• No categories

Pixel Vision

Live Shots: A peep at the upcoming “Revolutionary Nutcracker Sweetie”

Jesse Hawthorne Ficks
-
0

Rehearsal was in full twirl this weekend, as dancers prepared to perform “The Revolutionary Nutcracker Sweetie” at Brava Theater this coming weekend.

This is not your classic, bourgeois version of the Nutcracker, but more of a Cinderella tale. Clara is an undocumented worker, working for the richest family in town, the McGreeds, whose gay son (with a pink hairdo) gives Clara a freedom fighting doll from Africa.

Later, the pair embark on an adventure of a lifetime. They make their way through a magical world, of melting ice caps and even underwater, concluding with the a beautiful “dance of the flowers,” which I caught a few photos of during the rehearsal. So start a new tradition this year, and check out Dance Brigade’s spunky and cool version of this holiday favorite, because, sweetie, you don’t want to miss it!

December 10-11
Saturday 2pm and 6pm; Sunday 1pm and 5pm, $15-$17
Brava Theater
2781 24th Street, SF
Purchase tickets here

Period Piece: A walk in the (man-made) woods

Andrew Lam
-
1
Period Piece: A walk in the (man-made) woods

It’s easy to get a little romantic standing in a beam of filtered sunlight inside Mount Sutro Open Space Reserve. The 61-acre expanse of ivy and eucalyptus feels like a remnant of an earlier, wilder San Francisco. 

But the densely tangled forest backing UCSF’s medical campus is actually man-made. It harkens back to the heyday of good old Adolph Sutro, bathman, silver magnate, and forest enthusiast. Sutro covered the mountain on his sandy property with many of the trees standing today.

Hoofing the Historic Trail, a mild romp of an urban hike, is a little bizarre. The behemoth mass of the UCSF Medical Center glints steadily through the trees, and yet it’s hard to shake the feeling that you’re deep in a damp cloud forest.

Today’s eucalyptus trees obscure a view that Craig Dawson, founder of the Mt. Sutro Stewards, says was once one of the best around. “Imagine roaming here on horseback and seeing these vistas,” said Dawson. “You could see both Angel Island and Alcatraz.” 

A 1950s aerial view of Mt. Sutro. Photo courtesy San Francisco Public Library

Nowadays, you have to be willing to brave major poison oak and a steep off-trail grade if it’s an unfettered view you’re hankering for. 

Dawson and his crew of volunteer trailworkers accidently uncovered the trail in 2006, and Dawson’s best guess is that it served joyfully meandering equestrians in the 1880s. 

Now, the narrow footpath stretches from an unassuming Cole Valley gate to the lofty summit of Mount Sutro, where, strangely enough, the Cold War managed to make its mark. Rotary Meadow, the ending point of the Historic Trail, housed a Nike radar site – a high vantage point from which it was possible to order the launch of deadly anti-aircraft missiles a few miles away. 

To access the Historic Trail, most people start in Cole Valley, on the west side of Stanyan where it meets 17th Street. A green sign on a small gate indicates the trailhead. The hike will gradually climb up through Woodland Canyon before reaching Medical Center Way, the large thoroughfare cutting through and around Mt. Sutro. The trail continues directly across the road and is marked with with two orange flags. For maps, check out www.sutrostewards.org

 

Appetite: Winter delights

Jesse Hawthorne Ficks
-
0
Appetite: Winter delights

Our favorite holiday Scotches

In this week’s paper I shared a few dynamic new spirits releases across categories, from creme de menthe to Scottish gin. This round, it’s Scotch sips for a winter’s night. While I continue to sip Mortlach 16 and one-of-a-kind bottles from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society I recently brought home from Scotland, wishing they were available in the States, here are four producers that are available and would be gladly received as holiday gifts by Scotch whisky lovers in your life.

For something unusual:

BOWMORE – Smoky Sophistication

Smoky, like a fine cigar, with muted, sophisticated tones… that’s Bowmore’s 15-year “Darkest” Scotch.

For Islay Scotch-fanatics (Islay: the island on which generally peaty/smoky Scotches thrive), this one is an understated beauty. Where Laphroaig‘s standard 10-year Scotch hits hard and heavy on the smoke (Ardbeg’s Supernova and Alligator take it even further – like sucking on an ashtray… in a good way), Bowmore 15 takes a more seductive route. Tantalizing on the nose with chocolate, pepper and wood, the taste is rich in cedar wood, sea brine, sherry, toffee, and, yes, peat. This gorgeous Islay Scotch is aged in American bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks, without being overwhelmed by either sherry sweetness or peaty smoke.

It’s among my top peat-driven Scotches of all time, a lesson in balance, offering all the smoke one could desire, but not merely that. Bowmore is the oldest distillery in Islay, around since 1779. In keeping with its rich history, it’s one of Islay’s gems – at a reasonable price. $69.99

BALBLAIR 2000 – Young and Bright

Young and bright aren’t words one thinks of in relation to Scotch. Way up north in the Highlands, Balblair crafts stand-up Scotches with just such a profile.

Though I like the green apple, woody spice of their 1989 single malt, I’m more taken with the younger 2000. Golden, and balanced, it unfolds with pear and green apple notes, making way for honey, coconut, and a spice zing that lingers warm and soft on the palate. It tastes young, yes, but this makes it no less complex than an older, mustier Scotch. In fact, in my latest travels through Scotland, Balblair 2000 stood out not just because of it’s modern packaging, but because it is fresh, different than many of the other whiskies I was sipping (and well-priced for a single malt). Though not easy to find in the States, SF’s own Whisky Shop has it at $62.50 a bottle. $62.50

Elegantly approachable:

THE MACALLAN – Romance & Range

Returning last month from Speyside up in Northern Scotland, I stayed on the enchanting Macallan estate. I’ll never forget the austere peace of the 370-acre land: the river Spey, lush green hillsides contrasting with vivid colors of fall, moody storms passing swiftly through.

The Macallan whiskies are a lesson in elegance, even if the popularity (and thus scarcity) of higher-aged product drives up prices. Harmony of spice and brightness is obtained by maturing their Scotches in both sherry and bourbon casks.

Besides their bracing 10 year cask strength Scotch, which is sadly not available in the States, my favorites are on the pricier end: 21 year Fine Oak ($180-250) is heady with jasmine and tropical fruits, while nutty, orange blossom notes of the 3o year Sherry ($900-$1000) compliment its earthiness. Both are gorgeous. On the affordable end, the 15 year ($80) is honey-rich, with cinnamon and floral notes melding into orange and chocolate. The classic Sherry Oak 12 year ($49.99) is a great value, evoking orange marmalade, vanilla and toffee. $49.99-$1000

THE GLENROTHES – Smooth Balance

If you can find Glenrothes Vintage 1994 ($79), snatch it up, for it is the last of the vintage. Making way for Vintage 1995 ($82) just released this month, the Speyside whisky producer makes some of the more elegant Scotches from the region.

