Few new festivals have landed as cleanly at the intersection of music, Bay lifestyle and culture as Sleeping on Gems, debuting Sept. 14 at San Jose’s Discovery Meadow, with Bay Area-born rapper Larry June at the helm.

June—Larry Eugene Hendricks III—has built a reputation on more than just laid-back flows and catchy hooks. The self-made artist’s “organic” ethos has turned him into a cultural figure who blends music, wellness and entrepreneurial savvy into a distinct lifestyle brand. For Bay Area fans, seeing him close out the summer as the first-ever headliner for Sleeping on Gems’ debut event feels like a full-circle moment. Good job, Larry.

Raised in San Francisco’s Bayview–Hunters Point neighborhood, and seasoned by time spent in Atlanta, June’s sound reflects both a West Coast ease and Southern bounce. The rapper started his career out the grassroots way: burning and distributing CDs with his music around Vallejo and across the Bay Area, getting them into Rasputin Music in Berkeley in the early 2000s.

A major-label stint with Warner in 2014 put him on the road with rap peers Post Malone and Smokepurpp, but independence proved to be his true lane. After being released by the label, June saw even more success as an independent artist, going on to release a long string of well-received solo and collaborative projects, including Very Peaceful (2018), Orange Print (2021), Spaceships on the Blade (2022) and The Great Escape (2023), which have earned him a devoted fan base.

Over the last decade, the “Organic” headliner has built a career in his hometown of San Francisco, and across the Bay Area, carving out a niche on his own and with like-minded collaborators like Cardo (Cardo Got Wings), and 2 Chainz and The Alchemist as heard on their latest joint LP, Life is Beautiful—further honing a new subgenre in rap/hiphop that prioritizes laid-back flows, and lyrics that salute financial independence, and toast wellness and self-empowerment. Cuts like “Smoothies in 1991” (2019) and “Private Valet” (2022) offer messages of advice on living smart and stress-free. But June’s “organic” approach extends well beyond his bars. 

From his social media presence to his orange-emblazoned merch, June has mastered the art of turning authenticity into influence by championing a philosophy in his music and artistry that emphasizes health and entrepreneurial savvy. In the words of Jay-Z, he’s “not a businessman, he’s a business, man.” Which makes him an ideal anchor for Sleeping on Gems’ debut event—a festival operating with the same ethos: independent, carefully curated and proudly in the know.

Launched first as a music page on Instagram, Sleeping on Gems has amassed 1.4 million followers by spotlighting underground artists, new releases, and exclusive interviews and performances. The move into live events is the brand’s way of taking that curatorial eye off the feed, and onto a stage. Their first-ever festival lineup reads like a carefully plotted playlist full of gems: Pop-R&B starlet Thủy, acclaimed producer Sango, tastemaker DJ Lex, and Montreal wordsmith Lou Phelps, plus Bay-rooted crew Cuffin and DJs Kat Jabba, markmark, RCADE and Zuri Alexa.

The curation is intentional, and the festival’s vibe has a throughline of connectivity—these are all artists who cross scenes, who know how to set a tone, and can easily slip from laid-back to high-energy, without losing the crowd. And it’s the same philosophy that has made Sleeping on Gems a must-follow online: no filler, just gems.

For San Jose, the timing feels right. Discovery Meadow has quietly become one of downtown’s most popular venues for open-air concerts, and Sleeping on Gems’ arrival signals a growing stake in the Bay’s wider music ecosystem. In a region where shows come and go, the festival lands with a particular kind of clarity and feels rooted—in both community, and cultural intent.

The event is widely an extension of June’s brand: music that motivates and moves, the portrayal of a healthy and energizing lifestyle (hello, Specialized bike rides and organic oranges), and connectivity. For longtime fans of June, the festival is an opportunity to see him in a new context—headlining an event that’s beautifully backlit by nature and in a joyous, open outdoor environment that matches his “organic” energy and healthy lifestyle that’s synonymous with the artist after years of cultivation. And for newcomers, it’s an introduction to both his catalog and the Sleeping on Gems brand, one that takes pride in putting you on to gems across the music landscape.

But whether you’re a longtime Larry June listener or simply a fan of the Bay Area hip-hop and rap scene, Sleeping on Gems’ debut festival is a community moment, and maybe the start of something bigger. For June, it’s another chapter in a decade-long climb built on resilience, independence, and his ability to bottle Bay Area cool. For Sleeping on Gems, the festival is a chance to prove they’re more than a music page: they can create real-world moments, not just document them. 

Sleeping on Gems takes place 2–9pm on Sept 14 at Discovery Meadow in downtown San Jose. Tickets on eventbrite.com.

Known for her rapid-fire bilingual flow and sharp wit, Snow tha Product takes the mainstage Saturday night at Plaza de César Chávez for Silicon Valley Pride’s 50th anniversary celebration.

The choice to make the queer Mexican-American rapper the headlining act Saturday was an easy one, Nicole Denson says: “Everything that Snow stands for, her music, her life, really speaks to our mission of Silicon Valley Pride.”

This year’s theme for Pride is “Unstoppable”—a word Snow says couldn’t fit more perfectly.

“For a long time I think I held myself back because I thought I needed validation, needed accolades, needed a manager, or a label. Now I am in a place where I know I don’t need this kind of support. I’m showing up and I’m coming as my full, true self. I know my ‘why’ and for who I do it for, and that to me is what makes you unstoppable,” she says. “The power that you take back when you finally stop coming from this place of ‘I need,’ and start showing up as your real self, that is what it’s about.”

