C2SV: An Insider’s Guide to the Music Festival and Tech Conference

C2SV SEES San Francisco fuzz rock band Thee Oh Sees warm up the stage for Iggy and The Stooges, Sept. 28 at St. James Park. Photo by Matt Crawford.

C2SV Music Festival + Technology Conference straddles Silicon Valley’s technical right brain and artsy left brain, bringing both together for four days packed with conversations about technology and more than 50 bands, ranging from local acts to internationally recognized headliners.

The festival and conference, arriving Sept. 26-29 in Downtown San Jose, was conceived with six simple words on the boozy streets of Austin after a few epic days of music last year at SXSW: “We need something like this here.”

And it’s true. Silicon Valley needs an event that showcases technology and music in Silicon Valley—just down the road from big shots like Facebook and Google, but more importantly, where hundreds of entrepreneurs are still putting ideas into action looking for digital gold.

For years, we’ve traveled to Austin or Seattle or Vegas to check out the next big thing in technology when many of the startups that will change the world tomorrow are literally right here, around the corner. Meanwhile, the music scene often takes a backseat to grand technological concepts, but look around Silicon Valley and pockets of brilliance emerge from barroom stages, art galleries and nightclubs. Bring in a few national headliners like Iggy and The Stooges, the Lemonheads and the Coup and there’s a real opportunity to see something new, build new relationships and get inspired right here on our home turf.

How It Works

Similar to a musical bar crawl, the C2SV music festival takes over 12 Downtown venues with more than 50 bands and an afternoon concert at St. James Park with Iggy and The Stooges, Thee Oh Sees, Bosnian Rainbows and local retro favorites The Bang.

With a four-day wristband (the best deal for those who want to see multiple bands), attendees can walk from venue to venue to customize their own lineup. Single-day and single-show tickets are also available for those who just want to see one or two bands.

An accompanying technology conference at McEnery Convention Center features more than 70 speakers discussing a variety of topics, ranging from wearable technology and augmented reality to the first public interview with controversial technologist John McAfee.

Thursday Kickoff

C2SV starts early on Thursday with registration for the tech conference opening at 8am. Web personality and social media enthusiast Robert Scoble will deliver the first keynote of the conference, followed by panels on the latest developments with Bitcoin, social media business strategy and factors that will shape the web over the next 20 years—and that’s all before lunch.

After a lunch break, panelists discuss technology’s role in disruptive political change, Hollywood’s emerging footprint in Silicon Valley and the next generation of artificial intelligence apps, among other topics.

After the conference, the focus shifts to music with a kick-off party at Cafe Stritch featuring the Phenomenauts, E V Kain and Dinners.

Friday

The tech conference returns Friday, starting with a keynote from Jeff Stibel, author of Breakpoint: Why the Web Will Implode, Search Will Be Obsolete, and Everything Else You Need To Know about Technology Is in Your Brain. Other topics include ecommerce, the transportation sharing revolution, the next wave of digital photography, wearable technology and more.

The music lineup gains momentum with more than 20 acts performing throughout the night, including Silicon Valley’s electro-rock breakouts the Limousines and headlining sets from alt-rock pioneers the Lemonheads and L.A. hardcore band Off!

Saturday

The peak day at the technology conference and music festival arrives Saturday, starting with a keynote from James Williamson and a fireside chat from John McAfee.

Williamson helped shape garage rock and early punk rock with Iggy and The Stooges before hanging up his guitar to pursue a 30-year career in Silicon Valley.

The most controversial appearance on the C2SV lineup, McAfee fled Belize in December 2012 after authorities accused him of murdering his neighbor—a charge he denies that U.S. authorities have refused to pursue. He re-emerged in Portland this year with a viral video parodying media-fueled rumors of drug use, violence and various sexual escapades. His fireside chat is his first public interview since returning to the U.S.

The music lineup starts early with a day show at Café Stritch headlined by San Francisco indie rockers Social Studies before the action moves to St. James Park with The Bang, Bosnian Rainbows (featuring Omar Rodríguez-López and Deantoni Parks from Mars Volta), San Francisco garage rock favorites and Coachella 2013 alumnus Thee Oh Sees, and Iggy and The Stooges.

That night, the party moves back Downtown with a variety of music, ranging from political hip-hop from the Coup and a DJ set from Dam-Funk to psychedelic rock from Sleepy Sun and dance parties with Party Ben, Sonido Clash and Shea Butter of BVMO.

Sunday

With the technology conference over on Sunday, the festival shifts completely to music with folk-rockers Rin Tin Tiger, local favorites the Trims and Anya and the Get Down, and Detroit emcee and producer Black Milk closing with the final performance of the festival.

Find more info on tickets and the complete schedule at the official C2SV Website.

Complete Music Lineup:

FRIDAY

Lemonheads

OFF!

Limousines

Dirty Ghosts

The Flames

Soulful Obsession

BVMO Crew

Tom, Dick and Harry

Trails and Ways

Deafheaven

Claw Hammer

Torches

The Revival featuring Julius Papp & The Selecter DJ Kirk

DLRN

The JurassiC

The Burning of Rome

The Icarus Line

DJ K-Von

Talky Tina

Containher

Amonie

SATURDAY

Iggy and The Stooges

Bosnian Rainbows

Thee Oh Sees

Fatso Jetson

The Coup

Mondo Generator

Sleepy Sun

G.F.P.

Tera Melos

Dam-Funk (DJ Set)

Vinroc of Triple Threat

The She’s

Mary and the Manchild

Soft White Sixties

Haptic Synapses

Onward, Etc.

Curious Quail

Social Studies

The Bang

Brother Grand

DJ Carlos C

Occult Wisdom

Holy Child

Workout DJs

DJ Oro 11 and Deejay Theory

The New Trust

DJ Rogcon

Shea Butter of BVMO

Dirty Pillows

Finish Ticket

Party Ben

B. Lewis

Teeko of 4oneFunk

Bibles & Hand Grenades

Shinobu

Picture Atlantic

Eliquate

Sonido Clash

SUNDAY

Black Milk

Anya and the Getdown

The Trims

Cartoon Bar Fight

Raw Geronimo

The Albert Square

Rin Tin Tiger

Stumblebunny

Matt Crawford is the Director of Digital Media for Metro Newspapers. Follow him @Metro_Matt.