Freebie of the week: The drive to erect a permanent pavilion at San Jose’s St. James Park is marching along, delivering a lot of cool free music along the way. The nonprofit group Friends of Levitt Pavilion has been striving since 2016 to erect a pavilion which would serve as the centerpiece of a year-round series of 40-50 free concerts featuring local and touring rock, roots, soul, jazz and blues musicians. Partly to generate corporate sponsorships and partly to illustrate how the final site would be, the annual Friends of Levitt Pavilion concert series draws 10-12 free shows a year to the park, located at Second and St. James streets in the city’s east side. The next show on Sunday afternoon serves up a righteous taste of East L.A. soul and funk. It’s the Altons, a band that’s part of the ever-growing SoCal “souldies” sound. Thanks to the addictive vocals of band members Adriana Flores and Bryan Ponce, the Altons were designated one of the flagship bands for roots label Daptone Records’ new soul spinoff, Penrose Records. The band, which developed its sound and generated a following playing clubs in Los Angeles, has gravitated to gigs at Austin City Limits and regional festivals. On Sunday, it plays St. James in a show that runs 4:30 to 8 p.m. with Andre Cruz and the Black Diamond Rhythm Band opening. It’s a family-friendly show; concertgoers are invited to bring blankets and picnic meals. Future shows include Kev Choice Ensemble on July 26; and the popular Prince tribute band The Purple Ones on Aug. 16. Go to www.levittsanjose.org for more information.
The Breaks—L-R, Robert Walter, Stanton Moore and Eddie Roberts — perform July 2 at Siesta Valley Bowl in Orinda. (The Breaks)
The hills are alive again: Anyone who attended a performance by California Shakespeare Theater Company knows what a magical place Bruns Amphitheatre is. It didn’t hurt that the troupe routinely produced topnotch shows by Shakespeare and others. But a big part of the allure was sitting out under the stars in the Orinda hills with scores of other theater fans and … slowly freezing to death. (Yes, the chilly nights there just added to the robust adventure). When Cal Shakes closed, many wondered what would happen to the venue, which, even without a resident stage company, has much to offer: a stage, seating, a concession stand and parking availability, lovely environs as well as a BART station close by. Fortunately, the answer is at hand. Bruns Amphitheatre has reopened as the Siesta Valley Bowl (yes, it sounds like a college football championship game), a concert venue with several shows booked for the summer and beyond. On Thursday night, a double bill of jazz/fusion acts takes the stage. The headliners are The Breaks, a jazz/funk/roots super-trio of sorts featuring Galactic drummer Stanton Moore, Greyboy Allstars organist Robert Walter and New Mastersounds guitarist Eddie Roberts. Opening is the famed jazz/fusion band The Headhunters, which was founded by Herbie Hancock for his 1973 recording “Head Hunters.” The album remains an undeniable classic in the genre, with its opening track “Chameleon” kicking off with one of the best-known and loved bass/synthesizer riffs in history. Hancock is no longer in the mix, but some original members remain. The music starts at 8 p.m.; tickets are $62.90-$104.15, go to www.siestavalleybowl.com. Upcoming shows at the venue include Dakhabrakha (July 23), Stanley Clarke (July 25), Jake Shimabukuro (Aug. 7), and Rebirth Brass Band and Soul Rebels (Aug. 8).
Imbibing with the Bard: The fate of practically every character in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” is pretty tragic, but the action might not seem so bad for those watching the action unfold in the environs of a lovely vineyard with a glass of chardonnay in hand. Livermore’s SPARC (Shakespeare & Performing Arts Regional Company) opens its run of the Bard’s most famous play at Darcie Kent Vineyards Thursday, where it will run Fridays through Sundays through July 26, with no July 4 performance. Starring in the title role is Andre Amarotico, a Stanford-trained thespian who is the board president of the San Francisco Mime Troupe. Anjoli Aguilar portrays his heart’s desire, the ill-fated Ophelia; and Lauren Dunagan, making her SPARC debut, is his mother Gertrude, married to her dead husband’s brother Claudius (Rob Seitelman), much to Hamlet’s chagrin. Happy hour begins on the grounds at 6 p.m.; patrons may want to bring a basket for a preperformance picnic. Wine will be available for sale. Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. at 7000 Tesla Road in Livermore. Find tickets, $11.25-$81.25, at sparctheater.org.
Music plus spectacle: The San Francisco Symphony’s annual Fourth of July blowout concert at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View might have a special appeal this year for a certain age group. The theme for Saturday night’s event is “Summer of 1969: The Soundtrack of a Generation.” Conductor and theater director Ted Sperling, a regular on Broadway, leads the orchestra and three soloists through a program to be announced from the stage that will adhere to the advertised theme. Vocalists are Morgan James, a Broadway veteran whose five studio albums include covers of Joni Mitchell’s “Blue” and the “White Album” from the Beatles; Bryonha Marie, another Broadway regular making her San Francisco Symphony debut; and Noah J. Ricketts, an actor and singer known for originating roles like Disney’s “Frozen” (Prince Kristoff) and appearing on Broadway in “Beautiful: the Carole King Musical.” The concert, which starts at 7 p.m., will be followed by a fireworks display. Tickets range from $33-$123.75; they are available from Livenation.com or through sfsymphony.org.
From fashion to funny business: One doesn’t often hear about a fashion model becoming a comedian (or vice versa). But Mario Adrion has done it, and will no doubt talk about it when he performs at San Jose Improv this weekend. Adrion, who was born in Germany’s Black Forest region, moved to the U.S. when he was 18 and got into modeling after someone saw a picture of him on Facebook. He wasn’t starved for work, landing gigs with Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Gucci and Banana Republic, among others, while appearing in pages in major fashion magazines and on the runways during New York and Milan fashion weeks. Finding fashion a brutal business (Adrion has said he was subjected to frequent taunts and harassment and was sexually assaulted during a modeling assignment), he moved to Los Angeles, where he started making comedy videos, performing at open mics and lining up gigs at local comedy clubs. He had a memorable tryout for “American Idol” that included him and judge Katy Perry staging a model walk competition. (It’s on YouTube). Not lacking confidence, Adrion has embarked on a Superior Comedy Tour which lands at San Jose Improv for performances at 8 p.m. Thursday and 7:30 p.m. Friday. Tickets are $37.17-$107.73; go to improv.com/sanjose.