#san francisco street musician

[bencasso]

https://youtu.be/4MAgF6K3esQ

I got great footage of a spontaneous street jam with an anonymous female singer songwriter in 2022. We had never spoken and she just came up to me whsn I waa playing at the French cafe in the Lower Haight and asked to play with me. I am really glad she did. If anyone knows who she is please let me know.

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[sftheartwithin]

[hihigherdi]

I was hanging out on the deck with Bud last night when I realized I’d forgotten I bought tickets to Sting in relatively small venue in San Francisco that I love called the Masonic, a famous location where musicians love to perform. I paused for a second and wondered if it was weird to go to a concert after my manic posting and weird mood, but I’m cheap as hell and hate to waste anything so I threw a sweater on and hopped in an Uber. And it was fun, I sang and danced - there are a million clips I could have posted on all of golden oldies but I love this one because it shows his talent. I’m fully comfortable going to stuff alone, I actually like it in the event I want to leave early but I was missing my friends not being there who couldn’t make it.

I am hardly ever on Facebook but a lot of people I know are. I ended up writing a post about the election, conservative Christianity (that I was part of for a long time) that is so difficult to know how to address. I was a little scared, they can get angry and defensive despite me spending a lot of time being deliberate about not yelling at anybody. I said they the ads from Harris campaign that Christian women were scared of their husbands was disrespectful. I’m sure that exists but it lets these white woken off the hook - many are very strong and their vote was a fuck you to Woke Culture (though the economy is important too). They have so much power in the country but they are like doctors who self-regulate - they don’t change unless it’s their own idea, so pronouns, anti-racism, BLM - none of it ever had a chance. They don’t accept behavioral boundaries and expectations that they don’t create themselves, so to think they can be influenced from the outside is likely wasted energy. That anti-racism, and-sexism, LGBTQIA rights will only happen on a large scale if they are behaviors they come up with in their own - they don’t accept moral truths from anyone except themselves and get defensive when asked, so I was not applying energy in debate or discussion anymore. I’m an outsider. I’m woke culture the second I ask them to do something, I’m the Evil One. And frankly it’s pretty arrogant that I would think I’m some kind of teacher anyway. There’s tons of things we can do together but I’m parting ways on these areas. It made a couple of people angry and very defensive but I didn’t engage.

I hate that stuff but I do know that for my problematic generation, it’s where important conversations happen and they know my investment in them. I got a lot of DMs, some angry comments that had some good points and a mix of other thought. I’m not indulging the inner Diane drama anymore, buckling up and getting creative on how to move forward. Being a dick to everyone that voted for him kind of feels good in the short-term but I know I’d regret it, it just doesn’t feel right to me personally. Others are in a different place.

Today, I went to acupuncture and damn, it was painful. My body is sore from all of the walking but he did note how much weight I’ve lost, which was nice (he knows I’m working on it).

Now Bud and I are snuggled on the couch under a toasty electric blanket. I fell asleep at 4am this morning, turns out a Diet Coke at 4pm when you’ve hardly had any caffeine is not the best idea. So I’ll sleep well tonight.

Hope you are resting well, grieving where needed and finding some hope in what we can learn from this and what we can do right now to have massive impact. It’s surreal bring back to having to protect Black and Brown women on the street but we are.

[aprillikesthings]

A few links I've dug up while looking for things for my fic

(do I need to read these things for my story? .....not really. am I enjoying finding all this shit that I would've killed to read in 1997? uh yeah lolol)

a bunch of LENGTHY interviews etc with people involved with the Diggers

A short-ish article about businesses on the Haight during the Summer of Love anyway this one gets points for mentioning gay people in the Haight scene, and specifically a young lesbian who owned a clothing store.

I'm continuously surprised/amused by how much of this shit I know just from reading The Summer of Love (as in the Lisa Mason novel). I knew the Diggers and the HIP (Haight Independent Proprietors) did NOT get along, but I knew less about WHY. The Diggers were horrified by all the marketing of the Summer of Love, for good reason--it ruined the neighborhood and brought in all those runaways with no resources. All those kids needed food and shelter and medical care.

Anyway. It's also just nice to find articles online that aren't the same list of surface information: The Human Be-In and then Monterey Pop and then tens of thousands of people showed up along with just as many gawkers and by the end of the summer all the people that had made Haight-Ashbury so interesting had gotten the fuck out and the drug scene had gone from LSD and marijuana to speed and heroin, The End.

But also where the fuck did I put that book by Emmet Grogan because I still want to find out if Ruby Maverick was based on a real person, considering I'm basing my au's Aunt Casta on her. At this point I'd settle for a LIST of HIP members considering Ruby was a member in the novel, but I can't find one!

Anyway. There were also Diggers in LA, and here's a thing they handed out to kids who showed up in LA, taken from an article contrasting the LA Diggers to the SF Diggers:

Oh, and here's someone's thesis from 2012 about the Communications Company, which was run partially by Diggers/people associated with the Diggers; and put out leaflets/flyers/broadsides basically DAILY, some of which were just "here's where we're giving away food," some of which were poetry, some of which were journalism or protest; there's a ton of old-school scans of them here

like this one

(yes it is unfortunately hard to read, try opening in a new tab; they were all mimeographed)

ANYWAY one of the things I keep noting when I read people's stories is just how CHEAP everyone was able to live.

People could just....do shit. Rent in San Francisco was just so, so cheap. Christ.

Anyway true story, for a few months in 1967 the neighborhood of Haight-Ashbury had a higher population density than Manhattan. And remember, we're talking streets of like, three-story townhouses.

(I've poked around on zillow. A lot of them have been split up into astronomically expensive condos. I can't help wondering how many people living there wonder if their place used to have a dozen hippies crashing on the floor. I know all the houses now-famous bands/musicians lived in are listed various places.)

[myhauntedsalem]

THE 27 CLUB

The untimely deaths of famous musicians at age 27 may be coincidence, but it is tragic coincidence. The mythology of the 27 Club gained prominence with the death of Kurt Cobain in 1994 since he died at the same age as iconic rock musicians, including Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison, when they died in the 1970s. The premature death of Amy Winehouse at age 27 in 2011, again renewed interest in the age's apparent curse. This is a list of some of the artists and musicians who died at the far too young age of 27.

Robert Johnson (1911-1938) Born 100 years ago in rural Mississippi, the blues singer and guitarist Robert Johnson garnered little attention during his lifetime but was rediscovered in the 1960s, influencing numerous rock and roll pioneers. According to legend, Johnson sold his soul to the devil in exchange for his mighty talent, which he demonstrated on street corners throughout the Mississippi Delta and in the 29 songs he recorded between 1936 and 1937. Famously partial to women and whiskey, Johnson was allegedly poisoned by a lover’s jealous boyfriend or husband.

