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Now in its seventh year, RESFEST pulls out all the stops to celebrate
innovative screenings of groundbreaking work, including studio tours;
live music performances from RJD2, Amon Tobin, and Tino Corp.; the US
premiere Daft Punk's animated musical; spotlights on Spike Jonze and
Michel Gondry, and much more. |
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This week's flavor:
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| | Lucky for us, this is Dälek's fourth SF appearance in under a year, for the trio's dark-side hip hop is as intoxicating (and possibly addictive) as their "lyrics laced with oils." With beats drawing from the death metal of Techno Animal and rhymes citing Steve Reich, Dälek (pronounced "dialect") isn't afraid to distinguish itself from mainstream rappers — as MC Dälek (the group shares his name) points out, "How many MCs know who Faust is?" Likewise, how many rap groups feature guest vocals from former members of New Jersey grindcore demons Rorschach? With Dälek, the questions come fast and thick, riddles wrapped in ringing feedback. (PS)
  
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PERFORMANCE: Wrestling
Amorales vs. Amorales
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| when: | Wed 9.10 (8pm) |
| where: | SFMOMA (151 3rd St, 415.357.4031) |
| price: |  FREE |
| links: |
Event Info |
| | Before Dungeons & Dragons, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and, well, Friendster, there was lucha libre, a form of Mexican freestyle wresting and a hands-on role-playing game. Wrestlers anonymously grapple under the guise of superhero or supervillian characters, donning elaborate masks and costumes that range from comic strip heroes to politicos, and mirror pop culture events. Mexican-born, Amsterdam-based artist Carlos Amorales has been exploring this working-class competition for the last six years as his alter ego, a character aptly named Amorales who wrestles other famous lucha libre characters while symbolically exploring class warfare, performance as art, and even ego versus id. Satire meets smackdown, a masterful match for artheads and meatheads alike. (LK)
 If you were a professional wrestler, what would your character be called? Our favorite two answers each win a pair of passes to SFMOMA.
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PERFORMANCE
Wednesday will be Rhythmic
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| when: | Wed 9.10 (8-10pm) |
| where: | Locus 1640 Post (1640 Post St, 415.786.0698) |
| price: | $10 |
| links: |
Event Info |
| | Known for an eclectic mix of programs highlighting emerging talents on the Bay Area scene, Locus Arts kicks off its best of series with a mix of poetry, performance, and music. Maiana Minahal, a winner of the 1999 SF Bay Guardian Poetry Contest, explores intersecting identities as a queer Filipina-American; Campo Santo and Intersection for the Arts performer and playwright Sean San Jose reads from Strange Games and Thangs; and Los Angeles writer and activist Joel Tan sings out the words from his new book of poetry, Monster. Teri Untalan, the deep sultry voice behind the Lush Life Players, performs sensual grooves. (LW)
What best rhymes with "Wednesday"? Our favorite answer wins a pair of tickets to the reading.
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| | If you (1) love Radiohead but can't afford to shell out $60 to see them at Shoreline in September, and (2) love free MP3s but are afraid of incurring the RIAA's wrath by downloading from KaZaA, your cheapo prayers have been answered with Thom Yorke's sound-alike Mellowdrone. Lovingly recorded in a bedroom, Mellowdrone's ironically titled EP A Demonstration of Intellectual Property is available free for downloading on his website. Standout tracks "Beautiful Day" and "Fashionably Uninvited" whet your appetite for his sparse, ethereal, and melodic music, and definitely merit the cost of admission tonight. (CW)
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ART
Keepsake
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| when: | Thur 9.11 (6-10pm) |
| where: | Juice Design (351 9th St, 415.355.9900) |
| price: | FREE |
| links: |
Juice Design |
| | Juice Design's latest artist exhibition, this time in conjunction with the Keepsake Society, enlists talent from all over the US — about 48 artists in all. Each artist was free to create what they wanted, with one restriction — they were confined to working within a 5x5x5 inch framework. Not surprisingly, with the likes of Eden Bakti, Paul Urich, Jonathon Sprague, and Tiffany Bozic contributing, the results are anything but limited. With music at tonight's opening by Our Lady of the Highway and Gresham, Juice presents another rockin' exhibit to remember. (NN)
Note: Exhibit runs through Thur 12.11 (Tue-Thur: 12-4pm).