The rapper has been outspoken on social media and in her music about issues like immigration rights and gender equality since the beginning of her career in the early aughts of the 2000’s. She saw immediate success after the release of several mixtapes and began touring internationally. In 2012, she signed to Atlantic Records following acclaim for her independently released debut album, Unorthodox, and the rest is history.

Breaking through in a predominantly male-dominated space as a woman is challenging enough but also being queer brings double the challenge. Through it all, Snow has continued to develop her artistry and carve her own path as a talented digital creator, entrepreneur and woman emcee.

After establishing herself as an independent artist once more in 2018, she continued to see success with her music and branching out into the digital entertainment space with livestreaming and podcasting. Most recently, in 2021, Snow received her first Latin GRAMMY Award nomination for Best Rap/Hip-Hop Song for a collaborative project with Argentinian producer Bizarrap.

Despite seeing continued success as a trailblazing rapper, being Latina and queer in the music industry has “unfortunately held me back in a lot of places,” she says. “But I think it speaks a lot to my character that I still showed up as myself.”

“I don’t think that a queer Latina is going to get as much support as most artists you know. Unless your queerness is packaged somehow for the male gaze, people still don’t accept it within the Latino community,” Snow says. “They’d rather see a straight woman kiss another straight woman and go back to her boyfriend on stage for shock value and get all the headlines than to actually support real queer women.”

“We’re the ones that get harassed on the street, we’re the ones that get blackballed, or ignored in our families and sometimes straight people get to just cosplay, and then go back to their life.”

The rapper says what motivates her is the next generation—and the hope that they’ll continue to carry the torch forward by showing up as themselves and representing the LGBTQ community in all spaces.

“And maybe they’ll take the next generation even further because they saw themselves represented, because they saw that it was possible.”

Snow’s discography, a blend of Spanish and English lyrics intertwined with quick, clever quips performed with an inimitable charm and cadence, is expansive. Many of her songs feel personal and they’re as relatable as they are intergenerational. And her journey to being the confident, queer Latina rapper she is lauded as today is a story many queer people can resonate with.

“My mom is one of nine, my dad is one of nine. I wish I could say I have more family that is very supportive, but…” she shares. “It doesn’t affect me any more. At this point in my life, I live in a small bubble. I’ve been OK with living my life without those that don’t necessarily support me; we don’t see each other. No love lost.”

The artist says she had to “carve out the people in my family that supported me, and love them,” and the people that didn’t, she carved herself out of their lives.

“Life is a journey, and it’s about finding the people who are going to take that ride with you. You create your own family as you go. I’ve got my people,” she says, smiling.

The independent artist has built a fiercely loyal fanbase despite a major label’s backing for years, which is a rarity in the music space. “We have the sauce, and we know the fans love what we’re doing,” she says.

Her performance for SV Pride will be a special one—San Jose is a place she calls home, and Plaza de César Chávez’s main stage is a space where years of activism, artistry and identity will converge in front of her many fans, friends and communities.

“Every time any of my communities ask me to represent, I show up. San Jose is my roots,” she says. “When my parents migrated to the United States, that’s where everyone was—San Jose, the Bay Area. We still come back to visit Chuck E. Cheese and it’s so cozy. That’s where some of my happiest memories were.”

Snow joins an iconic roster of past Pride performers, including RuPaul (1998), Cyndi Lauper (2000), and Robin S (2023). Her mainstage performance Saturday evening will be an opportunity to set the tone for a weekend where music, activism and unapologetic self-expression all intersect in the ultimate annual celebration of joy, and of responsibility.

A full week of Pride-themed events—listed online and on SV Pride’s Instagram with partners tagged—leads up to the main weekend. The celebration kicks off on Aug. 30, with the Night Festival from 6 to 11pm, featuring Watsonville wordsmith DannyV and headliner Snow tha Product.

On Sunday, the annual SV Pride Parade steps off at 10:30am, starting at Julian and Market streets and culminating at Plaza de César Chávez. The festivities continue with the Day Festival at noon, bringing entertainment, food, family-friendly activities, and a performance by newly crowned RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 17 winner Onya Nurve.

General admission is $45.59 on Saturday and $14.51 on Sunday. For more details, visit svpride.com.

Fifty years after its first march in San Jose, Silicon Valley Pride is still defined by the people daring to show up—who refuse to let the party, or the politics, fade into the background, and the community go unseen. People like Nicole Denson, CEO of SV Pride.

“I came out when I was 17 years old,” says Denson, who has “made it a point to attend San Francisco Pride and also San Jose, now Silicon Valley Pride, every year.”

The activist says attending year after year shaped her connection to the LGBTQ+ community. “I always felt it was important, even to this day. I no longer go to San Francisco on Sunday for the parade, but I remember starting with SV Pride in 2017 and that was a whole other level of the community bond that I have since developed and cherished.”

Denson had attended the first Women’s March in San Jose in 2016, after President Donald Trump won the presidency the first time. “It was right after the election had just happened, and I was in a desperate state to do something, to be heard,” she says. “There had to be some action because of the state that we were all in, as a country.”

After a recommendation from her brother Timothy, she connected with then SV Pride CEO Thaddeus Campbell, who had revived the event and was searching for a new board of directors for the nonprofit that was “coming back from a few depleted years when [Thaddeus] took over.”

The activists met at the Billy de Frank Center on a rainy evening, and he simply asked her what she’d like to help with. “He was like ‘What would you like to do? We have operations, marketing…’ And I thought, well, I work for the City of San Jose and I could help with permitting. ‘How about the chief operations officer role?’ And unbeknownst to me, it was one of the hardest roles in the organization,” she says, smiling. “It was the first year we brought the event back to Plaza de Cesar Chavez, which has been its home ever since.”

