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JAN 11 - JAN 17
After the holidays, it can take Herculean strength to rev up for real
life again. But this week's offerings sweeten the prize by injecting
culture with some good ol' competitive spirit. At Cinemasports,
filmmakers race to complete a short in nine hours, while the Dub
Mission vs. RedWine Soundclash pits reggae selectors in a sonic
showdown. Track Star fight for the indie crown, while the Breakthru
crew tries to beat the record — while breaking beats — for dance-floor
mayhem. (While you're cheering on the sidelines, don't forget to honor
the birthday of MLK, who brought us all a little closer to the promised
land's finish line.) These games aren't fixed, so lace up your kicks,
take your marks, and spread it. |
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The Answer VIII celebrates both the eighth innovation of this authentic basketball shoe, and Allen Iverson's eight years in the league. With the traction and reliability of a herringbone outsole, and the comfort and performance of soft, full-grain leather, this is the shoe for real ballers who truly understand how the game is played. |
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| | Up on stage, it's all bleeding gums and bloodied fingers: No Doctors are in the house. With a twisted take on swamp blues even the Coachwhips couldn't untangle, the SF combo hammer away at trashcan garage rock so nasty, so gnarly, that their most polished tracks sound like Black Flag covering the White Stripes. Birchville Cat Motel — the solo project of New Zealand's Campbell Kneale — is no less heavy, but he compresses his fury into a dense slab of drones and distortion, somewhere between Earth and '60s minimalism. The Skaters and Burmese's Patrick Mullins open this night of aural surgery. (PS)
  
 With which Argentine band did No Doctors hone their chops on tour? The first two correct answers each win a pair of tickets to the show.
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| | 26-year-old Owen Ashworth began crafting tiny opuses on his Casiotone keyboard after he dropped out of film school in 1997. Rather than pursue celluloid-based storytelling—and chase hard-to-fund dreams—Ashworth decided that the practicality of toy synthesizers and four-track recorders far better suited his idiosyncratic sensibility. Better still, he could craft his tales in the comfort of his San Francisco bedroom. Combining the naivety of Daniel Johnston and the wit of Momus, Ashworth lugs his antiquated gear out of the house to 12 Galaxies tonight to perform his preset pop tunes in a not-so-lonesome atmosphere. (KT)
Note: Capricorns and Secret Synthi open.
In which year was the Casio SK1 sampling keyboard first produced? The first three correct answers each win a pair of tickets to the show.
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SPECTACLE
Storytelling and the Internet Age:New Media, Nonlinear Expanded Cinema, Flash Animation and Interactivity
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| when: | Wed 1.12 (7pm) |
| where: | Ninth Street Independent Film Center (145 Ninth St, First Floor, 415.552.5950) |
| price: | $10 |
| links: |
Event Info |
| | Rarely has the Internet, as subject matter for story, left the realm of sci-fi novels. However, writers, filmmakers and technology gurus alike agree there are new paths to tread in this arena. Fortunately, the Ninth Street Independent Film Center, which provides support for independent artists, is ready to pilot the job of merging narrative, the Internet, and technology. Led by filmmaker Carroll Parrott Blue, flash technology expert Louis Fox, animation artist Brad DeGraf, and others of like mind, this installment of the center's Alive @ 9th Street program explores the expectations and trepidations of storytellers in the Internet Age. (JM)
In the year 2055, what will be the most important story to be told of the Internet age? Our two favorite answers each win a pair of tickets to the event.
