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“No Roots” singer Alice Merton performs Thursday at August Hall
The first time I heard that was on the radio in a rental car in traffic in Atlanta, and everybody in the car was like WHAAAAAAT IS THIS?????
Well it’s Alice Merton! Here’s the deal:
Platinum-selling English born, German-based singer-songwriter Alice Merton releases her most commercial and exciting single to date with ‘Why So Serious’, along with intriguing official video taken from her upcoming and much-anticipated debut album ‘Mint’ out in Jan. 2019 via Mom + Pop Music (Pre-Orders 21st Sept.).
After rising to fame two years ago in 2016 with her explosive debut single ‘No Roots’ (Mom + Pop), written about her constant moving homes as a child becoming such as huge debut, it’s safe to say it’s been a whirlwind for Alice Merton with 124 Million YouTube hits to date. With an early mission statement to perform and write music she has a passion for, to be an artist she’s proud of and to keep an Independent way of thinking, she took things into her own hands and started Paper Plane Records Int. with her best friend and manager Paul and together formed some huge plans.
Can’t wait. Show is 8pm this Thursday at August Hall. More info and tickets here.
Here’s the new single:
Aussie legends the Scientists and the Church play the Chapel this Sunday and Monday respectively
First up it’s the Scientists — on their first ever US tour! From the tour announcement:
With a sound that was swampy, primal and modern-urban all at once – as much in the tradition of rock and roll and punk rock as it was a rejection of those things, the Scientists’ formula was as universal as it was specific to their own experience. They were about what it was like to be young and living in modern times in an Australian urban/suburban environment. The themes of getting wasted on alcohol and drugs, driving round in hotted up cars, being trapped in crap jobs and paranoia were their subject matter.
CHeckit:
More info and tickets here. (Ty Segall is one of the opening acts btw.)
Next up is the Church. It’s on a Monday night, sure, but here’s all you need to know:
And guess what: they’re on tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of the album that legendary song is on, what more do you need to know?
More info and tickets here. Big thanks to the Chapel for hosting all these great shows!
P.S. The Aussie onslaught continues at the Treasure Island Music Festival in a couple weeks! More on that soon!
Some recent portraits of people hanging out on sidewalks in the Mission
Eleanor Friedburger brings her “warped version of ’80s goth disco” to the Chapel this Wednesday night
Eleanor spent the summer in Greece a couple years back and came away with some good ideas:
After a month in Athens I asked my friend, the Greek musician Σtella, “What’s one thing I have to do before I leave?” After some long and careful consideration she smiled and said, “you have to go to Rebound. It’s a time warp; kind of an 80s goth disco where everyone does the chicken dance; you’ll love it… but it’s only open on Saturdays after 3:00 AM.” Rebound proved to be a revelation in terms of finding the sound and energy for my fourth album. The club was very dark and despite the no smoking signs, like everywhere in Athens, it was very smoky. The “chicken dance” Stella mentioned was a solitary one. I copied the slouchy strut, moving back and forth in line, swinging my arms in time to the music that at first sounded like Joy Division or maybe The Cure, but never revealed itself– one could only assume it to be knock-off by an unknown Baltic band. It was alienating and exhilarating. “In Between Stars” is an attempt at a song you could hear at Rebound. It’s a dark and disorienting; my warped version of 80s goth disco.
Have a listen:
The opener Pill sounds pretty good too. Show is this Wednesday night at the Chapel, 8pm; get tix and more info here.
Doc’s Clock sign lighting ceremony
Doc’s has been back up and running for a while now, and their sign has been back up for a while too — but this Tuesday at 7:30ish is the official first time it’ll be lit up in all its glory. Here’s the official invite:
This day has finally come! We are going to light up the sign on Tuesday September 18th, around sunset (7:30pm)
Come be a witness and help celebrate this amazing moment!!
UPDATE:
PSA Press made this special Doc’s pin, which will be for sale at the event or on the PSA website.
[related-posts]
Drama Talk & Drinks: On Your Feet! – “walked out on a high note”
I was a huge Emilio and Gloria Estefan fan growing up so of course when I heard their musical On Your Feet! was coming to town it was a must see for me. Also, the Golden Gate theater was shut down for the last 13 months for renovations (you can read more about that here) and the grand re-opening was being celebrated with the opening night for On Your Feet!, so a win win night of Drama Talk and Drinks.
Garrett: I walked out on a high note with that energetic closing number. For me, this had moments of being really fun. I appreciated the choreography, colorful costumes and set design, but I felt a little lost because it felt like pieces of a story that didn’t really go together. Things didn’t quite add up for me. It wasn’t really cohesive or meaningful. I guess I didn’t learn anything about her that I didn’t already know.
Katie: I think that speaks to the issue of it not being a well written story. The original songs didn’t move anything forward, and there were also parts of her life they didn’t even go into at all. Like getting pregnant and having a kid, getting married… and when the hell did grandma die? There were things that were set up to be important and things that you were set up to care about that they didn’t include. I just think they tried to do too much that actually wasn’t very interesting. I would have rather seen more more character and relationship development. I just wish this was more heartfelt and unique. They were trying to appeal to a mass audience and throw in some fluff, and it fell flat for me and I LOVE Gloria Estefan.
G: Yeah, you either need to go full fluff or none at all and make it really interesting and they did neither.
K: It was this in between that felt random and forgettable.
G: Maybe they should have focused on the relationship between Gloria and her dad, or her and her sister, or her mother, or her grandma. Instead it was bits and pieces of each one and I ended up not caring about any of them.
