Oakland Magazine Blog - August 2007

August 29, 2007

Art and Soul

This Labor Day weekend, Sept. 1–3, downtown rocks with streets full of music, art, food and dance as the Art & Soul Festival makes its seventh annual appearance. Triple Grammy award–winner Lucinda Williams plays her signature mix of rock, folk and country music. Several stages feature rock, jazz, blues, Latin, alternative, R&B and more; new to the festival this year are the LGBT Artists stage and the Momapalooza stage, which presents rocker moms, such as Housewives on Prozac, from all over the country. But what would an Oakland music festival be without... Read more »

Posted on Wednesday, August 29, 2007 in Music & Entertainment | Permalink | Comments (1)

August 28, 2007

Summer Sounds

Enjoy a free outdoor concert tomorrow afternoon in downtown Oakland. Tomorrow dance to the West Coast swing of Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers on your lunch break, noon-1 p.m. The show is the last in the Oakland City Center's Summer Sounds 2007 concert series that ran every Wednesday through the summer. Shows are at 13th Street and Broadway near the 12th Street BART station. Parking is available in the City Center garage, 11th Street between Broadway and Clay Street. (510) 628-8490.

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Posted on Tuesday, August 28, 2007 in Music & Entertainment | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 27, 2007

Peralta Reopens

For parents and students of Peralta Elementary School today will mark more than a return from summer vacation, it will be a fresh start. The school officially reopens today, the Oakland Tribune reported Friday. On the morning of March 27, hours after their school was burned by an arsonist, a crew of teachers and students stood outside the school at 460 63rd St. After the initial shock of wondering who could do such a thing, the group started making plans to rebuild and haven't rested since. Political pressure from the savvy parents, as well as funds from the fundraising campaign, Peralta Rising, helped the school reopen so quickly. Construction and... Read more »

Posted on Monday, August 27, 2007 in General | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 24, 2007

Radio Regatta

Come to the 2nd annual Lake Merritt Radio Regatta this Sunday from 2 p.m.-7 p.m.

Chill lakeside with the Oaklandish group for this special summer event and live FM Micro-broadcast featuring DJ'S Kitty, Spinnerty, Marmar and Bobby Peru. Tune-in to the stereo transmission while out upon the waters (BYO RADIO: Tune in to 93.7 FM between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.).

Half off all boat rentals! Including sailboats, rowboats, kayaks, paddleboats and canoes. Free pontoon tours and gondola service! (between 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., sign-up begins at 2 p.m.) provided by Gondola Servicio.
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Posted on Friday, August 24, 2007 in Music & Entertainment | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 23, 2007

Three Great Shows

If you love live music, tonight is the night. Three great shows can be heard just blocks apart in downtown Oakland. The always fun punk/pop music of Maldroid (a featured Oakland Magazine Local Sounds band) is featured at the Stork Club while Loop!Station plays its last show at Cafe Van Kleef and David Slusser's Rubber City celebrates the release of Trouble in Tiretown at 21 Grand. Stork Club, $5, 2330 Telegraph Ave., (510)... Read more »

Posted on Thursday, August 23, 2007 in Music & Entertainment | Permalink | Comments (1)

August 22, 2007

Fruitvale Cleanup

In an effort to support merchants and community groups with an infusion of focused city services the City of Oakland kicks off a community clean-up operation in the Fruitvale Merchant Area tomorrow starting at 9 a.m. Community volunteers and City staff will work the area on Thursday to increase public safety and improve the quality of life along International Boulevard between Fruitvale Avenue and High Street. The operation will reduce drug and gang-related violence and prostitution, improve the commercial corridor and increase community participation.
 
 “In a limited-dollar environment, we must coordinate, collaborate and cooperate to get the job done. This multi-agency, geographic approach is a great way for the City to partner with the residents of... Read more »

Posted on Wednesday, August 22, 2007 in General | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 21, 2007

Wayans End Development Talks

A new state of the art film production studio and arts and retail center will not be built on a former Army base in West Oakland, the Oakland Tribune reported Friday. According to city officials, The Wayans Brothers development team pulled out of negotiations with the city leaving the future of the base in question. The decision by the Wayans Brothers-Pacifica Capital Urban Development Partnership came two weeks after signing an exclusive negotiating agreement to bring the state of the art film production studio, creative business park, retail village, children's educational fun zone, digital arts center and a luxury hotel to the former... Read more »

Posted on Tuesday, August 21, 2007 in General | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 20, 2007

Handyman Denies Involvement

The Your Black Muslim Bakery handyman, who police said confessed to the killing of Oakland Post Editor Chauncey Bailey, once again denied, through his attorney, that he was the one who gunned down the journalist, the Oakland Tribune reported Thursday. Instead, Devaughndre Broussard claims he was told by a "high-ranking person from the bakery" to take the fall for the slaying and make up a story about how he did it, Broussard's attorney said. According to the attorney, that order came in the presence of police detectives who brought the high-ranking bakery member into the interview room with Broussard. Police confirmed Thursday that... Read more »

Posted on Monday, August 20, 2007 in General | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 17, 2007

Spin the Bottle

What do you get when you take twelve local songwriters from diverse genres and randomly assign each one to cover a song by one of the others? You not only get a one-of-a-kind night of great music sure to be a feast for your ears, but you get to help raise money to support a very worthy cause, as all proceeds from this event will benefit the Women's Cancer Resource Center.

Local songwriters Spin the Bottle to raise funds for Breast Cancer research, with a night of original music at the Starry Plough tomorrow night. The night's festivities will include music ranging in style from pop to twang, soul to experimental, and a little bit of various styles in... Read more »

Posted on Friday, August 17, 2007 in Music & Entertainment | Permalink | Comments (1)

August 16, 2007

Lunchtime Concert

Enjoy a free concert tomorrow at noon at the Kaiser Rooftop Gardens. The gardens are at 300 Lakeside Drive. Tomorrow, enjoy the smooth jazz and blues vocals of Bay Area–based Nicolas Bearde. Bearde has been compared to vocal icons such as Lou Rawls, Marvin Gaye, Donny Hathaway and Jon Lucien. This is the last concert of the series, so get out there and enjoy the show.

Posted on Thursday, August 16, 2007 in Music & Entertainment | Permalink | Comments (0)