I get back to my car at around 8-8:30 on Saturday. I take off my button up short sleeve and replace it with a long sleeve, throw a hat on, and scare passerbys as I stand on the sidewalk next to my car brushing my teeth. But when I'm done, I feel like a new drinker and head to Zeitgeist to meet up with Chaz for his birthday.
Over there it's Jarles, Gavroche on hiatus from his study sessions, Mau, Hessica, Topher and ChengJ (inexplicably out of the Marina), Loe, Da, Forte and some others. Zeitgeist is excellent as usual, providing cheap drinks and a place outside to smoke. We spend about 2 hours or so there, joined by the Glass brothers, before we decide to leave. Chaz leads the way and we head over to Elbo Room, which, unsurprisingly, is elbow room only. That place, I swear I don't know why people go there...it's always too packed to move, and really, too packed to even have much fun in. Talking to people is impossible because of the volume, and it's across from a police station. I just don't see the appeal.
We don't even get a drink there as we decide to leave for greener pastures and settle at the 500 Club. This is the dive bar I used for a bathroom stop at last year's Pride parade, and it's the most crowded I've ever seen it, but still better than Elbo. At this point, following an entire afternoon of drinking, Chaz is pretty well snookered. Glace is sobering up as she's driving later, and we all make the trek to the crepe stand. Pretty simple evening, if you don't take into account that I started at 2pm.
After getting up and heading to Best Buy to replace my camera, I hit Nini's for some of that drinking food and then race up to the city in time to go get my hand stamped. The destination is Mango, a day dance party that happens every last Saturday at a bar in the Mission called El Rio, and it gets so crowded by the middle of the afternoon that the process is to go when they open at 3 to get your hand stamped for easy re-entry past the line.
I meet up with McButter, Za, Xena, T, ACha and her girlfriend to head over around 4:30 or so. When we get there, there still isn't much of a line, and as we get inside I'm a little underwhelmed. There's just not that many people in the bar. We get our drinks and I follow T outside to find where the real party is. The bar opens up to a back patio type area that is huge. It's got a deck with a bar at the end, a huge open area for dancing, a stage/deck for more dancing and a little area in the back for what appears to be smoking. Now I see why the bar is virtually empty because the weather is fantastic and everyone is outside dancing.
Once there we run into Bini, Nah and Lei, Lina from the Carol and a blast from the past in Take. At this point, counting the one I had on the car ride up, I'm about 5 rokes in and starting to feel blurry. Za says we should go outside for a smoke, to which I wholeheartedly agree. While out there, I get embroiled in a phone conversation with my Grandpa, which I handle surprisingly well considering how faded I am. Now if only I could remember what date we agreed to have dinner.
When I get off the phone, I'm for some reason no longer at Mango, but Za and McButter have walked me, phone call and all down Mission to La Taq. It's right around 7:30-8 now, which means that the quesadilla I have is the perfect dinner interlude. I'm parked strategically back by Love Shack and after dinner, McButter and Za head home and I put on the headphones and go back to the car.
Once there, I change my shoes, shirt, put on a hat, roll up two more for the evening and brush my teeth while standing on the sidewalk. By the time I lock my car and head down the street to find Zeitgeist, I feel like a new man, and I'm ready to start the second part of my Saturday...Chaz's birthday.
On Friday night it's off to ChengJ's and Topher's for a house warming party. They've set it up with Liar's Dice indoors, Beirut on the outside deck and tons of booze in the kitchen. I get up there about 9 o'clock or so and carry on drinking.
It's your standard house party with your typical debauchery. Some really old school high school folks are there, and nothing extraordinary takes place. Until I hand my camera to ChengJ. He's taking some pictures, attempts to take a picture of a girl and she freaks out. Now, I've had people run away, cover their faces or attempt to cover a camera lens if they didn't want to have a picture taken of them....this girl screams, "no!" and bats the camera out of ChengJ's hand, onto the floor and landing directly on its lens, jamming it up and breaking it.
Watching my camera die right in front of my eyes, my night now turns sober as others head out to bars and Mel's, Hessica and I return home. I mean, hey, we do have Saturday to prepare for. This is the last picture taken on the camera before it was thrown to the ground...
