Mission Mission

It’s called Tikva Records, and it’ll be occupying the Queen’s Nails Annex space through December, hosting a bunch of events and promoting the release of Songs for the Jewish-American Jet Set: The Tikva Records Story 1950 – 1973, a collection released last month. Here’s some of what’ll be going down:

*Fool’s Gold (CD Release Event)
*El Gavachillo con Banda La Juvenil w/ Wil-Dog of Ozomatli
*Steve Berlin of Los Lobos
*Zach Rogue (Rogue Wave)
*The Burton Sisters
*Members of Dengue Fever
*Sam Hoffman and Eric Spiegelman (Producers of Old Jews Telling Jokes)
*Geo Trio w/ Original Members of Garaj Mahal and Special Guest Rasaki Aladokun
*Jeremiah Lockwood w/ Guests Ethan Miller (Comets On Fire, Howlin Rain) and Luther Dickinson (North Mississippi Allstars/The Black Crowes)
*49th Street All-Stars w/ Dan Lebowitz (ALO), Scott Law (Darol Anger’s Republic of Strings), Nicki Bluhm, Joe Kyle Jr (The Waybacks), Dale Fanning (Materialized), and Jordan Feinstein
*Dan Lebowitz & Friends
*Rebecca Bortman (My First Earthquake)
*Club Unicornio Kosher Mambo Party
*Tel Aviv’s Charlie Megira & The Modern Dance Club (CD Release Party)
*American Musical Heritage Foundation Presents The Kosher Katz and Kittens with Glenn Allen Howard
*Stories on Record: Bring Your Jewish Record Collection to Tikva Records
*Double Feature Yiddish Musical Screenings Daily at Tikva Records

Read the full press release after the jump…

[Photo by Bernalwood]

***For Immediate Release***

San Francisco, CA – November 3, 2011 – The Idelsohn Society for Musical Preservation is thrilled to announce the opening of the World’s First Jewish Pop-Up Record Store in the heart of San Francisco’s Mission District: Tikva Records. Celebrating the national release of the new album, Songs for the Jewish-American Jet Set: The Tikva Records Story 1950 – 1973 (Release Date: November 22, 2011), The Idelsohn Society will present an eclectic series of events at the new replica of a ’50s record shop throughout the month of December 2011, including the eight nights of Chanukah.

Special events will emulate the historical and cultural significance of Tikva Records – NYC’s most prolific Jewish record label of the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s. Events will explore the Jewish American songbook, and Jewish culture in general, interpreted by some of today’s brightest performers, comedians, musicians and lecturers. Rare vinyl from select Jewish musicians of the past 80 years will be sold at the new Tikva Records, and The Idelsohn Society will have all of their latest album releases for sale including: Songs for the Jewish-American Jet Set, Black Sabbath, and Mazeltov, Mis Amigos. San Francisco Public School tours will commence during the daytime hours at Tikva Records, and food trucks will be carefully paired with each event listed below. Interviews and photos are available upon request. Additional events will be announced soon.

Legacy of Tikva Records is Honored on Songs for the Jewish-American Jet Set: The Tikva Records Story 1950 – 1973:
In the 1950s, New York City was the center of Jewish life in America, with an estimated two million Jews living within the city’s borders. It was a time of great transition as American Jews were in the midst of a radical post-war transformation that found them balancing the city with the suburbs, tradition with modernity, and Jewish identity with American identity. Even as assimilation continued to be a goal, many American Jews longed for familiar cultural touchstones, for connections to the world they, or their parents, had left behind.

Enter Tikva Records, an independent label launched in the late ’40s determined to speak to these new challenges. The company’s catalogue – an extraordinarily eclectic and idiosyncratic body of work - reflected the diversity of the population it sought to entertain: the Jews of the modern diaspora. Instead of zeroing in on a particular genre, Tikva Records was broad and sweeping in its reach. The label’s roster included such icons of Jewish music as Leo Fuchs, Eddie Cantor and Molly Picon. But Tikva went much further afield. From fuzzed-out garage rock (The Sabras) to folk (Jack Brass), from the sacred (Jo Amar‘s “Ani Lodadi”) to the profane (Bernie Knee‘s “Orthodox, Conservative, or Reformed”), from klezmer (The Epstein Brothers, Sam Musiker) to humor (Leo Fuchs) to Israeli funk (Avram Grobard), there’s something here for every taste.

