Since fashion and music have always gone hand in hand, I’m beginning this column with the latest fashion news here in San Francisco.
On Thursday Nov 16th, there was a VIP Opening party for San Francisco’s first H&M store on Powell and O’Farrell in Union Square. This party was off the hook. There was a red carpet, klieg lights, cops and security everywhere, and a line of hundreds of people that went around the building. I should mention too, that I have never seen so many stylish people in line to go anywhere in San Francisco before. Everyone looked like stylists and model wanna-be’s. The party was guest list only, and our coolgrrrls publisher, Frank, got me on the list. The line was just so crazy though, that I almost left! Actually, I did leave for half an hour to get a drink. I came back later, and it hadn’t moved, so I left again to have another drink. When I finally returned, the line had moved a little, so I got in the back, begrudgingly. Luckily, a minute later, a guy gave me his VIP lanyards as he was leaving, so I was able to get right in. I felt like I had walked right into a dream!
As soon as I gained entry, I saw people serving trays of white wine and cosmos, and I began my white wine shopping frenzy. There were models (who I believe look a lot like giraffes when seen up close), full bars on each level with 3 bartenders at each, and servers with lots of lovely horderves. There was also terrible 80s DJ music blasting throughout. For this event, everything in the store was 25% off. I spent the next hour or so carrying a glass of wine in one hand, and a huge pile of clothes in the other. I had the best time at this party! It was so exciting… where else can you get models, beautiful discount clothing, booze and chocolate all in one place? I’m telling you, this was one of the best parties ever! I was on a high for a good 24 hours after it was over.
Two H&M’s opened to the public the following Saturday, Nov. 19th. The second H&M store is located on Post Street, just a few blocks away. I loved everything I bought, and I ended up going back to shop at both stores that opened that weekend. I spent about $500, and it was all money well spent.
If you haven’t heard of H&M, you are most likely American; and don’t worry, I am sure you’ll have one near you soon. This store is all over Europe, having begun in Sweden. It’s been said that they are like the “Ikea of clothing.” They carry very stylish clothing at extremely reasonable prices. For women, I would describe their clothes as a more affordable Bebe, or a more stylish Express. Anyway, H&M is the best thing ever. I can’t seem to get enough! I could live the rest of my life wearing only things from their stores, and I could die happy. They are currently expanding throughout the US, and I expect that every major city will have stores soon. New York City has already been graced by H&M for some time now. The last thing I will say about it is: they have the best lace thongs for around $5 each and I think I bought about 20!
I was on such a high after my shopping frenzy that I decided to pop in to the Clift Hotel’s Redwood Room for a drink on my way home. The Clift is one of Ian Schrager’s (of Studio 54 fame) Hotels. He has them all over the world, and all of them are stylish. I ordered a glass of Chardonnay and was given a $17 bill! After tip, I was drinking a $19 glass of wine! I was irritated, but I met a bunch of people who I joined, and they got the next one so I was appeased.
December is here, and the Holiday party season is upon us. I can’t tell you how many open bar parties I’ve been to! But I always have to make time for the punk rock. I went to a show Sat. Dec 10th that was so much fun, I couldn’t believe it. It was a Christmas party for the Lusty Lady at Studio Z, and it had many different elements: Punk Rock, Burlesque, Sleaziness, and a super fun crowd! The sleaze factor was due to the Lusty Lady… this is a nude Peep show strip club in North Beach. For their party, in addition to booking some great punk bands and burlesque performers, they had a back room show with lube wrestling where girls were sliding around wrestle-mania like, but topless. I walked back to see it for a second, but was completely bored by it! I am a straight girl though, and I was there for the music.
My friends The Grannies were playing when I arrived, and they put on such a great set. They are a favorite of mine because not only do they sound great, but also since they dress up as “Grannies,” they are just hilarious in addition to sounding good. Dean, the singer spent most of the set mooning the crowd while singing. This always kills me. I can’t go to a Grannies show and not have fun. They are the most fun band in San Francisco, hands down.
After their set, Thee Merry Widows played. They’re an all-girl Psychobilly band I’ve written about before. The next band that played, The Nightcrawlers, were amazing. I have to admit though, by the time they played, I was drunk! I had a cocktail party before the show from 5-10 pm, so by the time the headliner went on around midnight, I was considerably “happy!” I do remember being at the front while they performed and thinking, ‘This band is great!’ I will have to go see them again as soon as possible!
In between bands, my favorite Burlesque performer, Roky Roulette, performed. He was wearing a Santa suit and did a striptease while bouncing on a pogo stick. He’s a riot! Also, Drag King Fudgie Frottage did a number, whipping out a big dildo… it was pretty funny. I don’t see that every day!
I recently saw 2 different movies about the New York Dolls at the Roxie Cinema in the Mission District. I would highly recommend both films. The first, called New York Doll, is a documentary about bass player Arthur Kane, who sort of faded into obscurity and poverty until the Dolls reunited a few years ago to tour. It was a very funny movie, and also very sad. I laughed a lot and cried a little too. I won’t spoil it for you by giving you the details, but check it out if you’re a fan of rock documentaries. (Click on this link to watch a trailer. movies.yahoo.com)
The next week, a film by Bob Gruen, All Dolled Up, turned out to be even better. Bob Gruen is a famous photographer who shot all the 70s punk greats: Sex Pistols, Ramones, you name it. This film is all early Dolls performances, rare interview footage, and backstage antics. While watching it, I was actually in awe. I thought it was amazing. Johnny Thunders, with the big hair, was just fascinating to look at. (For more info, photos, or to watch the trailer, check this link. newyorkdollsdvd.com)
Last week I went to a really random, fun Christmas party for Rock River, which is a company that places music in commercials. It was at their loft offices in the Mission, and it was a really fun party. Hieroglyphics performed, whom I LOVE. They are a really great local hip-hop group who won an SF Weekly award this year, and I mentioned them in an earlier column. There was open bar, a big buffet of food, clothing for sale, and a bunch of kids were there. There was a group of young boys aged about 6 to 12, who all danced hip-hop style, but they were too shy to dance in front of the band. I kept telling them to get out there and one of them said, “We’ll dance if you’ll dance with us, Alisha.” I decided it would be fun to dance with a group of young boys, so I did. I was the only adult dancing until later on when some spazzy chick decided to really go at it to the Rondo Brothers, a DJ team who also performed. It was a really funny night. I love to make an ass out of myself the way children often do!