Over the years, SV Pride has shifted names, venues, and scope alongside the community it represents. The very first Pride event in San Jose was organized in 1975 by San Jose State University’s Gay Student Union across its campus, and a year later it moved to St. James Park as the Gay Freedom Rally and Dance. Among the roughly 300 attendees was Harvey Milk, who returned as a speaker in 1978.

By 1981, the celebration relocated to what’s now Plaza de César Chávez, then called City Plaza, and in 1983 took on the name Gay Pride Celebration. Just two years later it returned to St. James Park, where, according to QueerSiliconValley.org, about 5,000 people turned out—joined by a growing number of local LGBTQ+ businesses and organizations.

Throughout the ’80s and ’90s the event kept moving: from SJSU’s athletic fields on 10th and Alma, to the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, to Stockton Avenue in the early ’90s, and in 1995 to Discovery Meadow, where attendance hit a then record high of 12,000 attendees.

Nearly two decades later, in 2014, Pride’s organizers rebranded San Jose Pride as Silicon Valley Pride to better include the region’s wider LGBTQ+ community.

After reviving the event with a new parade and venue, and clearing the debt that had burdened the organization in previous years, Thaddeus Campbell guided Pride’s return to its longtime home at Plaza de César Chávez.

In 2018, recognizing that Pride events often skew heavily male, the organization launched HEY GIRL!, a queer women–focused subcommittee under the SV Pride umbrella, co-founded by Denson and Liz Asborno.

“That first year I joined was a successful year. Since then, Silicon Valley Pride, under Thaddeus’ leadership and my own, cheering on his vision and mission, we’ve seen growth. The event has quadrupled in attendance, things are operating on budget, and we’re still growing and that’s in large part due to his vision.”

Chief Strategic Partnership Officer Saldy Suriben started with SV Pride in 2014 as chief marketing officer. “I had volunteered for other LGBTQ+ organizations such as GLADD and the Billy De Frank Center, but I felt like I wanted to give more back and enhance my skillset.”

With a background in event planning and a degree in marketing from San Jose State, Suriben says he was keen to get involved. “SV Pride, at that time, was the perfect organization to get involved with. Throughout the years, I’ve learned a lot, helping [Pride] with sponsorships and donations, so I was able to enhance my skillset after all, in addition to the marketing and planning,” he says. “Without being boastful, I do believe my contributions have helped make a difference in what SV Pride is today.”

On Aug. 21, Suriben was recognized for his advocacy work and commitment to supporting LGBTQ+ community organizations by Assemblymember Ash Kalra on behalf of the 25th Assembly District.

It’s thanks to contributions from individuals like Suriben and Denson that SV Pride has grown into a collaborative, well-attended celebration. Now, it not only provides guidance and support to the LGBTQ+ community but also advocates for their rights, sponsors year-round events, and awards $30,000 annually in scholarships to LGBTQ+ youth through the Thaddeus Orlando Campbell Scholarship Fund.

When Campbell passed away in 2019, Denson became interim CEO and then took over officially in 2021. Denson, reflecting on his influence and his work, says she still carries Campbell in her leadership today. “I always ask myself, what would Thaddeus do? When he took over the organization it was San Jose Pride. He had a vision to make a more high-tech festival and he also saw the need to diversify what SV Pride entailed—and not only in the landscape, which included all of the South Bay.”

Historically, Prides around the country have leaned toward white cis-gender gay males, Denson says. Under Thaddeus’ leadership, Pride brought on its first Chief Diversity Officer Sera Fernando, now Santa Clara County’s manager of the Office of LGBTQ Affairs.

“We became more intentional with our programming. We came up with a Trans and Friends rally that first year, and HEY GIRL!, a collaborative subcommittee of SV Pride,” Denson says. The organization produces and promotes events that are geared toward “queer women and femme identified individuals across the entire LGBTQ+ spectrum, including our gender-non-conforming siblings,” she says.

HEY GIRL! has grown over the years, and it always has a “large stake hold” at Pride. “The subcommittee was a largely part of Campbell’s vision,” Denson says, and the team continues to move his vision forward every year, welcoming new advocacy group partners and sponsors that align with the organization’s mission and vision.

“He was my friend, my mentor, and somebody that I look to make proud each year. We try to make a festival that he would enjoy and be proud to be a part of,” she adds.

Now at the 50-year mark, Denson reflects, carrying Pride’s legacy forward is something she sees as a necessity.

“With the state we’re in, much like in 2016, but worse, I think that we’ve been set back 50 years. The true meaning and need for Pride is alive now more than ever. Pride was not started to be a party in the streets. It started from a need to be seen, to be heard, to be visible, to have a right to live. Right now, our rights are being stripped away from our community, and all other marginalized communities in this country. The need for Pride, the true definition, and the root of what it’s for, is more important now than ever.”

Moving forward, Suriben hopes SV Pride remains as fabulous and exciting as it continues to grow. “We want people to be their authentic self,” he says. “We’re here for you, as a community, for whatever you need, to be out and proud.”

Denson says she wants this year’s attendees to come and take away a sense of pride, but really, a feeling of belonging and a sense of boldness, and responsibility. “This is a community that will open its arms to you, as an individual. You are safe here, and you belong here. We were unstoppable in 1975, and we’re still unstoppable no matter how much they’re trying to put a hold on us.”

Pride’s intersectionality touches everyone, Denson says. “We would be remiss to ignore the plights of other marginalized groups—we see ICE, we see the murder of our black and brown brothers and sisters, we see the gender rights being stripped away from our siblings with female genitalia. We see all of this happening and not only does it affect those individual communities, but it also impacts the queer community because we are a part of it.”

