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JAN 18 - JAN 24
Throw open your blinds, because this week we home in on domestic comforts translated to the public sphere. Celebrate an anniversary with SFMOMA, chop onions with Dave Eggers, tinker in the garage with RTX, or rock a house party like you're Kid 'n Play. If cabin fever has your energy cycling through an endless ebb and flow, get dressed up for a winter ball, bust out your vintage duds, or travel via bridge and tunnel to a New York neighborhood. Stay close to home or journey to the (alt) country and back; just remember to spread it. |
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The complete Diesel Time Frames Spring/Summer '05 collection: Available for puchase from the newly redesigned Diesel Time Frames online store. |
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| | A new educational system called Autistic Strength, Purpose, and Independence in Education regards autism less as a disorder to be "cured" than an alternate cognitive mode that can be cultivated. Enter Temple Grandin: a
sought-after lecturer in the fields of animal behavior and facilities management, she's equally in demand for her insights about autism, which she has overcome en route to becoming a successful biologist, engineer, and businesswoman. Grandin's new book, Animals in Translation, makes explicit connections between autistic and animal behaviors, breaking new ground in the field of animal intelligence. Redefining consciousness as a
trait that doesn't require language is just one of the radical thoughts that will have you looking at your pets in a different light, and rethinking assumptions about mental health while you're at it. (PDS)
  
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| | The parallel worlds of indie rock and independent publishing increasingly find themselves stepping out of their mirror-image scenes to meet somewhere in the middle. So it's fitting that tonight's release party for the latest issue of Watchword, a Berkeley-based journal devoted to fiction, poetry, and literature in translation, takes place at SF's independent music haven Café Du Nord. The two mediums continue their flirtation via hyperliterate songsmith Odessa Chen, who brings deceptive strength to fragile solo arrangements, taking cues from pensive rockers like Low and Cat Power. Mandrake, meanwhile, perform contemplative chamber rock as smoothly swift as eyes skimming across the page. (SK)
 Odessa Chen sings backup in which Bay Area band? The third and fourth correct answers each win a pair of tickets to this event. Third answer also receives a copy of Watchword issue seven.
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| | Chicago noise rockers Royal Trux may have expired, but the band's two main players, Jennifer Herrema and Neil Hagerty, have still got plenty of juice in them. While guitarist Hagerty is off pursuing a solo career, Herrema, Royal Trux's flaxen-haired frontwoman, has assembled RTX — an equally hard-rocking combo that showcases her snarling vocals while relying heavily on angular, processed guitars and driving percussion. The cover art for the trio's debut, The Transmaniacon, features a skull split in two — emblematic, says Herrema, of the new band's sound. Salem Lights open the show. (KT)
In which country did Royal Trux allegedly start a riot with the announcement of their breakup in 2000? The second and fourth correct answers each wins a pair of tickets to this event.
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| | Sometimes it's hard to predict the next full-on musical trend, but the Ebb and Flow's much loved multiple personalities give them as much of a shot at being part of the next big scene as anyone. Progressively synthetic and eerily melodic, this local trio loves its Moogs, Farfisa, and horns equally, quickly shifting from post-rock jazz grooves to rainy-day soul. Having played with both Stereolab and Modest Mouse, the Ebb and Flow now headline their own challenging pop show. The sing-along and dance-athon begins with local shoe-gazers Astral and the premeditated ruckus rock of Scissors for Lefty. (CT)
On average, how much time passes between two high tides? The tenth and 12th correct answers each win a pair of tickets to this event.
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| | New Yorker scribe Malcolm Gladwell's theory of the "tipping point" — likening the spread of viruses to the spread of ideas — was borne out by the very success of his book, whose central thesis quickly entered the general lexicon, fueling cocktail chatter among even those who hadn't read it. In his new book, Blink, Gladwell reverses his perspective — this time viewing micro events through a macro lens — to examine how we accrue knowledge and make complex decisions based upon the merest slivers of information. (PS)
Who have you made the worst first impression on and why? Our favorite answer wins a copy of Blink.
