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 SWOON & Tod Seelie |
Cultural Stimuli in SF
Issue 170: speedy flavor
Life seems to be moving at the pace of a souped-up Greyboy track: stock cars zip though San Jose, sideshow drag races terrorize East Bay streets, and marathon runners trample every neighborhood around. It's thrilling, but sometimes we prefer the repose of Cool Hand Luke, opting to soothe ourselves with museum freebies, indie folk, and story time. We'll ramp up again with the fury of the Heavenly States, the glitz of Charo's Las Vegas Show, and frenzied metal from Soilent Green. When getting in and out of the fast lane, keep both hands on the wheel and spread it.
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flavorpill is an email magazine covering a hand-picked selection of music, art, and cultural events — delivered each Tuesday afternoon.
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In 1884, a German brewer named Wilhelm Hasse emigrated from his homeland and established the Modezuma brewery in Veracruz, Mexico. In 1897, Hasse blended his brewing heritage with the spirit of Mexican tradition to create Dos Equis. Carrying the distinctive "XX", Dos Equis symbolizes a celebration of the last century and its revolutionary vision, while honoring the new millennium. |
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| FILM |
Happy Endings
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For an ensemble film to succeed, its characters must be not only well-drawn, but also well-executed. The brilliance of Happy Endings, then, is in its casting. This jumble of sad-eyed Angelenos connected by a loose set of coincidences (the ultimate ensemble film cliché) is elevated by actors who, though cast against type in many cases, seem born for their roles. As a lonely single dad, Tom Arnold's usual waggery is tamed into surprisingly affecting puppy-dog tail-wagging; Lisa Kudrow's screwed-up mouth proves ideal for delivering an abortion counselor's sardonic one-liners; and Maggie Gyllenhaal stops time whenever her torch-singing street urchin claws her way across the screen. (LR)
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| FILM |
Occupation Dreamland
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The age of 21st-century punditry has created a legion of armchair policy analysts, and few topics are as controversial as America's business in Iraq. Everyone and his mother holds an opinion on what is transpiring overseas, but rarely do we get to see things through the eyes of someone actually involved in the action. Directors Garrett Scott and Ian Olds followed the 82nd Airborne stationed outside Fallujah on the eve of the famed siege on the city. The result is a poignant and multi-faceted look at one face of a controversial war. (SNS)
 How did the "Dreamland" area near Fallujah receive its name? The first five correct answers each win a pair of tickets to this film.
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| MUSIC: Pop |
Nikka Costa
| when: |
Tue 8.2 (8pm) |
| where: |
The Independent (628 Divisadero St, 415.771.1421) map |
| price: |
$15 |
| links: |
Event Info | Nikka Costa |
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There's Injustice (poverty, war, etc) and then there's injustice — such as when a blue-eyed bore like Joss Stone gets famous and Nikka Costa is left dancing in the shadows. Costa had her moment in 2001 with the slinky-cool "Like a Feather," a perfect R&B number with beaucoup elbow room, but the single eventually proved Newton's theory of gravity: "Feather" dropped down the charts like a stone. But Costa, who can always claim "big in Europe" and "Frank Sinatra's goddaughter" on her tombstone, is nothing if not resilient; the excellent Can'tneverdidnothin' was released with apallingly little fanfare earlier this year. (YS)
Note: Driveblind open the show.
On whose Christmas album did Nikka Costa guest star at the tender age of five? The fifth correct answer wins a pair of tickets to this show.