Like The Macallan, they mature their whiskies in both sherry and bourbon casks. 1995 evokes pepper, cedar, creamy butterscotch, and when a couple drops of water are added, a surprising whisper of chocolate. 1994 gives off a nose of apple and even pencil shavings, while tasting of woody vanilla. On the cheaper end ($45), you won’t go wrong with Glenrothes classic Select Reserve ($45), bright with orange zest, malt, salt, and coconut. If you want to go all out, hunt for the rare (only 120 bottles in US, $375) 1996 Single Cask Editor’s Edition. The nose evokes an earthy, aged rum and demerara sugar, while the taste is crisp spice, maple syrup richness, and Oaxacan chocolate. A truly unique Scotch.

I recently spent time with Glenrothes director Ronnie Cox, his sense of humor and good taste evident. Glenrothes is one of the great blended whiskys, and as he quipped: “Single malts for thinkers, blended whisky for drinkers.” I’d say Glenrothes is for both. $45-$375

Subscribe to Virgina’s twice monthly newsletter, The Perfect Spot, www.theperfectspotsf.com

Art Basel frontlines: SCOPEing out Friday

Andrew Lam
-
1

Guardian photos by Paula Connelly

Art Basel is not the only show in Miami’s town this weekend. In addition to every gallery, boutique, and busy streetcorner hosting its own opening of varying degrees of importance, there are approximately 2,100 smaller art fairs going on (give or take). One of these is SCOPE, which I heard about first because urban art trendsetter SF gallery White Walls was trucking some canvases of ABOVE’s stenciled hip-hop dancers– and street artist ROA’s drawings of animals in capitivity, etched on wooden crates — down to show. (CORRECTION: ROA’s publicist has informed us that his installation is not wood etchings. His mediums are enamel, charcoal, China ink, aerosol and acrylic on found wood….no crates.) 

But to get into SCOPE, I first had to make it past the Alpine climber.

And I’m not talking Avery Lawrence’s “Moving a Tree,” though his real-life treadmilling amongst the artourists was a refreshing welcome to SCOPE’s cool white-tent embrace.

“Hi! I’m hear for press reg — ” I began, but didn’t take into account there was an older, wealthier European man with three likewise situated adults with him, behind me. 

“WELL WHAT IS THIS?” he bellowed, and the young woman at the front desk switched her attention like some money-seeking automaton. “Hello! This is SCOPE Festival!” 

“Is it mainly… emerging artists?” ventured the woman in tow with the man, who was now at my elbow at the front desk and had briefly given me a look of consolation when he realized he had asserted his importance over mine. Whatever, they paid first and then the other guy at the counter took pity on me and let me in. 

Everyone clucks when I tell them this story later in the wind of a South Beach hotel terrace. Were you trying to buy art? Well then. SCOPE, on its own, is responsible for $100 million in art sales each year. It concentrates on more edgy art — statement pieces, if you will. And there was some fantastically beautiful things on sales.

Here is the art fair to attend if you are interested in purchasing a life-size replica of a taco shack (Kenton Parker), multi-level traditional Iranian drawings wherein size-appropriate photographs of modern Iranians seamlessly collaged in (Soody Sharifi), Isabel Samaras‘ “Nuthatches With Attitude” (they’re wearing NWA hats and dookie gold and they’re adorable). But also, a rhinestone hamburger. 

This was the most serious buyer-seller discussion I heard, and yes I took photos of it with my Droid (above!) The couple were deciding between the basketball-sized hamburger, opened Lifesavers pack, or Chanel perfume bottle, all shiny and glorious. The Chanel bottle was beginning to rise above the hamburger, and the salewoman smoothly informed them “this one is $26,000. You see, the artist applies each stone individually. It really is amazing.” Reflecting on how little I wanted to see that puppy installed in someone’s home (or dressing room, e-blargh!) I moved on to eavesdrop on other, less trainwrecky people.

Later on the same day, a few blocks from SCOPE, we wandered into the Rubell Family Collection, currently hosting an exhibit featuring a room wallpapered in full Budweiser sixpacks (old label design) and sculptures of gravestones with putt-putt holes on the grass before them, human hands protruding from their flanks holding paper cups where their gravestone ears would be. It is called “American Exuberance,” but judging from my experience at SCOPE you could most likely have the same experience at any of the art fairs in Miami this weekend. Duh.  

Students forage in SF park for weekend Fungus Fair

Sasha Cuttler
-
0
Students forage in SF park for weekend Fungus Fair

Late fall is the time for the fleshy bodies of fungi to find their way to the moist, earthy surface.

This time of year, mushroom specialist and biology teacher JR Blair can be found at McClaren Park with students from San Francisco State University collecting hundreds of species of mushrooms for the much-anticipated Fungus Fair (check Caitlin Donohue’s piece on last year’s fair here). 

“All of the mushrooms are collected the Friday before the fair,” Blair said. ”Between 100 and 200 species of mushrooms are sorted and brought to (the exhibit) by Friday night.”

Blair was featured on KQED’s video series Science on the Spot, foraging around McClaren Park sniffing, tasting, and delicately handling the mushrooms to identify the species.

“It’s like an Easter egg hunt,” said Blair in the Quest video. “You hear squeals of delight off in the woods.”

The collected mushrooms are spread over several tables and meticulously labeled, providing an elaborate mushroom gallery of all shapes, sizes, colors and smells.

The Fungus Fair has been an annual event for 41 years with exhibits that show mushroom hunters how to identify edible species and workshops that demonstrate how to grow your own on pieces of wet newspaper.

Around 200 volunteers, comprised of UC Berkeley and SF State students, help to gather mushrooms and run the different exhibit stations. The fair includes live cooking demonstrations, informational exhibits on poisonous, hallucinogenic, medicinal, and microscopic mushrooms and family-friendly workshops on how to make spore prints.

“I think everyone should go to the fungus fair,” said volunteer coordinator Stephanie Wright. “But I’m biased.”

This is Wright’s fourth year helping out with the Fungus Fair and her job wrangling college students is not one she takes lightly. An incredible amount of planning goes into the fair each year, but the rewards of the fair are worth it to those dedicated to spreading the mushroom love.

“Foraging for mushrooms puts me in touch with nature, slows me down,” said mushroom enthusiast and Fungus Fair coordinator Lisa Gorman. “I’m stopping, breathing more deeply and observing. The process compels me to attend to a world and kingdom other than my own.”

The fair takes place Dec. 3 and 4 at the Lawrence Hall of Science in the Oakland Hills from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and costs $15 at the door. For more information you can visit the Mycological Society of San Francisco website or the museum event site.

