One modern Grrrl who longs for that past era of teasin’ and pleasin’, is Liz Goldwyn whose documentary “Pretty Things,” screened during the Egyptian Theatre’s Burlesque Tribute Weekend. The film follows Goldwyn as she tracks down Burlesque stars including Sherry Britton and Lois de Fee, and tries to find out how they became the glamour queens of their day.

While Goldwyn set up the film’s climax to be her own little burlesque number at the end, the real scene stealers were the ladies she interviewed, especially ballsy, sailor-mouthed Zorita, known for her snake dances and slinking out of the closet with no shame. Her responses and rebuttals to stories from other ladies of the scene were show-stopping hilarious.

The movie would satisfy any fan of burlesque. And it was fun to see one of the stars, flame-haired “Ball of Fire” Betty Rowland, right in the audience (now in her 90’s!) and signing autographs after the film.

For more on Pretty Things, go here.

The previous night, the Egyptian screened the film “Gypsy,” starring Natalie Wood as the famous Gypsy Rose Lee. Opening the film was some absolutely dreadful live vaudeville-style comedy (which I guess is appropriate), terrible singers, and little live burlesque tease from Bonnie Delight whose bubbly, bouncy disposition seemed more Vegas showgirl than vintage burlesque.

Truly nobody can put on a show like LA’s own rock ‘n’ roll Burlesque Troupe, the Velvet Hammer whose era of sell-out shows during their ten-year-run had this town buzzing each time they performed. These rowdy, tattooed, voluptuous babes, many who came from the punk and rockabilly scenes, truly brought back the art of the tease as they did in the ‘50s, strutting their stuff in a flurry of feather boas, fringed thongs, rhinestone-studded brassieres, and tasseled pasties.

I had the great pleasure of featuring the Velvet Hammer girls in a profile I did on the lively burlesque scene from LA to NYC a few years ago. Check it out: HERE

Though the Hammer girls have disbanded, you can still catch them in book form. Founder Michelle Carr recently released a coffeetable photography book that is as gorgeous as the girls themselves. Filled with full-color pictures of their glittering glam slam scenes onstage and backstage, as well as grainy, high-contrast black ‘n’ white candid shots full of attitude, it made me want to go back to those shows RIGHT NOW!

But alas, we could only get sampling of the fun that was had when Carr held a book release party at the La Luz Gallery. Many of the Hammer girls were on hand as well as club scenesters I hadn’t seen in years. As always, good times were had by all. Viva la babes!

During movie award season, “I’m Not There” drew accolades for the many Bob Dylan portrayals by the likes of Cate Blanchett and Heath Ledger. I personally hated the movie. If I want to see Dylan, I’ll rent “Don’t Look Back” or go to an excellent Dylan memorabilia exhibit like Bob Dylan’s American Journey, 1956-1966 at the Skirball Cultural Center. The exhibit featured 160 artifacts from Dylan’s early career, including a few non-musical personal items such as a classmate’s yearbook where he wrote, “I always thought you had nice hair.” The homage follows Dylan from his humble beginnings being inspired by Woody Guthrie to various video clips showing his rise to folk pop icon, including some nonsensical poetic beat ramblings from the young Dylan caught as he wonders down the street. You can also simulate singing or playing instruments along to his songs in a special music room, which will make your realize why there is only one Bob Dylan! Check it out through June 8th.

I discovered the most civilized way to see a big concert without going to a big ol’ arena, dealing with traffic, and being annoyed by the drunk guy in front of you. I went to see “Shine a Light,” the Rolling Stones concert film directed by Martin Scorsese that proves rock ‘n’ roll never grows old. Although the creases in their faces run as deep as their history, the Stones are no worse for the wear and tear. Mick Jagger still has the body of the 30-year-old and more energy than a teenager. His undeniable moves and voice really come across on film as well as his “I’m always ready for my close-up” presence. While the live footage is intercut with interviews from the band’s ‘60s and ‘70s heyday, the most interesting footage is the opening segments of Scorsese in director-mode freaking out about getting the show on film and dealing with the stars’ last minute decisions. More Marty! We want to see this legendary filmmaker at work in contrast with one of the most amazing rollicking rock bands of all time. Now that’s drama!

A few weeks prior, I caught another concert movie, this time with U2 and they weren’t just bigger than life, they were in 3D! I’ve been a U2 fan since my teens. They have been one of those bands that have moved me like no other. I’ve cried at their concerts, I’ve been inspired by their words, and I’ve been in awe of how Bono has risen from a punk kid to a world class humanitarian. Yes, music can change the world. With U23D, suddenly Bono was right in front of me, and the jumping, waving crowds also seemed to be there too. It was like being in the front row without getting tousled, squashed and having beer spilt on me! I wish I could go to concerts like this all the time!

Soar,
K.

Social Distortion, the seminal punk band held its annual weeks-long run at the House of Blues, and I was lucky enough to score some tickets on a night they had Scottish all-girl band Hedron as the opener. Bringing a “grrrls can rock” attitude to warm up the crowd, these brawny lasses flirted and growled with their own punk sound and proved they could probably take ya in a bar fight. “Who’s gonna buy me a whiskey?” singer Tippi asked the crowded right before she jumped off stage and made her way to the top of the bar, never losing the microphone or a beat. Of course they struck a cord with me when they did a cover of the Clash’s “Brand New Cadillac.” These grrrls have their roots and their spirit in the right place. Find out more about them on their official web site www.thehedrons.com. (And by the way Tippi is also a CoolGrrrl writing news from the road and her hometown of Scotland! You can read her CG column HERE)

While waiting for Social D. to take the stage and rockin’ to some gool ol’ Johnny Cash, I took time to people watch. Greaser boys and retro girls worked their hoodlum look. While most probably slammed to singer Mike Ness’s rebel tunes in their teens, and have now settled into careers and kids, their appearance on this night proved that the trademark style that blends rootsy rockabilly influences and hardcore punk always looks good. Like a classic ride, it just gets cooler as it gets older.

Ness himself has proven to have matured with grace, Social D.’s 2004 release “Sex, Love and Rock ‘n’ Roll” has become one of my favorite all-time albums with reflective lyrics that demonstrate an attitude of “live before you die” and appreciate all the lovin’ and rockin’ you do along the way.

When the band finally took the stage, Ness came out with a fistful of roses, handing them to the front row before going into three acoustic songs. They then crashed into the first electric rocker that came to a skid when the entire band was offbeat. Ness stopped the song and looked at his bandmates with a scowl, “Man, we must have had too much turkey!” commenting on the Thanksgiving weekend’s timing, which drew a laugh from the crowd. The band proceeded to step on the gas and go for the next two hours filled with steel-toe stompin’ rockers that prove without a doubt, punk will never die!

Last summer I made the pilgrimage to Berlin to see where my grandmother grew up wanting to be a singer and actress in the Weimar cabaret scene of the late ‘20s. She loved the clubs and the shows of Berlin’s pre-WWII era of decadence. So when I heard a bit of Berlin cabaret was making its way to LA’s Royce Hall in the form of pop crooner Max Raabe, I had to go.

Slim as a crescent moon with slicked-back blond hair, chiseled features, and ever-dressed in a tux, Raabe has a striking presence and a voice eerily reminiscent of the period’s top crooners. He and his Palast Orchester have been drawing fans young and old by resurrecting the classic orchestra sounds of the ‘20s and ‘30s as well as cabaret spirited parodies of pop hits such as Britney Spears “Oops!…I Did It Again” and Salt ‘n Pepa’s “Let’s Talk About Sex.”

While he can make his audience swoon and dip with romance, Raabe also has some slick dry wit, knowing how to deliver a punch line with the cock of one eyebrow. He made his audience giggle with delight, even with his choppy English spoken with a thick German accent. He kept his Royce Hall performance focused strictly on between-the-wars classics from Irving Berlin to a selection from “The Threepenny Opera” and the crowd couldn’t have been more delighted. I could almost imagine my grandparents sitting with me enjoying the show.

