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MAY 25 - MAY 31
The unfurling of every dawn brings mystery — equal parts chance, grace, shock and awe — which is why we make up stories, in word or song: to examine our roots, predict the future, and maybe even slow down time itself. We live inside our tales as we go about constructing them, whether on the domestic stage or in the public forum. The pleasure is in watching the scrolls unroll. Press play and spread it. |
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Nike was born from a track coach's obsession with making his runners faster. With the Art of Speed project, we sought an outside perspective, asking 15 digital artists to create their own visions of speed through a Nike lens. It's both an exploration and a celebration of what speed means to the human experience.
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| | In the vein of Steve Albini's Shellac, US Maple are a frighteningly confrontational band. The screeching vocals of Al Johnson, combined with two atonal guitars — one tuned high, one tuned low — make for an unearthly soundscape, hitting frequencies that probably aren't all that safe at high volumes. After starting out on the avant-rock Skin Graft imprint — also an early home to the Bay Area's Flying Luttenbachers and Japanoisers Melt-Banana — US Maple fine-tuned their minimalist freakouts, and in 1999, signed with indie stalwart Drag City, the label responsible for last year's brilliant Purple on Time. Trust that tonight, even masochists will be wearing earplugs. (KT)
  
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MULTIMEDIA
Dawn: An All-Night Multimedia Shavuot Blow-Out
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| when: | Tue 5.25 (9pm-dawn) |
| where: | Whisper (535 Florida St, 415.356.9800) |
| price: | $15 |
| links: |
Event Info | Whisper |
| | Inspired by the ancient Jewish holiday of Shavuot, this event offers a new twist on revelation: an all-night eye- and earful of divine inspiration. The massive lineup of music and dance ranges from Wu-Tang veteran Remedy to composer John Schott to the Broun Fellinis; from DJs Sep and Polywog on decks to the Capacitor dance troupe on stage; from the belly dance of Ultra Gypsy to the punk-accordion acrobatics of Duckmandu. There's quieter fare, too: projected visuals and a cinema program featuring Hebrew Hammer filmmaker Jon Kesselman. This is quite possibly your best opportunity to practice yoga at midnight on a San Francisco rooftop. (SGL)
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DISCUSSION
The Treatment of Iraqi Detainees: A Town Hall Forum
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| when: | Wed 5.26 (12pm) |
| where: | Commonwealth Club (595 Market St, 2nd Fl, 415.597.6700) |
| price: |  FREE |
| links: |
Event Info |
| | After seeing the photograph of US soldier Lynndie England holding a leash around the neck of a naked prisoner in Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison, many Americans who had been silent about — or even supportive of — the war in Iraq expressed outrage and disbelief that the US military would behave in such a barbaric manner. This town hall meeting, led by Commonwealth Club CEO and president Dr. Gloria Duffy, provides a forum for discussing what caused such shocking treatment of Iraqi detainees, and the short- and long-term political effects of the abuse. (EC)
Note: Panelists include retired US Marine General Michael Myatt, Bay Area Red Cross Emergency Services director Joan Kelley-Williams, and history professor Maziar Behrooz.
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| | In this era of faux celebrity and American Idol, an artist who wants no part of the spotlight is almost shocking. Cat Power's Chan Marshall is infamous for her aversion to live performances; her onstage meltdowns and nonsensical mid-song banter have been known to upset fans in the past, and it's difficult to predict what she'll play on a given night, as she sometimes avoids fan favorites altogether. No matter what, though, Marshall's music sparkles with folky intensity — occasionally rocking out, and always leaving you aching from its intimate beauty. (JS)
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| | The singer-songwriter movement definitely has evolved since the '60s. It's hard to imagine solo artists like James Taylor or Minnie Riperton giving themselves conceptual monikers like Songs: Ohia or (Smog). Most recently, John Darnielle and Daniel Bejar — the Mountain Goats and Destroyer, respectively — have pretty much torn apart the notion of the guitar-swinging troubadour, adding unofficial members to their one-man bands, subtracting choruses, verses, and other conventional songwriting elements, and taking stage hints as much from Robyn Hitchcock as Marc Bolan. Your hippie uncle's sure to freak. (KT)
Note: The Mountain Goats also play Thur 5.27 with We Ragazzi.
