Look for this flyer, come to this show
Earthwise Productions of Palo Alto is hosting a jazz concert Wednesday at Lucie Stern Community Center Courtyard featuring the jazz combo known as ‘Western Edition’.
‘Western Edition’ combines originals – -written by its members – and covers by forebears such as Thelonious Monk and Wayne Shorter, plus songs by peers such as Julian Lage and Julian Shore.
Earthwise has produced several concerts this year at places like Mitchell Park Community Center El Palo Alto Room, Lytton Plaza and Palo Alto Art Center. On the schedule are shows — jazz, folk, rock and classical — at Oshman JCC Palo Alto, Johnson Park and Mitchell Park Bowl — all places Earthwise has showcased in recent years. In the 1990s, Earthwise produced 150 show, roughly twice per month, at the old Cubberley High campus – -chiefly in the theatre and the multi-purpose room / cafeteria / auditorium.
But this is Earthwise’s debut at Lucie Stern.
And although its been axiomatic that the Earthwise outdoor shows are free (and the indoors shows either a bargain or free), this show at the Stern courtyard is both outdoors and ticketed — Earthwise uses the ticket revenue to help pay for the outdoor shows.
“I had my 20th Gunn reunion at the Lucie Stern Courtyard, and made note of its features” said Mark Weiss, the Earthwise founder and a former Gunn High basketball player. (note: Mark Weiss is also the author of this post and the owner so to speak of “Plastic Alto” blog — though he is not a founder or equity holder in WordPress which probably technically owns “markweiss86.wordpress.com” and “Plastic Alto” and maybe its content, not that it matters and excuse the digression – -each post gets about 50 views*).
‘Western Edition’ according to the on-sale page at “earthwise'” plus “eventbrite” is a jazz group in the spirit of Snarky Puppy, High Pulp and Cien Mil Mangos (which played Lytton Plaza earlier this month).
It is an unknown band but Weiss said he figures that people will trust his imprimatur since he also has, for example, presented the NorCal debut of blink-182, a rock band that was worth 150 people at $6 each back in 1997 but recently sold out the hockey arena.
“I bought a ticket to the blink show at the Sharktank for $20 even though I was producing a jazz concert at the Mitch and would not attend. Well, twenty bucks plus twenty in fees. I am weird but I guess I can afford to blow that money just for the story, and the connection to blink 182.”
unused Blink 182 ticket I bought for yucks — didn’t notice ‘obstructed view’
Weiss also points out that all people who attend ‘Western Edition’ will be allowed to sit in a chair, provided by the venue and promote. This is not the case for recent jazz shows like Kurt Elling and Charlie Hunter at a fancy pants new venue nearby where most of the people have to stand. (And are charged a lot more than $20 per show).
imprimatur means trust us this time like you did before
*fifty readers on average of “Plastic Alto: Earthwise to Host ‘Western Edition’ and as it was such a late add to the schedule, Weiss says he is counting on the blog readers to help fill the house and pay for gas money for the band, road warriors who allegedly are driving back to New York City or New Jersey after the show — I guess if we charged what the Guild charges the band could stay in a hotel room
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Plastic Alto with Mark Weiss 