I stopped by the West Hollywood Book Festival to check on my fellow writerly types. I sat in on panel discussions and poked around at some indie press booths. Every time I go to these festivals, I always discover something that catches my attention. This time, it was the Baby Tattoo booth that called to me with their unusual collection of colorfully illustrated books. If Marilyn Manson had kids, he’d probably pick up his bedtime stories here. I bought a copy of Gris Grimly’s “Little Jordon Ray’s Muddy Spud” for my nephew and for me, it had to be a collection of drawings by artist Ragnar, whose retro, space age bombshell drawings are so cool I want to wallpaper my house with them! This guy has to be my new favorite artist, check out his work here: www.littlecartoons.com

Well it seems wherever I go, I end up at a bar, even when I go to the theatre. That was the experience when I was drawn into the world of Finn’s Pub outside Ireland for opening night of Ray Bradbury’s “Falling Upward.” Set entirely in the well-worn, dark wood bar complete with dartboard, dusty paintings and a pair of boxing gloves hanging on the wall, the bottles are emptied out to a cast of regulars including our lead narrator “Garrity” played by Pat Harrington (of “One Day at a Time” fame.) We are taken into the antics of barfly regulars who have a moment of revelation when some tourists pass through town and their bar.

The play was created by Bradbury from a series of one-acts he wrote on his experiences while spending a year in Ireland writing Moby Dick and hanging out at the real Finn’s pub with the gang of regulars it drew. Now there’s no doubt that Ray Bradbury is a literary icon, I’ve seen him speak many times on his writings and he’s always entertaining, so it was an honor to attend the opening night of his play at Theatre West where he was in attendance celebrating his 87th Birthday, and thanked the audience for making his day. Long live his mighty pen!

I continued my adventure into the theatre zone by attending “Hair the Musical” at the MET Theater. With original Broadway producer Michael Butler at the helm, the show’s Hollywood run celebrated the 40th anniversary of the original production. From the moment we walked in the theater, flower children clad in bellbottoms, head scarves, fringed vests, and peace sign patches greeted us as they lounged around the stage and romped through the seats prior the show’s start. With musical explosions of classic songs “The Age of Aquarius,” “Let the Sun Shine In,” “Good Morning Starshine” and others, the message of life-loving youth on the verge of facing a reality of society’s oppression and their resistance to a war overseas, it was stunning how relevant the message is today. Under the capable musical direction of Christian Nesmith (son of ‘60s Monkees rocker Michael Nesmith) the show burst with life, love and music in the intimate 99-seat setting.

And finally, with the holiday shopping frenzy over, I wrote up a film that might just help you with your New Year’s Resolution to rethink the way you purchase gifts and just about anything else this year. “What Would Jesus Buy?” is a docu-comedy from producer Morgan Spurlock (of Super Size Me fame) that follows Reverend Billy and his Church of Stop Shopping as they go on a mission to exorcise the demons of over consumption and gluttonous consumerism in this country. Check out my review HERE on Yahoo! Green and look for more ideas to make this year a greener one in my regular blog contributions.

Make 2008 great,

K.

I’ll start where I left off last time. On Tuesday September 4, I went to see Sham 69 at the Red Devil Lounge. A lot of people in the punk scene were adamant about not attending because original singer, Jimmy Purcey, is no longer fronting the band. I guess he has written some information online somewhere and is angry that the band is using the name ‘Sham 69’ without him.

I agree with him, but since I used to book at the Red Devil and am friendly with the owners and staff, I wanted to go check it out at least. I was pleasantly surprised that they sounded really great, even with a different singer. The small crowd that did show up seemed to really enjoy the show, and (unfortunately for me), an impromptu pit started really suddenly, which knocked me down hard and messed me up! I had the biggest bruises of my life, and was in pain for about a week. I actually got knocked senseless there for a few minutes, and it really scared me! I didn’t know what hit me. After that, I had a hard time enjoying the show, but the band was good. www.sham69.com; myspace.com/hershamboys

On September 11^th, I went to see MDC, (Millions of Dead Cops) from Portland, OR at Annie’s Social Club. I was really bored with this show. I ended up leaving before it was over, and was kind of disappointed by it. The singer was (admittedly during his stage banter) an ex-speed freak, and was amusing, but old and kind of sad. myspace.com/mdc

On September 21st, I went to Annie’s again, to see local female-fronted band, The Struts. Their singer has a deep soulful voice, and can really belt it out! I highly recommend this band, and think that they have a bright future if they keep at it. I hope they end up playing SXSW and get discovered by the right people. hoecake.xbuild.com

On September 23^rd, I saw Bad Brains at Slims. I had seen their singer, HR’s, solo tour last time he came through San Francisco, which was a mellow reggae show, with no Bad Brains songs. I was a huge fan of Bad Brains, and I couldn’t wait to see them when they came to town to play 2 sold out shows with their original line-up.

The band sounded amazing, incredible, raw, energetic, and tight, just like they did in the distant past. I saw a few of their tours between 88 and now, but this might have been the only (or maybe the second) time with all original members.

Musically, they did not disappoint. HR, however, sang all the songs at his own pace, which seemed a little less energetic than the band, which were ferocious as always. He has a really interesting voice, but has mellowed with age, which was no surprise… (almost everyone does, except maybe Iggy Pop). He also played guitar for a while, which seemed to be distracting from his vocals. I don’t remember ever seeing him play guitar in the past, and I could have lived without that.

They played all the songs the fans were expecting, and everyone was really excited by the show. I’m really glad I went and saw the show, but it wasn’t so earth shattering that I felt like making the effort to go to the second night. I felt seeing it once was awesome, but was enough for me. www.badbrains.com

On October 11^th, I went to see The Adicts at a newly resurrected venue, The Mabuhay Gardens. This venue was the original place to see punk bands back in the beginning in SF, nicknamed “the Fab Mab.” They remodeled and re-opened this fall.

The Adicts, whom I’ve seen several times before, always put on an awesome show, and this night was no exception. I really thoroughly enjoyed it. My favorite song, which they did perform, is called ‘Chinese Takeaway.’ They did all the songs I love, and put on a great performance, complete with makeup, confetti, lots of people on stage, the works, Adicts-style. I look forward to seeing more shows at the Mab as well. www.adicts.us; myspace.com/mabuhaygardens

On October 23^rd, I went to the Southern Wine and Spirits Import Wine Convention. Attending free booze conventions is a perk I always enjoy, being in the bar industry. This one was no exception. I tasted tons of fabulous wines and champagnes, and enjoyed a delicious catered spread with a few of my co-workers and manager from the Elbo Room. At the end of the event, we all took home cases of bottles that we absconded with!

The following week, I went to see Control, a film about Ian Curtis, the singer of Joy Division, who committed suicide. It was a very well done film, and I really enjoyed it. Of course it is pretty sad, considering the ending, but I do recommend it to fans of Joy Division and New Order (whom the band evolved into after Curtis’ death). momentum.control.substance001.com

When the film ended, my friend and I ran into local Goth band, Veil Veil Vanish, who exited the theatre at the same time. They are a band I just recently saw at ‘Club Debauchery’ at Annie’s that I really liked. They reminded me in bits of The Cure, Christian Death, and The Damned. I hope to see them again soon. I invited them all over after the movie, and we polished off the case of wine I had from the wine convention. myspace.com/veilveilvanish

On November 7^th, I went to see the Phantom Rockers at Annie’s. They are a really fun psychobilly band from England and Texas. Their singer, Mark, has been fronting this band forever… I remember seeing them about 14 years ago in Dallas. Their drummer for this tour, Scottie, used to be in rockabilly band, Kim Lenz and her Jaguars, many years ago. The band sounded really good, and was a lot of fun to watch. There was a sparse turnout on this particular Wednesday night, which was unfortunate. I really enjoyed seeing them again, and hope they tour again. I love their psychobilly version of ‘Tainted Love.’ www.phantomrockers.com

At the beginning of November, a new movie about Joe Strummer came out, called ‘The Future is Unwritten,’ which was directed by Julien Temple, who did Sex Pistols’ ‘The Filth and the Fury’ and ‘The Great Rock n Roll Swindle.’ This movie was awesome. I absolutely loved it. I enjoyed this the best of Julien Temple’s films that I’ve seen, and it showed a more personal side of Joe Strummer, which was absent from other films about him and The Clash. All Strummer and Clash fans should go and see it. You can see and hear a lot on the official website. joestrummerthemovie.com

On November 30^th, I went to see my friend’s band, The Lustkillers at Grant and Green. My buddy Adam fronts the band, and also plays with the Black Halos and Lords of the New Church. He’s a very talented fellow, and I love his music. They put on a great show. Another really talented, promising new SF band, Absinthe Boy opened the show. Their singer, Darryl has been a friend of mine a long time, and has been in many bands over the years, but this one is the first one I really connect with. I’ll be seeing and updating you about them sometime in the future I’m sure. (They have an awesome logo too, which you can see on their page.) myspace.com/lustkillers – myspace.com/absintheboysf

On December 7^th, I went to see, and FINALLY got to meet THE CULT! I wrote about seeing them in my last update, and they have been one of my favorite bands since I was 14 years old. I feel like this band has been the soundtrack for my life, and I’ve always wanted to meet Ian Astbury. Unfortunately, meeting him was anti-climactic and really disappointing. The show was really good, and of course I would recommend seeing them to anyone who likes good rock music. That’s a given.

My experience meeting them went like this. I got a backstage pass, and was told to wait in a line on some stairs with everyone else. We were yelled at, kind of like kids in line at an amusement park or something. Everyone could go up to this table where the band would sign your poster, then you had to wait in the line again and get a photo taken.

It was my turn to approach the table and I passed right by the 2 newer members of the band, and I went directly to Ian and Billy Duffy (singer and guitarist, original members who ARE The Cult). They said, “What about them?” They were referring to the way I passed the 2 other guys and didn’t ask for autographs from them. I said, “I’ve been waiting 20 years to meet the 2 of you.” I told them my name, got my poster signed, tried to ask a few questions, but was shuffled off out of the way and told to go in line.

I was really kind of upset that I didn’t get a minute to ask questions or anything, but I understand the whole rock star meet-and-greet process and that they may be over meeting their long-time fans. Maybe they had a long night, a bad one, were in bad moods, or they don’t like blonde girls… who knows? All I do know, is that being in a room with them made me feel like the teenage girl who has worshipped them forever, and my soul felt truly crushed when I didn’t get to converse. I was really upset by it, however silly or irrational that might have been.

I left the room to try to calm down for a few minutes and then I was the last to get a photo taken. I was standing next to Ian, and I said, “Please, could I get one with just you and I?” And he said, “No,” and walked off into a room and shut the door. I was crushed all over again. I actually ended up crying. I don’t know why I was so emotional, but I was very upset by the whole thing. It may have been better for me not to have tried to meet them, and to have just stayed on the other side of things. Some say it’s better not to meet your heroes, and now I understand why. www.thecult.us

On December 18^th, I went to see local female-fronted band, The White Barons at the Knockout. They are a really awesome band. The singer, Miss Eva Von Slut, also does burlesque and fronts all girl psychobilly band, Thee Merry Widows, as well as the re-united band, The Insaints. She has an awesome voice, and I love this band. My favorite song is called ‘Champagne and Cocaine,’ which you can hear on their page, myspace.com/whitebarons.

On December 27^th, I went to see Conflict at Slims. I hadn’t heard their music in years, and was skeptical about how the show would be, since seeing older bands can often be disappointing. They were so much better than I could have imagined. I didn’t remember many songs, but they sounded really awesome. I’m so glad I went to see them, and if you’re a fan of old punk, check them out again. www.conflict-uk.com

Okay, readers, I have crammed in and glossed over 3 months worth of my goings on in San Francisco. I promise to have more to share next time. On December 29th, I’m going to see The Psychedelic Furs, which I’m looking forward to, as I’ve never seen them live. For New Years Eve, I’m going to Mezzanine to see a band called BLAQK AUDIO. “BLAQK AUDIO IS THE ELECTRONIC SIDE ENDEAVOR OF AFI’S DAVEY HAVOK AND JADE PUGET, IT CARRIES ALL THE BOMBAST OF EARLY BLACK FLAG WITH THE HOOKS OF DEPECHE MODE AND DANCE GROOVES OF NILE RODGERS.” I’m also looking forward to some upcoming shows: the Circle Jerks are coming in January, and Siouxsie is coming in February. Until then,
Best of luck to all in 2008!
XXXOOO Alisha Amnesia

I’ll start out by saying a big R.I.P to Hilly Kristal, founder of CBGB’s who passed away on August 28th after a long battle with lung cancer and an even harder battle trying to keep his club open last year. While he may have originally wanted CBGBs to feature country music when he first opened it in 1973, he’ll be remembered as a lover of ALL music, especially the underground scene that spawned the punk movement and bands such as the Ramones, Television, the Patti Smith Group and Blondie. I wouldn’t be who I am today if it wasn’t for that music! And I can say I was lucky enough to have had one great night at CBGBs seeing some good ol’ local New York rawk a few years back, so thank you Hilly, you leave behind a hell of a legacy!

Earth Day may have been back in April but to me, every day should be Earth Day. I spent my official celebration down at Santa Monica Promenade who had a big showing of Green-friendly vendors from organizations such as NRDC to green housing developers and green clothing designers including one I found called Recyclicious who make headbands and jewelry from groovy material scraps and found objects. You can buy ‘em here.

I also picked up a Green guide from Greenopia, the listing of all things green in LA from dry cleaners to restaurants to clothing. They make it easy to go green. Check out their listings online or buy their guidebook here: greenopia.com

I month later I rocked through the day for Live Earth and caught performances by Wolfmother, Foo Fighters, Chris Cornell, Madonna and the impressive gesture of making giant Wembley Stadium go dark for one minute to make a point on what one action can do to save a lot of energy. Despite those who balked at the wastefulness that a massive concert like this kind can produce – give me a break! – rock concerts will never go away (I hope) so if anything, Live Earth shows how it can be done using the fewest carbons. If you missed it live, watch it on demand at the Live Earth site: liveearth.org

It’s been said “once a punk, always a punk” so when clubland’s young rockers grow up and start doing creative work that makes them some dollars, it’s a pretty cool thing. A big kudos goes to Share Ross who turned a hobby of knitting into a book deal and celebrated the release of “Punk Knits” at The Stitch Café, in a quiet shopping mall strip in the Valley. For a few hours, Share, her band Bubble, and a slew of models from the book wearing her finest needlework, strutted down the runway entertaining guests and press in the store’s back parking lot. The neighborhood may never be the same! I’m honored to have a photo in the book (see photo shoot report in a previous LA@Nite installment below) and I spent my pre-show prep time getting glammed-up with a leopard print manicure courtesy of Nail Art by Luca (myspace.com/cookienails) who teamed with ultra cool hair stylist Cazzie of Gorgeous Hair Salon (gorgeoushollywood.com) to give rock ‘n’ roll makeovers in the makeshift salon cabin adjacent to the store. The book has been receiving rave reviews in such publications as Spin Magazine and on Amazon where it out-cred’s its competitors for using “real rocker” models. So it is my honor to be in such company!

Get “Punk Knits” for yourself at Amazon.com.

I attended another celebration of the printed word at the 12^th annual LA Times Festival of Books, which broke records for attendance with over 130,000 people showing up on UCLA’s park-like campus to browse books on all topics and see appearances by such luminaries in the book world as Ray Bradbury, Gore Vidal and Arianna Huffington. Every year I go to this festival and I always find a book I want and attend panels that inspire or entertain. This year’s outstanding event was an appearance by T.C. Boyle who proved to be funny, smart, and little bit off his rocker in presenting an excerpt from his upcoming book that explores what it might have been like to hang with the Beat Generation. But it was opener Jerry Stahl that really knocked me out. His book “Permanent Midnight” is one of my all-time favorites. This is one TV writer who’s been through the hell of junkie-dom and back, and proved to be as funny on stage as on the page as he summed up writing as the only job that allows you to do your best work “naked, high and up at 3 a.m.!”

