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 Neuarmy |
Cultural Stimuli in SF
Issue 200: hullabaloo flavor
Here at Flavorpill, we're popping open a bottle of bubbly in honor of our 200th issue in San Francisco. But we're not the only ones celebrating — it's going down all around the Bay. Today also happens to be Fat Tuesday, and you can let it all hang out at the Mardi Gras Ball or Brazilian Carnaval, while a screening of the film I Won't Drown on That Levee serves as a humbling reminder that NOLA is still suffering. Come Sunday, the Roxie's Up the Oscars party turns the old awards snoozer into a catty, call-and-response dramafest. And down in Oakland, all the hyphy people are wildin' out over the debut of E-40's "Tell Me When to Go" video and the making-of documentary, which puts the national spotlight on Oakland sideshows and turf-dancing teams. This is our time to go dumb, and spread it...
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flavorpill SF is an email magazine covering a hand-picked selection of music, art, and cultural events — delivered each Tuesday afternoon.
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A dynamic new collaboration between Budweiser Select and Flavorpill, Select Flavor harnesses the talents of up-and-coming artists and designers to interpret Select — a premier hand-crafted beer — and its iconic crown through original artwork. Expect a new kind of creativity. Expect everything.
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Spotlight
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Miami on Blast
With performances by Coldcut, Jamie Lidell, Hot Chip, and dozens more, plus panel discussions led by top industry insiders, the third annual M3 Summit rocks South Beach from 22-26 March. Get in on the action with special discounts and late-breaking promotions.
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| Daily Updates |
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| FILM |
Plagues and Pleasures on the Salton Sea (2004)
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The festering result of an engineering accident may not seem like something that would eventually be sold as the American answer to the French Riviera, but the Salton Sea was just that. During the '50s, the salty lake in the middle of Southern California's desert became a hot getaway spot for wealthy Americans and, eventually, a major part of Sonny Bono's political career. This documentary, narrated by John Waters, takes a look at the present-day Sea, where senior citizens, crackpot entrepreneurs, and all manner of eccentrics dwell amid 120 degree heat, dilapidated mobile homes, and rotting fish. (JK)
Note: Filmmakers Chris Metzler and Jeff Springer appear in person at both screenings.
 At its center, how many feet below sea level is the Salton Sea? The first five correct responses each win a pair of tickets to a screening of this film.
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| DANCE |
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
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A young Texan named Alvin Ailey, a child of the Great Depression, set out for Tinseltown to pursue his dreams, and American dance was forever changed. Drawing on what he called his "blood memories" — the blues, spirituals, and gospel — Ailey landed in Los Angeles and took over a dance company that eventually bore his name and relocated it to NYC. The late dance legend produced over 75 ballets, garnering widespread acclaim for his socially incisive choreography. Today, under the artistic direction of Judith Jamison, the dance troupe gracefully pushes the borders of modern dance with pieces like Acceptance in Surrender, yet never forgets its founder's inspirations, most apparent in Ailey's 1960 masterpiece, Revelations. (SNS)
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| ALSO ON TUE |
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FILM
I Won't Drown on that Levee and You Ain't Gonna Break My Back
Tue 2.28 (8pm) El Rio (3158 Mission St, 415.282.3325) map  donations welcome
Event Info |
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As New Orleans' streets welcome the first post-Katrina Fat Tuesday revelers, El Rio screens this documentary about the hurricane's devastating aftermath, with a particular focus on Orleans Parish Prison. (JK)
 
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PARTY
Brazilian Carnaval Party
Tue 2.28 (9pm) Elbo Room (647 Valencia St, 415.552.7788) map $8
Event Info |