 

The Performant: TLC for the holidays

Jesse Hawthorne Ficks
-
0
The Performant: TLC for the holidays

Try to ignore it as we might, the end of another year draws near, accompanied by all its attendant solstice-cycle celebrations — last ditch attempts to keep warm perhaps. Well, spike the eggnog with everclear and pass the bacon-wrapped latkes, in my book a little conviviality goes a long way in making bearable the quickly darkening days, the applejack-crisp night air. Sure, shaking off the hibernation vibe can be hard to do, but a good compromise between comatose and cabin crazy is to cuddle up to nightlife’s cozier side: intimate venues, good company, low lights, warm interiors. The Lost Church provides all of the above with its lushly-appointed “parlor performance” space and a tight-knit crew of regulars who call the venue their artistic home, plus homegrown music, a multi-media nod to vaudevillian theatre, and quiet cheer.

An ambitious TLC bill awaits the intrepid each Saturday night through December 17. Actually, ambitious musical lineups abound on Thursdays, Fridays, and even one Sunday (the 11th), but in December, Saturdays include a tongue-in-cheek, meta/metaphysical musings of a brief one-act entitled “The Golden Goddess, Demon Dan, and the Doorway to Darkness,” nestled in the center of the evening, the jelly in the sugar donut. A brashly conniving demon (Dan C.) finds himself in literally the middle of nowhere where an extremely bored goddess (the projected image of Jessica K.) is spending her eternity guarding a doorway that no-one wants to open. No-one but Dan, that is, and his persistent, flirty wheedling, rendered de facto charming by a wise-guy cockney accent, gradually wears down the goddess’ resolve. The battle-of-the-immortal-sexes dialogue is interspersed with snatches of Rolling Stones songs (“Sympathy for the Devil,” “It’s All Over Now,” “The Last Time,”) provided by a rock n’ roll “Greek Chorus” fronted by bodacious blues chanteuse Kim K., by far the heavenliest presence on the stage.

Taking a page from the hootenanny handbook, the theatrical portion of the event is bookended by an assortment of musical acts, a little something something for everyone. Last weekend, the evening opened with Brian B. playing a variety of instruments including a sultry slide guitar, an accordion, and the harmonica while singing a series of introspective ballads which began on a blue note with a love lost and spiraled further downward and outward encompassing junkyards, street corners, and a nod to St. Cecilia, martyred patron saint of music. A quick flurry of rock songs from venue hosts Brett and Elizabeth C. in their joint bass n’ drum incarnation as “Juanita and the Rabbit” followed, and the post-show glow was further prolonged by more singing from the divine Kim K. An evolving work-in-progress, TLC has carefully crafted a tempting cocktail of home comfort blended with retro cool and hot licks, all of which make it a great place to spend the
 holiday, or any, season.

Give The Performant a reason to Twit. Follow @enkohl for of-the-minute updates from the underground.

Art Basel frontlines: Thursday night in Wynwood

Andrew Lam
-
0

All I did was program in the coordinates of a wall my friend was painting in the midst of Miami’s mega Art Basel weekend and all of a sudden I’m in mural heaven. Going traffic snail-slow down the Wynwood neighborhood’s Second Avenue (at one time a Puerto Rican enclave, now a place where corner restaurants are popping up with floor-length windows that display spindly humanoid statues clad in multi-colored sweater), all I could see were flood light-illuminated muralists in the finishing stages of turning the street into the most painted lane I’ve ever seen.

The art galaxy has descended upon Miami for the week. It’s a big blender-fuck of small dresses, dyed eyebrows, free drinks (hell yes), and mmhmm, ART. You can read a little bit about the general mayhem in Erick Lyle’s two–part story for the Guardian about 2009’s festival — arts writer Matt Sussman and I will be covering the festival for y’all this year.

Wynwood is serving as ground zero for the street art world, which explains why Art Basel established the “Wynwood Walls” courtyard in 2009 in the neighborhood, though since then side streets and new galleries have added their own murals to the week’s list of must-sees. 

This year, Wynwood Walls has been decked out by names that even the most high brow art lover will recognize: Shepard Fairey, the Brazilian whimsy-worlders Os Gemeos. Retna, the early front-runner for the festival’s 2011 street art darling, has a massive wall here, plastered with his recognizable columns of symbols and big block painting. 

Danilo Gonzalez, a Dominican who moved to Miami two years ago to open his gallery at 2722 Second Avenue, says the weekend is a marked difference from the rest of the year when “it’s really quiet.” Though his gallery featured three modern Dominican artist (including his own thicket of wooden abstract shapes, “Forest”) he says a lot of the art scene here was “too fancy” for his tastes.

Wynwood’s residents get in on the action too — kind of. Though signs of neighborhood art are not forthcoming, many of the neighbors themselves have set up informal valet systems and viewing parties. They’re probably hoping that girl in the Gaga heels is going to trip in front of their lawn. I kind of am too… 

 

The Performant: Hamburger helpers

Jesse Hawthorne Ficks
-
0

There’s certainly no shortage of live comedy in the Bay Area, but you have to hand it to Club Chuckles for keeping it weird. Avoiding line-ups packed with middle-aged men whining about their therapy bills, or cosmonaut princesses with pubic hair obsessions, Club Chuckles can often be found lurking in the rock-saturated shadows of the Hemlock Tavern’s back room performance space, infused with the kind of punk rock vibes you’ll never pick up at the buttoned-down, two-drink minimum comedy clubs. The sold out, eight-year anniversary show at the considerably swankier digs of the Verdi Club might have been better lit, but the rowdy element still prevailed, as an entire line-up devoted to the comedy of the awkward braved the hecklers to bring the laffs.

Imagine if you will an idiot savant of the yo-yo who turns out to just be an idiot, and you’ve got a good idea of what to expect when Kenny “K-Strass” Strasser takes the stage. The befuddled alter-ego of Mark Proksch, “K-strass” is a yo-yo wielding man-child out to save the environment from the ill-effects of too much toilet flushing. Determined to wow the crowd with one of his patented yo-yo tricks, The William Tell, Strasser put a bucket and an apple on the head of his first of two volunteers, who quipped, “is this like Guantanamo?” “I don’t know him,” Strasser responded immediately, nervously readying his yo-yo to fly, uncontrolled, in the general direction of the apple.

The most traditional comic of the evening, affable Duncan Trussell delivered a stand-up set filled with references to medical marijuana, tripping at Great America, and the embarrassment of being human. But then he veered into prop comedy territory with a long rambling story about his Wiccan parents and The Book of Shadows, which culminated in an impromptu séance and an appearance by ventriloquist dummy “L’il Hobo”. A classic, hinge-jawed variant, L’il Hobo became apparently possessed by Lucifer halfway through the otherwise standard dummy/ventriloquist act, culminating in an eerie duet of “Wish You Were Here,” and the devil’s gruff demand for worship.

