Katz Bagels (& mediocre pizza) axed the crazy alien flying in a giant bagel from their signage recently. What is going on in my old neighborhood? Next thing they'll tell me is that B&K Cleaners will be overtaken by the Mob.
There's a before picture on Flickr where you can see the flying bagel in all its glory.
While I could complain about my sporadic access to hot water this week or the lack of power on my block for twelve hours this weekend, we all know there are more pressing concerns in the world. This week the country's oil issues hit close to home when a 810-foot-long container ship hit the Bay Bridge releasing 58,000 gallons of oil into the bay.
The area has been blanketed in a thick fog for a couple of weeks but this is typical weather here at 8:30 in the morning. No other ships in recent history have rammed into the bridge and investigations into the incident are ongoing. The Coast Guard is blaming the ship's pilot; the pilot is saying that the Guard gave him the okay. We'll probably be hearing about the case for months while it will take volunteers even longer to clean up the area.
The oil spill has already impacted the Bay Area. A triathlon on Treasure Island today became a biathlon as the swimming portion was canceled. The start of the crab season has been delayed and sport fishing has been closed.
During my sojourn home, I read an interesting article in the New Yorker on Paul Watson who is the man behind the Sea Shepherd Conversation Society.
Raffi Khatchadourian paints Watson as a controversial environmentalist whose extreme tactics are not supported by other major environmental agencies. (Watson was kicked out of Greenpeace.) He and his crew of mostly unpaid volunteers seek out fishing ships in the world's oceans and impair the ships to prevent them from continuing to hunt and fish. This tactic also puts his crews in danger. In seeking out a Japanese whaling fleet, Watson's ailing ship the Farley Mowat set out "to end its days at sea as a battering ram in the service of marine life."
Depending on the interpretation of laws applied to the oceans, specifically the U.N. World Charter for Nature, Watson's activities are illegal.
No country regards ramming, disabling, or scuttling ships to be legal activities, and, except on rare occasions, even naval ships cannot lawfully interfere with foreign vessels on the high seas.
This has caused Watson's ships to be stripped of their flags by countries who did not support his actions. When the Farley lost its flag in Australia, Watson ran a Sea Shepard flag up the line and told his crew that they were "on a pirate ship."
While Watson is fighting the good fight and his concerns about illegal fishing of endangered oceanic animals is admiral, the actions he takes are questionable. Read Khatchadourian's full article online at newyorker.com.
Unlike the beloved Bert on Sesame Street, I've never been all warm and fuzzy about pigeons. I usually wear a look of disgust when I see someone feeding them. However, I've never had a desire to punt one into the endzone either.
Yesterday, I Twittered about a pigeon that was stuck in a contraption on top of the roof my south facing windows look out on (click for my POV). (By the way, the sound of a pigeon trying to escape from an aluminum bowl resembles nails on a chalkboard.) The pigeon was still there today and had a visitor who appeared to be laughing down at his doomed brethren (see sketch). This was starting to bother me a bit. I was concerned about the pigeon. Not knowing how long it takes for a pigeon to starve to death, I really did not want to struggle with that guilt for a long time, but I wasn't sure what to do.
In a bit of random Friday conversation at work, we ended up chatting about pigeons. My co-workers care as much as (if not more than) I do about not letting helpless things suffer. They demanded encouraged me to take action, and immediately, I was sent a phone number for the local SPCA.
I went on the roof to check on the pigeon before calling to confirm that the pigeon was alive. It was in the vent and trapped in the space below the inner dome with nothing to grab on to and not enough room to spread its wings.
I called a few numbers before I got to the right one. The only number that matters is 415 554-9405 which I suppose you can call for your animal rescuing needs in San Francisco. I didn't get the feeling the guys on the phone cared about the pigeon trapped on the roof, and I was feeling a bit silly about calling. However, a woman showed up a couple hours later in an official looking khaki uniform with a net ready to go into action. She seemed to care even about the lowly pigeon. Within a minute, the pigeon flew away. She said that pigeons usually nest in those spaces, but this pigeon was unable to get out. It doesn't say much about the intelligence of this particular pigeon.
This experience sadly was the most interesting episode of my week.
Although I've lived in San Francisco for almost 4 years, I have yet to get a California driver's license. This is not a problem since I don't own a car. However, it is annoying when the bartender has to take the extra time to locate the DOB on my Kansas license. "It's in the center," I tell them which really isn't of much help when staring at a small piece of plastic.
My birthday is approaching and thus my license is expiring. I considered not renewing or just getting a new Kansas license next time I was home, but I recently started using Zipcar.
Zipcar lets you reserve any of hundreds of cars parked around San Francisco for a few hours or a day for a modest fee. It's cheaper than renting a car, and you can't walk two blocks in the city without seeing a few Zipcars waiting for someone to drive them. It's really easy and all done online or through automated voicemail.
Now, I'm driving more and need to have a valid license, so I decided to head down to the DMV at 1377 Fell Street and get a California license.
First, schedule an appointment at the California DMV website. People looked at me enviously as I cut to the front of the line to collect my initial form. Besides the line cutting, my wait was minimal and my number was called within 10 minutes. (I still recommend bringing something to read or a crossword puzzle.)
Since I didn't drive to the DMV, I don't have any information on parking though there were several open spots on the Monday morning when I was there.
Not only did I need my passport (or birth certificate), but they also wanted to see my Kansas license. (They punched a hole in my license at the end which is highly annoying as it is my only proof of age until I receive my new license.) They also do not take credit cards, only cash, check, or debit cards. My fee was $27. I'd recommend bringing your own writing utensil as many of the chains on the counters no longer connected to pens. (Nothing is fill in the oval so no number 2 pencil is needed.)
