Bluegrass Vs. Crowds

It's my favorite time of year - Hardly Strictly time!! I am grappling with whether or not I have it in my to brave the crowds both days. I spent last weekend in the park as well...so still undecided on whether I'm going to check out both days of the festival. Last year I had the sweet friends and family hookup, but seeing as that's not happening this year I'm just going to have to brave the crowds like a commoner. Ugh.

Sat or Sun? Tough choice. On Saturday, there's Gillian Welch and Steve Earle (who I love seeing every year), Nicke Lowe, Old 97s and Richie Havens. Sunday's lineup includes Emmylou, The Knitters, Marianne Faithfull, Aimee Mann, Dr. Dog and Neko Case. Still on the fence. Help me decide!

http://www.strictlybluegrass.com/

This just in from papa bear, "Yes, I remember the Bluegrass festival, and the drugged out zombies that had the pit bulls, etc. Be careful … not everyone is a nice person! Watch out for thieves and pickpockets too." I love my dad.

The Expo for Independent Arts 10th Anniversary!

Hola kiddies. It's been quite some time since I've updated this here blog, so my apologies. Work is crazy as always, and let's face it - when you stare at a computer screen for 10 hours a day you don't quite like to continue that in your free time. At least I don't. Give me a book over a computer screen any day. Along those same lines, since moving in with Shane we have bid adieu to television altogether. While that's nothing unfamiliar to me, I have to say that living without baseball was quite a shock to my system. I don't miss much else (OK - maybe Mad Men), but having to pay $ to sit in a bar to watch my baseball was none too enjoyable. We shall see how long this lasts.

This is going to be a busy weekend. Hoping to make it to the Big Book Sale after work, but if that doesn't happen it will just have to wait 'til Sunday. I am going to *try* and limit myself to spending no more than $100. RRRRRIIIGGGHT.

Tomorrow is the 10th annual Independent Arts & Media Expo - happening this time around in golden gate park. Even if juggling and swing dancing isn't your thing, the expo is going to be jam-backed with exhibitors ranging from Alternative Tentacles Records to The Women's Audio Mission. This is Arts & Media's largest fund-raising event of the year, so get on out and support them dammit!



Did I mention that tour de fat is also happening in the park tomorrow? Hop on your bike, have a few beers and then peruse the expo. Not a bad afternoon if you ask me.



Lastly, leaving you with my favorite flickr set of the week (thanks MeFi).

Pop Songs Your New Boyfriend's Too Stupid to Know About

I think this will be the first Memorial Day weekend since I was a teenager in which I won't be taking off for the mountains. Seems a little strange - I must admit. I did receive a last minute invite to join some of my lady friends for relaxing along the Yuba River, but I politely declined. That's not to say that I wouldn't love to spend 8 hours in my river rat with a beer in my hand, but I'm actually really looking forward to an abandoned San Francisco. I feel the same around Christmas time. There's something quite enjoyable about wandering through what are typically crowded streets. Also - it will give me a good chance to tackle some of the house projects I've got lined up without my usual distractions. Time to paint my hideous kitchen cabinets and do some serious weeding in my new backyard.

I will however still go out - because lord knows I will go stir crazy if I don't see my fair share of live music. I'm in luck this weekend, because turns out there's a Popfest going on. I don't normally dig on all things bubblegum or twee, but there's defintely a special place in my heart for the band Tullycraft. The super twee group, which hails from my hometown will be at the Rickshaw on Saturday night as part of SF Popfest.




SF Popfest


Rumor has it this is going to be Tullycraft's last live performance. I've heard bands say that before. While I don't believe that for a second, it has been about 10 years since I've seen the band. I received many a mix tapes in high school which were chock full of Tullycraft gems. My favorites were always "Sweet," "Superboy & Supergirl" and of course - "Pop Songs You're New Boyfriend's Too Stupid to Know About." I can't wait to TOTALLY nerd out!

Pop Songs

More Noir Means Happy Lizy

I had a chance to check out more noir at last night's screening of The Story of Molly X, which is part of a B Noir series going on this week and next at the Roxie. It was my first time at the Roxie (which I thought was strange), but turns out that while the seats aren't so comfy and the screen is tiny, the popcorn's cheap.

I WAKE UP DREAMING: The Haunted World of the B Film Noir

And here I thought I had to wait til the return of Noir City! A former Roxie staff member, Elliot Lavine recently finished a book on television and film noir titled TV NOIR: I WAKE UP DREAMING and to celebrate his soon to be published novel on the topic he was invited to curate the series.


Seems as though I'll be taking a break from baseball this week.

Last night's movie had all the right ingredients for me. A female crime boss. Check. Prison fight scenes. Check. Charles McGraw (albeit a very minor role). Check. San Francisco in general (I'm a sucker for all things local). Check.