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FUNDRAISER
Tsunami Relief Benefit
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| when: | Wed 1.12 (8pm) |
| where: | 12 Galaxies (2565 Mission St, 415.970.9777) |
| price: | $10-50 |
| links: |
Event Info |
| | As organizations and individuals across the world redouble their efforts to provide assistance to victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami, many of San Francisco's artists and musicians have stepped up in a display of Pacific Rim solidarity. Last month's nightmarish events have inspired this contrastingly dream-like bill of local players, including Loquat, Sonny Smith, Jeffrey Luck Lucas, Bart Davenport, the Herms, Jolie Holland, and American Music Club's Mark Eitzel. With other acts pending, plus raffles for Amoeba gift certificates and vintage Red Cross gear, you'll be getting back more than you give simply by attending. (SK)
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READING
Christian Parenti discusses The Freedom: Shadows and Hallucinations in Occupied Iraq
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| when: | Thur 1.13 (7:30pm) |
| where: | Cody's Books (2454 Telegraph Ave, Berkeley, 510.845.7852) |
| price: |  FREE |
| links: |
Event Info | Christian Parenti |
| | As a frequent visitor to Iraq, San Francisco's Christian Parenti has gained a perspective unique among critics of the war. His book The Freedom: Shadows and Hallucinations in Occupied Iraq makes it clear that Parenti's unflinching eye sees the US occupation for what it is — or, more accurately, what it has become — a complete mess. The Freedom explores how the world's best-equipped army found itself in such a predicament by examining both the US military's poorly planned tactics and its own admission that our forces weren't at all prepared for a highly-politicized counter-insurgency. Tonight, Parenti brings the discussion to Cody's. (KT)
In which magazine has Parenti recently published a series of articles chronicling the reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan? The third correct answer wins a copy of The Freedom.
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MUSIC: Indie Rock
Turn Records 5 Year Anniversary featuring Track Star w/ Xiu Xiu and Dealership
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| when: | Thur 1.13 (8pm) |
| where: | Café Du Nord (2170 Market St, 415.861.5016) |
| price: | $8 |
| links: |
Event Info | Turn Records |
| | Xiu Xiu are akin to something from Ian Curtis' nightmares — drama clubbers with death rattle beats and lyrics suitable for a William S. Burroughs advice column. Frontman Jamie Stewart puts his own problems at Xiu Xiu's center, simultaneously making himself vulnerable and shielding himself from unwanted criticism — this is his life he's singing about, after all. At tonight's acoustic performance there are no machines to hide behind, so expect an even more naked self-presentation. SF bands Track Star and Dealership electrify the evening with a more focused brand of noise pop, while Doctor Nurse and the Dying Californian round out this fifth anniversary celebration for the Turn Records label. (YS/PS)
From which film did Xiu Xiu take their name? The third correct answer wins a pair of tickets to the show.
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| | Call it coincidence, call it synchronicity, or just call it a fad, but indie rockers have stopped gazing at their feet, and are finally starting to dance with them. The jams du jour are being played by post-punk, nu-new-wave, garage rock acts such as Franz Ferdinand, Moving Units, the Futureheads, and now the Kaiser Chiefs. Less angular and more full of moxie than the competition, this five piece is making the bandwagon quite a cozy and invigorating place to be (while the wheels stay on, at least). (JCF)
The German word "Kaiser" is rooted in which Latin term? The first five correct answers each win a pair of tickets to the show.
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ART
San Francisco International Art Exposition
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| when: | Fri 1.14 - Mon 1.17 (schedule) |
| where: | Fort Mason Center (99 Marina Blvd, 415.721.4770) |
| price: | $12 |
| links: |
Event Info |
| | For one weekend a year, the treasures of more than 100 international galleries are gathered under one roof for the San Francisco International Art Exposition. With modern masters such as Andy Warhol, Richard Diebenkorn, and Kiki Smith being shown alongside some of today's best emerging artists, the event is one of the most comprehensive contemporary art shows in the Bay Area. Better yet, the salon-style hanging and relatively casual environment of the exhibition make it friendly for the audience that loves gallery art, but can do without the white walls. (AL)
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FILM
Phil Chambliss: Auteur From Arkansas
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| when: | Fri 1.14 (7:30pm) |
| where: | Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater (700 Howard St, 415.978.2787) |
| price: | $8 |
| links: |
Event Info |
| | Filmmaker Phil Chambliss is neither an art-school snob nor a money-chasing Hollywood suit, but he still knows his way around a camera. The Arkansas native is a self-taught auteur who, over the past three decades, has written, shot, and scored nearly 30 films about life in the somewhat surreal town of El Dorado, where his gravel-pit co-workers have helped him forge new on-screen realities influenced as much by spaghetti westerns as by David Lynch mind games. This screening of Chambliss' work includes The Devil's Helper, The Pastor and the Hobo, and Pink Christmas — three films that examine belief systems, charity, and relationships with an enviable inventiveness. (KT)
Tell us something we didn't know about Arkansas; our two favorite answers each win a pair of tickets to the screening.