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| | To know Ricky Jay is to worship his seemingly effortless ability to do, well, everything. A gifted magician and magic historian, you might know him from such extracurricular activities as his roles in Deadwood and Boogie Nights and his ongoing creative partnership with playwright/filmmaker David Mamet. In his live appearances, Jay demonstrates his breadth with an ardor evident on his KCRW radio show, Jay's Journal — a musing on any and all topics that get his intellectual motor running. Join Jay this evening at City Arts & Lectures for conversation and more — perhaps a soliloquy, a display of sleight-of-hand trickery, or arcane knowledge from this scholar of the mysterious and bizarre. (LE)
What is your favorite sleight of hand trick? Our three favorite answers each win a pair of tickets to this event.
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THEATRE: Opening
Sarah Jones' Bridge & Tunnel
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| when: | Thur 1.20 (8pm) |
| where: | Berkeley Repertory Theatre (2025 Addison St, Berkeley, 510.647.2949) |
| price: | $30-40 |
| links: |
Event Info | Sarah Jones |
| | A fiery Vietnamese-American teen, a wisecracking Long Island grandmother, a Pakistani accountant, a young Jamaican performance artist, a Bronx-bred Latina — Sarah Jones, the star of this stunning one-woman show, enters the skins of ten NYC-area residents participating in the third-annual I.A.M.A.P.O.E.T.T.O.O., a lo-fi immigrant poetry jam at a humble Queens café. Whether it's grappling with homosexuality, the backlash from the Patriot Act, or racial stereotypes, Jones justifies the challenges her characters face with an honesty and humanity leavened by a great deal of outright hilarity. Her flawless impersonations, accented with just the right inflections and accessories, provide a refreshing reminder of why many of us live in these multiethnic environs. (DM)
Note: Bridge & Tunnel runs through Sun 2.20 (schedule).
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MUSIC: Trip-Pop
Gomez
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| when: | Thur 1.20 - Sat 1.22 (Thur: 8pm / Fri & Sat: 9pm) |
| where: | The Fillmore (1805 Geary Blvd, 415.346.6000) |
| price: | $25 / $65 three day ticket |
| links: |
Event Info | Gomez |
| | Gomez should inspire any band fed up with the workings of the music industry machine. With little label support, the UK group has built up one of the most loyal fan bases on either side of the Atlantic, almost entirely through its exhilarating multiple-frontman-led stage shows. The fact that they're continuing to tour the States despite actually parting ways with their label after the release of Split the Difference, their fourth album, attests to Gomez's confidence in their dedicated following; the existence of fan incentives, meanwhile, such as a reduced price for those who attend all three of their SF dates, speaks to the fact that every experience with this psychedelic blues crew is a new and worthwhile adventure. (DL)
Note: The Sat 1.22 show is sold out. Gomez play with Mike Doughty on 1.20 and 1.21; West Indian Girl open the show on 1.22.
Gomez members Ian Ball and Olly Peacock used to play in what metal band? The sixth correct answer wins a pair of tickets for the 1.20 show.
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ART
New Visual Arts Opening Night Party
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| when: | Fri 1.21 (8-11pm) |
| where: | Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Forum (701 Mission St, 415.978.2787) |
| price: | $12 / $10 advance |
| links: |
Event Info |
| | The Yerba Buena Center for the Arts isn't like any other museum in town. On top of hosting exhibits that both contribute to and challenge our ever-changing definition of American culture, the institute continues to provide a welcome home to lovers of art, music, theater, film, and dance with opening parties like tonight's event. So come as you are: ballroom gowns and tuxedos will undoubtedly only hinder your ability to partake in what the evening has to offer — live performances by Sonny Smith, Paradise Island, and Total Shutdown's Nate Denver as well as vintage magic film screenings and vaudeville shows broken up by Fort Nightress' mood-setting DJ sets. (KT)
The previous incarnation of Total Shutdown was Panda. What type of music did they play? The second and sixth correct answers each win a pair of tickets to this event.