The queue for pictures was long-ish but moved quickly as no one requested multiple shots.
The written test was 32 questions, and you can miss up to 6. (I missed 4.) The questions are annoying. Do you stop at a yellow light or wait for the signal change? What? It depends on your relative location to the intersection which is not clarified in the question. Fortunately, you can bone up on which way to turn your wheels when parked uphill by browsing the handbook or taking a sample tests on the website. The sample tests are loaded with questions related to trucks and trailers, but I didn't have any of those on my Class B test.
It takes 4-6 weeks to get the new license. Update: I received my new license in the mail within a week. In the meantime, I have to rely on my defaced Kansas license and a piece of paper.
Another update: Tickets are not available at any Amoeba store. Only by listening to KFOG or on the day of the show at Café Du Nord.
UPDATE: According to the Spoon mailing list, tickets will be given away. Here are the details:
...we'll be at Café Du Nord in San Francisco. You can win tickets by listening to KFOG and/or buying Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga at Amoeba (Berkeley) on 7/10. There will also be a small stash of tix sold at the door (for cheap) on the day of show. No advance tickets for this one. Rogue Wave opens.
Although I am not very excited by what I have heard of Spoon's new album, my curiosity is peaked by a show that was just announced for a week from Saturday. Here's what we do know:
KFOG Presents: SPOON There will be NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES for this show. All tickets will be sold day of show. Please continue to watch our website for further updates/details. Thank you!
Thank you, too, for managing to do nothing other than make me want to know more.
I'm not even sure if the show is at Cafe du Nord or the Swedish American Hall, but with tickets not being sold in advance, it means waiting in line more than once. Hmm. Saturday is my day off, but normal people also have that day off. Am I going to be able to get in? If the show is at Cafe du Nord, it will be packed with sweaty hipsters, but at Swedish American Hall there is seating and more space. (I saw Britt Daniel solo at Swedish American Hall, and it was awesome. (Read about that show.)
Even a mediocre Spoon album is better than 99% of everything else being released, so you should purchase Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga on July 10th when it is released.
While the rest of the world goes on about their lives, I'll be refreshing cafedunord.com every hour to find out more.
Ah, June is almost over which means that Pride is over and fireworks will soon be polluting the sky. The pomp and circumstance of Pride does not interest me, so my participation is limited to watching parades from the sidelines and going to see movies at the queer film festival, and Frameline 31 screens hundreds of films throughout the Bay Area for two weeks each June.
Itty Bitty Titty Committee was the closing night film I attended. Producer Andrea Sperling won the 2007 Frameline Award which was presented before the movie started with a far too long retrospective followed by a few speeches.
Sperling's wife, Jamie Babbit, is the director of Itty Bitty Titty Committee and was also in the audience to introduce the film. IBTC is a look at a feminist radical group fueled by a soundtrack of all your favorite Riot Grrrl bands. It's a fun film with some fantastical moments at the end that were only forgotten by the making out montage closing the film. If you don't take the film too seriously, it is easy to enjoy. The acting and production values are better than many films with bigger budgets. (Watch the trailer on YouTube.)
A few members of the cast and crew answered questions after the film, including Nicole Vicius, who played Sadie the worst-girlfriend-ever; Daniela Sea, who got the most applause, not for her character Calvin, but for her part on The L Word; and Guinevere Turner, who had a glorified cameo as a reporter. Babbit fielded most of the questions. One audience member was concerned about the excessive smoking by the characters in the film. There is a campaign to keep smoking out of the queer community that is building steam. I've seen posters on the sides of Muni buses in the city. Babbit, a non-smoker, said that the entire cast smoked which contributed, but smoking by twenty-something members of a radical group is not uncommon.
Audience Award Winner, Vier Minuten (Four Minutes), was the stand out of the three showings I attended at Frameline. A story of a piano teacher at a women's prison in Germany as she connects with a jailed prodigy. The film weaved glimpses of the present with Nazi activity in the same prison during WWII. The piano teacher was the common link between the two eras. It's a beautiful story about the relationship between these two very different women. I forgot to vote, so I'm really glad this film won the Audience Award.
The Look of Love was the title of the shorts program at the Roxie described as a "collection of shorts highlight[ing] the ups and downs of searching for love." The shorts ranged from okay to bad to awful. Licorice, Last Exit, Running Home, and Jo FM were the highlights.
It's always potluck when selecting films at Frameline. You have to purchase tickets in advance for most films, and usually, there is very little known about the film. I really happy with my choices this year, and I recommend both full-length features.
I finished reading The Kite Runner today. Khaled Hosseini's story starts with Amir's childhood in Afghanistan before the Taliban destroyed his homeland and chronicles his family's escape to San Francisco. The real heartbreak occurs when Amir faces his demons (literally through a far-fetched coincidence) when he goes back to Afghanistan as an adult to discover surprising truths and right his and his father's mistakes. Despite many grim scenes, the book ends on a hopeful note and is riveting throughout its nearly 400 pages.
Unfortunately, the book is being made into a movie. The filmmaker's decided other areas are more picturesque than the Fremont where Amir and his father live after moving to the US as scenes were filmed seemingly everywhere in the East Bay except Fremont.
