Thank god I just got paid a few days ago, because tomorrow's Record Store Day! Riding down market street last week, I couldn't help but notice the sad site that is the Virgin Mega Store. Not that I've ever even stepped foot in Virg Meg, but it's still quite sad to see record stores (even megastores) shutting down all across the country. Outside the store was a young lad with a double-sided sign declaring not that God loves you but that there's still hope - in the form of Rasputin. SAD. Now it's your turn to get out there and support the stores that are still thriving (or hanging on as the case may be). Not sure what's going down at Aquarius, but there will be some in-stores at Amoeba. Go spend that $ that's burning a hole in your wallet!
This little lady is finally bidding adieu to casa de shag (carpeting). Page street has been my home sweet home for almost five years, but a change was definitely in order. I had the talk with my AMAZING roommate Mona last night and it was pretty heart wrenching. She's seen all of my sides, been there for me through heartaches, put up with a LOT (moving in a boyfriend, weekend long benders) and never complained. She even put up with my cheesy decor and constant need to burn incense. We were the perfect fit for each other and I think in all of the years together we maybe got in two fights, of which last two seconds. Part of me thought we were going to grow old together and turn into crazy cat ladies that sat around eating frosting out of a jar.
I wasn't really looking for a new place, but the opportunity came up and I couldn't let it pass me by. I'll finally be able to have my herb garden and a real one this time. Not just a few dying plants lined up in my fire escape. I also hear that our upstairs neighbor has quite the green thumb, so I can't wait to put my gardening skilz to use.
Great things about my new roomy Shane - he owns guns, has an adorable cat and brings his own beer cozy's to bars. How can you go wrong with someone like that? I just hope he doesn't hate my taste in tunes...
I don't typically venture outside of my apartment for Valentine's Day (or many other "holidays" for that matter), but this year might be a different story. My favorite little dive bar in the TL will host a release party for San Francisco Noir 2: The Classics.
Authors from San Francisco Noir, Volumes One and Two will read selections from their works and the works of noir masters of the past. With Noir City behind me I'm still not ready to let the dream die. I can't think of a better way to spend Valentine's Day!
Hey kiddies: If you haven't escaped SF yet for the holidays, then come on out to my happy hour DJ night at the Casanova Lounge tomorrow. Julie and I will be on the decks until 9. Raquelle's preparing some special holiday drinks (I'm hoping for spiced cider) and I hear the mustache charity boys will be showing off their 'staches. Hope to see you there!
Date autism has struck me once again. Last night my buddy Andrew and I attempted to go see the Monks documentary The Transatlantic Feedback at the Red Vic. We had a beer next door and arrived a few minutes late. A preview for a documentary on Nerdcore began.
Unknown to Andrew and I, this is a burgeoning Hip Hop movement. Five minutes passed, ten....this preview seemed to go on FOREVER. Why so many Weird Al sound bites? After fifteen or so minutes we both began to wonder if this really was a preview. Being a wuss, I forced Andrew to go ask the Red Vic crew. So apparently the Monk's run ended on Monday night. Needless to say, we didn't stay and learn all about Nerdcore.
I guess I'll just have to wait and watch this on Netflix :(
Speaking of missed events, I didn't make it out to the Sir Richard Bishop show at Du Nord a few weeks back (or the Aquarius in-store), but luck is on my side this time around. There's going to be a live taping of interviews with Sir Richard Bishop and Jello Biafra this evening for the VBS.TV station. Ian Svenonius (Nation of Ulysses) hosts the Soft Focus program, which previous episodes have featured interviews with the eyeball licker himself Calvin Johnson, Billy Childish, Ian Mackaye and many more. Hopefully I can haul on out to North Beach in time.
Later in the evening there's a post-interview after party at which Ian Svenonius and Jesse Pearson (Vice) will be spinning records at the Hemlock Tavern.
I had a blast at the Frisco Freakout yesterday. Thanks to Rich and Ripley for organizing such an awesome event. http://friscofreakout.com/ Pretty much my dream lineup: Assemble Head In Sunburst Sound, Grey Ashley, Wooden Shjips, Sleepy Sun, Crystal Antlers, Earthless and an onslaught of others. I got a chance to get my Earthless noodeling fix on. Crystal Antlers were amazing. Then again I'm always a sucker for bands with multiple drummers. The highlight of the day/night for me though were definitely SF's own Sleepy Sun.
That's right, my little Georgie, aka George Saunders returns to our fare city on October 6th. A few months back he did a book signing for his first non-fiction collection, The Braindead Megaphone at Booksmith. I had all of these intelligent questions and witty comments saved up, but when it came my turn to say hello, I drew a blank. I was suddenly a teenager and meeting my favorite band for the first time. He asked where I was from. I managed to mutter the city of Seattle. After several awkward pauses I told him this was my first book signing. Then I amended that statement.
"Well, not really. I attempted to meet Leonard Cohen during his book tour a few years ago, but I gave up when the line was too long."
He replied with, "thankfully for you I'm not nearly as cool as Leonard Cohen."