People! Friday is here! Not only did I get to see the Dark Knight again this week, but I also played ultimate, went to the excellent Giants game on Wednesday night, and had some tasty margaritas to bring in thirsty Thursday. Now, I look forward to a weekend celebrating Topher and ChengJ's quasi-new apartment, as well as Chaz's birthday. It's gonna be a doozy. As we creep closer to the weekend debauchery, here's a few things you can think about before 5pm.
Last night I forgo the usual ultimate frisbee in Mateo and take to the streets with two 16th row tickets to the Giants game. Bini and I go, and I'm a rum and coke (hereafter to be referred to as roke...for those unaware, I'm on a hiatus from rodka after feeling like I was having a heart attack last time I was drinking them)...
The Giants play a fantastic game where they blow the lead but get huge clutch hits from Aurilia and Vizquel to eventually win the game. Things are a bit awkward when I run into some of my track runners, but I disappear quickly.
On the drive back, I realize it's Wednesday, which means Coach and E are running at the 7 Mile. I head over there to hear about an hour of some very energetic and sometimes surprisingly good karaoke. The bartender says she remembers me, and as I'm leaving I go to thank her again, but E spills the fact that I don't remember her name. She goes, "Thanks Adam. Last time I do anything nice for you." Ooops.
On the way home, I'm hungry (having only had a half of a free burrito at the ballpark), so I figure hey, it's Wednesday, I'm faded, it's almost 1...Jack in the Box sounds like a good idea. Bacon cheddar potato wedges are good...but try this....their BBQ Bacon Sirloin burger topped with onion rings. Boom!
It's that time again people...the monthly update coming from the iPod. July's update carries 102 songs with it, with some great tunes for the middle of Summer. We've got some new favorites, some old classics, and a few that fall somewhere in between.
Albert Hammond, Jr, Como Te Llama?: The Strokes' frontman comes out with his sophomore solo album that explores various rock, ska and reggae themes that might not fit into the groups' repertoire. The songs on here are heartfelt with glimpses of his proficiency on the guitar. Lighter in fare than the work of the group, Como Te Llama? offers some idyllic music for the Summer cruise. Don't Sleep On: "Borrowed Time," "G Up" and "GfC" with the lilting blend of upbeat tempo and slightly melancholy guitar.
Various Artists, Delicious Vinyl, RMXXOLOGY: This album is the epitome of some MixMatchMusic in action. Following Peaches' remix of Tone Loc's "Wild Thing," Delicious Vinyl decided to open its vaults to other artists who might want to delve into the iconic catalog for remixes of their own. The result is an album that blends the electronic and the hip-hop, the frenetic and the calm. Fatlip, The Pharcyde, Young MC, Masta Ace and Tone Loc are all featured here with remix work provided by Eminem, Peaches, Hot Chip and the Philippians. The result is an album that successfully takes some of the most recognizable rap songs of the late 80s and early 90s and updates them for today. Don't Sleep On: "Runnin'" (The Pharcyde remixed by Philippians), "Sittin on Chrome" (Masta Ace remixed by Mr. Flash) and "Wild Thing" (Tone Loc remixed by Peaches).
Nas, Untitled: In case you missed the extreme buzz surrounding this album, Nas had originally intended it to be titled, "N*GGER." But following an uproar from Black community leaders, a backlash from entertainment writers and a general recoil by the population, Nas backed down and left the album untitled. Although, this hasn't tempered his reasons for the title, nor his knowledge that most people will recognize it and call it by its intended name. The first release since 2006's Hip Hop is Dead, this album finds Nas waxing more politically than on previous outings, and in some cases sounding like a toned down pop version of Immortal Technique. Unfortunately, having built his reputation and riches on the back of modern hip-hop, some of his attacks on the industry sound hollow and insincere. It's hard to believe attacks on the music industry and the political infrastructure when other songs have lines about him jumping on yachts and traveling the globe. Still, his penchant for carefully crafted lyricism in poetry form and some very strong beats make this a solid, though not stellar, album. Don't Sleep On: "N.I.*.*.E.R. (The Slave and the Master)," "Y'all My Ni**as," and "Hero" feat. Keri Hilson.
