San Francisco is My Home

28
Feb

Save the Palace!

Author: kris, Category: Landmarks, News, Politics

San Francisco has three important palaces. There’s the Palace of Fine Arts, and the Palace of the Legion of Honor. And then there is the Cow Palace.

The amusing name derives from its original function, which was to house large livestock at the Pan-Pacific International Expo. The idea came about in 1915, but wasn’t completed until 1941.

These days the Palace houses all kinds of stuff, from the annual Dickens Christmas Faire to political speakers to popular bands to Disney’s Princess on Ice show. But State Senator Yee is proposing to sell the Palace to Daly City, who will definitely knock it down and replace it with a supermarket and other stuff the neighborhood needs.

What kind of person tells a Daly City family they can’t have a grocery store because we want to keep our entertainment center there, right? And yet…

The thing that makes living in SF and environs good, the reason we pay such high prices for rent and food and transportation, the reason people flock here in droves, isn’t just the great weather. It’s because the Bay Area is one of those places that still has a strong personality, one that would shine through even if you removed all the kooky, lovable characters. Because we have things like the Castro Theatre and the Albany Bulb and, of course, the Cow Palace.

If you are unconvinced, consider that part of why the Daly City council wants the thing torn down is because it hosts “too many gun shows, erotic balls and rap concerts.” A strike for the Cow Palace is a strike against censorship!

If you’ve got something to say on this, whether for or against, I urge you to attend tonight’s first meeting to discuss the possible sale of the C.P.

Meeting times are:

Tonight, 7 o’clock: Bayshore Community Center, 450 Martin St., Daly City

March 8, 10 a.m.: Visitacion Valley Community Center, 66 Raymond Ave., San Francisco

March 8, 11 a.m.: Bayshore Community Center, 450 Martin St., Daly City

March 25, 7 p.m.: Saddleback Homeowners Clubhouse, 1800 Saddleback Drive, Daly City

This photo of The Beatles playing at the Cow Palace was taken by Bob Campbell.

27
Feb

SF loses a character

Author: kris, Category: Celebrities, Food, News, People

Famed restaurateur Tommy Toy died. He was known around town, and catered to several local celebrities including Coppola. His food was art (so I’ve heard), and the fact that his haberdasher described him as “outgoing” is way less telling than the fact that he had a haberdasher at all.

(If you are wondering, haberdasher = a retail dealer in men’s furnishings, as shirts, ties, gloves, socks, and hats.)

You can read the full article here, but I especially liked the ending:

“Mr. Toy is survived by his wife, Veronica, a son, Darrick, and a grandson, all of San Francisco.”

26
Feb

Last Comic Standing

Author: kris, Category: Comedy, Events

I found another thing you can do on Friday night: go be funny. NBC’s Last Comic Standing is hosting their San Francisco audition on Friday, February 29, at Cobb’s Comedy Club.  Do you think you have what it takes to make the judges laugh?

…Okay, I’ve never actually seen Last Comic Standing, but I’m pretty sure that’s what it’s all about.

You can make your cousin Stewart laugh…you can make French people laugh…but can you make French Stewart laugh? Well, can you?

25
Feb

Monday roundup

Author: kris, Category: Bars and Clubs, Events, Music, Weekend preview

It’s your weekend roundup, presented on a Monday for once.

Friday, February 29

Celebrate the most unusual day in February with a concert by a truly unusual band. The Magnetic Fields are playing at the Herbst Theatre for Noisepop, though at this point you’ll have to skulk around Craigslist to get a ticket. If paying double the price for a scalped admission doesn’t appeal, you could always embrace the true spirit of Noisepop by picking the venue closest to your house and seeing whoever’s on offer. You will almost certainly not be disappointed. Noisepop is the premiere event in town this weekend, so check the schedule for all the days and don’t miss out.

