Sonic Runway coming back to downtown San Jose next year

Sonic Runway — a huge hit when the colorful art piece was on display in downtown San Jose for four months starting in late 2017 — is coming back to City Hall Plaza next year. And this time, it’ll be around for at least seven years.

The installation by artists Rob Jensen and Warren Trezevant is made up of a series of arches that combined light and sound to visualize the speed of sound. Sonic Runway — the first on loan from Burning Man Arts as part of the Playa to Plaza initiative — became a platform for performances by musicians including San Jose Taiko and Wil Calhoun, and it closed with a fashion show featuring local designers.

“While we knew the artwork would be popular, it far exceeded our expectations,” said Kerry Adams Hapner, San Jose’s director of cultural affairs. “The community response was so incredible, and we had so many inquiries about how to make the artwork last.”

Tuesday, the city council approved entering into a $500,000 agreement for the artwork, with much of the funding coming from the city’s transient occupancy tax, which is specified for the arts, and outside grants. The piece should be installed by the end of spring 2020, but it could be sooner if the weather cooperates. While this will match the footprint of the previous Sonic Runway, this will be a new version that’s being designed specifically for space, with a new lighting and sound.

“We’re really excited for this to be an opportunity to take the installation to the next level beyond what we were able to do before,” Jensen told the city council. “It’s an all new design that’s going to be integrated into the architecture. We’ve got a new technology that lets us send different sounds to each speaker, so that’s going to open up all different kinds of opportunities for collaborations with artists and music makers.”

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Art in construction zone will move to new downtown San Jose home Trezevant told the council it was a “blessing” to install the piece in San Jose and that the artists were struck by the gathering of community that it created. “Every time we were here we saw families, multi-generational groups, teenagers, children. Everyone from every cross-section of San Jose, from ages and lifestyles, were there to enjoy it,” he said. “We look forward to bring it back to San Jose.”

MUSIC AT THE POOR HOUSE: Poor House Bistro owner Jay Meduri is busy getting ready for the seventh annual Lil’ Easy Backyard Party at the New Orleans style restaurant in San Jose. Once again the music fest is being held in memory of Sally Meduri, Jay’s mother, who died in 2012 following a stroke, and to raise money for the Stroke Awareness Foundation.

The party on Sunday features six bands on two stages from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. with the lineup including the Delgado Brothers; the Guitarsonists featuring Chris Cain, Daniel Castro and Mighty Mike Schermer; Maxx Cabello Jr., Gary Smith and the Houserockers; Andre Thierry; and Wendy DeWitt & Kirk Harwood. Tickets are $60 and can be purchased at Poor House Bistro, 91 S. Autumn St., or online at poorhousebistro.com.

FESTIVAL WITH REAL BUZZ: Coffee Palooza, an all-day event at the Mexican Heritage Plaza in San Jose, will celebrate — and elevate — the average cup of Joe on Saturday with tastings, an aeropress competition, workshops and vendors. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and you can get more details at tono.coffee/palooza.

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