Idelsohn Society co-founder David Katznelson felt it was time to create the first ever Jewish pop-up music store in his hometown of San Francisco, CA. President of the San Francisco Appreciation Society, Katznelson notes: “There is a strong legacy of record stores as community hubs in San Francisco, hubs focusing on specific cultures and genres of music. The Idelsohn Society wants to continue this vibrant history by recreating the classic record store phenomenon, in keeping with the Idelsohn tradition of using the recorded sound to discover and celebrate the 20th century Jewish experience for a new generation.”

Idelsohn Society co-founder Roger Bennett adds, “Over the past six years, The Idolsohn Society has been re-releasing historical Jewish albums and presenting events in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York City. We are always looking for ways to reconnect our audience to the past. For our latest project, we wanted to establish a ’50s record store and host a month-long celebration and engage San Franciscans of all ages, identities and geographical locals of their own histories. The pop-up will be an incredible opportunity for all of us to re-live and experience some of the greatest music to be released out of New York from the mid-20th century. We look forward to educating public school students on the art of remixing, and honoring the amazing recording artists that are part of the Tikva Records family.”

Please see the list of confirmed events taking place at Tikva Records this December 2011:

Thursday, December 1, 2011: Tikva Records *Official Opening Party* (7 pm – 9 pm)
The Idelsohn Society will officially open the doors to Tikva Records with a CD Listening Party highlighting their latest release, Songs for the Jewish-American Jet Set: The Tikva Records Story 1950 – 1973. The opening exhibit, “Tikva In Technicolor,“ will also be launched on December 1. “Tikva In Technicolor” will feature displays and information on the creative people behind the record label as well as the recording artists. iPads will be utilized for both a hands-on look inside this famous Jewish record label’s fascinating history and to hear selections from the label’s catalogue. The exhibit will also feature screenings of Yiddish Musicals. At the event, Tikva Records invites attendees to the various remixing stations for an opportunity to remix traditional Jewish music with beats for a modern experience with timeless tracks. Music can be uploaded to Facebook or burned onsite to a CD.

Friday, December 2, 2011: Steve Berlin, Member of Los Lobos
Steve Berlin is a saxophonist, keyboardist and record producer, and is best known as a member of Los Lobos. At Tikva Records, Berlin will perform an original score of music with a full band especially written for a special screening of a restored silent Jewish film (specific film TBA).

Saturday, December 3, 2011: American Pop, Ralph Bakshi and the Jewish Experience (7 pm)
Filmmaker Ralph Bakshi, best known for his films Fritz The Cat and Wizards, is making a rare San Francisco appearance to show his classic film American Pop and discuss, with longtime friend/poet Melvin Wick, his Jewish upbringing and the influence it had on his art. The conversation will be led by writer/scholar Richard Simon. Richard B. Simon teaches writing at Dominican University of California and City College of San Francisco; is a Contributing Editor at Relix Magazine; and comments on environment and political propaganda at SCORP1/0N BOWL.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011: Fool’s Gold Bay Area CD Release Party (Two Performances: 7 pm & 8:30 pm)
Feel good guitar-pop collective Fool’s Gold will celebrate the release of their second full-length album, Leave No Trace, with a special Bay Area performance at Tikva Records. Originally a 12-15 member ensemble, Fool’s Gold downsized their line-up to a tight-knit five-member powerhouse quintet after releasing their self-titled debut (2009) and relentlessly touring the country. The band now features vocalist/bassistLuke Top, guitarist Lewis Pesacov, drummer Garrett Ray, multi-instrumentalist Brad Caulkins and percussionist Salvador Placencia. Confident, focused and much more personal, the new line-up truly allowed for the dynamic of the group to blossom, redefining and sculpting their sound for the much anticipated sophomore LP Leave No Trace.