Saturday, March 1

If Noisepop is just too hep for you, maybe you want to do something much, much lamer. In that case, I recommend hosting a rousing celebration of St. David’s Day, the day sacred to the patron saint of Wales. A ten minute Google search proved that there isn’t a large, thriving community of Welsh immigrants in the Bay Area, but you can at least knock a few celebratory pints back at the Prince of Wales Pub in San Mateo. Or, again, you could check out Noisepop.

Sunday, March 2

Feeling nostalgic for those drama days of high school? Buy a ticket for the Bay One Acts, running February 21 through March 16 and hosted by the enjoyably named Three Wise Monkeys Theatre Company. (Doesn’t anyone spell it “theater” around here? Seriously.) I’ve never been to anything put on by this company, so I’m not necessarily endorsing it, but if it sucks, hey, it was only one act long.

Remember: Noisepop. It’s a good thing.

22
Feb

You put your bookstore in, you put your bookstore out

Author: kris, Category: News, Shopping

As Berkeley’s Cody’s Books moves house yet again, things continue to look dire for independent bookstores. This isn’t really news, of course. Indie bookstores have been failing for decades. Still, Cody’s was an institution for years and years, and on their new premises they’ll be seriously dialing down their selection.

“The days of big full-service bookstores are over,” said Hut Landon, director of the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association. “The smaller neighborhood model is what’s working.”

I wonder what this means for Green Apple Books, SF’s fabulous enormous used bookstore. They appear to be thriving — they’re always packed, no matter what time or day I go. And it doesn’t hurt that they’re a block from one of the city’s hottest restaurants, Burma Superstar, which often has a two-hour seating delay, giving diners nothing to do in the interim but browse through the bookstore while they wait for a table. Still, it seems unlikely that this one mega-indie store will escape the axe, just because it happens to be the one I love most.

This artwork is by Paul Madonna, another fabulous San Francisco institution.

21
Feb

Circus People

Author: kris, Category: Events

If you like circuses, but in your heart you wish they were a little cooler — and you can’t afford tickets to Cirque du Soleil — you might check out the Bohemian Carnival. This used to be a monthly event at the DNA Lounge. Though it no longer seems to be housed there, it looks like it’s still running, complete with its cadre of bound-to-astound-you contortionists, fire breathers and so on and so on. I suggest you sign up with the mailing list to keep abreast of upcoming shows.

This lovely image comes from here.

20
Feb

Swear not by the moon

Author: kris, Category: Nature, News

Keep your eyes peeled for a lunar eclipse tonight. Perhaps you are thinking to yourself, pah, a total lunar eclipse, big deal. I can see those anytime. Not so, dear friend. This will be the last total lunar eclipse available to us until 2010.

Also, who are you to be so cavalier about the movements of the cosmos? Shape up, kid.

It is, of course, possible that the weather, currently semi-crap, will be total crap by tonight, ruining the view of the big event. Still, it’s worth ducking your head outside to take a gander if you happen to think of it around 7 pm.

The next solar eclipse, if you are wondering, will take place in August.

19
Feb

Monday roundup, still on Tuesday

Author: kris, Category: Celebrities, Events, Movies, Music

Once again, I find myself red-faced on a Tuesday, writing the Monday Weekend Roundup. Can I help it if Monday was a holiday? Ah, well. At any rate, here are some weekend plans you might make:

Friday, February 22

You know how art is great, but really slow? Warhol famously had a problem with that, telling an interviewer that he wished he could make art on an assembly line basis, churning it out double-time. Warhol would have loved the Monster Drawing Rally, a five hour free-for-all where more than 130 artists pack into one room and create art as fast as they can. The art is immediately put up for auction. This only happens once a year, so don’t miss it. I myself would be there except I am planning to be sitting around with friends, watching a movie about Jane Austen. What a gripping life I do lead, eh?

