What's going on in Bay Area music these next three months? Glad you asked.
Like a daily multivitamin wards off the sniffles, getting the SFBG's official recommended dose of live shows is crucial to maintaining optimal mental health, fun levels, and skin tone, especially as the days get shorter and the weather turns ever-so-slightly cooler.Read more »
Earlier today, I called my mother, a natural disaster film junkie, and asked her, “Do you know of any movies where someone predicts natural disasters, but no one believes the guy, and so everything goes a little haywire?”
“10.5, Day After Tomorrow, 2012, Volcano, Deep Impact, and Knowing,” she replied without any hesitation. “But in Knowing the protagonist gets help from aliens to predict disasters, so I don't know if that's bordering on fiction.”Read more »
In the sea of nonprofit leaders, career organizers, and rabblerousers, one old man put the Mission's struggle into context, last night [Thu/28]. It was a majority Latino district even as recently as the '90s, he told the crowd gathered in St. John's Episcopal Church last night. But now: "Here in the Mission, I can count the Latinos on my hands."Read more »
Musician and historically outspoken SF resident Chuck Prophet, who'll be gracing us with his brand of ramblin' rock and roll at this year's Hardly Strictly Bluegrass fest, got a little fired up today after reading this Chron piece from the ever-insightful C.W. Nevius.Read more »
Our news feature story this week covered the militarization of police departments across the country, including the SFPD, and how the easy accessibility of "cool toys" like grenade launchers and armored vehicles encourages violence.
But one conclusion we were left with as we worked on the story was this: the SFPD ain’t all bad. During the last Police Commission meeting, Chief Greg Suhr mentioned he was almost hesitant to order four forklifts from the Department of Defense due to scrutiny from the news media. Read more »
San Francisco-style cycletracks — bike lanes physically separated from automobile traffic — could proliferate in cities throughout California under a bill approved today [Fri/29] by the Legislature, provided Gov. Jerry Brown decides to sign it.Read more »
September 3-9, 2014
ARIES
March 21-April 19
You can make your vision happen, but if you don't want your success to be a flash in the pan then you need to get methodological, and fast. The stronger your plan, the better your outcome this week, so get to the drawing board and stay there till you're satisfied. You've got this, so make it work, Aries..
TAURUS
April 20-May 20Read more »
Schedules are for Wed/3-Tue/9 except where noted. Director and year are given when available. Double features marked with a •. All times pm unless otherwise specified.Read more »
TABLEHOPPING Ready to add some new bodacious brunch options to your rotation o' haunts? Let's do this.
SoMa's Darwin Café (212 Ritch, SF. www.darwincafesf.com) has added weekend brunch to its already tasty lineup. How about a Turkish breakfast with egg, tomato, figs, kasseri cheese, olives, and toast? Or a golden malted waffle with candied bacon? Or a croque madame? Oui! Hours are Saturday and Sunday 10am–2pm. ("Pastry hour" starts at 9am for you early bird types).Read more »
Hits and history mix in 'Motown the Musical'
THEATER As recently as last month, Berry Gordy Jr., the 84-year-old music mogul, founder, and creator of Motown Records, was hailed as an American icon and an African American hero. Those were Congresswoman Barbara Lee's words Aug. 18 when it was declared "Berry Gordy Day in the East Bay."Read more »
Saya Woolfalk culminates seven years of virtual civilization in 'ChimaTEK'
THEATER Out at the Headlands Center for the Arts in Marin, just after sunset, the darkness and the silence are real presences in themselves, not just a context for something else. They're right now pressing their respective noses against the windowpanes of the large, beautifully-worn army barrack–turned–artist studio in which Saya Woolfalk is pouring some dark red concoction from a squat glass jug.Read more »
THE WEEKNIGHTER Papusas save the day (and the hangover) at Balompie Cafe.
THE WEEKNIGHTER How is it already eight years ago that Nick and I were eating pupusas at Balompie Café (3349 18th Mission, SF. 415-648-9199)? It was the beginning of the World Cup in 2006. At least I think it was. It's hard to remember this far out, but there was soccer on and excitement was in the air about a sport that, most of the time, Americans don't give a shit about.Read more »
By Rob Goszkowski
It’s entirely possible that Kiesza outgrew her gig at the Rickshaw Stop a few minutes after it was booked. Those in attendance at the Pop Scene-presented show were fortunate to see the singer, songwriter, and dancer from Calgary in such an intimate club venue on Thursday, Aug. 28, given the staggering rise that she’s in the midst of.Read more »
While I’m reluctant to give this self-serving poverty pimp any more attention or web traffic, it’s hard to ignore the latest misleading hit piece that Randy Shaw has written on behalf of Mayor Ed Lee, going after Sup. Scott Wiener and his Muni funding measure Prop. B.Read more »
California lawmakers took two big steps forward last week, passing a statewide plastic bag ban and a measure providing workers with three sick days a year, both issues borrowed from San Francisco. California is the second state to pass each bill, with Hawaii banning plastic bags in January of this year and Connecticut enacting a similar sick leave measure in 2012.Read more »
Is Burning Man really making Bay Area technology titans, right-wing ideologues, and other uber-capitalists more community-minded? Do they really come back from the desert feeling more goodwill toward their fellow humans and then push egalitarian innovations to help the masses?Read more »
Support Prop. 47
OPINION Jay-Z doesn't usually make political endorsements.
But at a recent concert in Los Angeles, he took the rare and unexpected step of endorsing a California ballot initiative. "California, build more schools, less prisons," he rapped to the crowd, and then encouraged them to all vote yes on Proposition 47.
Jay-Z chose the right issue to speak out about. On an otherwise quiet state ballot, Californians have the opportunity to make history this fall with Prop. 47, also known as the "Safe Neighborhood and Schools Act."Read more »
A legislative attempt to shed light on major funders of political campaign ads died in Sacramento last week, and the politics surrounding its demise reflect a split between groups who are normally allies on the left.
The California DISCLOSE Act -- which stands for “Democracy is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in Elections” – needed a two-thirds vote to pass both houses of the California Legislature, but ended up being withdrawn without ever being brought to a vote.Read more »
You know that feeling where, if you see one more headline about how all the artists and musicians have fled San Francisco and the city's dead and we should all just throw in the towel and pack the car for LA right now, you might throw your computer through a window?
Yeah, same here. Luckily, we also have the antidote: an email inbox that fills up every day with new music from an insane number of Bay Area bands and artists, many of whom would probably be offended if you were to suggest that they do not, in fact, exist.Read more »