Brian Jones (1942-1969) A founding member of the Rolling Stones along with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, Brian Jones developed a severe substance abuse problem that by the mid-1960s had taken a toll on his health, landed him in jail and alienated him from his bandmates. He was forced out of the group in June 1969. The following month, Jones was found dead at the bottom of his swimming pool; police reported that he had drowned while under the influence of alcohol and drugs. Recently, new evidence has suggested that foul play may have had a hand in his death at age 27.

Alan “Blind Owl” Wilson (1943-1970) Known as Blind Owl because of his poor vision, Alan Wilson (first on left) headed up the American blues band Canned Heat, which performed at Woodstock in 1969. A songwriter, guitarist and harmonica player, he famously re-taught the aging blues legend Son House, who had been living in obscurity for decades, how to play his own songs. Wilson, who struggled with mental illness and had previously attempted suicide, succumbed to a drug overdose in September 1970, becoming the first of three acclaimed musicians to die at age 27 that year.

Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970) Remembered as one of the greatest electric guitarists in history, Jimi Hendrix revolutionized rock and roll as both an artist and a producer during his brief four-year career. He died in London in September 1970, asphyxiating on his own vomit while sleeping. His girlfriend claimed that Hendrix, a heavy drug user who was particularly fond of LSD, had washed down a handful of sleeping pills with red wine before going to bed.

Janis Joplin (1943-1970) Born in Texas, Janis Joplin won over the San Francisco music scene with her bluesy vocals and powerful stage presence, first as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist. Despite multiple attempts to get clean, she became increasingly addicted to heroin and alcohol as her career skyrocketed. She died of a heroin overdose in October 1970, less than three weeks after the death of fellow rock icon Jimi Hendrix.

Jim Morrison (1943-1971) A poet and avid reader of philosophy, Jim Morrison rose to prominence as the lead singer and lyricist of The Doors, a band he founded with a friend in 1965. By 1969, his drinking had become a problem, making him late for performances and fueling raucous onstage behavior. In July 1971, Morrison died of a heart attack apparently caused by a heroin overdose while living in Paris. It is thought that he mistook the drug for cocaine and snorted a fatal amount.

Ron “Pigpen” McKernan (1945-1973) A founding member of the Grateful Dead, Ron McKernan, who went by the nickname Pigpen, did not share his bandmates’ predilection for LSD and other psychedelic drugs. However, his heavy drinking caused him to develop cirrhosis in 1970, and by 1972 his health had become so fragile he could no longer tour. He died of an internal hemorrhage in March 1973.

Kurt Cobain (1967-1994) An icon of the Seattle grunge scene, Kurt Cobain formed Nirvana with a friend in 1985; the band achieved mainstream success in the early 1990s. Under a glaring public spotlight, Cobain struggled with mental illness, chronic health problems and heroin addiction. He committed suicide in April 1994, leaving behind his wife, the musician Courtney Love, and their baby daughter.

Amy Winehouse (1983-2011) An English singer-songwriter whose powerful voice and unique style won her numerous awards and honors, Amy Winehouse battled drug and alcohol addiction for years. Her substance abuse problems were frequent tabloid fodder and inspired some of her songs, most notably the hit “Rehab.” On July 23, 2011, Winehouse was found dead in her London apartment, becoming the latest musician to have their career cut tragically short at age 27.

[cemeteryreviews]

Church Reviews #4 - Church of San Francisco

Maria Hazel: You know, the Church of San Fransisco is very special since it is the oldest surviving church in Bogotá, built between 1557 and 1566 when Colombia didn't exist and the whole country was part of the New Kingdom of New Granada, a Spanish colony. As any old building, it has seen some shit. It got damaged after an earthquake in 1785 and some reconstructions have been made. Look at the entrance.

The bell tower is white, but the rest of the entrance is built out of sandstone bricks or other kind of textured bricks, like this, it feels like some sort of frankenchurch, made of the parts of other churches. This entrance was finished around 1794, and you can see the date on the inscription. It looks all cornered by the bigger building at its side. It's small, and it has suffered of people writing graffiti on it too, this church definitely has seen better days.

This church is in one of the oldest neighborhoods of the city, most of it is composed of pedestrian crossings, my guess would be because some streets were never designed to have cars on them, so it is a bit of a touristic route and in every single street, every few meters, there are street sellers and musicians singing, dancing, playing the guitar, etc.

Aside of the sensory overload the place gives you, you know, even more than usual, there are vagabonds here and there and a lot of places smell like piss.

At the side of the church there is a small square where guys practice skateboarding jumping the sewer gates.

If you sit around it, some religious person might want get close to you and ask you to sign something. I left right away when I got asked, but I thought it would have been funny if I used my deep male voice and said I was cursed by Satan so I couldn't touch religious symbols, it could have been funny.

This is the view of the church from the square.

And this, this is the church from its side. The graffiti says "Don't let the crosses use you as a puppet."

When I saw it, i thought "this church is evil." It's an attack on the senses everywhere you see it, the white bell tower, the sandstone entrance, the stained glass dark windows, covered with metal bars and surrounded by more mismatching bricks.

At the end of the first chapter of Dracula, Jonathan says "the driver was in the act of pulling up the horses in the courtyard of a vast ruined castle, from whose tall black windows came no ray of light, and whose broken battlements showed a jagged line against the sky." And you can feel the same from this church, no light enters to the church, everything is jagged, everything looks wrong.

Victoria Hazel: That's stupid. It shows signs of permutation and change, but that doesn't make it "spooky evil", that's just stupid, stupid.

Maria Hazel: Anyway, when I go it is usually closed, but today, when I went, it was open, so I took the chance and went inside.

Okay so first of all, there are several signs that say "it is not allowed to take photos, turn off your phone." I legitimately do not understand why, I don't understand, it might be to create atmosphere, but still... I did wrong, I did really wrong. But what I am supposed to do? It's photos, man! I took some photos, yes, but I'm just going to use them as a reference to help myself describe everything inside as much as possible, to you.

Victoria: Booo! Booo!

Maria: I know, I know! It sucks, but I will do my best to make it as descriptive as possible. Besides, there are some good photos of the inside here and there if look up on Google.