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| FUNDRAISER |
Cool Hand Luke (1967)
| when: |
Tue 8.2 (9:15pm) |
| where: |
The Parkway Theatre (1834 Park Blvd, Oakland, 510.814.2400) map |
| price: |
$7 |
| links: |
Event Info | Cool Hand Luke |
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With three of the country's most famous correctional facilities in or within 100 miles of San Francisco Bay, it's no surprise that prisons have made their way into local lore through movies and pop music. Likewise, it makes sense that Oakland would birth an organization like Critical Resistance, which seeks constructive alternatives to incarceration. To raise money for this effort, the Parkway Theater screens prison-film classic Cool Hand Luke, which not only helped usher in the upheaval of '70s Hollywood, but also immortalized Paul Newman's shocking blue eyes — and the impossibility of eating 50 eggs in an hour. (JK)
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| ALSO ON TUE |
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ART
SFMOMA Free Admission Day
Tue 8.2 (10am-6pm) SFMOMA (151 3rd St, 415.357.4000) map FREE
Event Info |
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Today's free admission encourages us to spend more time with Richard Tuttle's work, as every visit to the delicate, diminutive sculptures reveals another miniature world of wonder. (NC)
 
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| MUSIC: Indie Rock |
Tegan and Sara
| when: |
Wed 8.3 (9pm) |
| where: |
Great American Music Hall (859 O'Farrell St, 415.885.0750) map |
| price: |
$16 |
| links: |
Event Info | Tegan and Sara |
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There are so many ways to label Tegan and Sara. Canadians. Twins. Lesbians. What is often overlooked (yet infinitely more interesting), however, is the 25-year-old identical twins' music, which explores their conflicting sensibilities; one leans more toward pop-influenced, traditional sounds, the other shifting, harder, unconventional melodies. Returning to the West Coast not so long after their Coachella performance, Tegan and Sara swoop through LA with a unique treat for the folks who haven't yet experienced their traveling road show. The Calgary-bred sisters' hilarious banter, strange musings, and peppy power pop make for a simply irresistible show. (JH)
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| MUSIC: Indie Rock |
Mary Timony w/ Scissors for Lefty and Chi Chi Palace
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Following years spent confined to the Eastern seaboard, former Helium guitarist Mary Timony has finally brought her fuzzed-out guitars and ethereal vocals to the West Coast. After spending a whirlwind month opening for Sleater-Kinney on their recent tour, Timony now returns to tout her latest solo album, Ex Hex — a blissfully noisy departure from her earlier gypsy-folk efforts. Spastic locals Scissors for Lefty and the ladies of Chi Chi Palace open what is sure to be an evening spent examining every single sound that a guitar can create. (CH)
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| READING |
Kim Addonizio
| when: |
Thur 8.4 (7pm) |
| where: |
A Clean Well-Lighted Place for Books (601 Van Ness Ave, 415.441.6670) map |
| price: |
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| links: |
Event Info | Kim Addonizio |
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Former poet laureate Billy Collins said that Kim Addonizio's poems are "stark mirrors of self-examination," but when we look in those mirrors ourselves — especially through the local writer's dynamic 2004 collection, What Is This Thing Called Love — her playfulness and vitality seems anything but spare. This same vivacity inhabits every page of her first novel, Little Beauties, a quick-witted story that begins when a pregnant teen, Jamie Ramirez, walks into the SoCal baby store and meets 34-year-old former child pageanteer Diana McBride. Much like the voice of the narrative itself, the two women are sharp, surprising, and heartbreakingly real. (NC)
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| SPOKEN WORD |
Porch Light Storytelling Series: Third Anniversary Extravaganza!
| when: |
Fri 8.5 (7pm) |
| where: |
Swedish American Hall (2170 Market St, 415.861.5016) map |
| price: |
$12 |
| links: |
Event info |
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Hot on the heels of her hilarious new memoir, Everybody into the Pool, Beth Lisick, along with co-organizer Arline Klatte, reminds us of yet another reason why it's wonderful to be weird in San Francisco: the Porch Light Storytelling Series. Since its inception three years ago at the Hemlock Tavern, Porch Light has grown into a standing-room-only monthly tradition. For its third anniversary, Lisick and Klatte invite back the year's best local personalities to pull out the oddest, lewdest, and funniest anecdotes to be crammed into ten minutes — catch Matt Gonzalez recounting his experiences running for mayor, or psychiatrist-turned-comedian James Reichmuth talking about balancing patients with Comedy Central. (AB)
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| READING |
Francesca Lia Block
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For those who read and loved Francesca Lia Block's slinkster cool Weetzie Bat series, her new novel, Necklace of Kisses, will be like visiting an old friend — albeit one who lives in a glittery, urban-glam Los Angeles infused with magic and lined with a dark side. Block puts the "adult" in young adult reading, composing modern fairytales that actually deal with issues adolescents face, such as homosexuality, death, addiction, and abuse. Her writing, loved by all ages, has a fantastical sheen with a realistic shadow; and brings to life quirky characters who fall in and out of love with themselves, each other, and the city around them. (LB)
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| MUSIC: Metal |
Soilent Green w/ Into the Moat
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Rock has often been referred to as "the Devil's music," but the Lord has had just as much of a hand in rolling Beethoven over as Old Lu — the connection between blues and gospel is a given, and the blues (amongst other substances) are definitely coursing beneath the hard metal skin of Louisiana's Soilent Green. Frontman Ben Falgoust's sandpaper howl and wild gesticulations channel the impassioned dementia of a snake-handling backwoods preacher proselytizing doom and filling his flock with wild, frenzied spirit. But is the spirit holy? Perhaps a hint lies with openers Into the Moat; they must have traded something for their space- and time-conflating riffs. (GM)
Note: Watch Them Die and A Perfect Murder open.
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| FUNDRAISER |
Anticon's Benefit for Dax feat. Odd Nosdam, Why?, and Dosh
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Dax is a loved musician. So loved, in fact, that when his band's van overturned and left him paralyzed, the music community expressed its support and sympathy through a series of benefit concerts. From London and Berlin to NYC, Chicago, LA, and SF, the benefits have featured artists such as Blur, Mogwai, Busdriver, the Notwist, Boom Bip, and Sage Francis. Now, Anticon is doing its part with Why?, Jel, Alias, and Odd Nosdam among the performers in a two-day who's who of the label's roster. Expect encouragement and excitement, quirky syncopated beats, and clever (if indecipherable) rhymes. (SC)
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| MUSIC: Pop |
Teenage Fanclub w/ the Rosebuds
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Once upon a time, there was a band whose major-label debut was Spin magazine's Album of the Year — beating out Nirvana's Nevermind, R.E.M.'s Out of Time, and My Bloody Valentine's Loveless. The year was 1991, the album was Bandwagonesque, and the band was Teenage Fanclub. Now, well over a decade later, having spent most of their critical and popular capital, the Scottish rockers remain incredibly consistent and surprisingly relevant on their new, John McEntire (Tortoise)-produced album, Man-Made. Tonight, TFC bring their guitar-driven, '70s-influenced power pop to Bimbo's, supported by North Carolina-based indie rockers the Rosebuds. (SB)
Who should have won Spin's 1991 Album of the Year? The two best answers each win a pair of tickets to this show.
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| DJ |
Tokyo Sexy Dreamers feat. J-Boogie w/ Rasoul
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Veteran DJ and producer Rasoul has seen many waves of Bay Area electronic music. Though he got his start making hip-hop, Rasoul got turned onto underground house in the early '90s, and from his early acid house cuts to his more recent deep and dub house styles, he has always searched for soul in the all the right places. Rasoul's rolling bass lines and well-sourced samples of '80s R&B have helped keep San Francisco on the lips of DJs and clubgoers around the world. Add J-Boogie, whose own Dubtronic Science has rocked futurist dance floors and airways for years, and there should be no shortage of sonic depth tonight. (GKH)
What is Rasoul's affiliation with the Black Panther Party of Oakland? The second correct answer wins a pair of tickets to this event.
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| ALSO ON FRI |
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DJ
Fahrenheit 111
Fri 8.5 (9pm-2am) 111 Minna Gallery (111 Minna St, 415.974.1719) map $5
Event Info |
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Under the careful watch of Kuze and DJ M, this first-Friday monthly is silly with sundry drum 'n bass and broken beat. Tonight's guests include Andrew Jervis and Jenö. (NC)
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| PERFORMANCE |
Charo! (and her Las Vegas Show)
| when: |
Sat 8.6 (7pm) |
| where: |
Herbst Theatre (401 Van Ness Ave, 415.392.4400) map |
| price: |
$35-50 |
| links: |
Event Info | Charo |
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Though perhaps best known for her repeated Love Boat appearances and her recent excursion into the reality television ghetto, Spanish-born entertainer Charo actually has a rather impressive musical resume. It was only after studying with classical guitar luminary Andrôs Segovia that Charo re-invented herself as a musician/actress/inspiration to drag queens everywhere. Now, after a long absence, she brings a stage performance to San Francisco that satisfies both sides of her fanbase: those who want campy, flamboyant spectacle and those who appreciate the artistry of the flamenco solo. (JK)
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| MUSIC: Rock |
The Heavenly States
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Even though we fell in love with the overdriven squall of the Heavenly States at Noisepop a few years back, we're equally smitten with their loudmouthed conscience. Sure, politically peeved rockers are hardly rare as hen's teeth, but the Oakland quartet seems to have it hardwired into its every action — whether that means playing a one-off in New York to make demands of G8 summit leaders, or traveling the world in a failed attempt to be the first American rock band to gig in Libya. The cynic in us may harbor doubts about the ability of one little rock band (with a violin, no less!) to save the world, but when we're privy to their short-fused fury firsthand, we can't help but believe. (NC)
What factors are necessary to attain a heavenly political state? The best answer wins a pair of tickets to this show.
