Ariel Soto-Suver Archives — Page 7 of 13 — San Francisco Bay Guardian Archive 1966

Live Shots: Circus Center’s New Pickle Circus, JCCSF, 01/22/2011

Jesse Hawthorne Ficks

-

January 25, 2011

It seems that whenever I go to the circus, I leave the show wanting to join the circus. And I’m not talking about the desire to perfect my juggling skills or become an expert in improvised clowning. My circus ambitions lie in the urge to become a trapeze artist. That should be pretty easy, right?

If you happened to see the Circus Center’s New Pickle Circus this past weekend at the Jewish Community Center, you probably left the show with the same feeling.

What it really comes down to is that these gymnasts make it look so darn easy and downright doable, that it’s impossible not to want to be part of it. I mean, who doesn’t want to do three back flips in a row? Ok, I’ll stop gushing.

There were many other fabulous acts, that were also quite noteworthy. These included the Steve Martin look-a-like bubble man, who at one point actually stuck his hand into one of his soapy weightless spheres, and a pair of goofball clowns, that always seemed to be mopping up some mess on the stage. I also really loved the disco roller skate duo, complete with star-shaped glasses and skintight shiny bell bottoms.

Making its debut in the mid-’70s in San Francisco, the players of Pickle Family Circus are true veterans in the art of laughter and fun. They know how the circus works and you’re guaranteed a good time whenever you go see them. An outing to the circus is always so freeing and it’s never a bad time, unless you’re five and afraid of clowns (that used to be me). So what are you waiting for? Let’s go join the circus.

Street Threads: Look of the Day

Jesse Hawthorne Ficks

-

January 25, 2011

0

Today’s Look: Jane, 16th Street and Valencia

Tell us about your look: “I like to be comfy, wear lots of layers and be prepared for whatever.”

Street Threads: Look of the Day

Jesse Hawthorne Ficks

-

January 24, 2011

0

Today’s Look: Herald and Biko, Dolores Park

Tell us about your look:

Herald: “Free”

Biko: “Pimpalicious”

Street Threads: Look of the Day

Jesse Hawthorne Ficks

-

January 20, 2011

0

Today’s Look: Kate, Market and Van Ness

Tell us about your look: “I got this whole outfit in San Francisco. I’m visiting from Brighton in the UK.”

Live Shots: Chaka Khan, The Warfield, 01/14/2011

Jesse Hawthorne Ficks

-

January 18, 2011

0

Sometimes going to a show is not just about the artist, but also about the audience. Fans have the ability to bring so much energy and excitement to a performance, and that’s exactly what went down this past Friday night at the Warfield, when super diva extraordinaire Chaka Khan took the stage.

Of course, Chaka’s peeps were there to see her. (Dare I say worship her?) But they were also there to get loud, funky, and show off some mighty fine threads. Before the performance even started, people were up from their seats, dancing in the aisles, woot-wooting in unison, to whatever the heck the DJ decided to play next, as they waited for Chaka to come out.

But before Chaka, there was Chrisette Michele, an up-and-coming R&B artist, whose chill tunes and limitless eyelashes really could take your breath away. And then Chaka arrived and the theater packed with groupies totally lost it. For some reason the Warfield decided to put seats out for this show, but there was no way anyone was going to sit on them, at all. Chaka found her groove long, long ago, and she still has it — and somehow I know she always will.

Live Shots: Willie Nelson, The Fillmore, 01/11/2011

Jesse Hawthorne Ficks

-

January 13, 2011

1

Sam Love and I rented a camper van and decided it would be our home for the next three weeks, as we made our way loop-dee-loop around the south island of New Zealand. A few hours in, we realized that there aren’t that many people in New Zealand (but tons of sheep!) and townships are quite spread out, resulting in very few radio stations.

This was a problem. We planned on driving, like hundreds of miles. But with no music? No way. No how! As we pulled into Queenstown, we had a mission. A thrift store needed to be found – CDs needed to be purchased. And there it was, the Salvation Army (or Sallie’s as they like to call it there). They did have CDs … and guess what? They were ALL Willie Nelson. Every-single-one. So we got one titled “Willie Stripped” which includes a CD booklet with photos of Willie sitting naked in the bath. Bonus! So now, when I think of New Zealand, I think of Willie Nelson, Sam Love and me belting out “Bring Me Sunshine” as we chugged in our little van through the mind blowing landscape of the Fiordland National Park.