Friday Dec 16th, I went to the Thrasher Skater of the Year Awards to see Manic Hispanic play. They put on a great show. They sounded awesome, and the crowd was going crazy. It was a whole lot of fun. For those of you who don’t know about this band, they are a bunch of talented musicians from other well known punk bands, who dress up as stereotypical LA Mexicans, and make the words to well-known punk songs cater to a Mexican theme. It’s very amusing. One of my favorites they do is “Mommy’s Little Chola,” instead of Social Distortion’s “Mommy’s Little Monster.” www.manichispanic.net
I’m off to Dallas for the holidays. Everyone have a good one and you’ll be hearing from me after the New Year.
XOXO Alisha Amnesia
November 19, 2005
Hey Everyone! Summer is over and Autumn is upon us. For Halloween, the weather here in San Francisco was just beautiful—warm, sunny and mild by day, and absolute perfection by night. I’m sad to turn the clocks back and let the darkness creep up on us every evening, but it’s that time of year now.
On Friday Oct. 28, I checked out Club ID at the Rickshaw Stop. I’ve been to this club a few times, and what I love about it is that I don’t know a soul there most of the time; the regulars are young and stylish; and they have 2 bands perform, but it’s really a dance club with fun new wave and electro music. The vibe is really fun, and I always enjoy myself even though I don’t know anyone. This night was their Midnight Cabaret Halloween Ball with bands Madelia and The Holy Kiss. I hate to bash bands, but these were two of the most un-listen-able, painful bands that I’ve seen this year! Despite my distaste for the bands, I had a blast and really enjoyed the dance party that was going on the rest of the time.
On Sat. Oct. 29, I went to the El Rio to see The Demonics perform. This band is such a blast and they hardly ever play live anymore. They put on a fun, high energy set, and everyone had a great time. Supporting them were Thee Merry Widows and Flexx Bronco, who are both great local bands. I’ve written about these bands before, and I’m a fan of both of them. This was a fun night with a lot of great costumes. I think Flexx Bronco are super-talented. In a way that I can’t put my finger on exactly, they remind me of one of my all time favorite bands, The New Bomb Turks. This, coming from me, is a very high compliment.
The following day, Sunday Oct 30, was the Annual Soap Box Derby Races. This was a lot of fun. Everyone shows up at the top of this hill in Bernal Heights, where there is a windy road that is closed to traffic, and there is a gorgeous view of the city surrounding you. People build amazing soapbox derby cars using all sorts of random pieces of junk, as well as building traditional aerodynamic wooden cars. My favorite one this year was made of 3 empty beer kegs! It was so genius and hilarious. My second favorite was a platform with a 1970’s velvet throne-like chair, and the guy driving it had a giant 70’s-style mustache! It was really funny to watch. The weather was sunny and beautiful and the view was amazing. It was the perfect end of our summer season. I found a great website with lots of photos of this event, so check it out. There is even a slide show.
The weekend before, on Fri. Oct. 21, I went to see 2 amazing punk bands, The Briefs and The Spits at Bottom of the Hill. Local band, Radio Reelers opened up, and they were really awesome too. All 3 bands are loud, fast, tongue-in-cheek, punk rock-n-roll. The whole show had great energy and crowd response, and I am glad I went even though I had a pretty bad cold. It was definitely worth the effort, as these bands never disappoint an audience. This was a great show other than the fact that this club is too small to house the crowd. Click here for my mini-rant about Bottom of the Hill.
On Thursday Oct. 20th, I went to one of my favorite annual parties: The SF Weekly Awards. This event is thrown every year by the SF Weekly newspaper to honor local musical acts and invite the bands, their managers, publicists, advertisers, and various others involved in the local music community. I have gone to the event for about 4 or 5 years, and each year it is completely different, but you can always expect great free food and open bar! This year, highlights of the show were a local hip hop band, The Heiroglyphics, who put on a really awesome show; and a young urban dance troupe, The Animaniakz, who were so much fun to watch.
Another cool thing this year that I enjoyed, were the 2 edible chocolate waterfalls that were on display! One was regular chocolate, and one white chocolate, and there were various things you could dip into the multi-tiered waterfalls. It was a total chocolate-lovers fantasy! In fact, even though there is always a big buffet of amazing food, I ignored everything and stuck to the chocolate waterfall dinner diet! After the party, I went to the after party at Suite 181 for an hour or so, and no one was there! A friend and I danced like fools on the empty dance floor and I had a blast anyway.
On Sat Oct 15th, I went to the Rumblers annual Car Club event at Thee Parkside to see Hammerlock. I started out my evening at The Beauty Bar for cocktails with a friend, where DJ Heiko (from the band One Man Army) was DJing a fun mix of disco & 80’s randomness. He played that song “Everything She Wants,” by Wham, which I had totally forgotten about, and I love it! As I left the bar, he was playing Hall and Oates! I headed to Thee Parkside at 9pm, which I consider pretty early, and I arrived to find that I had missed Hammerlock and the show had begun at 5pm! Oh well, I had a lot of fun anyway, and CH 3 headlined the show.
CH 3 put on a great set; but the dumb doorman stopped letting anyone in, even though more than half the crowd had already left the premises permanently, so CH 3 played to a half-empty club. Meanwhile, a whole bunch of people paid for cabs to get to the club, only to be turned away. This BS is not only bad for the bands, but it’s bad business and bad for the club. They could have made a few hundred more dollars by letting more people in, and the club could have stayed full all night without any chance of being overcrowded. I have to give a big ‘thumbs down’ to the doorman’s decision at this show!
The previous night, Friday Oct 14th, I went to see another DJ set of Miss Kittin, a French Electro DJ, at Mezzanine. I don’t have any friends who are into this stuff (except a bartender who always works weekends), so I went to this club all by myself and paid a (whopping) $22 cover charge! (I couldn’t keep myself from bitching about it to the gay doorman, only to receive ZERO sympathy and to be told, “You think that’s expensive? You should move to New York! This is Cheap!”)