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| DJ: Acid Inventions |
DJ Greyboy
| when: |
Sat 8.6 (11pm) |
| where: |
The Milk Bar (1840 Haight St, 415.387.6455) map |
| price: |
$12 |
| links: |
Event Info | DJ Greyboy |
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Andreas Stevens (aka Greyboy) may not have invented acid jazz, but he was definitely one of its first poster boys. After cutting his teeth as a hip-hop DJ in the mid-'90s, Stevens found his footing through a partnership with sax luminary Karl Denson, laying the groundwork for the fusion of groove-heavy beats and live jazz that would become his trademark. Ten years after his groundbreaking underground hit Freestylin', the West Coast DJ is still running strong, lately venturing back to his more breakbeat-driven beginnings, as well as toward the roots of hip-hop: funk and soul. (JCF)
Which architect designed Greyboy's house, and which architectural movement is he associated with? The first three correct answers each win a pair of tickets to this show.
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| ALSO ON SAT |
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FESTIVAL
5th Annual Smythe's Accordion Festival
Sat 8.6 (8:30pm) 21 Grand (416 25th St, Oakland, 510.444.7263) map $5-10 sliding scale
Event Info |
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The squeezebox shrugged off its nerdy reputation long ago, and with workshops like "Punk Rock Accordion," today's festival is an opportunity to hear the instrument in all its resplendent, groaning glory. (NVB)
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| CITY GEM |
Waldemar Bastos w/ Maria de Barros
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Angolan multi-instrumentalist Waldemar Bastos grew up under colonial rule, and was scarred by the violence of his homeland's civil war. Fortunately, Bastos lived to tell the tale, vowing to spread his eclectic music of love, peace, and reconciliation — themes that were vital to his nation's healing process. Whether or not Angola has actually healed is debatable, but Bastos has undoubtedly produced a rich musical texture, infusing Brazilian, Portuguese, and even Jamaican tones into his work. This afternoon, at the newly redesigned Stern Grove, witness the hope and redemption one man has learned to embrace in the face of the horrors of war. (SNS)
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| MUSIC: Folk |
Hockey Night w/ Thee More Shallows
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Thee More Shallows seemingly appeared out of nowhere with their ethereal, melancholic folk, both benefiting from and deepening our recently fashionable freak-folk renaissance. With the help of arranged keyboard lines, droning accordions and violins, and the shimmer of a perfectly placed glockenspiel or two, the band can bring to mind newer voices like Sparklehorse, Ida, or Low, while still drawing from the rich past of the early American Appalachian folk tradition. But be careful — just when they lull you into a haze with their delicate lullabies, they'll muscle through a tune feisty enough to upend your expectations. Hockey Night headlines the show. (NVB)
Thee More Shallows bandmember Tadas Kisielius abruptly left the group during the recording of More Deep Cuts — what is he doing now? The second and fourth correct answers each win a pair of tickets to this show.
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| ALSO ON MON |
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MUSIC: Reggae
Alpha Blondy
Mon 8.8 (9pm) The Independent (628 Divisadero St, 415.771.1421) map $30
Event Info |
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Elohim, Alpha Blondy's 1999 album, was only released stateside this year, and the star's Bay Area visitation is just as overdue. Expect his signature easy grooving tunes, righteously conscious sentiments, and loads of irie authority. (NVB)
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| FILM |
70mm Film Classics
| when: |
Now through Thur 8.11 |
| where: |
The Castro Theatre (429 Castro St, 415.621.6120) map |
| price: |
$8.50 |
| links: |
Event Info |
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Some believe that the proliferation of digital media threatens to cast film cameras and movie reels to the dustbin — but few experiences are as sublime as watching a 70mm film on a very big screen. The Castro Theatre's series, featuring such classics as Hitchcock's Vertigo, Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, Lean's Lawrence of Arabia and The Bridge Over River Kwai, Coppola's Apocalypse Now, and Burton's Edward Scissorhands, proves that the sheer scale and epic quality of blow-ups (films transferred from 35mm to 70mm) and films shot entirely in 70mm will never truly be outdated. (SNS/GM)
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TAKE TWO CLOUD GATES, CALL ME IN THE MORNING: Archidose.org |
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Like any enthusiasts who love their chosen subject matter, but don't actually get paid for their time, amateur online publishers often begin their virtual journals with zeal, but over time, interest flags, until months go by and the site dies a natural death from benign neglect. Not so with A Weekly Dose of Architecture, the online and email journal started by Chicago architect John Hill in 1999 to keep himself up-to-date on architectural happenings. The newsletter has been faithfully dropped into his 2,500 subscribers' email boxes, free of charge, every Monday since 2000; about a year-and-a-half ago, he even added a daily blog. Hill's appetite for anything to do with innovative built matter from around the world extends far beyond his required 9-to-5 duties as a practicing architect, and includes the occasional forays into art, design, The Simpsons, and slow food — all of it written up in an accessible, earnest, and thoroughly linked manner that leaves you eager for the next week's dose of avant-architecture reportage. (AF)
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DVD REVIEW: The Nomi Song |
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Palm Pictures
Released June 2005
$15.98 (Amazon)
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Of the many talented artists to flood downtown NYC in the '70s, there was no more unique or transcendent figure than Berlin émigré Klaus Nomi. Equally inspired by Maria Callas and Elvis Presley, Nomi's flawless, crystalline falsetto could pierce even the most jaded poseur's heart. By out-spacing Bowie in his creation of an authentic alien persona, Nomi burst out as a new-wave legend and passed on as one of the first recognizable artists to die of AIDS. Director Andrew Horn's film smartly balances insider interviews with live performance footage, revealing the truly operatic tale of a strange, sweet, and lonely man whose confluent pop-opera passions and sophisticated stage intensity placed him in a category all his own. A soundtrack, photo gallery, director commentary, and uncut Nomi performances are among the DVD extras. (JCJ)
 Andrew Horn traveled to Berlin in 1989 to study with what fellowship? The second correct response wins a Nomi Song DVD.