So seeing Willie last night, live at the Fillmore, was like a triple/quadruple bonus. This man is an icon, who stands for peace, love and tons of free flowing whiskey. And even though he is such an American symbol, Willie Nelson will forever remind me of that New Zealand roadtrip.

Street Threads: Sabrina

Jesse Hawthorne Ficks

-

January 10, 2011

0

Today’s Look: Sabrina, 17th Street and Valencia

Tell us about your look: “I own Density, and so I get a lot of my clothes from there.”

Street Threads: Look of the Day

Jesse Hawthorne Ficks

-

January 4, 2011

0

Today’s Look: Sasha and Alex, 16th Street and Valencia

Tell us about your look:

Sasha: “Nonpractical”

Alex: “I’m wearing Russian socks.”

Fine (and found) dining with Wild Kitchen

Jesse Hawthorne Ficks

-

December 23, 2010

0

Wild boar, Monterey squid, light-it-yourself flambe — local, wild edibles are foraged and transformed into multi-course gourmet meals, as ForageSF hosts underground restaurant Wild Kitchen. Dig in to this SFBG exclusive.

Renegade Crafts Fair stuffed our stockings with future gift ideas

Jesse Hawthorne Ficks

-

December 21, 2010

0

Martha Stewart would have been awed had she found her way to the Renegade Crafts Fair at the Concourse Exhibition Center this past weekend, 12/18-12/19. The amount of creative crafters packed into one space was overwhelming, and Martha would have found it quite inspiring.

The meandering crowds, diligently finishing up their holiday shopping, had a plethora of cool commodities to pick through, from vintagey Polaroids by Sprout Studio, to a hip stuffed-animal owl by Doris Anne. For those who wanted a truly creative gift, squished in the middle of the isle was The Poetry Store, where you could have Silvi Alcivar write you an impromptu poem for that special someone. There were also items that would have been totally dude-approved, including carefully crafted wooden watches by Mistura, and all-recycled bicycle clocks made by Oakland’s 1 by Liz.

The two cutest vendors at the fair were Ysabella and Anna Patricia Designs flower headbands (whose model was asleep in her stroller, which just added to the cuteness) and Twinkie Chan, who was working on a string of crocheted popcorn when I passed, but was also selling crocheted pizza scarves and cherry earrings.

And finally there were my two favorite vendors: first, Double Parlour‘s totally weird and wonderful dolls that were so expressive it was eerie. And then (boy, I wanted everything from these guys!) the awesome Native American inspired clothing and jewelery by The Local Branch. I especially loved their Hippie Fringe Necklaces, that were so undeniably handmade, making them ever so irresistible.

Ok, people. Christmas is just a few days away. I’ve done the hard part of finding all the awesomeness. Now you just need to buy it!

Live Shots: Badly Drawn Boy, Swedish American Hall, 12/14/10

Andrew Lam

-

December 16, 2010

0

“How long do you plan on sitting down there?” said Damon Gough of Badly Drawn Boy as I stared up at him through my fifty millimeter lens perched on the steps of the stage. “Three songs,” I replied, holding up the appropriate number of digits. Our conversation ended there. It was the first time a musician had interacted with me at a concert, and to be honest, it was slightly awkward.

Badly Drawn Boy’s tunes originally entered my ears behind the images of Hugh Grant, in the movie About a Boy. There was something so playful about those soundtrack pieces that went perfectly with Grant’s crooked smile. Gough’s music is much more mellow these days, and actually rather melancholy. I’m not as comfortable with these kinds of songs, especially since I’m known to cry at anything in a minor key (top waterworks instigators include “All the pretty little horses” … no joke.).

But then again, Gough is from England and according to my amigo Craig, it’s cold and dark there, so maybe Gough is just expressing a bit of that gray and gloom with the help of his guitar.

One last question … what’s up with crocheted cap? He always wears the same one … I want to know the story behind, or rather under, it.

Cheerio yo!

