Mission Mission

That is, if one particular NIMBY neighbor has his or her way.  The Attic has endured as one of the best places in the Mission to get a cheap drink and sweat the night away while dancing to frenetic DJs who know their shit.  It’s also one of the best places to get so hammered that you black out and wake up the next morning in a room full of exquisite hats, but that’s a story for another time.

Unfortunately, one neighbor is so fed up with the hot tunes that he is resorting to a lawsuit in order to squelch all the fun.  He is suing the Attic for personal damages because he can’t sleep at night, focusing on the technicality that the bar is not allowed to play any music since it doesn’t have a cabaret license.   Without a cabaret license, the Attic is on the hook for a $1000 fine should the cops deign to show up for a noise complaint. 

Since it doesn’t appear that an amicable solution can be reached without the NIMBY in question moving out of the Mission to quieter digs (ask Ike’s about that one), it seems that only a legal battle will ultimately determine the fate of DJs at the Attic.

So, should you get the opportunity, contribute to the Attic legal defense fund by stopping by to swig some Racer 5.

[Photo by flatsol]

Previously:

Indie Slash at the ATTIC tonight!!!

The Attic and Clooney’s: San Francisco’s Best Dives

Rock ‘n’ Roll Revolution Early Evening Rooftop Concert at 24th and Mission

We’re always happy to report something positive at the Blue Macaw, that oft-embattled new venue at the old 12 Galaxies place, so I’m sure you can imagine me sitting here pooping more rainbows than SF’s schizophrenic “now it’s raining/now it’s not” weather has over the last few days.  Couple that with a benefit for our favorite under-siege radio station (RIP Energy 92.3–although MOVEiN 99.7 has picked up the slack quite diligently) and you’ve got something to do on a Wednesday night!

This one should be rather fun, too, since it’s a 50′s and 60′s OLDIES and SOUL NIGHT DANCE PARTY hosted by Pirate Cat DJs PsychoKat, Voodoo Idol, and Starbuck!  And don’t worry if you suck at dancing, because Brian Gardner of the Mission’s own Swing Goth will be on the scene with his innovative fun not frustration teaching technique.

The fun starts at 7pm tonight, with dance lessons starting at 7:30 at the Blue Macaw on Mission and 21st.  Admission will be on a $5-20 sliding scale, depending on your generosity.  Keeping in proper sock-hop theme, alcoholic Root Beer Floats will be served as well!  Nobody tell the chaperons!!!

Previously:

Pirate Cat Radio fined $10k and Ceases FM Broadcast

Bourdain Bonanza

Heavy Police Activity at Blue Macaw

What’s Up With the New 12 Galaxies?

This week, on Tales of Inappropriate Hippie Dancing: this guy at Amnesia’s happy hour set yesterday:

Psych! There is no such thing as “Tales of Inappropriate Hippie Dancing”, because all the “tales” would be: “Yeah this weird bearded guy came in and started dancing all crazy. First it was funny, then it was sad, then everyone started looking away uncomfortably.”

Still, you gotta admire that I-don’t-give-a-shit-what-you-think attitude, especially since most of us enjoy the music by crossing our arms and nodding subtly behind that invisible 15-foot forcefield around the stage.

The excellent band, by the way, is Seattle’s Casy MacGill’s Blue 4 Trio. They are playing at the Verdi Club on Friday if you’re into this stuff.

Previously:

Dolores Park Interpretive Dancer Takes It All Off

So now that Blow Up is officially dead, where will the under-21 crowd flock to next?  Hopefully not to the Attic, because Danny White will be taking over the place as he does every time the last Friday of the month rolls around, and I don’t want to feel like a creep while I’m there.  Furthermore, the pitcher-plant-like nature of the Attic conspires to trap every Mission fly who wanders through the door and down its liquor-lined corridor in that tangle of limbs, sweat, and flannel that is the dance floor, so there’s really no escape.

I captured the above scene last month at the Attic, and I must say that the man knows how to keep a crowd moving and captivated.  His energetic mix echoed everything from Holy Ghost and Hot Chip to the Pet Shop Boys and Yeah Yeah Yeahs.  And look how he gets into it over there on the left!  He’s been at it for a while too, as this Flickr page from 2005 can attest.

Maybe it will even give those Debaser folks a run for their money.

Ps.  No flame war plz!!!

Norma Miller speaking at Savannah Jazz Club 2/10/10

This is pretty rad. 90-year-old Norma Miller (aka “the Queen of Swing”) is a pioneer and creator of the Lindy Hop, by far the most popular form of swing dance today. She was featured in movies such as 1941′s “Hellzapoppin” (proving that “hella” was used, in a more primitive form, 70 years ago), and also worked with a lot of the big names back in the day. You know, like Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Fletcher Henderson… no big deal.

She used to hang at the Savoy in Harlem during it’s prime, the site of some of the first integrated music/dance events in American history.

Last night local dance promoter Chris Lee showed her around the mission, starting at Amnesia, where traditional jazz outfit Gaucho plays every week, then to Savannah Jazz Club on Mission and 25th, where she did a guest lecture.

My buddy Nathan A. had the scoop:

When they introduced her, she bounced up on the stage with more spring in her step than a woman less than half her age. I couldn’t get over how sharp she was – how animated. She had mind like a steel trap! She had us all on the edge of our seats while recalling the “good old days”. She told us how moved she was to see all these young people carrying on the the original American dance form – and a tradition she helped establish. She was hilarious, crude, and sentimental. She worked with Red Fox, Richard Pryor, and Bill Cosby doing a bit of comedy after her legs started to give out eventually.

Check out this clip of her with Frankie Manning (RIP) tearing it up… WILD!

I have absolutely no idea what this dance party is about but it’s a goddamn tatted unicorn smoking a cigarette.

I always thought The Knockout was a place where people who still think Nirvana is indie went to score blow.  Turns out people dance there too!  I had been seeing these pictures pop up on flickr a lot and kept thinking “what brand of douchebag goes to a club that, presumably, hires some jackass to take photos of their trashed customers, watermarks/brands/copyrights the photo, and upload them to flickr?”  So I decided to do a little recon/spectating with the ultimate authority of Mission douchebags last night.  Dunno about it.  Felt like a more over-hyped promoted/less fun version of emo night at Pops (which is free and they serve $1 high life).  The whole time I was there nothing really notable or exciting happened.  Some drunk chicks hit the photobooth but the whole thing was mostly shouting at your friends over the DJ.  Rolled out at midnight, went to Farolito, savaged a burrito, and went to bed.

Of course, some of my friends stuck around.  Got this text this morning:

“Forgot to tell you about the girl who was peeing in the urinal as I was puking in the stall.  Told me not to turn around because she was embarrassed.”

Chris, did you get any snaps of that?

Bombshell Betty and Fromagique are hosting a holiday themed stripping burlesque show at the Elbo Room tonight. With names like “Rosy Areola” and “Vadge O’Fonner” how can you go wrong? Fans of boobs artistic expression shouldn’t miss this one.

If that’s not your bag, Evan Francis’ Spaceheater is performing at Coda Lounge as part of Jazz Mafia Tuesdays. Never been to Coda? No biggie, but I guess Stevie Wonder hangs there sometimes. If you like jazz flute over break beats then Evan’s your guy. BTW he’s not the flautist in Anchorman, but apparently they know each other real well. Jazz flautists probably have each other on speed dial to sub out gigs.

From Ben, via the email.  ”Is this this new lipdub?”

Copying:

Remaking: