LEGENDmag was out at The Adorable Disaster, and we hope you were there too! Aside from the artwork, we were most impressed by the curation style: hanging all artists in “viewing stations” around the room with a variety of illustration styles and media types represented throughout.
If you haven’t had a chance to check it out, the exhibit is up until the end of the month!
207 Powell St. #400, San Francisco, CA
You know how Dante, the hapless mini-mart clerk from “Clerks”, as the disaster of his day continues to unfold, keeps repeating the line, “But I’m not even supposed to be here today!”? To which his video-store clerk friend Randall eventually replies, “Stop saying that. You sound like an asshole.” That’s pretty much how I felt last weekend at the Outside Lands Festival. Or I should say trying to get to the Outside Lands Festival.
The whole transport flow of this city is not set up to contemplate the idea that a large number of people would want to go to the Outer Sunset at once. This is intuitively obvious by the horrified tone with which most city residents say “out there” when discussing the neighborhood but I learned it experientially trying to get there from the Marina. I think it was when the first unnaturally stuffed full 28 blew past me that the initial, “But I don’t even like Radiohead” escaped my lips.
I realize some of you are still reeling from that statement. Look, Radiohead isn’t bad, in fact they’re great, as we all know. But it’s a very subdued monotone kind of great that never fully kicks out the jams in the way that I yearn for. Let’s just call it different cups of tea. I was plenty excited about the Black Keys and the Cold War Kids and several other acts further down the bill, and about seeing my friend Caille, with whom I’d made these plans ages ago, so I was determined to get there.
Several more unusable 28s made me realize that might be no mean feat. I headed out to Chesnut Street, where surely I could hail a cab, right? Wrong. As even the usually taxi-rich corners of Chesnut, Lombard and Union with Fillmore proved to be completely depopulated I began to understand, but remained convinced that redirecting to Van Ness would work.
The shortage of taxis prevailed there as well. This point was particularly driven home by roving gangs of hip young concert bound kids in bright colors trying in vain to hail one themselves or making calls and cursing, “three hours!” Sweating and consternated, I trudged the entire length of Van Ness to the Muni station on Market Street muttering, “But I don’t even like Radiohead!” under my breath.
I finally caught the N Judah, the one line in the city that goes right there without requiring multiple switches and transfers. Had to reverse flow, of course, by going Eastbound to Embarcadero to get to an empty train going Westbound, rather than trying to board one of the already packed trains at Civic Center Station. This train was soon uberpacked itself, and moved slowly down the line as other trains were backed up in the tunnels.
Until it cleared the tunnel at last into the Inner Sunset and stopped moving at all. It seemed that something highly unfortunate had transpired between 4th and 7th Avenues, and three trains in a row were stopped and not going anywhere. Glancing anxiously at my watch, I joined the hordes debarking and hoofed my way roughly 30 blocks to the concert. To which I arrived just in time for the final set of the day, Radiohead. And I don’t even like Radiohead!
To be fair, they put on an excellent two-hour show. Despite the difficulty of seeing the stage through the standing masses arrayed across the perfectly flat polo field I was drawn in by the hypnotic power of Thom Yorke’s voice and the band’s surging wall of electronic noise. Radiohead might be growing on me.
The notion of staging more open-air festivals in San Francisco is also growing on me. Some obvious transport issues need to be worked out, the vendors who were brought in to set up the grounds and ended up making it into a kind of ill-signed maze of cattle-chutes should be replaced. About half the $85 single-day ticket price of this one would make it a lot more accessible (although the crowd was packed out at 60,000, so maybe not). More big festivals though, particularly ones featuring varied and unusual acts, would really suit our music-happy city. September’s Noisepop festival on Treasure Island should be worth checking out.
Oh, by the way, I’m new here at Legend, so let me introduce myself: Hi, my name is Chris. I’m a fan of cats, Beat writers, people with geeky glasses, rock music, Star Trek and foggy climates. I’m not usually this grumpy. And I look forward to writing for you more!
This is San Francisco, home of the disenfranchised, the rebel, the artistic warrior. This is San Francisco, home of the progessive thinker, revolutionary, voice of the voiceless. What better place to celebrate independent thinking, art and culture at it’s best? Even our local government agrees that now is the time to come together to explore, create, celebrate and enjoy the amazing myriad of talent in our fair city!