Live Shots: ‘Pilot Light’ at ODC Theater, 12/05/10

Jesse Hawthorne Ficks

-

December 6, 2010

1

The hardest part for me about watching dance is that if it’s really good, I want to start dancing too — and it bothers me that I have to stay cemented to my seat or risk embarrassment. This happened this weekend when I went to see Pilot Light at ODC Theater, a program 20 years in the making, that gives blossoming choreographers the chance to showcase their work in a professional theater. The evening’s program consisted of eight dance performances by six talented choreographers. I was awed by the variety of movement, costumes, and emotion, from utterly comical to positively serious.

Two choreographer’s work especially stuck with me. First, a piece choreographed by Amy Foley titled “Nearly/Known” really made me want to dance. The four dancers in their flowing dresses were stunning, their movements graceful and fluid. The piece consisted of three parts, each perfectly paired with beautiful music, including a piece by Yann Teirsen, whose music appeared in the film Amelie. The second piece I really loved was Charles Slender’s “Pretonically Oriented v.1.” This is the second time I’ve seen Slender’s work, and each time I’m struck by how unique and different his style of dance is. His dancers truly embrace his vision, releasing themselves physically, without any qualms in order to create both something that is beautiful and also slightly grotesque through their odd facial expressions. Each movement is precise and extended to that farthest possible point, and I find myself leaning forward in my seat, unblinking, wondering what in the world will happen next.

The whole evening was extremely interesting and enjoyable and I highly recommend you check out future Pilot Light performances if they return. Now, I’ve gotta go. I have to get my dancing shoes on!

Live Shots: The Books, Palace of Fine Arts, 11/30/2010

Jesse Hawthorne Ficks

-

December 2, 2010

0

How do I describe the music of The Books? When I’m listening to it, there seems to be no beginning or end, I’m just immersed in it, floating in some exotic place and it’s hard to know how I even got there. Seriously, sometimes I wonder, “What is going on?” (Even they sometimes feel that way.)

The Books sound is an eclectic mix of found soundbites teamed with their own stellar cello and guitar playing. They performed Tuesday to a super ecstatic hipster crowd as part of a tour for the release of their new album The Way Out, which includes pieces about golf, hypnotherapy, and my favorite, crazy kids. “A Cold Freezin’ Night” (the crazy kid one) takes snippets from cassette tapes that the band found at thrift stores of kids in the ’80s and ’90s, ranting and raving and getting pretty mad about who-knows-what. It’s beyond hilarious and also slightly creepy. But I love it. The Books also make odd and perfectly timed videos to go with their music and showed them during the concert, several of which sparked tons of laughter due to their honesty and downright weirdness.

The opening band, the Black Heart Procession, were not exactly my cup of tea. Their whiny and depressing tunes were also backed with a visual slide show, but the images were at times so disturbing I feared nightmares would come to haunt me if I stared at them too long. Luckily they were soon forgotten as I found my brain quickly absorbed by the ever stimulating talent of The Books.

Live Shots: Robyn, The Warfield, 11/23/2010

Jesse Hawthorne Ficks

-

November 24, 2010

2

It’s not until I really started thinking about it that I realized how much I love Sweden. My best friend Karin is part Swedish. The American Girl Doll I had when I was little was the Swedish immigrant girl Kristen, decked out in her Saint Lucia holiday outfit. I used to work at a cafe in Seattle that served the best Swedish pancakes, ever, topped with lingonberry sauce. And the gorgeous singer Robyn is from Sweden, too.

She took the stage at the Warfield Theater last night as part of her US tour for her new three part album entitled Body Talk. Everyone and their hot boyfriends were at the show, some waving Swedish flags of robin egg blue and lemon yellow. Robyn has incredible energy on stage and authentic dance moves that make it obvious that she’s really having too much fun.

Her music appeals to everyone and on that note I’d like to mention the adorable 12 year old and her mom who I was standing next to during the show. 12-year-old-cutie was so excited to be there, along with the hordes of 20 to 30 somethings, who were serious about throwing back those cocktails. I dig all of Robyn’s new tracks, including the super hot “Dancing on My Own,” but then I remembered being thirteen again and listening to “Show Me Love” just really brings it all back.