Alright...for all you movie fans, don't worry, I'm not going to put any spoilers about the movie in here...I know how much I hate that crap. Last night, Hessica managed to score two free tickets to a sneak preview of the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight. She tells me we need to meet at 6:30 at the Metreon to get in line.
When I meet her and her friends there, we walk upstairs and the line is huuuuuuge. I'm looking at it thinking, "there's no way we're getting decent seats here." It's at that moment that we walk up to a girl with a clipboard who has our names on a list, and they send us in. Security for this is tight. They're checking everyone with a metal detector and double checking you with a hand stamp before you go in, making sure that your cell phone is off. They're very clear about this...not on silent, not on vibrate, OFF. They inform us on the way in that any on cell phone will result in you getting booted from the theatre.
Now remember, I said I wouldn't spoil any of this movie for you. But I will say that it was better than the first one (Batman Begins). I'll tell you that the scenes shot in IMAX film are spectacular, a view of the Chicago cityscape and intense action scenes like you've never seen before in a movie theatre. This isn't like the Matrix where they project a regular film onto an IMAX screen...this is actual IMAX footage and at times it's breathtaking as you see aerial shots that make you feel like you're flying. Chicago in these shots looks larger than life.
I'll tell you that Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker is everything it's been hyped to be and more. So incredibly frightening and disturbing, it's one of the best, if not THE best villain portrayal I've seen in a movie. You have to remind yourself who's underneath all that make-up to even remember it's Ledger. Every scene brings something different, from humorous to angry to disturbing and unhinged. His unpredictability even further ingrains the Joker's instability.
The action sequences are tight and well focused. Christopher Nolan makes excellent use of camera angles, and, more importantly, Batman's abilities. What stands out here is that the movie is an action movie, it's a superhero movie, and it's a drama, but it never has to choose one over the other...it's balanced so well that it's all of them at the same time. Because most of the action was done without the help of CGI, it's unbelievable to watch and never feels fake. And at no point does Nolan sacrifice character development for any of this.
I'd love to say more, share a few favorite scenes and lines, but I know how I feel when I get spoiled, so I'll just say go see it. And make sure you see it on IMAX.
It's always nice to see the story of a local person doing good, and in the case of Evolving Music and MixMatchMusic, two entities growing into the music industry out of the Peninsula Bay Area, seeing our long time friend, Scott Reitherman, grow in success with his new group Throw Me the Statue out of Seattle has been an excellent journey. From the first show we saw as an opening act for Jens Lekman at Bimbo's 365 club, the inclusion in the Take Away show phenomenon, to his Rhapsody commercial and now a music video for their song "Lolita" on MTV2, the growth of the band and the potential for them to turn into actual stars has reached a high pitch. Following positive reviews of their debut album Moonbeams on Stereogum and Pitchfork Media, Scott sat down with me to talk about the transition from a self-started label to an Indie label, the process of making music and the new and changing landscape of the current music industry. Enjoy!
AC: Throw Me the Statue (TMTS) is based out of Seattle. Most people tend to associate that with Grunge, rain and Starbucks. Do you feel that stereotype has gone on a bit too long, and how do you feel you fit in there as a native Californian?
AC: The music on Moonbeams has a wide variety of instrumentation and genre influences in there. Talk for a minute about your musical influences and what you listened to growing up that still speaks to your music writing today.
SR: With Moonbeams I was in a spot where I was trying to make a debut record that would show that I do listen to a variety of music. I didn’t want to make a record that was going to be easily typecast, I guess not typecast, but I mean to say I didn’t want to make something that would fit in a box easily. I also wanted to make a record that various people might be able to hear because they might like a song here or a song there, and sort of give something for everybody, if that wasn’t too lofty of a starting point to attack it from. So that’s what I did, and I tried to make it a collage of aesthetics because I do listen to a variety of stuff.