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| | Sherman Alexie inspires writers, lit fans, film buffs, and politicos alike with his indomitable energy to create in many genres, his inescapable humor, and his unique take on Native American issues. As the writer of the film Smoke Signals, many books of poetry, and the collection of short stories Ten Little Indians, he's sure to draw a varied and vibrant crowd. Besides, you don't want to miss out on seeing a guy who beat Saul Williams in a poetry slam. (GKH)
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ART
Staging Domesticity: The Making of Fiction
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| when: | Fri 5.28 (12pm) |
| where: | SFMOMA (151 3rd St, 415.357.4000) |
| price: | $10 museum admission |
| links: |
Event Info |
| | Using the sultry mood lighting of adult film shoots he documents, Larry Sultan's super-saturated photographs of suburban homes transformed into pornographic movie sets expose the seams of mediated realism. The oversized prints strip away the glamour of pleasure to reveal its business side: bored actors waiting for their cues, the artifacts of the house's true occupants, and the taped-on fake drapes or backdrops that remake otherwise average homes into cinematic settings for carnal pleasure. Curatorial assistant Terri Whitlock discusses Sultan's exploration of middle-class suburban identity and the artifice of photography before leading visitors through the exhibit. (EC)
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| | DC-based rock absurdists Trans Am don't claim to take music too seriously. In fact, over the last ten years or so, they've made a bona fide career of indie rock in-jokes, lampooning '70s metal, '80s electro, and '90s radio pap. But their latest record, Liberation, provides a
less ironic examination of the information age, taking aim at their Pennsylvania Avenue neighbor's penchant for spying, prying, and lying. Fortunately, they have Montreal's high-art band, Les Georges Leningrad, to open with a bit of no-wave comic relief. (KT)
 A Pontiac Trans Am was featured in which 1977 film? The first two correct answers each win a pair of tickets to the show.
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DJ
Old Skool Jungle Night w/ Abstract and Star Eyes
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| when: | Fri 5.28 (10:30pm-3am) |
| where: | AsiaSF (201 9th St, 415.255.2742) |
| price: | $8 advance |
| links: |
Event Info | AsiaSF |
| | Rockers aren't the only ones that like to play retro. For a season or two now, dance music revivalists have been happily dipping into the acid (house, that is), and now even SF's scowling junglists are going back to the good old days — no doubt inspired, at least in part, by recent ragga-jungle mixes and reissues from the likes of Soundmurderer and Remarc. Tonight, local bad bwoy DJ Abstract — known for hardcore, heavyweight plates for Orgone, Palette, Breakbeat Science, and many more — is joined by Syrup Girls' Star Eyes (aka SFBG nightlife columnist Vivian Host) for an evening of golden era breakbeat mayhem, giving new meaning to the term "rewind." 'Ardkore, you know the score! (PS)
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| | Canadian journalist Carl Honoré was troubled by his excitement when he discovered a book of 60-second bedtime stories to tell his son, so he decided to explore his obsession with speed. In his resulting skillful, thorough examination of the ever-quickening pace of leisure time and the burgeoning slow movement, Honoré tempers his alluring portrait of four-hour meals and tantric sex workshops with a refreshing journalistic skepticism. As the movement grows, Honoré is fast becoming a prominent figure as a reforming speedaholic, complete with attendance at Speeders Anonymous meetings in England. Apparently his recovery is not complete, however — he received a speeding ticket while researching the book. (SC)
What is something that you'd like to do more slowly? Our three favorite answers each win a copy of the book.
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| | Before the Postal Service, there was "Autumn Sweater"; before the shoegaze revival, there was Electr-O-Pura; and before post-rock was even a glimmer in Simon Reynolds' eye, there was Yo La Tengo — the most unconventional crew of indie sentimentalists ever to wave Matador's red cape. The band has been turning out psychedelic slow-core indie rock, touched up with brushstrokes of ambient, country, and more, for close to 20 years. The heirs to the Beach Boys and Velvet Underground alike, the threesome — husband/wife duo Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley, and James McNew — are our first family of indie rock. Pay homage tonight, and for the next two nights, at the Fillmore. (PS)
Which NYC free jazz stalwart played bass on YLT's Summer Sun? The third correct answer wins a pair of tickets to the Sun 5.30 show.
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| | The spring air brings thoughts of romance, and who better to serenade our newfound fancies but Norwegian wunderkind Sondre Lerche? At the tender age of 21, Lerche sings breathtaking songs with a steely maturity that belies his years and sustains solo sets with a casual grace and compelling charm. Lerche's compositions reflect his interest in classic pop (such as Burt Bacharach and Van Dyke Parks) while mining a distinctive musical landscape all their own. Though his youthful good looks may make you swoon, Lerche's performance, aided by a full band in support of his latest release, Two Way Monologue, should captivate as well. (MG)
What is the name of Lerche's backing band? The fourth and fifth correct answers each win a pair of tickets to the show.
