Balmy at 77 - a Winter Jubilee at the Starry Plough

Tonight at the Starry Plough in Berkeley: A Winter Jubilee starring Loretta Lynch (last show for a while!) and headliners 77 El Deora.

I love Maurice's new handle:"SuperCalifornographic Singer."

Show starts at 9:00.  Can't wait.

Wilson Pride!

I'm having a hard time not buying one of these.

And this, of course, for Coco and Shilpa: Co-Captains, Team Wilson

Moonlighting SF

Tonight, and the last Thursday of every month, is the Moonlighting SF variety show at the 50 Mason Social House. Alert Reader PD is featured monthly, and tonight is the first chance I have had to go to a show. The lineup looks promising, and you should add it to your monthly social calendar. Very San Franciscan, and a moonlight bright way to end your month, and light up the beginning of the weekend.

Tonight's acts:

Joe Tobin (SF Sketchfest) as your host
DJ JOill
Alexa Von Kickinface (Hubba Hubba Revue, Bubbles on Fire)
Jabari Davis (Charlie Murphy’s Acid Trip Tour, Basement Legends)
Gabi Holzwarth (Hip Hop Violinist)

and our favorite feature:

Just the Tip by Wells Day

Wells Day has appeal. He’s always 30 minutes from anywhere, the life of the pre-party, and the guy who always has something to say about something. He quips, imbibes, torts and retorts. Wells hails from nowhere in particular and grew to a very large stature at the early age of around that time. His idea of a perfect Thursday afternoon is sipping Suntory to the sounds of Patrick Swayze crooning about a woman riding the wind.
“Just the Tip” is a permanent fixture in “Moonlighting SF” and offers Wells a platform for irreverent discourse on the mayhem that ensues in this liberal bastion by the bay.

You know that old adage, “Alls Wells that ends Wells, with Just the Tip.” Never full insertion.

timely

I've been calling my mother a lot recently to check on her during the snowy weather. And we discuss what we're doing, and avoiding.

Actual sentence from my mom right now: "Oh, there was an article about procrastination in the paper. I cut it out but haven't read it yet."

And scene.

post holiday blues!

Mark has returned to San Francsico and resumed his amazing winter tradition of the Post-Holiday Blues Party. The Blues party has been getting increasingly elaborate, and is now formally and manditorily a costume party. And with a non-random sample of fun San Franciscans, this is my favorite party of the year. Boys love a theme. And costume. And glitter and feathers and lights. And booze and flesh and frisky and friendly.

This year's blue theme (a theme within a theme?) was "sports." Considering the population of physically fit guys in San Francisco, there were the to-be-expected preponderance of costumes that were more flesh than fabric. Which is not remotely a bad thing. For the football team that came abs-bared with shoulder pads, I was impressed by their dedication to bejewel and trick out their padding with electric lights. John and Miles custom ordered their football uniforms, complete with their names across the back, and personalized team name and logo—in freaking blue glitter—across the front.




And Richard and Eryk were amazeballs as roller derby.


God I love my circle. These people BRING it.

There were of course the Blue Balls.


And the delightful Blue Bloods.


Heh heh heh. "Shuttlecock." Heh heh.

My sport?


Quiddich. Including a blue glitter broom with running lights, robe and scarf, and a snitch that could hook on my cocktail rim.

So many fun, and handsome, people. So many distractions. And those blue "cosmos" turned my lover blue far ahead of schedule. My memory got a little blue blurred after a while too. Which may be just as well.

I stopped by Sunday afternoon to help with the cleanup. No one was moving inside. But you got to love walking down a quaint street of victorians on a sunny afternoon, and seeing this.


The Victorian of Earthly Delights. Cerulean.

Out with ACT: Major Barbara

In cooperation with Canadian Theatre Calgary, ACT has staged an engaging production of George Bernard Shaw's Major Barbara. In the titular role, Gretchen Hall (extensive stage and television credits) makes her ACT debut and does so with a strong and engrossing performance. She manages to straddle the prim and purposeful mission of Barbara with her generosity of spirit and genuine familial affection, and carries the the narrative with great strides. The academic banter between her, her betrothed (played by Nicholas Pelczar) and her father (played by Dean Paul Gibson) is lively and well-timed and much fun, but maybe more fun for me as that's kind of my thing. The interplay of the three ideologues—missionary daughter, infatuated academic, and weapons-manufacturing patriarch—is wonderfully accomplished by these actors, and the supporting cast rises more to the level of ensemble as they light up each of their lines in turn. The show is superbly acted all around. And as always for ACT, a second round of applause for the wig mistress, costumer, and set designer. All well played.


