Monday:
Buddha and the Quantum
Much has been said about the similarities between quantum physics and Buddhist philosophies. Author and long-time meditator Samuel Avery has a new approach and will demonstrate how to experience the quantum directly, and how it becomes the building block of both mental and physical experience, at a free lecture at the East West Bookstore in Mountain View (RSVP by phone required).

Tuesday:
West Coast Songwriters Competition
Open mic nights aren’t always the best platform for songwriters who may not be the best performers. West Coast Songwriters, a nonprofit educational organization formed in 1979, hosts monthly songwriter competitions at their various chapters along the west coast. Twenty songwriters perform one song each in front of a panel of judges comprised of professional songwriters. At the end of the night, prizes and awards are given for “Best Song” and “Best Performance.” The Saratoga chapter’s songwriter competition takes place every third Tuesday of the month at the Blue Rock Shoot coffee house in downtown Saratoga.

Wednesday:
Benjamin Henderson and Hurricane Roses
It’s a night of classic and alt-country at the Blank Club as Tristen and Benjamin Henderson share the bill with Hurricane Roses. Benjamin Henderson and his newest band (an upright bass player and a hand box drummer) played a terrific set at the inaugural KraftBrew Fest at the Landmark Ballroom just a few weeks ago. With his steady guitar strumming, somber melodies and upper-register vocals, Henderson might soon become known as San Jose’s Neil Young.

Thursday:
Prince
The artist formerly and now known as Prince brings his super-sized stage show to the HP Pavilion on Thursday and Saturday nights. After seven years of living life under the oppression of an unpronounceable symbol due to a trademark dispute with his record label, Prince reclaimed his birth name at the turn of the century. He still admits he gets tired of seeing his own name all the time and has penned several songs for artists like Sheena Easton and The Bangles under a range of pseudonyms including Joey Coco, Paisley Park, Alexander Nevermind and Christopher.

Friday:
Arturo Sandoval
In 1990, after having served for the Cuban military and becoming disheartened with the Cuban government, jazz trumpeter Arturo Sandoval defected from Cuba with his family via London thanks to the assistance of Dizzy Gillespie and American authorities at the U.S. embassy in Athens. Ten years later, Sandoval’s story was turned into a TV film starring Andy Garcia and Gloria Estefan. With four GRAMMY Awards and an Emmy under his belt, Sandoval drops in to the Heritage Theatre in Campbell for a Friday night performance.