Yes, mobile snobs might salivate at the Droid's Google-powered navigation system, but the real question is (as always), "Will the product appeal to people beyond your average early adopter and win the hearts of mainstream users who are already pretty addicted to their 'Jesus Phones'?"
Perhaps that is why the company chose more low key (i.e. hipster) bands to helm its S.F. launch, winning over the tech savvy as well as the dillentate with it's eclectic taste. See: Weezer mySpace "Secret Shows" for another example of excellent target marketing.
Metric sparkles onstage
Let me use rest of this post to posit a theory: Our sister publication LAWeekly had an interesting run-in with the Pickups last week, which resulted in drunkeness, revelry and a torn up reporter's notebook. While I did not find a Delorean, yours truly ended up at Osha Thai (the Denny's of Thai food presumably) and don't really remember how I got home.
I wasn't even supposed to write this review; my originally assigned writer also came down with a bad case of Silversun Pickups amnesia.
My theory is the Pickups are cursed; you see a Pickups show and end up remembering, well not much, but in a good way (after all the band was named after a liquor store). Perhaps then the new Verizon Droid can help you find your way home, if not your actual memories from the concert?
In any case, you know what they say about photos (and even more so, video via Handstamp Music) ...
The party in the park is, quite possibly, hip-hop's most singularly enduring tradition. Saturday's Estria Invitational Graffiti Battle honored that tradition - and then some. Held in conjunction with the Living Word Festival, the National Poetry Slam, Hood Games and Life Is Living.org's Life is Living Festival, the event took over deFremery Park, which was buzzing with vibrant energy. In addition to live graffiti painting (this year's theme word was "grow"), there were b-boy battles, live performances by poets and musicians, eco-sustainable booths, and much more. Visceral activity was just about everywhere, and not a single one of hip-hop's foundational elements was overlooked--if anything they were added to.
EKAphotography
Oh, No: Pharaohe Monch
Oakland's own Vogue TDK took home the top prize for his piece, a 3-D calligraphic masterpiece which used bamboo symbolism to convey the idea of verdant, active plantlife. Life performers included Marc Bamuthi Jacobs, Linda Tillery & the Cultural Heritage Ensemble--who performed folk songs from the Underground Railroad era--the Kev Choice Ensemble, and Pharaohe Monch, who rapped with such intensity, he bloodied his lip. All in all, it was an extremely good look for hip-hop, reminding people that there is no substitute for organic community-building.
"Drawbridge is an abandoned town on the outskirts of San Jose and is slowly sinking into the sloughs of San Francisco Bay. It was created on Station Island in 1876 and consisted of a single dwelling to house the operator of two drawbridges owned by the Southern Pacific Railroad that crossed the Mud Creek Slough and Coyote Creek Slough to connect Newark with Alviso and San Jose.
It eventually grew into a small town consisting mainly of hunting cabins, hotels, and gun clubs. During Prohibition, taking advantage of its location in no man's land between Santa Clara and Alameda counties, it housed numerous speakeasies and brothels. In addition, the police were reluctant to enter as nearly everyone in Drawbridge was armed."-ghosttown.info
The sun was beating down on us when we arrived in Alviso at close to two in the afternoon. Our mission was to find Drawbridge, CA, explore and hopefully not get hit by a train while we used its track as a trail.
Parking next to the track we set out north, following it into a horizon of salt flats and diked sloughs. After about a half mile of skipping along the rocky and uneven path, we found a dead dog laying in the middle of the tracks riddled with bullet holes.
The Walt Disney Family Museum is gearing up to open its doors in early October after several years of meticulous planning and lobbying by several of Disney's children and grandchildren.
Tim Wagner
The museum will tell the story of Walt Disney, who raised animation to an art and transformed the film industry, leaving one of the world's largest entertainment companies as a legacy.
Tim Wagner
The museum's collection of three historic San Francisco Presidio buildings are renovated former military barracks, a gymnasium and a supply shed. The buildings house 10 linked galleries, a 114-seat screening room, learning center, museum store and cafe.
The old tuna cannery down in the flats of Bayview Hunters Point has, technically, been sitting empty ever since it was condemned after the '89 quake.
Joseph Schell
But one peek inside the immense building - now completely boarded up and guarded by a tall chain-linked fence - reveals it has hardly been abandoned. What appears on the outside as an industrial wasteland is, on the inside, perhaps the largest living canvas for graffiti artists in the entirety of San Francisco.
This project is not original, but I loved it enough to give it a go myself. The premise: hit the streets with a camera and a pad of paper and offer people $1 in return for their portrait and a bit about them. The result was a pieced together collage of people in the city--a sample of its demographic. Granted, a test group of 10 or 12 won't give us the best data. But it's more of an art project than it is ethnographic research.