Kandis Chappell as Lady Britomart Undershaft may not "steal" the show per se, but only because you are gladly giving up your wallet and cell phone for just one more of her officious lines and stern looks. Love her. While Elyse Price may play a smaller role as "the other sister" Sarah Undershaft, she shines with every line. The men about the house round out the family charm with a comic brightness and plenty of handsome.

Seriously:


(Later, I was slightly abashed about my familiarity with young Stafford Perry, until I noted his recent, scantily-clad role as "Harrianus Testosteronus.")

As the "ACT's Favorite Gays," we were given the challenge discovering "the one gay actor." We were barking loudly up the wrong trees until our new friend paused our introductions with, "Honey, I need to get some chocolate and I'll be right back." New best friend.

The Out with ACT nights give us a wonderful opportunity to meet the cast and discuss the production, theater life, and an actor's view of San Francisco. One last hand to Randy Taradash for always putting together such an engaging night Out at ACT.

all the boys be stoppin'

J9 on Rye

Best comment to a photo.

After hours at the Stork Club: J9.

Posted to Facebook.

Her husband, who was on stage at the time, comments later:

"Well, this explains a lot of things."

house music

I am excited to have experienced my first "concert" at SYLA Presents. SYLA is awesome couple Cindy and Eric, who open their home for private converts of exceptional local talent. Wil and Drew were able to join me to hear Maurice Tani, Mike Anderson, and Steve Kallai of 77 El Deora. Maurice is Man Behind the Band, and while 77 El Deora usually features drums, female vocalist, and guest musicians, this was an intimate performance of the trio and a showcase of Maurice Tani's excellent "hillbilly noir" song-smithing and haunting baritone. Of course, I could also listen to Mike Anderston plug his bass all night long, and Steve Kallai always sets his fiddle on fire.

The evening was a sliver of magic. Not only was the music wonderful, as expected, but the experience of intimate living room setting was visceral. The limited tickets to attend are
a mere $20, with a sliding scale as necessary, and guests are asked to bring a dish for dinner or appetizers, and the hosts pride beverages and wine. All proceeds go to the artists. Their living room, with a sweeping view of the Bay and SanFrancisco beyond, is filled with three rows of chairs and the artist perform at the hearth. These are some amazing hosts.

77 El Deora shows are always a treat for me, but this was something even more special Granted, I am the sort of San Franciscan who classifies a drive to Oakland as a "road trip," but this was a different kind of adventure.

Growing up in Nashville, one is surrounded my music. Good music, familiar, emotional, rowdy and comforting. Gather any group of friends of five or more and at least two of them can play an interment, and surely one can sing. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of parties of "the street people" or other family-friendly casual house parties which would ultimately end with everyone gathered around, guitars and fiddles pulled out, and impromptu concerts with friends playing off of each other, playing old favorites and new showcases. This is generally referred to as "pickin' and grinnin'."


Sitting on a high stool in the back row, with the moonlight on the Bay behind me, a good friend at either side, and live music at the hearth, took me to memories I haven't visited in years, and a warm emotional state I was shocked to have forgotten, and tearful to remember.

The music was rich, everyone amiable, and the interplay of performer and audience blurred to just a family by the fire.


And then the conversation turned—
After the show, Maurice invited us to join him at the Stork Club, where he would be filling in on bass even later for his old rock band from maybe 20 years ago. Sure. Adventure continued.

It took us a little while to find the place, and as we pulled up I realized I had been there before—maybe ten or eleven years ago, and to see The McAllisters, the band Maurice was also a member of way back when. I remembered that Yahoo Maps was new. Maybe not even Yahoo Maps but Mapquest, and it was in the wrong place on the map. This was well before smart phones, and I remember using the new 800 (555-TELL) service "Tell Me" on my brand new and very first cell phone to call and get voice-activated driving directions, which routed me though the dark streets of Oakland with a soft voice giving me instructions such as "Take a left on Suchensuch Avenue. When you have done this, say, 'Next.'"

Wil heard a little more about what to expect, and so we went about 50 blocks out of our way to find an open Walgreens and bought ear plugs. Oh dear god in heaven. The Stork Club is a sketchy venue, in a sketchy part of Oakland, and the caterwauling horribleness of the music is ineffectively obscured by the ridiculous, molecule-vibrating volume. But excellent people watching. Cover notwithstanding. We had to endure two more bands before Mau was up. Despite the absolutely terrible music, and in such contrast to the delicate artistry we had just experienced, the acts were something to see. I imagine mostly made entreating by our (Wil's and Min) personal ability to have fun wherever we find ourselves if we put our attitudes to it. While auditorially offensive, visually the penultimate rock/punk band was so much fun because the lead man was a caricature of Bill Nighy in Love Actually: but a slightly more desperate aspiration to Mick Jagger, complete with bare chest, scraggly hair, and long gaudy trench shirt.