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FORUM
A Closer Look at the Patriot Act
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| when: | Thur 9.11 (6:30pm) |
| where: | Commonwealth Club (595 Market St, 2nd Fl, 415.597.6700) |
| price: | $18 |
| links: |
Event Info |
| | Benjamin Franklin famously quipped, "Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty or safety," and the aphorism has gained new fame as a result of the US' controversial war on terror. Does Ashcroft's USA Patriot Act (USAPA) trade freedom for a semblance of security? Does it, as critics allege, impinge our First and Fourth Amendment rights? The Commonwealth Club, a nonpartisan public forum whom we'd call "fair and balanced" if the phrase hadn't been trademarked, invites scholars from Stanford's Law School, the conservative Heritage Foundation, and leaders from the American Civil Liberties Union to discuss the justifications for the contentious law, and its possible ramifications. (SNS)
On what date was the Patriot Act signed into law? The first correct answer wins a pair of tickets to the forum.
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| | Modern dance is a tough sell for a world obsessed with action-packed CGI morphs and guide-wire kung fu, but Bay Area legend Mark Morris knows how to render it appealing. Start with a laser-sharp sense of humor and a great ear for music, add in unabashed camp, hip subject matter, and a fabulous sense of contemporary gesticulation (anyone cooked spaghetti or boarded a plane lately?), and voila! Critical raves ensue. Though his company now resides in New York, Morris pays homage to late local composer Lou Harrison with the premiere of two pieces set to Harrison's music, and a wink-wink reprisal of his cowboy kitsch extravaganza, Going-Away Party, set to music by Bob Will and His Texas Playboys. (MB)
In what year did Mark Morris found the Mark Morris Dance Group? The first two correct answers each win a pair of tickets to the show.
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DJ
Arrival003
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| when: | Fri 9.12 (9pm-4am) |
| where: | Mezzanine (444 Jessie St, 415.820.9669) |
| price: | $10 with Passport or Boarding Pass / $20 |
| links: |
Event Info |
| | More than a few critics have proclaimed the recent death of dance music, but the crew behind Arrival Industries is determined to prove the naysayers wrong. Not content to limit themselves to the same old smoke-and-mirror-ball tricks that turned off so many clubgoers, Arrival Industries have crafted a new concept based on community, inclusion, and the sense of surprise. Your chances for boarding this unique concept vessel rest upon getting in on the ground floor — membership has its privileges. It's not too late to get in touch and request a Passport for the journey. (PS)
Where in the world would you hold a friends and family party, and what would make your fest memorable? Our favorite five answers each win an Arrival membership package.
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| | All-star DJ and producer Jazzy Jeff is no stranger to success. Just take his early partnership with rapper-turned-actor Will Smith (née the Fresh Prince), which sold more than 10 million records worldwide. Then there's his Touch of Jazz music production company, responsible for putting a professional finish on Lil' Kim, Jill Scott, and Kenny Latimore, to name a few. DJ Jazzy Jeff's most recent solo release on BBE (Barely Breaking Even) Records' groundbreaking series The Beat Generation is a soulful, deeply personal journey into the heart of Philly. It lives up to its name — The Magnificent. (JC)
What is the title of DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince's 1987 debut? The first two correct answers each win a pair of tickets to the show.