Much of Leave No Trace is built on soulful vocals, evocative lyrics, driving beats, tightly wound percussion and warm synthesizers, all woven together with interlocking, nimble and slashing guitar lines. An obvious distinction in the new record is that it is sung predominately in English. This was an intuitive choice, much in the way the debut album leaned towards Hebrew. Leave No Trace was produced by co-founder Lewis Pesacov (who also produced last year’s acclaimed Best Coast LP Crazy for You).

Thursday, December 8, 2011: The Burton Sisters
Marking their second live performance in 55 years, the celebrated Burton Sisters will sing various songs from their acclaimed catalogue alongside a special unannounced guest artist. The event will also include a ceremony, slide show of their career, and a cocktail party.

The Burton Sisters grew up in a musical family based in North Philadelphia, and from an early age, were exposed to such family friends likeMoe Jaffe, whose music is included on the new Tikva collection Songs for the Jewish-American Jet Set: The Tikva Records Story 1950 – 1973; Jaffe wrote the hits “Gypsy in My Soul,” “Chanukah Candles,” “If you are But a Dream,” and “If I had My Life to Live Over.” It was only natural for the two sisters to start harmonizing their way to gigs at bar mitzvahs, lodge meetings and the like. Rose and Evelyn Burton soon signed with the Stan Zucker Agency in New York, and went on the road to perform shows in French Canada, the Borscht Belt, at Grossingers and the Concord, and appeared alongside many stars of the day including Eddie Fisher, Buddy Hackett and others. Following Bob Merrillhearing them perform at a nightclub, the Burton Sisters were signed to RCA Victor. They became the only Jewish artists of that time that were allowed to record with a major label, and simultaneously release music on the all-Yiddish independent label Banner Records.

Saturday, December 10, 2011: Members of Dengue Fever
Members of Dengue Fever will perform hits from their catalogue as well as favorite traditional Jewish songs through the filter of their eclectic style that has made them a well-known touring and recording ensemble. The band itself is inventive as they meld diverse cultures with surf guitar pop, spy-movie themes and an East-meets-West psychedelic and garage rock sound. However, the magic ingredient in the group lies with Cambodian-born lead singer Chhom Nimol. You can be sure at the upcoming Tikva Records’s event, you’ll hear a Yiddish song sung by an acclaimed Cambodian singer.

Sunday, December 11, 2011: Stories on Record
Part of The Idelsohn Society’s mission is to collect stories…stories around music and the artists that made the music. Do you or your parents have a collection of Jewish Records? Were these records a part of the soundtrack to your daily life? Do you remember listening to them in the family living room or going to see the artists when they were on tour? Bring your record collection to Tikva Records on Dec. 11 and show us what you have! Tikva Records will be offering services to digitize those records that are currently lost in time!
-Anyone with a record collection can come down anytime, it’s not only limited to December 11, 2011. Just emailpublicity@jpcutlermedia.com, and we’ll set up a time to meet and check out your collection.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011: Old Jews Telling Jokes
Sam Hoffman and Eric Spiegelman, producers of the wildly funny Old Jews Telling Jokes series, will appear at Tikva Records.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011: Club Unicornio Kosher Mambo Party
A Latin-Jewish, bagels-and-bongos, mambo soundclash between Idelsohn Society DJs and DJs from Club Unicornio and Soundway Records featuring tracks from a goldmine of long lost vinyl, some of which will be for sale at Tikva Records.

Thursday, December 15, 2011: El Gavachillo con Banda La Juvenil Featuring Wil-Dog of Ozomatli
Following his epic performance at the live re-enactment of the legendary album Mazeltov, Mis Amigos (Yoshi’s, San Francisco, August 30, 2010), Wil-Dog will slip into his alter-ego, El Gavachillo, and introduce the Mission to his new project, a punk-rock inspired take on traditional Mexican banda music featuring one of LA’s hottest Mexican bandas, Banda El Juvenil. Wil-Dog is the bassist for Ozomatli, and is of Jewish descent. From an early age he saw first-hand police violence, racism and antisemitism. After dropping out of high school in the 11th grade, he joined an at-risk youth-center and found his purpose and joined Ozomatli. The acclaimed band is known for their vocal activist viewpoints and wide array of musical styles including salsa, funk, reggae and hip-hop.

