— By Alan Fineberg |
I heard Barry was eating at flour & water, then got the tip and stopped by Zeitgeist where I was barely able to snap this photo (Secret Service dudes are no joke!). Bartenders were dicks and make a crack about showing his birth certificate. Twitter has the latest on his sensational SF exploits.
— By Jon Skulski |
It’s a rainy day. Heavy and gray. There’s the Mixtape Society today. You had fun at the last one. You don’t feel like going today, though. You go anyway.
Then, you bundle up like a puddleduck. You walk, smoking wet cigarettes, towards the Makeout Room. It’s quiet but cars slosh through the streets. Doppler effect. Low to high to low pitched sloshing.
Then, you walk into the bar and take off your hood. It’s dark inside the bar. It's bright outside.
Then, you order a beer. You talk to the other people. They don't have beers. You finish yours and order another. You start to smile a lot.
Then, you play kind of a Secret Santa where everyone swaps tapes. You’re called to the stage. You stand in front of everyone. You feel awkward. You give your CD/tape to someone else. Then someone comes and gives you a tape. Everyone swaps emotions.
Then, you meet a cute girl. You ask her about the tape she got. You think it is going well. You say something strange. She goes home. You won’t see her again. You see a friend you don't see very often. You think it's nice to see her. The room clears out. The event's over.
Then, a music nerd from Berkeley shows up late. He is really disappointed that he missed it. You feel bad for him. You trade him your mixtape you received for his so he can still play. You make him promise to come earlier next time.
Then, weeks later you remember you have a tape and listen to it at a dinner party. It’s really good.
The San Francisco Mixtape Society is having their fifth event this Sunday the 20th at the Makeout Room. It starts at 4pm. Bring a mixtape or CD, get a day buzz and debate the various merits of Jeff Mangum with other music snobs.
— By Kevin Montgomery (@kevinmonty) |
Noise Pop is bringing the Culture Club to Public Works next weekend, which provides us San Franciscans with a rare opportunity to interact with creative legends and doodle while Kid Koala DJs, and we have some tickets to throw at the broke and hopeless:
The Culture Club brings together creative individuals from the community and beyond to participate in a series of exciting presentations on independent culture in its many forms. In addition to the talks there are plenty of hands on experiences and opportunities for participants to delve into their personal creativity. Pop ‘n’ Shop, our local designer fair, will also be a part of this very special weekend.
Confirmed Speakers and organizations include:
Kid Koala, No Age, Nick Zinner (Yeah Yeah Yeahs), DJ Nickodemus, John Wesley Harding, Flavorpill, Isotope Comics, Cinemasports, The Masses, Rebar, Jason Jagel, Yak Films, Turf Feinz and many more.
To score a ticket for you and your buddy, let us know in the comments why you deserve the pair. Or you can just buy yourself a ticket for Saturday (Sunday is free!).
— By Zach Perkins |
TONIGHT: Heart Breaker's Ball w/ Cambo & The Life and Monophonics (Rickshaw Stop, SF): The “Two Best Bands Not Playing Noise Pop” are playing tonight at 9pm at Rickshaw. Both bands are local, and giving away CDs to the first 150 people there. $10 advanced, $12 at the door. Show starts at 9pm.
SATURDAY: A Llama Walking Tour ('Secret' location in Berkeley): Sheep are totes 2k10. Llamas are gonna be huge in 2k11. Plus it's super exclusive (limited to 20 people) and the location is secret. So alt. Cost is free. Link for more details and contact info. Chicks love llamas, amirite?
SUNDAY: Pop-Up Dildo Shop & Ice Cream Social (Fifty 24 SF Gallery, San Francisco): Dildos go better with ice cream. Free 'mini vibrators' to the first 25 people. Free ice cream if you bring batteries to recycle (preferably batteries you used in a sex toy, I assume). There's also a vague promise of free PBR. Over all, a whole lot of free in the lower haight; 3pm to 5pm. Link.
ALSO SUNDAY: Hoodslam FML: This is Real [A Love Story] (Victory Warehouse, Oakland): BIRDS WILL FALL! And blood will likely be spilt in the first Hoodslam bout of 2011. Oakland's only 420 friendly BYOB pro-wrestling event is back with comedy standup performances and sideshow freaks. $6 cover, starts at 6pm. Ridiculous amounts of hilarious information here.