I learned about some true girl power when the MOCA downtown brought the Feminist Revolution back for a revisit with the Wack! Exhibit, examining the foundations and legacy of feminist art produced from 1965–1980. Visitors knew exactly what they were in for when greeted at the entrance by a giant 20-foot replica of a vagina made of red fabric hanging from the ceiling. The extensive exhibit featuring a broad range of media including painting, sculpture, room installations, photography, film, and video, brought the viewer into the volatile world of women fighting oppression in the social, political, business and art worlds that should be credited for opening the doors in the society we now enjoy freely (but not yet completely as there is still a ways to go!)

Taking a good two hours to go through, I came away remembering some standout exhibits such as a curious series of photos reflecting how we view our bodies in showing the daily change of a woman gaining 10 pounds; a display of ‘70s era porno mags – questioning is it sexy or female objectification?; and a film of Yoko Ono’s famous exhibit of vulnerability – sitting still and allowing people to come take a pair of sissors and make a cut in her clothes – including the one guy who thought it was funny to overstay his welcome and cut off her bra straps (there’s always one guy like that, ugh!) If anything, this exhibit proved the sisters are doin’ for themselves!

One grrrl making her own way in the world of fashion is H.P. Lovecraft, whose rockin’ shoes I stumbled upon while getting my magazine fix. Taking a plain set of Vans or Converse Chuck Tailors, she transforms them into artistic masterpieces featuring pop art and band album covers. I simply must get a pair of those Clash shoes! I hit her up for a little Q&A to find out how she got started and how to order a custom pair. Check it out here: kastleview/hpLovecraft

And I have to say a bit congrats to my pal Yana Chupenko who recently launched her new glittering makeup line Shiny Mama in Los Angeles with a kickoff party at the Peeler store on Western and Santa Monica. With years of experience with Tony & Tina, Yana knows what the girls want – and it’s all that glitters! Loads of shiny glitter to wear on eyes, lips and body. Check it out at shinymamabeauty.com and be the bright star you are!

Shine on,

K.

The band rocked as usual, and we did some bar hopping after their show. One of the places we went was the Beauty Bar, which was pretty cool. (The original is in NYC, and we have one in SF too. I think there may be one in LA as well.) I recognized the DJ (Morpheus), but couldn’t figure out why I remembered him… I think from when I lived in LA in 2004…? (Well, there’s a reason my name ends with Amnesia.)

Anyway, Vegas was crazy! I ended up meeting a lot of strangers at the MGM Grand pool, and a crazy friend from LA met up with me as well. I partied like it was my last weekend on earth or something. After 3 crazy nights in Vegas, I realized I needed to calm the hell down! I went back to SF and tried to ignore the fact that there is something to do pretty much every night!

I’d finally recovered after some r-n-r, and I went to check out one of my favorite female-fronted bands, Theo and the Skyscrapers, at Thee Parkside on Sunday July 22^nd. (I’ve written about them before. Theo used to sing for the Lunachicks, and the guitarist, Sean is her husband and a former member of the now defunct Toilet Boys.) myspace.com/theo

I really love this band. Their first album and tour were great, and this time around, they were touring to promote their second release, “So Many Ways to Die,” which I also really like. The new release is much heavier on keyboard and synth-organ sounds, and sounds a bit more dark and goth than the first release, which was more pop influenced.  I think anyone who was a fan of the Lunachicks should give this band a listen. 

Not only do they totally rock, but Theo’s also a lot of fun to watch on stage. She looked like a gorgeous punk rock bad girl prom queen, who seems to enjoy herself and have a sense of humor, which makes her seem down to earth. The turnout was disappointing, but the performance was enjoyable all the same.

At the beginning of August, I accepted an invitation to go visit an old friend in San Diego. I’d never been there, but I love the beach, and I found out one of my all-time favorite bands, The Cult would be performing at the horse race track out there. That was all I needed to hear! I booked a flight and laid on the beach for days. It was really beautiful and mellow down there, like a little dream world. I wished I could get a little rental house and live there all summer, writing, tanning, and drinking wine. Well, that would’ve been lovely, but having the opportunity to do that for a few days was nice as well. www.thecult.us

On Saturday Aug. 4^th, I could not wait to go to the racetrack and bet on horses and see my true loves, The Cult. I realized that the first time (of like 7 or so times) I saw them was the Electric tour in 87 with Billy Idol… I was 14! Wow! It’s been 20 years that I’ve loved them. My first tattoo that I got when I was 15 was a symbol from a Death Cult record… thank god it wasn’t a phase and I still love them as much as I ever did. That’s exactly how the entire crowd obviously felt. Everyone seemed thrilled to be there.

I was so excited by that whole show. They played at sunset, and opened with one of my favorite songs, ‘Spiritwalker,’ from their first album, ‘Dreamtime.’ Next, they played ‘Nirvana,’ from the Love album, and they followed up with many favorites from the span of their career, including ‘Love Removal Machine,’ ‘Revolution,’ ‘Edie,’ ‘Wildflower,’ ‘Fire Woman,’ as well as a few songs from their upcoming new release, ‘Born Into This,’ which comes out Oct. 2^nd. They closed the show with an encore of ‘She Sells Sanctuary,’ which made the crowd go into appreciative hysterics. It was perfect.

I don’t care that Ian Astbury doesn’t look 25 anymore… (I think he may be a bit self-conscious about that because he performed wearing a jacket for the whole show.) So he may have gained a few pounds? Take it off, Ian! We love you the way you are! Nobody has his style and incredible ethereal voice. I love him. They’ll be touring to support the new album in October, and I’ll be there again to support them for sure. I wonder if I’ll EVER get to meet him?! If I did, I’d probably be too shy to speak.

Anyway, when the show was over, I found myself wishing I could go back! I didn’t want it to end, and I didn’t want to leave beautiful, perfect San Diego. That was an awesome trip.

Back in SF, The 4-year anniversary of my friends’ Adrian and the Mysterious D’s Bootleg Mash-up club, Bootie was on Sat. Aug. 11^th at DNA Lounge. There were 1300 people there going nuts! There was a line around the block like I’ve never seen there before! There were crazy dancers, mad energy, photographers, film crews, and a stretch limo! (It was honestly a bit too much for me!) This club was voted best dance club in the San Francisco Bay Guardian.  Congrats, A & D!!! (They also have monthly clubs in LA, NYC and Paris.) The next Bootie SF is Sat. Sept 8. www.bootiesf.com

On Friday Aug. 24, I went to Peaches Christ’s Midnight Mass to see Elvira, Mistress of the Dark perform and speak IN THE FLESH, and then afterward, the movie shown was ‘Creature from the Black Lagoon’ in 3D!!! Elvira looked beautiful and amazing, Peaches and Vinsantos did a great opening number, and there was a fun Q & A with Peaches, Elvira, and a guy named Mr. Lobo, and the movie was a ton of fun too. I’d never seen an old 3D movie, but I loved it! My friend Miss Lynda made good use of her usually-garaged ‘76 Cadillac Hearse by playing chauffeur to Elvira for the appearance. This was a truly unique San Francisco night. www.peacheschrist.com
myspace.com/peacheschrist

I’ve seen a lot of new local bands lately, but nothing so great that I feel like going into right now. Not to worry though, I always have a lot on the calendar, and will keep on bringing you tales of my city (and others since I don’t stay put all the time)!

Coming up, I’m going to see the Subhumans on Sept 1 at Slims, Sham 69 at The Red Devil Lounge on Sept 4, and a few monthly clubs that I try to catch when I’m around: Jason El Diablo’s ‘Die Die my Darling’ on Fri Sept 7^th at SF Underground, and Adrienne Scissorhands’ ‘Club Debauchery’ on the last Sunday of Sept. at Annie’s Social Club. Also, I just found out that NYC Coolgrrrl Kitty Kowalski is coming to play Fri. Sept 7 at Thee Parkside with her band, The Kowalskis!