From good to bad...I saw Because I Said So this afternoon. Mandy Moore is adorable but that's about all this movie had in the positive column. Lauren Graham was underused as were all the supporting cast (except Tom Everett Scott who was annoying as one of Moore's suiters). I wonder if there were originally subplots with the supporting cast. Most of these actors we watch weekly deliver on their own television shows, but in this movie, you barely even noticed them. I think Piper Perabo's ass got more screen time than she did.
Skip Because I Said So and see Catch and Release if you need to see a chickflick this weekend.
SFist: Other Things That Happened Today.
Kink.com did indeed buy the Armory at 14th and Mission to use for filming fetish porn. The Armory's architecture was inspired by Moorish castle architecture, and the directors at Kink.com were particularly excited by details like a "dungeon-like basement," the stone staircases, and a drill court that covers an acre.
Hee. This is a couple of blocks from my apartment. I used to walk by this place when I actually left my apartment during the day. (Ah, I miss those days!) The building is a really interesting structure, and I always wondered what it was used for. Now, I know it is going to be used to film porn. Fun!
The new cameras that are going to be installed on 16th & Mission will be able to film the porn stars during their commute.
The San Jose Sharks lost tonight, but Cheechoo and Thorton will be starting in the NHL all star game. I really know nothing about hockey, but I like to say Cheechoo.
Update: The Chron has published a story and pictures of the soon to be porn studio on Mission Street.
From the New York Times - San Franciscans Hurl Their Rage at Parking Patrol:
Burdened with one of the densest downtowns in the country and a Californian love for moving vehicles, San Franciscans have been shocked in recent months by crimes related to finding places to park, including an attack in September in which a young man was killed trying to defend a spot he had found.
This is why I do not want to own a car in this city. I probably spent less than $50 last year on transportion around the city. That includes several trips to the airport and the occassional cab ride.
You definitely do not need a car in the city. If you live in the Eastern peninsula, the T-Third Line will get you from point A to B. A result of the Third Street Light Rail Project, the T-Third Line runs up and down third street connecting Downtown to Monster Park. And starting on January 13th, you can ride on the weekends for free! Full service does not start until April 1st. Unfortunately, this new line doesn't really benefit me unless I become really lazy and would rather switch trains and ride an extra 15 minutes to walk 3 fewer blocks in SOMA.
The dream to provide wireless access to everyone in the city may actually happen. Mr. Mayor has signed an agreement with Google and Earthlink. Don't cancel your DSL or cable internet service though. The speeds are slow and the additional monthly fee for an upgrade isn't really worth it. The full details of the agreement are available here. Speed and security are the most obvious concerns for those of us that work and play online. It will be nice to not have to look for "Free Wi-Fi" signs before patronizing a coffeshop or bar, but I'm not giving up my home service.
The scientists are weighing in, trying to calm fears about the Big One.
HAYWARD FAULT / 3 recent temblors are usual activity.
"These three quakes are minor occurrences," said David Schwartz, a USGS geologist. "The fact they occurred within four days has to be looked at as random and coincidental." The quakes occurred in what experts called a "pocket" of the Hayward Fault that is prone to quakes. Although it is somewhat unusual to see three quakes in such quick succession, they said, it is not unheard of.
I've lived in San Francisco for over three years, and I've felt four quakes--three in the last week. Now, I can recognize the difference between an earthquake and someone slamming a door in my building.
The picture here was taken about 10 feet to the north of my apartment building. It is no secret that I have no digital camera. (My camera phone takes shitty pictures.) So when I find a picture of my neighborhood, I'm going to steal share it.
SFist: Where Have All the Fliers Gone?.
Where have all the fliers gone? Long time pasting. According to the story, there's some dude who has been taking it upon himself to clean up the neighborhood by going around and tearing off all the fliers and handbills that have been taped onto walls, barricades, and streetlights. The dude, Gideon Kramer, is backed up by both state and local laws banning the posting of fliers.
I have only seen a woman tearing down fliers and posters, but she could be one of Gideon's minions. I actually saw her today wearing navy sweatpants and an ugly red sweater vest. The polls will not stay bare for long.
Imagine if Sleater-Kinney and the White Stripes mated and produced a spinoff band. The teenaged "Sleater-Stripes" venture would resemble the Bay Area band, Two Seconds.
With drums and a guitar, Sierra Frost and Lily Faden put together thirteen songs on To Pass The Time from Popsmear Records. Call 'em pop bursts since all but two of the tracks clock in at under 2 minutes and are littered with lyrics overheard at the skating rink or lemonade stand. Nothing resembling Colin Meloy here, but it is fun and catchy and that's all that matters with a pop song.
Give these tracks a listen (a little higher quality than what you'll hear on their MySpace page) and look out for what happens on their next record.
Last time Britt Daniel played a solo show in San Francisco, I was still working overnights and disappointed that I would be unable to attend. The next time Spoon came through town, they played the overpriced Fillmore and there was no way I was going to go. Fortunately, Britt decided to grace us with his presence at the charming Swedish American Hall during Noise Pop.
Armed with a toy box filled beats, like the evening's earlier performer Laura Veirs, and an electric guitar, Britt charmed us all with messed up hair and a modest "I don't know if I can play that" persona. He did play that. He played "Fitted Shirt" during the encore, although reluctantly. It was a great rendition of a song I've loved since I first heard Girls Can Tell.
He went through the back catalogue hitting a few from Series of Sneaks and, my favorite Spoon album Kill the Moonlight, including "The Way We Get By" which is a great live song.
He also played a new song that has been circling the blogosphere since SXSW, "Make Me A Target" (mp3) which I've uploaded for you to sample.
