 |
|
 |
| |
|
|
 |
 Bethan |
Cultural Stimuli in SF
Issue 246: dharmic flavor
Whatever happened to peace, love, and understanding? Maybe it's the abnormally chilly weather, but the Bay Area's hippie benevolence seems to be wearing thin this week. Our reputation is being tarnished by the "Choirgate" story, cops clearing out oak-huggers in Berkeley, and residents getting rowdy at the year's first Oakland city council meeting. At the least the 'Burners are protecting our rep, coming up with creative ways to keep the Ocean Beach fires, well, burning. And we have Shazia Mirza to teach us about straddling cultural divides, and Free to Be... You and Me to encourage tolerance. Get worked into an activist froth learning about non-organic processed foods, soon-to-be demolished ecosystems, and the teenagers who make our jeans. Celebrate our city's sex-positivity with the CineKink series and the orgasm machines in The Holy Mountain, or just bliss out to the dubby riddims of Mad Professor. Give the heads harshing your mellow the heave-ho this week, and spread it.
- Lisa Hix, Managing Editor
|
|
Flavorpill SF is an email magazine covering a hand-picked selection of music, art, and cultural events — delivered each Tuesday afternoon.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
The Next Generation Nissan Altima
With an unexpected combination of style and technology, luxuries once reserved for the few are now available to the many. Yup, it's that good. |
|
|
|
|
Brand-spankin' new on Flavorpill
Grab an eyeful of our new video section — updated every month with exclusive artist profiles, event clips, and general cultural mayhem. Peep a day in the life of Spank Rock, footage from The Long Tail book party, and more!
|
|
|
 |
| COMEDY |
Shazia Mirza w/ Sheng Wang
| when: |
Tue 1.16 - Sat 1.20 (Tue-Thur: 8pm / Fri & Sat: 8 & 10pm) |
| where: |
Punch Line (444 Battery St, 415.397.4337) map |
| price: |
$13-18 |
| links: |
Event Info | Shazia Mirza | Sheng Wang |
|
|
Nothing raises Shazia Mirza's ire like people who condescend to Muslim women — whether it's Muslim men or well-meaning liberals. A successful, globetrotting 32-year-old Muslim comedian, Mirza has appeared on the BBC in addition to hosting her own show, 10 Things You Always Wanted to Know About Islam (But Were Afraid to Ask). Her deadpan political humor skewers sexual repression and sexism in the Muslim world, not to mention her own cultural divide: "I'm terrified I'll die a virgin... I don't want to get to paradise and have to sleep with one of the suicide bombers." Oakland's own Sheng Wang opens the show. (LH)
Note: In addition to Shazia Mirza, Bob Rubin performs on Friday and Saturday night.
 What was Shazia Mirza's profession before she became a comedian? The first five correct responses each win a pair of tickets to this performance.
|
|
| MUSIC: Classic Rock |
Dixie Dregs w/ Steve Morse Band
|
|
While the Dixie Dregs never broke from the underground quite like mainstream forerunners the Allman Brothers, constant critical praise and a 1981 Grammy nomination proved that they could still stand with the big boys. Lineup changes notwithstanding, the Dregs helped take a nascent genre in the late '70s — jazz-influenced rock — in the direction of a recognizably stylistic fusion. To this day, Steve Morse and Co. are known for virtuoso instrumentals that seamlessly blend bluegrass and classical influences with the kind of countrified Southern-rock flare that "Sweet Home Alabama" standardized. (JMS)
Which Allman Brothers song pays homage to a woman buried in the same cemetery as two of the band's founding members? The first and third correct responses each win a pair of tickets to this show.
|
|
|
 |
| FILM |
Free to Be... You and Me Invitational
| when: |
Wed 1.17 (7:30pm) |
| where: |
Pacific Film Archive (2575 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, 510.642.0808) map |
| price: |
$8 |
| links: |
Event Info |
|
|
The 1974 concept-record-cum-television-special Free to Be... You and Me articulated the hopes of a generation of middle-class Americans, celebrating their liberal values in the shadows of late-stage Vietnam. Curators Nick Hallett and Thomas Beard did their own re-imagining in 2006, inviting a crew of media artists to rework 16mm copies of this cultural curiosity. The results are a mixed bag of both playful and critical engagements. Notables include formalist interventions by Mighty Robot and Darrin Martin; geeky and amorphous digital compositions by Tyler Coburn, Michael Gitlin, and Jacqueline Goss; Kent Lambert's lyrical play with repetition; and Peggy Ahwesh's creepy, Hitchcockian nod to themes of surveillance and control. (BB)
Write the opening lyrics to a developmental song for the Free to Be... You and Me soundtrack. Our two favorite responses in 50 words or less each win a pair of tickets to this event.
|
|
| READING |
Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio: Hungry Planet: What the World Eats
| when: |
Wed 1.17 (7:30pm) |
| where: |
First Congregational Church of Berkeley (2345 Channing Way, 510.845.7852) map |
| price: |
$10 |
| links: |
Event Info |
|
|
Photographer Peter Menzel and writer Faith D'Aluisio cut straight to the case, bypassing the strident tone of many activists. For their book, Hungry Planet: What the World Eats, the pair visited 30 families in 24 countries, photographing them with all the groceries they consumed in one week. The resulting portraits of families and food are simple but incredibly affecting: while the book sharply critiques the rise of agribusiness, the photos themselves offer quiet, undeniable proof of the argument. Tonight's reading, co-presented by Cody's Books, gives Menzel and D'Aluisio an opportunity to share slides and stories from the project. (TW)
|
|
| MUSIC: Garage Rock |
Thee Emergency w/ the Makes Nice
|
|
Seattle's Thee Emergency ride a wave of kitschy names, thrashing guitars, and rain-kissed garage rock chops. Powered by Dita Vox's gritty siren call and Sonic Smith's MC5 shred, the quartet's live sets are an action-packed dance frenzy. SF's the Makes Nice hop on board, celebrating the release of their debut CD, Candy Wrapper and 12 Other Songs, a record brimming with inspired lo-fi garage pop. Don't expect them to be quiet openers, though — given their pedigree (members of the Fucking Champs, Harold Ray Live in Concert, and the Mothballs), the band is bound to kick out some jams. (CH)
|
|
| ALSO ON WED |
|
FILM
Old Joy
Wed 1.17 & Thur 1.18 (schedule) Red Vic (1727 Haight St, 415.668.3994) map $8.50
Event Info
|
|
Writer/director Kelly Reichardt has created one of 2006's most beautiful movies: an astute, thoughtful rendering of young men's uncertainty and the nature of faltering friendships, elevated by the wild energy of lo-fi indie legend Will Oldham. (JK)
 
|
|
|
MUSIC: Avant-Hardocre
Helmet w/ Totimoshi
Wed 1.17 (9pm) Slim's (333 11th St, 415.255.0333) map $17
Event Info
|
|
Not grunge, not quite metal — early '90s rockers Helmet were the intelligent fan's hardcore band, prompting new ways of thinking about alternative rock genres. They continue to defy expectations to this day, fusing everything from jazz to punk. (JMS)
Which recent slasher flick features a Helmet song? The second and third correct responses each win a pair of tickets to this show.
|
|
|
|
 |
| ART: Opening |
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
| when: |
Thur 1.18 (7-9pm) |
| where: |
New Langton Arts (1246 Folsom St, 415.626.5416) map |
| price: |
 |
| links: |
Event Info |
|
|
Inspired abstract painting requires a brash and exacting confrontation of traditional representation. In that tradition, the works in The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly challenge norms, questioning what qualifies a given type of art to be considered within "the canon." Pieces by Robert Bordo, Charline von Heyl, Rebecca Morris, Avery Preesman, Annabeth Rosen, Amy Sillman, and John Zurier range from broad multicolored swathes to paint-obscured collages that play with both recognizable and figurative forms. Together, these carefully selected artists represent a modernist gesture toward innovation and humanism. (BMS)
Note: This exhibition runs through Sat 2.24 (Tue-Sat: 12-6pm).
|
|
| ALSO ON THUR |
|
ART
Jason Middlebrook: Disturbed Sites
Thur 1.18 (6-8pm) Lisa Dent Gallery (660 Mission Street, 4th Floor, 415.975.0860) map
Event Info
|
|
In Disturbed Sites, Jason Middlebrook's drawings, sculptures, and installation explore locales where human markings signify the imminent decimation of the natural world, leveling an evocative challenge to political rhetoric and notions of environmental responsibility. (BMS)
Note: This exhibition remains on display through Fri 2.23 (Tue-Fri: 12-6pm).
|
|
|
|
 |
| FILM |
El Topo (1970) & The Holy Mountain (1973)
| when: |
Fri 1.19 - Mon 1.22 (schedule) |
| where: |
The Castro Theatre (429 Castro St, 415.621.6120) map |
| price: |
$9 |
| links: |
Event Info |
|
|
Cult filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky's two masterworks of psychedelic cinema, El Topo and The Holy Mountain, have finally been restored to their original, acid-fried, 35mm glory. Transposing the narrative of a Leone Western onto an Eastern-tinged journey of enlightenment, El Topo follows its titular loner as he battles wizened masters, finds love with a dwarf, and becomes a beehive. Far more lavish (it was funded by John Lennon and Yoko Ono), The Holy Mountain follows a similar narrative track with crucified extras, mass-castration, secret islands, orgasm machines, and a quest for eternal life. (MS)
Note: El Topo screens Fri 1.19 and Sat 1.20. The Holy Mountain shows Sun 1.21 and Mon 1.22.
|
|
| FILM |
Inland Empire feat. David Lynch
|
|
Lauded by scores of critics and dismissed as incomprehensibly unwatchable by just as many, David Lynch's latest is a reminder of why he's one of the most exciting, polarizing directors of the last quarter century. And, this time, the stakes are higher: starring Lynch regular Laura Dern and shot on DV, Inland Empire clocks in at three hours and is being distributed by Lynch himself. To inquire about the premise is to miss the point; instead, let it wash over you, and either hate it or revel in its glory — that is until Lynch himself appears at the screening to change your mind. (JK)
Note: This event is rush tickets only. Check with the box office upon arrival as remaining seats will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis to patrons waiting in the "Rush Line."
|
|
| MUSIC: Space Drone |
E.A.R. (aka Sonic Boom) w/ LSD and the Search for God and Fuxa
|
|
After recording a series of stark, thrillingly trippy albums, drone-rock legends Spacemen 3 went their separate ways: Jason Pierce and Co. got Spiritualized, while Sonic Boom (aka Pete Kember) kept busy with projects like Spectrum and the more experimental E.A.R. The latter, which has seen collaborations with Kevin Shields and BBC Radiophonic Workshop's Delia Derbyshire, is on deck tonight, so expect heady sounds populated with eerie analog synths. Psychedelic devotees LSD and the Search for God open with a shoegazer take on space-rock. And, with rumors of a DJ set from a certain shoegaze pioneer, tonight's visit to the astral plane seems all but assured. (TW)
How were the songs recorded for Spacemen 3's album Recurring? The first correct response wins a pair of tickets to this event.