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| | After adding "solo artist" to his impressive alt-country resume, singer/songwriter Jay Farrar — whose infamous falling out with Uncle Tupelo cofounder Jeff Tweedy (now of Wilco) was immortalized by Chicago Tribune critic Greg Kot in his book Wilco: Learning How to Die — is now resurrecting his splinter band, Son Volt, and its signature Southern twang with the help of Blood Oranges' Mark Spencer. Don't let Farrar's Southern edge fool you, though; he's also intrigued by the West — particularly California, which served as the inspiration for his album Sebastapol. Anders Parker, who once fronted alt-country fringe outfit Varnaline, sets the stage. (SNS)
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ART
SFMOMA Community Day: Tenth Anniversary Celebration
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| when: | Sat 1.22 (11am-4pm) |
| where: | SFMOMA (151 3rd St, 415.357.4000) |
| price: |  FREE |
| links: |
Event Info |
| | On January 18, 1995, SFMOMA's Mario Botta-designed Third Street location opened to much fanfare — and visitors lined up down the block awaiting their free glimpse of the Bay Area's largest modern art collection in its new home. Today, in celebration of its tenth anniversary in the Botta building, SFMOMA is hosting a free admission community day, with music, performances, and hands-on art projects. This is also your cut-rate chance to catch the Lichtenstein exhibit and to get in on the opening of the 2004 SECA award exhibition, featuring contemporary art from Bay Area artists Rosana Castrillo Diaz, Simon Evans, Shaun O'Dell, and Josephine Taylor. (EC)
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FESTIVAL
The Fifth Annual Edwardian Ball
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| when: | Sat 1.22 (9pm) |
| where: | Cat Club (1190 Folsom St, 415.431.3332) |
| price: | $15 / $12 in advance or in costume |
| links: |
Event Info |
| | Ghoulish garb, fanciful theater, preposterous puppetry, morbid music, devious dancing, and much more mischief abounds at "The Evil Garden," the Fifth Annual Edwardian Ball. Based on the atmosphere of delightfully deadly tales by late author/illustrator Edward Gorey, the Ball encourages attendees to dress up in period-appropriate attire (basically 1901-1919) — meaning long jackets, top hats, and walking sticks for the men, and corsets, ornate dresses, and white gloves for the women. Entertainment includes two Gorey stories interpreted for the stage with accompaniment by Pagan Lounge ensemble Rosin Coven, song and piano by fiendish femme fatale Jill Tracy, aerial antics courtesy of the Vau de Vire Society, and waltzes, polkas, and mazurkas dished out by a variety of DJs. (TP)
What university did Edward Gorey attend? The seventh and tenth correct answers each win a pair of tickets to this event.
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MUSIC: Indie Rock
Mission Creek Music Fest Winter Ball w/ Errase Errata, the Mall, and Amber Asylum
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| when: | Sat 1.22 (9pm) |
| where: | Rickshaw Stop (155 Fell St, 415.861.2011) |
| price: | $10 / $8 before 9pm or clad in D&D garb |
| links: |
Event Info |
| | To stave off cabin fever, there's no better bet than to rock the house, and last year's inaugural Mission Creek Music Fest Winter Ball did just that, presenting an all star lineup of regulars from the annual June festival — including the Gossip, Gold Chains, and the jump-roping Double Dutchesses — playing to a roomful of costumed revelers. This year's Ball features dance-punk hotshots Erase Errata, chamber goths Amber Asylum, T.I.T.S., the Mall, Extraordinary Forest, and — should we be scared? — Dungeon Majesty, a troupe of D&D fanatics premiering an episode from their magick-worshipping TV show. Sheathe your vorpal sword, cozy up to the bar for a pint of potion, and prepare to cross over to the dark side. (PS)
What kind of D&D character would you be? Our favorite answer wins a pair of tickets to this event.