Tonight, I will be seeing Jason Collett in the dungey little basement called Cafe du Nord.
Seattle's Laura Veirs took the stage at Swedish American Hall solo but with the help of some recorded beats and a loop pedal she created a macrame of sound that filled the large hall. At first, I was put off by her constant need to spend the last 2-3 minutes of a song building layers of vocals and guitars before a slow fade out, but by the end of her set, it was a really nice to see something other than a few chords strummed on an acoustic guitar.
Although I've spent many a night downstairs at Cafe du Nord, Thursday night's Noise Pop event with Britt Daniel headlining was my first time in the Swedish American Hall. The room is vast, in stark contrast to crowded basement venue below. And, the show was seated! The entire show was short--I was there little more than two hours--so standing would have been okay too.
Laura Veirs took advantage the crowd's orderly seating arrangement and walked through crowd while playing "Spelunking" and called for requests. (Silly me, I forgot to request "Rapture".)
Look for more on Britt Daniel's show tomorrow. It's been so long since I blogged, I thought I should spread the night out over two days worth of posts.
Last time Will Sheff stood behind the mic at Cafe du Nord, he had a sore throat but still ended up playing for almost an hour and a half with all of Okkervil River backing him up.
On Wednesday, a healthy Will stood alone on the tiny stage with an acoustic guitar, a set of harmonicas, and a keyboard. He kept thanking us for being there and seemed surprised by our applause, looking for our approval after each new song.
Although he played a lot of new songs which sounded great, the highlights were "No Key, No Plan" and a piano only version of "For Real" which was still as powerful as the album track.
He also played a few songs from the other band he plays a small part in, Shearwater.
Moving from the guitar to the keyboard, he was uncertain what song to play, changing is mind more than once. Deciding on a song, he stopped himself to warn us that the theme of the set was moving away from an "anti-Valentine's Day" feel to songs about decay.
The leader of a large band can sometimes flounder in the spotlight of the solo show, but Will Sheff embraced it and brought an enigmatic presence to the stage that was impossible not to watch.
If you haven't already, I highly recommend picking up Black Sheep Boy Appendix. Even though it is only an EP, the album contains some of the best songs from last year.
Continue reading "Will Sheff at Cafe du Nord on 08 Feb 2006" »
...but I probably couldn't afford to go see the Pretenders anyway.
brooklynvegan: The Pretenders & The Go-Go's | Tour Dates including:
Thu, 03/30/06 The Warfield - San Francisco, CA
I link to SFist.com constantly but that is because they are the source for local happenings in the Bay Area. It helps that they gave me free passes to see a movie at IndieFest last weekend.
Though after watching the screening of Lie With Me last Friday, I was glad that I didn't actually pay for my ticket. It wasn't a horrible film. At times, the cinematography painted beautiful colors on the screen but it felt like a porn film with more attractive actors.
Two people make eye-contact and have a non-verbal moment at party and for half of the movie their relationship is love at first sight without the messy dialogue. They stick to the sex until David's dying father starts making jokes prompting David and Leila to actually start talking.
The couple's parents are the only thing in the film giving the characters depth. It is hard to watch a film when you don't care about the characters even if you are given full nudity. (Seeing the characters naked does not make them three-dimensional!)
What you are left with is two pretty, yet damaged, people who will never be together because they are too fucked up and an audience who doesn't care what happens to them.
Lie With Me stars Eric Balfour and Lauren Lee Smith. Eric played Buffy's "potential friend" in the pilot of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". Lauren currently plays The Soup Chef on "The L Word".
IndieFest continues through Valentine's Day at various theatres in San Francisco. The preview for the Danielson: A Family Movie looked promising so I will probably try to catch it at the Roxie.
Last year, I saw Ted Leo and the Velvet Teen, discovered the Golden Republic, and was reminded why I didn't like Nada Surf.
San Francisco's Noise Pop 2006, as usual, proclaims itself better than ever and now with self-cleaning action! The website has finally appeared but is still skimpy on information.
Shows I'm likely to go to between March 28th and April 2nd:
Shows I might go to:
Tickets to most of the shows go on sale Sunday at 10AM. However, the schedule is still quite bare. A lot of the shows do not have more than an act listed at a venue per night. I hate to buy tickets to one show when something more appealing might appear later.
If you have never been to Cafe du Nord, you should know that the stage is very tiny. But all eight members of Margot & the Nuclear So & So's managed to squeeze onto the stage and match the brilliance of their debut album, The dust of retreat, during a forty minute opening set tonight.
The band is: Richard Edwards' rugged lead vocals underscored by the soft backing vocals from Emily Watkins who also plays the synth and rhodes organ. A cello and trumpet adding so much to the songs even though the instruments were quiet and not at the forefront of the sound. An electric guitar and bass guitar huddled in the corner but still managing to move around a bit. And two percussionists--one at a drum kit, another with a suitcase full of toys.
A highlight was "Broad ripple is burning" (mp3) which is not on their currently unavailable album, but I cut it from their WOXY.com Lounge Acts performance from 28 November 2005.
You can still download three tracks from an earlier post I wrote on the band. The album is going to be re-released in March, until then you will just have to try to catch them live in a city near you.
SFMOMA has started releasing "artcasts" for your listening pleasure. You no longer need to rent a tape machine with a headset from 1982 to listen to an "educational" lecture about the art you are viewing. The "artcasts" are released in monthly installments with additional podcasts for the main exhibits.
(I'm going to test this out when I go back to check out the Kiki Smith exhibit again this week.)
