My roommates and I recently unearthed an old scanner that I'm sure will provide hours of replicating fun. One thing I decided to do was rescue a bunch of very charming old fliers from old dance nights and parties around the town. San Francisco being the gay mecca that it is, doesn't always provide the best dance night for those of us queers who are looking for an alternative to the cookie cutter gays, muscle mary's and Castro fags that invade, well...the Castro. Luckily most of the better, divey queer bars are in the Tenderloin and Soma. DJ Bus Station John is a well known this scene and has been hosting some of the funner, grittier dance night in the city for decades. The Tubesteak Connection at Aunt Charlie's Lounge is a sweaty Thursday night staple, and there have been parties at other bars as well with equally lascivious names like The Rod and Manquake! where '70's bathhouse music and disco obligate all present to slowly disrobe as the make their way to a sweaty dance floor.
...and you too. Chances are if you live in the city and at some point have walked up Church St. he will be observing you. A very ominous presence I recently became aware of on of the many times I transit up and down this block. He is ever present. Perpetually perched above as all, silently spying on us. A mysterious being who by now knows so much about us, yet we know nothing about him. Oh the stories he could tell.
There are few bands out there that will automatically put me in a good mood no matter what. I remember riding in a car with a friend of mine and writing them off initially because of their silly name...Vampire Weekend. what? It didn't take more one listen from their first album to be immediately hooked. Originally from New York, they released their first album in 2007. Mid January the follow up, Cousins, comes out. It's been a long time coming but I think it will be worth the wait.
Every year in December I go out and buy a new calendar. As per usual excitement spirals into disappointment when presented with corny options. Calendars with cuddly creatures and bland landscapes are abundant. It's harder to find more clever and unique ones these days. Although I think I'm probably just not looking in the right place. Online shopping I think would be the way to do it. When I was about to settle for one that didn't speak to me I came across a Charley Harper calendar. For those who might not be familiar, he is an american modernist artist, who died only a couple of years ago. He's best know for his stylized portayal of wildlife, using shapes, patterns, bold colors and textures in simple yet engaging ways. Take a look!
I like to think that I'm pretty good at keeping in touch with friends who have moved away. After 6 years in this city I have accrued friends all over the globe. If only there was enough money to pay y'all a visit. Sometimes though, laziness, procrastination and random life events get in the way of staying close with those who are a mere miles away. On what was otherwise a miserable weekend, (where I gained a new appreciation for jello) I got back in touch with an old friend who is an amazing illustrator. Her work has been featured in several magazines like the Times and Mother Jones. These are my favorites from her website devondoss.net This lady I have known for years and have always been in awe of her talent and imagination. I'm happy to say I have one of her creations forever tattooed on my forearm. And I'm ready for the next one..but before then a dinner date. There's alot of catching up to do.
I found this on the Mission Mission blog, a San Francisco Terror Map by David Enos. Apparently from what I can figure out I live in the Creature Cantina...
Some pictures here from a roll of cross processed diana shots. There will definitely be more in the future because I'm kind of in love with the intense colors and contrasts.
Although Animal Collective has been around for years now, they were one of my favorite new discoveries this year with Merriweather Post Pavillion. I recently came across this cover by swedish artist Taken By Trees. Animal Collective's My Girls switches genders and becomes more relaxed in this version called My Boys. A damn good cover I say.
When down and out and faced with only $10 or so dollars to buy a bottle of wine...how do you choose? Well seeing as most in that price range are similar in quality what better way to experiment than based on the design of the label. Paying no heed to whether it's cabernet or pinot or the age or it's origin, you can come across some pleasant surprises. One of my roommates surprised me one day with this bottle. I honestly can't remember if it was superior wine or not, I remember it not being bad. I went and bought another bottle of the same kind later. But could you resist such a whimsical yet simple design?