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DJ
House Party 3 feat. Cut Chemist
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| when: | Sat 1.22 (9pm-4am) |
| where: | Club Six (60 6th St, 415.863.1221) |
| price: | $15 / $20 advance |
| links: |
Event Info | Cut Chemist |
| | Invincible energy and a fistful of talent are vital to surviving in the underground hip-hop scene, and keeping that standard held high is producer and turntable master Cut Chemist. Since 1993, he's been tearing up the coastline, collaborating with the likes of DJ Shadow (as a partner in the highly regarded Brainfreeze and Product Placement projects), Shortkut (with whom he cut Future Primitive's landmark Soundsession 1.1), and his own hip-hop group, Jurassic 5 — as well as venturing into outside projects like the Latin-funk band Ozomatli. All this, and there's still no hint that he might tire out in the near future — meaning House Party 3 should live both above and beyond its namesake. (JM)
Who does Chris Tucker play in House Party 3? The first and ninth correct answers each win a pair of tickets to this event.
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| | The East Coast/West Coast indie-rock rivalry rears its bespectacled head as New York's French Kicks take on Southern California's Dios Malos (formerly dios). The two squads brandish their hometown sounds with panache, as the Kicks do a funk-punky strut to a hi-hat's thwack and Dios swoon to a 12-string's melancholy jangle. Though both groups' 2004 Startime International releases seriously impressed (dios in particular), we give the edge to the Left Coast home team, as SF's subdued vibe mingles perfectly with Dios Malos' oceanside sway. (YS)
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| | Drinking games, long-shot dates — the best things in life can begin with a dare, and Will Oldham's new project is no exception. For the bewitching Superwolf album, Oldham (aka Bonnie "Prince" Billy) challenged longtime friend and former Chavez frontman Matt Sweeney to write music for his brooding lyrics. Due out on Tue 1.18 from Drag City, the record has plenty of gorgeous (and familiar) acoustic ballads about whiskey, faith, and cuckoldry, but the earthiness really moves when Sweeney rewires Oldham's mournful lo-fi ramblings into stumbling-drunk, Stones-era soul. You can preview a live recording here, but this in-store appearance, the duo's only gig in town, is your best bet to catch this extraordinary partnership in action. (TW)
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| | A more self-conscious performer would bristle at the treatment Kool Keith receives from his fans. Like Ol' Dirty Bastard and Wesley Willis, Keith's
eccentricities and neuroses are viewed as shtick by his fanbase, yet the ex-Ultramagnetic MC rhymer seems too enraptured by big asses and bigger cheeseburgers to notice that he's not always taken seriously. Though Keith has released a slew of albums under a variety of monikers, it's still his 1996 major-label breakthrough, Dr. Octagonecologyst, that defines his career, with its oddball rhymes, off-beat cadences, and creepy productions. Yet the gonzo-doctor persona was quickly abandoned for less antiseptic pastures, and the anti-careerist's career was born. He performs tonight with his longtime collaborator KutMasta Kurt, with whom he produced Diesel Truckers in 2004. (YS)
What will be Keith Matthew Thorton's (aka Kool Keith aka Black Elvis aka Dr. Octogon aka Dr. Dooom) next alter ego? Our favorite two answers each win a pair of tickets to this event.
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MULTIMEDIA
Transmission presents La Jetée and The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb
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| when: | Sun 1.23 (9pm) |
| where: | Madrone Lounge (500 Divisadero St, 415.241.0202) |
| price: | $2 |
| links: |
Event Info | Transmission |
| | Filmed in black and white, made almost entirely from still photographs, and with a narrator's voice as its only accompaniment, Chris Marker's haunting short film La Jetée (1962) has seduced more than a few musicians into attempting to encapsulate its nostalgic unease in after-the-fact soundtracks. Tonight Transmission Large Ensemble, the full version of the accomplished jazz combo Transmission Trio, rises to the challenge, accompanying the film with standup bass, percussion, reeds, guitar, strings, and a horn section; they also tackle Dave Borthwick's creepy stop-animation classic The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb (1993). Expect a thrilling fusion of sound and image. (PS)
In 1956, when Chris Marker was in Beijing making his film Dimanche à Pekin, Secretary of State Dulles refused a meeting with Chinese Premier, Zhou Enlai. Why? The first and fifth correct answers each win a pair of tickets to this event.