“But here in Silicon Valley, California, here on the West Coast, we have the privilege of living somewhere where we are protected by the laws that govern us. … Not everybody has that privilege,” she says. “I don’t find privilege to be some comfy place where somebody should reside; I find privilege to be a responsibility. I want people from Pride to take away the responsibility to uplift those that aren’t able to uplift themselves.”

If you ask Gene Guglielmo, everyone’s got “a little Italian” in them, whether they know it or not. And those who happen to find themselves at the Italian Family Festa this weekend just might believe that’s true.

“Our involvement with the Festa goes back many years,” says Guglielmo, whose family winery in Morgan Hill has been a longtime sponsor of the San Jose tradition. “I don’t even remember how many at this point.”

Hosted for decades by the Italian American Heritage Foundation, the San Jose tradition will celebrate its 43rd year. This year’s iteration also marks a major milestone: the foundation’s 50th anniversary.

While the Festa has grown and evolved over the years, one thing that’s remained a crowd favorite is the grape stomp—a tradition the Guglielmo family helped pioneer. “We had a wine festival years before [Italian Family Festa], and at our Harvest Festival, we would do the grape stomp. It was a riot,” Guglielmo says with a laugh. “People would get into it.” Guglielmo Winery still carries on the tradition at its own Harvest Festival, coming up on Aug. 16.

And the same grape-stomping tradition continues at the annual Italian Family Festa, to be held on July 26–27, at History Park in San Jose.

Six public stomps are scheduled across the two-day event, and the celebrity stomp, happening Sunday afternoon, will once again pit local mayors against each other.

Never seen a grape stomp before? Here’s how it works, according to Guglielmo: “First, you’ve got your stomper that’s gonna get up in the barrel and stomp those grapes.” And there are the “pokers,” who wield a stick to keep the pipe clear of grapes so juice can get into the jar. Whoever fills their jar the fastest, typically within 45 seconds to a minute, wins.

“It may not sound too long,” Gene laughs, “but when you’re stomping grapes, that’s a long time.”

Of course, not everyone wants to stomp the grapes—some prefer to sip them. And this year’s Wine Garden will feature pours from several regional wineries, including Morgan Hill neighbors Guglielmo and Fortino, Soquel’s Bargetto Winery, Rosa D’Oro from Kelseyville, D’Argenzio Winery from Santa Rosa, and Orzo from Healdsburg.

“Traditionally, wine is part of any Italian celebration,” Guglielmo says. “This is just another way to celebrate our culture and bring people together.”

And that’s the spirit of the Festa: two days of Italian food, music, games and community, gathering in il parco to celebrate culture.

The Roma Stage will feature live performances throughout each day, with genres ranging from opera to jazz. Over at the Culinary Pavilion, festivalgoers can catch pizza tossing and cooking demonstrations.

Kids can get into plenty of hands-on fun with crafts, face painting and swordplay at the dedicated Kids Zone. “The Festa has something for everyone,” says Guglielmo. “It’s very kid-friendly, and there’s plenty of shade, which is important for a festival that takes place in July.”

The event also includes bocce courts, a Roman Encampment (yes, costumes are encouraged), and appearances by the San Jose Sharks.

“There’s so much Italian history in this area,” Guglielmo says. “The Festa is a way to get together and celebrate all of the contributions the Italians have made to not just Santa Clara Valley, but the country.”

For Guglielmo, it’s also about passing those traditions on. “It’s a blend of the older and younger generations,” he says. “And it’s important because sometimes we forget about our heritage and where we came from. This is a way to celebrate that, and have a lot of fun too.”

Italian Family Festa takes place July 26, 11am-7pm, and July 27, 11am-5pm, at History Park, 1650 Senter Road, San Jose. italianfamilyfestasj.org

“Before Atomic, I certainly wasn’t throwing weekly parties,” DJ Basura says, laughing.

Also known as Michael Boado—general manager at San Jose’s Needle to the Groove Records—he has been spinning and slinging records since the early ’90s. His lifelong love and appreciation for records and music led him to pursue it more seriously around 1993, he says.

“Back then, it was a different scene. There was no Serato. DJs played records out. That was what you had to work with, records or CDs,” says DJ Basura. “And when I turned 21, I started looking for gigs. I played a few parties, a few nights at a place called Johnny V’s, and then eventually Waves Saloon.”

Dive bars like Johnny V’s (formerly on East Santa Clara Street) and venues like Waves (since replaced by Splash on Post Street) gave young DJs like Boado the space to experiment, hone their craft, and build a name.

“There was one specific night at Waves,” Boado recalls. “Jeff Jagged [Jeff Evans] of On the Corner Music, Lori [DJ Fuschia, Lori Braithwaite] and I would play upstairs, lots of electro and electroclash.”

The core group of patrons that frequented that specific dance party at Waves, Boado says, became regulars at the Blank Club on 44 S. Almaden Ave., where Boado was given his first consistent DJ residency.

“They were like, ‘Dude we love what you’re playing, how you’re mixing, it’s awesome,’ and so when I got this residency at the Blank Club, they were stoked,” says Boado. “I’m closer to them all now, and these folks are all regulars at the Ritz now. They go to all the shows, they always show up and it’s crazy.”

Blank Space

When Corey O’Brien and punk magazine publisher Larry Trujillo bought The Blank Club in 2003, they were two locals who understood that the alt-music scene in San Jose needed a space. 

Formerly located on the southeast corner of First and San Salvador, the “intimate” club featured a small stage, no backstage area, and less-than-ideal conditions for bands to load in their gear and perform comfortably. Still, the bands had fun, and Blank’s crowds continued to grow, drawn night after night to the dimly-lit venue marked by a glowing neon “Blank” sign out front.