The much talked about Rogue Wave album, Descended Like Vultures, was one of the few discs on music blog end of the year lists that I had yet to purchase. 10:01 (download from Sub Pop) is a great track I've listened to on repeat but I hadn't been motivated to purchase the album until yesterday. An excess of credit at Amoeba led to multiple purchases. Besides Rogue Wave, I picked up the Birdmonster EP and four 7" (The Kills, Matson Jones, Mountain Goats, and Mclusky). Of course, I ended up spending more than my credit covered but I expected as much. After a few listens to each, I'm not disappointed with my purchases. Birdmonster is a San Francisco band I should be able to see live in the future and their EP has been pimped in more a few music blogs recently.
Taking the 33 from the Mission to Haight is always an experience. (Will the bus make that knife's edge turn onto Clayton or scrape against the cement wall?) Yesterday, a women across the aisle from me, who had been talking to numerous people I could not see, choose to pull out her crack pipe and smoke a bit in response to the mechanical voice declaring that "smoking is prohibited on all MUNI buses." Lovely. I got off at the next stop, not that it mattered, since I bounded down Haight where I inhaled second-hand weed smoke for several blocks.
If you are looking for a good falafel on Valencia, please try Ali Baba's Cave on 19th. Cheap and good. Other places try to charge you extra for hummus and potatoes but not Ali Baba's. Yummy.
One of the few (few) things I miss about the Midwest is thunder and lightning. After this weekend in San Francisco, I think I'll be able to go another year without witnessing a storm as strong as the one I'm currently watching outside my windows. If my lightning math is still good, the strikes are more than 5 miles away with distance increasing rapidly.
A great way to spend a stormy weekend is reading. After the initial lull of the first fifty pages, Micheal Crichton's State of Fear has hooked me in. It's all about global warming. Global warming can be intriguing and suspenseful! I'm a little surprised.
In local music news, Finest Dearest is a San Francisco band who just happens to be playing down the street from me at the Elbo Room tomorrow night. Pretty keyboard tinkling and cello make the sound a little dreary (great for the current weather) but Finest Dearest are indie pop reminiscent of That Dog or a female fronted K Records band. Visit their MySpace page for two tracks from the Pacemaker EP and two demo songs. I highly recommend "Idaho".
Rain is flooding the Bay Area but I made it to the Great American Music Hall to see Aberdeen City open for Rasputina.
Going to mid-size shows only to see the opening act is always a little disappointing. Aberdeen City's set was a little over a half hour with about 5 minutes devoted to technical difficulties when the drummer broke a microphone. Rob McCaffrey was playing drums with two broken fingers and food poisoning and still managed to bang the drums hard enough to break something. (Of course, Brad Parker (vocals, guitar/bass guitar) said Rob was playing through the pain. I try to refrain from putting too much stock in between song banter.) The band managed to put forth a strong set though with "God is going to get sick of me" being a highlight.
I look forward to these guys returning to the Bay Area and headlining Bottom of the Hill or the Independent in the near future.
If you haven't gotten a hold of their debut album, The Freezing Atlantic, you can listen to my favorite song off the album here:
Next, go buy the album here. The art for the band website and album is beautiful! Even the SFist likes them!
Change is good, I guess. I'm in the process of adjusting to a new schedule and environment and my focus has been blurry lately. Transition is my word of the week.
Aberdeen City is playing at the Great American Music Hall tomorrow and I will be there.
Matador Records has posted an mp3 from the new Belle & Sebastian album, The Life Pursuit. My interest in B&S has been peeked lately because I'm still reading their biography. An iTunes exclusive release of a live taping of the entire If You're Feeling Sinister album is going to be released soon. The new album will be available on February 7th. In the meantime, you can listen to the "Another Sunny Day" mp3 via Matador.
In local music news, Live 105 is hosting a local band competition at Cafe du Nord on the 7th of December. Minipop is one of the bands competing. It's a $7 show on a Wednesday, what else are you doing?
Any advice for adapting to working from home is appreciated.
Walking through Union Square today I had to avoid more than tourists. Security guards. Trailers. Catering vans. Wires. Will Smith has been filming a biopic in the city and the shoot literally blocked my path today. Pursuit of Happyness [sic] is also hiring extras locally.
However, you can't just hire anyone off the street to be in your movie.
A co-worker and I had a discussion on whether or not it was allowed to hire non-union actors for a movie. The gist of the SAG regulations say that a film production has to prove the non-SAG personal possess a unique skill that cannot be found in a union member. Ruling is determined on a case-by-case basis.
Update: Other reports indicate Tony Shalhoub's Monk has also been filming in the area recently.
I saw Jarhead last weekend. Go see it. There were some Donnie Darko moments with Jake Gyllenhaal looking directly into the camera.
My week has been pretty dull with work consuming all my time. I am getting better at playing dominoes while drinking though.
Next week Tina Majorino reappears on Veronica Mars. Office Space and Napoleon Dynamite are the oft quoted movies in my world right now. It almost makes me miss the days when my friends quoted Top Gun.
Tom Vek is playing Cafe du Nord on Monday.
Talk host's towering rant: S.F. not worth saving.
"You know, if I'm the president of the United States, I walk right into Union Square, I set up my little presidential podium and I say, 'Listen, citizens of San Francisco, if you vote against military recruiting, you're not going to get another nickel in federal funds,' " O'Reilly said Tuesday on his radio show as San Franciscans were approving the two measures. Perhaps, he didn't realize that he'd be speaking mostly to foreign tourists and suburbanites if he were standing in Union Square.