Mayor Gavin Newsom signed a proclamation in November 2007, officially declaring September 8 - 12 as “Independent Artists Week” in San Francisco! Celebrate Independent Artists Week as Infin8 Sync and friends host various informative and entertaining events throughout the week. Artists Week (IAW) is a weeklong celebration of artists ranging from Musicians and Filmmakers to Fine Artists and Fashion Designers. Everybody will have the opportunity to collaborate, be enlightened and celebrate their industries!
The schedule consists of the following activities:
“Green Day” - Live Artists construct a mural in an art-deprived setting with drinks, live music and poetry
BYOA- Get Graphic - Independent magazines, fashion designers and graphic artists “show their stuff” in a mash up celebration for graphic artists in these industries .
Ear Hustle - Dedicated to the development and progression of the Bay Area Independent Music Industry. Join the conversation of where the Bay’s music scene is headed. Meet people that make it happen and learn what it takes to survive in one of the hardest industries in entertainment.
Lyricist Lounge - Music ‘n Film Conference – The finale and ultimate celebration
Filmmakers and musicians: writers, producers, directors, etc. exhibit their skills while all other facets of the arts come together to show how they are very significant in the film and music industries .
All of these activities will allow for an opportunity of unity and synergy in the independent industry. The target audience for this conference are all artists and supporters, as well as businesses who cater to the artist community. The Bay Area is yearning for an event of this magnitude.
Also, portions of the proceeds from this event will go to the several designated non-profits.
One of my best girlfriends sent me a text message last night. She was in a bookstore and said that there was a very tall, good looking, stylish man there who I would love. If she wasn’t married, she most likely would have gone for it herself, but things being what they were, she gave me the heads up. I suggested (ok, demanded) that she give him my phone number. She failed to find the cajones to make this happen, which was fine really, because in the end, that would be an odd way to meet someone. I was pretty serious when I told her to give him my number, though. I mean, how do we meet people these days anyway?
A lot of us are dating online with either disasterous (see my “Adventures in Craiglisting” posts) or wonderful (I have some friends getting married this weekend who met on a popular dating website) results. I often get hit on while walking down the street, but for some reason I’m not terribly interested in dating a guy who makes kissing noises at me or say something charming like “Hey baby, you lookin fiiiine today!” Or “Mmm Mmm Mmm. Git me somea dat!” Call me crazy, but this just doesn’t do it for me. So, what are we, the young, fun, smart, single San Francisco set to do?
Introducing “Snogg: A Singles Party that Doesn’t Suck.” This party is hosted by a very cool and very talented group of local artists who are throwing the party to raise money for “Incubator”, a new workspace and gallery opening in early 2009. Incubator is dedicated to nurture fledgling artists by putting them in an ideal creative space. They will foster the artists’ efforts to build a solid client base and memorable branding. What a cool project to support, while at the same time trying to get a date!
Not only will there be a Kissing Booth, scavenger hunt, raffles and DJs Shawn Olsen and Dylan Lovett spinning 80’s music, but yours truly will be there to help host the event…and perhaps even make a connection or two of my own! So, come on down tomorrow night! You never know, the love of your life (or just for the night) might be waiting for you there…
Snogg: A Singles Party That Doesn’t Suck
Where: The Make Out Room (3225 22nd St. San Francisco)
When: Friday August 15 from 6pm - 10pm
Cost: $10 - $20 Sliding Scale. Every $5 donated gets you a raffle ticket!
See you all there!
Peace.
Mark your calendars, people!
Anyone in San Francisco next week will be treated to an Adorable Disaster! If you are a fan of graffiti-style art, cutting-edge illustration, or cut ‘n fun painting This is the place to get your fix. Showcased Friday, August 22nd from 7-10pm at Cowboys and Angels.
It’s curated by Andrew Perry (Employed) and features all the wonderful “lowbrow” art you can get your mits on, from the likes of Leecifer, Ursula Young, Phoneticontrol, Ganyan, Lil Japan, FelXIII, Mildred, Jorge Arocho, Rob Mercado, Josh Lawyer, Blutt, Marco Mejia, Chris Granillo, Josh Herbolsheimer, Michael Frank, Narangkar Glover, Sara Pavao, Johnny Siu, Mycryptonauts, Deli, Sonya Katcher, Grant Gilliland, and The Gross Uncle!
The Adorable Disaster
August 22nd 7-10pm
207 Powell St. #400
San Francisco, CA 94102
See you there!
