Today’s Look: Kayla and Charlie, 24th and Mission
Tell us about your look: “We’ve been doing chores all day and we’re off to sell clothes to make some money.”
Ariel Soto-Suver
Street Threads: Look of the Day
Today’s Look: Anna, Valencia and 19th Street
Tell us about your look: “Cheap and free.”
Street Threads: Look of the Day
Today’s Look: Whitney, 18th Street and Lapidge
Tell us about your look: I just bought this hat — and this backpack because I had too much stuff to carry around.
Street Threads: Look of the Day
Today’s Look: Camille, 24th and Bartlett
Tell about your look: “Classy and sophisticated”
Street Threads: New York City
Today’s Look: Juli, Times Square
Tell us about your look: “I like clothes that are cute and comfortable.”
Live Shots: SF Bay Area Labor Heritage Rockin’ Solidarity Chorus, City College, 5/27/2010
My auntie Yam is the ultimate SF activist, along with my mom, a.k.a. Snorkel Mom. The two of them are always out together, advocating for single-payer health care, participating in anti-war rallies, sharing new organic gardening techniques with each other, and attending all day lectures on Earth Day. I’ve learned so much from both of them, and I’m always awed by their commitment to change and their strong visions for a better world. So when auntie Yam invited me to go see her Labor Chorus perform at City College, I knew I was in for an uplifting and exciting show.
The SF Bay Area Labor Heritage Rockin’ Solidarity Chorus is no ordinary chorus. Their songs are dynamic and at times even hilarious, crying our for peace and justice for every worker. Labor songs go back over a hundred years and are the perfect combination of melody and spunkiness to get union workers riled up and excited as they unite for their cause.
The performance at City College was no different. Some of my favorite sing-alongs were “Bring Back My Factory to Me,” based of the traditional Scottish folk song “My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean” and an adapted version of Ted Warmbrand’s “Who’s the Criminal Here” that included lines about the Arizona police and questions like “And you, now, were you native born?” It’s true that this chorus sings some classic, almost antiquey songs, and yet they are all so relevant and necessary to our world today.
Thank you auntie Yam and Snorkel Mom for teaching me how to be a strong and conscientious citizen!
And now, just as the performance ended last night, let’s all join together and sing solidarity forever!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYiKdJoSsb8
Street Threads: New York City
Today’s Look: Irene, Times Square
Tell us about your look: “What I buy must be unique and must be really simple.”
Street Threads: New York City
Today’s Look: Well, it’s the always fashionable Naked Cowboy from Times Square
Tell us about your look: Not unexpected — he was too busy singing and playing his guitar to talk to us!
Street Threads: New York City
Today’s Look: Cenia, Times Square
Tell us about your look: “I hand out flyers for Chicago on Broadway and this is my costume.”
Street Threads: New York City
Today’s Look: Fancy Nancy, Times Square
Tell us about your look: “Put it on!”
Street Threads: Look of the Day
Today’s Look: Jai, SF State
Tell us about your look: “I’m an exchange student from China. I’m studying finance.”
Street Threads: Look of the Day
Today’s Look: Stan, SF State
Tell us about your look: “These shorts I got yesterday at Buffalo. I’ve never heard of the brand. I think they’re from Japan.”
Street Threads: Look of the Day
Today’s Look: Brandon and Joseph, SF State
Tell us about your look:
Brandon: “This is all Club Monaco, because I work there.”
Justin: “American Apparel and a Club Monaco oxford.”
Street Threads: Look of the Day
Today’s Look: Kimberly, SF State
Tell us about your look: “Mostly thrift. I love thrift. It’s the only thing I love in my heart.”
Street Threads: Look of the Day
Today’s Look: Wes, SF State
Tell us about your look: “Everything here is from my dad or a thrift store.”
Street Threads: Look of the Day
Today’s Look: Katherine, SF State
Tell us about your look: “It’s my ‘going on BART’ comfy outfit and it’s a nice day!”
Live Shots: Diane Birch, The Independent, 5/13/2010
I’ve never been brought to tears listening to Haddaway’s “What is love,” but when Diane Birch sang it at the Independent this past Thursday, the waterworks erupted.
Diane Birch sings with such a high level of emotion and craft that she can mold any song into her own, even if it is a classic electro-pop dance song from the 90s. “Welcome to the Birch church,” the singer said, letting us know that we were perhaps in for more than a usual concert event. The daughter of a preacher, Birch is making her debut tour with her first album Bible Belt, that incorporates blues, folk, gospel and lots of soul.