Rock on man.

And danced we did, and when Maruice's old band took the stage we rocked on with Mike & Megan, Cindy & Eric, and the always awesome J9.




I can't believe we closed down the Stork. But I do love and adventure, especially with such a good soundtrack.

wine-no

Oh Lord. I forgot to mention. If you go see Noises Off! at the Shelton Theater, which I heartily recommend, by whatever divinity you hold dear do NOT drink their wine before the show. Get your drink on, which does help with the funny, before you get to the theater. The seven-dollars-a-glass from four-dollars-a-bottle is so offensively disgusting as to border on poisonous. I am by no means a wine guy, but I know rancid swill when I taste it.

We had to begrudgingly balance our cash investment and desire for a comedy buzz with the abhorrent taste of their reds. Seriously. It nearly killed me.


Rizzo suffered through it too. We suspected while not ultimately fatal it should still be alcoholic.

And we should not have been surprised that it tasted like bleach. I mean, the skull and crossbones were right there on the sign.

whatever it takes to catch train

Dom DeLousie to Kermit the Frog: "I've got to catch a plane."
Kermit: "With that tongue?"

Maybe this guy is training to better catch the train. But seriously? It's too early for me to deal with your Bus Stop Yoga routine. And those nasty, hype-debunked, five-toed shoes.




Good morning and reach for that weekend!

won't you be my neighbor?

Probably not the best way to handle things, but by GODS this is funny.

"I'm not surprised you get along with the all the other neighbors. If you put 50 people with Down's syndrome in a room there's going to be a lot of hugging."

well this is shitty news

The things I hear from my nephew in college:

SGA passes bill for 2-ply toilet paper

Westphal said the idea behind the resolution came from the number of student complaints he received about TCU's current toilet paper. One complaint compared it to that of "the government's incarceration facilities", while another likened it to "sandpaper."

"The low quality of 1-ply toilet paper encourages inefficiencies through overuse," said Westphal.

Chancellor Victor Boschini and Vice-Chancellor for Student Affairs Kathy Cavins-Tull have also expressed their support of the resolution, citing cost as the reason behind TCU's current use of one-ply toilet paper, although it's "negligible."

Other universities across the nation, such as Harvard, Yale, Duke and the University of Kansas, have all been able to change to 2-ply toilet paper with no cost increase. Some were able to switch with no change in cost, and others with even a cost reduction.

Noises Off!

Rizzo invited me to join him to see a friend in the Shelton Theater's production of Noises Off! I had never seen it live (only the video) and had been eager to see it for years. Although it is rarely produced as the set is so direct an inflexible (i'm told set designers hate making it as it leaves no room for creativity). the set is two stories, eight doors, and reversible. I would have thought an impossible task for the tiny tiny Shelton stage.

Sure, the set was cramped and half of the doors were slightly miniature, but they totally pull it off. In no small part to the wonderful cast. So. Much. Fun. The farce elicited strong laughs all the way through, made even more enjoyable by the hysterics Rizzo was thrown into from the opening scene. The second act goes completely off the rails and the cast manages the chaos and teensy tiny stage with great comic skill.

Rodney Taylor is delightful as the exasperated director, and Erica Andracchio does a splendid comic turn particularly with the second act, encapsulating the entire nonsense into a single look amid the cacophony. Richard Sargent suffers beautifully throughout, and Travis Coleman is so believably hapless I wonder if that's him in his daily life. Also, is auburn fur looks good in briefs. Tony Ruiz does a good job with the handsome-but-stupid, and is underutilized in so far as he has his shirt and pants on the entire time.


Noises Off! has been extended through February 8, and I recommend going. Check Goldstar or Brown Paper Tickets for tickets.

FML

Work keeps sending me notices about an FML presentation. I always think "Tell me about it" then remember they are referring to processing for Family and Medical Leave.

C•O•M•P•A•N•I•O•N•S

hack!

This cough syrup might be made from coughs.

Gross.

bigger on the outside

Every day, more evidence comes to light of petty vindictiveness seeking to ruin people's lives merely out of spite. Who would have ever thought at the end of the day that Chris Christie would be described as such a small man.