The article continues with O'Reilly encouraging terrorists to destroy Coit Tower which is a monument to firefighters.
A couple visiting Coit Tower commented on O'Reilly's remarks:
"The man is a sensationalist fool," said Paul Hickey, a 76-year-old visiting from Texas.
"He's irritating," said his wife, Judy Hickey, 67.
And they're from Texas.
Take a moment to scan the article for the political bickering which includes some humorous soundbites from both sides of the issue.
If you take a chance on any band in the new year, I recommend you listen long and hard to The Februarys.
For almost a year, I've been listening to the five tracks that were available for download on their now defunct website and eagerly awaiting the release of a full-length disc. Well, the wait is over...kind of.
The cd, The Brighter Side of Things, was released independently and from what I can tell is only available at their live gigs. The Vancouver guys have yet to leave British Columbia. Hopefully, they've been paying attention to what Clap Your Hands Say Yeah accomplished with internet sales and will post a paypal link when their new website debuts.
Until then, you can download three tracks from their MySpace page and here is one of my favorite songs from the first round of mp3s they made available:
Download Plight of the Artist.mp3 (4595.6K)
RIYL: The Killers. Do you remember Better Than Ezra?
Remember to vote on Tuesday! I'm tired of getting recorded calls on my cell from "Mark Leno" and "Matt Gonzalez" telling me to vote one way or the other. And my mailbox, which I only check once or twice a week, was full of colorful, political fliers yesterday. Last week, the mayor made a deal with major supermarket chains to limit the amount of plastic grocery bags in circulation but you send me 20 pieces of unnecessary mail!?! (Yes, I recycled the mail. And I bring my own canvas bag to the grocery store.)
In San Francisco, the air is damp and cool today with Twin Peaks hidden by fog and I have finally recovered from Friday night.
The rainy season has finally descended on San Francisco. I'm ready for dark mornings. Tall buildings draped in fog. Mist. Wearing a denim jacket and toque. Weather that fits my mood during the long work day.
The week has been a weird mix of too much work and staying too long at the hotel bar with co-workers after work. I haven't spent much time at home.
And the fun continues as Halloween weekend has filled my calendar. Friday night is No Limit Texas Hold 'Em. Last time I took home $49 dollars.
Don't know what I'm talking about? I learned how to play by watching Celebrity Poker Showdown. Phil Gordon knows what he is talking about.
I have an invite to a house party on Saturday. Unfortunately, I have no costumes in my possession so I might have to slap a "My Name Is...God" sticker on my jacket.
Last week, there was talk of a fund-raising costume party at counterPULSE on Sunday but further information is non-existent on the website.
Sunday might be my day of rest.
Other than Okkervil River, I've been listening to to old Belle & Sebastian while finally starting to focus on the band's biography, Just A Modern Rock Story. I also recently purchased the 33 1/3 book on Radiohead's Ok, Computer. (For frequent updates on the series, check out the 33 1/3 blog.)
As the bonus mp3, Belle & Sebastion's contribution to the Help: A Day In The Life album:
The Eighth Station of the Cross Kebab House.mp3 (5669.2K)
For a few bucks you can pick up the tracks by your favorite artists for a good cause, or you can get the whole album.
Will Sheff had strep throat when he was in San Francisco performing with his band Okkervil River on Sunday night. Will was fueled by steroids and lemons and made it through an hour long set plus another forty-plus minutes after the encore break. He kept saying that he'd rather play than be trapped on the tour bus. Fortunately, Will's voice is naturally rough so except for the one or two times he lost his voice completely there was little degradation of vocals.
The six band members traded places and instruments on the small Cafe du Nord stage. The trumpet player was amazing. Accordions are making a resurgence! I couldn't see the full stage until the crowd thinned out between sets but I was still too far back to see everything.
Having mainly been exposed to Okkervil River's most recent LP, Black Sheep Boy, I hadn't realized how alt-country/folk the band can sound. At times reminding me of Wilco. And with the storytelling lyrics, I thought of the Mountain Goats' John Darnielle.
If you have a chance to catch the tour (and I recommend you do), you can e-mail in your song requests. From the official website:
Also, we’re taking requests for this tour, and they can be sent to the e-mail address requests@jound.com. Sets are filling up fast, so send those requests in soon. If you can, though, try to limit them to one or two – we’ve been getting a few e-mails for, like, 15 songs.
I was able to pick up a copy of the Black Sheep Boy Appendix disc which is as good as the brilliant Black Sheep Boy. Jagjaguwar has an mp3 from the album available for download: "No Key No Plan"
Continue reading "Thursday is the new Monday, or er, the new Friday?" »
Parchman Farm (who I raved about previously) are on the cover of SF Weekly this week.
Here's a track from their s/t ep, which you can pick up from the Jackpine store.
I will be seeing Okkervil River tonight at Cafe du Nord. (I'll be late though due some sneaky viewing of an illegal musical theatre production...)
Radiohead is blogging the progress of recording their new album.
Ideally, every mid-sized music venue in San Francisco would have a blog. At the end of the night, a bartender or sound guy could go on-line to post a little anecdote or candid pic from the evening's events and the attendees of the show could fill the comments with their own experiences of the night. Most importantly, the kid(s) by the front of the stage who snagged the set list could post it, which would make me very happy. Hell, the band members could even post entries. Great American Music Hall and Slim's would be perfect venues to try nightly (er, early morning) blogging. GAMH and Slim's are some the best mid-size venues in the city, which feature some great indie talent almost every night of the week.