It’s a good thing that when I am determined to have a good time, that is exactly what I’m going to do (damnit!)! I went in there dressed like serious Euro trash, and instantly met 3 Danish fellows from Copenhagen. European guys are a lot of fun, and I ended up hanging out with them all night drinking and dancing. I saw no need to meet anyone else, as I had 3 hot, stylish, interesting European men to party with… what else could I possibly want? (Okay, to look like a supermodel would be nice, as well as being rich like one… that’s what else I could possibly want.) I loved Miss Kittin’s DJ set, and I could have danced all night!
October 6-10 was one of my favorite annual events in the city: Fleet Week! Every October, the Blue Angels descend on our city by the bay, and their loud planes scare the hell out of us! These planes are loud enough to give someone a heart attack! The reason I love Fleet Week though, is that these pilots put on such an impressive synchronized air show; it is breathtakingly spectacular. Saturday at the air show was a gorgeous sunny day, with lovely views, boats on the water, cold beer, and a killer show up above. It was a great weekend, one that made me for the millionth time, feel so blessed to live in San Francisco.
Sunday Oct 9th was the Italian Heritage Parade in North Beach (which is San Francisco’s “little Italy”), which I heard about on the Fleet Week website. I went to North Beach to have brunch with friends and see what this parade consisted of. I didn’t see anything of note, though, so I must have missed the good part! After brunch, my friends and I went to Washington Square Park to lie around in the sun and drink Champagne. There was a Ferrari car club show parked in the park, which consisted of about 50 beautiful Ferrari’s, both new and vintage. It was cool to happen upon this, since I am a major car lover. More friends showed up and we ended up accidentally drinking all day in a sleek, small bar that is new to me, called Magnet, on Green Street. I then had a lovely dinner with a guy I’d just met at Michelangelo’s, also in the quaint North Beach area. It was a perfect San Francisco day. Just thinking about it makes me want to re-live it!
After my lovely day, I headed over to the Red Devil Lounge to see the English Beat. Ranking Roger is not in the band anymore, but Dave Wakeling has such an amazing voice, and a great band, so I was really glad I went to this show. It was just awesome to hear songs I love like “Mirror in the Bathroom,” “Tears of a Clown,” and favorites by General Public (the band he and Ranking Roger formed after the English Beat), like “Tenderness.” The English Beat is coming back to the Red Devil Lounge on December 15th, but it’s already sold out! Maybe they will add a second show.
The first weekend in October, was the Burlesque Festival, Teasorama. I ended up scoring a wristband to get in free on the second night, and it was really fun. I met a charming Spaniard, a professor at Stanford, who kept me in Champagne for the night and distracted me from most of the show! Those Burlesque performers are awesome though. There is no way I could describe the many intricate routines, but if you are a fan of burlesque, this is THE convention to check out next year.
Sat Sept 24th, I went to the Jimi Hendrix photo exhibit that I mentioned in my last update, ‘Jimi Hendrix- Can you see me?’ at the San Francisco Art Exchange (www.sfae.com). It was even better than I could have anticipated. Not only was there open bar and really amazing art, but many of the original photographers were milling about the opening, and were down-to-earth enough to talk with me (a nobody!) about what it was like to photograph Hendrix. Bravo Television was there filming the event and they asked me to talk to one of the photographers on camera. Unfortunately, the filmed conversation was the least exiting conversation I had all night, but I might end up on Bravo! (The week before, I was on the local news bitching about how my health club went bankrupt and ripped all of it’s members off, so now I guess I’m a TV regular! That’s pretty exciting for “a nobody!”) The art show was a lot of fun, not only for the work on display, but also for the many conversations I had with strangers and new friends. I hope to go to the next opening event the gallery has. I even got my boots shined by a shoe shine man outside on my way out!
Also on Sat. Sept 24th, was the Annual Love Parade. This is an event that began in Berlin, Germany, and just started in San Francisco last year. This was my first time attending. It is an electronic music outdoor festival, with loud electronic dance music blasting from everywhere you turn, and obnoxious floats with people dancing on them. It starts at the Embarcadero (waterfront) and ends at City Hall. The setup is the same as Gay Pride. I went to wander around and check it out for a while. It was a lovely warm San Francisco summer day, and there were tons of interesting people. I had to get my photo taken with the most outlandish character I could find!
On Sun. Sept 25th, Billy Idol was supposed to perform at an outdoor concert at Golden Gate Park called the ‘Now and Zen Festival.’ I was so irritated that I got up early on a Sunday, drove around looking for parking, walked a mile, and arrived to find out that he cancelled due to a “family emergency.” I think the emergency was that his son, Wilhelm would disown him if he actually played a show with Maroon 5 and Natasha Betenfield! (Someone else lame was also on the bill but I forgot who.)
I also didn’t end up going to meet Richard Hell for his recent book promotional tour because I had strep throat. I would have liked to meet him, but it wasn’t meant to happen this time.
Well that should catch you all up on what I’ve been up to in this amazing city. As usual, there will be much more to come next update.
Until Next time,
XXOO, Alisha Amnesia
September 25, 2005
So much has happened since my last update. I want to start by saying that none of us can really believe how Hurricane Katrina destroyed the city of New Orleans and ruined so many lives. This is a terrible tragedy for the residents and their families. I hope it doesn’t seem insensitive to write my update as normal, focusing on fun, music and nightlife; but I  will continue as usual.
I am going to start with the latest news first. I just spent 5 days in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico, and it was really incredible. To read all about my Mexican holiday and see photos, click here.
There have been a bunch of great shows and fun happenings lately. Last weekend, I went to the Bay Area Derby Girls Benefit at Studio Z where 2 of my favorite Bay Area bands played: Hammerlock and The Black Furies. The crowd was a bit sparse, but the show was great. I think more people would have been there if they weren’t charging so much at the door. It was great seeing al the Roller Derby Girls skating through the crowd!