Dressed like a turn-of-the-nineteenth-century butterfly collector, Tim Heidecker of Tim and Eric Awesome Show fame, launched into his bumbling act clutching a cheat sheet like a lifeline, dropping his punchlines as often as he dropped the mic. Declining to indulge in any of his recently released Herman Cain-inspired anthems (“Cainthology: Songs in the Key of Cain”), he instead turned his affection to Newt Gingrich’s presidential aspirations, and introduced an ambitious high-speed rail project dubbed “Zazz Rent-a-Train.” “Why own when you can rent?” intoned the movietone narrator of the video-screened infomercial on the rail project designed to connect all the continents by rail.

Kicking the emotionally tone-deaf dial to eleven, headliner Neil Hamburger emerged at last, his trademark greasy comb-over and bow-tie suggesting the desperation of the small-time Vaudeville circuit. “Get some drinks up here asshole,” he snarled at booker Anthony Bedard, before launching into a series of dead-weight knock-knock jokes, a lengthy segment focused on the dubious “talents” of Britney Spears, embittered rants against various oddience members (“laugh your fool head off…this is fun. Everyone else is having fun…with your girlfriend”), and “an award-winning tribute to ice cream” which segued into a ribald joke about Ben and Jerry’s and prostitutes.

Like Kenny “K-Strass” Strasser, the Hamburger character is a long-inhabited alter ego, whose public appearances often appear more painful for the character than for his cringing fans, who really ought to have some kind of convenient moniker by which to call themselves, like “Hamburger-heads,” or “total masochists.” And indeed, by the show’s end only the true total masochists remained, each empty seat in the rows attesting to that peculiar comedic format of anti-success that Hamburger wields so well.

Style Paige: Sneaking peeks at the studio of Peeko Apparel

Andrew Lam
-
1
Style Paige: Sneaking peeks at the studio of Peeko Apparel

While browsing through the handmade scarves and mixed stone necklaces on Etsy, I came across Peeko Apparel, a women’s indie fashion brand with daring patterns and dramatic shapes. From sweaters, harem pants, and leggings to tote bags, necklaces, and turban headbands, I wanted it all.

So I decided to pay designer Brooke Fung, creator of these online treasures, a visit. When I walked into her studio apartment mellow acoustic music was playing in the background. Past the living room were sewing machines, crafting tables, and mannequins modeling elastic harness bodices. Plastic containers were neatly stacked against the wall, reaching the ceiling. A rack of Peeko Apparel clothing seemed to be inviting me to browse through it, but I avoided the urge — I didn’t want to be rude. After all, I was standing in a fashion designer’s perfect little designing nook, this was her world.

Fung was wearing all black accented with silver jewelry. With large floral gauges stretching out the 31-year old’s ears and noticeable tattoos on her hand and neck, Fung’s striking exterior was balanced with cute dimple piercings in each check.

She told me she’s inspired by utilitarian and military wear, but also loves to incorporate ethnic fabrics into her designs. With a bachelor’s degree of fine arts degree in fiber and textiles from the Alberta College of Art and Design. Peeko Apparel is sophisticated and chic. Some of my favorite pieces from the line include Fung’s oversized open-back draped sweater dress, which she styles with tribal print leggings on her Etsy page. Then there’s the loosely draped tie-dyed screen-printed tunic tank worn with a long maxi skirt. Similar to labels like Proenza Schouler or Kenzo, Peeko designs employ bold patterns and aren’t afraid of playing with shapes – only unlike those brands, these outfits come with a price tag that won’t ravage your wallet.  

Sitting in her studio, Fung told me about the first pair of fat pants she sewed when she was a 16-year old raver. 60 inches of fabrics per leg, dimensions that at the time you just couldn’t buy at a department store. That was her thing, sewing her own club clothes, and not just skimpy dresses — these were head-to-toe outfits. When she went to parties, girls were constantly asking, “Where’d you get your clothes?”

Fung has a talent for the rare sihoulette. Her geometric epaulettes are made from reclaimed vintage satin with matte and shiny pinstripes. They can be pinned to anything from jackets to collared shirts to tanks, giving the simplest of outfits a high-ranking feel.

She has been selling Peeko Apparel on Etsy for more than two years, and although she envisions a showroom or store in the near future, she doesn’t see herself selling her soul to a corporate monster, which might compromise her designs.

“If I couldn’t make stuff, I would be not a happy camper,” Fung said. It is, after all, her thing. 

 

In her words: SF Occupier Kelly

Charles Russo
-
0
In her words: SF Occupier Kelly

We spoke with Kelly at Occupy SF on Monday, November 21. Originally from Michigan, she stumbled upon the Occupy camp and has remained for more than a month. Listen to our interview with Kelly after the jump.

OccupySF_Kelly by SFBayGuardianSounds

Meet more faces of Occupy here.

In his words: SF Occupier Derek

Charles Russo
-
0
In his words: SF Occupier Derek

We spoke with Derek at Occupy SF on Monday, November 21. He spoke about his Cherokee roots and how he feels like he’s been an activist since he was “in the womb.” Listen to our interview with Derek after the jump.

 

OccupySF_Derek by SFBayGuardianSounds

Meet more Faces of Occupy here.

Zero-calorie pleasures: McSweeney’s children’s imprint takes over a gallery

Andrew Lam
-
0

There is no better guilty pleasure than children’s book art. Calorie-free, family-friendly, welcoming characters. Mixed with the verbaciousness (I made up that word for the occasion) of McSweeney’s, this is prime post-Thanksgiving eye candy. Y’know, when you’re too food-hungover to delve overmuch in character and plot. This is why we saved the above slideshow of images from McSweeney’s upcoming art opening (Dec. 3) at Electric Works for a sleepy Nov. 25 Friday morning, enjoy.

Among the gems of “McSweeney’s McMullens: Artwork from Children’s Books, plus 1,032 Illustrated Lunch Bags”: Jordan Crane’s Keep Our Secrets, a book that mimics everyone’s favorite T-shirt from the 1990s, the one that changed colors when you breathed on it. Hypercolor! 

Hypercolor is an apt word to describe the rest of the offerings: Amy Martin’s ecstatic illustrations for Symphony City, the ever-lovely Clare Rojas‘ reticent creatures that she’s appropriated for Shelia Heti’s We Need a Horse. Peruse the offerings above and know this — there will also be paper bag art. The images come from books already cobbled together by McSweeney’s children’s imprint McMullens, and some hail from tomes still in the cobbling process. Throughout the duration of the exhibit celebrity readings will be held, open to any hipster reader kids willing to sit and listen. And there will be a gift shop on premises. Think lots of books and the standard nonsensical McSweeney’s swag — banana slicers and fish-scrubbing gloves, I hear. 