K: But the bright side is the renovated theater looked beautiful.
G: Yes it did! New bathrooms, carpeting, and accents all around. It was great to be there and feel like a part of that theater-supporting community. Fun night!
The Verdict: This is a fun night out for Gloria Estefan fans, but not so much for those who are not.
The Drama Talk: This show tries to do too much and subsequently doesn’t do much at all. The story structure feels arbitrary and random with original songs that really slow down the pace. The story aside, this show had amazing performances, choreography and music. It’s a shame we left feeling that there was a missed opportunity with this show.
The Drinks: We wanted fun drinks after leaving this fun show so we headed a couple blocks away to Charmaine’s, which is a rooftop bar on top of the Proper hotel.
On Your Feet! plays through October 7th at the Golden Gate Theatre. Tickets range from $55-$236 and can be purchased on the SHN website. They are also doing in-person AND mobile rush tickets for $40, which is pretty cool. Visit this page to find link to the mobile app. Right now there are discounted tickets available on Goldstar.
Vintage photo of a Coast Guard helicopter landing on a ship in the 1950s with the old Bay Bridge in the background
[via Found Photos]
[related-posts]
500 Club sign, the pin
PSA Press with another winner!
We were so honored to design and manufacture a pin for 500 Club, one of the best bars (with one of the best neon marquees) in all of San Francisco. Get one from the bar before they are gone!
★★★★★, gang!
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Mesmerizing BART GIF
Lillie Hitchcock Coit’s 175th birthday
From Wikipedia:
‘Firebelle Lil’ Coit was considered eccentric, smoking cigars and wearing trousers long before it was socially acceptable for women to do so. She was an avid gambler and often dressed like a man in order to gamble in the male-only establishments that dotted North Beach.[2]
As a young woman, she traveled to Europe with her mother. After her return, she married Howard Coit, the “caller” of the San Francisco Stock Exchange during an economic boom.[1] They separated in 1880, and he died in 1885 at age 47.[2]
At age 15, in 1858, she reportedly witnessed the Knickerbocker Engine Co. No. 5 respond to a fire call on Telegraph Hill when they were shorthanded, and helped them get up the hill ahead of other competing engine companies. Sources differ on whether this happened while she was coming home from school or coming from a rehearsal for a wedding.[1] She was thereafter treated as a “mascot” of the firefighters, and after her return from travel in Europe, in October 1863, she was made an honorary member of the engine company.
There’s a party this Thursday, celebrating her 175th birthday:
Come to Chief Sullivan’s Irish pub for the Celebration! 4 pm to 7 pm – 21+ please
Your $25 ticket gets you into the party, along with a raffle ticket and delicious appetizers! All proceeds benefit Guardians of the City SF, the non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of the City’s First Responders.
Raffle for great prizes! Silent Auction for unique items! Costume contest: Dress like Lillie and win a prize! Socialize with current and former SF First Responders! And don’t forget to try the signature cocktail of the night, the Firebelle!
Get tickets here.
PSA Press‘s commemorative pin (pictured above) will be for sale at the party or on their website on the 23rd.
The weekend is almost here, what should we do?
Friday: Rodriguez at the Warfield
The legend returns to SF! Perhaps he’ll have a helpful take on the shitshow the world has become of late. Let’s rock out to this song and buy tickets.
Saturday: 20th Street Block Party
The annual tradition continues! Lots of bands, food and activities — and the above handy map gives you a quick idea of the scale of this year’s party. Read on for the full lineup.
Sunday: Brunch at Foxsister
We gushed about it at length last month, but basically all you need to know is benedict benedict benedict benedict AND the best new burger in town.
What kind of clown are you?
Pops Pups
We invite you to take a must deserved break to enjoy some recent photos of our favorite furry drinking companions at Pops Bar. Come by and bring your pup or make a new friend. Want more? Visit @sfbarpups on Instagram. You can also follow @popsbar on Instagram.
Check out this week’s full entertainment line up at Pops Bar:
Krautrock pioneers faUSt invade the Mission tonight!
Look at this sandwich
Turner’s of course. Read all about it.
“Fuck America; I’m Californian” totes
Wear your heart adjacent to your sleeve! Eco friendly 100% cotton and such nice lettering.
Shop different colors (and the “Nuke the Haight” design) here.
[via Tag on Twitter]
Benedict bonanza for brunch at Foxsister (also the Foxsister Burger is the new best burger in SF)
(It’s weird, back in the day we would’ve written 10 posts about Foxsister by now, but this is our first. We go there all the time and recommend it to people all the time; we just don’t write blog posts very often anymore.)
Anyway, Foxsister rules, definitely check it out if you haven’t been. And also they just started doing brunch on Saturdays and Sundays 11am-3pm and the brunch is real good. I know it’s a long way til the weekend, but pencil it in now so you don’t forget — and start saving up appetite.
The fried chicken Benedict was REAL good, and the burger (only available at brunch) knocked our socks off. Plus the atmosphere (and four frozen drink options and cheap Hites) are perfect for brunchtime.
Here’s the menu:
[Photos via Foxsis on Insta]
New paint splotch remixes by local paint splotch remix artist Ariel Dovas
I saw this splotch on the ground somewhere near the Ramp the other day, I took a pic, and I sent it to the man, Ariel Dovas:
Within 20 minutes, he wrote back:
I asked what it’s called; he said “Homo-Globulous” and sent another:
“Positively ghastly,” I said. Thanks, Ariel!
See lots more classic work like this here and/or in the following related links…
[related-posts]
Mission Mission 