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If you like some Latin spice in your creole confections, tonight's Carnaval party is sure to satisfy as Nobody from Ipanema and their cohorts get trunks bumping with their brand of Brazilian pop, funk, samba, and whatever else goes with feathers, glitter, and teeny bikinis. (GM)
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MUSIC: Functronic
The Ninth Annual San Francisco Mardi Gras Ball feat. Particle w/ Jazz Mafia Brass Band
Tue 2.28 (9pm) Great American Music Hall (859 O'Farrell St, 415.885.0750) map $20
Event Info |
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New Orleans may not have recovered enough for most to feel right celebrating Fat Tuesday there, but the old spirit of the Big Easy is alive tonight at GAMH with Particle and Jazz Mafia Brass Band throwing down lively sets. (GM)
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| MUSIC: Unpolished Britpop |
The Capes
| when: |
Wed 3.1 (8pm) |
| where: |
The Independent (628 Divisadero St, 415.771.1422) map |
| price: |
$12 / $10 advance |
| links: |
Event Info | The Capes |
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Like Blur and Super Furry Animals before them, the Capes have parlayed precious Britpop into the kind of quirky, catchy, and sublimely clever garage rock that makes you wish you lived in the UK. High-pitched synths à la Parklife mixed with power chords and cheeky accents make Hello a rough-and-tumble full-length debut, with just enough polish to lend the whip-smart lyrics an intelligent, art-school sheen. Indeed, Kris Barratt and Co. have all the charisma of the Libertines or fellow up-and-comers Art Brut, but without the "kill rock 'n roll" pose; instead, it's all sex, drugs, sunshine, and a rollicking live show with Britain's latest "it" boys. (JMS)
Note: The Love X Nowhere and the Drop open.
When Blur formed in 1989, what name did they go by? The third correct response wins a pair of tickets to this show.
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| MUSIC: Free Jazzcore |
KFJC presents the Weasel Walter Quartet feat. Henry Kaiser, William Winant, and Damon Smith
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When No New York was still but blip on the radar of collectors, Weasel Walter — drumming with his powerhouse group the Flying Luttenbachers — appeared on a compilation titled Now Wave. While archly referring to the NY no-wave scene and telegraphing the spontaneity inherent to the largely improvisatory music featured on the comp, the title also neatly sums up the extremes toward which Walter's output has always gravitated: spazzy, discordant hardcore and the outer limits of free jazz. Hear the heaviness, as Walter charts a new crash course with help from local luminaries of improvisation. (MS)
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| DJ |
Dhamaal Artist Collective: Risk and Response
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Incorporating world beats into laptop beats is nothing new; Cheb i Sabbah, after all, is a San Francisco standard. While Diplo has brought funk Carioca to the masses, and Jeff Mangum has, to a lesser extent, increased his listeners' familiarity with Bulgarian folk songs, local artist collective Dhamaal has carved out its own territory in the global soundscape. With DJ sets featuring breakbeats and drum 'n bass mixed with classical Indian music, live tabla performances, and visual components, the collective proves that dance music doesn't have to be confined to the turntables. (CH)
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| MULTIMEDIA |
Gordon Monahan: Speaker Swinging and Piano Mechanics
| when: |
Thur 3.2 (8pm) |
| where: |
Exploratorium (Palace of Fine Arts, 3601 Lyon St, 415.561.0363) map |
| price: |
$13 |
| links: |
Event Info | Gordon Monahan |
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The Exploratorium closes its Situation Abnormal performance series with a bang, or at least a vibrating hum. Inspired in part by the melting cassette sound produced by the Doppler effect, Canadian sound installation artist Gordon Monahan's piece Speaker Swinging is just that — loudspeakers attached to light sources are swung around, resulting in a blur of decaying sound and twirling tracers. The accompanying Piano Mechanics — like much of the work of John Cage or Aphex Twin's Drukqs — denatures the titular instrument to further open up its sonic possibilities. (MS)
The loudspeaker system known as THX was first used for the screening of which film? The second and fifth correct responses each win tickets to this performance.