— By Kevin Montgomery (@kevinmonty) |
In what would seem like an “only in San Francisco” phenomenom (but strangely isn't), a caffeinated bastardization of the pub crawl is coming to the Tenderloin this Saturday. Now, I'm not much of a caffeine person (Four Loko, Sparks, rum n' coke, jack n' coke, Tilt, Joose, Jagerbomb, vodka Red Bull, Irish Coffee, and a shot of Jameson n' line of Adderall aside), but I'd have to imagine that drinking 6 cups of coffee within a couple of hours would turn you into a human Shake Weight. That said, if you want to hang out in the Tenderloin and get to the point that you physically cannot read the menu at Golden Era anymore, might I suggest heading to Farm:Table this Saturday afternoon.
(More info. via Bikes and the City)
— By Kate Horton |
This Friday, Aristocrats in San Jose will be hosting the opening reception for notorious Bay Area street artist Girafa's new exhibit Black Is The New Yellow. Make the trek to SJ for art, booze, & cool kids, as well as the release of a limited edition Aristocrats & Girafa collaboration shirt. Rumor is the man himself will also be there.
— By Jon Skulski |
Laughing is a way better drug than whatever you're railing.
The San Francisco comedy scene is small and tight. A couple of times a year it expands, welcoming some special guests [obvious vagina references removed by editor.] Kicked off on the 13th, the month long San Francisco Sketchfest is happening right now. It is a golden opportunity to go laugh at something other than your drunken friends' failed triple piggy back ride.
You can checkout the full schedule right here, but a couple of shows that I can recommend:
1/17 - 10 Year Reunion Show w/ Kasper Hauser
1/19 - Kasper Hauser: Time Machine
1/20-1/23 - Mike Birbiglia
1/20 - RiffTrax Presents Night of the Shorts
1/21 - WTF with Marc Maron
1/22 - The Sound of Young America Live
1/29 - Whose Live Anyway (for those of you who like safe comedy)
And if you you're in the Mission, the Dark Room has shows every Thursday thru Sunday as part of the fest. They're small, intimate shows like a baptismal or lap dance.
Sketch comedy isn't just for personal enjoyment, either. It provides a service to the community. For example, The Midnight Show out of LA has a practical solution for your pet related fears:
So, stop being boring and go see some live comedy. It's festivals like these that make SF feel like a big boy city. Your $1 PBRs will still be at the bar when you're done.
— By Uptown Almanac (@uptownalmanac) |
Unfortunately, Uptown Almanac has publishing for an entire year now. Therefore, we're going to enjoy a beer or two to mark the occasion. As you might imagine, it's going to be a traumatic experience for all in attendance.
If a festivity such as this appeals to you, show up to Bender's Bar & Grill THIS Thursday, Jan. 13th at 9pm.
Important details:
Can't wait to see you there!
(Also, there is a Facebook thingy for those of you into that sorta thing)
— By Kevin Montgomery (@kevinmonty) |
Scene from the first SF Bike Party Ride in December 2010, via Bikes and the City
After years of unexpected jealously towards our neighbors in San Jose and Oakland, San Francisco finally has its very own monthly Bike Party. The party is much like Critical Mass in which it is a regularly-scheduled group ride (second first Friday of every month) that everyone is welcome to attend. However, they eschew many of Critical Mass's more anarchic and, ahem, controversial practices: no riding in the left lane, stop at all lights, no splitting up the group, ride predetermined routes, and ride past all conflict. But perhaps best of all, every month has a party theme, such as zombies and pizza sandwiches. Yes, pizza sandwiches. And while Critical Mass will always be king thanks to its pioneering legacy and spontaneous parking garage acrobatics, it's always nice to see an upstart bicycle dance party rolling through the city giving us a second group ride fix every month.
If you want to check out this inaugural 2011 ride, head over to the Willie Mays Gate at Giants Stadium this Friday at 7:30.
— By Kevin Montgomery (@kevinmonty) |
I know we're a little late on this news, but Valencia Street mainstay Pauline's Pizza is celebrating their 25th birthday tonight. So, if you RSVP [call (415) 552-2050] in the next hour or so, you'll be able to, for one night, relive those glory days in college in which you subsisted off of free pizza you scored at club meetings and events. Go get it.