The air of the inside feels stale. It's like when you have a laptop right? If its plugged into an outlet, you say, no problem, I have all the time in the world, but if its on battery you say, hmmm, I only have like 3 hours left. Well, this air was exactly like that, it makes you say, damn, I have at most 3 hours of lucidity left. It smells weird, and it makes you think you might end up taking in the germs of a XIX century parishioner. The ceiling of the biggest part of the church is in wood, so yeah, not a great start there. The lighting is always dim, like very dim. It is hard to see. I saw a small chandelier at the very back but most of the place uses small, tiny studio lights to illuminate the place, some white, some yellow. Not everything is in wood though, there is another type of ceiling covering the side aisle.

[PHOTO #12]

Chat GPT: Picture, if you will, an expansive surface composed of a grid of square panels, each adorned with a central golden knob that catches the light. The panels are bordered in subtle, tarnished green, a hue that contrasts gracefully with the warm shimmer of the gold.

Victoria: I thought you were the one to describe the things, not some AI.

Maria: I'm english second language and there is a lot of weird shit I can't describe well give me a break!

Chat GPT: Within certain panels, decorative motifs emerge, with darkened, almost floral or cruciform designs subtly embedded in the grid. The structure is framed by deep wooden beams or moldings.

Maria: So anyway, the nave has a wood ceiling, and the side aisle has that weird ceiling. It doesn't have an aisle at the other side.

[PHOTO #13]

There are several big, golden altarpieces with lots of statues of religious figures, these are the things covering the windows and not letting the side of the stained glass windows come in. It's a bit of a weird place, you say, man, what a weird ass place, and then, you walk up to the altar.

[PHOTO #14]

The altar, no, not just the altar. The holy mother of all altars. This sanctuary is composed of 12 golden polychrome reliefs at each side on columns of three each, with the first two being as big as a person and the last one at the top being very small. At the center there is three other reliefs at each side, then 3 statues of some saints and then two other big ones on the center. Everything is of a golden color, almost as if it was of actual gold, it's not gold, right? It cannot be actual gold.

This place, it's huge, like, the church might be small but the altar is so wide and tall that it does its function of make you feel small. It is absolutely breathtaking and awe inducing, it makes you say, "damn, the people who made this really had a knack for design, a knack for opulence, this, is quite something, this place is holy." Everything is so shiny, and it would probably be more if it wasn't due to the dim, pale light, it would probably shine more.

There is even a mysterious red door at the side, a big, big door. When I was there, a very old man came out, dressing a purely brown robe with a white string, that is not the usual priest attire I have seen, he was so old that at first I thought he was part of the exhibition, he had a cane and took his time to walk, supporting himself of everything at his side too. I saw him touch one of the status at the center altar and look above. "A life of devotion." I said to myself when I saw him. The altar was so big that even if you crossed by the chains, it would take you 3 or 4 seconds to reach him. A guy passed the chains and I got nervous, but he just went to say hi to the priest and it seems the priest smiled and they had come conversation, again, it was very dark.

[PHOTO #15]

At each side of the altar, as in, outside of the altar but at the side, there is a canopy (or a dossal) with a big figure or statue on them as well. These two have stairs to reach them, and for some reason there is a pigeon or a dove pasted at the bottom of it, it's a bit bizarre.

[PHOTO #16]

The floor is a terrazzo floor. We know what I think about terrazzo floors, I like them in offices and other buildings, but in churches it feels a little too pristine for my taste. I don't know if that's the exact word, but oh well.

[PHOTO #17]

Chat GPT: This floor presents itself as a geometric tapestry of stone tiles, arranged in a meticulous diamond pattern. Each tile is a deep, earthy red, reminiscent of terracotta, bordered by pale, almost white stone strips that crisscross at perfect right angles, creating a series of interlocking diamonds.

The red tiles bear subtle, natural imperfections—tiny flecks and gentle pockmarks. The lighter stones framing each red square add contrast and definition, drawing the eye toward the repeating pattern and creating a sense of depth.

Maria: And it also looks kinda lame for some reason, I don't know why, but it never lands with me the right way. There is also a chamber that is also quite breath taking.

[PHOTO #18]

Chat GPT: This grand space you’ve captured could be described as a side chapel or perhaps a sacristy, though it also has qualities of a sanctuary where sacred art and iconography are displayed with reverence. Upon entering, one is immediately enveloped by the opulence of the golden altarpiece at the far end, standing as the focal point of the room. The altarpiece is intricately carved and gilded, containing statues within niches, likely depicting saints or religious figures central to the church’s identity. Each niche is framed with gold leaf and it gives a contrast to the cool, blue-green tones that dominate the walls and ceiling.

The walls themselves are adorned with what could be termed pilasters, flat columns with gilded detailing, giving structure and rhythm to the space. They frame a series of large, somber paintings in dark hues.

The ceiling, too, is a masterpiece—painted in a similar blue-green shade, dotted with golden floral or star-like motifs. The way it arches above feels almost like a canopy. Lining either side, along the walls, is paneling in the same blue-green hue, embossed with golden embellishments, each panel forming a vertical rhythm that draws the eyes toward the altar. These details are not merely ornamental; they reflect the Baroque intention of engaging the senses fully, surrounding the viewer with beauty that speaks to the divine.

Maria: In the center, a simple wooden bench rests, the side chapel is closed by bars though, so you can't really enter. What struck me is the use of white pale lights that point towards the ceiling, these people know very well how to create an atmosphere. The white, pale lighting makes the room seem to glow, somehow.

[PHOTO #19]

At the front of the church you can see yet another ceiling below a small balcony.

Chat GPT: The intricate design is a tapestry of octagonal and cross-shaped motifs, creating a rhythm of interlocking patterns that seem to echo infinitely across the surface. Painted in a rich, cool blue-green, the background color serves as a perfect foil for the lavish gilded details that adorn each shape.

Each octagon and cross contains a floral or sunburst-like medallion in gleaming gold. These gilded motifs, carved with meticulous detail, appear almost three-dimensional.

[PHOTO #20]

Maria: Most of the confessionals are of a very old worn out wood in green and red, they are placed in some awkward positions between the aisle to the point the look as if they were just piled up for display.

[PHOTO #21]

At the front entrance, there is a big, picturesque door.

Chat GPT: This is no ordinary entryway but rather a ceremonial or sanctuary door. The door is painted in a rich, almost regal red. The surface is adorned with intricate, gilded wood carvings. These golden ornaments take the form of baroque flourishes—floral and foliate motifs that curl and twist in ornate patterns, framing central medallions.

Around the door's edges, delicate bead-like decorations outline the panels, adding a rhythmic texture that guides the eye along the frame. The asymmetry of the designs—paired with the slight wear and imperfections—gives the door a sense of character.