“Prior to [Atomic], it wasn’t on my radar. I wasn’t looking for anything,” recalls Boado. “In my collection, I had Depeche Mode and New Order records, but I wasn’t trying to do an ’80s night, per say.”

Trujillo and O’Brien—the latter now owner of The Ritz—coined the name for the weekly dance party Boado would eventually helm, inspired by Blondie’s disco-rock anthem “Atomic.”

“I was playing music from that era, all the stuff popular in the 2000s, but I was mixing in ’80s songs like (New Order’s) ‘Blue Monday’ too. (O’Brien) and Trujillo heard of me and we eventually connected,” Boado recalls. “Larry was looking for a DJ to fill in, to start a weekly (party) at the Blank Club. I came in and met up with Corey and Trujillo and he said, ‘We’re gonna try this out, ok?’ and I came on, and the rest is history.”

Boado’s residency at Blank Club was a success. Atomic drew in crowds from across San Jose’s alt-scene and more, week after week, Boado says. 

“College students, old school, barflies…it was a good mix of folks,” he adds.

And after almost 12 years of operation, the Blank Club closed on Jan. 31, 2015. Seeking to run a mid-sized club, O’Brien opened The Ritz a few months later at the corner of 1st and San Salvador streets in the SoFA District.

“The Ritz opened up a few months later and people had mixed reactions and mixed emotions about it,” Boado recalls. “Because the Ritz is such a huge place. Thursday nights were much more intimate at Blank, real small. The way it looks when it’s dark and things are getting going, it could look super packed with 50, 60 people in there. And when you take a party like that, and bring it to a place like the Ritz, you expect it to be good but it doesn’t translate. It didn’t transition well.”

The Ritz’s first few years were tough, Boadosays. “People were like, ‘Man, this place is too big. It’s not as intimate as the Blank. It doesn’t have the same vibe.’ It took us a few years to get a good rhythm going, even with live shows.”

“A lot of nights were slow, and with Atomic, we tried it,” Boado says. “But it was just not clicking.

“We were doing the same thing but it was different and our patrons were not coming. The old school punks, the barflies, they weren’t showing up. And so we put it on pause for a while.” 

Atomic Comeback

After a decade of doing weekly events, the DJ says he was feeling burnt out. “Doing a weekly for a decade? It was rough. So the pause came at the right time,” he says. “It was a good time to put the brakes on Atomic and try out new things.” 

In 2022, Atomic roared back to life with the “Comeback Party,” as a monthly event at the Ritz. “I said, ‘Let’s give it another go!’ but not as a weekly thing. That was out of the question at that point,” Boado says. “We had a good response. People were yearning for it.”

There’s been a resurgence of the dark wave genre, says the DJ. “There’s newer, modern bands that still have that old sound. Back then Atomic started as an ’80s night, with your core shit like Depeche Mode and Joy Division,” recalls Boado. “We would sprinkle in indie shit by LCD Soundsystem and Interpol to balance it out and get other people in as opposed to those who only wanted to listen to 80s music.”

Two decades in, The Cure and The Smiths still anchor Atomic’s setlist, says Boado, spun alongside ever-popular ’80s favorites including New Order’s “Bizarre Love Triangle,” Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” Q Lazzarus’ “Goodbye Horses,” and newer post-punk, darkwave, and goth acts. “All the new stuff goes well with the old,” laughs Boado.

Atomic celebrates its 20th anniversary this Saturday, July 19, at The Ritz. DJ Basura will headline the night, joined by industrial-techno DJ Plastic Disease and goth/darkwave DJ Bit.

Atomic celebrates its 20th anniversary this Saturday, July 19, at The Ritz, 400 S 1st St, San Jose. DJ Basura will headline the night, joined by industrial-techno DJ Plastic Disease and goth/darkwave DJ Bit. $13.50 general/$262.58 VIP. Visit ticketweb.com.

Language, and what it reveals about human behavior, has always fascinated linguist Adam Aleksic. “Language is a really cool proxy for human behavior,” he says. “It’s our way of capturing what reality is, and then a way of relating that to each other. It’s a mechanism for understanding who we are and what’s going on.”

The 24 year-old Harvard graduate turned content creator has amassed an audience well into the millions across TikTok, YouTube and Instagram. Known for his short but insightful educational linguistics videos, Aleksic is not new to the game. “In high school I was a Reddit influencer just for fun,” he laughs. “I wasn’t making any money, but it was an early experiment in virality and seeing what can go viral.”

Armed with a formal background in linguistics, Aleksic sifted through research papers, data, and surveys of middle schoolers and their educators to craft a new book that guides readers through the uncharted linguistic currents on social media that are changing how we communicate—online and off.

“We’re at a new inflection point, characterized by personally recommended short-form video content,” Aleksic writes in Algospeak: How Social Media Is Transforming the Future of Language. “All channels of communication—advertising, education, news, entertainment—are gravitating toward the medium by necessity, because that’s what people have been conditioned to consume.”

The ‘algospeak’ era is an opportunity of sorts, Aleksic says, for the creation of new grammatical rules, accents and dialects that are driven by the nature of virality (think: influencers using slang words and aesthetics to ascend rank on the internet) and circumventing community guidelines (yes, your kids are using “unalive” online as a euphemism for death by suicide/homicide, and it started on TikTok).

The “Etymology Nerd,” as he’s known online, explores linguistic trends in communities and fandoms across the internet and beyond in Algospeak.

From Taylor Swift fanilects and linguistic appropriation to the rise of “-core” aesthetics and personalized “recommended” feeds (spoiler: you built your “algorithm” yourself, brick by brick, as the kids say), Aleksic breaks down the whys and hows behind today’s biggest social media trends with the same sharp, balanced insight he brings to his well-researched videos.