Although Tuesday night has come and gone, I would have read and commented on the proposed blog all day Wednesday. Slim's had Architecture In Helsinki; GAMH featured the double bill of the Hold Steady and the Constantines. Due to a hectic work week, I was only able to commit to the Constantines show, although I would have enjoyed hearing more about AIH and the Hold Steady shows.
The great thing about seeing a band live is determining who does what within the structure of the band. I hadn't realized the Constantines had two lead singers or that the bass player lacked the talent necessary to pull off the rock posturing he continuously displayed.
The set was strong mix of extended versions of older songs and tracks off the new album, which I've only listened to a few times since picking it up at the merch table.
They rocked. I rocked. "Nighttime Anytime It's Alright" is still one of my favorite songs. "Young Lions" is a treat live.
The opener, Tim Fite, was more spectacle than rock. He basically wore a powder-blue suit and stood behind a mic occasionally speaking/singing while text and video were displayed on the screen behind him. The "video Tim" played the guitar more than "3D Tim" while another guy wearing a matching suit hit the space-bar and turned some knobs.
Yes to music venue blogs. Yes to the Constantines. No to Tim Fite.
First, BART announces that it will run around the clock this weekend. And now there is a downloadable schedule for your iPod.
...if only MUNI would follow suit.
Not surprisingly, the New Pornographers' set started with "Twin Cinema" the title track of their current album and then proceeded to cover nearly their entire discography. (Disappointingly absent was "The Jessica Numbers.")
Background: A little over two years ago, I saw the New Pornographers at the Bottleneck, a small bar venue in Lawrence, Kansas.
The banter between Neko and Carl is always amusing. Rants about guitar straps. (My drunken mind wanted to yell: "Strap on!" Thankfully, I wasn't that drunk.) And thinking aloud, Neko asked the crowd: "Why do only girls like Journey?" Then discussion of Steve Perry ensued until someone in the crowd yelled: "Who's Steve Perry?" The youngest, newest member of the band, Kathryn Calder of Immaculate Machine, sat on an amp with a look that said "Who is Steve Perry?"
Todd Fancey impressed me with his lead guitar. Neko Case was beautiful as usual--her voice and her fishnet stockings. John Collins is stoic on bass guitar. Blaine Thurier is the guy friend you always want to hug. (And he played the tiny keyboard you blow in to--not unlike a bagpipe but tiny--which I have seen used by several bands lately. Does this device have a name?) Kathryn was a nice addition on keys and vocals, but I can't imagine her singing lead. Neko has incredible stage presence and voice to make you swoon. And there was a drummer, Kurt Dahle. I couldn't see him much but he sang on several songs too.
Dan Bejar stumbled out on to the stage several times throughout the evening. Always with beer. One time with a cigarette. As I said before, his voice lends itself well to the pop songs.
Bimbo's 365 has a curfew and Neko made sure they played right up to midnight by bringing the band out for two encores.
The best live show I've seen in a while. The crowd was great.
I'll admit that I'm a big fan of the free booze at The Job especially before I head to a music venue with over-priced drinks. And Nob Hill is much closer to North Beach than The Mission, so it seemed perfectly logical to sit in the bar for an hour between work and the New Pornographers show. Fortunately, my level of sobriety allowed me to deal with the security guard who started hassling me while I was playing games on my iPod in a calm manner. (Background info: I was also confronted by security at the Stars show also at Bimbo's. I was not so accommodating during the encounter.) Note to Bimbo's Security: If I was adjusting a recording device, I would (1) not be obvious about it and (2) not stand at the stage. I've never recorded a show before and even I know better than to stand at the stage where the sound is not optimal for recording. (This is true. The sound in my little corner of the stage was not great that night.) He had me check my bag but he let me keep my cell phone, which unlike my iPod, I can actually record images and video.
The New Pornographers and Friends night at Bimbo's 365! Part One.
The night began with Immaculate Machine who are another one of the many Canadian bands produced by John Collins & Dave Carswell. (The New Pornographers and Tegan & Sara are also best friends with JC/DC.) Three part harmonies? The combination of electric guitar, keyboards, and drums? I wasn't blown away by their set. Their Mint Records debut, Ones and Zeros, is fun, Canadian pop, but no one does Canadian pop better than The New Pornographers. Expectations are set too high for anyone else to match. The set ended with "So Cynical" a song I not only remembered but really enjoyed. As this young band matures, I predict they'll release one or two brilliant tracks but never have a solid album.
Dan Bejar is Destroyer. He played with John Collins and the New Pornographers' drummer. Destroyer is definitely an acquired taste. He has a unique vocal style, which is a nice accent to The New Pornographers' songs but can be overwhelming with other sounds. He released an ep of songs which he recorded with Frog Eyes,
Notorious Lightning And Other Works, which I really like so I was interested in hearing more from him but was disappointed Tuesday night.
Author's note one: I will post about the rest of the night later today. I even found a setlist.
Author's note two: I did not make it to the Thee More Shallows show last Saturday.
It's Friday and I'm not doing anything. Two jobs makes for a long work week so I appreciate having the night off.
Next week will be busy. The New Pornographers on Tuesday at Bimbo's 365. The Fiery Furnaces on Friday at my new favorite SF venue, Cafe du Nord. Plus the usual sixty hours of work.
This week's highlights are few and far between.
The SFist rants about the BART/MUNI commuters on escalators. I'm always rushing around the city for no reason other than the need to move, so I loathe the bottleneck at the Powell street escalators. Unable to determine the volume of my voice over "Time Running" coursing through my ears, I will first whisper "Excuse me." A second later, I will repeat the phrase with a bit of urgency and louder. Occasionally, I will raise my voice without concern for volume. Please stand to the right and walk on the left. Please don't make me shout at you.