Saturday, February 23

Speaking of staying in, local rockstars The John Francis Imposters will be performing on the radio on KALX Live at 9 pm. The show will be hosted by everybody’s (by which I mean my) favorite KALX Live DJ, Concrete Skyline and will be followed by an interview with the band. Grab some takeout food and curl up with your radio to enjoy the show. (Also note: you can listen online, if you don’t happen to live within signal range of the station. Just click “Listen now” at the top of the page.) Staying in on Saturday night: it’s not just for big nerds anymore.

Here, The John Francis proves he can grow a mountain man beard nearly as well as he can sing.

Sunday, February 24

The Castro Theatre is showing Brokeback Mountain as a memorial tribute to Heath Ledger. If you read the headlines and have half a brain, you’ll probably be feeling horrified by anything Ledger-related at this point, and thinking to yourself, come on, guys, give the kid a break already. However, the Castro tribute promises to be sincere and non-ghoulish, paying respects to an actor whose sensitive portrayal of a gay man helped bring gay issues into the mainstream. If you attend only one memorial tribute to Heath Ledger this year, let this be the memorial tribute to Heath Ledger that you attend.

And another thing…

As you have no doubt noticed, I’m listing just one event for each day. Obviously, there’s a lot more going on in this city. If know of an event, a performance, or just something fun to do, please feel free to share with the class in the comments.

15
Feb

Post-Valentine’s Day — because you actually forgot

Author: kris, Category: Holiday, Landmarks, Shopping

You got home from work yesterday to a grimacing, pissed off significant other. He/she got you something for Valentine’s Day and you, by forgetting, basically spat in his/her face. This will teach you not to check San Francisco Is My Home several times a day. However, I will take pity on you. When you find yourself in the post-Valentine’s Day doghouse, try one of these tricks and treats (oops, wrong holiday) to be allowed back in the human house where you belong:

An expensive present

Readers voted Idle Hand the best tattoo shop in SF Weekly’s 2007 “best of” issue. A gift certificate or an exploratory trip to the store with your sig. other might be just what the doctor ordered to get you back in good graces.

A silly present

Tutti Frutti carries an extensive range of greeting cards and a bunch of silly toys and small gifts. You might find that the only thing keeping you from a romantic reconciliation is that male nurse action figure your lover didn’t even know he or she wanted.

A non-material present

Take your s.o. on a surprise outing to the Albany Bulb. This garbage-dump-turned-art-gallery is filled with enormous, strange, funny and beautiful artworks, perfect for distracting your person until he/she forgets exactly why he/she is mad at you. For extra points, create an art piece yourself before arriving and dedicate it to your one true love, or whoever you happen to be dating.

14
Feb

Valentine’s Day — because you almost forgot

Author: kris, Category: Holiday, Shopping

The work day is almost over and a coworker has just tipped you off that it’s Valentine’s Day. Oops. Whoever you’ve got waiting at home is going to be pissed…unless you take a quick side trip to any of these handy retailers:

Aricie Lingerie

Don’t get sucked into one of the newly-boring all-cotton all-the-time Victoria’s Secret underwear emporiums. Instead, drop into this Post Street shop to find truly sexy, high-quality lingerie for actual women, not twelve year old girls. (Looks like someone has an axe to grind here, right? Sorry about that.) Remember: bringing home a sexy nurse costume is tacky (unless previously discussed). Bringing home a gorgeous satin nightie, on the other hand, is thoughtful. It’s a fine line, but it’s easy to see when you know it’s there.

Mitchell’s Ice Cream

Follow up your thoughtful sexy gift with the only thing more welcome: a tub of Mitchell’s ice cream. The ice cream that says, Baby, I don’t care what size you are, as long as you let me have another bite of that halo halo flavor. Mitchell’s is famous for their exotic, almost unbearably good ice creams. This gift will be perfect for a man, woman or child, or for keeping all to yourself.

Claremont Spa

If you are simply too tired to stop off after work, you can complete your Valentine requirements online as well. Order your sig. other one of these gift certificates for a luxurious spa treatment at the Claremont Spa, or make it a couples massage if you are really into getting naked with your beloved and then letting complete strangers touch you for an hour. And who isn’t?