written by Isaiah Wilson
A part of DIY shows has been the idea that any space can be used as a music venue as long as you have musicians, an audience, and some ingenuity. It is a necessity in a city like San Jose, with a shortage of music venues- especially all-age ones. An unspoken vision of The Come Up is that every space is a venue; from breweries, to food halls, to coffee shops, Peace and Justice Centers, and art museums. And just as we are a collective of creative who re-imagine spaces for putting on shows and bringing the young art community, other creatives are making those spaces for the art community to utilize.
We found that at 363, a house made up of creatives located in downtown San Jose that has been hosting a myriad of gallery events, parties, open mics, and Come Up shows. I think it is important that musicians understand that their city is their platform and being inventive is how a scene develops. But when creatives like the Baxter Bros. at 363, who converted their backyard and basements into spaces for performances, galleries, and movie showings, it allows those artist to thrive. Over the course of six months, it has become San Jose’s best kept secret.
Since the inception of the The Come Up, the guys and I have talked about doing a backyard show. Something about the free structure of a backyard show is just something that is fitting for a collective that is about creating new spaces within a music scene. It’s also something that is already a essential part of the SJ music scene, especially the hardcore punk scene on the Eastside. So for the Summer, we decided to regroup and adjust ourselves before returning for A Come Up show at Uproar back in August.
Our photographer and creative director Leo had the idea of having a cookout BBQ show. His idea was a simple barbecue cookout with people who have either performed, is a local artists, or part of the community that regular supports local acts. My friend Wyatt had a similar idea in mind for his place, and over the course of about two weeks him, his brother Steve, and so many other people built a stage, a deck, lattices, collected furniture, hung up lights to begin developing this art house. We had the pleasure of kicking off the first event with the new digs set up.
Our first backyard show called The Come Up Cookout. It was a backyard show featuring five live acts, tacos, beer, spike ball, soul cycling, a bus with henna tattoos, and a downstairs speakeasy. Beyond being a fun time, it was an inclusive event and the 363 encouraged people to be themselves, have a good time, and spread good vibes. And that message has stuck, thanks mostly by the warm people who live in this amazing space.
We kept this momentum going and had a pure Backyard show on the 18th of August. And The Come Up with 363 hosted a giant Halloween on October 27th show that had tons of great artist, spooky themed drinks. We had three unique showcases thanks to 363. Catch the video below of our backyard show this past Summer in a video by our Creative Director Leo.
Beyond large parties and backyard shows, 363 has also hosted smaller intimate showcases in their Speakeasy space in the basement of the house. It was a longtime project of Wyatt and Steve’s turning a basement into a rustic space that allows young artist to thrive and perform.
Be sure to check out Lavish Buds, a show featuring live music, an art gallery, and a magazine release of the event organizer. It happens on December 15th at 363!
And if you haven’t yet, follow us on Instagram and Facebook to stay updated on the events The Come Up and our friends are throwing in 2019.
photos were taken by Leopoldo Macaya and Matthew Van Cleave
San José Come Up 