Wednesday, August 25, 2010
party Aug. 28: Farewell Party at the Black Cat
Posted by Gabe Meline on Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 12:32 PM
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And so it’s over. Eight years of the wild scene at the Black Cat come to an end this weekend at a closing party on Saturday. No more “gutter nights.” No more stiff drinks (without cutesy names, thanks). No more pool-table-on-wheels being pushed out of the way to make room for whatever band from whatever state happens to be setting up. No more smokers making plans for fornication in the alley. No more begging for a place to stay afterward. No more impromptu shows by the 2 Live Crew. No more drunken orders from Humble Pie. No more stapling bras and dollar bills to the ceiling. No more lesbians bumping and grinding with truckers bumping and grinding with stockbrokers bumping and grinding with waitresses. Well, after this weekend, at least. Get there early. It’ll be packed. Saturday, Aug. 28, at the Black Cat. 10056 Main St., Penngrove. All day. 707.793.9480.
music August 25-31: Across the Bridge
Posted by Gabe Meline on Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 12:26 PM
Bob Dylan
No advance tickets, no service fees, just line up outside with $60 cash. Cool.
Aug 25 at the Warfield.Boris
Japans' loudest, heaviest power trio of stoner metal.
Aug 26 at the Great American Music Hall.John Zorn
Historic residency with Terry Riley, Mike Patton, Fred Frith and others.
Aug 26-28 at Yoshi's SF.Kelly Stoltz
San Francisco's own analog songwriter celebrates new album on Sub Pop.
Aug 27 at the Hemlock Tavern.Chemical Brothers
Beats still rocking the block 15 years later.
Aug 28 at the Fox Theater.Juliana Theory
Reunion tour threatens / promises to be the emo kingpins' last ever.
Aug 29 at the Independent.For more events listings, see www.sfstation.com.
music Aug. 25: Lucinda Williams and Chrissie Hynde at the Uptown Theatre
Posted by Gabe Meline on Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 9:00 AM
The brilliant songwriter Lucinda Williams had the most raucous backing band of her entire career last year with Buick 6, a hard-driving ensemble that brought full-bodied rocking to songs like “Still I Long for Your Kiss” and “Fruits of My Labor.” Several members have since left Lucinda, like so many boyfriends before, but whatever oomph her show this week may lack it makes up for with opening act Chrissie Hynde, from the Pretenders. Williams and Hynde are only doing a small handful of dates together, and with work on a new album under way, this brief West Coast tour may be the only chance to see Williams in 2010. On record, the heroine of heartbreak has been subdued as of late, but give her a mic stand, a crowd and a glass of wine (or four) and she becomes a pure, heart-on-the-sleeve revelation. It’s a great chance to see the newly restored theater on Wednesday, Aug. 25, at the Uptown Theatre. 1350 Third St., Napa. 8pm. $47-$57. 707.259.0123.
music Aug. 28: Asleep at the Wheel at Rancho Nicasio
Posted by Gabe Meline on Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 9:00 AM
Way up in the northern reaches of Morgan County in West Virginia sits a miniscule burg called Paw Paw, covering one half of one square mile and serving as home to just 524 citizens. Strangely, Paw Paw is where the country’s most long-running Texas swing band originally formed as Asleep at the Wheel and soon opened shows for Alice Cooper and Hot Tuna. A swift move to the music capital of Austin, Texas, helped the band achieve general prominence, insider respect and a record deal, and in the 35 years since there’s been no finer tribute to the style pioneered by Spade Cooley and Bob Wills. Asleep at the Wheel has the rare distinction of having been booked to play at the White House on Sept. 11, 2001; for some reason we can’t quite think of, the show was cancelled! See the “Kings of Western Swing” on Saturday, Aug. 28, at Rancho Nicasio. Town Square, Nicasio. 8:30pm. $40. 415.662.2219.
outdoors Aug. 28-29: Bodega Seafood, Art and Wine Festival
Posted by Gabe Meline on Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 9:00 AM
Alfred Hitchcock had a love-hate affair with seafood. Growing up in his family’s fish shop in London, he was teased at school for reeking of fish—yet even in his adulthood, when he came to Bodega Bay to film The Birds, he dined regularly at the Tides Restaurant on plates of his childhood staple. The city of Bodega celebrates its seafood heritage with the annual Bodega Seafood, Art and Wine Festival, with over a dozen food booths, three stages of live music and entertainment, rubber duck races, a kids area and more. This weekend’s music includes jazz saxophonist Jules Broussard (Saturday) and Americana hepcat Dan Hicks (Sunday), with jazz, reggae, blues, flamenco and Cajun acts scattered over the two days. There’s even a juggling pirate show for the kids when the festival runs Saturday-Sunday, Aug. 28-29, at Watts Ranch. 16855 Bodega Hwy., Bodega. 10am-6pm. $11-$15. 707.824.8717.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
music August 21: John Hiatt and Los Lobos at Rodney Strong Vineyards
Posted by Gabe Meline on Tue, Aug 17, 2010 at 1:36 PM
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During an intimate show at the Lagunitas Tap Room in April, John Hiatt, having already premiered a few songs from his new album, The Open Road, made a terrible mistake: he asked the crowd for requests. A loud barrage of shouted song titles ensued, making two things hugely apparent. One, Hiatt’s written a lot of songs. Two, people love the hell out of those songs. These are qualities he shares with Los Lobos, with whom he shares a stage this weekend in Healdsburg. Songs we’d love to see them play together include Hiatt’s “Real Fine Love”—imagine David Hidalgo sprinkling his solos over that contagious chord progression—or how about Hiatt singing a verse or two of Los Lobos’ “Dream in Blue”? Wish, hope, pray for some sort of collaboration when the two co-headline on Saturday, Aug. 21, at Rodney Strong Vineyards. 11455 Old Redwood Hwy., Healdsburg. 4pm. $50–$75. 707.869.1595.