“Every day, to do my daily videos, I sit down in a cafe for a few hours and I look at research papers,” he says. “I don’t see anyone online sourcing their sources in their videos, which is crazy to me, but I’m meticulous with that.”

“Anyone making educational content should be very deliberately treating social media through an academic lens, and make it clear where information is coming from, make clear what our credentials are, because it is hard to know what to trust online.”

With billions of users uploading more data every day than the Library of Congress could ever store, the sheer scale of language online is overwhelming for anyone, even linguists, to sift through and analyze, Aleksic says.

“I never want to make a moral judgment. I think the internet and algorithms are tools,” Aleksic says. “And like any tools, they can be used for good and bad. … I do think it’s concerning that these platforms are forcing all communication to be commodified, attention-grabbing mechanisms, but I’ve seen it used for good.”

“I don’t think language is suffering at all,” he says, “because at the end of the day, it’s a way for us to relate to each other, to feel good with one another. And that’s how we’re going to continue to use it, and always going to use it because we’re humans.”

Culturally, the author explains, there are other implications to be concerned about—including how algorithms are affecting our perceptions of reality and fragmenting our attention spans. “There is so much convincing research that that stuff is bad for us, but language is always the canary in the coal mine for culture as a whole,” he says. “I hope through this book people can also draw their own conclusions about what’s going on on a broader scale.”

Algospeak isn’t merely a byproduct of life online; it’s proof that we’re at a pivotal moment in the digital age, where language itself is bending to algorithmic pressures. As people reshape words to dodge content moderation or signal connection with their community, Algospeak highlights that these shifts reveal deeper dynamics. Paying attention to how we speak online can tell us a lot about who we are, and who’s in control.

“Culture is, at the end of the day, subjective,” Aleksic says. “But if you look at where the words are coming from, if you look at these conduits of language change, you will also see the conduits of power and of societal change as a whole.”

Adam Aleksic speaks at 6-7pm on July 18 at Kepler’s Books, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park. keplers.org

On the vibrant campus of Santa Clara University is the de Saisset Museum, a beacon of cultural exploration that offers inclusive exhibitions and educational programming that resonates with both art lovers and scholars.

This year marks de Saisset Museum’s 70th anniversary—a fortuitous time to find out more about the ideas of Dr. Ciara Ennis, the still relatively new museum director. Prior to her tenure at de Saisset, Ennis built the program at Pitzer College Art Galleries in Claremont.

“I love working in academic environments because you can do really exciting programming and you don’t have to worry about making sure your program is acceptable to huge amounts of people. You can be more risky in terms of what you do,” Dr. Ennis says. “It’s a space for experimentation.”

The museum today is a testament of the work of former de Saisset director Lydia Modi-Vitale, who shaped the museum’s vision and experimental legacy in the late ’60s and early ’70s.

Now, drawing inspiration from Modi-Vitale’s innovative spirit, Dr. Ennis aims to revitalize the concept of a “Museum in Progress” at the de Saisset. “There were a number of new initiatives that I started, one being the cycle of contemporary research-based exhibitions,” Ennis says, “and that really is looking at artists whose exhibitions expand way beyond the art world.”

Her previous curatory museum work in Southern California and her academic journey, which culminated in a Ph.D., explored “16th and 17th century museums as a model for rethinking contemporary curation, or contemporary curatorial practice.”

Her approach transcends conventional museum structures by fostering interdisciplinary connections while embracing “transhistorical dialogues.”

“The ‘Museum of Progress’ is based on the idea that unlike traditional museums, which are slow to change—as we know, museums really do need to change in terms of their elitist and classist molds, they need to be more inclusive—the ‘Museum of Progress’ is all about fluidity, and being open to respond to new ideas and change,” Ennis says.

As for she means by an “interdisciplinary transhistorical model,” Ennis explains that works in the permanent collection—whether they’re from the 17th or 18th century, or other eras—are presented in conversation with contemporary shows and programming.

The upcoming contemporary exhibition—“The Plague Archives,” by Maya Gurantz—exemplifies this new approach. Spanning centuries and continents, the new installation delves into the cultural and social perceptions of plague, inviting visitors to contemplate historical amnesia and collective memory loss.

“Maya Gurantz’s show takes a closer look at the history of plague and how we define plague—both socially, culturally and otherwise,” Ennis says. “So, this looks at it from a huge historical lens—from the twelfth century to present day. I’m really excited about artists, like Maya Gurantz, who have research-based practices and whose projects expand beyond the museum because I am always searching for ways to provide access to non-art people,” she says. “I feel sometimes the art world is very myopic in its thinking.”

Just as important, however, is that ideas are “multilayered, interdisciplinary, and visually very exciting. You could have the most interesting ideas in the world, but if they are not presented in a visually exciting or seductive manner, you’ve lost everyone. So, the artists that I tend to work with have a very exciting visual language.”

Ennis’ vision for the future of de Saisset emphasizes the potential of academic environments in nurturing experimental programming. Universities provide a fertile ground for bold ideas and interdisciplinary collaborations, she explains. Leveraging the expertise of faculty and staff across disciplines, the museum enriches its programming with diverse perspectives and its expansive permanent collection.

An ongoing permanent exhibition, “California Stories from Thámien to Santa Clara,” is a testament to reexamining historical narratives in collaboration with Indigenous communities. Continuously revised to address historical erasure, this exhibition underscores the museum’s commitment to inclusivity and historical accuracy.

Her vision extends beyond the walls of the museum, though the director emphasizes the potential of an academic environment like de Saisset for nurturing experimental programming like the Wunderkammer model. The basis of her dissertation, the Wunderkammer is the “cabinets of curiosities” on which early museums were based.