Also on Friday Sept. 7^th, at the deYoung Museum, their Friday night series features CATTYCHISM: A Peaches Christ Retrospective, from 5 to 8:45pm.

“Celebrate a decade of art inspired by and created for San Francisco’s very own drag superstar, Peaches Christ! Explore the meticulous craftwork behind the internationally renowned hostess of the Midnight Mass Movie Series.” For more info,
www.deyoungmuseum.org

Until next time, friends…

XO Alisha Amnesia

First, was the 10^th Annual Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Convention, held Thurs Apr. 5- Sun Apr. 8! Viva Las Vegas is a yearly event organized by Rockabilly Veteran DJ and Promoter Tom Ingram. The weekend is crazy and fun, featuring Rockabilly bands, vendors, burlesque performers, classic car enthusiasts, dancers, and music lovers from all over the world, who take over the Gold Coast Hotel and Casino during Easter Weekend.  This year, the event had grown so large, that it not only sold out, but Tom had to arrange for a second Hotel (The Gold Coasts’ sister hotel, The Orleans) to be available for the spill-over Rockabilly Revelers coming to town who were unable to obtain passes to attend the main events. www.vivalasvegas.net

I had not planned ahead of time to attend this year, since I had my hands full with a lot of important personal family business, but a few days before this year’s Viva Las Vegas, I started having pangs wishing I could go. I was lucky enough to receive an email from Tom Ingram asking if I planned to attend this year, just as I had started to feel like I would be missing out. Tom knows that I love to attend these events and share my experience with all of you, so he was gracious enough to squeeze me in at the last minute. I was so excited, and planned the whole trip only one night before everything kicked off.

I was just so lucky with this trip, considering the Gold Coast sells this weekend out a year in advance! My first night there, my friend and I got a suite for the regular room rate, and then they were able to move us to a regular room for the rest of the weekend. I like staying in the hotel where the show is happening so that I can pop back to my room to change shoes or whatever whim I may have, so that worked out really well, which was a great start to the trip. I had been going through a lot of tough personal stuff, so having this trip work out so well last minute really felt like a gift from the gods, which I was so grateful for. It was the first fun thing I did for myself all year.

I missed Thursday night’s performances because I took a late flight in, but I dropped off my bag, made a cocktail, checked in for the event by obtaining my wristband, and made a beeline for the event hall, which was still packed with enthusiastic party goers at 2am. I ended up visiting with people and dancing until 6am, then catching some z’s and popping out of bed the next day to attend Miss Sofia Wolff’s Jive dance class with a friend at noon. I actually learned the jive, which I wasn’t able to grasp years ago when I first made an attempt. That was a lot of fun, even if I was exhausted from the night before!

There is way too much happening at VLV to even scratch the surface, but I’ll give you my brief overview. There were so many really great performers, but my 3 favorites that I saw were Mike Sanchez, Big Sandy, and Dean Z as Elvis. It was my first time to experience Mike Sanchez, who is a white English soulful rock n roll singer and piano player along the lines of Little Richard, (whom I really love). His energy and musical talent was just so impressive. I felt like I had made an important new discovery when I saw him perform! Have you ever had one of those moments? If you have, you know what I mean.

Big Sandy has always been one of my favorite Rockabilly/ Western Swing performers. I have most of his CDs, and I just don’t get tired of seeing and hearing his band. It’s been 10 years that I’ve been enjoying them. I love his voice, I love the clever lyrics, and I love the band. They are stellar musicians.

Dean Z is a young guy in his early 20s who performs as the very early Elvis. I wouldn’t call him an impersonator, because that really cheapens this kid’s infectious talent as a performer. He definitely has some of Elvis’ original charisma that charmed fans. It really was the closest thing to seeing Elvis in the 50s that I will ever be able to experience. I highly recommend you see him if you have the chance. He will not disappoint!

Another band I saw of note was Restless. This was their last performance, they announced, which had me feeling I’d missed something important, having never seen them before! They had awesome energy, and the crowd loved them.

There were some really incredible burlesque performers again this year. My absolute favorite was a gal who looked like Marilyn Monroe, who did a number with sparkling glitter flowing like champagne around her gorgeous figure. Damn, she had me wishing I could look just like her. What a beauty! I wish I could have taken pictures, but it is very difficult to get close enough to see or photograph during the burlesque contest. I found myself wishing they had those giant screens at each side of the stage like they have at big concert venues!

The Car Show this year was one of the biggest and best that I think I’ve ever seen! It was awesome. They had so many cars this year that it was moved to a bigger lot! I took tons of pictures, so check them out here. There were also some cool bikes, including one that said “Social Distortion” in metal flake on the tank, which was built by Black Kat Kustoms, founded by Mike Ness (singer of Social D for those who live in a cave or don’t follow punk). Mike wasn’t there, but the guy at the booth told me to hop on so he could take my picture on it! www.blackkatkustoms.com

There was also a lot of fun to be had by the pool every day as well. I love hanging out in the sun and having daiquiris, listening to music, and meeting new people from all over the world while relaxing in the hot tub. On the last day of the weekender, they have a Tiki Pool party, where a lot of the girls show off their vintage playsuits, and the boys show off their vintage Hawaiian gear. It’s totally retro. That’s not to say that there aren’t also tons of people covered in tattoos, drinking and carousing, who don’t give a damn about vintage clothes! It’s kind of ‘anything goes,’ you know? I fall smack dab somewhere in the middle, which is why I feel so at home there.

I also want to mention the fact that a lot of total freaks go to the event and hang around the casino just to soak up the energy. Many of them don’t look at all like they belong, but that is what is so great about the whole weekend. It attracts all kinds, and the common thread is fun. I had to get my photo taken with the twin hippies I kept seeing around, and the guy in ruffled panties and Elvis sunglasses!

At the end of the weekend, everyone is as sad to go, as they are ready to get home and recover over the next few days! It’s always an exhaustion that we Viva Las Vegas enthusiasts welcome. God Bless Tom Ingram and all the bands and people who make this event such a total blast every year!

When I got home from Vegas, on April 14^th, I went to see Los Strait Jackets featuring Big Sandy at The Red Devil Lounge. The show was extremely crowded, so I only popped in for a few songs. The band wears Mexican Wrestling masks and plays really great energetic surf music, and Big Sandy sang in Spanish.  I had to dash out early to go to 2 other venues that night. I went to see 2 of my favorite local bands, The Grannies and Everything Must Go at Annie’s Social Club, then to club Bootie at DNA Lounge, which goes on till 3am! I had pictures of the night, and then my camera was stolen, so I lost them. BOO!

Now on to Iggy and the Stooges!!!! I could not wait to see them. I’ve been a fan forever like a lot of the world, but had never had the pleasure of experiencing them live. I bought tickets in advance for both nights. The first night, Thurs. Apr. 19^th, I resigned to sit in my assigned balcony seats, and I was so pissed off and miserable that I considered skipping the second show a few days later. At this particular venue, The Warfield, they police you severely, not allowing spikes, punk belts, cameras, and *GASP* drinks if your seats are in the balcony! I was up there in the nosebleed section, sober and unable to see, which was making me so crazy I could hardly stand it. Also the sound isn’t good up there.

The second show on April 21^st WAS AWESOME because I refused to go to the balcony and have my night ruined again! I decided I would rather get drunk in the lobby than deal with the balcony, but an awesome bartender in the lobby walked me past security on to the floor’s general admission area where you can enjoy seeing and hearing the band while also having access to 2 bars. That is the right way to see a show if you ask me. This show was Iggy’s 60^th Birthday!!!! I actually got to see him on his birthday! It was incredible. He invited a bunch of people on stage (as he has on this tour repeatedly), and everyone was up there jumping around like they were having the time of their lives, and I totally cried. It was really incredible.

Iggy did all the songs you would expect, and he looked and sounded as good as he ever did as far as I’m concerned. He is amazing. I wish I could have taken pictures.