When I was first starting out buying CDs in the 3rd or 4th grade, I definitely had a strong pop mentality. At first it was a serious obsession with New Kids on the Block, which transitioned into Beastie Boys, Paula Abdul, Boyz II Men, Bobby Brown…Bobby Brown being a part of the record collection.
AC: Some of our readers are rolling their eyes right now.
SR: Yeah. When you’re a kid, that stuff just hits on an instinctual level. You don’t realize how overprocessed it is, but it was a while before I finally started listening to what people think of as Indie music or stuff that falls underneath that umbrella. More in college I guess I started finally getting turned on to the bigger Indie bands of the day and doing some homework and going back in time, catching up on stuff I needed to know about or needed to understand the history of Indie. I think looking back on high school, I wish I had listened to a wider variety of stuff, but I think that’s a product of coming from the California peninsula and having a slightly homogeneous cultural background with that.
AC: Talk a bit about your musical development in terms of your instrumentation. Did you start classically with a piano or guitar, and how have you gone about learning new instruments and incorporating them into your style?
SR: I learned how to play guitar at summer camp when I was in the 6th grade. Basically I stuck with that for probably 6 or 7 years. Along the way, my brother started taking drum lessons and for a couple years, my brother, who’s younger than me, had a drum kit in his bedroom and I immediately took to that and started playing his drums a lot more than he would play them. When he stopped taking lessons, the drums went away and I didn’t pick back up with drums or any other instrument until college when I started fooling around and teaching myself piano through my knowledge of guitar.
So I was torn on this one...not only is my time short, but I'm personally a big fan of "Gloaming" and was unsure I wanted it to get topped so soon. But 5 pm is still 3 hours away, and someone is going to need something! So here you go, you cretins. Enjoy.
1) 50 years is a long time to wait for a family reunion. Especially when you live with the guilt of pushing them away the last time. 2) You would think that when you're about to unleash the iPhone in 21 countries, you'd have your servers beefed up. 3) An NBA player not keeping his word? No way! You don't say! 4) Favre doesn't want to retire. Now can the Niners get him? 5) Ah...a baby gift from Tom, Katie and Suri to Keith, Nicole and Sunday! 6) Good news for any PETA people going to the Olympics...no more dog meat! 7) I read today that John McCain hasn't shown up to vote on a Senatorial matter since April. Does he count this as doing what he's paid for? 8) Why are so many people sold on the idea that Obama is Muslim? 9) If you were going to end up in jail no matter what, what kind of crime would you commit? 10) And finally, think about this tattoo...
The gloaming set on and forced night towards dawn, the last morning rays in my brain were already gone, leaving shadowed pillars of lost thoughts and found translations, the Babel created by too many interior nations, divided against themselves, no longer one mind and one health, but one splintered platinum brick showering mental coins of wealth into the overflowing fountain of my energetic youth.
And the water was the proof, the truth that the platinum will rust, and the coins will clog the drains before they add another day to stave off the dust, the dust that drifts daily, Neverending - no end and a beginning too far back to recall, stretching deep into the dark of some past sparked December, every moment of which helps me remember to rip false promises from my life like pages from a calendar at midnight, a sight to behold as real people turn to gold, and the false fall to a discarded heap and fester to mold, So many lies and forced memories sold, purchased by the lowest bidder, an auction for the weak with no one the winner, and a place where both buyer and seller are sinner.
So the platinum coins stay mine, a divine bounty saved for the right time and matching mind, a frame of twilight that will never see dark, and rays of sunshine that will never allow the gloaming to start.
I wake up around 10 on Saturday morning, surprisingly hang over free from the evening out dancing late the night before. I head south, hitting Nini's and a much needed Katie Mimosa before heading home to roll-up, change, pack my bags and leave. I'm back in the car around 11, and parked outside the Love Shack around 11:30. After stocking up, I walk myself over to T and Za's place to drop off my bags, mix a drink and head down to the park.
Anyone who knows Dolores Park knows that on beautiful days, it's packed. Then, when you combine a beautiful day with a parade/gathering/party of some sort, which seem to occupy the park often, it turns into a very fun zoo. On this particular day, given that the Dyke March starts off from 18th and Dolores, the park is wall to wall people...You have, of course, the police contingent, but they kindly stay at the perimeter of the park...there if you need them, but not looking to interfere. Other than them, the crowd is a very diverse group of people, and about the only thing everyone has in common is their consumption of alcohol and/or pot.