Ennis argues that Wunderkammers, maligned as trivial or non-serious, “were incredibly progressive in how they were organized, and structured in the sense that they put together different subjects from different disciplines and historical eras, and as a result of that, they inspired new associations and new ideas.”

This is largely what her research was about, she says, and now she aims to materialize this experimental model to some degree. “After I finished my dissertation in 2018, one of my goals was to think about how radical Wunderkammers were and how they have been misrepresented historically.” I think it’s important to break down traditional hierarchies. If we look at collections hierarchically, we think about how decorative objects are viewed further down the scale than, say, paintings and sculptures, which are at the top. All of this is being changed or challenged” with Wunderkammers.

Wunderkammers act “in contrast to more traditional museums” that have one collection classified in rigid ways, Ennis says. “It’s about opening up those classifications and seeing how we can make them more expansive and put them in dialogue in a way that creates more ideas, rather than shutting them down.”

Ennis’ proposed initiatives for the development of the de Saisset represent a paradigm shift in museology. “I hope this is a lasting movement,” she asserts. “Something has to break this very rigid museological model.”

Now based in San Jose, the drag queen known as No One hails from a town near Sacramento, where she proudly became the first openly queer student at her high school. 

No One credits theater for being her sanctuary while growing up. “Theatre has always been a place where I could be myself and feel safe among like-minded individuals going through the same soul searching,” she said.

Beginning this weekend, No One will be again part of a decades-old theatrical tradition in the South Bay: San Jose Dance Theatre’s annual performance of the Nutcracker ballet.

She auditioned last year for the role of Mother Cupcake and got the part. The character, guiding her “Cookies” across the stage, brings a playful drag flair to the ballet production. While No One incorporates ballet movements using her arms, her preparation mainly involves practicing the choreography she learned last year with the group of young dancers.

No One’s artistry and charisma has brought a fresh energy to San Jose Dance Theatre’s Nutcracker production, says SJDT Executive Director Elizabeth Sweeney. “This collaboration reflects our commitment to extending the joy of the arts to new audiences while staying true to the inclusive spirit we hope to foster,” Sweeney says.

“By celebrating the contributions of artists like No One, we continue to build on the legacy of our founders and the timeless message of The Nutcracker: that joy and magic are for everyone.”

SJDT’s Nutcracker runs Dec. 6–8 and 13–15, with the Dec. 13 evening performance designated as Nutcracker Family Pride Night. This celebration of culture and inclusivity begins with a pre-show meet and greet with No One.

Balancing the light-heartedness of drag with ballet’s disciplined grace is key for No One. “I adore this role because Mother Cupcake gets to break ballet’s traditional standards through drag and bring a levity and humor to this graceful art form,” she says. While No One’s character is very poised, her playful personality occasionally peeks through. “[Mother Cupcake] is a bit of a ham. She’s the ultimate dance mom—supportive and encouraging but only because she secretly wants to be the star.” 

 The look of the character leans heavily on drag traditions, including two-hour makeup sessions, but is amplified for a large production. “Since I can’t be as close to the audience, I have to go even bigger—even by drag standards. So my character’s facial expressions, and overall proportion, measures up to the stage. Her giant dress and giant personality—everything’s dialed up to an 11 to ensure my character looks larger than life.”

Performing for thousands of families and children over several weekends, she hopes her presence inspires others to embrace diversity in traditionally conservative spaces.

“Theatre has been an inclusive space for so many people and continues to be, regardless of their gender expression or sexuality. Ballet is the same way,” she says. “For those who have never been exposed to drag, or want to participate or learn ballet but weren’t sure if they were welcome, I’m proof that yes, it is possible.”

Although not a classically trained ballet dancer, the drag queen has an extensive background in theater and drag, officially embracing the latter in 2019 after falling in love with the classic form of drag as seen portrayed by RuPaul’s Drag Race star Bianca Del Rio.

No One describes herself as a self-taught queen, having gained her skills from online resources and books rather than a single drag mother. “Unfortunately, there’s not many mentors for this out there, but that’s just the reality of it,” she says—a shift partly due to the devastating impact of the AIDS crisis, which claimed many lives in the queer community: “The AIDs crisis in the ’90s took out an entire generation of queer people in our community. Of those who survived, from those I’ve spoken with, they are just trying to enjoy life after that horror.”

With the advent of social media and the web, today’s queens have unprecedented access to knowledge. “That lack of remaining trailblazers, by default, leaves us to learn on our own out of necessity,” she says. “But now, I can learn from 20 drag mothers online who choose to share their knowledge.”

As this self-taught method has fostered independence for many young drag artists, it has also led to innovation. “When you’re self-taught, you learn new ways to do things, like makeup, and it allows for innovation out of necessity,” No One explains.

The drag queen said she values the creative freedom given by San Jose Dance Theatre. “They allowed me to have creative control over the character and pay homage to my roots as a drag artist, while being respectful to the art form of ballet. It’s been a balancing act, ensuring that the performance doesn’t go too far into drag that the elegance ballet has is lost.”

As the curtain rises on her reprise of Mother Cupcake, No One carries forward a message of inclusion that has already extended beyond her role—one of her drag sisters has been cast as Mother Ginger in another Nutcracker production in the South Bay.

No One adds, “Drag was founded on being a conversation around social expectations on women, and it continues to be an incredible art form where we can use the tools how we choose—to be critical about the world we navigate, or to escape reality for a moment and enjoy the possibility of something different, something new or exciting.”

