Clamour

Wanted: Local Artists

allisonmccarthy — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:15:30 -0700

Pummeled by the economic slump, Chinatown is set to receive a shot in the arm this June with the launch of Art in Storefronts. The program, initiated by Mayor Gavin Newsom, attempts to revitalize economically burdened neighborhoods by giving vacant and neglected storefront windows a Joan Rivers-quality facelift with San Francisco-based artwork. The selected artists -- priority given to locals -- will have a unique opportunity to stimulate their community from within as well as gain exposure for their work.

“Since the launch,” Newson said of previous efforts in the Tenderloin, Bayview and the Mission, “we have brought communities together, increased foot traffic in our commercial corridors and demonstrated how artists can play a role in promoting economic and community vibrancy.”

See? Art does matter.

An information session for interested artists will take place on March 24, 2010, 6 p.m. at the Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco, 750 Kearny Street, 3rd Floor Community Room.

Applications and guidelines can be downloaded here. The deadline for submissions is April 16, 2010 at 5 p.m..

"Celestial Navigation:" Art Meets Science

allisonmccarthy — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:01:05 -0700

General perception states science and art are mutually exclusive fields. Bay Area artists Paul Baker and Chris Angell beg to differ. In their art show “Celestial Navigation,” March 17-21 at the Live Worms Gallery, Baker and Angell begin to blur the dividing line. Baker, a self-described “scientific artist,” combines exotic materials like jade, mercury, petrified mammoth tusk, and laser beams to create ornate machines resembling a Niels Bohr experiment. Multi-award-winning assemblage artist, Angell constructs raw-looking sculptures from slightly modified found objects. It’s the ultimate confluence of science’s imaginative side and the meticulousness of art -- and solid evidence that they are each other’s muses.

Check out the opening reception on Friday, March 19 from 6 - 10 p.m. or Saturday's Equinox Party from 7 - 11 p.m., both featuring live celestially-themed music, wine and more. And while you're in the neighborhood, take note of participating merchants on Grant Avenue such as Paparazzi and Alla Prima that have themed their window displays after the exhibit. Dreamy.

Paul Baker Art, March 17-21, Live Worms Gallery, 1345 Grant Ave., 415-307-1222, Free.

ODC's 39th Season: A Guide to Elegance and Labor of Love

AmberAdrian — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 15:02:32 -0700

Dancers soaring across stage in their underwear are never to be missed. Especially when the women strip the men down to the barest of skivvies and redress them in haute couture created on the spot with masking tape, butcher paper, and tissue. Inspired by a manual on correct female conduct written in 1963, the world premiere of A Guide To Elegance features dancers moving to the sounds of Pamela Z's original score and a voiceover intoning the themes of the manual.

Suggestions for the elegant woman include never shopping with another woman because no matter how dear a friend, she will unconsciously sabotage your sartorial efforts. It also recommends assuming the persona of a delicate bird so men feel encouraged to protect you. Ironic, humorous and ever-so-slightly alarming, the piece explores the evolution of gender identity and the nature of social commentary. As well as the impossible-to-underestimate value of a black velvet dress in winter.

ODC's 39th annual spring season includes a number of company favorites as well as Labor of Love, another world premiere that portrays the struggle of committed adult love set to Mozart. A San Francisco tradition for almost four decades, ODC busts it out with the compelling modern dance yet again.

Through March 28. Yerba Buena Center, 700 Howard St. Tickets are $10-45 at www.odcdance.org.

Calling all Cougars and Cubs!

JessHemerly — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:00:00 -0800

Cougars and cubs, Trader Vic's in Palo Alto is the place to be on this rainy Friday! Ladies get locks, men get keys, and you spend the night tracking down your match. The party starts at 8 and goes until midnight so you'll have plenty of time to find that special someone. Lock and key party will be followed by a "dance party" with a "professional DJ." Even if you're not a cougar or a cub, if you happen to be in Palo Alto tonight, it might be worth the $20 for the sheer spectacle.

Alvin Ailey at Zellerbach Hall

AmberAdrian — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:57:49 -0800

The problem with seeing an amazing show is having to turn around and describe said amazing show. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is apparently indescribable, as I've been sitting here for an hour trying to think of ways to adequately convey the sharp mastery of Revelations or the Dr. Seuss-like appeal of a dude in blue spandex with a tall blue feather on his head. Company auditions must screen for men with coiled springs instead of muscles and women who swing through combinations with a dynamic grace, because that's precisely what you get. Toss them onstage with choreography by artistic director Judith Jamison and Ailey himself, and you get dance that moves toward the sublime.