The stage has some bands on it, and there's quite a few in the crowd who don't have a problem getting naked, or at least partially there. Basically, forget everything you know about large crowd gatherings that usually turn into some bad vibes. This party goes until the march starts, and I didn't get one sense of bad vibeness throughout the afternoon. I found it a little funny when Kler mentions that I must not meet many girls for me at these events, but what can I reply other than to tell her that's simply not why I'm there?
Three joints, a bathroom stop back at T and Za's and several rodkas later, we're back in the park to watch the march begin. But, eager to avoid the stamped, Za, McButter, Marge and myself head to Taqueria Cancun for a quick burrito, then we're back right in time to see the bikes go by.
For anyone who hasn't seen this parade, I highly recommend it. For about 5-10 minutes, every manner of motorcycle and people on motorcycles rumble past to the constant cheers and inebriated greetings of the people along the route. Then, as the bikes subside, the actual walking portion of the parade begins, complete with banners, signs, floats, trollies and people in windows and on rooftops partying and throwing beads. It goes on for quite a while, during which time I get the very cool videos posted below, and also have, unknown to me, a picture taken as we're watching the parade....Za points out that this is why you need to be careful...you never know who's looking at you with a camera.
When the parade ends, the goal is to head back to T and Za's, regroup, then head back out for the evening. At this point, I'm starting to doubt the intelligence and reason behind drinking rodkas for an all day drinking binge, as my heart starts to pound and I become reasonably certain that a heart attack could be in my near future. I decide that following this day, there will be no more rodkas for at least two weeks. I mean, hell, I'm not going to turn out like that guy in the midwest who drank 4-6 RedBulls on every graveyard shift and died.
I spend our "regroup" time rolling more, watching a tv show, and then taking a very refreshing and much needed shower to change clothes. But, McButter and Za use the time to nap, and the foreseen happens...they never make it out. From elsewhere in the city, we get a call that Bini has passed out in a car and will not be making it out that evening. This leaves T, Tri, myself, Jason and some of his friends to go out and explore the city. A word to the wise here....try exploring when you're sober...when you're drunk, have a plan in mind. We leave and go to Pancho Villa so some others can get some food, but by the time we're done there, no one can think coherently enough to present a plan or destination that everyone can agree on.
So we end up walking around the Mission/Castro area for a bit, while drunkenly playing with a bouncy ball that lights up in erratic ways. I'm not kidding when I say we almost cause a car accident, and I come very close to chasing the ball into the street before we make up the "don't chase the ball into traffic" rule. It's a very necessary rule while playing chase the bouncy ball in San Francisco while drunk. We get back to T and Za's place, and everyone is tired and needs to pass out. Unfortunately for me, still amped up and near cardiac arrest due to all the Rodkas, sleep is simply not an available option. So, between around 12:45 and 2:15 or so, I enjoy the front steps of their place watching the people walking back from Pride festivities and to and from the bars.
During this time, while feeling like someone out of Friday or Boyz in the Hood, I sit on the stoop, lighting js and blowing the smoke out into the sidewalk. During this time, I befriend and talk to a group of semi-pro women football players who give me a Red Stripe while I give them some Irie. One of them is a quarterback, one a linebacker, and a linewoman. Two of them I don't think are on the team. They spend about twenty minutes chatting it up with me. Later on, a guy comes up and stands by me, waiting for me to hand him a j, while asking me if I have my hat on because I'm going golfing (it does have argyle on it). Finally, I know it's time to go inside when a very large black man walks by and asks me if I have a girlfriend, and simultaneously a large group of cops descend on the area and start telling people to get out of the street.
So that's that....another successful and completely debaucherous Pride. I was too torn up to do anything on Sunday other than eat breakfast at a pretty sweet place called Boogaloo's on 22nd and Valencia...it's no Nini's, but it was very good, and the Mimosas were cheap and large.