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| | Ron Sexsmith is one of those musical rarities: he leads a humble Canadian existence and plays to hardcore devotees in the tiniest of clubs, while folks like Paul McCartney, Rod Stewart, and Elvis Costello champion — and sometimes cover — his work. His achingly gentle voice and tempered acoustic strum on the recent Retriever have garnered him even more critical applause than Blue Boy, the tribute to Charlie Rich that caught Macca's attention. Of course, it's unlikely that Sexsmith will ever be drafted into the leagues of his big-name supporters, but that's the fate of so many immensely talented singer-songwriters. Truthfully, we're luckier for it. (KT)
Which English star contributed vocals to Sexsmith's 2002 release? The second and fourth correct answers each win a pair of tickets to the show.
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| | If anyone could unearth classic funk in Nebraska, it's Egon, owner of the Stones Throw label. It's not just that he's one of the most dogged crate-diggers out there; it's that he's a committed preservationist, as his reissue label Now-Again testifies. After uncovering lost gems of vintage funk from groups like Stark Reality and the South Dallas All-Stars, Egon has reintroduced L.A. Carnival, a Midwestern group who, in the late '60s, gave the world a lone, and now painfully rare, 45 containing two tracks of funk and soul charged with the era's racial struggles. Tonight's reformed version of the band features original members Lester Abrams and Leslie Smith, along with Now-Again artists Connie Price and the Keystones; Egon, J-Rocc, and Peanut Butter Wolf also perform. (PS)
What is the most unlikely place that you've ever found forgotten funk? The two best answers each win a pair of tickets to the show.
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| | Burning Man comes but once a year, but a girl jonesing for an alternative sideshow fix still has Sunday School, a monthly showcase of local and national bands, performing artists, DJs, and circus acts. The evening's hosts and between-music set performers, the Vau de Vire Society, are an avant-cabaret community of dancers, actors, acrobats, musicians, aerial artists, contortionists, and sexy sideshow acts. Tonight's special event includes performances by Angelo Moore of Fishbone, the Gun and Doll Show, Loop!Station, Kid Beyond, Raw B, stink 69, and the Vau de Vire Society's Bohemian Carnival. (EC)
If a fishbone were a religious amulet, what would it do? The two most interesting answers each win a pair of tickets to the performance.
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| | There's not much to do in Lebanon, Ohio, where brothers J.D. and J.K. Housh, aka the Catalpa Boys, grew up — which is perhaps why their songwriting skills are so beautifully crafted. Named after a tree in their childhood yard, the pair writes tunes that slip comfortably from folk to blues, decked out with delicate harmonies and more than a hint of country. They also employ creative instrumentation, playing everything from a saw to a train whistle on their self-titled debut album, released earlier this year. An added bonus: in a rare live performance, J.D.'s primary project, Columbus indie five-piece Moviola, opens; their Rumors of the Faithful is one of the best albums you've never heard. (LB)
Other than US Maple and Catalpa Boys, what is your favorite group with a tree in their name, and why? Our three favorite answers each win a pair of tickets.
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ART
Shocked and Awed
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| when: | Now through Sat 6.5 (Tue-Fri: 10am-5pm, Sat-Sun: 12-5pm) |
| where: | Museum of Children's Art (538 9th St, Oakland, 510.465.8770) |
| price: | FREE |
| links: |
Event Info |
| | If perception diminishes with age, and if kids do, in fact, say the darnedest things, this spring's Shocked and Awed exhibit at Oakland's Museum of Children's Art stays true to name by attending to the untainted clarity of the youthful gaze. Orchestrated by the Puffin Foundation, curator Carl Rosenstein collected drawings from children in Baghdad immediately after major US bombing ceased. The exhibit, whose title offers a not-so-subtle riff on America's military strategy for Mesopotamia, features student art that varies in sophistication and quality, from detailed tank sketches to phonetic misspellings of English words. As these children demonstrate, pictures speak volumes over words. (SNS)
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PHOTOGRAPHY
Wayne Levin: Through a Liquid Mirror
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| when: | Now through Sat 6.26 (Tue-Sat: 10:30am-5:30pm) |
| where: | Robert Koch Gallery (49 Geary St, 5th Fl, 415.421.0122) |
| price: | FREE |
| links: |
Event Info |
| | Wayne Levin's photographs capture an exquisite world just below the surface of the ocean. They reveal much because of what they lack: color. While many underwater photographers emphasize the deep blue water and exotic hues of coral and tropical fish, Levin is more interested in energy, movement, and stark geometry. In one image, a scuba diver reclines on the ocean floor while a massive column of fish swirls around him. In another, a lone sea turtle glides gracefully over a mountainous underwater landscape. Below the water's surface, Levin reminds us, qualities of light and dark, as well as characteristics of gravity and velocity, are remarkably different than they are on land. (SB)
Note: There is a reception for the artist on Thur 6.3 (6-7:30pm).