Rounding out the exhibit, in the “deluxe reading room” supplied for the young’ns, are paper bags. These are creations by Robert Barnes, another example of prosaic items brought into greatness by a little doodle. There will be hundreds of them. 

So, not to bite on L.E. Leone overmuch but, new favorite art exhibit. 

 

“McSweeney’s McMullens: Artwork from Children’s Books, plus 1,032 Illustrated Lunch Bags”

Dec. 3 – Jan. 7

Opening reception: Dec. 3, 4-8 p.m., free

Electric Works 

130 Eighth St., SF

(415) 626-5496

www.sfelectricworks.com

 

 

In his words: SF Occupier Adam

Charles Russo
-
0
In his words: SF Occupier Adam

Art director Mirissa Neff and photographer David Bornfriend had the chance to talk with Adam at Occupy SF on Monday, November 21. The recent Cornell grad discusses why he felt it was important to participate in Occupy as well as the solidarity he feels with the UC Davis and Berkeley students. Listen to his interview here. 

(Click here to learn more about the collodion portrait work that appears on the cover of this week’s paper.)

Style Paige: Favorite finds at this year’s Thread

Andrew Lam
-
0

Mesmerized by crystals and semi-precious stones, every necklace on the table was like a shiny new object fighting for my attention. “Hi, how are you?” Dear Mina designer Mina Caragay said with a welcoming smile. It wasn’t one of those “hello-you-better-buy-something-or-leave” smirks, but the “hello-feel-free-to-look-around-no-pressure” kind of smile. I was at Thread, SF’s annual one-day fashion and design fair, and I was jonesing for accessories.

Caragay’s jewelery line is rife with attention-getting statement necklaces, rings, earrings, and bracelets. Rocks are incorporated into the designs that are effortless and wearable. On my wish list: a leather tassel necklace with a semi-precious metallic stone in the center. It just seemed like the perfect holiday present – ahem, for myself.

Dear Mina’s objects of desire (the necklaces, c’mon now).

Dear Mina was one the hundreds of designers at the curated event at the Westfield Metreon shopping center on Sunday, Nov. 20. It showcased the best emerging and trend-setting fashion designers, jewelry makers, artists, and vintage hunters. 

Thread was created eight years ago to fill the void between mainstream and high fashion “for fashion savvy men and women tired of current offerings at the mall,” as its website proclaims. Traveling around the West Coast from Seattle to San Diego to San Francisco, Thread now serves as a place to buy one-of-a-kind fashions from local up-and-coming designers while DJs and drinks lubricate your retail urges.

Friendly hellos echoed from every table as I browsed. Ample mirrors meant I didn’t feel shy checking myself out as I tried on a cropped red blouse, and a nearby vendor’s compliments didn’t hurt either. There was even a manicure station to really make the new ring you purchased pop. 

Vendors were selling men’s screenprinted T-shirts, plaid collared shirts, and military jackets, but the clear front-runner for the male sophisticate was Revel Industries, a wholesale merchandiser of ties. Flamboyant colored silk bow ties – no clip-ons, please – decorated the table. Pink, purple, and green striped skinny ties spilled out of a vintage suitcase. The ties, which are designed in San Francisco and produced overseas, are sold at local boutiques right in the Mission at discounted prices.

Other designers had traveled from Southern California, like the Killer Styling team from San Diego. Its busy corner had girls pushing through the racks of reworked vintage pieces from every era. Nycole Garza, the vintage seeker and seamstress, handpicks every piece and alters them to emulate current trends.  Maybe you’d like a purple-and-green floral 1970s dress cut into a tunic? Or a vintage blue suede jacket whose drab black buttons had been swapped for ones with antique gold lion faces? It was all there – at affordable prices – in addition to vintage shoes, handbags and sunglasses.

Thread was a rare — and inspiring for this budding fashionista — opportunity to talk to vendors on a personal level. Sure the prices were reasonable, and the clothes exciting, but the personal interaction alone blew the typical Westfield Metreon shopping experience out of the water.

Flipping the bird: Your best bets for last-minute Thanksgiving meals

Andrew Lam
-
0
Flipping the bird: Your best bets for last-minute Thanksgiving meals

Wandering through the smorgasbord of Thanksgiving options is no small feat.Turkey, duck, fake bird, no bird? Pie flavors, side dishes, stuffings, and guestlists present a swamp of options — assuming you’re staying home to toil in the kitchen.

But for those eager to get out for whatever reason – a volunteering spirit, a mounting desire to escape from relatives, your ex decided to bring him to your Friendsgiving – there’s a cornucopia of alternative Thanksgiving choices in the Bay. Some of these samplings are far cheaper (and maybe even better?) than an at-home meal attempt. Some entail helping out folks who might not otherwise get to eat on T-Day. Some are real-deal moveable feasts: order it up and take it to go. But all run their pudgy fingers up and down the backbone essential of Turkey Day: eating, and then eating some more.

Cafe Gratitude

Various volunteer opportunities, free meal, Noon-3 p.m.

The Mission, Berkeley, and San Rafael locations of Café Gratitude put on a veritable feast for the walking broke and volunteers alike. Some gems we sighted on the exisquite vegan menu include a butternut squash tamale and a pecan-persimmon salad. 

Various Bay Area locations. Call (415) 824-4652 to volunteer. www.cafegratitude.com 


Tenderloin Block Party

Volunteer needed to pass out meals, registration starts at 9 a.m.

City Impact 911’s 27th Tenderloin Block Party provides more than five thousand hot meals to Tenderloin residents – and it’s still looking for volunteers. $25 gets you registered and helps to boost the program.

240 Eddy, SF. Call (415) 292-1770 to register, www.sf911.com 


Cruelty-free Thanksgiving potluck

Free potluck, 3:30 p.m.

Sponsored by Sonoma County’s vegan society, the free potluck holds the promise of a quinoa overload. Reviews of dinners past are breathless in their praise of creative animal-free offerings. 

1400 W. College Ave., Santa Rosa. www.compassionatelivingoutreach.org


Tommy’s Joynt

Thanksgiving dinner, prices vary, 10 a.m.-2 a.m.

“Where turkey is king,” reads the front door of Tommy’s Joynt, an ageless wonder on Van Ness and Geary streets that has a menu ranging from meat to yep, more meat. Prices sit safely below $10 and the Joynt even has some pies its made for the special day. Just be prepared for a massive line (no reservations available)

1101 Geary, SF. www.tommysjoynt.com


Park Chalet and Beach Chalet

Thanksgiving dinner, $43, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Thanksgiving in the land of foggy dunes, sedate Sunday brunches, and bottomless mimosas? Believe it. Long the lone outposts of tastiness where Golden Gate Park meets Ocean Beach, the Chalets host an all-day, $43 buffet of red pumpkin soup, turkey, prime rib, local cheeses, pumpkin pie tartlets, and the in-all-likelihood delicious “cold appetizer station.”