Maria: There is some other stuff to see, like the several altarpieces, some huge paintings and everything else in the altar that I just seem to be unable to describe. At the side there is even a small chapel too annexed to it. It doesn't seem to be part of the thing or even connected somehow, it's weird man, weird.

So well, that's basically it, a decay and unseemliness that makes it feel evil on the outside, and an opulence and sacred atmosphere that gets you close to meaning of everything that is holy on the inside. Everything about it is wild, it makes you think how a thing like that even became real, how it came to be, and how long as continued to exist over time. I stayed for some time but after a bit I felt I had to leave because the air was heavy and I felt it was slowly making me insane. That church is intense.

The floor still sucks though, so I'm not giving it a perfect score.

9/10

[todays-just-a-daydream]

You guys supported Oasis back in ‘94.

Yeah?

There’s a rumor of you almost breaking up the band and spawning the whole ‘Talk Tonight’ song origin story, in which Noel goes off to San Francisco and writes a song about his time with a girl who essentially prevented him from giving up music forever. Is that true?

Well, like all the best stories in the world musicians love to fucking folklore themselves up the wazoo, about the ins and outs and what have you’s of their lives, but oftentimes those tend to be absolute BS and oftentimes they can be somewhere in between.

In between?

The deal with Oasis on that night was we had played with Sonic Boom and Spectrum the night before in Santa Barbara, which is adjacent to Los Angeles California. And we did the gig and drove back to San Francisco, which is a 6-7 hour drive. And we showed up at the club, it was one of our home team clubs called Bottom of the Hill and played for Oasis. And the way that this came to be is that I worked at Reckless Records, even before the Chicago store opened, there was one in San Francisco, and I worked there.

That’s cool considering that the London store is on Berwick Street where they shot the ‘(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?’ cover!

Exactly! And originally, they had a store in San Francisco and that’s where I worked. This is ‘94. This is when all the shit’s coming out, before it was the shit! There was no such term as Britpop at the time. So I see this stack of new releases come down from DudeBro who has to pass down all the new releases, and on top of it is a CD single. And it’s this band Oasis. And y’know, if you look at the single cover of Oasis they don’t look that cool. They’re kinda frumpy.

So what happened that night?

This is going to be a longer interview than you thought man. Cause I love buildups. So I listen to the single ‘Supersonic’, that was the one on the stack, and that one didn’t really do it for me, it wasn’t all vintagey and cool, the amp sounds sounded kind of like a Tom Petty record. That wasn’t it. But the B side was ‘Columbia’.

‘Columbia’ is great. Beast of a song.

Well yes, ‘Columbia’ is where all the cocaine comes from. Hence the title. And I was a huge speed freak in the 90’s because in the 90’s, uppers were serving the same purpose as they were in the 60’s with Andy Warhol, or cocaine was in the flapper period. So I got that. What they were trying to say, I dug that. You with me?

I’m with you.

Do you even care? How many pages do you get for this?

However many pages you want.

Well, I’m probably more interesting than a lot of the jive ass – psych fucking crap that has to get printed these days. I’ve been around a bit. So then the ‘Shakermaker’ single came out a couple of months later. You know, ‘Shakermaker’, “shake along with me”, et cetera et cetera. I currently was shaking along to the Brian Jonestown Massacre on Maracas, and I thought “oh well that’s kind of cool!” and I kind of related to that. Then ‘Live Forever’ came out. I was in, then I loved the band. Then the first album came out and then the advertisement came out that they were playing at our local haunt Bottom of the Hill. So I got our manager to get us a gig there to open for them and we played the gig with Oasis.

Did you know they were going to be big?

Absolutely! Well they already kind of were because ‘Definitely, Maybe’ had come out two weeks before, but they’re playing this theatre which is a 250 person club, when they could be playing to fuckin’ 10,000!

A couple of years later they were at Knebworth, then Glasto, then Wembley. The list goes on. Pretty Meteoric. Anyway, back to your story.

I’m out of my mind on the most righteous methamphetamine that’s ever been bequeathed by the science of man, and we pulled up to the club to do soundcheck. And sure enough, there’s their big ass fuckin bus, we had never been on a big ass fucking bus, we didn’t know what that was about. I’m thinking to myself, “Alright ‘Shakermakers’, let’s hit the road and go to ‘Columbia’” And the first thing I did was go and knock on the door of the bus. Noel Gallagher opens the door. And I say to him, “Hey man, I’ve got the most righteous fucking speed you’re ever going to do in your life”

(Joel in a very poor British accent) “No thanks man we only do coke”

And he shuts the door. And I’m looking at my own reflection like “what!?” Fast forward an hour later, and the girl that I scored speed for ran into Liam coming out of the soundcheck. And she’s like “hey do you wanna do any?” and Liam’s “Mr mad fer it” guy, so he does it, then he gives it to Bonehead, then he gives it to the whole fuckin band and the whole goddamn crew, and they’re playing the gig that night, and all the jaws are just working like old fashioned train crankshafts, and they had never heard nor seen nor felt anything like that, but that is what I was doing every day. It was, as they called it, “Ninja Speed”.

Interview with Joel Gion from The Brian Jonestown Massacre on Oasis at the Whisky 1994

[palettepainter]

Pallete, As I'm completely excited for the new muppet series, i have a question, how old do you think the members of this band was when they found each other.

My personal theory is that Teeth left home at 14 to 15 years of age, looking to be independent. (Based on what he said in 2015 muppets) Got his gold tooth, bought a van and picked up his friends on the way to start his life on the road, playing piano for others and for money. The first being Janice.

I've actually spoken with Snuff about this on Discord a couple of times, and it was only after we got excited over the idea of a potential origin episode about the band did I start diving into the idea of the "How DID they all meet?"