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| CD REVIEW: Dykehouse, Midrange |
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Ghostly International
Released May 2004
$13.98 (Amazon)
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Going from an album of bleeps and blurps on the leftfield Planet Mu imprint to dark shoegaze pop with lovelorn, naive lyrics like "Now I'm chain smokin' 'cos my heart's broken" certainly defies convention. But Ghostly's Mike Dykehouse has done just that — on an iMac in his bedroom, no less. Midrange is an MBV/Jesus and Mary Chain-inspired album of layered guitars and electronics that walks the line between sing-along accessibility and experimentation. Highlights include "Burden of Proof," Kevin Shields' signature tremolo sound melded with beats and vocals reminscent of Depeche Mode, and "Chain Smoking," a thick, crunchy slice of summertime pop that won't leave your head anytime soon. (CJN)
Which Michigan city did Matt Dykehouse grow up in? The ninth correct answer wins a copy of this CD.
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| COMMUNITY GARDEN: Mo' Better Food |
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In the past 100 years, African American land ownership in the US has shrunk from 15 million to roughly 2.3 million acres. That's a trend that Mo' Better Food, a local nonprofit organization committed to establishing a self-sufficient network between African-American farmers and communities of color, aims to reverse. In a variety of ways, such as providing education, job opportunities, and economic support, as well as maintaining the Mandela Farmer's Market, Mo' Better Food strives to create new partnerships to better serve the Oakland community, and to teach its inhabitants about the virtues and hardships of farming — long the backbone of the nation, and far too long ignored. (SNS)
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| STREAMS: KCRW |
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KCRW keeps Southern California awake, alert, and focused by mixing
NPR news with refreshingly TRL-free musical programming. You
can get in on the action by clicking onto their 24-hour online stream or digging through their deep archives from signature shows such as Nic Harcourt's Morning Becomes Eclectic, the electronic music-focused Metropolis, or the all-over-the-map program Open Road. Interviews and studio sessions with Radiohead, Franz Ferdinand, Air, Devendra Banhart, Blonde
Redhead, Me'shell Ndegéocello, Sandra Bernhard, and innumerable other artists await. (AL)
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| CREDITS |
| Header Design: |
| Andrei Tarkovsky | Heavy | | |
| Editors: |
| Haruki Murakami | Philip Sherburne | | Wes Anderson | Sascha Lewis | | Steven Soderbergh | Mark Mangan | | Wim Wenders | Peter D Stepek | | John Darnielle | Jocelyn K Glei | | Peter Greenaway | Paul Laster | | Bob Dylan | Lisa Rosman | | Jeffrey Eugenides | Nick Parish | | Michael Chabon | Jane Lerner | | |
ABOUT US
flavorpill SF is a free weekly mailer covering music, arts, and cultural events in San Francisco. All listings are researched and written based on what we think has flavor. As always, feel free to send in any and all feedback — comments, questions, ideas, or rants. Spread the flavor...
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Please send all interesting event information (press releases, links, etc.) to events. |
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| Contributors: |
| Tom Waits | Sam Smith | | Paddy McAloon | Cheryl Taruc | | Carson McCullers | Gordon K Hurd | | WG Sebald | Lisa Butterworth | | Ira Glass | Ken Taylor | | Paul Auster | Lauren Epstein | | Jose Saramago | Andrew LaVallee | | Walter Abish | Seiji Carpenter | | Iris DeMent | Ali Kops | | Bruce Springsteen | Caitlin Sims | | David Byrne | Scott Benbow | | Marvin Gaye | Jenni Updenkelder | | David Lynch | Erika Christiansen | | William T Vollmann | Stuart A Sheldon | | William Gibson | Nirmala Nataraj | | Greil Marcus | Sebastian Koch |
| James Earl Jones | Sam N Shah | | Steve Earle | Mystery Girl | | Orson Scott Card | Jeremy Sampson | | Federico Fellini | Yancey Strickler | | Gabriel García Márquez | Cyrus Wadia | | Ernest Hemingway | Lisa Won | | Martin Amis | Nish I Nadaraja | | William Faulkner | Kevin Dick | | Jonathan Franzen | Jimmy Carson | | |
| Production: |
| Jorge Luis Borges | Jen Bachman | | JM Coetzee | David Morrow | | John Updike | Emily Welsch | | Mario Vargas Llosa | Krista Freibaum |
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GLOBAL FASHIONS
In addition to Earplug and Boldtype, Flavorpill Productions also publishes JC Report, an inside track to fashions and trends from around the world. Issue 41 is out now.
It's free. Click to subscribe. |
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