1000 Great Highway, SF. (415) 386-8439, www.parkchalet.com


Cheung Hing

Turkeys, $55, 9 a.m.-9 p.m.

Known throughout the Sunset and beyond for the roasted duck, Cheung Hing is one of those spots with a dripping rotisserie that works partially to baste fowl and partially to mesmerize children. If you’re searching for ambiance, this might not be the spot to chow down – but in that case pick up a special turkey to-go, haul it up to nearby Grandview Park, and enjoy one of the best city views around.   

2339 Noriega, SF. (415) 665-3271


Chenery Park

Thanksgiving menu, under $30, 5:30-9:15 p.m.

With a special three-course Thanksgiving menu, one of Glen Park’s family restaurant darlings transforms into a nicer, cleaner, thoroughly festive version of home feasting. Reservations are going fast.

683 Chenery Street, SF. (415) 337-8537, www.chenerypark.com


Pena Pachamama

Raw Thanksgiving dinner, $39.95-$45, 4-10 p.m.

The South American oasis of North Beach, Pena Pachamama serves up a raw meal with the same decadence as any turkey-centered one. A “tuRAWkey loaf” comes rolled with apple-cinnamon stuffing and accompanied by creamy squash soup and white truffle mashed potatoes, plus pumpkin pudding with vanilla persimmon sauce. Live bouncy music accompanies the feast. 

1630 Powell, SF. (415) 646-0018, www.pachamamacenter.org


Garcon

Thanksgiving Dinner, $28-$34 (entrees), 1-10 p.m.

Rabbit and biscuits, local foie gras, molasses-glazed turkey – the slowly-wrought, rich feast offered at the Mission eatery will open the door to leftovers aplenty. Lingering over the three-course meal seems encouraged, as dinner starts at 1 p.m.

1101 Valencia, SF. (415) 401-8959, www.garconsf.com


Luna Park

Thanksgiving dinner, $34, 5:30-10:30 p.m.

Thanksgiving sides, those taken-for-granted little dishes supporting the ballast that is the turkey, are not meant to be light. The Mission’s Luna Park knows this, offering brussel sprouts in brown butter, salads with equal parts cheese and leaf, and garlicky, milky mashed potatoes. They don’t forget the turkey either. 

694 Valencia, SF. (415)553-8584, www.lunaparksf.com


Moss Beach Distillery

Thanksgiving Dinner, $35.95, 11:30 a.m.-8 p.m. 

They do serve the bird tonight, but the South Bay’s Moss Beach Distillery might be the spot to come for a fishier alternative. Known for their seemingly endless cocktail list and wild-caught seafood, the sea is the limit. 

140 Beach Way, Moss Beach. (650) 728-5595, www.mossbeachdistillery.com


Zazie

Thanksgiving brunch, various prices, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. 

It’s often prudent to just leave the house altogether on a day renowned for slow-burn family feuds. But finding a cheerful spot can be the rub – no one wants to belly up to a skunky-tasting Anchor Steam with a barful of lethargic drinkers. Enter Zazie, Cole Valley’s warm neighborhood bistro, which will offer a long, relaxed Thanksgiving brunch perfect for those looking to linger until the last possible second. No reservations accepted.

941 Cole, SF. (415) 564-5332, www.zaziesf.com

 

Style Paige: That’s tights

Andrew Lam
-
0
Style Paige: That’s tights

Modeling knit tribal print leggings and an oversized sweater with the cutest German shepherd on the front, this young woman was surprised when I asked to take a picture of her modish outfit. She shouldn’t have been shocked I wanted to document it — talk about your ideal look for the rainy weather in downtown San Francisco.

That effortless, comfortable look. I have to admit, I was jealous. Her brown, turquoise, and beige leggings were amazing.

I’ve been spotting tribal print leggings everywhere from Urban Outfitters-style one-stop shopping outlets to vintage stores, and as a person who is obsessed with the things, I’m surprised I haven’t purchased a pair yet. Leggings are winter-warm comfortable, stretchy, and easy to style. Throw on an oversized sweater or a denim shirt, and voila! 

It’s easy when it’s cold and rain threatens to ravage your look to throw fashion sense right out the window, but look at this photo — the weather should be no excuse. You can dress temperature-appropriate, be comfortable, and still look like that fashion sun god is smiling down on you.

 

Period Piece: The saga of the California turkey

Andrew Lam
-
0
Period Piece: The saga of the California turkey

“The wild turkey…is a finer representative of America than the eagle,” boldly stated the Chronicle in a 1909 five-paragraph ode to the noble fowl. Maybe for the rest of the country, but not for California, where wild turkeys were introduced from – get this – Mexico in 1877. 

So is it really our bird if it’s not native to the state? An ex-judge in Illinois had a lot to say on the matter.

John Dean Caton, who penned such classics as The Origin of a Small Race of Turkeys actually sent live young turkeys to California, turkeys he had raised himself from eggs found in his rural Illinois backyard.

It was an enterprise that now seems part scientific, part recreational, and part gastronomical. These were not truly wild turkeys. They, and the turkeys from Mexico, were carefully cared for and bred before being released into the wilds of California, all with one purpose in mind: to be hunted by lovers of white and dark meat.

Caton was a character. He described turkey farmers as “not writing men, though frequently good observers.” He compulsively checked in on the state of his Illinoisan turkey brood, sequestered on Santa Clara Island under the care of a similarly-obsessed acquaintance. Reports came back: they were inbred, severely underdeveloped, and kept dying. Not exactly the best hunting challenge, or the finest looking trophies after the fact.

Rio Grande wild turkeys, a hardier variety than those originally imported to California, are now everywhere. Map via National Wild Turkey Federation

The Department of Fish and Game got on board the turkey train in 1908, transplanting more Mexican specimens throughout California and keeping a breeding pool big enough to produce a thousand birds in a five-year period.

But the fowl just wouldn’t take flight here in the Golden State. The California hybrid turkey – a mix of Mexican and Eastern U.S. stock – wasn’t wild enough. Placed anywhere outside of the farm that it was raised on, it couldn’t survive, however feral its genes. 

So where were all the tough turkeys? The rough-and-tumble birds used to evading gun-toting hunters? Perhaps a little obviously, they were in Texas. Most of California’s wild turkeys today descend from a Rio Grande variety first imported in 1959. 

Chances are the turkey you feast upon on Thursday won’t be a wild one (or even free of a chicken-stuffed duck in its gullet). But on a day where gorging is de rigueur, remember that the sacred Butterball has a wild cousin lurking out there, one that deserves at least a toast for keeping it real. 