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| THEATRE |
Apartment
| when: |
Thur 3.2 - Sat 3.4 (8pm) |
| where: |
CounterPULSE (1310 Mission St, 1.866.468.3879) map |
| price: |
$15 |
| links: |
Event Info |
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Living in San Francisco can be a love/hate experience. Mia Rovegno's new play addresses the latter half of this dichotomy, exploring the alienation and loneliness that afflicts urban dwellers. Utilizing a live acoustic trio, shadow puppetry, and a quintet of actors, Rovegno's work looks beyond conventional methods of theater and storytelling to explore the inner worlds of five characters living separate lives in the same building. As a prelude, audience members are encouraged to arrive early to collaborate on a painting project that further examines urban life. (CH)
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| ART |
The Surreal Calder
| when: |
Fri 3.3 - Sun 5.21 (Thur: 11am-8:45pm / Fri-Tue: 11am-5:45pm) |
| where: |
SFMOMA (151 3rd St, 415.357.4000) map |
| price: |
$12.50 |
| links: |
Event Info |
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Though Marcel Duchamp would coin the term, the concept of the "mobile" as
three-dimensional shapes floating in space was conceived and pioneered by the
American artist Alexander Calder. Though his contributions to surrealism and abstract
art have been somewhat swept under the art history's rug, Calder is widely
considered one of the most innovative sculptors of the 20th century. SFMOMA's spring exhibition of some 60 of his pieces seeks to give the artist the recognition he
deserves. Works by his friends and contemporaries are also on display, including
Jean Miro's wire-thin lines and boldly colored shapes, which echo Calder's own work. (JG)
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| ART: Opening |
Tactica y Estrategia: 19th Annual Solo Mujeres Exhibition of Women Artists
| when: |
Fri 3.3 (7-9pm) |
| where: |
Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts (2868 Mission St, 415.643.5001) map |
| price: |
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Event Info |
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Cecilia Foote, a 2005 graduate of CCA's brand new Curatorial Practice MA program, curates this year's Solo Mujeres show at Mission Cultural Center. Founded by Chicana and Latina artists and activists nearly two decades ago, this annual exhibition showcases artists dealing with contemporary social problems in their work. This year, 30 artists are featured, including painters Eileen Zevallos and Gwen Mercado-Reyes and mixed media artists Paz de la Calzada and Sandra Ortiz Taylor. (HMT)
Note: This exhibit runs through Sat 4.1 (Tue-Sat: 10am-5pm).
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| DANCE |
Nrityagram Dance Ensemble: Sacred Space
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Today, the city of Bangalore symbolizes India's high-tech explosion. A few miles
away, however, a group of dancers is making the village of Nrityagram the center for
an ancient dance form. In this hamlet, the Nrityagram Dance Ensemble devotes
its existence to preserving and sharing Odissi, a classical martial arts-influenced
Indian dance some believe to have originated over two millennia ago. The all-female
group, dressed in beautiful costumes designed to accent their intricate footwork,
tell magical, spiritual stories rooted in Indian history and culture, with some
modern twists thrown in, proving that some dance moves never go out of style. (SNS)
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| ALSO ON FRI |
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MUSIC: Synth Punk
Afrirampo w/ the Mae Shi and the Husbands
Fri 3.3 (9:30pm) Hemlock Tavern (1131 Polk St, 415.923.0923) map $8
Event Info |
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Libidinous Japanese psych-noise duo Afrirampo form like Voltron with the bratty synth-punk one-minute-men of the Mae Shi. Local garage lovelies the Husbands give the crowd a tune-up. (TW)
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| MULTIMEDIA |
"I Do" for Queer Love: An Evening of Performances to Celebrate Equality for All
| when: |
Sat 3.4 (8pm) |
| where: |
Space180 (180 Capp St, 415.503.0520) map |
| price: |
$5-7 sliding scale |
| links: |
Event Info |
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A specter is bedeviling queer politics: marriage — and SF seems to be a favorite haunt. Certainly, the arc from euphoria to legislative appeal in the wake of Mayor Newsom's decision to issue licenses to non-straight couples is one that has been repeated in headlines across the country. Local API artists join forces in solidarity with the pro-queer marriage platform to give their takes on the issue through stand-up comedy, short films, and spoken word, while DJ sets keep things lively in between. (MS)
In ancient Greece, which island-state officially recognized gay marriage? The second and fourth correct responses each win a pair of tickets to this event.