music Across the Bridge: August 18-August 24
Posted by Gabe Meline on Tue, Aug 17, 2010 at 1:17 PM
Frank Black
Bald-headed Pixies frontman savant out on solo acoustic tour.
Aug 18 at Great American Music Hall.Hot Hot Heat
New-wave-tinged indie band arrives, comeback album in tow.
Aug 19 at Rickshaw Stop.Brandon Flowers
Killers singer kicks off solo career in rare small-club show.
Aug 19 at Slim’s.Jonah Matranga
Frontman for Far and Onelinedrawing plays solo show.
Aug 21 at 924 Gilman.Art & Soul Festival
En Vogue, MC Hammer, Tony Toni Toné, Cake, Sheila E and others.
Aug 21-22 in Downtown Oakland.Bob Dylan
Scour Craigslist or beg on the sidewalk for tickets to this sold-out show.
Aug 24 at the Fox Theater.More San Francisco events at www.sfstation.com.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
reading August 18: Mark Morford Interview at 142 Throckmorton Theatre
Posted by Gabe Meline on Wed, Aug 11, 2010 at 9:00 AM
Sure, we love San Francisco Chronicle writer Mark Morford for describing Dick Cheney as “pure sneering vileness incarnate just by opening his tiny black eyes,” but we also love that the next day he’ll eloquently unearth deep-seated truths about fearing death or having children or maintaining sanity in a world which seems to exist solely to desecrate humankind’s empathy for each other. Readers all over the country revile him as a source of “San Francisco values,” but we say Morford’s compassion, intellect and incisive wit are to be most celebrated. (Plus, he really likes sex.) Jane Ganahl interviews him live and onstage on Wednesday, Aug. 18, at 142 Throckmorton Theatre. 142 Throckmorton Ave., Mill Valley. 7:30pm. $12–$15. 415.383.9600.
music August 20: Big Sandy and His Hi Fly-Rite Boys at the Downtown Plaza
Posted by Gabe Meline on Wed, Aug 11, 2010 at 9:00 AM
Cloverdale, “the Gateway to the Redwoods,” is one of those unassuming little burgs with an actual big heart. Cloverdale, after all, built a train station for the SMART train 12 years ago, on faith alone! It also continues to support a hometown drive-in even as fast food joints get built on the south side of town, and its downtown has a smattering of culture in Friday Night Live, a series of free concerts presented by the Cloverdale Arts Alliance. This Friday, none other than Big Sandy and His Hi Fly-Rite Boys pull their chrome Airstream bus up to the downtown plaza to serenade the boppers hungry for their Texas-swing style featuring a stand-up bass, lap steel and a portly voice raised on border-radio soul. Get up there early for the farmers market beforehand, and take a final dip in the Russian River afterward when they play on Friday, Aug. 20, at the Downtown Plaza. Main and Broad streets, Cloverdale. 7pm. Free. 707.894.4410.
Events August 22: Northern California Bike Expo in Juilliard Park
Posted by Gabe Meline on Wed, Aug 11, 2010 at 9:00 AM
We’re all getting ready for Levi Leipheimer’s GranFondo in our own way. Some of us are stepping up at the gym. Others are riding longer weekend rides. Leipheimer himself? Why, he showed up at the Wednesday Night Dirt Crits in Howarth Park last week, filled out an entry form, got a paper-plate number to affix to his handlebars and raced the dirt trail alongside all the other regular folks riding after work. Crazy! This weekend, the training continues with five different courses in Saturday’s Break the Cycle ride, open to the public, culminating with the Northern California Bike Expo, with loads of vendors, street food, live music, custom bike exhibits, bike parades and even a bicycle-powered performance of The Last Seed by the Imaginists Theatre Collective. Celebrate the area’s rich and ever-growing cycling culture on Sunday, Aug. 22, in Santa Rosa’s Juilliard Park. 10am to 4pm. Free. 707.545.0153.