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| | True grunge fans know that the success of Pearl Jam and Nirvana — and the entire Seattle phenomenon of the early '90s — wouldn't have been possible without Sub Pop's greatest signing: Mudhoney. Typically credited with bringing grunge to wired hipsters, the band's members emerged from the Bellevue suburbs and survived many bands (including the sublime Green River) to eventually form Mudhoney. Relying on a punk-metal formula owing everything to the Stooges, the band enjoyed indie rocker success over college radio and in underground clubs, where fans clung to their irreverent, visceral sound. There's no better place to see these guys than in the practically garagey depths of Bottom of the Hill. (SNS)
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THEATRE
Mother Courage and Her Children
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| when: | Sat 9.13 (4pm) |
| where: | Julia Morgan Center for the Arts (2640 College Ave, Berkeley) |
| price: | FREE |
| links: |
Shotgun Players |
| | Don't miss the last theatrical hit of the summer season — Shotgun Players' free outdoor staging of Bertolt Brecht's Mother Courage and Her Children. An antiwar plea written on the eve of World War II, Mother Courage tells the story of Anna Fierling, a wily profiteer during the Thirty Years War who loses her children in the bitter conflict which ravaged 17th century Europe. Although Brecht's theatrical artifice highlights his dramatic theories and Marxist politics, Mother Courage is no tedious lecture — it shifts nimbly from coruscating wit to sobbing despair.
Known for their gutsy, stripped-down stagings, Berkeley's Shotgun Players' topical production reaps the rewards of Patrick Dooley's smart direction, Trish Mulholland's assured performance in the title role, and John Thomas' aptly macabre cabaret score. (SS)
Note: Sun 9.14 (4pm) is the final performance at the original performance location, John Hinkel Park, Berkeley.
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| | San Francisco's singer/songwriter scene is plum with talent and right now, and A.J. Roach is the one to pluck. Whether he's strumming folksy, heartbreaking ballads on his weathered guitar or belting out gospel-inspired toe-tappers with his singing partner Miss Mia Thompson, A.J.'s slightly twanged, goosebump-inducing vocals and phenomenal storytelling ability make you an instant fan. There's more than a hint of Appalachia in the native Virginian's style, a mix of everything from bluegrass to traditional folk. Tonight's show marks the release of A.J.'s first full-length, Dogwood Winter, which several Bay Area musicians share the stage to help celebrate, including local favorite Noe Venable. (LB)
What No Wave singer does Roach reference in one of the song titles on Dogwood Winter? The first two correct answers each win a pair of tickets to the show.
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DJ
Strawberry Two-Year Anniversary Featuring Rasco
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| when: | Sat 9.13 (10pm-4am) |
| where: | Endup (401 6th St, 415.357.0827) |
| price: | $10 |
| links: |
Rasco | Endup |
| | With its colorful clientele and nonstop party atmosphere, the Endup is an institution of dance madness, as well as one of SF's premier mixed (gay/straight) clubs. And would-be mayor Toph One's regular party Strawberry, which calls the Endup home, is the only mixed hip hop party in town. To celebrate Strawberry's two-year anniversary, Toph presents LA's Rasco, who fires fierce raps over the beats of the city's top hip hop DJ collectives Triple Threat (Apollo, Shortkut, and Vinroc) and Beatsauce (Wisdom, J-Boogie, and Raw B). Add a little Toph to the mix, and you have a party without limits. There's no telling where you might end up at the Endup. (JC)
Tell us a good recipe using strawberries. Our favorite wins a pair of tickets to the party.
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| | Though we learn very early that birds migrate, we don't typically pay much attention to the phenomenon. Director Jacques Perrin and writer Stephane Durand team up with Sony Pictures Classics to mend this oversight, delivering a movie for ornithologists and cinematographic buffs alike. In this Oscar-nominated visual documentary in English and French with English subtitles, Perrin went to great lengths to achieve state-of-the-art shots tracking the flight of some of Earth's most famous aerial navigators, attaching lenses to featherweight aircraft, hot air balloons, and aquatic hovercrafts. After endless edits, the result offers a lyrical homage to our atmospheric neighbors, gracefully demonstrating the contrast between their God-given ability to soar and our own desires to fly away. (SNS)
Note: The film also plays on Mon 9.15 and Tue 9.16 (7:15 & 9:25pm). Don't miss Microcosmos, produced by Winged Migration's Perrin, at the Red Vic next week.