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| | The San Francisco Sketch Comedy Festival is an X-marks-the-spot on the alternative comedy map. Dana Carvey and Kids in the Hall member Bruce McCulloch headline this fourth annual three-week comedy festival, but The Onion Live with Dave Eggers is guaranteed to steal the show. With more than 1.5 million readers each week and cheekily billed as "America's Finest News Source," The Onion is arguably the most widely read humor magazine in the world. Its writers and editors sit down tonight with Dave Eggers, the founder of McSweeney's and 826 Valencia and author of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius — and a funny man in his own right — for a conversation about the only news that counts. (CW)
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ART
Dwell: Picturing the Modern World
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| when: | Now through Tue 2.1 (Mon-Fri: 9am-5pm) |
| where: | AIA SF Gallery (130 Sutter St, Ste 600, 415.362.7397) |
| price: | FREE |
| links: |
Event Info | Dwell |
| | In the beginning, interior design magazines were chi-chi designers and wall-to-wall chintz; clean, minimalist design was left to bank lobbies and modern art museum foyers. But five years ago, with their fruit bowl manifesto and their commitment to modernism, San Francisco-based Dwell magazine changed all that. This exhibit, cosponsored by the SF branch of the American Institute of Architects, showcases the artful yet inviting photography that helped the magazine show its readers that thoughtfully designed, thoroughly modern dwellings could be just as warm and comfortable as their overstuffed, shabby-chic suburban counterparts. (EC)
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ART
Situational Prosthetics
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| when: | Now through Sat 2.19 (Tue-Sat: 12-6pm) |
| where: | New Langton Arts (1246 Folsom St, 415.626.5416) |
| price: | FREE |
| links: |
Event Info |
| | SOMA's New Langton gallery has always had a knack for injecting forward-thinking visuals, politics, and healthy shots of humor into its shows. Playing on French philosopher Nicolas Bourriaud's idea of "relational prosthetics," an art theory that encompasses social interaction and audience participation, guest curator Nate Lowman presents the work of artists from the US and Japan that examine the minutiae of day-to-day life. Photographs like Aaron Young's "Flashin'(NHC)," a shot of six cops fashioned in an absurd, Police Academy-like style, lend the show its political edge while Kelley Walker's toothpaste and magazine cover collages shoot daggers at pop culture iconography. (KT)
Note: The opening reception for this show is on Thur 1.20 (6-8pm).