Sometimes I think that dating is not only an excersise in futility, but also the lowest depth of self torture. Each time we date someone new, we think it could be different. It usually is different, but I mean “different” in the same way that we sometimes call the kids on the short bus “special”. This is the follow up to the post I wrote last week about my impending date with “Andy”. http://LEGENDmag.net/thelegendonline/2008/07/03/adventures-in-craigslistingadventures-in-craigslisting/
For those of you too lazy to go back and read it, here’s the short story. I responded to an ad in the M4W section of Craigslist. (For those of you who have yet to join the sad adventures of online dating, that stands for Men For Women). The guy who posted this ad, “Andy”, as he will be known, was good looking in his pictures, well spoken and funny. Not a bad start. We exchanged some emails and made a date for drinks last Thursday night. This is the story of what happened next.
Andy arrived on time to pick me up. He had mentioned, when offering to pick me up the night before, that his car was a “crap-box”. It’s always important to set your date’s expectations at a realistic level, right? The car was in fact, a crap box. Not that I care, really. I drove a Toyota Camry Station Wagon for ten years. It was always filthy. But I digress.
After greeting me with a hearty handshake (to which I responded, “Oh. Very formal, aren’t you?”) and we were off. Andy had already opened the car door for me when I came outside, which I thought was a nice gesture, a sign of class and respect perhaps. I came to find out later that the handle was broken in a way that did not allow for me to open the door myself. The car itself reeked of stale cigarettes and there were two boxes of “Liggit” cigarettes in the center console. I asked him about the brand, as it wasn’t one I was familiar with. He told me that he discovered them in Louisiana and that now he buys them online from Indian casinos in New York. They were like three bucks a pack and they were strong. He had mentioned that he smoked “sometimes”, but the truth was becoming much clearer. He is a heavy smoker who smokes the strongest cigarettes I’ve ever tried. Strike one: Implying that his habit was social or casual instead of owning his addiction outright. But, the jury was still out, after all, we’d only just met.
Now, I had only been in the car for about three minutes, when Andy discovered that he should have turned a block earlier, to which he responds “Fuck!” and very aggressively makes a u-turn. Our drive through hell has just begun. Here’s something you can’t spot from a picture online…Road Rage. Or, as Andy liked to refer to it, “Road Fury”. He said, “I think ‘rage’ should be reserved for things like rescuing your princess.” I apologize to you that I did not ask him to elaborate on what that actually meant. I was too busy praying that he didn’t hit someone or get us shot. He was a menace, honking his horn and swearing (though he did say “Fudge!”, but only once).
We arrived at the wine bar he had specially selected for our date. It was a really adorable little place, down an alley and in the basement of what seemed to a hotel. That actually makes it sound a little scary. You’ll have to take my word for it. It’s called The Hidden Vine, and I think it’s great. The point is, Andy had chosen well. We find a little nook in the back and settle in for the “getting to know you” portion of the evening. We ordered some wine and start talking. He’s a very smart, very attentive and engaging guy. The conversation flowed really nicely, there weren’t any awkward moments and he made me laugh quite a bit. His Road Fury started to seem like not such a big deal, and even when he excused himself to go outside and smoke, I was willing to overlook it.
Then the following things happened:
-I noticed that Andy was missing a tooth. The one next to his canine. It was pretty off-putting, I have to admit. I’ve dated guys with no teeth before. It’s not something I’d like to revisit. But that’s a story for another time.
-Andy tried to stuff a small footstool down the front of his shirt. I don’t remember why, but it was probably for laughs. It just wasn’t very funny. It was more disturbing than funny.
-Andy got really loud. The bar was very small and very civilized and quaint. Andy continued to swear, only it was now so that everyone could hear. “You can’t smoke in a bar in California, but you can FUCKING SWEAR!”
-Andy kept standing up for no reason. He said it was because he was “kinetic”. I don’t think he knew what that meant. It was very distracting and almost seemed complusive.
No matter how smoothly a conversation flows or how hard someone makes you laugh, there are some oddities that cannot be overlooked. Road Fury, missing teeth, loud swearing in public, attempted theft, and an OCD standing up disorder are just some of those things that could be, what my mother likes to call, “Red Flags”.
