Mission Mission

Local rapper Ticklefight penned this little jam about life in the city this week:

Week of Four 2wenty RAP-up

420 once again, GG Park a big pig pen

Drought gets worse, Jerry Brown’s got the purse

The Elbo and the Lex, what’s gonna be next

Van Ness Micky D’s re-rising high, 13 floors of yuppie french fries

Blue Bottle, Tartine, the hype machine gonna bust your spleen

Earth Day is here, and now it’s gone, same old tired recycled song

[link]

I was at Pop’s late last night and the bartender was playing this EP by a friend’s band. I was super into it at the time, and now, in the sober light of day, I’m still really into it:

Here’s the official word, via Facebook:

Hey Everyone
There is finally news.
Dennis and Susan Ring had a meeting with the powers that be and they seem quite confident that their condo project will be able to move forward.
As a result, they have decided not to renew our lease which expires Nov. 1st, 2015.

Yes, we are in shock.

What’s next?
We will be looking for a new space to continue what we are doing. With hopefully as little lapse as possible.
We own the liquor license, the business and all contents inside (except for pinball/pacman).
Hopefully we can find something soon.

If you have any leads on a space for us, or wish to help… please email mattshapiro@mac.com

Thank You for your ongoing support

Matt Shapiro/ Erik Cantu
and the staff of Elbo Room

Sooo, better check out the Elbo Room calendar of events, or just pop in for happy hour.

[link] [via Capp Street Crap]

[via Rocky]

Neighbor Natalia wants to know:

Any idea what is going on with the property/parking lot on Shotwell & South Van Ness between 23rd and 24th?

People there have regularly been burning trash there in what appears to be a metal barrel, creating a lot of flames, smoke and foul odor. The past two nights the Fire Dept has shown up.

Seems like a pretty cool club to me. (Bummer I got rid of my old Volvo.)

(Technically it’s still there, but it won’t be after next week.)

Project leader Rana Freedman wrote in to tell us about it:

When the Lexington announced it was closing, a few of us in the community who “grew up” at The Lex got together to figure out how to do this. We contacted Campos’ office, which was excited by the idea, and a plan was put into motion.

A couple of weeks ago the Board of Supervisors passed a resolution recognizing the bar’s cultural significance which gave us permission to install the plaque in the city sidewalk. So us community volunteers put the plaque into production and we’re now busy pulling permits, scheduling contractors, working with various city boards, etc. hoping to get this all done by the time the bar closes next week.

But this isn’t paid for by the city– it has to be done with private funds.

And thus, please if you’re inclined make a donation here.

Eater SF has the details:

San Francisco’s beloved Tartine Bakery, which was founded in 2002 by baker Chad Robertson and pastry chef Elisabeth Prueitt, has merged with Blue Bottle Coffee, the Bay Area-based roaster and retailer. According to the New York Times, Tartine Bakery plans to open locations in Los Angeles and New York City. Thanks to Blue Bottle’s footprint in each of these cities, the expansion will likely be smooth and swift.

In January, Robertson hinted at the possibility of opening a bread-only bakery in New York City. As of last September, Tartine had plans to open in Tokyo, where Blue Bottle recently opened a roastery and store. Notably, details of the merger state that the two companies will continue to operate independently, that Robertson and Prueitt will continue to oversee all bakery production and operations, and that Bar Tartine is not part of the merger. According to the Times, Bar Tartine will be sold to its head chefs Nicolaus Balla and Cortney Burns.

Read on for more details and speculation.

[File photo by Ariel's friend Jenny]

[via Mr. Ariel Dovas on Instagram]

Ryan Kost at the Chronicle takes an in-depth look at the history of the place and the drama surrounding its very impending closure:

Lila Thirkield moved to the Mission in 1994. She was 23 at the time. She had tattoos and spiky black hair, and she played the drums. She never even considered another neighborhood. “All the dykes lived in the Mission,” she says.

In some ways, it was a revolutionary time and place for queer people. Artists, musicians and writers had come to the area. People felt energized.

“I always compared the ’90s in San Francisco for dykes and trans guys to being like Paris in the ’20s,” says Lynn Breedlove, the founder and lead singer of the homocore band Tribe 8. “At the time, we were popping out all over Valencia. It was mohawks and spikes in our face, and everybody’s name was Spike.”

Read on for the whole story.

[Photo by The Lex on Instagram]

Watch this bike thief defeat what looks like two separate locks in probably less than 15 seconds:

Contact info is on the YouTube page if you happen to have any helpful info for the victim.