Saturday, December 17, 2011: 49th Street All-Stars Featuring Dan Lebowitz (ALO), Scott Law (Darol Anger’s Republic of Strings, Melvin Seals, Brokedown in Bakersfield), Nicki Bluhm, Joe Kyle Jr (The Waybacks), Dale Fanning (Materialized), and Jordan Feinstein
Bringing in several all-star players from the greater jam-band community, these select musicians will play tunes honoring the Jewish songwriters that recorded at the famous Brill Building in New York City.

Sunday, December 18, 2011: American Musical Heritage Foundation Presents Kosher Katz and Kittens with Glenn Allen Howard (4:30 pm)

Sunday, December 18, 2011: Record Release Party for Tel Aviv’s Charlie Megira & The Modern Dance Club (2 pm)
“Charlie Megira is probably the best guitar player alive today,” according to Jay Davis. Hailing from Israel’s own Pleiadian realm of Beit-She’an, Megira and his axis of scandalmongers Mimi Shanel (drums and ex-member of Israel’s first garage band Wetbones), Javier Scheiner(guitar), and the Dead Girl (bass), create tunes that interfuse Belial Rock n’ Roll and coffin-shaped New-Wave and Post Punk.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011: Zach Rogue Performance and Chanukah Candle Lighting Ceremony
Lead singer and songwriter for the band Rogue Wave, Zach Rogue will perform songs and light the candles for the opening night of Chanukah 2011.

Zach Rogue’s latest solo recording, Come Back To Us (which he released under the artist name, Release The Sunbird), was recently released by Jack Johnson‘s label Brushfire Records on July 26, 2011. A new solo project for Zach Rogue, Come Back To Us features sun-kissed, joyful songs that are likely some of the loveliest tunes you’ll hear this year. Release The Sunbird marks a musical departure showcasing a whole new side of Rogue. Following an unexpected trip to Bloomington, Indiana to record with friend Mike Bridavsky, Rogue churned out some of the most remarkable music he’s created to date. His indie-rock band Rogue Wave is based out of Oakland, CA, and is signed to Brushfire Records.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011: Dan Lebowitz & Friends
From guitar solos that sweep the gamut of his instrument’s range without sacrificing its natural expressiveness, to rhythmic riffs that chank along with the steadiness of a jackhammer, Lebowitz’s playing is as notable for its variety as its laid-back execution. When Dan’s not busy with his primary band ALO (signed to Brushfire Records), he can be seen performing with numerous groups as both a guitarist and a percussionist. He recently founded the Dan Lebowitz Group, and at Tikva Records he’ll host a rockin’ party with his favorite Bay Area musicians to commemorate the second night of Chanukah.

Thursday, December 22, 2011: Rebecca Bortman (lead singer of My First Earthquake)
Rebecca Bortman will perform original Chanukah songs inspired by the Festival of Lights. Bortman sings and writes My First Earthquake‘s lyrics. She’s worked with electronica artists such as DJ Amplive, DJ Howlermonkey, The Amazing Rolo, and Mercury Rev’s Anthony Molina. She’s also a visual designer, and she handles the art for her band and is art director for the Disposable Film Festival.

Tuesday, December 27 & Wednesday, December 28, 2011: Jeremiah Lockwood Hosts Final Two Nights of Chanukah 2011
Jeremiah Lockwood will host the final two nights of Chanukah 2011, which will consist of a psych folk jam featuring him alongside Ethan Miller (Comets On Fire, Howlin Rain) and Luther Dickinson (North Mississippi Allstars/The Black Crowes). Lockwood is a well-known guitarist and singer-songwriter for such bands as Balkan Beat Box and The Sway Machinery.

*Double Feature Yiddish Musical Screenings Daily at Tikva Records: The Idelsohn Society will be showing double feature Yiddish musical films at Tikva Records including The American Matchmaker (directed by Edgar G. Ulmer, famous for the Film Noir classic Detour, 1940) starring Leo Fuchs, The Canter’s Son (1937) starring Moishe Oysher, and Catskill Honeymoon (1949) featuring Bas Sheva.