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| MUSIC: Indie Rock |
Low w/ Damien Jurado
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Mimi Parker and Alan Sparhawk of Low gave their hushed harmonies a thorough defibrillation on last year's album, The Great Destroyer. Trading delicately crafted guitar tones and vocal harmonies for cranked amps, the pair served up dronesome and sludgy rock. If you're willing to risk your eardrums, you can hear that the layering of their sparest moments is still there under the din — and who doesn't need to cut loose now and then? Opener Damien Jurado is a tireless urban balladeer whose latest, on Secretly Canadian, is a terrific collection of rootsy folk portraits. (TW)
Alan Sparhawk insists that Low will never cover which song? The second correct response wins a pair of tickets to this show.
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| ALSO ON SAT |
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FILM
A Tribute to Richard Leacock and D.A. Pennebaker
Sat 3.4 (7pm) The Castro Theatre (429 Castro St, 415.621.6120) map $9
Event Info |
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This retrospective of the work of Richard Leacock and D.A. Pennebaker, the founding fathers of cinéma vérité, follows the presentation of the Marcus Prizes for Lifetime Achievement to the filmmaking duo. (SD)
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MUSIC: Pop Punk
Polysics w/ Los Abandoned
Sat 3.4 (9pm) Café Du Nord (2170 Market St, 415.861.5016) map $12 / $10 advance
Event Info |
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Japanese pop punks + addiction to Devo + matching costumes + tour support from bilingual punks Los Abandoned = a) Polysics b) insane live show c) giant grin on your face d) all of the above. (MS)
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| PARTY |
14th Annual Up the Oscars Benefit Bash
| when: |
Sun 3.5 (5pm) |
| where: |
Roxie Cinema (3117 16th St, 415.863.1087) map |
| price: |
$15 |
| links: |
Event Info |
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Have you ever wished that the Oscars could be more of a spectator sport like a British football match complete with hoodlums, fisticuffs, and streaking instead of self-importance, glycerin-induced speechifying, and over-analyzed gowns? Join the Roxy's effort to transform the normally staid awards show into a foul-mouthed, participatory event, with all proceeds benefiting the theater. Quip along with a simulcast Jon Stewart and out-Joan-Rivers Joan Rivers by insulting fellow audience members' sartorial flubs. The silver screen hasn't heard this much smack since Rocky Horror. (MS)
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| ALSO ON SUN |
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MUSIC: Noisy Folk Pop
Animal Collective w/ First Nation and BARR
Sun 3.5 (8pm) The Fillmore (1805 Geary Blvd, 415.346.6000) map $22
Event Info |
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As their stock surges ever higher, freak-folks-made-good Animal Collective once more unite the crunchy with the calculatingly hip through another pogo-inducing blast of their gloriously broken hymns. (TW)
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| FILM |
Syriana
| when: |
Mon 3.6 & Tue 3.7 (7 & 9:35pm) |
| where: |
Red Vic (1727 Haight St, 415.668.3994) map |
| price: |
$8 |
| links: |
Event Info | Syriana |
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If you like your stars buried under pounds of method weight, then watching George "Easy on the Eyes" Clooney's performance in Syriana (in which he simulates being tortured so brilliantly that he actually ended up with real-life injuries) should be right up your alley. Writer/director Stephen Gaghan (who wrote the screenplay for Traffic) employs his formula of intersecting storylines to expose the humanity buried within a global industry driven by greed. The film is worth revisiting at the Red Vic (with Nutritional Yeast on your popcorn) for its politically relevant criticism of global oil dependency. (JG)
What "real-life injuries" did George Clooney receive during the making of Syriana? The first correct response wins a pair of tickets to either screening of this film.