In the film, the widow of a murdered crime boss decides to rally her former hubby's henchmen to form a gang of her own in San Francisco. Once out west, a jewelry heist doesn't go according to plan and "Molly X," gets locked up and shipped off to a woman's prison.

While the film left a lot to be desired there were some fantastic shots of San Francisco and an amazingly hilarious prison-yard fight scene. The moral of this story - apparently women can be 'reformed' with just the right amount of sewing lessons!

The boys and and I didn't stick around for the double feature, as we opted to hop across the street to get our drink on, but you can bet I'll be back this week for more. Lavine said there were a lot of films he wanted to include, but couldn't squeeze into the series...so we can expect more noir nights to come. I love it.

Bring on the Noise

Just found out about a fun noise show happening on Friday. Wolf Eyes, Black Dice and Sic Alps. Time to have my face melted off. I haven't seen Black Dice or Wolf Eyes in years....it will be like I'm at a Boston house show all over again, but this time in some SOMA warehouse. I didn't end up making it to the Mayyors show last weeked in Davis, so now's my chance to act like a kid (err - aging spazz).



Friday, May 29th
OCD Warehouse
758 Natoma (@ 9TH)

5 Dollar Cover

I just got word from one of my labels that a new MTV faux-reality show set in Memphis, TN will center around young struggling musicians trying to make a go of it. Via MTV - "$5 Cover is a rough-and-tumble show set in the clubs, bars, and all-night cafes of present-day Memphis. The series follows a cast of young musicians as they fight for love, inspiration, and money to pay the rent."

The promo for the series features Jack Oblivian and as it turns out he, along with Harlan T Bobo will be among the cast members. WTF. I don't know if I think this is amazing or super creepy. Maybe a little of both. Check out all the Hi-Tone shots (and Goner T-shirts) in the promo video below.

MTV Shows

http://www.mtv.com/fivedollarcover/
http://blog.fivedollarcover.com/

The series premieres tomorrow night. While I have been rather consumed with baseball as of late, I might actually have to check this out.

Gonerfest for the masses? WEIRD

Book Nerd Time

I don't tend to have much free time at work (or anytime for that matter), but with the little spare time that I do have I always make time to check out Moistworks. The contributors to the blog are all writers and their posts always tie in music.

A frequent contributor to the site is author, music critic and New Yorker editor - Ben Greenman. I just picked up his latest book yesterday, Please Step Back, which Booksmith describes as "a swirling Sixties saga of the rise and fall of Rock Foxx, whose unprecedented mixed-race/mixed gender band makes socially conscious music that takes him to the height of worldwide rock stardom. But then his music begins to darken and disappear amidst rumors of sexual debauchery and drugs and violence, even as the culture itself explodes into assassinations and riots until people ask themselves: Whatever happened to Rock Foxx?"



OOOO - I can't wait to delve into this book tonight. Greenman will also be in the city tomorrow and Friday to discuss the novel. Now I can add to my Booksmith author card collection. Sorry Georgie. You won't be flying solo any longer.

4/30: The Booksmith, San Francisco (in conversation with Oscar Villalon)
5/1: Books Inc., San Francisco (in conversation with Joel Selvin)


The Rock Foxx character in Please Step Back is fictional, but also factual, based on such stars as Sly Stone, Bobby Womack, and Curtis Mayfield.

Greenman claims the novel is supposed to come with a special bonus song with lyrics he's penned and music written by the funk legend Swamp Dogg, who also performs the track. I opened the book and to my dismay there was no Swamp Dogg track. What gives?!

Maybe at the event the author will perform the song? Just to tide ya'll over, here's one of my all-time favorite Swamp Dogg jams - The Baby Is Mine. Enjoy and I'll see you tomorrow at The Booksmith!

The Baby Is Mine - Swamp Dogg

Record Store Day

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!

Record Store Day

Big News

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...

My Kinda Valentine's Day

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.

For more info on the event check out:

Valentine's Day Noir

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!

DJ gig

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: WTF is Nerdcore?

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.


The Monks



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.

Soft Focus

This is an RSVP only event, so if it's not to late, go get yrself on the list:


RSVP Here



Cobbs
915 Columbus Avenue
6:30-10:00

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.

Should be a fun night.

Frisco Freakout!

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.

On the band's site you can download their Embrace album! http://sleepysun.net/

Apparently Rocktober is in full swing. After Treasure Island, Hardly Strictly and the Frisco Freakout dare I say I'm showed out?

My Georgie

I just found out that my favorite (living) author will be giving a lecture as part of the City Arts and Lecture series.

City Arts

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."

This time I'm keeping my mouth shut.

New Job

Hey kiddies: I know it’s been a long time since I’ve updated this little here blog and there’s a reason for that. This lady’s now a contributing member of society again! I am SO glad I didn’t have to move to la la land. I’m not quite ready to leave the bay area just yet. While I do have grandeur plans of getting into music supervision, doing label relations again isn’t too shabby.