The film schedule in December 2011 is listed here:
Thursday, December 1 – Sunday, December 4, 2011
12 pm: American Matchmaker
2 pm: The Canter’s Son

Tuesday, December 6 – Sunday, December 11, 2011
12 pm: The Canter’s Son
2 pm: Catskill Honeymoon

Tuesday, December 13 – Sunday, December 18, 2011
12 pm: Catskill Honeymoon
2 pm: American Matchmaker

Tuesday December 20 – Wednesday, December 28, 2011
12 pm: American Matchmaker
2 pm: The Canter’s Son

*Jewlia Eisenberg of Charming Hostess will be manning Tikva Records during the daytime hours. Stop by and check out the awesome selection of vinyl, just in time for your Chanukah shopping needs!

About The Idelsohn Society for Musical Preservation
The Idelsohn Society for Musical Preservation is a critically acclaimed all-volunteer non-profit organization. The participants are a small but dedicated team from the music industry and academia who passionately believe that Jewish history is best told by the music they have loved and lost. In order to incite a new conversation about the present, they believe we must begin by listening anew to the past. They do this in a number of ways:
*Re-releasing lost classics like Mazeltov Mis Amigos, and compilations like “Jewface” and “Black Sabbath,” which recently reached #71 on Billboard’s Top 200 Album chart.
*Filming the story of every veteran Jewish musician they can find across the country to build a digitally-based archive of the music and the artists who created it, in order to preserve their legacy for future generations.
*Curating innovative museum exhibits that showcase the stories behind the music, like “Jews on Vinyl,” which is currently travelling the nation.
*Creating concert showcases like “Mazeltov Mis Amigos” at Lincoln Center and Yoshi’s, and the “Jews on Vinyl Revue” at the Skirball Cultural Center.
*Publishing books such as Roger Bennett and Josh Kun’s And You Shall Know Us by the Trail of Our Vinyl: The Jewish Past as Told by the Records We Have Loved and Lost.

All of this work is driven by the passion and energies of volunteer supporters and donors across the country who share the belief that music creates conversations otherwise impossible in daily life. The Idelsohn Society’s work has lifted the past into the present, from the pages of theNew York Times, to the NPR airwaves, to the stage of Lincoln Center. You can join The Idelsohn Society in their mission by visiting them atwww.idelsohnsociety.com, and on Twitter @idelsohnsociety and Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Idelsohn-Society/182862531087 .

The Idelsohn Society would like to thank our sponsors for making this store come to life: Jewish Community Federation, Koret Foundation, Richard And Rhoda Goldman Fund, Reboot and BoingBoing.net.

Media Contacts:
Jesse P. Cutler, JP Cutler Media, 415.655.3431, publicity@jpcutlermedia.com
Margaret Pitcher, JP Cutler Media, 415.816.1945, margaret@jpcutlermedia.com

For more information regarding the album, Songs for the Jewish-American Jet Set: The Tikva Records Story 1950 – 1973, please contact Regina Joskow @ Missing Piece Group: regina@missingpiecegroup.com.

10 Responses to “Fifties-style Jewish hipster record store pops up tonight on Mission Street”

1. JM says:

   December 1, 2011 at 1:11 pm

   The final solution for your Jewish needs.
2. scum says:

   December 1, 2011 at 1:23 pm

   Jewish + Hipster = Jipster
3. Cranky Old Mission Guy says:

   December 1, 2011 at 2:11 pm

   Ugh. Two comments, and already I see a holocaust of unfunny coming.
   • thatsthejoke says:

     December 1, 2011 at 6:34 pm

     a lolocaust, if you will.
4. Joshua Cohen says:

   December 1, 2011 at 7:01 pm

   Great concept! I hope to attend some of the events. What ever happened to Mickey Katz? Is he part if this tribute or history?
5. Adam Teitelbaum says:

   December 2, 2011 at 8:08 am

   Great opening party!
   The Tikva pop up store is a great place and offers a unique opportunity to celebrate our diverse and wonderful musical cultural history.
6. Lynae says:

   December 2, 2011 at 2:06 pm

   This looks freaking AWESOME!
7. sharon miller says:

   December 21, 2011 at 12:01 pm

   Please send me your hours for your San Francisco store.

   thanks,
   sharon
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