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Summerfestivities

2022 Edition

By Carl Fisher

October 1^st, 2022

Sounds of late summer

The annual San Jose Summerfest came once again this August and, while there were not that many familiar names, there were sufficient surprises to make the weekend pass worth the expense. Most of my time was spent indoors, which meant that I was able to get pretty close to the stage without much effort. Since I now live in Oakland, it’s more of an investment of time and energy to take it all in and I was a little reluctant to return home each night knowing that there was still much going on. At least one overnight at a nearby hotel next year might be worth considering. Then I can experience the wee hour happenings.

Night Lights

I spent most of my time inside, but there was lots happening in outdoor spaces including vendors selling their wares and feeding the masses.

Family affair

What impressed me the most about Judith Hill was that it was not just all about her (although mainly). She also had family in the band in the form of her dad on bass and mom on keyboards. Nice to see folks with a little more seasoning who can still bring it.

Buskin

Not all the entertainment was on an elevated stage. Some were at street level with tip jars at the ready.

Sharkey takes a bite out of SJ

One of the most hotly anticipated performers was Isaiah Sharkey. Insider info told me he was one not to be missed and they were right. He had both the instrumental and vocal chops to impress. It made me wonder why he doesn’t have more music recorded. And it was nice that it was in an intimate venu that fit less than 100 people so that I could get that up close and personal experience. He’s someone to keep an eye out for.