I don’t know if I am biased, or if I am as right about this as I believe I am; but it’s my feeling that The Black Furies are extremely talented, and they are not as recognized as they should be locally. I would really like to see them touring the country with a good publicist behind them to help them get their name out there and begin to be appreciated for how good they are. They are just as good in my opinion as Electric Frankenstein, Turbo ACs, Black Halos, and other well known and respected bands of the punkish rock n roll genre. I hope they will gain the fan base they deserve. Check them out. www.blackfuries.com
Speaking of the Black Halos, I went to see them at the Lost and Found Saloon on Fri Aug. 26th. It was a fun show with a lively crowd, and the Black Halos were really good. I saw them last year in LA, and I loved that show. Their singer had reminded me then, of a cross between Lux Interior (of the Cramps) and Duane Peters (from US Bombs and the Hunns). At the LA show, he stripped down to a cheetah print thong, and rolled around all crazy, which I thought was great. The SF show was also very good, but he was more subdued. At this show, he reminded me of David Johansen (NY Dolls). Considering all these comparisons come to mind, The Black Halos are a band I thoroughly enjoy. www.blackhalos.net
The following night, Sat Aug 27th, I went to see LA’s The Deep Eynde (on Duane Peter’s Disaster Records) at Kimo’s. I really love this band, but this was not my favorite show of theirs. They got the opening slot so a lot of people missed them, and I also have to go on record as saying that I always enjoy the Deep Eynde the most when singer Fate dresses up. He often wears make-up and punk fetish clothing instead of just jeans and a T-shirt, and he really does it well when he makes the effort. I know it probably gets old though, especially when none of your band does and the bands you tour with don’t either. But I think it helps him stand out from other bands visually, and I wish he’d keep it up. Regardless of dress though, he has a great voice, and makes some killer faces while perfoming! www.deepeynde.com
Since I mentioned Duane Peters indirectly twice already, I have to mention that I went to see his band, Die Hunns at Thee Parkside on Fri Sept 2, and they were fantastic! This was my favorite show I have seen Duane Peters front, and I have see his bands countless times. I first decided I enjoyed him when he was a big mess fronting US Bombs years ago and he fell on his face onstage, looking like I cartoon punk rocker clown for most of that show (back in like 98, I think.) Since then, he cleaned up his act and I’ve seen him repeatedly put on good shows that didn’t involve such messy shenanigans. He is one of the most resilient punk rock front men since Charlie Harper from the UK Subs, and I bet he will continue on for as many years. www.diehunns.com
His wife, Corey Parks (from Nashville Pussy) is in this band. (I used to see them as Duane Peters and the Hunns, but the name has changed for whatever the reason). At this show, she blew fire into the crowd again. (The last time I saw her do this was at the poorly organized LA Shakedown a few years ago, and the Fire Marshals had to come in and delay the Briefs from going on while they did a gratuitous safety check. I wrote all about it and you can go into my archives to read it.) Anyway, I wasn’t really expecting much from this show, but they sounded great and the energy was awesome. It was also very cool to see them at this club where there is no stage and they are on the same level with the crowd. I managed to get some great photos too. I’ve been listening to them more every since this show.
Earlier that night, I went to see the Teenage Harlets at Café Du Nord (one of my favorite clubs) for the Harlets’ occasional event, "Plastic." (The Phenomenauts also played, but I had to rush off for Die Hunns). The Teenage Harlets are such a fun, energetic band to go see. It had been a while for me, and I had forgotten how they play a ridiculously high-energy set in just about 20 minutes! They cram in 2 hours worth of energy though! Singer Johnny changed his look, and I didn’t recognize him until he went on stage, which made me feel so stupid! He used to have a dark, full head of hair with big sideburns; but on this night, he had a blonde Mohawk and was wearing a tight white PVC New Wave jacket instead of his usual black suit. He pulled off this new look so well that I didn’t recognize him at first! His girlfriend fronts the band The Mouth-offs, and they were really fun to watch. She has a fun stage presence and quirky voice, and the band was dressed up all funny and festive. The keyboardist looked like part of Prince’s New Power Generation or something, which was totally hilarious. I love "Plastic," and will keep going to these events. It was really hard to tear myself away, but I am glad I did cause Die Hunns were awesome too. www.teenageharlets.com
I went to one of the BOB fest shows in Oakland on Fri July 29th, and saw a band from Holland called Fleas and Lice that I thought were really good. (I wrote last update about BOB fest coming up.) The show at the Red Door Warehouse was totally packed and sold out, full of smelly punks, and it was pretty great!
The next night I went to see old punk band, The Accused, at the new Balazo Gallery on Mission St and 18th. Balazo used to be on Mission at 24th and I really liked that space better. The new space sucked that night because it was totally packed and unbelievably hot. Because of noise complaints, there are no ins and outs, and they shut off the back patio, so no one could go get fresh air after 11pm. After the bands ended, the club staff screamed at everyone to get out at midnight, probably because of permits or something, but it really pissed me off. The band was good, but I couldn’t see them at all through the crowd. (The Adolescents played at another club that same night, and in retrospect, I wish I would’ve gone to that show instead. Although, I have a crazy schoolgirl crush on Billy Idol from when he was young in Generation X, and I saw a young boy who looked just like him back then. He was so cute! It almost made the annoying show worth all the hassle. I didn’t talk to the kid though, but man, was he fine!)
The weekend of August 12th, I hit several more fun punk shows. Friday the 12th, I went to see local favorites of mine, Everything Must Go at Kimo’s. Everything Must Go seems to me to have gotten a lot tighter musically, and they put on an incredible show. The sound was also surprisingly good, I thought. I really enjoyed this show and wish I had taken photos. (I forgot my camera again!) As usual, Jake, the singer, wrecked the place by pulling a bunch of stage lighting decorations down while perfoming. A band from Fresno called America’s Dirty Thirties played before them, and they sounded really good too. They are more hardcore than I personally really get into, but they are really good for that kind of band. Both times I have seen them play, they get very enthusiastic crowd reaction. www.everythingmustgo.us
The next night, there were so many things going on, that I had to just choose. I chose to go to The Insaints reunion show at The Red Devil Lounge with Flexx Bronco and The Whiskey Dick Darryls. I got there too late to see the Whiskey Dick Darryls, and was disappointed about that. Flexx Bronco was really awesome though. They are hard, fast, rock n roll, with a bit of a cock rock vibe. They had great energy and sounded awesome. I’d definitely see them again too. The Insaints were really great as well. Guitarist Daniel Deleon (who also fronts the Resurex and used to play with The Deep Eynde), is a great musician and has one of the best looking Mohawks I have seen lately! It’s freakin’ perfect. Singer Eva Von Slut (Amy) did a great job, and kept throwing bananas into the crowd. It was funny because bananas kept hitting people right in the nose! It kept cracking me up! Just a few blocks away at Kimo’s, psychobilly band, The Mutilators played. I kept running back and forth between the shows, and I was able to catch their last 2 songs. I had forgotten how good they are, because I hadn’t seen them in a long time.
Coming up, Sat Sept 24th is the opening reception of a photographic art show called ‘Jimi Hendrix- Can you see me?’ at the San Francisco Art Exchange. (www.sfae.com) The exhibit runs through Nov. 5th. It will be made up of works from various photographers’ shots of Hendrix, some of which are hanging now and are really beautiful. I have enjoyed this gallery for years, as they carry works by Alberto Vargas, various rock and roll photographers, as well as the original artwork of Rolling Stone, Ron Wood.
I am going to see Billy Idol at the Alice Radio "Now & Zen Festival" in Golden Gate Park on Sunday Sept 25th. He is playing with a bunch of horrible pop bands including Maroon 5, so I have a strong feeling that the crowd will be really stupid and horrible! I’m getting in free though, so how can I not go? I am sure I will have a lot to say later about this one!
Also coming up Punks Protect Kids hosts the Punk Rock Video Film Festival at the Zeitgeist on Monday Sept. 26th at 8 p.m. 400 Blows, Bar Feeders, Crosstops, Dwarves, RKL, Slender, Texas Thieves, and more. Proceeds benefit the National Association to Protect Children, an organization that recently worked to support the California legislature's passing of the Circle of Trust Bill, an act that closed loopholes in California's sex offender laws. www.protect.org - www.punksprotectkids.org
Richard Hell will be in town promoting his new book, Godlike: A Novel. He will be doing a reading at the Makeout Room Tues. Sept. 27th at 10p.m., and a signing at the famous City Lights Bookstore in North Beach on Thurs. Sept. 29th at 7 p.m. I am going to try to go the book signing, because that same night is the opening night press party for Tease-o-rama, a 3 day Burlesque Festival (Fri. Sept. 30- Sun. Oct. 2) also held in North Beach, at Bimbo’s 365 Club. I have friends performing, but am not planning to go because tickets are $30 a night or $100 for the weekend. For those into Burlesque, this is THE festival to attend. For more info on Tease-o-rama, check their website. www.teaseorama.com
This has been a very long update, but I love this city and all it has to offer, and I love sharing it with all of you.
Until Next time,
XOXO Alisha Amnesia
July 29, 2005
Recently, I went to a show at a small hole-in-the-wall dive bar called Kimos. I used to go to this venue frequently before I moved to LA in December of 2004. Since I have been back in San Francisco this year, there haven’t been many good shows booked at Kimos (due to constantly changing bookers), but it seems they finally got someone booking that puts together decent punk shows again. Last month, I saw The Lowdowns there, who are really great. The weekend of July 15th, I saw a show I didn’t expect much from, but was very pleasantly surprised. I went to see The McCools, who I am friendly with and really enjoy. What surprised me about this show though, was that both bands they played with were also fantastic. The Double D’s are fronted by a girl named Nettie, who has been in the local punk and rock-and-roll scene forever. She used to go-go dance at Stinky’s Peep show back in the day, which was a weekly event that everyone here in the Bay Area loved. I knew she had recently started a band, but I didn’t realize that she fronted the band, or that she is "a natural," as McCool’s singer, Beth Loudmouth put it. Nettie’s stage presence just blew me away, and to add to the like-a-bility of the band, there is another girl who shares vocal duties and rocks out with her, as well as 2 guys who were dressed like idiots, which I thought was really hilarious. I have to thank "Mr. Dodgy," a local rock photographer, for snapping some great shots of the band for me. This was one of the best shows I’ve seen lately, and I was so irritated that I forgot my camera! There are some shots of the McCools on his site too, as well as other bands. You can check out Mr. Dodgy’s site here: http://mrdodgy.com.
The other band that played that night was The Whiskey Dick Darryls. I have to say, first off, that I really hate this band name. That aside, this band totally rocked. Hard, fast, loud, rock-n-roll, commando style! I will have to see them again to be able to elaborate better, but I was definitely pleased that I liked them so much (considering their stupid name)! Hopefully I will see them again soon.
The same weekend, I went to a really fun Barbeque that the band, The Grannies threw, which included a (rather long) slide show of their recent European tour. It was a real treat to get to witness this, since I haven’t been to Europe since before September 11th. I absolutely love Europe and wish I could take my own tour…for a year, or forever! I hope to go back soon myself. Anyway, the slide show included live shows, skinny-dipping, plates of absolutely disgusting sausages and assorted meats, as well as dirty backstage areas, and beautiful, scenic European cities. It looked like they had one hell of a time.
On Friday July 22nd, I went to see The Briefs (for about the 20th time) at 12 Galaxies, a newer venue in SF. I just love this band, and although it seems impossible, they continue to get better and better! They put on an amazing, high-energy show, and the place was packed with good, lively energy, and a really cool crowd filled with many familiar faces I hadn’t seen in a long time. I had a super fun night, much like I used to back when my favorite old haunt, the Covered Wagon was still open.
Now I will backtrack a bit. June is when San Francisco hosts our big annual Gay Pride weekend celebration. I kicked off Gay Pride weekend at the Castro Theatre (a nice historic theatre in the heart of SF’s gayest neighborhood), to see "Trannyshack, The Movie." This was a documentary about Trannyshack, which is a weekly club thrown every Tuesday night at The Stud by hostess Heklina, which features inventive and unique drag queen performances. I got so rip-roaring drunk on Champagne that night that I don’t remember the movie at all! This is particularly funny because the club has been selling T-shirts for years that I see all over town that say, "I blacked out at Trannyshack." Well, leave it to me to black out at "Trannyshack, the Movie!" I did get some great photos of me with some of the best looking drag queens SF has to offer before I lost my head.