The rotating program features several Bay Area premieres - Uptown, a tour of the Harlem Rennaissance (think Zora Neale Hurston, Josephine Baker, and the Charleston); Dancing Spirit, with music by Duke Ellington and Wynton Marsalis; and Among Us (Private Spaces: Public Places) where private stories are lived in an art gallery. Each performance will also feature Revelations, the company's signature piece that has earned a well-deserved place in the dance canon and, judging by the exclamations of poorly-concealed delight and not-so-illicit camera flashes last night, an enthusiastic batch of fans.

Through March 14 at Zellerbach Hall in Berkeley. Info and tickets at www.calperformances.org.

Create Talking Photos with Fotobabble

jennifer — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:03:19 -0800

So you're uploading a photo to Facebook and trying to think of a caption. This process would be soooo much more fun if you could add a voiceover, right? Well, now you can. Emeryville-based Fotobabble has created a way to make talking photos. The implications are pretty awesome here: singing telegrams, a play by play of a pee-wee soccer game...and um, lots of opportunities for pokin' fun at those "wow, maybe we had too much to drink here" photos. You can share it all via Facebook, Twitter and even embed Fotobabble photos in your own web pages. Pretty sweet. Download the iPhone app for free here.

Saucy And Free: Epicsauce.com Parties With French Miami, White Cloud, Silian Rail At Milk

kimberlychun — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:59:31 -0800

It’s one thing to cover the bands -- it’s whole another wet ‘n’ wild burrito to book and promote the bands themselves. Ah, the lines get mighty fuzzy these days, where the blogosphere meets brick and mortar, and the latest entry into the party-throwing frenzy we call the SF music scene comes from Epicsauce.com.

Still, local artists can use all the love they can get. And free makes the whirl go round. Plus the lineup looks plenty promising at the March 11 launch of the Epicsauce.com’s new, free semi-weekly party at Milk. Yes, you heard right: The site of the former Boomerang Club and the longtime beat/hip-hop venue is threatening to bring rock back to the Haight. (RIP Nightbreak)

The night’s bands are bound to deliver: French Miami has garnered an enviable rep for its dance- floor-greasing, super-spazz-yet-somehow-very-math post-punk. Epicsauce.com also predicts fine, fine things for the SF combo’s forthcoming 2010 album. Can I get an anthem? White Cloud has been steadily rising, lifted by a bank of fuzz and reverb -- apparently the East Bay abounds with psych-dappled Krautrock these days. Beam me up, Sky Saxon. And then there’s the indescribably delish, genre-smashing Silian Rail, friend to metalhead and post-rocker alike.

Did we mention it’s free? Word has it that the $1 PBRs and $3 pints will flow freely. Look for a Neon Indian DJ set, Afghan Raiders, and Boyz IV Men on March 25 and Man/Miracle, Butterfly Bones, Red Blue Yellow, and Beehive Spirit on April 1 at Milk.

Epicsauce.com presents French Miami, White Cloud, and Silian Rail Thursday, March 11, at Milk, 1840 Haight St., SF. Free. For more info, go to bit.ly/ccrEW7, and RSVP at epicsauce.com/party

Hot Tickets: Must-See Shows in March and April

JulieDyer — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:26:24 -0800

It feels like it was just yesterday when the festival touring circuit was over. Well, the winter hibernation is over, and with festivals like SXSW, Coachella, Sasquatch and Bonnaroo just around the corner, there are some big music decisions to make on the home front. Here are our March and April suggestions.

Quasi, The Independent, 3/10: These Portland staples have been touring and impressing fans since '93. Over the years, they've collectively toured and/or recorded with Sleater-Kinney, Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks, Built to Spill, Bright Eyes, and many others.

A Sunny Day in Glasgow, Hemlock Tavern, 3/11: A collaboration of dreamy pop and lo-fi indie, this Philly-based crew often draw comparisons from the likes of My Bloody Valentine and Cocteau Twins.

The Temper Trap, The Fillmore, 3/12: We're telling you now, The Temper Trap is the next Phoenix. Catch them at the Fillmore before they blow up to $300 ticket prices like the aforementioned.

Phil Lesh's 70^th Birthday Bash, Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, 3/12: Join Furthur & Friends to honor a quintessential and groundbreaking San Francisco classic. One of the original founders of The Grateful Dead, Lesh has been an artist with a legacy worthy of a celebratory festival.

Surfer Blood, Bottom of the Hill, 4/02: West Palm Beach's latest sensation just started to garner some buzz last August when they dominated at CMJ. Although they're just shy of one year officially being a band, they've kept busy spreading their surf-rock-meets-indie on tour with Japandroids and Art Brut. Not too shabby of a first year, eh?