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| | What is it with Iceland? Not long ago, there was only our favourite melodramatic nymph, but now, everyone with a laptop and a disk full of opiate-addled orchestral samples has a hot record. The current reincarnation of Ísland as the new India of inspiration for experimental pop musicians has worked wonders for Jimmy LaValle's the Album Leaf. After a tour supporting Sigur Rós, the California native holed up in their remote studio, and his latest record, In a Safe Place, finds him hidden in that island's world of sullen landscapes and dreary textures, revealing them in diverse instrumental creations that reference his surroundings without fully becoming them. (KH)
Name two artists with whom the Album Leaf has released split records. The first two correct answers each win a pair of tickets to the show.
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| | First there was speed skating; then came speed dating — it only makes sense, in a broadband world, that now we've got speed filmmaking. This morning, tonight's competing teams will be told the required elements for their films (a German shepherd, a deck of cards, and a cabbie, say), after which they'll whip off their lens caps and set out to produce a four-minute short. Just 11 hours later, the resulting mini-masterpieces are unveiled to a club full of armchair Roger Eberts — that is, people like you. While you might not see any Oscar-worthy performances, you may return home inspired to pull out that video camera that's been gathering dust. (PS)
Tell us a story about a filmmaking fiasco. Our favorite two answers each win a pair of tickets to the event.
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| | A few years back, as a new generation of bedroom musicians bucked their humbuckers for Technics, it was rumored that turntables were outselling guitars. Now, kids are strapping on Stratocasters again — but Guitar Center might also want to stock up on Steinways, because piano rock is also making a comeback, too. Josh Fix could be the movement's tipping point. His self-produced debut EP thrums with some of the brightest melodies this year — already garnering KFOG airplay, an opening slot for the Who, and a phone call from Eddie Van Halen — marked by spunky, heartfelt songwriting too smart to be considered merely "classic rock" and a Jeff Buckley-esque voice that heralds a talent to be reckoned with. (PS)
What's the greatest piano rock song of all time, and why? The most persuasive answer wins a pair of tickets to the show.
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DJ
Breakthru 3 Yr Bash
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| when: | Sat 1.15 (9pm-4am) |
| where: | Club Six (60 6th St, 415.863.1221) |
| price: | $10 / Free before 10pm |
| links: |
Event Info |
| | The evolution of the breakbeat — the percussive interludes that old school funk drummers used to separate parts of a song — is one of the stranger tales in 20th century music. Disco and hip-hop DJs were the first to isolate the break to create tension, paving the way for hardcore, drum 'n bass, and now breaks — which borrows from techno, jungle, and electro to create spine-rattling thrills that no stickman could produce on his own. Tonight, Breakthru, one of San Francisco's premier breaks crews, celebrates its three-year anniversary, with a lineup featuring Felix the Dog, Adam Ohana, and more, plus hip-hop and dancehall upstairs. It's make and break time. (PS)
Tell us a story about taking a break. Our favorite two answers each win a pair of tickets to the event.
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| | Named after a failed Russian revolution, Colin Meloy's the Decemberists are forever sailing their rickety, wooden ship in the passage between the old and the new, and never quite reaching either shore. With his reedy voice and an affinity for old instruments (such as accordions and theremins) and older themes (such as gypsies and prostitutes), he belts out chamber pop for the galleys. In true nomad style, Meloy has forsaken his standout band to embark upon a mini solo tour, hitting only "intimate settings." The word is that this vagabond has stowed away some special tour-only EPs comprised solely of Morrissey covers. (JCF)
If April is the cruelest month, what is December? The best answer wins a pair of tickets to the show.
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| | A unique version of the long-running Dub Mission weekly falls on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday weekend, featuring the dub and reggae sounds of two of San Francisco's more colorful DJ collectives, Dub Mission and RedWine. Dub-heads, dreads, and lucky passersby should be prepared for a luxuriously deep auditory experience, as Dub Mission founder DJ Sep and fellow resident Maneesh the Twister go head-to-head with resident RedWine DJs Doc-Fu and Steady P. Expect an evening of liberating rhythms and redemption songs. (JC)
Which is your favorite red wine varietal, and why? Our favorite two answers each win a pair of tickets to the show.