I know in the 2015 show they said Janice dated Teeth for a short while and I thiiink theres a clip from the og show of them in the ballroom segment dancing together?? I'm still not 100% sure on if I love or just like Janice x Teeth, mostly cuz Janice x Floyd will forever be in my heart

My hc so far for how they met is this, this is a very quick description as my idea may change after the show:

Teeth left home at 16 (I know in the 2015 show he said 14 but I doubt he would have left home THAT when he was a teen) and left for the big city after someone responded to his calling for musicians for a band. Alas things didn't work out so Teeth is left working shifts playing the piano at a local pub and living off tips and what money he brought with him. Just as he's about to throw in the towel he runs into Floyd (same age as Teeth) and Animal (a few years younger). They quickly strike it up as friends for a few days, Floyd letting Teeth crash at their place while he's low on cash. Eventually the trio hit the road after Teeth discovered Floyd's and Animal's knack for the bass and guitar

~Side note~ As for how Teeth got his gold tooth I imagine it happened later in his life when he lost all his baby teeth. I like to believe Teeth constantly changes the story whenever someone asks how he got his golden tooth, when in reality it was probably something really stupid, like he fell down the stairs and slammed face first into the floor and knocked his tooth out

They spend a few months travelling, grooving out when they can at pubs and on street corners. They only ever stay in one place for a few weeks to scrape up cash before moving to the next city, trying to find more band members along the way. One day the trio get thrown off a train they'd snuck onto and land in somewhere just outside of San Francisco. After days of walking the group take a pit stop to rest up where they bump into Janice peacefully meditating - it took a bit for her to actually notice them but she very kindly tells them she knows a place for he weary trio to recharge on their travels. The gang take temporary roost on Haight street (hippy street), a happy, thriving, laxed group of hippies (and a few stoners-) from all walks of life. The band are happily welcomed into the community and the locals are very enthusiastic about their music, more enthusiastic then any city folk have been! Over their stay Floyd probably develops a little crush on Janice, who though at first denies their request to join them on the road she changes her mind last minute and catches the next bus/train with them out of town

I'm not too sure about Zoot - I had the idea of him maybe being apart of Janice's little hippy community and, at the time, him and Janice are roommates and not yet together together (I do love the ship Zoot x Janice, I think it's cute and I like the idea of them being a thing in the past!), if anyones got suggestions feel free to share em!

Lips was the last to join (referenced in my story Well I Think You're Pretty Cool on A03). Lips grew up fairly poor and a lot of his clothes where hand me downs, going off from Snuf's (discord buds) HC's Lips grew up near the coastline where not a lot happened, but he grew a love for music thanks to the countless parties that would happen at the beach. He left home bright and with a skip in his step, not too sure how he bumps into the band, perhaps he overhears them playing in a pub on his travels and after the performance shyly offers his compliments . From there Teeth notices the little instrument case Lips is carrying around and Lips plays them a little solo on his trumpet, where the band applaud him, then ask him if he wants to join their crew

[klaineccfanficlibrary]

Klaine Bingo Card

Debut - Young Again by DireDyre

Page Turning - Mirrorball by tkffyrpntsndjckt

Reach for tissues - P. S. If This is Blaine... by JButler

Unusual Occupation - Sitting Waiting Wishing by heartsmadeofbooks

Wild Card - The Matilda Thing by hippohead

Summer - Dancing Through Life by grlnxtdr29

Challenge - he loves me (not) by klaineanummel (I'm hoping fic exchange counts as a challenge)

LOL - The Chaperone by practicalamanda

Don't normally read - Yee Haw! by grlnxtdr29

Thanks for your card - find them here on A03 #Jen

Debut fic: Young again by DireDyre

Based on the movie 17 Again. Kurt is shocked when Blaine kicks him out of the house and files for divorce. When he's suddenly turned 17 again it's his chance to relive his glory years, help his kids in school, and find out why Blaine really left him. Very AU. Some mention of Fabarry for Fabarry fans

~~~~~

2. Page turning fic. Mirrorball by @tkffyrpntsndjcktntsndickt

This year is going to be better. Kurt is going to make sure of that, even if it kills him.

Because it got very close to killing him last year.

~~~~~

3. Fic that made you reach for tissues - P. S. If This is Blaine... by JButler @jayne89

Everyone was shocked when the couple voted “most likely to be married by 30” broke up abruptly when Kurt left for New York. But no one was more surprised than Blaine himself. Now, ten years later, Blaine extends an olive branch that will hopefully bring them both some closure.

~~~~~

4. Fic where one has an unusual occupation - Sitting Waiting Wishing by @heartsmadeofbooks

Kurt Hummel can't find a man worth dating to save his life. Tired of waiting for his elusive Prince Charming, Kurt decides to start a family on his own. But what if Prince Charming is neither opportune nor charming? Kurt is about to start a journey in which romance and fatherhood might go in different directions, and Blaine Anderson might as well be an obstacle… or a destination.

~~~~~

5. Wild Card - The Matilda Thing by @hippohead

Kurt and Blaine are thirty. It's time one of them was brave.

~~~~~

6. Fic set in the summer: Dancing Through Life by @grlnxtdr30

While traveling with the touring company of Wicked, Kurt spends a day in San Francisco, where he meets a street musician with curly hair and hazel eyes. Will an Earthquake shake them apart, or can it bring them together?

~~~~~

7. Fic written for a challenge: he loves me (not) by @klaineanummel

Kurt was already starting to suspect that writing Blaine an anonymous love note was the stupidest idea he'd ever had. Add in Blaine walking in on him while he was writing it and, well. You get a perfect storm.

~~~~~

8.Fic that made you laugh out loud: The Chaperone by @practicalamanda

When a class mom pulls out at the last minute, Kurt fills in as a chaperone for Blaine's second grade class trip. Turns out that "Mr. Anderson" is quite popular with the moms and Kurt doesn't bother to mention that Blaine's his boyfriend.

