All things licorice, and drink-worthy

I'm out of vodka!
Repeat: I'm out of vodka!

And this happens just when I bought some deliciously-red-colored Bloody Mary mix yesterday (I know, I know -- I should make my own "mix" from scratch, but I couldn't resist this "natural" version, in a bottle so shapely). Yeah, so now what am I gonna do wit'it?

Well, first, I should, um, clarify the situation.. I've started off with a bit of hyperbole (for dramatic effect). Alas! Alack! Whew?! ;)

Where was I? For sure.. before everyone gets all up in a tizzy, I *should* add that the realdeal is that I don't have any more *unflavored* vodka in the house. You see, the other day I applied my last half-liter of clear niceness to a(nother) noble infusion experiment.. so let me ask you:

Do you like the aroma, the slickness, or, dare I say, the *stimulation* of whole star anise?

I do. Yikes!

Hmm.. although, I don't have any particular mixed drink in mind for the licorice elixir (which will be ready, I'm thinking, by the weekend). But I think it might be tasty to have, simply: over rocks. How can I be so sure (of future enjoyment)? Let me count the ways:

1. While not my usual "go to" drink, I *do* have a fondness for a nice lowball glass of decent vodka over ice when I'm in the right mood and/or company.

2. I like me some anise flavor in general; in fact, one of my top choices for cocktails-made-at-home right now: Redbull and absinthe (6 parts of the former to 1 part of the latter, over lots of ice).

Two reasons are enough for me! Bring on the drink! haha.

Ah, speaking of absinthe - it would have been more timely to mention this a few weeks ago - but that purveyor-of-cool-events (delivered right to your inbox, natch), Flavorpill, recently put up a nice mini-site dedicated to the Green Fairy (as absinthe may be more poetically known); check it here. There, you'll find an abbreviated history of how this particular liquor came to be such a seductress, along with a couple of fancy cocktail recipes -- including their "Summer 2008 Signature Cocktail", the Flavorpill Orange Fresh.

In any case, as I sorta hinted at, I meant to post this Flavorpill+absinthe business a few weeks ago because those guys were sponsoring a few parties earlier this month with free Orange Fresh tastings at madhip places like Santos Party House in NYC and Mezzanine in SF; and, from what I hear, there was some maddancy music to be had too. But, c'est la vie. If you didn't know, now you know..

And knowing is half the battle (video). So get yourself a bottle and start makin' up for lost time! ;)

~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh, and if you have any good ideas for my anise-infused vodka, let me know!

Models in the middle of the street, bludgeoned

I've never been there, but, it seems, the Catharine Clark Gallery is calling me from its location down in SOMA (on Minna Street, near 3rd Street). Noone is literally calling me, of course. ;) But I just found out about a Timothy Cummings exhibit that opened there the other day; and I'm a fan of the guy's ghostly and iconographic work.

I first happened upon Mr. Cummings - that is, his paintings - at the Boomerang "screening & exhibition" a few months ago at John's Hayes Valley Market Gallery; and, there, I was enamored with his "androgynous subjects" and their "dark and brooding gazes"; I said as such at the time.

Since then, I found out that Timothy Cummings has been represented by the Catherine Clark Gallery since 1994 (though he's shown at many other galleries since then, like the Nancy Hoffman Gallery in NYC), so my attendance there is way overdue; this current show will be up until August 23rd so I've got a few weeks. Yeah, if you head over their yourself, I'd like to hear what you think of his pieces..

But in the meantime, find out a little more about the man; I found this interview at, um, Queerty..

The Totally Frightful Issue: Timothy Cummings
Interview with Andrew Belonsky
Published: Oct 20, 2006

Andrew Belonsky: There was a show at SITE Santa Fe a few years ago – I think it may have just been called “The Grotesque” – which was interesting to me not only because of the art, but because [it seems] the idea of “the grotesque” has reached new levels…

Timothy Cummings: I’ve always been inspired by [the grotesque]. I’ve always been sort of hot for gory fashion ads. Now it’s the norm. It’s not even an [issue]: of course the new ad campaign’s going to be your jeans and a couple hot models lying in the middle of the street, bludgeoned. It’s hot. I love it.

True that. haha.

A nice way to start off the Fall

Ok, ok.. just one more:

What's that about more Australians in the States? Yeah, you heard right, music scene darlings (and, um, nu-ravers.. only when the remixers get ahold of them, methinks), The Midnight Juggernauts, are playing at 103 Harriet Street (San Francisco) on Friday, September 12th.