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| | Robert Henke may have come up through Berlin's Basic Channel/Chain Reaction school of "heroin house," but his forays into ambient unease and astoundingly detailed beat-programming have led him to a sound all his own. It's no surprise then that when he's not recording as Monolake, Henke programs music software for Germany's influential Ableton Labs. Montreal's Deadbeat may be more streamlined in approach, but his digital dub is no less intense. At MUTEK's Chilean festival last year, he performed on a tugboat for a life-jacketed audience listening from a bobbing flotilla — so he's sure to make the most of the Recombinant Labs Compound's immersive surround-sound system. (PS)
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| | In an era where the trappings of more traditional rock — strong melodies, big sing-along choruses, guitar solos — are increasingly frowned on as something obscene (or worse, boring), the Soundtrack of Our Lives are a rousing reminder of why the genre received the "classic" tag in the first place. Known for their bearded Viking-like frontman, ostentatious garb, tripped-out lyrics, and unusually interactive performances, the Swedish band is finally back for a quick round of US dates in advance of the March domestic release of its fourth album, Origin I. They're joined by equally psychedelic New Yorkers Inouk, who take a more subtle, deconstructive approach to sonic assault — the feint before the full-on attack. (DL)
Which album was the soundtrack to your life in 2004? The two most evocative answers each win a pair of tickets to the show.
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FILM
David Thomson's The Whole Equation: a History of Hollywood
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| when: | Thur 1.13 - Sun 1.30 |
| where: | Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (2626 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, 510.642.0808) |
| price: | $8 |
| links: |
Event Info |
| | The title of David Thomson's new book on Hollywood's history, The Whole Equation, is a bit tricky. Admittedly, there is no surefire formula for silver screen success. "The attempt to make a lot of money and great art at the same time is forlorn, foolish, and enough to destroy an empire," notes Thomson, claiming that the desire to pursue big-budget filmmaking is an especially American weakness. To further his argument, the films in Thomson's series — a far-flung collection including The Shining, Magnolia, and Shanghai Express — both move the spirit and take vaguely opposing sides in Hollywood's lifelong dichotomy of art and commerce. (KT)
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PHOTOGRAPHY
Michael Wolf: Architecture of Density
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| when: | Now through Sat 2.26 (Tue-Sat: 10:30am-5:30pm) |
| where: | Robert Koch Gallery (49 Geary St, 5th Fl, 415.421.0122) |
| price: | FREE |
| links: |
Event Info | Michael Wolf |
| | Michael Wolf has a propensity for catching life's minute details with his camera lens; his past work encapsulates quiet moments in the lives of urban civilians, most commonly in Hong Kong. Wolf's latest exhibition, however, is a different look at cities, in which Hong Kong's buildings become his subjects. With unusual camera angles eliminating streets and skylines from the viewer's eye, the city's captured architectural makeup implies a life of its own — surrounding, but not exposing, the humans that live within its confines. At closest inspection, the work conveys a complexity of structure as psychological as it is physical. (JM)
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| | Slow hands are great for climbing the charts, but they'll do you no good when it comes to getting tickets to see Interpol in concert. Longtime indie-world faves, the dapper dons of doom-pop have been selling out shows at pick-slide speed ever since the release of their sophomore album, Antics, last year. Some critics have carped that the band that sounded too much like Joy Division on its first album now sounds too much like its old self on the second, but with songs that filter '60s influences through a contemporary, post-goth lens — with catchy bass lines, bold vocals, and so much reverb you could swim in it — the boys in black know what they're doing. (PS)
Name a band that Interpol more closely resembles than Joy Division, and why. Our favorite answer wins a pair of tickets to the show.