On a completely different note, I recently jumped in my convertible, crossed the Golden Gate Bridge, and went out to the beautiful Napa Valley to check out some wineries and have dinner on the Napa Valley Wine Train. It was this charming old-style train that reminds you of the 1940s. (The only gripe I have about it is that the wine you drink while on the train is not included in the admission price.) The 3-hour ride and dinner is $100 per person, but then we spent about $60 more on wine and tips per person as well. The scenery was lovely, the food was delicious, and the train was quaint.  If you are a big drinker like myself though, it may be worth the $15 corkage per bottle fee to bring your own wine, depending on the price of your favorite bottles. This excursion is well worth the splurge at least once in your life though, if you are visiting Napa. www.winetrain.com

Another fun thing I did a few times recently was go to the horse races in Berkeley at Golden Gate Fields. On Sundays they have “Dollar Day” featuring $1 admission, parking, programs, hot dogs, and beers. Both times I went, it was a lot of fun and I ran into people I knew. I’m clueless at betting, but it’s fun nonetheless. The season just ended, but begins again on November 7th. www.goldengatefields.com

Now that summer is upon us, San Francisco’s Street Fair season has arrived. I love these events on nice days where you can drink on the streets, eat chicken on a stick, and watch bands play while people-watching. The very best one (meaning biggest and my favorite) is SF’s annual Gay Pride weekend and Parade, June 23 and 24. I’ve had fun at this event every year, but this year they haven’t booked any musical acts I’m that excited about. I’ll still go anyway, because it is so much fun drinking out front of City Hall while people watching. The outfits and craziness are so worth getting out of bed for! Also, the parties afterward are often the best of the year.  www.sfpride.org

Also coming up: Skinny Puppy plays the Fillmore on Thurs June 21^st. The Psychedelic Furs play July 15^th at Mezzanine. I’ve never seen them, but really love them and hope to go!

I did a lot more that I just don’t have the energy to get into, like going to the Vivienne Westwood Exhibit at the DeYoung Museum, seeing the Black Halos, The Red Devil Lounge’s 10 year Anniversary party, 2 trips to Los Angeles for Bootie LA, where I also attended Mario Diaz’s Hot Dog club, newly moved to The Dragonfly, The Los Feliz St. Fair, SF’s Jameson Bartender’s Ball, and who even remembers now? Whew… I wish I could be more conscientious about writing more often so I wouldn’t have so much to catch up on! Thanks to all of you for reading, and I will definitely have more fun stuff to share soon! MAYBE I won’t do this to myself next time!

XOXO

Alisha Amnesia

Feeling totally filled up and rejuvenated by the power of rock ‘n’ roll, we headed out after the show for a nightcap at the Onda Restaurant where I indulged in a divinely scrumptious White Chocolate Espresso Martini and we had a perfect window view of the international troupe of Cirque dancers as they came out from the dressing room. Later we took in the psychedelic go-go dancers shakin’ their moves in the wall of giant letters of the R-E-V-O-L-U-T-I-O-N Bar. I am the Eggman, I am the Walrus…

Check out more on the show on the official site: www.cirquedusoleil.com

Are you alive in Los Angeles? I found out how to be when I went on the Museum of Neon Art’s Beat Poets tour. Although the lights went out on this downtown museum that lost its lease in January, the staff continues to bring some of LA’s neon gems to the masses through their once-a-month tours. I hopped aboard for the winter tour, which combines spoken word with architecture and cocktails, beginning inside the stunning Los Angeles Theatre. After ogling the golden palace that is usually closed to the public, the tour kicked off with a slam of words from Mike the Poet, his partner Phill Harmonic and percussionist Bongo Matt. Choice words about LA rolled and punched with a perspective that is often lost in the grind of day to day living:

“I’m alive in Los Angeles!

Where the angles change like isosceles

Citywide topographies

Undulate across mass landscape

Moving from chain-link to palatial gates

Into separate economic states

With rising birth rates below hilltops into the streetscapes…”

We boarded the bus that took us to Chinatown, Silver Lake, Echo Park, Hollywood, Koreatown with stops at classic watering holes the Broadway Bar, the Frolic Room and Frank N Hanks. Throughout our journey Mike the Poet let off rhymes through the bus’s PA system and shared his infectious passion for this city aglow with contrasts. He intermixed his poems with a soundtrack of songs about Los Angeles including X, the Doors and Elliott Smith and others. Most impressive was the sidewalk slam outside Frank N Hank’s that had people dropping their drinks and gathering outside the bar and cheering along. We are alive in Los Angeles! For some great words that will open your eyes to all that is to behold of our fair city, pick up Mike the Poet’s recently published book and check him out on mySpace: www.myspace.com/mikethepoet

Another artist who appreciates good landscapes is Vija Celmins whose collection of drawings is on display at the Hammer Museum. Working with photography taken of what she calls “spaces unbound” such as star-stippled nighttime skies, infinite ripples of ocean, unending desert floors, she subtly alters the perception through shifts in scale and reversal of depth. With a photo for inspiration, she takes a canvas and blackens it with graphite, then erases away white space to recreate the image in her photographs. A shooting star, a spider web, the delicate wonder of nature take on new meaning in this reversal of imagery in Celmins’ stunning exhibit. Check it out for yourself through April 22.

Forget American Idol, for a dose of talent right here in LA’s backyards, head down to LaBoheme’s Upright Cabaret nights, where a mixed crowd of West Hollywood hipsters gather to hear working and aspiring theatre singers give it what they got one song at a time. The best part is the surprise of never knowing what you’re going to get, surprise performances by Broadway stage stars is common and with the constant revolving door of talent on stage, if one doesn’t suit your fancy, wait five minutes, the next one probably will. And best of all you can have dinner or drinks in the lush gothic setting of this opulent space. I laughed, I cried, it was better than Cats! For more go to www.uprightcabaret.com

I made a pit stop at a tiny little gallery in the Valley called the Drkrm. to check out a photo exhibit of Bowie and Jagger by Donald Cammell and Nicolas Roeg. Candid black ‘n’ whites on the set of “The Man Who Fell to Earth” and “Performance” made you want to run and add those films to your Netflix queue. It’s also clear what triple threats Bowie and Jagger really are – they can sing, they can act, and they are stunningly unique looking! I haven’t seen anybody else come along that has the legend power of these two. If you missed the show, you can still check out, and even purchase some of the pix here: www.drkrm.com and watch for more cool exhibits on their web site: www.drkrm.com/gallery.

Every picture tells a story,

K.

Anyway, I am a truly strong human being and am doing fine, but since I’m an only child and the only close living relative of my father, I have had to take care of everything. I had to actually move back to Dallas for the months of Jan and Feb. It was very weird, and I had a lot of work to do. Lucky for me, I do still have a few amazing friends left in Dallas, and I even managed to catch a few great bands.

In Dallas, there were only 3 venues still putting on shows I’m into: The Darkside Lounge www.darksidelounge.com, Bar of Soap www.barofsoap.net, and the Double Wide www.double-wide.com. If you’re ever in Dallas, I’d say those are the places to go (or play if you’re in a band) if you’re into punk and rock and roll. I ended up at the Darkside a lot, and even saw a San Francisco band that came through town called The Lucky Stiffs. They were good, and if they come to your town, you should check them out. I had not seen them in about 4 years and am not familiar with their music, but they put on a great high-energy set despite the bad turnout that night.  I’m always impressed when a band has that kind of energy even if the crowd is lacking.