The next night, after I attended a hilarious bachelorette party (complete with penis-shaped balloons, gay porn, and a stretch limo), I went to see hilarious drag queen band, Pepperspray. I would have more to say about it, but I went with a dud of a date and he kind of ruined it for me! Among other things, I learned from this experience that I enjoy myself most when I don’t have to adhere to a schedule, and maybe it was a bit presumptuous for me to try to fit in dinner, a bachelorette party, and then a date all in one night, especially during frantic gay pride weekend.
The big Gay Pride celebration is always held on a Sunday at the end of June, and begins with a parade on Market Street that features floats from liquor companies, clothing stores, and various local sponsors. A few years ago I was actually paid a hundred bucks (and all the Stoli and Gatorade I could drink) to go-go dance on the Stoli float. (The catch was that I had to be there at 9am… Ug!) Every since that year that I was drunk by noon and tired from the sun, I never arrive before about 2 or 3 in the afternoon, since festivities go on til 6 pm. There are DJs playing every kind of music set up on various streets, and I would guess that about 6 city blocks are closed to traffic and open for freaks to drink on the street, all around our beautiful city hall building. People come from all over the world for this, and it is really a fun day. Basically, it’s like a big outdoor nightclub… but during the day with lots of food! This year was no exception. (Bands also play the main stage. This year I skipped them, but some of the headliners were En Vogue and Third Eye Blind.) After the formal outdoor celebration, I attended a fabulous poolside party at the Phoenix Hotel’s Bambuddah Lounge. It was packed with interesting people, and was great fun.
This week, Tue July 26th through Sunday the 31st is "BOBfest" in Oakland. This is a week of punk shows for "BOB" which stands for Bremen, Germany; Oakland, CA; and Bath, England. I think shows alternate between the 3 cities, but I am not sure if they happen in each on every 3rd year, or how it works exactly. Click here to view the flyer with dates, venues, and bands. I am planning on attending the Friday the 29th show at the Red Door Warehouse, with one of my favorite local bands playing, Everything Must Go.
Coming up, The Insaints at The Red Devil Lounge with the Whiskey Dick Darryls on the weekend of August 12. They are predicting this show will sell out. The Insaints were a popular Bay Area punk band in the early 90s, before I lived here. Their singer, Marion passed away, but the band recently reunited with a new singer- Amy, from local Psychobilly band Thee Merry Widows. I am really a fan of this girl’s, and I go see Thee Merry Widows whenever I get the chance. She has a really good voice and stage presence, and her background in burlesque gives her a confident quality in performing. I recently saw the Merry Widows at 12 Galaxies and I can tell that they will continue to positively develop. I have seen them progress quite favorably in the few months I have been seeing them, and I look forward to what is to come for them. They are the only all-girl Psychobilly band that I am aware of, so I really hope they take it to the highest level they can.
Until Next time…
XOXO,
Alisha Amnesia
May 11. 2005
I am loving living in San Francisco again, but my life is very different this year than it has been in the past. In some ways that is good, but in others, it kind of blows! I am working full time at a Commercial Construction Company, which is nice, as far as steady pay goes. The part that blows is that I get up so early, that I don’t go out on weeknights anymore, and I can’t stay as actively involved in the local music scene as I used to be (as far as booking & promoting shows, and doing band publicity). I miss being more involved in local music, but I don’t miss being totally broke all the time! Now, I understand what being a "weekend warrior" is all about!
Last weekend, I danced until 4 in the morning, which I hadn’t done in ages! It was a total blast. I went to a DJ set of Miss Kittin (of Miss Kittin and the Hacker, the electro clash artist). It was at a club that was new to me, called Mezzanine. The place was really big, with several bars, an upstairs, and an outdoor area for smokers. My favorite thing about it besides the thumping bass, was that they actually served champagne! (It’s my favorite thing to drink, but most bars and clubs don’t serve it.) The crowd was diverse and fun, and I ended up being surrounded by even more gay boys than I had arrived with. My calves were killing me the next day from hours of dancing in heels, but boy, was it fun!
Before hitting Mezzanine, I checked out a newly re-opened and remodeled bar called "Cip Lounge" (formerly "My Place") in the SOMA district. It is decorated really beautifully, with a simple, clean, modern style that you’d expect to see in a hip Manhattan lounge. They did a really nice job on the remodel, complete with a waterfall behind the bar shelves. (My friends and I especially enjoyed that you could order a moderately priced bottle of good champagne that is served in it’s own ice bucket.)
About a month ago, I returned to a new haunt of mine, Club Six’s "On Six Gallery," to see a Tattoo Art show and a hilariously annoying band. The band was called "Extra Action Marching Band," and they really were just that. They are a marching band that has a lot of extra action going on- like girls with pom-poms, who strip and then cover themselves in pudding. I actually missed the
latter part though, because after about half of their set, I couldn’t stand big tubas and other various horns coming only a foot from my ears! The place was so crowded, and there wasn’t much room to stand back away from it all, as the band was marching through the sea of people. I finally had to retreat down to the basement, where there were hip-hop DJs and another bar. I really enjoyed the night, and the wide variety of goings-on. My friend Jake Hout had a giant work of art hanging above the bar. His work is really amazing if you are a fan of modern art (www.jakehout.com).
I had another funny night in April too. I went to see a favorite local band, The Black Furies open up for the 7 Shot Screamers and New York’s Turbo AC’s at Thee Parkside. All the bands were totally rad. It was a really great show. The reason it was a funny night though, is because I did something silly and unexpected. The Turbo AC’s had these rock ‘n roll bikinis for sale and I thought they were pretty cute, so I asked how much they were. The merch guy told me $20. I said that was too much, but he said if I came out and let him take my photo with the band while wearing it, he’d give it to me for half price. I was a little drunk, so I said "Sure!" I did it really fast, and then ran back into the office and got dressed. I am now the owner of a new bikini, and I surprised a crowd at a show. I never thought in a million years I’d ever be at a show in a bikini, but I was!