~~~~~

9. A genre or trope that you don't normally read - Yee Haw! by grlnxtdr29 @grlnxtdr30

After discovering certain items of apparel in his best friend's closet, Blaine realizes that that day on the stairs was NOT the first time he had laid eyes on Kurt Hummel. And he discovers a new kink, as well.

~~~~~

[madamspeaker]

Bob Weir was cold.

It was a partly cloudy July night and temperatures were falling as Dead & Co. played before tens of thousands of fans in San Francisco, ancestral home of the band’s legendary forebear, the Grateful Dead.

Typical summer weather in the city, and Nancy Pelosi knew what to do.

Socks, she told the Birkenstock-shod guitarist on a visit backstage. And a hat.

It may be easier to picture the former speaker, still one of America’s most influential women, surrounded by suits and wingtips than beads and sandals. But Pelosi, who grew up listening to opera waft through the streets of Baltimore’s Little Italy, is a genuine tie-dyed in the wool Deadhead, as cultists and aficionados of the group are known.

She’s friends with Weir and drummer Mickey Hart, having seen the Dead and assorted iterations more times than she remembers. On several occasions, the elegantly styled lawmaker has been seen dancing in the wings, 4-inch heels and all.

It wasn’t certain she’d make the band’s valedictory performance that night, one of the last of Dead & Co.’s recently concluded farewell tour. The House of Representatives was pitching another fit, with balky Republicans acting up, must-pass legislation stalled and restless lawmakers anxiously eyeing the exits.

But in the end, the House approved the necessary defense spending bill with time to spare and Pelosi easily made it home for the Friday night show, mingling with the band and scoring the evening’s set list as a souvenir.

When Weir returned for the second half he was still sockless.

But he had on a hat.

Going through a closet not long ago, Pelosi came across a “Deadheads for Dukakis” purse from the 1988 presidential campaign; she was a freshman lawmaker at the time.

Nearly 20 years later, several of the band’s alumni played at a Washington gala celebrating Pelosi’s path-breaking election as speaker. (A review describes an uptight audience mostly sitting on its hands, though “Iko Iko,” the New Orleans standard, finally got some of the Beltway slugs moving.)

Hart was in the House gallery watching as Pelosi claimed the speakers’ gavel for a second time in 2019.

How and when did they meet? “I haven’t the faintest idea,” she says. Over the decades, San Francisco’s yeasty music and political scenes have blurred together, though, no, it’s not because of some bad acid.

It’s been a long, historic trip.

“They’re wonderful musicians,” Pelosi said of the Dead and company, putting a lie to the notion — propounded mostly by haters — that the group’s kaleidoscopic catalog can only be enjoyed in a drunken stupor or chemically induced haze. (Pelosi doesn’t drink and has never used drugs.) “It’s great music.”

Maybe it’s a congressional Democrat thing.

The late Harry Reid, another teetotaler and a Senate leader when Pelosi was speaker, had a Dead poster signed by the entire band hanging in his home in Searchlight, Nev. He called it his “prize possession.”

Perusing the menu at San Francisco’s Delancey Street Restaurant — a favorite of local politicians, staffed by ex-convicts and recovering addicts — Pelosi savors the freedom of life as just another member of the House.

“You have to remember,” she says, “that for 20 years, either as speaker or [minority] leader, I was responsible for everything that happened on the floor ... in terms of what happened with the Democrats ... and I didn’t even realize that it was a burden until it was gone and I was like, ‘Oh, my God. What a relief.’ ”

She continues studying the menu.

“I still, obviously, take an interest in the legislation,” Pelosi goes on, “and I still raise money for the Democrats,” though not the $1 million a day she pulled in as speaker. “It’s a completely different story.”

Other diners crane to see the celebrity in their midst, seated in a booth slightly away from the main dining area.

Orders are placed. Soon lunch arrives, an international smorgasbord of latkes, kale salad, a chicken quesadilla and matzo ball soup.

“Liberated” and “emancipated” are words Pelosi often uses in her new incarnation. She’s started on a book — not a memoir, but an account of certain decisions. Her husband, Paul, continues healing from the ghastly hammer attack by a QAnon crazy who broke into their San Francisco home last fall, looking to take the ex-speaker hostage.

Will she run again next year for a 19th term, something many in this politically hyperactive city are panting to find out? “I have to make up my mind,” Pelosi responds, purposely opaque, “and then see what I want to do.”

Back to music.

She ran a finger along the crumpled set list pointing to several favorites — “Fire On The Mountain,” “Ramble On Rose,” the trippy sound-collage “Drums/Space” and “Standing On The Moon,” with its indigenous lyric:

Somewhere in San Francisco/ On a back porch in July/ Just looking up to heaven/ At this crescent in the sky.

So beautiful, Pelosi rhapsodized, “I could listen to it forever.”

When it comes to music, Pelosi says, she’s something of an omnivore, with an appetite for “everything from rap to opera.” Drake, Taylor Swift, U2, Keith Urban, Elton John, Metallica, Stevie Wonder.

The Democrat is on a first-name basis with Bono and Cyndi Lauper as well as the other Paul and Nancy. (That would be McCartney and his wife Nancy Shevall.)

She’s hard-pressed to pick a favorite show of all time, but recounts seeing Bob Dylan with the Rolling Stones in Argentina — the “Bridges to Babylon Tour,” Pelosi specifies. She brought along a fellow Democrat, former New York Rep. Nita Lowey, who was seeing her first rock concert. (Naturally the performance included “Like A Rolling Stone.”)

At one point during the show there was an announcement, Pelosi says, seeking donations to fight HIV and AIDS. A young man circulated through the crowd and after receiving a contribution from Lowey, handed her a thank-you gift. “She’s like, ‘I don’t know what this is,’” Pelosi recalls, “‘it’s all in Spanish.’”

A pause.

“Condoms!” Pelosi exclaims.

The dishes are cleared. Time for dessert.

Pelosi considers the profiteroles, but abstains. She had three peppermint patties on the way to lunch, she confesses, and ice cream for breakfast.

These are fraught times. She turns serious.

“I’m a strong believer that the arts are the secret, our best hope for the future,” Pelosi says.

She describes the warm reception she received years ago when she was introduced at a Barbra Streisand concert.

“In that audience ... they’re not there because they’re Democrats. You’ve got a very mixed group of people. And it just completely drove home the point ... which is that [music] is a unifier. People forget their differences, they don’t even think of it. They laugh together, cry together, are inspired together, find common ground together and I do think that’s our hope.”

“That’s our hope,” she repeats.

[goawaywithjae]

A veteran musician who has toured and played guitar for artists like Alejandro Escovedo, Chuck Prophet and John Doe, Tom Heyman is celebrating the release of his album “24th Street Blues.” And while the release is exciting, the guitarist said going back on the road is something he’s really looking forward to. “When I was younger, touring sometimes resembled a party that you never had to clean up after,” Heyman said from his San Francisco home. “The first time I went to Europe, we had a driver/road manager, and it was a revelation to be rolling down the road and drinking before and after the gig, not having to worry about who was sober enough to drive. When I got older and stopped drinking, touring became much more about trying to get enough sleep, eat right and to really try and connect with the audience in a meaningful way.”