What's your favorite bird that doesn't migrate? The most compelling answer wins a pair of tickets to the film.
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| | The Porch Light Series works from a universal truth: open mikes are bad choices for first dates. A night of wobbly voices, untuned acoustic guitars, unfunny stand-up comedy, and unending fiction pieces could end even the strongest of relationships, let alone a fledgling one. Organizers Beth Lisick and Arline Klatte have created some ground rules (no memorization, no "performance," and a strict 10-minute limit) to cut out the risks, with a result of pure pleasure — people get up and tell great stories. The strength of the series lies in the range of people who contribute, from current mayoral candidate Matt Gonzalez to an elderly mushroom hunter, with a smattering of local literary talent. Arrive early to get a seat, as this urban storytelling event is no longer an open secret; it's just plain open. (RH)
Note: Music by Phil Crumar begins at 6:30pm; stories start at 8:30pm
Tell us a story about the dotcom boom or bust. Our favorite two each win a pair of tickets to the event.
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| | Armed with a 24-track mixing desk, vintage recording equipment, and funding from Dreamworks, the Walkmen deliver a garage rock blast in tune with today's revivalist scene. Playing together in various bands since the fifth grade, the five-piece ensemble keeps its grunge roots, though they're not afraid to tinker with rock's basic form by adding piano and complicated time shifts. The Walkmen first appeared in 2000, performing at New York City's storied Joe's Pub, after which East Coast and UK tours followed. Catch them before they take to their heels — the Walkmen are ramblin' men, and who knows when they'll be back. (SNS)
What year did Sony introduce the Walkman? The first two correct answers each win a pair of tickets to the show.
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| | If you've run out of music to play while driving around SOMA in your limo filled with coked-up supermodels, Fischerspooner may be the answer to your prayers. Pioneers of New York City's new wave/electro-pop revival, Fischerspooner's elaborate live shows include Bowie-esque costuming, pyrotechnics, over a dozen dancers and singers, and outright Casio worship. What's most surprising, then, is how they transcend kitsch to achieve genuine artistry. Capitalizing on their hit single "Emerge," Fischerspooner have tapped the recently short-listed Neptunes prodigy Kenna to get the synth groove on early. (CW)
On Fischerspooner's hit "Emerge," they tell us that we don't need to emerge from what? The third correct answer wins a pair of tickets to the show.
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FESTIVAL: Hip Hop Theater
First Bay Area Hip Hop Theater Festival
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| when: | Fri 9.12 - Sun 9.14 |
| where: | various locations |
| price: | Performances $20 / workshops Free |
| links: |
Event Info |
| | After a few stints in NYC and DC, the Hip Hop Theater Festival makes its inaugural Bay Area appearance. The weekend's activities include panel discussions, roundtables, workshops, and, of course, theater. Anchored at the beautiful Yerba Buena Center and offering workshops at Studio Z and La Pena Cultural Center, attendees can learn all they need to know about the intersection of hip hop, lyricism, playwriting, and theater. The weekend's highlight is Flow, Will Power's critically acclaimed chronicle of seven storytellers in the hood. (SNS)
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| | If you've always dreamed of attending a film festival, but lack the red-carpet cachet, thank the screen gods for The World According to Shorts, a well-edited selection of international short films straight from the prestigious Clermont-Ferrand Festival du Court Métrage in France. In other words, this offers all the creativity of an indie film fest with none of the Vincent Gallo — that is, off-screen drama. The selected shorts include works from young directors in Western Europe, Russia, and Brazil, including Katja Pratschke's Truffaut-inspired photo essay Transposed Bodies, Kaspar Jancis's surreal animated romance Weitzenberg Street, and Stefan Faldbakken's Anolit, a tale of small town lives that stars a slew of Norwegian up-and-comers. (LK)
This may be The World According to Shorts, but what night-time talk show host lionizes pants? The first four correct answers each win a pair of tickets to a screening.