But that's not all.. LCD Soundsystem and DFA founder, The Juan Maclean will also be there -- with his touring band; I'm curious how their live sound compares to the purely electronic sound of the albums. The little cherry on top is that the boys of Digitalism will be dj'ing around the night as well.

A nice way to start off the Fall season, huh?

VERY LIMITED $20 introductory advance tickets onsale now, here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

ps. I looked up 103 Harriet Street - I've never been there - and I *think* it's another name for former epic party venue 1015 Folsom. If anyone can confirm and/or correct, drop it in the comments. Thanks!

These dates need legwork

These things seem to come in cycles, but a lot of live music is flying across my radar right now, so many djs and bands (and, at times, bands-as-djs) will be rocking - so to speak - through San Francisco over the next couple of months. For example, earlier today - yes, today!, although earlier, so you may already know this fine news - Cut Copy and The Presets announced their next North American tour:

SAT 9/13 - Monolith Festival - Denver, CO
MON 9/15 - The Record Bar - Kansas City, MO
TUES 9/16 - Fine Line Music Cafe- Minneaplis, MN
WED 9/17 - Metro - Chicago, IL
FRI 9/19 - Sound Academy - Toronto, Ontario
SAT 9/20 - Club Soda - Montreal, Quebec
SUN 9/21 - Webster Hall - New York City, NY
MON 9/22 - Webster Hall - New York City, NY
TUE 9/23 - Paradise - Boston, MA
THURS 9/25 - The Trocadero Theater - Philadelphia, PA
FRI 9/26 - 9:30 Club - Washington D.C.
SAT 9/27 - Masquerade - Atlanta, GA
MON 9/29 - Emo's Alternative Lounge - Austin, TX
TUES 9/30 - Granada Theater - Dallas, TX
FRI 10/3 - The Glass House - Pomona, CA
SUN 10/5 - Mezzanine - San Francisco, CA
TUES 10/7 - Hawthorne Theater - Portland, OR
WED 10/8 - Showbox At The Market - Seattle, WA
THURS 10/9 - Commodore Ballroom - Vancouver, B.C.

I saw Cut Copy (and Simian Mobile Disco) at Mezzanine last time they came through town, and it was, for sure, the top show that I've seen this year. The short version of the "why" is that I love their last album, "In Ghost Colours", on its own - I will play it in all sorts of moods, from gettin'-ready-to-go-out to atmospherizizin'-the-kitchen-while-cookin'.. but seeing them live brought the music another level (yes, a totalcheese description, I know); still, the lights were a'strobin' and the bodies a'throbbin' (in a good way - ha!). The real kicker is that I went with a few folks that were also into the music from the get-go; a little preparty at my apartment got the night starts and we rocked it through 'til the lights came on. Too cool.

In any case, I'll almost definitely see them again, especially as they are coming 'round with The Presets - the *other* Austrailian in-fashiony-dancily group that's been getting a lot of great press (and remix treatment).

Yeah, so on October 5th, Cut Copy and crew will be back at Mezzanine.. but as you can see above, that's just one stop on a great big US tour.. so maybe this shebang be a good excuse to get to travelin'. I mean, September *is* a nice time to visit the city (NYC). We'll see; if you're interested in going to any of those shows, let me know. ;)

In other concert news, I mentioned earlier that Sam Sparro will be coming to town in order to blue-eye-electro-neo-soul us at The Independent on September 9th; are you ready? Yes, since then, ticket went on sale; and I bought mines; you should too. It's gonna be a superfun sing-along sort of show. And I'm really looking forward to it..

Speaking of sing-alongs, the 2008 season of Midnight Mass (hosted by Peaches Christ) has been going for a few weeks now.. and this full weekend calendar of midnight movies has, so far, included gems like Showgirls and Barbarella. But I think the real gold is still to, um, come..

This Saturday, for example, find exploitation of all stripes in the cult-classic, Starrbooty; apparently, Starrbooty producer, writer, and star, RuPaul Charles will be at the theater live and in-person (in drag or not?)! Mid-August, indulge in your horror fantasies via a weekend of Nightmare on Elm Street(s): the crowd pleasing original and the third one, set 6 years later (and featuring quite a few later-to-be-well-known actors). I hear there is supposed to be some sort of "wet section" in the audience, but I have no clue what that means; I'd just remind you to bring a hanky (good advice, regardless, given the track record of these Midnight Mass folks). ;)