He's like the anti-TARDIS: so much bigger on the outside.

trust me

I think this is another reason why I often hear from recruiters and entrepreneurs, "I will always hire a Davidson graduate, even if they have less direct experience."

Trust's Legacy: Davidson's Honor Code

"Trust can leave a powerful legacy. Davidson students educated in a community of trust become graduates unafraid to try what others claim cannot be done."

He probably called the swirlies "Christie Creams."

The "Chris Christie is a bully who abuses power and is big fat stinking liar" scandal looks like it's just starting.  The winds have picked up and all his other arrogant abuses comes to light the shitstorm is going to make Sandy look like deflating balloon.

Right now he's playing the "I would never do something like that" and "I only inspire the greatest spirit of fairness and honesty in my staff" parts over and over again.

Here's how I know his attitude is exactly that which would inspire corruption and abuse of power, even if only for power's sake. Personally, I think the lane closures were less to do with political payback and more to do with money and deals surrounding the multi-million dollar real estate development, but that's my perspective from having worked on multi-family real estate deals, and my tendency to follow the money when it comes to questionable dealings.

It's amazing what people say when they're not focused on incidentals. During his marathon two-hour press conference, in which he said very little over and over again, most of it now shown to be not truthful, this little bit came out during his denials. And I think it was very telling.

He claims he barely knew David Wildstein (although he got him a six-figure job with no application, resume, or job description), hasn't seem him in years (oh look, the Wall Street Journal has a photo of you two laughing together at the September 11 memorial events during the lane closure incident), and besides, he would never hang out with that guy Wildstein because he, Christie, is one of the cool kids and he, Wildstein, is not. He's a lackey at best.

It is what Christie said as an aside to distance himself from the man at the center of the malfeasance (described as his "high-school friend") that I find particularly telling:

"We didn't travel in the same circles in high school. You know, I was the class president and athlete. I don't know what David was doing during that period of time."

I can't believe no one else noticed that. Maybe it was just those of us who knew the class president and athletes who were total and complete dicks in high school. To me the sentiment he expressed there is not a denial of a tendency to abuse power with a casual arrogance, but rather and admission of a deeply held character to do so.

Translation, even 30 years later: "I was the most popular guy in high school. I don't know what that dweeb was doing…why would I?"

if I had a nickel for every time...

Overheard:

"I think I need a new therapist. I've been going for a year and still feel fat and crazy."
"I've been going to the same therapist for over ten years and I'm still fat and crazy."
"That's hardly a ringing endorsement of therapy."
"Yeah, but I'm not unhappy about it any more."

four soft tacos

How drunk are you? On a scale of "One" to "Taco Bell?"

downward facing dog

I think he's putting me on.

I don't think that "thrusting whore" is a real yoga pose.

western edition

It's fun to be invited as the only gay guy to a young(isn) straight guy's birthday party at a club in North Beach hosted by his girlfriend. Oh what to wear.. In honor of Prentiss' Nashville heritage, the invitation attire requested was "cowboy back tie."

Yeah. That I can do.


Happy birthday Prentiss!

alumni pride

I know it's a Warriors' thing, but every time I see a sign like this,


all I can say is "Go Wildcats!"

no wonder

It's a polyamorous day with Mary.

No wonder that it's Mary whom we love.




See also:

POLYAMORY IS WRONG!
It is either multiamory or polyphilia
But mixing Greek and Latin roots is WRONG!

quote

I just realized that my routine "You say that to all the boys" is the gay version of "That's what she said."

bedtime story

Get out a book and put me to bed!



Via Alert Reader JM.

photo credit

This is kind of cool. Not to poke at the debate and hatred of the tech busses in the City, but the SFist news story on the new deal between the city and the tech bus operators ran with one of my photos.

The SFist my favorite local news site, and it was fun to pause and say, "Hey, that looks familiar…"

be careful or you'll get yourself kilt

I think the drag name Eileen Donan would only be funny to Scottish gays.

And now that I think of it, I do hope there's already a drag queen by that name.

best iPad keeper ever

Want? No. Must have.

The Trapper Keeper iPad case. Including Bluetooth keyboard.

From If.

It's a Trap!

I do hope they make these.

a long time ago, we used to be friends

But I haven't thought of you lately at all.

JK. I think about you all the time.

I love being a part of the Veronica Mars Kickstarter campaign. The first real trailer arrived in my inbox today!

that was quick

Really? It's the day after New Year's and it's Valentine's at Walgreen's.

The day before yesterday this was all Christmas clearance.

Happy New Year 2014!

Love from the 17th Annual New Year's Day Papa Johns Black-Eyed Pea Chili Party!

I hope you got lucky.