Live Shots: Amy Sedaris, Herbst Theater, 11/15/2010

Jesse Hawthorne Ficks

-

November 18, 2010

0

“You gotta come see this!” called my roommate Melbell from her bedroom. It was my junior year in college and Melbell and her beau Goose were curled up on her futon, their eyes glued to her laptop.

A crazy lady with buck teeth and caked on purple eye shadow was dancing around on the screen, wearing mom pants and a turtleneck. For the next half hour I watched in horror and joy as Jerri Blank ran through the halls of Flatpoint High School, in what was my virgin experience of watching “Strangers with Candy” and the incredibly funny Amy Sedaris. Sedaris is on tour for her new fantastic how-to book, titled Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People.

She explained at her evening appearance at Herbst Theater that the book has been a collaboration between friends, family, and little children, and that most of the crafts in the book do not exceed the ability of a five year old. Some of the chapters include coconut crafts, potholders (her favorite) and also “The Ten Commandments of Crafting”. During the show she also showed off her new felt phone, on which she received several calls and had to excuse herself to the host while she answered them. Sedaris’ ability to make anything funny, including a felt phone, is why so many people love her. I’m sure everyone left the theater that night with sore cheeks from laughing for hours on end and a pocket full of handy ideas on how to get uber-crafty this holiday season.

Live Shots: Rufus Wainwright and SF Symphony, 11/12/2010

Jesse Hawthorne Ficks

-

November 16, 2010

0

Donning a huge red rose on his breast, Rufus Wainwright looked quite regal standing with the San Francisco Symphony this past weekend, performing musical renditions of five Shakespeare sonnets.

Wainwright was commissioned by the Symphony to create the pieces. Always ambitious, he wrote an entire orchestral score to accompany his magical voice. Singing in iambic pentameter is no simple feat, but to also make it sound incredibly beautiful, with hints of melancholy and pure joy, made the performance a total coup. It was also great to see such a mix of people in the audience, from classy bourgeois peeps in elegant silk dresses, to young hipsters in mix-matched plaids — but all of them giddy to see Rufus with orchestra.

Here’s a Youtube vid of part of the performance:

Live Shots: Dance Brigade, 11/12/2010

Jesse Hawthorne Ficks

-

November 16, 2010

0

They are part bird and part woman — the dancers in the all-female dance company Dance Brigade, in a current program entitled “Manifest!val for Social Change: Like Oil and Water, from Gaza to the Gulf,” moved between flight and rest.

Their dance tells the story of women in the Middle East, their movements hinting to a tragic ballet and the music being a version of the classic score from The Dying Swan. The dancers ability to combine pure grace and total frenzy was incredible, creating both an image of beauty and struggle in the same instant. Through Nov. 20, Dance Mission Theater will host fifteen different dance groups, as part of Dance Brigade’s Manifest!val for Social Change, which is a great opportunity for anyone to see some amazing local dancers, but also a chance to promote social awareness and community.

For more information about this weekend’s program, click here.

PS — and check out this preview video for Dance Brigade’s next program, “The Great Liberation Upon Hearing” coming in July 2011

Street Threads: Look of the Day

Jesse Hawthorne Ficks

-

November 10, 2010

0

Traveling SFBG photog Ariel Soto recently hit the streets of Taiwan to find out what the kids were wearing overseas. Due to the language barrier, she and her subjects weren’t able to talk style philosophy — but hey, looks like these speak for themselves.

Today’s look: Shao Le, Taipei, Taiwan

Street Threads: Look of the Day

Andrew Lam

-

November 2, 2010

0

Traveling SFBG photog Ariel Soto recently hit the streets of Taiwan to find out what the kids were wearing overseas. Due to the language barrier, she and her subjects weren’t able to talk style philosophy — but hey, looks like these speak for themselves.

Today’s look: Ivy, Taipei, Taiwan

Street Threads: Look of the Day

Andrew Lam

-

November 1, 2010

1

Traveling SFBG photog Ariel Soto recently hit the streets of Taiwan to find out what the kids were wearing overseas. Due to the language barrier, she and her subjects weren’t able to talk style philosophy — but hey, looks like these speak for themselves.

Today’s look: Luo Chu Ye, Taipei, Taiwan