|
|
|
 |
| READING |
Writers with Drinks presents Writers in Drag w/ Michelle Tea, Andrew Sean Greer, Kim Stanley Robinson, and Michael Blumlein
|
|
Our regrets to those whose pulses were quickened by this event's sexy title, but the tonight's drag is purely literary. Writers with Drinks, San Francisco's most delightful and eclectic literary salon, hosts its usual collective of literati, with the added twist that all participants must read something outside of their usual genre. Michelle Tea serves up cyberpunk; Ed Champion is on deck with literary fiction; poet Justin Chin considers erotica or horror; and sci-fi scribe Kim Stanley Robinson switch-hits as a poet. Details are vague for local novelist Andrew Sean Greer's selection, but keep your fingers crossed for slash fiction. (TW)
|
|
| MUSIC: Viking Metal |
Dark Funeral w/ Enslaved and Abigail Williams
|
|
While Nazi church-burners and Satanic brain-eaters were killing each other for the title of Most Evil Bastard in Norway, Enslaved quietly (relatively, of course) carved out their own subgenre: Viking metal. Taking a cue from later Bathory, guitarist Ivar Bjørnson and frontman Grutle Kjellson embraced their ancestral heritage and forged icy hymns to Odin in Icelandic and Old Norse. Less militaristic than their corpse-painted compatriots, the Haugesund natives have absorbed influences from King Crimson and Pink Floyd, and were among the first extreme-metal bands to experiment with traditional instruments and folk styles. Traditionalist Swedish black-metal mavens Dark Funeral headline. (GM)
|
|
| FILM |
CineKink 2007: The Best of Cinekink
| when: |
Sat 1.20 (9pm) |
| where: |
YBCA Screening Room (701 Mission St, 415.978.2787) map |
| price: |
$8 |
| links: |
Event Info | CineKink |
|
|
A three-night series of films and videos devoted to BDSM, polyamory, and a slew of fetishes might be a little much, even for those living on erotica's edges. Thus, New York-based sex-positive film organization CineKink condenses things tonight, presenting highlights from its festival last October. With titles like Hitchcocked and Hot and Bothered: Feminist Pornography, it's obvious that a wide range of viewpoints and cinematic styles are represented. If you think the night's offerings won't satiate you, check out the previous two nights' screenings as well. (JK)
|
|
| ALSO ON SAT |
|
DJ
Evil Breaks presents Dirty feat. Future Funk Squad, Fine Cut Bodies, and LoBudg
Sat 1.20 (10pm-4am) Fat City (314 11th St, 415.252.7666) map $10-20
Event Info
|
|
Future Funk Squad, Fine Cut Bodies, and LoBudg get Dirty tonight, dropping original breaks, downtempo, and electronica alongside San Francisco DJs Aaron Jae and Athena. The party goes till morning, and promises ample space to both rock and rest those bones. (EF)
How did Glen Nicholls discover the "Nu-skool" sound? The third and fifth correct responses each win a pair of tickets to this event.
|
|
|
|
 |
| DJ |
Mad Professor & the Ariwa Posse feat. Pan Africanist
| when: |
Sun 1.21 (9pm) |
| where: |
Elbo Room (647 Valencia St, 415.552.7788) map |
| price: |
$25 / $18 advance |
| links: |
Event Info | Mad Professor |
|
|
Dub reggae is all about the underappreciated but undeniably influential player, icons like England's Mad Professor who taught the world that dub is meant to be felt through the ears and the body. Following in the footsteps of mentor Lee "Scratch" Perry, the Prof's wall-to-wall, second-wave sounds maintained a connection with '60s innovators, but also incorporated the riddims of the more progressive '70s and early '80s acts. He appears tonight along with backing band the Ariwa Posse and special guest Pan Africanist, pumping the smooth sounds and virtuosic computer manipulations that have kept him at the front of the class for nigh-on three decades. (JC)
Ariwa Sounds debuted in 1981 with which single? The third correct response wins a pair of tickets to this show.
|
|
| ALSO ON SUN |
|
FILM
China Blue
Sun 1.21 (2pm) Rafael Film Center (1118 4th St, 415.454.1222) map $9.50
Event Info
|
|
Filmed largely in secret, China Blue is a penetrating documentary examining the lives of a group of overworked and underpaid Chinese girls who labor in a blue-jean factory that makes clothes for Americans. Filmmaker Micha X. Peled appears in person for today's screening.(LH)
|
|
|
|
 |
| READING |
Cris Beam: Transparent: Love, Family, and Living the T with Transgender Teenagers
| when: |
Mon 1.22 (7pm) |
| where: |
Cody's Fourth Street (1730 4th St, Berkeley, 510.559.9500) map |
| price: |
|
| links: |
Event Info |
|
|
Though national debate is unendingly interested in same-sex marriage, GLBT youth, for whom survival is often a more immediate priority than tying the knot, remain largely overlooked and misunderstood. Cris Beam, who taught writing at a small GLBT high school in LA, shifts the focus in Transparent, a moving portrait of the transgender students whose lives she became intimately involved with and advocated for in her work. Beam lets her students' compelling narratives of oppression and resilience stand alone while forcefully pointing out our culture's dread of difference. (MS)
|
|
| MUSIC: Hardcore Punk |
Avail w/ the Draft and Fabulous Disaster
|
|
Though many hardcore veterans long ago turned their energies to other pursuits — be they record labels, quieter musical offerings, or performance art — the heart of punk rock remains strong in some. Though they haven't released an official full-length since 2002's Front Porch Stories, Richmond, VA's Avail continue to inspire a new generation of thrash-and-burn hardcore kids with the same punk rock pummeling they gave the late '80s scene. Spurred by Jade Tree's recent reissue of their first three releases, Avail play tonight at the site where they recorded their first live album. (JK)
|
|
| ALSO ON MON |
|
DISCUSSION
Paul Reubens in conversation with Ben Fong-Torres
Mon 1.22 (8pm) Palace of Fine Arts Theatre (3301 Lyon St, 415.563.6504) map $25-50
Event Info
|
|
How does San Francisco love Pee-wee Herman? Let us count the ways: we love his big bikes, his bow-ties, his giggling chairs, and his odd friends. Ben Fong-Torres interviews Paul Reubens tonight, hopefully digging up the dirt on the upcoming Pee-wee's Playhouse movie. (LH)
Note: Paul Reubens signs DVDs from 3-5pm on Sun 1.21 at Amoeba in San Francisco.