RJD2, The Independent, 4/07: Pretty much anything this guy touches turns to gold. RJD2 originally gained speed in the late 90s becoming so ingrained in hip-hop, that he was even featured in Vibe's "History of Hip-Hop" historical volume. Whether producing, spinning, or sampling, RJD2 aka Ramble John Krohn brings life to anything before him.

Citizen Cope, The Fillmore, 4/09-10: Singer/songwriter, Citizen Cope, has a way of taking his raw emotions and slapping them down in your face all while pumping out heart-breakingly gorgeous melodies. What can we say? We're a sucker for Citizen Cope.

Spoon and Deerhunter, The Fox, 4/13: Yikes. If you don't have tickets to this show already, we'd say your chances are pretty slim to none. Both bands have an obsessive cult following of purely dedicated fans equivalent to Dead-heads. But we'll tell you something, this show will be quite the scene for people-watching. Micachu & The Shapes, another band with an underground following, will be opening.

Beach House, Bimbo's, 4/14: Alex Scally and Victoria Legrand have been making music since childhood, but it was Legrand's backing vocals on Grizzly Bear's Veckatimest album that really had them pick up steam. Teen Dream was one of the most highly anticipated albums of 2010.

King Khan & The Shrines, The Fresh & Onlys, Bimbo's, 4/15: Just camp outside of Bimbo's, and roll in to King Khan where they're known for some of the craziest live shows ever. There are no accurate descriptions out there of what they sound like, it's something you really just have to go witness for yourself.

Passion Pit, The Warfield, 4/15: When you thnk of bands that completely blow up, Passion Pit is the definition. Starting as Michael Angelako's humble tunes to woo a lady, they're now featured on MTV commercials, and other mainstream outlets. Congrats!

Miike Snow & Delorean, The Independent, 4/15: Electro-pop at its finest. It appears that the Swedes have really stepped up their music game as of late. They're hopping around the summer festie circuit for our listening pleasure.

Major Lazer, Mezzanine, 4/16: Viewers beware, Major Lazer warns ahead of time that, "Guns don't kill people, lazers do!" This is the magical and ridiculous collaboration between taste-makers/DJs/producers Diplo and Switch. Their unique abilities to start parties wherever they are make them a must-see.

Hot Chip & the xx, The Fox, 4/16: What a great British bill! Young up-and-comers, the xx, team up with veterans Hot Chip for a pulsating electro-inspired psych rock extravaganza.

The Avett Brothers, The Fox, 4/17: Absolutely classic bluesgrass and folk staples, The Avett Brothers bring brutal honesty to their ultra dynamic style. Some of the best song-writers we've seen in a while.

Yeasayer, The Fillmore, 4/17: Their newest album, Odd Blood, simply put, is incredible. Check out our favorites "O.N.E." and "Ambling Alp" to get a little feel for their style.

Vampire Weekend, The Fox, 4/19-20: The obvious love-to-be-hated prep boys are defying all the stereotypes and busting out the big guns on their latest album, Contra. Their 2-night completely sold-out stint at The Fox will surely be entertaining to say the least.

Japandroids, The Independent, 4/23: Straight out of Vancouver, the rambunctious Polyvinyl-repped two-piece sounds more like a full-fledged five or six-piece band. They're set to play over a half-dozen shows at SXSW. Avi Buffalo is opening.

Dr. Dog, Great American Music Hall, 4/24-25: At first listen, Dr. Dog sounds like a tribute to the classics (read: The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Tom Waits, David Bowie etc), all of which are cited as major influences and "honorary members in spirit." In reality, their contemporary and creative take on psych-pop has been pulling away from that over the years. We highly recommend sticking it out both nights, it'll be worth it.

Photos: Tegan and Sara, Steel Train and Holly Miranda at Fox Theater

Stephanie Lazorchak — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:36:19 -0800

Hendrix Tribute Tour: Are You Experienced?

JessHemerly — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:00:00 -0800

The fourth annual, biennial Experience Hendrix Tour is back in the US and bringing its all-star lineup of musicians celebrating the music of Jimi Hendrix to the Warfield tomorrow and Wednesday night. This year's lineup includes Jimi Hendrix Experience guitarist Billy Cox, Aerosmith''s Brad Whitford, Joe Satriani, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Living Colour, and members of Los Lobos. The show has sold out a bunch of its other stops, but not San Francisco, so if you love Hendrix covers you're still in luck. Prices range from $59 to $79, so at that price you should probably love well-aged rockers as much as Hendrix covers.