Clearly hacktastic: The Guitar Zeros; hapa lead singer Ryan Yount

The Guitar Zeros [1] have figured out a way to turn straw into gold, water into Jager. They've turned that sweet tool of the Playstation 2 game Guitar Hero [2], the plastic mini-Gibson controller, into a mighty sword of sonic destruction. There are no actual guitars in the band, hence guitar zeros. It's the ultimate in real-becomes-fake-becomes-real again kind of thinking. (See their Zero Guide [3], which includes their Fretbuzz freeware and instructions on turning the controller into an instrument.)

When: Thursday, Sept. 20 (tonight!), 8pm
Where: 111 Minna Gallery, San Francisco
Cost: $2. Enter the Guitar Hero competition on a projector over the bar for $5. Early open bar.

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Being an Asian American that grew up in Latin America, I have a soft spot for any Asians with Latin American connections. It's a different form of patria, I guess. I've been seeing more lately on Asian Latinos, from documentary Motherland Korea Cuba USA [4] to a short film on the murders of Chinese restaurant delivery men, D 4 Delivery [5], where the protagonist is Venezuelan Chinese.

I wish I could make it to War and Prejudice: US Internment of Japanese Latin Americans During WWII and Its Relevance Today. They will screen Hidden Internment: The Art Shibayama Story [6], followed by a community dialogue and reception with former Japanese Peruvian internee Art Shibayama, Grace Shimizu from Campaign for Justice: Redress Now for Japanese Latin Americans! and Robin Toma from the LA County Commission on Human Relations.

When: Saturday, Sept. 22, 1 - 3pm
Where: Japanese American National Museum [7], Los Angeles
Cost: Free. Peruvian refreshments served, too.