The Lake is once more here, and a Friday 4th of July finds me (and most other well meaning citizens) not at work, and certainly not at a computer. If you're like the very unlucky few that are caught behind your desk right now wondering when that cruel ass boss is going to let you go early for the day, take heart...you have 10 things you can spend some time thinking about. Have a great weekend!
1) Should we stop the insanity when it's considered news that Mary-Kate gets a coffee? I think E! Online should be shot.
4) California's Grass...its largest cash crop at $14 Billion/year. 1.5 Million gallons of water/day. Would legalization and taxation help Green the green industry?
8) This is what happens when you steal a childhood from someone to make them a star...They go on crazy drunk benders, get in trouble with the law, and then use their money to pretend they're still in high school.
9) I've now tried the iPhone GChat mentioned above...fast, you can see them talking, and you can jump between conversations. Too. Friggin. Sweet.
After a fun BBQ on Thursday, and knowing that the actual day time party and march was on Saturday, I figured Friday would be the one night I didn't have plans and didn't know what was up. That was solved on Friday afternoon when McButter asked me how to spell my last name because she was buying me a ticket for Lollipop, a themed party for the ladies at Kelly's Mission Rock in China Basin.
I head up to Za and T's place around 10 o'clock, and we're immediately faced with the fact that Tri is in another part of town. I know this is a time for Maurod, who comes through once again, picking her up at her place, driving down to T's place, picking us all up (it's Tri, T, McButter, Za, myself and Marge), fitting us all in, drinks included, and then sharing a j with me on the way across town. When we get there, the line is huge, but it seems to be moving well because of the guest list. In line we meet up with Nah, Bini and a few others. We get in where Xena, Arlene and a bunch others have been for a bit.
When we get to the front, I'm amazed at how little time it took. The girls all think that this was a horrendously long time to wait, which brings out an interesting contrast in the way girls and guys see lines outside of bars and clubs. Of course, the tables are turned once I'm inside and all the women are using both bathrooms which makes it the longest time I've waited for a bathroom line, so this proves as an interesting point of comparison for the lines and length of time spent standing in them. None of the women I was with felt that the bathroom lines were too long.
When we get past the ticket check, this place is awesome. It's a huge outdoor area with a walk up a flight of stairs to get into the bar/dancefloor area. The entire outside area is centered around patios and balconies that look out over the bay providing for some amazing views. It also helps in terms of getting outside and getting fresh air when necessary.
Inside, the place is packed. Estimates for the evening range from 400-700 people, and they are all drunk and dancing. Never before have I been to a venue with that many people and seen that few just standing on the wall. They've got some beautiful go-go dancers, and the DJs, throughout the night, are dropping some sick mash-ups. As we walk in and I realize that aside from security, I'm pretty much one of the only guys there, Za recognizes the same thing and turns around to tell me that I'm lucky to be there. I couldn't agree more. After the longest bathroom line of my life, and getting my ass grabbed on the way out of the bathroom, we're back for drinks and more dancing, and have managed to carve out a nice spot behind the DJ stand to dance and be more or less out of the way.
After a bit, we take in the bay view from the smoking balcony, which is awesome. The security guard doesn't say anything to me about the j I light, and I make some new friends as I pass it around and start talking to people around me.
The party is slated to go until 4 am, but about 2:45, the drinks have been shut off for an hour, and despite the fun we're having dancing, most everyone is ready to call it an evening. Back outside on the street, we look at the ridiculous amount of people looking fruitlessly for a cab before giving Maurod a call. He's there in 15 minutes with no fight with others for his car. You gotta love this guy! We get back to T and Za's place a bit after 3, which gives me about 7 hours before it's time to get up and get ready for the main event...the parade!
Apologies for the lack of pictures here, but I try not to be too obtrusive with the camera for obvious reasons....the main dance floor pictures were taken by Za, and I was having fun with the color accent feature on my camera with the funky blacklight/glowing glasses they were serving drinks in.
Had a great month with baseball games, Pride weekend, Father's Day and of course the Immortal Technique interview which was awesome. I also got a good number of movies in, when you compare it to what I've seen in the last few months.