|
|
|
|
 |
| FILM |
Pan's Labyrinth
|
|
Stoic, potent, and unspeakably lovely, Pan's Labyrinth is that rare film about
children that never loses sight of the utter gravity of childhood. The protagonist, 12-year-old Ofelia, is practically orphaned in rural Spain immediately after its Civil War, with nothing but a
nefarious stepfather and a trusted book of fables to guide her through the wilds of her
imagination and the even greater wilds of the adult world. Director Guillermo del Toro
(Hellboy, Blade II) applies his ability to render horror palatable for the
Rest of Us to this neo-fairytale, which boasts a bear of a (Brothers) Grimm sensibility and
whimsy that never sacrifices its subject. (LR)
|
|
| ART |
A Rose Has No Teeth: Bruce Nauman in the 1960s
| when: |
Wed 1.17 - Sun 4.15 (schedule) |
| where: |
Berkeley Art Museum (2626 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, 510.642.0808) map |
| price: |
$8 |
| links: |
Event Info |
|
|
Much like the Wittgenstein passage that this exhibition's title references, Bruce Nauman's cross-media output can be thought of as a series of language games in which received categories of "art" and "artist" are subtly tweaked or troubled. While we've come to expect as much from the contemporary art world (in which he has been a major force), Nauman's pieces foreground the indeterminacy of their commitments to the ideas they address with the economy of a koan. Focusing on his early career, A Rose... offers a portrait of the artist as a young man uneasy with that inscribed identity. (MS)
|
|
| ALSO ONGOING/UPCOMING |
|
THEATRE
Rose
Now through Wed 2.28 (schedule) Traveling Jewish Theater (470 Florida St, 415.285.8080) map $24-34 / Thur: pay-what-you-can
Event Info
|
|
In TJT's Rose, an 80-year-old character of the same name recounts her life as a Jew in the Ukraine, Poland, and finally the U.S. Although Rose's journey is filled with trials and tribulations, she endures and perseveres with a stunning sense of humor. (EF)
|
|
|
|
 |
| |
THE LAST BIG SPLASH: Kitchen Sink Magazine |
 |
|
While Oakland-based institution of independent thought Kitchen Sink magazine recently reported that it's starting to circle the drain, it's not going down without a fight. The final two issues in Volume 4 boast covers by Andrew Schoultz and Camille Rose Garcia and words by Geraldine Kim, Gravity Goldberg, Julia Wertz, Rodney Koeneke, and Stephanie Young. Through the help of donations and orders, KS No. 15 hits stands in a few weeks, but help is still needed to get the grand finale, KS No. 16, to press. Show your support with a contribution or by attending February's Telegraph Stories — a popular night of storytelling and song. And remember, it's not a final farewell: KS's umbrella nonprofit, the Neighbor Lady Community Arts Project, will continue to create new arts programs in the community. (LH)
|
|
| |
|
| |
CD REVIEW: Black Devil Disco Club, 28 After |
|
|
Lo Recordings
Released November 2006
$15.98 (Amazon)
|
When Rephlex reissued Black Devil's 1978 single "Disco Club" in 2004, the Italo-disco slab remained so rare that many thought it a contemporary production, possibly by neo-disco trickster Luke Vibert. Now that the original French act has returned with six unreleased tracks, the question is whether they date from 28 years ago, as the record's title suggests, or whether they're fresh products of a retro imagination. The true vintage hardly matters; Black Devil's disco romps are so texturally inventive and thick with hooks that they're well-nigh timeless. Early Depeche Mode arpeggios, Spaghetti Western whoops, wailing falsettos, fake trombones, congas galore, and, of course, fat, buzzing analog synths slathered hither and thither: they all come together for 32 minutes of absolutely gonzo Italo. (PS)
Note: This review originally appeared in our sister publication, Earplug.
