Jazz
Former Guadalajara Reporter staffer Hector Mendieta has opened a new cafe/bar with live music, reasonably priced Mexican beer (including Cerveza Minerva) and wine and hearty food. Altazar/Diagonal is Mendieta’s second venture, having run the successful Altazar cafe for more than 10 years in Mazatlan’s downtown cultural zone. Now back in Guadalajara, he offers no-cover jazz featuring the Chen Quintero Quartet playing classic and contemporary jazz standards from 9 p.m. every Friday. On Thursdays there is a film club and live music and Saturdays local bands play classic rock. Stop in to this friendly renovated house just off the beaten path with a multitude of spaces to relax in and enjoy 15-peso cerveza Leon until 6 p.m. and free Mexican snacks with your beer. Comida corrida is only 40 pesos. A 32-inch screen is available to watch movies and two private rooms lend to meetings or poker games, free wifi. Open noon to after midnight, Tuesday to Saturday. Guadalupe Zuno 1961. (1/2 block off Av. Chapultepec, in front of the entrance to LAMAR university). Tel. 3826-0601.
More jazz
Guantos Brass Band plays jazz standards, jazz latino and hip hop Saturday, March 10, 9:30 p.m. (Cover: 30 pesos) Cafe Andre Breton, Juan Manuel 175, Centro Historico. Tel. (33) 3345-2194.
St. Patrick’s Day
Temple Bar, an Irish-owned pub, brings in the foreign crowd in a big way on St. Patrick’s Day. According to the owner, this is the only day of the year he has to eventually turn away clients. Guinness and many other fine Mexican and Imported beers are available. Lopez Cotilla 1860. Reservations: 3630-6336.
Abadia Bar offers 1,018 beers from 134 countries and has the full range of Guinness products for St. Patrick’s Day, with Guinness on tap — that’s right — drawn from the barrel. They also offer black and tans with Harp, Smithwick’s or Killians. Pints of green beer will be available to go along with traditional Irish fare such as lambcake and other specialties (the normal bar food menu will also be available). Irish tunes will be played from 5 p.m. to closing time at 3 a.m. Abadia is located at Avenida Patria 40, corner of Avenida Vallarta. Reservations are recommended: cel. (333)874-2174.
Old Jack’s Studio Restaurant/Bar plans to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with live music and a special invitation to the foreign community. Av. Real Acueducto 371 in Colonia Real Acueducto, between Av. Patria and Av. Acueducto, tels. (33) 3611-2761, 1201-0040.
The Tap Room, a fairly new beer emporium focusing on artesanal brews, will celebrate St. Pat’s Day with green beer, ambient Irish music, fish and chips and raffles of Tap Room T-shirts. Open Monday to Saturday, 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. Lopez Cotilla 1533 (1/2 block off Av. Chapultepec)
Red Pub is planning special St. Patty’s Day celebrations at two of its four bars: The original Red Pub located at Bernadro Balbuena 145, one block east of Av. Americas, just off Av. Mexico (tel. 3616-3474), will have Irish music and promotional giveaways from Miller and local breweries Revolucion and 21. Their larger bar at Niños Heroes 3004 (tel. 3647-4469) will feature a live band with English rock and the same sort of giveaway promotions.
Kite festival
Bring the kids (or grandkids) to Parque Metropolitano on Sunday, March 18 for the Jalisco kite-making and flying state finals. The event will also include old toys and games. Festivities start at 1 p.m. Free entrance. The entrance to the metro area’s largest park is at Beethoven and Independencia in Colonia La Estancia. Bicycles are available for rent.
Outside Guadalajara
Head to the Guachimontones archaeological site near Teuchitlan (45 minutes from the city on the highway to Barra de Navidad) for a traditional verbena popular (popular festival) on Saturday, March 17. The fun starts at 5 p.m.
Get there early and take a look around the site and its impressive new museum.
Shakespeare from London
National Theatre Live will present Shakespeare’s “Comedy of Errors,” broadcast from London to the Teatro Diana on Monday, March 26 and Tuesday, March 27, 8 p.m. both days. Tickets 130 pesos, 110 students, seniors, teachers.
.Royal Court Theatre artistic director Dominic Cooke directs Lenny Henry in one of the Bard’s most farcical plays about twins separated at birth and mistaken identity.
Underground dancing
Catch some exotic grooving at the Plaza Universidad subway stop on the Tren Ligero, line two. A stage at the entrance of the popular station one block west of 16 de Septiembre hosts varying types of dance shows. The program, part of the Department of Culture, is free. Friday, March 23 at 7 p.m. see the mannered passion of the Zambra Mora Flamenco-style dance of Granada.