But as far as I'm concerned, the piece d'resistance of the summer will be a showing of the sing-along version of Purple Rain, playing both August 1st and August 2nd.. at midnight, natch. I caught Purple Rain last time it came to town a few years ago, and I really didn't know what I was in for. I mean, I liked Prince and all (and still do - even moreso), but I didn't realize at the time that some people *live* Prince. For reals. haha. And that's awesome for an event like this; it's all part of the spectacle to dress up (if you feel like it), to sing-along (if you feel like it), and maybe come to the theater with a few drinks in you (*not* if you feel like it; you have to do this). haha. Like I said (or implied), the scene is very silly, but very fun; Prince sorta call out for the "right crowd" for this sort of thing. And when the Purple One and crew start breaking into song during the movie, ignore any ruffley shirts on the screen for a few minutes (if you can!) and just keep following that bouncing ball..

Whew!

Where was I?

Alright, let me just drop a few other music dates on you; and I'll let you do the legwork yourself. ;)

July 25th: Does It Offend You Yeah? + Steed Lord @ 330 Ritch
July 25th: The Black Ghosts @ The Independent
July 26th: Starrbooty (film) @ The Clay Theater
July 29th: Chromeo @ The Fillmore
July 30th: Joy Division double-feature (films) @ 330 Ritch
August 1st: Purple Rain (film/sing-along)@ The Clay Theater
August 2nd: Purple Rain (film/sing-along)@ The Clay Theater
September 5th: Lebowskifest + Extra Action Marching Band @ Mezzanine
September 9th: Sam Sparro @ The Independent
October 5th: Cut Copy + The Presets @ Mezzanine

Good advice at any age

Now that the Olympics is almost here, I've been seeing quite a few articles pop up in the media focusing on the larger percentage of "older" athletes competing this year.. those in their 40's and above (and even some in their 60's). For example, the Beijing Olympics-themed blog of the NYTimes posted a nice (and short) blog entry on the subject:

The Starting Line: At the Olympics, Age Is Just a Number
By Jeff Z. Klein
July 14, 2008, 2:22 pm

One quote that stuck out for me came from Dr. Michael Joyner of the Mayo Clinic; he explained why so many older athletes are doing so well at the Olympic level:

The message that these people tell us, whether it's Gordie Howe, George Foreman, Dara Torres or any of these people, is that if people become obsessed with what they can't do as they age, well then they won't do it. These individuals are more interested with what they can do.

Of course, the Olympics, in many respects is still a "young person's game" and these 40+ athletes mentioned in the article make up a small percentage of the overall field, but, still, the take-away from this article is clear.. focusing more on what you can do (versus what you *think* you can't, physically or otherwise) is pretty good advice at any age..

Let's all get down like the BBC!

Just found out yesterday that Sam Sparro is *finally* coming to San Francisco. He performs at The Independent on September 9th. He's not posted on The Independent's website just yet (or at Sam Sparro's myspace page, for that matter), but I'm guessing it's just a matter of time since..

Tickets go on sale this Sunday at 10am PST; get yourself some. Should be a great electro-soul show with mad sing-a-longs; for reals. haha.

In other (personal) music news, I looked up the True Pseudo guys who rock the first track ("Freakin Me Out") of the "12:02 Mix" from the After Midnight DJs.. just like I said I would. And all I got to say is that if they come to San Francisco, here, they gonna rock the house; and more tix I'll be a-buyin'. Yeah, I'm up for the challenge of convincing a friend to indulge in a(nother) random concert that I'm excited about (even as they have no clue what they're getting themselves into). ;)

For sure, my favorite True Pseudo tune is the aforementioned "Freakin Me Out" - I'm picturing the whole place blowin' up when that one drops on the dancefloor - but most of their tracks are pretty good (ex. "Eltone") and will keep butts shakin'; they have a good overall aesthetic (so I would trust their DJ selections too).

Finally, let me just mention that I've been playing the DJ Kicks mix from Erlend Øye (of Kings of Convenience and The Whitest Boy Alive fame) almost non-stop the past week. I mean, it was released in 2004, but, hey, you can't catch all the good music the first time around, right?; the CD surfaced in my life a few weeks ago when I was searching for all things Alan Braxe and Fred Falke. Check this tracklist:

1. So Weit Wie Noch Nie - Jürgen Paape
2. Sheltered Life / Fine Day (A Capella) - Erlend Øye
3. Drop (Kings of Convenience Remix) - Cornelius
4. If I Ever Feel Better - Phoenix
5. Radio Jolly / Prego Amore (A Capella) - Jollymusic
6. Rubicon - Alan Braxe & Fred Falke
7. 2D2F - Avenue D
8. I Need Your Love - The Rapture
9. Lattialla Taas / Venus (A Capella) (Bananarama cover) - Uusi Fantasia
10. 2 After 909 / Intergalactic Autobahn (A Capella) - Justus Köhncke
11. The Black Keys Work (DJ-Kicks) - Erlend Øye
12. Airraid - Jackmate
13. Poor Leno (Silicone Soul's Hypno House Dub) / There Is a Light That Never Goes Out (A Capella) (The Smiths cover) - Röyksopp
14. Metal Chix / Always on My Mind (A Capella) (Brenda Lee cover) - Skatebård
15. Dexter - Ricardo Villalobos
16. Winning A Battle, Losing The War - Minizza
17. Lullaby / A Place In My Heart (A Capella) - Morgan Geist

Part of the appeal is that Mr. Øye actually (re)records vocals for some of the songs he's mixing (ex. "I Need Your Love" or "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out"), blurring the line between straight DJ and more traditional musical performance. Cool stuff.

Ok, ok.. one more thing:

Speaking of albums I missed, have you heard "Sexuality" from Sébastien Tellier yet? I've basically been trading off the DJ Kicks album with this one the past week or so. It was released earlier this year (at the end of February); and it lives up to its suggestive name.. the music is dripping with sensuality and, well, sex. The music is richly-layered synthesizer pop that, um, comes in measured and languid waves - produced by none other than Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo (of Daft Punk) - overlaid with Mr. Tellier's smooth Gainsbourg-esque vocals.. perfect for lazing around in bed (or whatevering in bed). Track 5 ("Pomme") goes as far as using some female sounds of pleasure as a layer of subtle percussion - if I may be so bold as to identify the use as percussion at all - behind the up-front bouncy bass beat. Whew!

Yeah, check some of the tracks here (at The Yellow Stereo blog), or find a full album review at the BBC (who knew the BBC liked to get down?). Let's all get down like the BBC!

Don't just take my word for it

I've been cooking/baking quite a bit lately - ahem, mostly for myself.. though last night a friend got the full dinner treatment, homemade walnut bread (warm and fresh and crackly!) and all. So, given that most of these simple kitchen endeavors resolve around the fresh ingredients that I'm receiving in my weekly "CSA box", I've found myself explaining, "what, exactly, is this CSA thing?"; in fact, I've had to do so a few times in the past couple of weeks.

These people obviously don't read my blog. ahem. CSA = Community-Supported Agriculture, and it is, essentially, a farm business model that allows folks to buy "shares" of a harvest at the start of the season (although many farms allow one to pay monthly, and some allow members to join on a rolling basis). In this way, a farm has a guaranteed source of income upfront (vs. the ongoing threat of customer capriciousness when selling at, say, a farmer's market), and shareholders get weekly deliveries of the seasonal harvest.

Of course, there are drawbacks: a late frost could destroy a delicate crop of tomatoes and members would get nothing for the week (well, at least: no tomatoes). And you are otherwise at the mercy of the seasons in terms of what grows when.. for example, you are not likely to receive blueberries in January if you live anywhere in the US (and you are not likely to receive blueberries at all if you live in Northern CA). Still, I'm a fan insofar that the CSA program allows me to support local agriculture, for one, and two, it challenges me to expand the breadth of my cooking skills. There is a forcing function in finding new recipes that incorporate some of the ingredients that I normally wouldn't automatically pick up at the supermarket by myself (ex. acorn squash, green beans); I hate throwing out food.

In short, I think the pros far outweigh the cons for my lifestyle/interests right now. Yeah, and if I really want something not in season and not local (ex. bananas, at least until they go extinct), I still make my way over to the supermarket. ;)

Well, as fortune would have it, you don't have to take my word for it with respect to all this CSA business.. the NYTimes posted an short article today talking about how this food distribution model came to be in the United State and what sorts of folks indulge in them today (and why):

Shoppers Buy Slices of Farms
By Susan Saulny
Published: July 10, 2008

I don't think the article is going to answer all your questions on how a CSA works - that is, how you, how you! can get ahold of fresh, local, organic fruits and vegetables (or local, grass fed beef for that matter) - but it *could* very well whet your appetite to find out more. If so, I'd recommend making your next stop Local Harvest, a popular CSA (and farmer's market) online clearinghouse.

But regardless of all this CSA talk, I hope you're eating and drinking well in general, (among other active pursuits); summer is upon us!