Advertising along Valencia has become more amusing. The billboard above Zeitgeist for Nicolas Cage's new movie, Lord of War, now features the current President's face. And I'm tired of seeing Elijah Wood every other block on posters for two different movies. (In less than a day, his face is usually adorned with a mustache and devil horns.) In junior high, I had a crush on Elijah Wood. (Did you see Paradise?) But I find his post-hobbit movie roles annoying.
If you haven't already, please take a listen to DeVotchKa. I heard their set on one of KEXP's live podcasts and immediately fell for their sound. Segue appropriate comment: DeVotchKa's song, "How it Ends," plays throughout the trailer for the new Elijah Wood movie Everything Is Illuminated based on the book I have yet to read.
I'm hitting Hotel Utah tomorrow for the Thee More Shallows show.
Updated with setlists for all bands.
After waiting in line behind an asshole who provoked the homeless for his own amusement. After being searched. I entered the Warfield[1] for the first time. It is a beautiful venue. But far larger a space than I like to see a rock show.
Opening up was the Bell Orchestre, an instrumental band featuring members of Arcade Fire. The opening song was great with more than a little resemblance to the Arcade Fire sound. Sarah Neufeld is energetic on the violin bouncing all over the stage for both the Bell Orchestre and Arcade Fire sets. Trumpet. French Horn. Drum kit. Upright bass. The songs varied from sonic bliss to sonic mush with the drums taking over at times. Fortunately, the cd doesn't disappoint. Recording A Tape The Colour Of The Light won't be officially released in the US until November but I picked it up at the show.
Ah, Wolf Parade. I can't wait to see them in a smaller venue. A nice set but they couldn't fill the room. (Unlike, Arcade Fire who had no problem possessing the entire venue.) The songs I loved were played a little faster than on the EPs, with "I'll Believe in Anything" outracing my ability to lip-synch along. A few songs I didn't recognize, but loved, which makes me long even more for the full length release in a couple of weeks.
Starting with "Wake Up", Arcade Fire took over the stage and the entire venue for the next hour and a half. (And Owen Pallet was there on stage right playing his violin with Sarah!) With the exception of a few comments from Win Butler about how grateful he was to be playing in front of an appreciative audience instead of "30 people in the pit on cell phones", there was little banter. From my bird's eye view, I could see the supporting cast laughing and teasing each other in the background. It was fun. Regine played drums for a few songs. Everyone traded instruments.
After some sound trouble to begin the encore, the group nailed "Tunnels" with so much force I was speechless, which was good prep for the more Funeral-esqe closer "In the backseat". At the end, Win and Owen fell into the crowd and disappeared. But as I made my way back out on to Market Street to catch BART back to the Mission, I found a huge crowd surrounding Win and Owen who were still playing acoustic guitar and bells respectively. How incredible!
There is nothing original about Parchman Farm's sound if you are fan of music from the late '60s through the early '70s. But in Parchman Farm's case it doesn't matter. The four members of the band walked on the tiny Independent stage and ripped through four songs in thirty minutes. The pauses between songs were short. The songs were long. And they never said a word to the crowd but I was hooked.
Drum kit. Bass guitar. Male lead singer. And impressive female back up vocalist on lead guitar.
The songs start and end with the guitars battling for control of the sound. The percussion fills the room before the vocals guide us on the stoner's journey. And the fuzz of the guitars lead it home.
Black Mountain drew an impressive crowd on Sunday night. The Vancouver collective played an hour long set with a fifteen minute encore. The only thing missing was the saxophone that is prevalent on a few songs on their self-titled release from Jagjaguwar records. All but one of the five players on stage had a mike. I wonder if the keyboard/synth/knob-turner felt left out. The harmonies were great though. Drums, bass guitar, male vocalist on lead guitar, and female vocalist with the tambourine and shaker up her sleeve. Great stage presence. Again, not much with audience conversation. Banter is a necessary treat for long time fans, but with bands I'm less familiar with, I like to focus on the music.
All and all the night fucking rocked.
Here's what's on my plate this week (other than work):
Two (two!) Tegan & Sara shows. Wednesday and Thursday. At Great American Music Hall, my second favorite SF venue. The sound leaves something to be desired, but it's a beautiful space. Plus, the floor is large and entirely flat, so if you don't stand at the base of the stage or hang over the edge of the balcony, you are only going to see the back of some tall, skinny indie boy's head.
I probably won't review these shows simply because I know a kid who will be far more detailed than I so I'll post the link(s) on Friday, or, probably Saturday.
Having seen Tegan & Sara several times (thrice in the past 10 months), I'm more excited about seeing Every Move A Picture at Cafe du Nord on Friday. A local SF band, they're starting to get noticed. (If noticed means songs played in the background on WB shows, noticed.) Their Morning Becomes Eclectic set is available as a podcast from KCRW.org. Their sound reminds me of so many bands that I can't narrow it down to one (or even two). It's synth heavy, hook-y pop-rock. Obviously, I'll know more on Saturday.
Pinch me if I don't post anything by Sunday.
As the author is easily distracted, this blog does not have a clear purpose. Topics range from music to San Francisco to hockey. To know exactly what I am up to now, you can follow me on FriendFeed. Any pictures I've taken will be available on Flickr. More information is available in the FAQ.
email: jen (at) lostingrovont (dot) com
View blog the Archives.