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| THEATRE |
4 Adverbs
| when: |
Now through Sun 3.12 (schedule) |
| where: |
Project Artaud Theater (450 Florida St, 415.626.4370) map |
| price: |
$28-32 |
| links: |
Event Info |
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A local writer who has fortunately been upfront about his literary persona since the beginning, San Francisco native Daniel Handler, better known as Lemony Snicket, turns toward his hometown in his forthcoming work Adverbs. For its latest literary adaptation, the Word for Word series presents this pre-publication theatrical presentation of Handler's third "adult" novel. Three interlocking stories depict 21st century inhabitants of the city by the Bay, as they find ludicrously expensive real estate, deadly violence, and unexpected romance. (JK)
Which four adverbs would you choose to describe the way you live life in the Bay Area? Our two favorite responses each win a pair of tickets to the Wed 3.1 performace of 4 Adverbs.
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| ART |
Molly Springfield: They Just Keep Telling You the Same Thing Forever and Kaz Oshiro: Subpar
| when: |
Now through Sat 3.25 (Tue-Sat: 11:30am-5:30pm) |
| where: |
Steven Wolf Fine Arts (49 Geary St, Suite 411, 415.263.3677) map |
| price: |
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| links: |
Event Info |
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The two complementary solo exhibitions by Kaz Oshiro and Molly Springfield examine
not just the nature but the origin of artifice. Oshiro's constructions of everyday
objects (a refrigerator, an office wall cabinet, a Fender amp) are easy to dismiss
at first glance, but a closer look reveals that they are fabricated using common art
making materials like canvas, paint, and Bondo adhesive. Springfield's works on
paper look like photocopies from afar, but step in to see her meticulous renderings
of literary and theoretical texts. In both cases, the works are replications of copies of a duplications. Or the other way around. (KK)
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| THEATRE |
miss-matches.com
| when: |
Now through Sat 3.25 (Fri & Sat: 8pm) |
| where: |
Shelton Theater (533 Sutter St, 415.433.1226) map |
| price: |
$25 |
| links: |
Event Info |
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Leslie Beam is representative of the many lonely souls who go prowling on the Internet looking for love, relationships, sex, and excitement but often find disappointment, misrepresentation, and, sometimes, pure San Francisco freakiness. With more than 300 encounters under her belt, Beam makes online dating an Olympic sport — one she is determined to win. Her witty commentary and retelling of her meetings with strange men can make singles either hole up with bonbons or log on, depending on how thirsty they are for love. (EF)
Tell us about the worst date you've ever been on. The five most memorable responses of 50 words or less each win a pair of tickets to this performance.
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OAKLAND HYPHY: E-40's "Tell Me When to Go" Video |
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In the past few years, the local hip-hop scenes in Baltimore, Houston, and Atlanta have burst into pop consciousness, but despite the boom bap gold rush, the Bay's homegrown hyphy movement has remained criminally slept on. With faster thudding basslines and more techno trappings than its cousin crunk, hyphy also boasts an arsenal of wildin'-out dance moves and stop-start-dip car tricks. E-40's new joint, "Tell Me When to Go" — with its cascading kicks and MTV-ready video — is set to blow the lid right off this scene. A making-of-the-video documentary on E's site features him, Keak Da Sneak, and a visibly faded Lil Jon cruising around East Oakland, basically setting off controlled riots. The doc also features local dance crews the Animaniakz and the Architeckz. For the full experience, stop by their dance battle at Tell Me When to Go Fridays on Fri, 3.3 at 2232 MLK in Oakland. While we're all about the Yay Area getting overdue respect, let's hope hyphy continues to go dumb, not pop. (TW)
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DVD REVIEW: Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music? |
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Blank Stare Films
Released January 2006
$21.99 (Amazon)