[singeratlarge]

BAZAAR CAFÉ CELEBRATES A TRIO OF SINGER-SONGWRITERS

On Saturday March 11th, a trio of recording artists and songcrafters will take the stage at the Bazaar Café, a longtime listening room at 5927 California Street in San Francisco. Music begins at 7PM. 

Entertainer and “Singer at Large” Johnny J. Blair will present his brand of “pop music with a twist,” influenced by Americana, psychedelia, New Wave, and gospel. Brian Wilson called Johnny “a virtuoso.” His current itinerary includes performing in assisted living homes for people with disabilities and dementia: “Music goes through the brain into places where math and language don’t reach. It heals and it makes a difference.” Johnny has worked with a range of artists—most prominently with Davy Jones and The Monkees. For his Bazaar set, Johnny will do songs from his recordings and tell stories “about Monkees, working with people in care homes, and life in the music industry.”

Uma Robin Mackey creates melodic pop music with a Celtic influence, described by one critic as “if Cher hired XTC to play an Irish wedding.” Her career has intersected with Al Stewart (“Year of the Cat”) and Train, and she sometimes collaborates with Johnny J. Blair.

EC Shaw started playing music at a very young age. Classically trained on the piano, he joined a rock band as a bassist at the age of 15. This band, made up of classmates, went on to find modest success touring the West Coast. From there EC found passion in music and began his path as a lifelong musician. He started writing on guitar and piano and his written well over 100 songs. When he’s not performing solo he goes out with his band, EC and the Conspirators (aka Ocean Beach Band).

Their music can be sampled at https://johnnyjblairsingeratlarge.bandcamp.com and www.soundcloud.com/ec-shaw. For more information go to 415-831-5620 or https://bazaarcafe.com There is no cover charge but donations are encouraged for the artists.

(end)

#johnnyjblair #singersongwriter #monkees #davyjones #brianwilson #umarobinmackey #alstewart #ecshaw #sanfrancisco #oceanbeach #singeratlarge #language #entertainment #music #concert

[shilpams]

Haven't been on fb much, but RIP Ustad Zakir Hussain. The first concert I remember was him and his dad Ustad Alla Rakha at Carnegie Hall, when I was 3 years old. It was snowing outside, and such a classic New York moment.

When we were growing up in the US, and studying European and Indian classical music or dance, the Suzuki Method, Bach, and bharat natyam, there were less than a handful of artists invited from India to those elite stages. Zubin Mehta conducted European music at the Philharmonic Orchestra. Ravi Shankar was famous with the hippies and stoners. Zakir Hussain, and of course, his father - maybe I should reverse the order, since his father came first. It was over the decades that American tastes opened up, the World Music Institute sponsored artists, and our own parents' generation started hosting artists here in the US. Now Lincoln Center has a whole week dedicated to South Asian artists, and Times Square has the biggest Diwali outside of India.

The story started a little bit earlier in the 1950's, when my mom's great-aunt Mrs. Byramjee would invite all the artists and influential people to her house in Nagpur. So it was there that my mom first saw Ustad Alla Rakha play, and Zakir Ji was 9 years old. My mom was 13. They were later invited to his apartment in Mumbai, when some other musicians were visiting. Ustad Alla Rakha later traveled the world with Ravi Shankar, and Zakir Ji grew up back stage at Woodstock, the Monterey Pop Festival, and the night markets of Mumbai, where the street drummers would get the crowd going crazy during festivals. They were rock stars.

In the late 90's, Asian Underground music started, and classical music started crossing over into club nights and electronic music, as our generation started making their own music professionally. I had just graduated from music-heavy Oberlin and moved to the East Village, when I saw an unforgettable concert of Zakir Ji with Tito Puente, the Puerto Rican drummer from Harlem, at Symphony Space. At one point, they made the audience clap along and it sounded like the rain forest. Tito Puente died later that year. Suphala, one of this students, scoured New York clubs playing tabla with alien electronic, or country, collaborations. Rimpa Shiva, another student, came up in India on the more classical side. But some purists would consider Zakir Ji to be the tops, and none of these "youngsters" on his level. They were too rock, or too clubby, or too "what is this?"

One day I was taking the bus from West Orange to Manhattan, a New Jersey commuter bus, and @Talvin Singh got on. They were recording Tabla Beat Science at Bill Laswell's studio on Main Street and Llewellyn Park. What a small world. My sister had taken drum lessons in the studio above where they recorded. Some other friends like Karsh Kale and The Midival Punditz, were also on this album.

A couple of years later, in 2001, I had moved to San Francisco, and my first music documentary was interviewing Zakir ji and the Tabla Beat Science Crew at Stern Grove. It was a sold out show in a park, and people had climbed the trees in true San Francisco hippie style, to watch the concert. I have that interview somewhere. Zakir Ji was actually nicer and friendlier than some of the younger and less established artists. This was summer before 9/11.

We started 3rd I South Asian Films a few months before that. We had a safe space post-9/11 when all the anti-South Asian hate crimes backlash was happening. In September 2003, we hosted the US Premiere of the Speaking Hand, which was Zakir Hussain's biography. I had met the director when he was making ads in Mumbai. There was some internal conflict, as some people in our collective didn't think it was "political" or "activist" enough, and kind of a bougie fundraiser...but I could say that music unites, we sold out, and our fundraiser was successful. It was a conflicted and Islamophobic time of war, and he could talk eloquently about music uniting people on a spiritual and international level. Also his own practice of the classical and ancient tradition - combined different beats as representing different goddesses or different spiritual and religious practices from Ganesh to Sufi saints. As many of the classical musicians are spiritual, and music is a higher power.

We had a live Q&A, and people never hear him talk in person, especially for so long. I also met his wife & manager Antonia Minnecola at this point, who was a dancer.

As the screening wrapped up, the audience of 500 aunties and uncles, went crazy, bum rushed the stage to meet Zakir Ji, as you see the old movies of the Beatles. One of these people was - my Dad! Acting like a teenage girl. So as the organizer, I scolded him under my breath in Marathi, "Why are you acting so crazy? Act cool." Zakir Ji, having grown up in Mumbai, spoke Marathi. So he saw this interaction and started speaking in Marathi and Gujarati to calm people down, "Calm down, what's the big deal?" Still it was funny to see an Indian classical musician get such a maniac fan response in New York. He was truly an icon. From that experience, I also learned to plan for celebrities and security on sets. Later I was asked to do a commercial with Shah Rukh Khan, and I remembered - the fan base that can show up suddenly.

Over the years, we would try to say Hi after the shows. Initially it was pretty informal. Later the venue unions and post-covid made it more strict. They would kick everyone out of Madison Square Garden. He always remembered me, considering how many people he met over the year. I met his daughters. The younger one was starting college. Anisa Angelica Qureshi later turned out to have a lot of mutual friends.