San Jose Dance Theatre’s Original San Jose Nutcracker will be performed Dec 6–8 and 13–15 at the Center for the Performing Arts, 255 S Almaden Blvd, San Jose. Tickets: $39.50–$115. sjdt.org

After the recent presidential election results, Kerry Gudjohnsen, director of Pear Theatre’s production of The Agitators, says she feels like the country has taken one step forward, and two steps back. But she takes comfort from the play’s protagonists, Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony.

“What’s inspiring to me is looking at the incredible odds they had stacked against them, and yet they persevered. They collaborated and learned from each other—through debates, discussion and arguments—but always through a lens of what was right for our society and standing up for an America that was their America as well.”

In the 1840s, Douglass and Anthony met in Rochester as young abolitionists, irrevocably united by their shared hopes, ambitions, and an unwavering commitment to social justice. At the time, they were fueled by dreams of creating a more equitable society. 

Over several decades fraught with social, cultural and political turmoil, the friends rose to prominence as historic icons, championing monumental causes—Douglass for the abolition of slavery and racial equality, and Anthony for women’s suffrage.

After the Civil War, following the introduction of the 15th Amendment, their bond faced a new challenge as voting rights were granted to Black men but not to women.

Anthony and other suffragists felt betrayed, while Douglass prioritized racial equality, arguing that securing voting rights for Black men was an urgent necessity for their survival. Despite these differences, Anthony and Douglass maintained a mutual respect and admiration for each other, often sharing stages and continuing to collaborate to advance social justice.

Their 45-year friendship underscores the power and challenges of collaboration in the pursuit of justice, and their legacy of resilience and shared purpose continues to inspire works like The Agitators, written by playwright Mat Smart and playing at the Pear Theater in Mountain View through Dec. 15.

“America is still under construction, and it’s not a project we should walk away from,” Gudjohnsen says. “I think it’s up to us to figure out what this experiment should look like.”

The director was introduced to the script by the company’s artistic director, Sinjin Jones. “He and I met through a mutual friend in the theater and he presented the script to me for consideration,” Gudjohnsen says. “I was equally impressed and embarrassed that I didn’t know that Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony were friends for 45 years.”

The two leading actors, Adam Torrian and Krista Joy Serpa, are best friends in real life, Gudjohnsen adds. And mirroring their real-life friendship, their trust between each other, helped the actors capture the complexity of Douglass and Anthony’s relationship on stage.

Serpa, who plays Anthony in the production, says she spent a lot of time reading Anthony and Douglass’ writings, and literature written about them to prepare for the portrayal of the complex historical figure.

“One of the most interesting challenges of this work is finding the balance of historical accuracy and dramatization. Mat Smart did an excellent job informing the play with real quotes and real details about their lives—even as he asks us to imagine a version of what certain moments and discussions looked like behind closed doors, each scene is rooted in something real and documented,” Serpa says. “We get to play and stretch theatrically within that framework, honoring the truth while also having fun as actors and using our imaginations to tell our version of this story.”

This is not a historical drama where the “human aspects” are removed from the two luminaries’ personalities, the director asserts. “They’re not perfect, pristine. And the way Adam and Krista bring these icons of justice alive … they’re human, they’re relatable.”

Serpa and Torrian both related to their characters overall, but found themselves resonating more strongly with aspects of each others’ characters’ personalities as well. “I relate to Frederick’s tenderness and emotion, and [Torrian] relates a lot to Susan’s pragmatism and stubbornness,” Serpa says. “It’s a privilege to have a friend who challenges you, shifts your perspective, calls you out, and loves you as you learn. That’s what this play is ultimately about. They each make mistakes, and they each broaden the others’ perspective.”

She adds, “And it’s funnier and more joyful than people would think.”

The play also speaks to today’s contemporary audiences and political timeline, with Torrian and Serpa reflecting Douglass and Anthony’s struggle for equality and justice—their triumphs, their arguments—all while illustrating the activists’ joy and bravery, as they faced the upheaval of the Civil War, and even more adversity in real life.

“The struggle for equality and justice is a song we’ve been hearing in this country for years. The only thing that changes is the key,” Torrian says. “Oppressors trying to disenfranchise or otherize a different group, whether it’s black people, queer people, immigrants. … It continues to this day. I hope people who come to see [The Agitators] come away with a newly sparked fire to be brave and speak out against the growing injustices in not only their own communities, but also the country as a whole. The more we talk about it, the more likely it is to change.”

The Agitators plays through Dec. 15 at the Pear Theatre in Mountain View. Tickets are $42. thepear.org

After a primary race with a field of five and a competitive general election, Silicon Valley is about to get its first Vietnamese American representative on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors.

Betty Duong, Chavez’s current chief of staff, is currently leading against former San Jose Vice Mayor Madison Nguyen in the race to replace Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez, who terms out in December.

As of 12:16 p.m. Tuesday, frontrunner Duong is ahead with with 29,470 votes. Opposing candidate Nguyen trails behind with 27,335 votes.

The hotly contested race has voters split along pro-labor and pro-business lines as the community chooses who will represent them on the board.

Duong’s pro-labor platform advocates bolstering homelessness prevention by expanding medical treatment beds as a housing option and public safety through rehabilitation programs. With over a decade of local government experience, the East San Jose native is backed by the South Bay Labor Council and supporters Chavez, U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, the Santa Clara County Democratic Party and Santa Clara County Sheriff Bob Jonsen.

Born in Vietnam and raised in California, Nguyen became the first Vietnamese American elected to the San Jose City Council in 2005. Her pro-business platform prioritizes addressing homelessness through quicker transitional housing solutions and supports harsher penalties for drug crimes and theft through Proposition 36. Nguyen’s endorsements included San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and former mayors Chuck Reed and Ron Gonzales.

The winner of Chavez’s seat will shape the future of District 2, which includes East San Jose, parts of downtown, and a large Vietnamese population.