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PHOTOGRAPHY
Irving Penn: Underfoot
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| when: | Now through Sat 3.5 (Tue-Fri: 10:30am-5:30pm / Sat: 11am-5pm) |
| where: | Fraenkel Gallery (49 Geary St, 415.981.2661) |
| price: | FREE |
| links: |
Event Info | Irving Penn |
| | Chewed-up gum is a bizarre subject for any photographer — especially one who can boast a celebrated career of 50 years — but that is precisely the topic of Irving Penn's latest collection. Off-putting as the concept initially sounds, it would be erroneous to dismiss this exhibit as the photographic delusions of an abstract fanatic; all that's required for meaningful viewing of these pictures is a detail-oriented eye in tune with an alert imagination. Come thusly prepared, and suddenly the sticky wads embody figures, emotions, lives, and histories, transcending their own forms and the city sidewalks on which they're sculpted. (JM)
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| CD REVIEW: Jóhann Jóhannsson, Virthulegu Forsetar |
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Touch UK
Released November 2004
$16.50 (Forced Exposure)
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Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson's Virthulegu Forsetar
is a creeper. It comes on slowly and softly, caressing with spidery French horn
fingers, lapping sonic shores with deep, textured electronic drones, and shifting
tone with such subtlety that the changes are barely evident at first. Over the
course of the hour-long, four-part composition, however, Jóhannsson stacks
one languorously triumphant theme on top of another, alternately building to
trumpet-rich climaxes and pulling the sonic curtains back to reveal the
delicious, ubiquitous buzzing undercurrent. In fact, he accumulates momentum with
such glacial patience that when Virthulegu finally sounds its last
fanfare, the listener is left exhausted, calmed, and exhilarated all at once; it
makes you wonder how you ever could have dismissed minimalism as "cold" when
there are such joyful slow-burns as this. (TG)
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| CHEAT SHEET: Into the Storm |
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With just about every rag these days offering a Face-like barometer of cool, digital 'zine Into the Storm offers a refreshing take on style-mag journalism. The clincher is the examination of ideas and concepts rather than gadgets and parties: think Franz Ferdinand on Russian art, Nicholas Hawksmoor's London churches, and how literature got hip again. Issue two is deliriously self-referential, subtitled "Everything Style Magazines Forgot To Tell You". Spot-on advice includes how to create a global trend and how to talk your way into a nightclub. ("Create a diversion by faking a drug overdose or screaming class war from a megaphone.") (KW)
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| STREAMS: KCRW |
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KCRW mixes news, culture, and musical programming ranging from jazz and classical to the newest dance floor bangers. Though a full-blown radio station, its approach is refreshingly noncommercial and free of TRL-style clutter. This week, we check in with Jason Bentley's Metropolis, featuring Metro Area's Morgan Geist mixing the same strains of rare disco he lovingly assembled on his recent Unclassics mix. Morning Becomes Eclectic's Nic Harcourt mans the helm for a recap of 2004's best music, while David Leaf delves into the music and mythology of Brian Wilson's Smile. (CJN)
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| CREDITS |
| Header Design: |
| Nest | Nina Dinoff | | |
| Editors: |
| Crib | Jocelyn K Glei | | A-frame | Jake Lancaster | | Walkup | Paul Laster | | Yellow Submarine | Doug Levy | | Log Cabin | Sascha Lewis | | Townhouse | Gerry Mak | | Yurt | Mark Mangan | | Teepee | Colin J Nagy | | Converted laundramat | Philip Sherburne | | Brownstone | Claire Smith | | Igloo | Peter D Stepek | | Victorian | 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: |
| House of Sand and Fog | Anna Balkrishna | | Double-wide | Scott Benbow | | Houseboat | Jimmy Carson | | Palazzo | Erika Christiansen | | Ranch | Peter P Clarke | | Split level | Todd Cohen | | Mek structure | Lauren Epstein | | Space station | Ellisa Feinstein | | Yacht | Rebecca J Hill | | Safe house | Sebastian Koch | | McMansion | Ali Kops | | Cape Cod | Sarah G Lefton | | Penthouse | Anli Liu | | Cave | Jenn Marston | | Condo | David Morrow | | Coffeehouse | Nish Nadaraja |
| Warehouse | Tim Pratt | | Van | Sam N Shah | | Commune | Sam Smith | | Tract Home | Julian G Stewart | | Colonial | Yancey Strickler | | Lighthouse | Sarah S Sung | | Sod house | Cheryl Taruc | | Pup tent | Ken Taylor | | Fortress | Cyrus Wadia | | Loft | Kieran Wyatt | | |
| Production: |
| Villa | Anjuli Ayer | | Time-share | Lucy Beach | | | | Treehouse | Sebastian Rasp |
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ELECTRONIC MUSIC MAGAZINE
Flavorpill Productions also publishes Earplug, a twice-monthly email magazine highlighting the latest in electronic music — with news, cultural spotlights, CD reviews and original features. Issue 38 is out now.
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