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STREAMS: DIRTY |
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Mining the web for the dirty diamonds of digital culture, the French-based Dirty collective once again serves up some of the best content around, ranging from videos and interviews to oddball links (home videos from Slayer on tour, anyone?). This week, check a photo montage of All Tomorrow's Parties in Camber Sands, England (curated by Vincent Gallo) as well as an, um, shall we say "out-there" video from Ariel Pink. Finally, for the headphones, check Ammon Contact with the experimental breaks, a videotaped Out Hud performance at NYC's Pianos, and Trevor Jackson's cut-and-paste megamix — a perfect soundtrack for Last Night's Party. (CJN)
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Ammon Contact: Dirty mix (Beats 'n breaks)
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Out Hud (video): "Dear Mr. Bush..." (Disco-punk)
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Trevor Jackson: Dirty mix (Electro/hip-hop)
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| Header Design: |
| Speed Racer | SWOON & Tod Seelie |
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| Editors: |
| Bullet Train | Nate Cavalieri | | The Flash | Jocelyn K. Glei | | Carl Lewis | Jake Lancaster | | Quicksilver | Doug Levy | | Wind sprint | Sascha Lewis | | Jackrabbit | Gerry Mak | | Wink | Mark Mangan | | Gale-force wind | Colin J. Nagy | | Spandex | Philip Sherburne | | Ducati SS | Claire Smith |
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| ABOUT US |
| flavorpill SF is a free weekly email magazine covering music, arts, and cultural events in San Francisco. All listings are pure editorial, never paid advertisements — no money is accepted from venues, artists, or promoters. Read more about us, and spread it... |
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| FEEDBACK |
As always, feel free to send in any and all feedback — comments, questions, ideas, or rants. Spread the flavor...
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| EVENT SUBMISSIONS |
| Please send all interesting event information (press releases, links, etc.) to events. |
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| Contributors: |
| Crank | Anna Balkrishna | | Sneeze | Nick Van Buskirk | | 4-minute mile | Sean Biehle | | Ricochet | Lisa Butterworth | | Peregrine falcon | Seiji Carpenter | | Speed metal | Annette Ferrara | | Rocket | Josh C. Forbes | | Greased lightning | Connie Hwong | | OJ Simpson | Gordon K. Hurd | | Cheetah | Jonathan Knapp | | Bad news | Lisa Rosman | | e=mc2 | Sam N. Shah | | Light | Yancey Strickler | | Corvette | Annie Wilner |
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Production: |
| Jet engine | Anjuli Ayer | | Dragstrip | Jessica Bauer-Greene | | Superman | Sander-Martijn Milks | | Fiddle champion | David Morrow | | 440GX processor | Dayo Olopade | | Shutter | Melissa Phruksachart | | Jiffy | Leah Taylor | | Speed reader | Marcella Veneziale | | Stock car | Judah Wiedre |
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MORE FILTERED CULTURE |
Hi-fidelity updates
A twice-monthly email magazine high- lighting the latest in electronic music — including news, reviews, and original features
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Books worth reading
A monthly review focusing on smart, readable works of fiction and nonfiction, from current titles to past gems
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Global fashion trends
A twice-monthly, insider view on fashion trends breaking in Paris, London, New York, and around the world
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International art
A twice-monthly email magazine covering art, design, and architecture with profiles, news, and reviews of inter- national shows
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© 2005 Flavorpill Productions LLC. All rights reserved.
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