The same night, old school UK punk band, The Blitz played at Bar of Soap. I was there earlier that night and saw the band hanging out, but ended up missing their set.  Unfortunately, it turned out the Blitz headed to Houston or San Antonio the next night and the guitar player was hit by a truck and killed! I can’t believe I missed an old legendary punk band while supporting my fellow SF peeps! Timing is everything, and life can be over in a split second. I’ve really become painfully aware of it recently. It’s crazy.  I was in the same room with this guy 24 hours before this happened. www.nidgeblitz.com, myspace.com/blitzwarriors

I discovered the best place for me to act a fool while in Dallas: the weekly Goth/ new wave night called The Church, every Sunday night at a club called the Lizard Lounge. I LOVED it. The music was always fun, the crowd had an ‘anything goes’ vibe, ripe with hilarious Dallas Goth club kids (who seemed about 10 years behind California in club fashion), and regular people coexisting. There were two rooms with different DJs, bars and dance floors, and I always liked what the DJs were playing. I saw a funny sight there- a girl riding a guy with a saddle! Going there on Sunday nights was just the therapy I needed during a traumatic, stressful time in my life. It really was my Church! www.thelizardlounge.com

One of my favorite bands of the moment from LA played at The Church my last weekend in Dallas: Dirty Sanchez! This band is hilarious, talented, clever, and outrageous. Fronted by Drag Queen comedienne Jackie Beat and Mario Diaz (who hosts his own club “Hot Dog” in LA among other things), Dirty Sanchez is new wave electro synth pop with bitingly clever lyrics and themes. They are humorous, catchy and charming. Some of the gems they played that night were: ‘Fucking on the Dance Floor,’ ‘Really Rich Italian Satanists,’ ‘Youth in Asia,’ and a cover of Prince and Sheena Eason’s ‘You’ve Got the Look.’ (Another favorite they didn’t play is ‘Dinner Party.’) If you like new wave and electro, check out Dirty Sanchez! I talked my way backstage and took a few photos before they went on that night, dressed as new wave cave-people, kind of like the Flintstones… hilarious. wearedirtysanchez.com, myspace.com/dirtysanchezla

Two amazingly talented bands who came through Dallas on tour as well were The Mansfields, and The Heart Attacks. I missed The Mansfields, but got their CD, which is really awesome. It’s hard, fast, loud, catchy punk and roll done right. There is a definite Ramones influence, and maybe a little Stiv Bators/ Lords of the New Church feel on occasion. www.mansfieldsusa.com

The Heart Attacks were really amazing too. They are young rock gods already. They performed like pros, and sounded tight and really rocked the place. I bought their CD, ‘Hellbound and Heartless,’ which was produced by Lars Fredricksen of Rancid. Both of these bands come highly recommended by me, so go see them if they come through your city. myspace.com/theheartattacks

I’ve been back in San Francisco for a few weeks, and am still very busy dealing with my father’s messy Estate. I’m in the middle of a crazy tornado, and I am doing my best to try and get it to slow to a halt at some point. I’m in a truly overwhelming spot. I came back to SF just in time to pick up a weekly bar shift at The Elbo Room, working the Tuesday Happy Hour shift from 5 to 9:30. The Elbo Room is a cool bar in the Mission District that has shows upstairs nightly, and a cool downstairs bar with a neighborhood feel. Their drink prices are very reasonable and the clientele is a wide variety of non-pretentious people elbo.com. I hope to end up as part of the family there when my personal affairs calm down a bit and maybe I can work more shifts and get into a more normal place in my life again. (None of you creeps better come down there to stalk me! Friendly non-weirdos are welcome to come and over tip me anytime though!)

I discovered a brand new bar in the Tenderloin, on Geary around Jones and Leavenworth, called The Ambassador. I hear it’s been open about 6 weeks. It is a beautiful bar in the middle of a seedier neighborhood. There are 31 chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, padded booths with phones attached to each that has a very old-school 40s and 50s feel to it that reminds me of the old hotspots I’ve read about in Hollywood and NYC, like Ciro’s, Macambo, the Brown Derby, and places in that time period of glamour and style.  I would love to have a private party there someday.

The most incredible nightclub I’ve been to in ages was March’s Bootie at DNA lounge. There were a thousand people, great energy, an interesting variety of people, and fun music. I’ve mentioned the monthly club Bootie before, as some old friends of mine, Adrian and the Mysterious D are the promoters, hosts and DJ’s, and they also have a monthly Bootie in Los Angeles and one starting in NYC. They’ve played Paris and London, and may be doing another Paris gig this spring. The club is the only all mash-up club in the states. Every month, they have dancers, drag queens, the band Smashup Derby plays, and there are 2 rooms full of partiers dancing their asses off. It’s always fun. For photos, dates, to download a CD and more info, visit www.bootiesf.com

One other fairly new club I had to go check out is called Slide, located in Union Square. They actually have a big slide that you can ride down into the club, or the less daring can just walk down some stairs. I, of course, rode the slide. The crowd was a bit fancier and yuppie-ish than most of the places I feel most at home, but I still enjoyed a night there. It was one of those things I just needed to see and do.

That sums up what I’ve been doing for the last 4 months basically. I can’t wait to see what 2007 has in store for me. This is a very big year of change for me, and I am doing my best to embrace life, enjoy all that the world has to offer me and to recognize who and what are really important. Even during a tumultuous time, I was again reminded just how important music is to me in my life. With out one of my all time favorite bands, The Cult, I never would have had the strength to scatter my father’s ashes all by myself. Listening to them made me get the nerve to make it happen. Without Aretha Franklin, I would have had a harder time breaking up with the only man I’ve ever truly loved, and without Sigue Sigue Sputnik, I don’t know if I would have the amazing sense of humor that I have about myself and life in general.

Coming up: The Stooges are coming to San Francisco for 2 shows, Thurs. April 19 and Sat. April 21. I can’t wait. I’ve never seen them, and it will be mostly the original line-up. I already bought tickets for both shows!

Best Wishes to everyone for 2007.

XXXOOO Alisha Amnesia

My December holiday madness was capped by the John Water’s Christmas Show at UCLA’s Royce Hall. The “King of Filth” was in peak form with his one-man monologue — now in its third year — that gave Waters fans insight to the man behind the camera. And what a mind is tickin’ in there! Always the “Crackpot” the director/artist who brought us Pink Flamingos, Cry-Baby and Hairspray and the divine Divine to the big screen, gave us a one-hour rant about what he wants, and doesn’t want, for the holidays. A few items on his what-I-hate list – fruit baskets (“Who wants a bunch of pears for Christmas?”) and crowds. On his holiday wish list – rare books and a sticker bush wreath (“Wouldn’t that be fun?!”) Now you know – only a few hundred shopping days until next Christmas!

Opening for Waters was none other the original punk with a beat-up heart on his sleeve, geek-gone-wild Jonathan Richman. Armed with a guitar and Tommy Larkins on drums, Richman gave the kind of sparse performance only he could pull off, tackling some of his best loved tunes such as “Pablo Picasso.” And though he frequently couldn’t contain his feet during songs and broke out into dance, don’t let his goofy footwork fool you, Richman is no slacker in the intelligence department. He proved his worldliness by busting out his heartfelt laments in English, French and Italian. He’s one Modern Lover indeed!

I had the pleasure of doing a fun interview with Jonathan Richman a few years ago, you can check it out HERE.

Recently two books have hit the shelves documenting a time period I know well. I just happened to move to Los Angeles in the mid-80s just as the glam metal scene was exploding. Two rock journalists brought back a few memories of my nights stomping around clubs from Cathouse to the Sunset Strip. So when the authors did the required book tour appearances, I had to check it out – even if the vibe was much more civilized than any Guns N’ Roses gig.

First stop, in the very tame interior of Barnes and Noble in Encino, former Rip Magazine editor Lonn Friend held court to promote “Life on Planet Rock” his best-of collection of memories from his days flying around on private jets and flashing backstage passes as the editor of one of the country’s biggest hard rock glossy magazines and later as a trial-by-fire A&R rep, crossing to the dark side of working for the record biz.

Now Friend has settled into his new title of author, answering questions about those good ol’ days of rock’s reign on the charts. Although the crowd that turned up on this particular night was more like a high school reunion than a rock gig, consisting mainly of Friend’s old classmates from Grant Valley High school, we did get a few rock tales as Friend told an emotional story about channeling Dime Bag after his on-stage slaying, and had a slight rant when posed the question “who of the people you interviewed and hung out with back then is still your friend?” To which he responded by saying everyone “kissed his ass” when he was the publisher of a rock magazine, now Aerosmith isn’t returning his calls and Tommy Lee hasn’t showed up to a reading after promising he’d be the first in line. Sorry Lonn, it’s one of show biz’s hardest lessons – the term “friend” is relative.