Eventually I drained my glass and Andy took me home and hugged me goodbye. He did not attempt to kiss me, for which I was very grateful, because there was no way that was going to happen. Two days later, I received an email from Andy, which was titled “Post Mortem Analysis”. I thought for a moment that he may have realized how he killed out date and was going to apologize. However, it would appear that Andy thinks that he “killed it!!” and that I might like to go out with him again. He’s asked me out to a play in the Misison and I hate to say it, but I will not be taking him up on his offer.
The final outcome of this post mortem analysis is: It was dead in the water before it ever started.
The Long Now Foundation is putting together a special event for Saturday, July 12th, 2008. For only 5 hours (starting at 3:00pm) local experts will guide you through special tours and exhibits along San Francisco’s North Shore! This includes giant steam engines, mechanical computers, turn of the century automata, an 8 foot tall planetary display, and much more!
I first found out about Long Now foundation at Maker Faire, and hear about this event in detail at a recent lecture they hosted. It looks absolutely amazing for tourist and native alike… offering a rare glimpse at some hidden San Francisco treasures!
For more information, visit Mechanicrawl.com! Otherwise, we’ll see you out there!
This Saturday, Prince and Micheal Jackson will be fighting it out to prove who is number one. The build up has been incredible. We planted one of our own journalists in the audience for one of the pre-fight press conferences. Here’s what prince had to say about Micheal.
Come see the fight for yourself at Madrone Lounge in SF.
If you are a fan of battling robots, destruction derbies of electronic compnents and scrap metal destruction… this is your weekend! RoboGames (formerly RoboOlympics) is setting up in Fort Mason for some showdown-style battles!
When: Fri-Sun, June 13-15, 2008
Where: Fort Mason, San Francisco
Cost: $20, $15/kids (under 18), $0/kids (under 5)
We were out at the Haight Street Fair in San Francisco last Sunday and BOY it was a doozy! I don’t think they could have crammed one more person onto that packed street. And the best thing about it? Independents EVERYWHERE! So many street vendors in fact that most of the normal shops were closed for business! Talk about the indies taking over!!
At either end of Upper Haight, there were stages set up with rotating live acts. The schedule went DJ, band, DJ, band… so no matter what type of music you were into, they were delivering. Everyone was as polite as could be expected, given the massive crowds that showed up, but one thing was sure… people were really there for the fantastic independent booths!
Hopefully you made it out too!! We would love to hear your thoughts on the day!!
Went out to the Oxenrose Salon over in Hayes Valley for a showing of paintings from Ian Ross. Good stuff, indeed! A lot of graffiti-inspired pieces, with a whole lot of nature thrown in. We spoke to Ian and his upbringing around nature and urban elements leading to the fine juxtaposition of the elements, in a uniquely familiar style. No painting is alike, and the subjects are all left to your imagination.
My favorites were the newer pieces, which seemed more refined and had a bit more visual room to breathe, but then every piece had it’s own unique beauty. Check out the photos here or visit ianrossart.com for more!
We got three hot spots to check out photos from LEGENDmag’s recent BRANDED event! Thanks to Daniel Kokin, Tim Farris, and Tyler Mussetter for putting their time and skills out there for all of us to see!
** Pics from Daniel Kokin
** Pics from Tim Farris
** Booth pics from Tyler Mussetter
** BONUS: You can also see Tyler’s work featured in LEGENDmag 20!
Feel free to post your favorite ones in the comments, or if you have some good snaps from the night, post a link!
The Photo booth got really crazy, look for pics up soon! GO CHECK THEM OUT!!!!
Thank you to all the friends (new and old) who attended Branded last night. You made the night better than we could have imagined! We have lots more fantastic parties like this in the works, and knowing that we have your support pushes us to take things to the next level! Stay tuned!!
And extra special thanks to all the photographers, artists, musicians, DJs, bartenders, Club 6 staff, and volunteers. We are blessed to have all of you independent people in the LEGENDmag family and look forward to many more collaborations!
Photos and video should be up within the week… so check back! ARE POSTED NOW!!
The Goorin Bros. x Onitsuka Tiger x Shoebix release party was a great throwdown. There’s no party like a boutique party now days and the dino store Shoebiz location was no exception. The energy was pretty incredible and music was dope too (props to the dj). Thanks to Mike Shay for the invite and we can’t wait for the next one.
Come, drink, eat, be merry! Tonight at the Dinosaur shoebiz store on Haight come and see the new hat, show combo you won’t be able to resist.