 

Live Shots: The Destiny Muhammad Jazz Trio at Red Poppy Art House

Tony Robles
-
5

 Destiny introduced herself to the audience as “your friendly harp player from the ‘hood.” Word. This ain’t your grandmama’s tea parlor harp music. This is jazz harp – maybe the only jazz harp in the world – with all the syncopation and improvising you would expect to hear at any classic jazz joint.

Destiny and her trio worked together to create familiar rhythmic curiosities like “Bye Bye Blackbird,” but then also went above and beyond by taking a classic nineteenth-century Celtic jig and making it jazz-tastic. Super inventive. It’s fun to see people do what they truly love, and as a musician, Destiny has definitely found her path in life.

Fun Jazz Harp Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_sFSlukHp0

Live Shots: Pilot 59 at ODC Dance Commons, 11/19/11

Andrew Lam
-
0

After eleven weeks of creating, fine-tuning, and probably lots of serious sweating, six emerging choreographers presented their work this weekend at ODC for Pilot 59 that showed an eager, sold-out audience what they’ve got. It turns out, that entails quite a bit — the diversity in dancers and themes was striking. Two pieces especially caught my eye.

I loved the sex-bot, robo-girl piece choreographed by Bianca Cabrera, titled “Feral.” It gave a peculiar vision of the future, with a hint of zombie take-over and a pinch of nasty. The glittery costumes were fantastic. Major props to her dancers on capturing pixilated pulsations perfectly. Very impressive.

I also enjoyed “Allegretto,” choreographed by Charles Slender. I’m a bit of a FACT/SF groupie and find their work incredibly innovative and perfectly quirky. Set to Beethoven’s familiar Symphony No. 7 in A Major (if you heard it, you’d recognize it), the dancer’s movements struck me as innovative and beautifully strange. The beginning of the piece made me think a bit of traffic guards, while my husband said that it reminded him of Russian kittens (the fuzzy hats probably had something to do with that). Slender’s ability to make people dream of the bizarre (i.e. flag signals and cute pets, all in the same dance) for me, is the genius of his choreography.

 

Period Piece: A fight we won

Andrew Lam
-
0

As steadfast Occupiers confront growing police and official opposition comparisons to historical protest movements are cropping up. 

San Francisco, of course, has been home to more than a few spirited speeches, many of which have resulted in real protest-driven change. Local protests here have long been loci of larger nationwide movements. One cool example: the freeway revolt movement, a national pushback against the autofication of cities in the 1960s and ’70s which reached its peak in San Francisco in the fight against the Western Freeway.

Many of the 1955 organizers who battled the freeway that would have connected 101’s march up Octavia Boulevard all the way to the Golden Gate Bridge hadn’t protested anything before. They included pastors and churchgoers, housewives, concerned parents, World War II veterans, middle-class San Franciscans working and living in the path of a projected freeway.

The proposed Western Freeway would have included a major interchange around 7th and Irving Streets before heading into Golden Gate Park. Image courtesy San Francisco Public Library

The last addition to a city-wide highway plan, the double-decker Western Freeway would have snaked through West Portal, the Sunset District, and the Richmond (with, of course, a little jog through Golden Gate Park, devouring the Rose Garden and the Hall of Flowers). Three huge arteries would have tangled and clogged where Irving and Seventh Streets now intersect in a tree-lined corner. 

Obviously, the protesters who assembled to challenge the Board of Supervisors at Lincoln High School in December of 1955 weren’t just speaking out against the views and noise that were to accompany the proposed concrete ribbon. They were challenging the disruption of a settled post-war life, the bisection of their parishes by eight lanes of concrete, the impossibility of getting their kids to previously accessible neighborhood schools. Thousands of homes were to be demolished, and businesses to be relocated. 

“The turnout was enormous, and the angry crowd unanimous in opposing the freeway plan. The politicians were stunned,” writes Frank Dunnigan in a recollection of the 1955 meeting.

The struggle against the freeway lasted four years and was replicated, again and again, and with growing momentum by neighborhood groups across the entire city. Resolution 45-59, which passed in 1959, squashed plans for the Western Highway as well similar nasty proposals. It was the direct result of efforts by ordinary people with full-time jobs, families, and livelihoods that threatened by the powers that were. And they won.

 

Get your holiday shop on: Recchiuti Chocolates pop up in Dogpatch

Andrew Lam
-
0

That Michael Recchiuti has a fan base is no surprise. That it’s dubbed the “Obsession Club” isn’t exactly unexpected either.

The Dogpatch-based chocolatier is opening a pop-up shop in the same neighborhood for easeful holiday treat-purchasing on November 17. Recchiuti is a tireless experimenter known as much for his carefully-sourced product as for the egregiously gut-tickling tastings he holds.

Past events the company has hosted have featured chocolate and tofu, not to mention chocolate paired with olive oil, spirits, and cheese. And who else would have the chutzpah or know-how to forge such majesty as the Ovaltini? The treat is a chocolate sherbet with cacao nib brandy paired with a barley malt cocktail garnished with a chocolate cigarette. 

Recchiuti, working tirelessly in his personal production kitchen, also produces items within the traditional bars, bonbons, and boxes format, giftable items wherein you can still see his robust imagination. 

The Little Nib pop-up, a smaller version of Recchiuti’s Ferry Building store, will showcase such Recchiuti classics as the asphalt jungle mix (peanut butter pearls, burnt caramel hazelnut, burnt caramel almond, and two different types of chocolate-covered cherries). 

Also up for the old holiday-minded swoop-and-grab maneuver are fleur de sel caramels, truffles, peppermint thins, sweet sauces, brand new chocolate bar flavors, and wine and beer pairing boxes. 

Recchiuti Little Nib Pop-Up

Open Thursday-Saturday 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. through the holidays

807 22nd St., SF

www.recchiuti.com

 

Occupy your imagination: Tomorrow, hear the words of a Mission son

Andrew Lam
-
0

It’s getting into the grind time for the Occupy movement. The first, brilliant tactic of camping out in our nation’s towns and cities is meeting with a nationally-coordinated crack-down, just like we all knew it would. It’s time for phase two.

Benjamin Bac Sierra knows a lot about reimagining. The author survived an adolescence among the Mission gangs to publish the first novel by a native son to come out of the neighborhood in decades. 

“Once upon a time,” he writes on his blog announcing a lecture tomorrow (Thu/17) at City College,  “the truth was that I was supposed to be a dishwashing convict criminal and to disagree with that truth was to fight the universe.”

With the raid on Zuccoti Park, the raids on Oscar Grant Plaza, the violence on the UC Berkeley campus (?!?), it’s clear that the warriors of Occupy are in need of some uplift – and they’re certainly in need of a plan. 