For an Indian from IST (Indian Standard Time), he liked to shame people for being late. Once I came half way through a show, because I had an evening grad school class. I thought I snuck in the back and sat discreetly in a black kurta, in the shadows. But afterwards, he reprimanded me, "You were 34 minutes late! I saw the clock when you walked in." If someone was late to his show and sat in front, he would play slow music until they finally sat down, drawing attention of the whole audience to that late person.

He had a sense of humor, and after a serious, classical show, would play the Pink Panther in the last set.

I started working in India, and caught him playing at the small Prithvi Theater in Juhu, where Bollywood legend Shabana Azmi attended. Another show was a huge, outdoor, public festival at the Asiatic Library Steps. The stage was set up between road closures. Street People were lined up outside the ropes to listen. Here you really felt India, in the ancient music and the crowds of Mumbai, and the smells of the streets, and the colonial library, mixed with something ancient mixed with modern cars and sweat and heat, and the sea breeze. It was really outside an A/C classical music hall in a cold, snowy country. Here you had a performer, who could still capture everyone's attention, with all these distractions of the Mumbai streets. Blue Frog and other venues were opening up in Mumbai. His brother Taufiq Qureshi played with some beatboxers...an idea I had pitched ten years before that.

Many years later, I saw him in Sacramento. DIWAL'OWEEN had won 13 awards, and he was really proud of me. Although I was aware of all the mistakes I had made. He had scored so many films, and I always wanted to collaborate on something...one day, when I had the budget.

I always made an effort to see Masters of Percussion once a year, when he would bring different percussionists from India. At one show at Town Hall, in New York, a mridangam player was 90 years old and had never left Rajasthan before. He shouted during his set, and the lights blacked out. The "show went on," to the next set. We thought it was some experimental, jazz type thing. Later we found out an ambulance had come back stage, and the performer had died on stage, doing what he loved! But that's how pro the Broadway stage managers were - to just move on with it. Another time, at a qawwali show at Town Hall, someone fell off the balcony while dancing ecstatically, and the crowd caught him.

After the lock down year, Masters of Percussion was the first concert I went back to, wearing a mask. He had just won another Grammy, and was touring the remembrance of Shivkumar Sharma.

Thanks for bringing so much joy and music to us, Zakir Hussain.

[coyotepoet]

Gentle on my mind and a beautiful song by The Band Perry.

Easy on my mind.. She had heard too many useless words spoken and she needed a friend. She was a North Dakota gal, tall, long and so beautiful. She told me on a Friday morning. I need wild places, the sea and a friend. I want to see Big Sur, to get drunk in San Francisco and  I want to dance in Santa Cruz with street musicians. You are the wild one, Johnnie. You go everything and you…

[sfacgalleries]

Part 2 - Go West: African American Lives and Westward Migration Performance from San Francisco Arts Commission on Vimeo.

Monday, August 12, 2024 | 8:00 p.m. Southeast Community Center, Alex Pitcher Pavilion and Amphitheater, 1550 Evans Ave, San Francisco

Join artist Trina Michelle Robinson for an artist talk (pt 1) followed by a special performance (pt 2) featuring her new video work Go West!

Projected onto the exterior of the Southeast Community Center’s amphitheater and accompanied by musician Christopher Lowell Clarke and dancer Audrey Johnson, Go West looks at the migration of Black people to California from not only the South, but also the East coast and Midwest. Using the large-scale projection as a metaphor for taking up space, this piece celebrates the drive felt by so many to travel far from home in search of new opportunities, adventure, and also to simply rest.

A conversation between Robinson and author, curator, and educator Jacqueline Francis will take place inside the Alex Pitcher Pavilion prior to the performance. Refreshments provided.

This program is organized in conjunction with Praxis of Local Knowledge, a group exhibition featuring four artists, including Robinson, creating work that explores their ancestral stories and grappling with these memories today. The exhibition is on view through Saturday, August 17, 2024 at the San Francisco Arts Commission Main Gallery.

Artist Bios Trina Michelle Robinson is a San Francisco based visual artist. Her work has been shown at the BlackStar Film Festival in Philadelphia, the San Francisco Art Commission Main Gallery, Catharine Clark Gallery, Minnesota Street Project, and New York’s Wassaic Project and is currently included in the prestigious triennial Bay Area Now 9 at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. She had a solo exhibition at the Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD), a Smithsonian Affiliate, as part of their Emerging Artist Program 2022-23. Robinson is a 2024 SFMOMA SECA Award finalist and her print series Ghost Prints of Loss is included in the book Is Now the Time for Joyous Rage? published in 2023 by CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts and Sternberg Press. She previously worked in print and digital media in production at companies such as The New York Times T Magazine, Vanity Fair and Slack before receiving her M.F.A. from California College of the Arts in 2022.

As a storyteller, she traveled the country telling the story of exploring her ancestry with The Moth Mainstage at Lincoln Center in New York, in addition to touring with them on stages in San Francisco, Portland, OR, Omaha, NE and Westport, CT. Her first story aired on NPR’s The Moth Radio Hour in 2019 and her second in earlier this year. trinamrobinson.com

Christopher Lowell Clarke is a trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. Christopher's professional performance experience includes playing with the East Coast Jazz Festival Fish Middleton Rising Star Band in Baltimore, Carnival Cruise Lines Main Orchestra and Jazz Chair, the Johnny Nocturne Band at the Umbria Jazz Festival in Orvieto, Italy, his own quintet at the Fillmore Jazz Festival in San Francisco, and the Contemporary Music Orchestra at the Monterey Jazz Festival. He has also performed with Eddie Marshall and Holy Mischief, the Marcus Shelby Big Band, the Howard Wiley Quintet, and the Electric Squeezebox Orchestra. Christopher currently serves as a teaching artist for SF Jazz/Oakland Public Conservatory After School Jazz Program, Oakland Public Conservatory, SF Jazz’s Jazz In Session Program, Oaktown Jazz Workshop, and the Lafayette Summer Jazz Camp. Christopher has released several albums, including The Swooper (Lifeforce Records 1018) and multiple albums with bassist Dewayne Oakley on Naki-Do Records. christopherlowellclarke.com

Audrey Johnson is a queer, Black, mixed-race dance artist and plant worker with roots from Detroit, Michigan/Anishinaabe land, currently based in Oakland, CA/Ohlone land. Audrey’s performance, choreographic, and teaching work experiments with improvisation and embodied time travel, in refusal of colonized time and space. She has shown performance work in the San Francisco Bay Area and Detroit, and has performed in the companies of artists Gerald Casel, Jennifer Harge, Biba Bell, Detour Dance, Stephanie Hewett, among others. As an educator, she has taught dance as embodied practice at community spaces, dance centers, and youth programs, and is a current faculty member with the LINES BFA Program through Dominican University. She holds a BFA in Dance from Wayne State University and was a co-founder of Collective Sweat Detroit. audreyjohnson.space

[davissaroni61]

Davis Saroni

Davis Saroni: San Francisco's Unlikely Street Musician Extraordinaire Website: https://bresdel.com/blogs/617999/Davis-Saroni-San-Francisco-s-Unlikely-Street-Musician-Extraordinaire