The 7 Shot Screamers were really good. I think they are from St. Louis, Missouri. I saw them play in LA opening up for Demented are Go last year, but I enjoyed this show even more. They are a good mix of psychobilly and energetic rock n’ roll, with a touch of goth thrown in for good measure. The Black Furies are one of the best rock n roll bands that the SF Bay Area has to offer. They really rock. So did the Turbo AC’s, but I was admittedly drunk and don’t remember the show that well, except that I had a really fun night! As Oscar Wilde apparently said, "I find that alcohol, taken in adequate quantities, can produce all the effects of drunkenness!" What a clever, brilliant man he was.
I recently went to see old school punk act, MDC at Thee Parkside. I was actually surprised at how good they were after all these years. I had never seen them, and I was not at all disappointed. They put on a great show, and are still worth going to see if you are a fan of old school punk rock. A local band called Retching Red opened up that night, and I really thought they were good too. They had a pretty, but tough-as-nails singer girl who had the crowd’s attention. Members of Retching Red include Joe from Strychnine and Mike from Oppressed Logic.
An old friend of mine from Dallas who fronts the band Darlington came through recently and played at the Hemlock Tavern. I have known him since the 5th grade! He is very talented, I’d say along the lines of Elvis Costello; who I suspect he is compared to a lot. He sings, plays guitar, and writes the songs, and he hires different bands to play with him for almost every tour. I don’t like seeing bands at the Hemlock because the room is so small, but on this Sunday night, it didn’t matter because hardly anyone was there. They put on a really good show anyway. Two weeks later, they were in New York playing with our very own NYC Coolgrrrl, Kitty Kowalski’s band. I hope Kitty includes their show at CBGB’s in her next update.
This year, upon my return to San Francisco, after a year I didn’t enjoy in LA, I vowed to branch out and enjoy San Francisco a little more than I had before I left at the end of 2003. I have been to several new venues, restaurants, and bars. I finally got to check out a punk show at a little Chinatown dive bar called the Lipo Lounge. They have been having occasional punk shows there for years, and although I have always been interested, I never got to check it out until recently. My friends the Radio Reelers played, whom I really enjoy. They are really high energy, fun punk rock, along similar lines as the Ramones. The Lipo Lounge is very small, and the show was located in a very low-ceilinged basement. It was no frills, but I enjoyed it and hope to see another show there in the future. Next time, I will try to have a lovely cheap Chinatown dinner beforehand. I have always enjoyed Chinatown.
I went to another venue I have never really frequented called the Hotel Utah, to see 2 of my favorite local bands, The Grannies and Everything Must Go. I love both bands, and have seen and written about both so many times, that I have to stop myself from going on about either of them right now. The reason I must mention this show anyway, is that there was a great, funny performer that went on between bands. His name is Roky Roulette. He is active in the burlesque community, and he does a striptease while bouncing on a pogo stick. It is totally hilarious. This was my 3rd time seeing him, and he wins over any crowd. It is funny, goes quickly for those with a short attention span, and even if you are a straight guy (as Roky is), it is just entertaining to watch a striptease happen on a pogo stick! I am all for it! www.rokyroulette.com
I checked out another good local band, The McCools play a while back at the Balazo Gallery located in the Mission District. The Balazo Gallery is great because they have art shows, bands, several different rooms to retreat to for conversations, and the bartender makes excellent Mojitos for $3! You can also get $2 cans of beer, which is nice when you’re watching funds!
Well I have finally managed to get caught up reporting some of the fun I’ve been having the last 2 months. I hope to have more to tell you all in the near future.
XOXO,
Alisha Amnesia
One more thing. One of my favorite Bay Area Punk Bands- The Grannies, are about to embark on their European tour. This band is awesome. The music rocks AND they dress up like scary Grandmas. What more could you want? See www.Grannies.com for updates.
01-6 Holland Amsterdam, @ De Diepte
02-6 Belgium Kortrijk, @ Metropool
03-6 Belgium Liege, @ CFCC w/La Fraction
04-6 Germany Düsseldorf @ AK 47 (CD release party)
06-6 Germany TBA
07-6 Germany Bremen/Hannover (tbc)
08-6 Germany Bochum, De Zwischenfall
09-6 Germany Cologne-Koln @ Sonic Ballroom
10-6 Germany Hamburg, @ open air festival /Lobusch
11-6 Germany Berlin @ Wild at Heart
13-6 DE/CZ/CH TBA
14-6 Germany TBA
15-6 Germany Chemnitz, Subway to Peter
16-6 Germany Freiburg, @ KTS
17-6 Switzerland Bern, @ the Dead End
18-6 Switzerland Ins, Schuexenhaus
20-6 F/DE TBA
21-6 F/DE TBA
22-6 F/DE TBA
23-6 DE/B/NL TBA
24-6 Netherlands Leiden @ Q-Bus
25-6 Netherlands Rotterdam @ De Player
26-6 NL end
UPDATED May 08, 2005
contact stevebarracuda@srbarich.com for tour info!
February 19, 2005
Hey everyone. I want to start out with a couple of announcements. First off, I became the new Editor of our Coolgrrrls website a few months ago. (So if you see some heinous mistakes, I am the one responsible!) Also, I wanted to congratulate Sabine from Germany for being voted CG of the year by all her fellow CGs writers! Sabine spent her summer in OC with our Publisher, Frank, as an intern for our site. She went to a lot of great shows and interviewed bands, and helped out with our other site, Cool Girls Skateboards. She definitely deserved being acknowledged as CG of the year and we are very proud of her.
I am so excited to be back in San Francisco again! This city has so much to offer that I enjoy. On any given week, I might go to a couple of punk shows, an art exhibit, a gay bar, an indie film screening, a dance club, a burlesque performance, a warehouse party, or a drag queen performance. Since I’ve been back, I’ve done all of the above! I even attended a Botox Party, which you can read about here. I thrive on constantly doing new and different things, and I never seem to get bored in this city. I am also happy to be able to wear more fur and leather, which Los Angeles’ warmer climate prevented me from doing most of the time. I love this city.