Each of her songs comes with a story. In “Don’t Wait Up,” Birch recalls her goth days and the awkwardness of coming home late at night, decked out in scary black make-up, to find her dad sitting in the living room reading his bible.
“Ariel” is about the frustration of not being able to communicate with her boyfriend who was travelling in China, despite the age of advanced technology we live in. Her voice is absolutely gorgeous and as the evening progressed the audience was experiencing high levels of euphoria as this was a true musical religious experience.
If you haven’t yet, check out her super-cute video for “Valentino”:
Street Threads: Look of the Day
Today’s Look: Tayler, SF State
Tell us about your look: “I bought it at Target.”
Live Shots: Fact/SF presents “The Consumption Series,” Mama Calizo’s Voice Factory, 5/6/2010
Intimacy and personal space play a large role in Charles Slender’s new dance-theater production entitled The Consumption Series from dance company Fact/SF. (The show continues through Sat/15.) As my girl date for the night, Suzy Q, put it: “I’ve never been that close to live dancers in my whole life!”
They were so close that you could see individual beads of sweat dripping down their faces and feel their bodies graze your legs as they scooted on their bellies under your seat. That’s pretty close and intimate. Running 75 minutes, this performance is chock-full of emotion, energy, laughter and evokes a little bit of Rihanna’s “disturbia” too. The show takes a penetrating look at the many apects of consumerism.
Sometimes the dancers are sexy, flirting with themselves in a huge floor length mirror. Sometimes they are vicious, devouring whole tangerines and spitting them out. Sometimes they are bizarre, dancing with buckets on their heads and cradling huge headless plastic dolls in their arms. You never know what’s coming next, but you know it’s going to be interesting and beautiful. The show runs ’til May 15th, so go treat yourself to a night of totally consuming entertainment.
THE CONSUMPTION SERIES
continues May 13-15
8pm, $20
Mama Calizo’s Voice Factory
1519 Mission, SF.
www.factsf.org
Street Threads: Look of the Day
Today’s Look: Natalie and Beth, SF State
Tell us about your look:
Natalie: “Causal and cute!”
Beth: “Kinda funky and just putting things together.”
Street Threads: Look of the Day
Today’s Look: Kazu, Chris, and Angeline at SF State
Tell us about your look:
Kazu: “This shirt is from my dad.”
Chris: “I like to get my clothes from H&M.”
Angeline: “I got these boots from the store The Stars Shine Bright in Japantown.”
Live Shots: Julieta Venegas, Fox Theater, 5/5/2010
Julieta Venegas is a sparkling bubble of cuteness, with maybe just a hint of Amy Sedaris and Frida Kahlo mixed in.
The Mexican singer and musician performed to an ecstatic crowd on Cinco de Mayo at the Fox Theater, as part of her tour to celebrate her new album “Otra Cosa.” The first time I heard Julieta was in Puerto Rico while on family vacation. I was watching music videos (a great way to learn about new music while traveling, I’ve found) and “Lento” came on:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yK4EUL4EEyE
It’s probably the most adorable music video ever made and I immediately decided I wanted Julieta to be my new best music buddy. Her music is so happy and full of sunshine; yet, it still brims with complex melodies and rhythms, creating pristine pop/rock perfection. Her tunes have been the soundtracks to many of my dinner parties, road trips, and workouts over the years. I loved being at the concert with so many other die-hard fans, belting out Julieta’s all-Spanish lyrics at the top of our lungs. Ceci Bastida opened for Julieta with some spunky rock pieces that definitely set the mood for the evening of fantastic music. It was by far the best concert I’ve been to all year. Julieta … TE AMO!
Street Threads: Look of the Day
Today’s Look: Kate, Stonestown
Tell us about your look: “Comfort and I love crop tops for summer. I always gotta wear boots and tights always jazz up an outfit.”
Live Shots: How Weird Street Faire, 05/09/10
When it comes down to it, we’re all a bit weird. At the back of every person’s drawer there’s at least one pair of sparkle-farkle leggings and a purple wig. (Weird!) After a long winter, the annual, music-filled How Weird Street Faire came at just the right time for everyone to go wacko and let loose for some spring silliness. Check out some of the looks.