While Friend hoped to have some rock stars show up at his reading, I sat next to Vixen guitarist Jan Kuehnemund who turned up for Steven Blush’s Book Soup reading of his latest, “American Hair Metal.”

With deadpan documentation of the hair metal daze, Blush hits on some of the key points of the movement, from the opening page featuring a lone photo of Aqua Net hairspray to the worthy observations such as the rise of the Alpha Male, the flashy fashion sense, the objectification of women, and the egocentric self delusion as told “Decline of the Western Civilization the Metal Years”-style, through in-the-moment quotes pulled from magazines such as Circus and Hit Parader. Don’t look for any recent interviews or where-are-they-now updates however, Blush amusingly states they were attempted but didn’t glean much info because the rockers either didn’t have much to say, had put those times behind them, or were too embarrassed to admit to the antics of their hair metal years.

Flipping through the book it’s funny to see the period analyzed in the present tense, because it all really did seem to be a good idea at the time! Although I had to disagree when Blush talked about how it was damaging to be a punk who got into hair metal. I did it, and found many similarities in the energy of punk and glam metal – the anti-establishment attitude, the extreme look, and having a scene all its own with like-minded souls driven by the power of music. After all, it’s only rock ‘n’ roll and we love it!

Another rocker who made a profession out of documenting the stars is Neal Preston whose photo exhibit brought the crowds into the recently opened Morrison Hotel Gallery on Sunset. Live concert photos of such rock heavies as Springsteen and the Stones stand out, as Preston’s cred through the rock world has included touring with Led Zeppelin, Queen, and Billy Joel as well as being the official photographer for Live Aid and Amnesty International’s world tour, and special unit photography for feature films Almost Famous and Vanilla Sky. His showing was the perfect launch of this now bi-coastal fine art gallery, specializing in rock photography. It’s worth a stop by any fan to check it out!

I got my girly fix on by heading downtown to check out the perfume exhibit at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) for the Fashion Makes Scents exhibit, which celebrated the opening of The Annette Green Perfume Museum. With a show of over 1,600 perfume bottles from collector Annette Green’s personal collection, the exhibit was a stunning display of sexy packaging and marketing concepts mixed in with designer gowns and style trends proving how scent, fashion and the culture of the times are interwoven.

There was also fun to be had in the gift shop which featured special fragrance-related novelties including a signature scent commissioned just for the exhibit from scent expert Neil Harris who created “Musée Femme,” a light floral with top notes of mandarin and ivy leaves and a hint of champaca flowers, heart notes of orchids, roses and violets and base notes of damascus plum, wood and blackberry musk. The limited 150 bottles are only available at the Museum for $50 a pop.

I stopped in for Tongue & Groove, a monthly reading event at the Hotel Café featuring local LA minds who wield a good pen. One recent event featured a Jewish twist with short stories and book excerpts that humorously dealt with stereotypes, classic Jewish guilt, and resisting the embrace of family roots and holiday traditions. Showcasing their works were David Ulin, author of “The Myth of Solid Ground,” Bruce Bauman, author of “And the Word Was,” Loren Kantor, Leda Rogers, Jeremy Deutchman and an acoustic musical performance by Rykarda Parasol. Hosted by Conrad Romo, who introduces his guests with a brief bio and posing the questions: What was the first album you bought and what was the first concert you attended? Telling details indeed.

Speak your mind,

K.

I got to see a couple of good concerts this summer. At the end of July, I saw The Buzzcocks at Mezzanine. I enjoyed them this time as much as the 3 previous times I had seen them over the last 14 years. I left the next day for LA, where I saw the New York Dolls at Tower Records on the Sunset Strip. I wasn’t really sure they’d be good to see since they are so old now, but they were great. They sounded as good as they ever did, and I felt like I was lucky enough to experience something really important to music history. I am so glad I had the opportunity to see that show. It was awesome.

My August was action packed. I saw Peaches at The Fillmore, who put on an exciting show. She has great energy, attitude, ballsy lyrics, and fun costume changes. I also saw Fischerspooner at Mezzanine, and they put on a really fun show as well. They always have a stage full of dancers and excitement going on, and I really enjoy their electro sound.

I went to a punk rock wedding weekend Aug 18-19 in an area called Sonora, CA, about 4 hours from San Francisco. It was very hot out there, and the town of Columbia where the wedding was held was charming. It’s an old gold rush town, very down home, and different from what I’m used to. Everyone who went out there for the wedding had a ball. There were a lot of musicians and rock and roll people mixed with the couple’s family in a small historic town, which was surreal. We were literally in the country, and this city girl enjoyed it even though I felt a bit out of sorts!

The last weekend of August, an old friend’s hardcore punk band came through town on tour from New York City called Hymen Holocaust. They are extremely high energy, very musically tight, with funny lyrics. At times the songs reminded me of Minor Threat, which were a favorite of mine back in high school. They were pretty rad, and made some new SF fans here when they played. They did shows here at Annie’s and Mad Dog in the Fog, as well as a local skate park.

Since you last heard from me, I went mostly to a lot of local bars, shows, and various other local places of interest. I discovered a new Sunday Brunch, which is a true San Francisco Experience! It is called “Sunday’s a Drag,” located at Harry Denton’s Starlight Room, which is a beautiful, opulent dining/ ballroom room at the top of The Sir Francis Drake Hotel in Union Square. The brunch is only $30 per person for a lovely spread of all-you-can-eat high quality hotel fare, with a campy fun show consisting of various local drag performers. It’s the best 30-dollar brunch I’ve ever had! I’ve been back 3 times, and loved it every time. The show changes week to week, but the food and the fun are always guaranteed to be wonderful. The Starlight Room also has a crowded, off-the-hook dance club night on Wednesdays, which I’ve breezed through twice. It’s always full of revelers, and it’s really fun to be dancing and drinking in that gorgeous, plush chandelier-clad room with a view of the city lights as far as the eye can see. It feels like you’re on the top of the world, or at least the top of the lovely city of San Francisco.

I’ve been a frequenter of the monthly mash-up club, Bootie and the under-the-radar hipster hotspot bar Otis. I happened upon Otis’ one-year anniversary party on August 9^th, where I was photographed, among others, www.vaindeer.com.

I attended this years’ annual SF Weekly Awards on October 18^th; the 5 year Anniversary of the Hemlock Tavern; and have enjoyed the beach and Golden Gate Park. I also saw old school UK punk band, The Vibrators at Kimos in September, which was really fun. I saw The Killers, who were fantastic, at The Warfield, which sucks. The Killers had an amazing stage set, and I love the singer’s voice. I think it is so beautiful and rich. I hate the Warfield though! They took my bullet belt away, which upset my night. They have a lot of rules and barriers, and then some more rules. You can’t talk on a cell phone in the lobby, you have to smoke or make calls out front of the club behind a barricade, and no cameras (or bullet belts apparently) are allowed. I hate venues like that.

On Saturday Sept. 9^th, I went to an awesome photography show called “It’s only Rock n Roll” at a Gallery called Root Division. There were awesome original photos of young Billy Idol, Avengers, Ramones, Dead Boys, Iggy, Go-Gos, Sid Vicious, and many, many more people of interest. My favorite photos were of Joey Ramone, by Jen Lens, who attended the event. You can actually contact her, place orders, and buy original photographs through her website. My absolute favorite was of Joey Ramone lounging by a pool in 1978 in San Francisco. www.jennylens.com

I’ve been keeping myself busy between work and fun, and I truly apologize for letting it go so long since I’ve sent in an update on life in San Francisco. My silly excuse is that this city is so much fun, with so much to offer, that I got completely carried away in it for a while. I’ll tell you more soon, I promise!

XOXO Alisha Amnesia