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Christian rock bands tend to get the short end of the cred-stick — to
put it mildly — but no one ever said marrying Satan's music to its
theological antithesis would be easy. Shedding light on the oft-scoffed-at
phenomenon, Heather Whinna and Vickie Hunter's Why Should the Devil Have
All the Good Music? surveys the current Christian-rock landscape with a
sensitive, outsider's eye. A many-faceted scene tortured by its internal contradictions, the genre's practitioners
struggle to maintain faith in their music, their changing audience, and
their God. Highlights include the requisite rant from Steve Albini, a somber
moment with Pedro the Lion's David Bazan, and a performance
from avant-weirdos the Danielson Famile, in which they yelp "I love my Lord" over and over to an increasingly uneasy crowd. And yes, there are shots of the Stryper reunion, which is, as one would
expect, completely awesome. (TG)
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STREAMS: Flavorpill Radio on Heavy.com |
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Each week, Flavorpill filters the best live music, reviews essential new CDs, and points you to primo online media destinations. Now, teaming up with Heavy.com — the alpha and omega of Id-reveling Flash movie shorts — we offer 64 new, streaming tracks from our favorite artists. Not-yet-released Grandaddy, Hot Chip, Neko Case, and Calexico songs butt up against rare imports from UK MC Sway and Japanese metal maniacs Boris. Jimmy Edgar brings stuttering Teflon electro, Gnarls Barkley joins Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo for doo-wop soul-hop, and the late, great J Dilla (RIP) skews beats in his inimitable style. The Advantage take us through Castlevania, Spank Rock spits "Rubin"-esque rhymes, and Danielson jangles his pop sans Famile. From avant-Americana to synth-pop to microhouse, Heavy Radio's Flavorpill channel has something for every ear. (JL)
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| Header Design: |
| Dylan goes electric | Neuarmy |
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| Editors: |
| Spanish Armada | Jocelyn K. Glei | | 2001 Election | Lisa Hix | | 1492 | Connie Hwong | | Black Plague | Jonathan Knapp | | Woodstock | Jake Lancaster | | Britpop | Doug Levy | | Leaving Eden | Sascha Lewis | | Warring States Period | Gerry Mak | | D-Day | Mark Mangan | | Spanish Influenza | Colin J. Nagy | | Black Tuesday | Matt Sussman | | 95 Theses | Claire Smith | | Walk on moon | Leah M. Taylor | | Death of Socrates | Toby Warner |
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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. |
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| EVENT & DESIGN SUBMISSIONS |
To let us know about an upcoming event that you think belongs here, please email us at events at least two weeks prior to the date.
To find out more about submitting cover art to run at the top of Flavorpill publications, go to flavorpill.net/design. |
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MEDIA PARTNERSHIPS |
| Every week, flavorpill SF presents one exclusive media partner. Click for more information about advertising opportunities on all Flavorpill publications. |
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| Contributors: |
| Treaty of Versailles | Anna Balkrishna | | First moving picture | Jimmy Carson | | MC5 at the DNC | Erika Christiansen | | Louisiana Purchase | Sidra Durst | | First tadpole | Kjersti Egerdahl | | Meiji Restoration | Kellie A. Ell | | Leaving SF | Lauren Epstein | | Long March | Ellisa Feinstein | | Miles Davis | Jennie Gruber | | Invention of wheel | Joyce L. Guan | | June 4, 1989 | Katie Kurtz | | Kent State | Hallie Montoya Tansey | | Dandi Salt March | Sam N. Shah | | Berlin Wall | Jennifer M. Stais |
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Production: |
| Battle of Megiddo | Casey Acierno | | Dreyfus Affair | Anjuli Ayer | | Orange Revolution | Jessica Bauer-Greene | | 21 Demands | Chelsea Bauch | | Bay of Pigs | Morgan Croney | | War of the Roses | Sander-Martijn Milks | | Waterloo Campaign | David Morrow | | Treaty of Frankfurt | 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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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
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