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| | This month, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts hosts the San Francisco International Arts Festival 2003, perhaps one of the last fruits to fall from the now moribund tree of the California Arts Council. Intended to inaugurate an annual celebration of San Francisco as a world center of art and culture, the festival provides a vast collaboration of Bay Area institutions and features artists from 15 countries. Performances cover the entire spectrum of the arts, ranging from the San Francisco Opera, to the Omar Sosa Quintet, to an impressive lineup of international dance companies. The schedule of events also includes numerous community events such as workshops, master classes, and discussion panels. (SS)
Which of the festival offerings looks most interesting to you? The ten best answers each win a pair of tickets to the festival.
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| CD Review: Various Artists, The Sound of Young New York |
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Plant
Released August 2003
$15.99 (Other Music)
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As the electro-disco/new no-wave/retroclash revival seems to be finally slowing down, The Sound of Young New York swoops to our rescue to remind us why it ever started. Filled with solid, danceable grooves, this seamlessly blended compilation forges its own distinct vitality from the organically synthed works of the it kids of the moment. Bouncy remixes of works from rinôçérôse, Metro Area, and Radio 4 are teamed with melodic tracks from the Glass, Ilana, and Kap 10 Kurt and the irresistibly fun vocals of Syrup. The real challenge for the |
listener is making it completely through this disc without skipping back to repeat the tracks that you just can't wait to indulge in again. (DM)
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| ART EXPOSURE: The Blow Up |
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The Blow Up magazine has just blown up more. Originally started in 2000 as an online mag, this summer they released their first print edition — a more portable publication cut from the same cloth. With art-focused musings, interviews, and exhibits, perusing its pages is not unlike stumbling upon some great underground art party and coming out heady with inspirational exposure. To give a brief snapshot: Issue 1 includes lush photography and a meditation on color by Olafur Eliasson, an interview with photographer Lynn Davis, lullingly lovely artwork by Brady Dollarhide, an article on art-saboteurs Sabotage Communications by flavorpill SF's own Philip Sherburne, and images of the creepy "non-animals" of Iris Schieferstein. (JKG)
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| STREAMS: Groovetech |
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Last week media titan Universal Music Group slashed CD prices by as much as seven dollars, instituting a company-wide MSRP of $12.98. Common-sense economists take note: this means two more lattés for a late-day pick-me-up or a sixer of domestic beer. Groovetech lovers take even closer note: while discs in the Groovetech store will eventually reflect the price decrease, their streams always remain as free as the sun that shines and the air we breathe. Click, celebrate, and cache that cash. (NP)
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| CREDITS |
| Header Design: |
| Flash animation | Paul Ikin | | |
| Staff: |
| MUTEK | Philip Sherburne | | Mobius strip | Sascha Lewis | | High tide | Mark Mangan | | Venice Biennale | Peter D Stepek | | |
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: |
| Perseid Meteor Shower | Husani Oakley | | Crop circles | Sander-Martijn Milks | | Rock tumbler | Christopher Hampton | | Reel-to-reel | Jocelyn K Glei | | Lunch | Paul Laster | | Prom | Lisa Rosman | | Compost | Jennifer Bachmann | | First Thursday | Karine Versace | | Hula Hoop | Sam Smith | | Fan belt | Robert Rosenthal | | The Cyclone | Cyrus Wadia | | The Kennedys | Reyhan Harmanci | | Hemlines | Lisa Butterworth | | Comets | Sam N Shah | | Salmon season | David Morrow | | Madonna's Career | Lauren Epstein |
| Fashion Week | Monica Naman | | Sonar | Jimmy Carson | | Field stream | Lisa Won | | Canne | Stellah de Ville | | Burning Man | Tim Pratt | | April showers | Sarah S Sung | | May flowers | Laura Kenney | | Rotary sander | Nick Parish | | Ring of Saturn | Nish Nadajara | | Swallows of Capistrano | Marke Bieschke |
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WRITERS & DESIGNERS WANTED
We are always looking for new writers to contribute some cultural knowledge. If you follow what's happening in SF and know how to put it into words, please email us at writer.
If you would like to do a header design for flavorpill, please send any questions or submissions to design. |
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