For this set, we traveled by bike through Hayes Valley, around Civic Center, the Tenderloin, Chinatown, North Beach and down the Embarcadero and interviewed roughly 20 people. Over the 2-3 hour excursion we had a lot of people tell us they didn't want their photo taken (some rather adamantly). But warmth overcame skepticism for most. Special thanks to Sara Hart Weihmann for her note taking and assistance.
The first of many eye-catching garage doors on Lilac Alley.
San Francisco is full of graffiti, so when I received the assignment to photograph artsy garage doors around town, I didn't really bat an eye. But as I soon found out, it took a bit of searching (I won't lie, I actually had to zig-zag through several neighborhoods, combing the streets for graffiti), digging online and turning an attentive eye on my daily city travels. I also found there is an extensive little-seen community that keeps tabs on walls, alleys and buildings all around the city -- and they know exactly what's going on where in the street art world. This is a somewhat closed community that guards their privacy and don't like people asking questions. After dealing with an unwilling few, several talked.
For wall murals and alley art, S.F.'s Mission District really is the central hub of activity. One could put together a very interesting art walk centralized around the massive amount of color, expression and creativity found in the Mission alone.
On a recent sunny afternoon, SF Weekly contributing photographer Tim Wagner headed to Silicon Valley for a tour of Airship Venture's "Eureka," the first lighter-than-air passenger ship to fly in the U.S. after more than 71 years.
Tim Wagner
The 246-foot long zeppelin is larger than a Boeing 747 and carries 12 passengers at a cruising speed of 35 mph.
Tim Wagner
The cavernous Moffett Field hanger where Eureka is stored dwarfs even the airship. The row of three World War II blimp hangars are still some of the largest unsupported structures in the country.
Before an angry mob of Snapes and Dementors attacks my apartment with giant goblets of fire (note to mob:I do NOT live in the Castro so you should probably mosey on down to the Mission or anywhere that is again, NOT THE CASTRO) I should say I really enjoyed myself at Azkatraz, this year's Harry Potter "Symposium" held in downtown SF. My expectations of costumed, lonely nerds with little to no social skills were, while not blown out of the water, diminished somewhat by the infectious and genuine enthusiasm of the participants. Read: kids in Hogwarts uniforms performing line dances.
This year marks the sixth incarnation of the Harry Potter Con. Each year the convention (and name) changes cities in order to allow fans from all over a chance to attend without paying too much in travel costs. The event is volunteer-run and totally internet-communicated. These guys tweet A LOT.
So we new media dinosaurs at the SFW have finally made the leap into the Flickr-verse with the creation of our very own photo pool! And we hope the many fine Bay Area photographers out there will consider contributing their respective angles of this gorgeous city to the mix.
We'll be sure to feature the best images right here on All Shook Down (with proper links and attribution - all that good stuff) and perhaps run a Best of Flickr slideshow at the end of the month as well.
After a few weeks of canceled shows due to lead singer Nathan Willett's bout of throat infection the Cold War Kids are back on track. The boys from SoCal made it up to their fans by putting one of their best shows on Thursday night at the Fillmore. Photos by Mekuria Getinet.
British crooner Seal made fans weak at the knees with a two-hour set that included hits like "Crazy" and "Kiss from a Rose" at Oakland's Fox Theater Tuesday night. Photos by Richard Haick.
Even with all the vibrant energy contained in hip-hop, sometimes people need an extra little kick in order to take in the multitude of offerings the culture has to give. That's why rap-branded energy drinks are a good synergy of lifestyle and product. The San Francisco Bay Area is home to a disproportionate amount of these colorful alternatives to Red Bull, but rap energy drinks have sprouted up around the country, from the Midwest to the South to the East Coast.
There's even an anti-energy rap drink called Drank that was created in response to this growing niche market. This "extreme relaxation beverage" uses melatonin to mimic the sleepy effects of "drank," a slang term for the codeine cough syrup concoctions that are widely abused as a street drug. But you can drink that later, after you come down from hip-hop's heights achieved by these top eight rap-inspired energy drinks.
Green Day stepped across Telegraph Avenue to Oakland's Uptown Wednesday night for yet another somewhat-secret show -- reeling in what could be the largest audience in the venue's history. Photos by Richard Haick.
Christmas may come but once a year, but for hardcore thrift store, flea market, and rummage sale fans, it's coming up this weekend at the fabulous White Elephant Sale, running Saturday, March 7, and Sunday, March 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the White Elephant warehouse, 333 Lancaster (at Derby) in Alameda. The annual sale, whose proceeds benefit the Oakland Museum, has been ongoing since 1959.
