Art Boutiki, an SLG comic book shop on Race Street off of the Alameda, has taken part in a movement that has been blossoming in our area — where local businesses aspire to up-cycle the use of their space by showcasing local artist’s work. At Art Boutiki, the comic book shop occupies the front room. The back room is dedicated to live performances. A penguin statue sits down stage and greets the audience like a herald to the night’s performances. Round tables and chairs are set up as seats for the spectators, and a little tiki bar in the back of the room offers refreshments.
Saturday night, Art Boutiki celebrated the CD release for Alone in the Universe, the nights headliners.
Craig White was the opener who stole the show from the beginning. His music spoke of daily struggles thousands of young people in San Jose could relate to: streets, girls, politics, parents, art, smashing down 680. His instrumentals rival the shit we hear on the radio, but his message and passion is deeper and purer than the main stream. Out of all of the performers, White’s music set the crowd in fullest motion. With people throwing their hands up in the air and chanting “Craig White,” it must have been a moment his mom, sitting in the back of the room, was more than proud of.
The nights MVP was Lucid Optics, a.k.a Joey, who’s been filling in as bass player for Alone in the UNiverse, in addition to playing his own set, and delivering the best news of the evening: Lucid Optics has just been signed. Lucid Optics’ music is part of a hip-hop movement that speaks of rags rather than riches. He doesn’t glorify hedonism, like our generations top acts do, neither does he speak of aspiring to all the glories that money can buy. Instead, he takes the temptations and struggles we face on the daily and lyrically dissects them into pieces which he presents to his audience under a lucid lens. He shows us the imperfections we don’t see and the virtues we should treasure.
Lucid Optics was followed by Mitchell Lujan, whom, unfortunately I didn’t have a chance to see perform due to a mandatory tall-can run. As a result, it wouldn’t be fair to comment on his performance — which, I’m sure, pulled its own.
As the headliners, Alone in the UNiverse took the stage last. The band has a unique sound, a pop-punk concoction of traditional instruments — drums, guitar, and bass — with chiptune, Gameboy inspired, backups. The result is a technologically inspired sound that speaks volumes on a generation raised in the heart of Silicon Valley. Alone in the UNiverse offered more instrumental rather than lyrical depth; which didn’t get the audience thinking as much as it got them swaying in a trance to the last tune of the night.
Watching these artists perform was like looking in a mirror, seeing ones imperfections but also reflecting on what makes us special, what makes us move, what breaks us and what unites us.
Sure the music was good, but seeing a young crowd participate in the music was a work of art in itself, and that made all the difference.
Penned by Alina K. A. 