Trombonist Adam Theis and his Jazz Mafia organization have always been smooth operators, finding creative ways to bend the often treacherous Bay Area music scene to their will. By forging alliances with friendly venues, the Jazz Mafia has knuckled their way into two Bay Area residencies, playing monthly at Oakland's Sound Room and North Beach's Keys Jazz Bistro.
The Warfield opened on May 13, 1922, as Loew's Warfield - a " grand dame of a theatre" dedicated to film and vaudeville with a capacity of over 2,650 and a 33-foot-deep stage. The venue was the 300th theater commissioned by Marcus Loew and the 26th opened by his company within 18 months. The Warfield was built by local architect Gustave Albert Lansburgh; the early '20s were a boom time for Lansburgh, who simultaneously designed the neighboring Golden Gate Theatre (which also opened in 1922).
At the San Jose Punk Rock Flea Market, the entire club felt like a stage. The Ritz was jammed for the occasion. At opening time, high noon, people were already lined up outside. After I shelled out a five-spot to get in, I was told that if I wanted to leave and come back, there would probably still be a line outside. And there was.
Lucile Lloyd was a prominent [Works Progress Administration] muralist; she did work all among the schools in this area," said concert promoter Wilkerson. "There are photos of her in menswear smoking up in the rafters back in the 1930s. She had a tragic life, and ended up committing suicide. We thought all of the panels she did here were gone.
"Our mission was aimed at extending the usefulness of the hall without changing it too much. We tried to do as little as we could by fixing as little as we could."
We keep it moving, hustling with the changes, thinking outside the margins. Saying farewell to venues calling it quits and acknowledging local labels and artists on the rise.