For the uninitiated, entering the enormous warehouse may be overwhelming. There are 17 different departments, ranging from the Boutique (better china, silverware, metal, pottery, and Asian items, including vintage), to Bric-a-Brac (assorted tscotchkes including baskets, vases, and a truly amazing array of holiday-themed merchandise, including TONS of Christmas stuff). White Elephant Sale aficionados know that, for example, the odd bit of colorful collectible California pottery might show up in the Boutique, but there also could be pieces in Household (where you'll also find walls full of mugs at 50 cents each, and baskets of tableware are 25 cents each) or Bric-a-Brac. It pays to look around.
Sixth Annual Yoga Journal San Francisco Conference
January 16-19, 2009
Hyatt Regency
Review and Photos by Sam Prestianni Better Than: Reading Yoga Journal while scarfing down Krispy Kreme doughnuts in front of a dancing Krishna.
Yoga Journal's sixth annual conference -- an outsized gathering of rockstar teachers, scenesters, and "conscious" vendors -- was a real-world embodiment of the magazine's mission to promote health and well-being through rigorous bodywork and alternative lifestyle choices. At the Saturday event I attended, scores of the faithful flocked to dozens of classes, from advanced technical routines to contemporary philosophy. I opted for "Unraveling the Mysteries of the Neck, Shoulders & Hips" (led by the Bay Area's own Ana Forrest, whose yogic method was universally described as "intense") and "Imprinting Self-Love: Reverse Adi Shakti Meditation" (a kundalini yoga celebration, complete with self-empowerment stories, music, chants, meditation and movement, run by L.A. guru Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa). I tried to see this pair of classes and the entire conference through the lens of the yamas (or ethical restraints), the first series of steps in the Yoga Sutra's eightfold "path to happiness," featured in this month's Yoga Journal.
The Cow Palace was packed to the gills last weekend, with folks scuttling about in Victorian garb and civilians gawking and attempting to make the most of the abundant photo-ops in the dimly-lit venue. Chimney sweeps with soot-dusted faces strolled along, two blokes ran around with foils and did battle wherever they pleased and others wore top hats with notes on them proclaiming their confidence in a certain Green Fairy. See more shots from our Saturday afternoon dip into Christmas past below.
IKEA's a magical place full of cheap furniture, Daim chocolate and $0.50 hot dogs. It's also not a bad place for a newish couple to grab starter decorations (disposable, sadly, like many a relationship) for their Christmas tree. Cruising their website, I decided my favorite deal was the KALLT decorator set in red, a 48-piece ornament box to the sleighbell sound of $4.99. What I didn't expect to find when I finally descended upon the Emeryville branch (note: most decorations aren't available online), was a sea of black.
I'm not sure what those Swedes were thinking, but black garlands, balls and hearts? Perhaps it's a statement about the crap economy and bleak times ahead? Maybe their design team lost a bet to its resident goth? Whatever the logic behind these gloomy decorations, the Bay Area buyers didn't seem to be particularly enthralled: most of IKEA's red, gold and blue ornaments were swiped from the display while stacks and stacks of black remained. See more photos of said decorations below...
AC/DC's Black Ice World Tour stormed into Oakland on Tuesday and had a rerun just last night. Christopher Victorio and his lens were front and center. What did we learn from his photo set? Well, apparently you're never too old for ripped sleeves and a schoolboy outfit. And the fans were almost as interesting to watch as the show itself.
Click the image below for a full slideshow. --Janine Kahn
There was no line between audience and act at Girl Talk's set at the Fillmore last night. Click the images below for a full slideshow to see hundreds of fans join Gregg Gillis on stage:
Dominick Jerry and Steve Hemenway, founders of Fog City Wrestling, understand the appeal of a good storyline. Their indie professional wrestling matches hark back to the heyday of the performance sport, when dramatic feuds worked the crowd into a lather. In fact Jerry, in a video on Fog City’s Web site, describes the bouts as throwbacks to “old-school wrestling, mixed with comic book sensibilities.” Creative costumes and taunts are de rigueur: Characters like the Chicano Flame, who flaunts a classic lucha libre wrestling mask and cape, or leather-coated Vennis Demarco, who plays up his Sicilian “connections,” are always a treat. Saturday night’s main event pit the 400-plus-pound Alofa the Samoan Tank against former WWE Hardcore Champion Raven, a 245-pound misanthropic nihilist. --Traci Vogel
See more photos by Mekuria Getinet beneath the fold.