|
|
| |
|
| |
STREAMS: Samurai FM |
|
|
It seems like every time we check in on Samurai FM, the site has bulked up, building significantly on its already considerable cache of streaming mixes. This week, the online radio station offers an exclusive installment from Carl Craig, titled "Demon Days" after the successful series of club nights he's masterminded with NY-based DJ Gamall Awad (who himself has a thoughtful Ableton mix featured). Also on the site, check out Compost Records' tribute to the late James Brown on its Soul Searching radio show. Finally, don't miss the recording of Ellen Allien and Apparat's live performance of 2006's stellar Orchestra of Bubbles LP. (CJN)
|
|
| |
|
|
 |
| |
| |
| Header Design: |
| Bethan |
| |
| Editors: |
| Eli Dvorkin | | Lisa Hix | | Connie Hwong | | Jonathan Knapp | | Jake Lancaster | | Doug Levy | | Sascha Lewis | | Gerry Mak | | Mark Mangan | | Colin J. Nagy | | Brianna M. Smith | | Claire Smith | | Matt Sussman | | Toby Warner |
| |
| ABOUT US |
| Flavorpill SF is a free weekly email magazine covering cultural happenings across art, music, film, theatre, dance, literature, and DJ events. All content is produced by a local team of writers in SF. We don't include sold out events, and all listings are pure editorial — no money is accepted from venues, artists, or promoters. Read more about us. |
| |
| FEEDBACK |
| As always, feel free to send in any and all feedback — comments, questions, ideas, or rants. |
| |
| 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. |
| |
| |
|
|
| | |
| Contributors: |
| Bosko Blagojevic | | Jimmy Carson | | Ellisa Feinstein | | Lisa Rosman | | Jennifer M. Stais |
| |
| Production: |
| Anjuli Ayer | | Jessica Bauer-Greene | | Chelsea Bauch | | Morgan Croney | | Josh Deeden | | Myla Dalbesio | | Jasmine Loignon | | Andrew Phillips | | Judah Wiedre |
| |
| MEDIA PARTNERSHIPS |
| Every week, Flavorpill SF presents one exclusive media partner. Click for more information about advertising opportunities on all Flavorpill publications. |
| |
| FLAVORPILL + CURRENT TV + YOU |
We've teamed up with Current TV to invite you to create videos about the culture that matters. Hit our page at current.tv/flavorpill to get the skinny on how to participate, and potentially see your piece aired on TV to millions of viewers.
 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
Hi-fidelity updates
A twice-monthly email magazine highlighting the latest in electronic music — including news, reviews, and original features
|
 |
Books worth reading
A monthly review focusing on smart, readable works of fiction and nonfiction, from current titles to past gems
|
 |
Global fashion trends
A twice-monthly, insider view on fashion trends breaking in Paris, London, New York, and around the world
|
 |
International art
A twice-monthly email magazine covering art, design, and architecture with profiles, news, and reviews of international shows
|
 |
World news once a week
A weekly roundup of the most important and engaging news stories from around the globe
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
© 2007 Flavorpill Productions LLC. All rights reserved.
This is a copy of a Flavorpill SF mailer. Use the link above to subscribe or click to automatically UNSUBSCRIBE. Flavorpill Productions complies with the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003. For more information, please read our PRIVACY POLICY. If you have any questions about subscription to this list, contact us at sf_subscriptions@flavorpill.net (HQ: 594 Broadway, Ste 1212, NY, NY 10012).
|
|
|