In my last update, I mentioned that I went to see Turbo Negro back on December 19th. I wanted to share some photos from that show, so they are at the end of this update.
One new thing I have been enjoying now that I am back is going to Art Exhibits at the On Six Gallery at Club Six. I have always liked this club’s space when I’d been there in the past, but there were rarely events happening that were of interest to me. Recently though, they hired a curator who sets up art exhibits on the main entrance floor, and there are shows and DJs down in the basement. The first one I went to was to see one of my favorite punk bands- Everything Must Go perform, which was a lot of fun; and hip-hop was played by DJs throughout the night. A bunch of punk rockers were getting down to hip-hop, which was totally funny.
Another really fun show I went to see was on Thurs January 20 was The McCools and The Avengers at the Eagle Tavern. The Eagle is usually a gay leather bar, but they often have rock shows on Thursday nights. It is a fun place to see a show, as it has a large outdoor patio (with heaters on in the winter), so people who might not be interested in whatever band is playing can go to another part of the club. Since there is no smoking in most bars and clubs in California, it’s nice for the smokers to have a place to go with their drink and still get to smoke.
The McCools are a fairly new rock n roll band that formed a few months ago, with members from other (and former) SF bands- The Loudmouths and the Jack Saints. They were great! They had great energy and really rocked. I look forward to seeing them again.
The Avengers-- who are legendary Bay Area Punk Veterans who formed in the late 70s or early 80s, also put on a great show. (I saw them in Los Angeles last year and enjoyed them then, but this time I enjoyed them even more.) There were 2 other bands that I didn’t watch, but this show was more than worth the 8 bucks I paid to get in the door. It was really cool to see a band like the Avengers in a small, intimate venue. I can only speculate that it may have been similar back in the early days of Bay Area Punk.
There is a new monthly event at Studio Z (the old Transmission Theatre) called "Punk Rock School Bus." I went to the first one on Wed Feb 2 to see The Grannies and Fracas. (There were also 2 other bands I didn’t care about). The Grannies were funny, as always. The guys in the band wear awful looking dresses and wigs in an attempt to look like Grandmas, and it is so funny to me while they are blasting out great punk rock. www.thegrannies.com
Fracas is great because I love the singer Joe’s voice, as well as his stage antics. The guy is always injuring himself, which is usually pretty entertaining to observers. He has a deep, resonant voice like Glen Danzig’s, so people are often calling them a "Misfits rip-off," (which I disagree with). They put on a good show, but this whole night was way too loud! Even the DJ music was too loud between bands, making it difficult to talk to people, which bummed me out. There was a really good crowd, and some added entertainment for the fellas, with dancers from The Lusty Lady (a local nude peep show in North Beach where most of the city’s nudie bars are located) go-go dancing on stage between bands. Even though the sound was too loud, I will probably go to the next installment of "Punk Rock School Bus" because Everything Must Go will be performing. It is held the first Wednesday of every month.
I also recently went to the re-incarnated "Stinky’s Peep Show" at Café Du Nord. I got there pretty late, so I didn’t get to see Pepper Spray- a local drag queen cover band I wanted to see. (I have seen them several times though, and they are a lot of fun.)
The last band of the night was an 80s cover band that were funny, but I was more interested in talking with friends I haven’t seen in the last year while living in Los Angeles. (Stinky’s Peep Show was my favorite weekly club a few years ago that had great punk bands booked all the time and had an excellent local following. It lost it’s home when the Covered Wagon Saloon closed down around September of 2002, and has not been a regular event since. Currently, it is a monthly event held on Thursdays at Café Du Nord.)
I recently stopped by a newly remodeled club called The Cellar, (a dance club on Sutter and Taylor) on a Thursday for hip-hop night, which I really enjoyed. This club is a basement space that had to close down for about 2 years because the floors were caving in. It’s back, and as good as new. They have different types of music every night.
Friday Feb 11th, I went to see an indie film that featured Heidi Fleiss, Alexis Arquette, Tammy Faye Baker, Angelyne, and several SF and LA drag queens that I know. It was a riot. From there, I went on to The Arrow Bar to see a rap band, and then to the old Covered Wagon- which is now a club called the Cherry Bar, where a punk band called The Smut Peddlers were playing. The show was fun, and it felt like the old CW days. When I was done with that, I hit my favorite gay bar, The Cinch. (In LA, there is no way I could have fit in that many things in one night, with the distance and traffic factored in, not to mention arranging a way to drink without driving. Nights like this are why I love San Francisco.)
Saturday Feb 12th, after going to a friend’s birthday party, I went to see Hammerlock play the Devil Dolls Motorcycle Club party at Thee Parkside. The Devil Dolls MC is an all-girl biker club. Hammerlock is a favorite band of mine that has a Motorhead feel to them. They put on a great show as always, and the crowd loved them. I missed the band that went on before them- Thee Merry Widows, who are an all-girl Psychobilly band who I think are great fun. They had another gig that night over in Oakland, so I caught a ride over to the warehouse where they were to play with The Phenomenauts for a "secret make out party" for Valentines. This party was a lot of fun, although I didn’t want to make out with anyone! The Phenomenauts are one of the most entertaining bands ever to come out of the Bay Area music scene (if you ask me). A simple way to describe them would be to say they are "Rockabilly from Outer Space," but you should see it for yourself to understand what I mean. The crowd was great, and it lasted pretty late. The singer for Thee Merry Widows, (Burlesque performer "Miss Eva Von Slut"), told me that both times I have seen her band were their worst gigs, but I still really like them. You may hear more about them from me in the future.
Next weekend, I am going to see a Burlesque show called "Dirty Little Secret" that a friend of mine is performing in at The Plush Room. For details and/ or tickets, see: plushroom.com/plushroom.htm
I am still listening to Indie 103.1 fm out of LA over the internet because I really enjoy "Jonesy’s Jukebox," a lunchtime show from noon to 2 pm daily hosted by Steve Jones from the Sex Pistols. No matter where you are, you can listen too! Their format is all the music you can’t usually hear on commercial radio in the US. www.indie1031.fm
You’ll be hearing more about the goings on in the city I love very soon.
XOXO- Alisha Amnesia
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