On Saturday, Mos Def gave a free show at the Band Shell Music Concourse, sandwiched between the de Young and the new Cal Academy. All shots by Mekuria Getinet:
Irivine-based Blizzard, makers of a certain MMORPG that is known to suck many a significant other in for days on end, had their annual convention in Anaheim over the weekend. Attendees got a taste of Diablo 3, Starcraft II and World of Warcraft expansion packs. Friday's events included comedian Jay Mohr presiding over the costume contest, which was won by Amanda, a lady from Tempe, AZ, whose mechanical turtle ("Speedy") stole the show.
Cold War Kids
Friday, Sept. 26, 2008
Great American Music Hall
Notes by Jessica Swesey, Photos by Mekuria Getinet
Cold War Kids + the Great American Music Hall = one of those rare music events where the band and the venue fit together almost perfectly. The GAMH is just the right size for the sound and you come away feeling like you actually spent an evening chilling out with the band rather than smashed between two of the tallest people in the city, happy to get just a glimpse of an elbow here and there.
Kicking off their new album, Loyalty to Loyalty, which was released the Tuesday before, the Cold War Kids played many of their shiny new gems including "I've Seen Enough," "Mexican Dog" and "Something is Not Right." The typical CWK energy was in full swing with both band and audience each finding it impossible to sit still throughout the whole night.
Opening bands Richard Swift from Portland and We Barbarians out of Long Beach set up the evening. Click here for a full slideshow.
When I first wandered into a gay country western barn in Austin, Texas, a few years back and saw couples gliding about the dance floor in ten-gallon hats and boots, my first thought was the naive "Wow, gay people two-step?" So it's perhaps a sign of San Francisco acculturation that when seeing with the same scene here in San Francisco on Friday night, my first thought was "Wow, there's a country western scene here?" There is, indeed.
Friday night was the kick-off party for the 17th Annual "Best Buck in the Bay" -- the Bay Area stop on the national gay rodeo circuit, which was held at a ranch in La Honda Saturday and Sunday. The country dancing non-profit "Sundance Saloon" normally holds dance lessons and parties twice a week at Space 550, which is hunkered down in the no man's land of junkyards and warehouses near Industrial Boulevard, but the organization added a special Friday night to kick off the rodeo weekend.
The geekeriffic Luke Y. Thompson is once again living it up at Comic-Con in San Diego. Last year, I had the privilege of covering it alongside him for the OC Weekly. This year, Luke's taking photos galore for All Shook Down and blogging the movie-related fun for Nikki Finke over at Deadline Hollywood Daily.
Click the above photo for his shots from preview night and check back through the weekend for more coverage. --Janine Kahn
Parade of Sail
San Francisco Bay
July 23, 2008
Notes and Photos by Edward Paik
Tall ships streamed into San Francisco Bay around noon Wednesday, at speeds that rivaled pedestrians walking along the Embarcadero. Firing the cannon without actual ammunition, the San Francisco Maritime National Park Association (which produced the event) sparked curiosity in passersby.
A fleet of 32 tall ships (and a good deal of smaller ones) invaded our polluted shores to begin the Festival of Sail, a five-day odyssey of funs and smarts celebrating our seafaring past.
22nd Annual SF AIDS Walk
Golden Gate Park
July 20, 2008
Notes and Photos by Catherine McCulloch
The sense of community was palpable Sunday at Golden Gate Park as over 25,000 participants left the opening ceremonies at Sharon Meadow for the starting line. More impressive than the sheer volume of participants here for the SF AIDS Walk was the diversity of the crowd. People of all races, ages and sexual orientations walked the 10 kilometer (6.2 mile) course. Hundreds of teams representing radio stations, churches, schools, department stores, you name it, joined together to show their support for the cause.
Tour de Fat
Golden Gate Park
July 19, 2008
Notes and Photos by Ariel Soto
There was ample parking at Speedway Meadows in Golden Gate Park this Saturday, but that didn't mean there wasn't a festival going on. It was Tour de Fat and modern day hippies swapped VW vans for shiny spokes and groovy handle bars and showed up ready to drink beer, listen to music and be part of the ring of wild rides that included a bike with shoes for wheels.
People danced to the tunes of a wonderful folksy seven-man band called "Paper Bird" that wooed the audience with their mellow yet danceable tunes, all of which seemed to contain some reference to a flying feathered friend.
Although it was quite foggy for the day's event, there was no dark cloud over the festivities and everyone seemed to be riding easy on life, feeling buoyant and healthy, perhaps due to the adrenaline gained from biking over to the event.
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