Mission Mission

Whenever Halloween falls on a weekday, such as a Thursday this year, there’s always some uncertainty concerning the proper time to celebrate.  Purists dress up on the actual day, some people choose the weekend before, others the weekend after, and some determined folks just decide that the whole week is Halloween and go, “fuck you, imma treat myself” while they come to work in costume every single day.

Luckily for those looking to get an early start this weekend, there’s a double dose of Halloween dance parties this Saturday!  If darkness is your forte, head over to Smithfits at the Knockout:

SMITHSFITS is back for our 3rd Halloween costume contest. $100 for first place. Drinks for second place.
You can scroll through the pics from two years ago here.

Selectors, Josh Ghoul and Victor Cuevas (LA) will be playing all your favourite SMITHS and MISFITS records all freakin nite long!

If you’re just looking to get down and dirty, check out The Devil Made Me Do It at El Rio:

Two costume contests with cash prizes: Best Devil & Best Overall Costume!
Smile and show us some fang in the Monster Photo Booth by SHOT IN THE CITY!

+ Performances by your spooktacularly malevolent ghostess LIL MISS HOT MESS!
+ Live creepy covers and Monster Mashes from MAMMOTH STRIFE!
+ Devil Babe & Boy GO-GO DANCERS from RED HOTS BURLESQUE!

All vinyl, sextacular Girl Groups, Soul, Psych & Garage by:
+ DJs BLOODY BROWN AMY (Hard French)
+ JACKIE “SHEER TERROR” SUGARLUMPS (Web of Sound)

The best part is that they’re right across the street from each other, which means you can go to both!  So, it looks like we’ve got your whole Saturday planned out for you!  Start with some rad live music at the Clarion Alley Block Party, then head on over to DJ Purple VIP Dance Karaoke, and finally finish your night with a double dance party in La Lengua!  Just try not to wear a Breaking Bad costume…

Hope everyone’s ok.

(Thanks Camiel!)

UPDATE: Started at Maverick

That’s the opinion of one insufferable tech dude* interviewed for KALW’s Google Bus Show, which fortunately offers a far more balanced take (than the privileged notion quoted in the title) on the recent phenomenon that’s become a symbol of the gentrification and influx of wealth currently reshaping the city. It’s a good listen; folks from the neighborhood, city officials, and tech companies themselves all contribute different viewpoints to illustrate why the issues at hand might not be solved by simply banning the corporate shuttles from city streets.

*Of course, what insufferable tech bro fails to realize is that perhaps not everyone is interested in having an iPhone, Facebook profile, and Google maps. While I can’t speak for that segment of the population, as I have and get great use out of all three of those products every day, their needs have to be considered as well.

Listen here.

[Photo via Mission Local]

Whenever someone asks me why I love living in SF, a hundred reasons pop into my head, but one of the most compelling is the fact that on any given night there’s always a bunch of rad stuff going on to check out. It doesn’t matter if it’s a Tuesday or a Friday; you can always find some scene, show, or activity that suits your fancy (for the time being, at least).

Case in point, tonight at El Rio there’s a sweet show with Sweat Lodge and friends along with a cool community-building art exhibit featuring a bunch of local artists. Instead of constantly complaining about the degradation of community in the neighborhood, take some time to do something to help shape it!

Check out owl the details here!

From Mission Local:

A man was shot and killed at 21st and Bartlett streets at 4:30 a.m. on Monday. The police had closed off the area surrounding the shooting, with the block of Bartlett between 21st and 22nd still closed at 8:30 a.m.

I took this photo yesterday morning as I was biking by on my way to work, and due to being late did not have time to stop and ask any of the officers what was going on.  Nonetheless, I posted this photo this morning along with a tasteless joke.  I apologize to the families and neighbors of all affected by this incident, and will do a much better job in the future of finding out all the facts and employing the appropriate tact.

And then when she grows up she can hang out with Ivanka Trump and Jennifer Lopez at a real punk party…

The real shame of it all is that this is the former location (Valencia by 20th) of X-21, that rad antique shop that had all sorts of old Hollywood movie set lights and other eclectic mid-century curiosities.  It was forced to close when the owner became sick, thus enabling this type of place to move in.  By far the coolest feature of that shop was the basement, packed to the gills with all the other stuff that couldn’t fit on the ground floor.  If you walked all the way towards the street, you’d find yourself just underneath the sidewalk, with tiny shafts of obfuscated light streaming through those mini glass “skylights” embedded in the sidewalk that you probably never notice as you tread over them (just in case you’ve ever wondered what those were).

Anyway, to see what the current place has in store for your little “Punk Princess,” proceed…

(more…)

Is nothing sacred?

Confession:  I had no idea this place even existed the whole time I’ve lived here, but apparently Mission Control, “the 13-year-old sex-positive, community and member play space, has lost its lease at 21st and Mission, and will be forced to move at the end of November.”

They’re not giving up completely, however, and are actively searching for another location (which I hope will still be in the Mission, because honestly that’s the raddest name for a sex club ever).  Learn more about how you can help out here.

I know, DJ Purple is pretty damn rad, and we still think he’s the best DJ (not just KJ) in the city, but apparently this dude from Portland records his own songs and is the guy from whom DJ Purple gets his music!  The New York Times even went as far as to declare Baby Ketten “America’s greatest karaoke,” but why don’t you just come and judge for yourself tonight at the Knockout!

Details here!

Well, I suppose that’s settled.

If you’re sticking to the sidewalk, you may not have noticed them quite as much, but they’re tough to miss when you’re bicycling through the grimy streets of the Mission, as it behooves you to watch where you’re going lest you end up with a rat caught in your spokes and decapitated all over your unwashable jeans.  I mean, pigeons are notorious for not giving a fuck, but you can usually count on them to get out the way before getting squished, as seen in the highly-scientific video below:

My take on the situation?  Prius prevalence.  Without a loud, inefficient, gas-guzzling engine to warn of their approach, electric vehicles are difficult to detect before they get too close, unless you happen to see them directly.  Almost every pedestrian or cyclist has experienced that one time when you just assumed it was safe to cross the street or merge into a lane because you didn’t hear the whiny rumbling of an oncoming electric car, but luckily looked right before stepping into certain doom.

So think about that the next time you’re thinking of purchasing an electric car.  You may think you’re saving the environment, but you’re really pulverizing the poor pigeon population!