to have the telephone number for the hotline in our address book? No, I'm not schilling for the papers. This is serious business.
Anyway, while we're on the subject, here's some special events at the Parkway, 1834 Park Blvd:
SUNDAY SALON: THE LEGACY: MURDER, MEDIA, POLITICS AND PRISONS — 2 p.m. April 13 (free).
Then at 8 p.m.  CINEMASPORTS, the "Iron Chef" of indie filmmaking, makes its Parkway debut ($7).  The cinematic athletes will be at the City Hall plaza (12th and Broadway–oh so BARTable) at 10 a.m. that morning to kick things off.
Lastly, a benefit for Hand to Hand: FIGHT CLUB – 9:15 p.m. April 15 ($8).

"Hollywood Chinese" showing daily April 11-17 at the Grand Lake Theater. Q&A with the director — triple Sundance winner and Oscar nominee Arthur Dong (Forbidden City, U.S.A., Licensed to Kill, Coming Out Under Fire.) — April 12 at 7:15 pm.
"Hollywood Chinese," takes a second look at Chinese American films and tells the story of "The Curse of Quon Gwon," the recently discovered 1917 film that was shot and produced in Oakland by local residents in 1916-17. It is the earliest known Chinese American feature film and one of the few silent films directed by a woman.
April 12 has been proclaimed "The Curse of Quon Gwon Day" by the Mayor's Office of Oakland to honor the historic 1917 film. The proclamation will be presented to surviving family members of the original filmmakers who will be in attendance at the Grand Lake Theater, April 12, at the 7:15 pm screening.
The film features a virtual who’s who of top Chinese and Chinese American film artists, including Ang Lee, Joan Chen, Wayne Wang, Nancy Kwan, James Hong, Lisa Lu, B.D. Wong, and writers Amy Tan and David Henry Hwang.
The Grand Lake Theater is located at 3200 Grand Avenue.
For more information on Hollywood Chinese, visit www.hollywoodchinese.com.
Questions? Call the Oakland Film Office at 510-238-4734 or email at filmoakland@filmoakland.com.

...is this weekend. Buy your tix now to see the Sac City Rollers square off against the Bay Area Derby Girls for the first ever Saturday and Sunday in Davis. The stakes: The title of California champion. 
Participating leagues include the Sac City Rollers, Bay Area Derby Girls, Sacred City Derby Girls , Angel City Derby Girls, Bakersfield Rollergirls, Central Coast Roller Derby, Orange County Derby Girls and the Port City Roller Girls. Leagues were chosen based on their Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA.org) status and include sanctioned and non-sanctioned leagues. What's not to love about gals who call themselves names like "Taxi Scab"? This is an all ages event and tickets are available for $15 (full day) and $25 (weekend).
The tournament schedule: Saturday — Opening ceremony begins 12:45 p.m.
Round Robin Play: 1 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Sunday — Semi Finals: 9 a.m.- 2:30 p.m.
The championship: 3 p.m.–4:30 p.m.
Awards Ceremony to follow. Visit www.thebigoneca.com for a complete schedule and all the details.