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| CD REVIEW: Slowdive, Catch the Breeze |
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(Sanctuary UK)
Released December 2004
$26.99 (toneVENDOR)
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My Bloody Valentine may have eclipsed their peers with the massive
wall-of-sound blueprint Loveless, but Slowdive actually
better embodied the UK shoegaze movement. Equal parts dreamy delay,
lush atmospherics, and musical opium dream, the band practically
defined the genre — named after its practitioners' propensity
to stare at their feet while manipulating elaborate effects rigs
— with a string of releases in the early '90s. Catch the
Breeze is a selective two-disc overview of the group's brief
career, from its early EPs to the quintessential Just for a
Day and Souvlaki LPs, and Pygmalion — the
more ambient final album. Blending ethereal male/female vocals with
even more ethereal instrumentation, the songs here are well
encapsulated by their titles ("Catch the Breeze," "Shine"); and even
those with more ominous names ("Machine Gun," "Dagger") are really
just weapons of mass seduction. (DL)
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| ART AFIRE: Spark |
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Bumper stickers about bake sales, school bands, and the military budget aside, public arts funding isn't entirely dead. Witness Spark, a weekly television show produced by KQED Public Television and the Bay Area Video Coalition: every Wednesday at 7:30pm, the program highlights the artists that keep our region vital, from theatre company Campo Santo to hip-hop activist Michael Franti, all produced in digital video by local independent filmmakers. This week, a repeat of its "World Premieres" goes behind-the-scenes to explore the unveiling of new works in classical music, theatre, dance, and poetry. Also check out Spark's excellent web site for family-friendly projects, tips for culture on a budget, and unusual finds in SF's hidden alleys. (PS)
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| STREAMS: Fabric |
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As any visit to your local record store can attest, some electronic music has a
definite shelf life. For every Leftism or New Forms, there
seems to be 20 fluorescent trance compilations or happy hardcore mixes in the cutout bins. With both
their club and label, however, the folks at Fabric concern themselves with showcasing and
releasing only the finest, groundbreaking electronic music by DJs that are pushing
the scene forward. This vision can be seen from their very first release, Craig
Richards' 2001 mix of the minimal German sound — quite prescient given the
subgenre's popularity today. Other standouts include Radioactive Man's blistering
electro set, and, most recently, John Digweed's deep, engulfing frequencies, mixed with his trademark fluidity. (CJN)
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| CREDITS |
| Header Design: |
| Cleats | David Stueve | | |
| Editors: |
| Air Jordans | Jocelyn K Glei | | Dodgeball | Jake Lancaster | | Canoe | Paul Laster | | Backpack | Doug Levy | | Oakleys | Sascha Lewis | | Speedo | Mark Mangan | | Bat | Colin J Nagy | | Five iron | Jonathan Schultz | | Wiffle ball | Philip Sherburne | | PlayStation | Claire Smith | | Ping-pong paddle | Peter D Stepek | | Chaw | Toby Warner | | |
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...
EVENT SUBMISSIONS
Please send all interesting event information (press releases, links, etc.) to events. |
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| Contributors: |
| Wrestling singlet | Anna Balkrishna | | Hula hoop | Scott Benbow | | Racing form | Jimmy Carson | | Sunglasses | Erika Christiansen | | Racing bike | Peter P Clarke | | Volleyball | Todd Cohen | | Workout mix | Lauren Epstein | | Yoga mat | Ellisa Feinstein | | Bicycle | Josh C Forbes | | Surfboard wax | Rebecca J Hill | | Motocross helmet | Kai Hsing | | Jock strap | Sebastian Koch | | Clear | Ali Kops | | Cream | Sarah G Lefton | | Jump rope | Anli Liu | | Pool cue | Jenn Marston |
| Snowboard | Nish Nadaraja | | Rosin | Sam N Shah | | Crosstrainers | Sam Smith | | Catcher's mitt | Julian G Stewart | | Shoulder pad | Yancey Strickler | | Shin guard | Sarah S Sung | | Road bike | Cheryl Taruc | | Independent trucks | Ken Taylor | | Javelin | Jenni Updenkelder | | Bowling ball | Lisa Won | | |
| Production: |
| Foam roller | Anjuli Ayer | | Pro stretch | Lucy Beach | | Tetherball | David Morrow | | Bow and arrow | Sebastian Rasp |
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