My new home is at IODA – a digital distribution company based in SF (and also a major competitor of my former employer DRA). I couldn’t be more psyched about the company as a whole and my new co-workers. It’s always a good sign when you see your boss nerding out at a Built to Spill show during your first week of work.

Speaking of shows...man do I wish I was in upstate NY right now for All Tomorrow’s Party. ATP
Such an AMAZING lineup this year. I just called my buddy Nash who’s in Wooden Shjips to express my jealousy and wish him good luck. Sweet – he told me WFMU is airing the festival live all weekend. WFMU Looks like I won’t be leaving my apartment this afternoon. I wonder if Harmonia’s playing any other U.S. dates?

I guess I don’t have it all bad this weekend – as I’m getting a chance to see Spiritualized play at Treasure Island tomorrow. Can’t wait!!! It’s sort of odd that his set is during the middle of the day, but I’m sure I’ll be blown away regardless. I still haven’t gotten a chance to see the new Harmony Korine film he plays on, Mister Lonely. A commune filled with celebrity impersonators sounds like a pretty genius plotline to me.

Happy belated birthday Papa Bear

Why is it that I can never remember birthdays (or a lot of things for that matter)? For my dad's big 60th this year I even set a google reminder for myself so as not to forget his big day. Where was that alert?? I even forgot my little sista's 25th this year. I guess now that I'm not glued to an office computer I can't function without my alerts. Sad.

Well I hope my dad at least received his Obama bobble head on-time. Not nearly as funny as the booyah-screaming Jim Cramer he sent me, but hopefully he'll appreciate it none the less. Now we'll just have to plan a father-daughter hunting excursion before it gets too cold.

No more TV for me

It's time to take a LONG break from my television (sans baseball of course). Now that the Wire is over there's nothing left for me. Project Runway bores me, but it is a great excuse to catch up with my gal pals once a week and down lots of cheap vino. Alight, maybe there are a few caveats to my blanket statement on my intent to abolish the time sucker. I'm just really going to miss the Wire.


To mark the release of the final season of the show on DVD earlier this month, the Museum of the Moving Image presented a panel, Making "The Wire", with David Simon, the series creator and co-producer; novelist and screenwriter Richard Price, who wrote several episodes; and four of the show's stars: Seth Gilliam (who played Ellis Carver), Clark Johnson (city editor Gus Haynes), Clarke Peters (Lester Freemon), and Wendell Pierce ("Bunk"), moderated by David Schwartz, Chief Curator.

Listen to the panel here

MC Hammer is bluegrass??!!

Looks like the official lineup of this year's Hardly Strictly Bluegrass has been announced. http://www.strictlybluegrass.com/ I'm pretty stoked about some of the non-strictly bluegrass artists performing this year, which include Odetta, Will Oldham, Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, Iron & Wine and what...MC Hammer? Not sure whether or not this is a joke, but Hammer getting down to some banjo sounds AMAZING.

Farewell Bay Meadows

Yesterday was a sad day - it marked the final day of live racing at Bay Meadows, the longest operating Thoroughbred racetrack in California. My love affair with Bay Meadows began with my first 'official' date with an ex of mine. It was new year's day. After an evening of debauchery, we decided to keep it going at the races. Yodeling Jenny was my horse. She never let me down.

I've been to numerous other tracks over the years: Golden Gate Fields and even the dog races to see my mom sing the national anthem. Yep - you heard that right. The previously mentioned ex and I actually considered making a trek to Idaho to witness nature vs. nature gone amuck in a cloned mule race. Idaho Gem, the first ever cloned mule was set to race his clone Taz and we couldn't miss that! Sadly, I think we were too broke for the adventure. I wonder who won?

Aside from the depravity, the wonderful people-watching, the gambling, and cheap hotdogs and beer my favorite part of the day was hearing the sound of that trumpet. The Bay Meadows trumpet buddy always played the theme from the Simpsons which for some odd reason made me happy.

I'm not going to Disneyland

I just found out that my good buddy Ian is now engaged to his lovely girlfriend Elissa. Oddly enough, this comes on the heels of 8.08.08, which saw thousands of Chinese rushing to the alter and a recent discussion we had regarding marriage.

Apparently, she proposed to him while they were on the Haunted Mansion ride in Disneyland. That's my kind of girl. Though, quite the odd place for a proposal. I am slightly biased however, considering my fear of Disneyland. I was lost from my parents when I was a wee pup while exploring The Swiss Family Robinson treehouse.

I was wandering around aimlessly for hours and ended up in the creepy 'It's a Small World After All ride' which is filled with hundreds of singing dolls. Needless to say I'll never return to Disneyland.

So it looks like I'm the lone spinster from my hometown and that doesn't bother me in the slightest.