“To invent your destiny, you must appreciate your base knowledge and synthesize it with other knowledge or predictions, and create something new, unimagined by others,” Bac Sierra writes. Sure, it’s New Agey and maybe his presentation isn’t geared exactly towards camping activists – but this is a man from a section of society that gets a raw deal, who has subverted the “rules” and come out on the other side with a family, a teaching gig at City College, a luminous book, and self-worth.

It might be worth a trip to City College to hear him at this point, just sayin’. 

 

“Inventing Your Destiny” presentation by Benjamin Bac Sierra

Thu/16 1 p.m., free

Diego Rivera Theatre

City College of San Francisco

50 Phelan, SF

todobododown.wordpress.com 

 

The Performant: Humanesque

Jesse Hawthorne Ficks
-
0

“More Human Than Human” and “Two Clowns” explore the in/human condition

If our frail human lives begin, as the fundies would have it, at the moment of conception, at what point are we defined as being possessed of humanity? Is it simply a matter of our genetic makeup? Is it possible for a fully “human” consciousness to develop in non-human entities, and is it such consciousness that defines us at all? At what point, if ever, do we abdicate our rights to lay claim to our humanity? These questions may not be new, but they never seem to go entirely out of fashion, and this weekend you can catch two very different pieces of theatre tackling these persistent conundrums: “More Human than Human,” at The Dark Room, and “Two Clowns” at the Boxcar Theatre Studios on Hyde Steet.


“More Human than Human,” penned by B. Duke (Paul Addis), is a prequel to the cult film Bladerunner (1982) and the novel from which it was adapted, Philip K. Dick’s enduring sci-fi classic Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep (1968). Taking the tack that it is the artistic abilities displayed by the rogue replicants which propels their burgeoning self-awareness, “Human” turns pleasure model Pris (Kendra Coeur) into an aspiring ballerina, assassin/burlesque dancer Zhora (Alissa Magrill) into an opera singer, the slow-witted Leon (Alejandro Torres) into a sensitive photographer, and the ringleader Roy (Ronan Barbour) into an appreciator (though not a writer) of poetry.

Two other replicants, Hector (Sean Mann) and Jennifer (Francesca Crebassa) created especially for this origin story, display similar talents, and together the six formulate a plan to hijack a shuttle and head to earth to pursue their dreams. The very definition of “bare bones,” it’s not a production that seems destined to reach a broad audience, though certainly “dickheads” and Bladerunner completists will be intrigued, but the suggestion it raises that self-awareness is a side-effect of the creative drive is one worth mulling over, whether in the theatre, or maybe just over a few beers.

In Ronnie Larsen’s “Two Clowns,” the oddience is introduced to two very different icons of our collective American consciousness—Divine and John Wayne Gacy. The first half follows Harris Glenn Milstead, Divine’s alter-ego and creator, for the last 24 hours of his short life, preparing to put the Divine character to rest and seek his fortunes playing male roles. Actually it’s a little misleading to bill it as a play about Divine, since the play is really about Milstead’s desire to shed the Divine character and reinvent himself, but the second half of the show, the John Wayne Gacy half, is very definitely about the notorious “killer clown”.

As Gacy, Larsen morphs chillingly into a fast-talking, swaggering braggart whose hardened exterior shell can’t entirely conceal a gaping hollow within that he ravenously tries to fill with violence and sex. Alternating between bragging about his exploits and protesting that he’s no “sicko,” Gacy’s snarling monologues are interspersed with testimony from his mother, his ex-wife, and Jeffrey Ringall, one of the few of his victims known to have survived his encounter with the prolific serial killer. Like “More Human than Human,” the subject matter of “Two Clowns” proves more compelling than the actual staging, but its unflinching focus on the outer edge of humanity’s imperfections does provide an intriguing opportunity for reflection.

More Human than Human
Through Nov 19
8 p.m., $25
The Dark Room
2263 Mission, SF
(415) 401-7987
www.darkroomsf.com
www.morehumanthanhuman.org

Two Clowns
Through Nov 26
7 p.m., $20
Boxcar Theatre Studios
125A Hyde, SF
(415) 967-2227
www.boxcartheatre.org
www.ronnielarsen.com

Second chances at the Cadillac Hotel

Andrew Lam
-
3

Never let it be said that the Cadillac Hotel’s lobby is a stranger to people in need of a do-over in life. Muhammed Ali sparred in the gym that once stood here, Jerry Garcia slept upstairs, but nowadays the historic Tenderloin hotel is home to poor, single adults. On Friday afternoon, a collection of residents, neighbors, and opera were assembled for a tale of redemption, fall from grace, redemption, fall from grace. 

No, not a biblical sermon – try a performance of Porgy and Bess.

“If you didn’t start out right you can hit reset. That’s what we believe in. Everything we’re giving to you right now, you’re giving right back to us.” San Francisco Recovery Theatre director Geoffery Grier stood in front of the Cadillac’s pride and joy – an 1884 Steinway grand piano, donated in the name of Western Addition neighborhood activist Patricia Walkup. 

The show was part of a series that was inaugurated in 2007 to utilize the Steinway and bring art into the classically beautiful lobby of the Cadillac, where SRO residents shuffle about past crystal chandeliers, fake spiral topiaries, and a massive fireplace. The hotel’s founder, Leroy Looper, passed away two months ago. His wife Katherine is pushing on with the concert series, and next month will host former member of the Supremes Susave Green in the space.

Of course, it wasn’t the whole Gershwin opera (four hours!) What Grier emceed was a one-hour rendition of Porgy and Bess‘ most well-known songs: “Summertime,” “Ain’t Necessarily So,” “A Red Haired Woman.” The performers vamped their way through multiple characters – at one point Eric Ward (who changed from a red dress shirt-vest combo to a blue dress shirt-vest combo halfway through the show) took the stage two songs in a row, a different role for both. The multiracial cast may have stumbled through Gershwin’s heavy-handed use of ebonics, sure — but there was no denying that the motivation behind the performance was heartfelt.

The whole thing was cheer-worthy really. By the time the cast (minus a regal, leonine woman bedecked in pearls that sang a R&B-afied version of “Summertime”) was performing a sing-a-long rendition of “O Lawd, I’m On My Way,” I was already feeling separation anxiety. 

Of course, as Grier reminded us, the end of the show just means we can do it all over again. 

Next month’s Cadillac performance will mark an extra-special milestone: the piano’s turning 127 years old. There will be birthday cake.

 

Susave Green feat. the Jeffery Chin Trio

Dec. 2 12:30-1:30 p.m., free

Cadillac Hotel

(415) 673-7223

www.cadillachotel.org

1...363738...133Page 37 of 133

48hills.org is the official publication of the non-profit San Francisco Progressive Media Center.
Contact us: info@48hills.org