San Francisco Blog

Walking home from Martuni’s on Monday, I heard music. It was … the birthday song, drifting out over Valencia Street from Zeitgeist’s patio. On closer inspection, I decided that since I was already standing in front of the lube job place across the street trying to watch the movies being projected on the pink elephant wall, I’d go in. Lucky me, I had stumbled into the Tamale Lady’s birthday party! Everyone was happy and I immediately ran into some friends who introduced me to strangers who were then not so strange. (Also, please note that the above three "links" are to institutions too awesome to have official websites. Word.) The Tamale Lady was sooo happy. After the screening (walling?) of Cecil B. Feeder's Our Lady of Tamale, (which includes a very funny bit set to the Rube Waddell song dedicated to her) and Feeder's new joint, Meter Maid Me Massacre, Ms. Virginia took the microphone and thanked everyone. I heard she’s going into semi-retirement, which seems only fair. Hoofing it around to rowdy bars for business purposes has to be tiring. Even the Peachy's Puffs always look a little strained, and I doubt if any Puff has been at it as long as Ms. Tamale. Que viva!
Then I went to Amnesia, where I had just missed the Dillards, who used to play the Darling Boys on the Andy Griffith Show, and if you don't know what that is, you're too damn young and should be put to bed early. Everybody said they had been good!