Mission Mission

No joke, that big ol’ place on Valencia between 18th and 19th (that used to be that hippie school the New College) is about to reopen its doors as a world-class New Orleans-themed concert venue (called Preservation Hall West) and restaurant (called the Chapel), and tickets are on sale for shows just a couple weeks away, and, boy, are these some doozies:

I kept that last one in there to show that this place won’t just be music for old folks (sorry, Elvis, but it’s true). This is big. Rock ‘n’ roll on Valencia Street in 2012. Get tickets and see the full lineup here.

Our pal TK is responsible for breaking this news btw. Here he is wondering why there hasn’t been more of a fuss:

Apparently without anyone really noticing, what appears to be a fairly major venue is going to open in the Mission relatively soon. Why isn’t this getting more coverage? I don’t know, maybe it is and I just haven’t noticed.

Read on for more commentary, an architectural rendering of the soon-to-open businesses, and some quotes from an informative Mission Local article from a couple years back.

Basically, to the reader who predicted way back in 2008 that this building would become condos: close but no cigar, buddy!

[Photo by Google Maps]

Is this really what it takes to keep neighborhood miscreants from making off with your potted palm tree? Aren’t those things already kind of heavy enough? To be fair, I suppose that anything that’s not locked down in the Mission can be interpreted as up for grabs!

The other day we asked for some good fancy cocktail-related anecdotes, and this one, one of the highlights, takes a wild look back in time:

I once sauntered into the legendary Odeon Bar (where the Knockout is now) and asked Flash the bartender to make me the fanciest fancy cocktail he knew.

He poured me a shot of Fernet, then he hopped up on the bar, dropped his pants, put a lit bottle rocket between his cheeks and fired it clear across the room.

RIP that place, am I right?

[The above photo, of Flash behind the bar at the Odeon, by Mike Kepka of the Chronicle, was the first result of an image search for "odeon bar mission sf ca"]

The league just put up a tasty new website where you can register for the fall season, plus there’s an event tonight at Dear Mom:

Okay, everybody. The fall season begins on October 8th (and goes six weeks) and if you register by the end of September, you get early-bird pricing on league dues! Just $50 per person (or $200 per team) for the full six-week fall season! (You can have more than four players on your team’s roster if you’d like to be able to sub out some weeks.) Register (and get more info) here: http://sfberlinstyle.com/

OR… come to Dear Mom tonight and register in person (we’ll have a credit card swiper on hand) and stick around for a few hours of Berlin-style ping pong action!

(You can come play tonight even if you’re not gonna register for the league, but it might cost $5.)

RSVP and invite your friends!

SFist reports:

[T]he big “You’re Not Welcome Here” remains pretty well visible, post-power-wash, on the sidewalk.

We feel sad for the early buyers at this building at 14th and Valencia having to read that every time they walk out the front door. They’re just people like you and me! They’re welcome to purchase condos and artisan denim just as much as the next wealthy hipster!

Read on.

Siiiiiiiic triple insane stunt bonus.  That shadow is pretty rad too!

(Terry Barentsen via Fecal Face via Carina)

Previously:

• Insane bike lane stunt bonus

Whenever I see a cool car around the neighborhood, I take pictures and send them to my pal Eric up in Portland who runs Other People’s Things, my favorite car blog. He responds with some knowledge and we post the results here and it’s called “Car Beat.” Here’s what Eric has to say about this sporty old VW:

This is a second generation Volkswagen Scirocco (1982-88 in the US). The Scirocco, much like all Volkswagens of the time, was named after a trade wind. This was the Italian name for winds travelling from North Africa to Southern Europe.

The second generation is decidedly ’80s with its sealed beam square headlights and angular body. The B-pillar logo denotes that the styling was handled by the Karmann company, best known for its sleek Ghia models.

What’s sad about the Scirocco is that there is a relatively new, super bad-ass version of it driving all over Europe and we don’t get it. Why? Because VW’s financial gurus know that to export it here and sell it at the right price will net zero profit….in fact it would cannibalize Golf sales. Oh well, I assume in 25 years or so we’ll see them start to pop up here and there.

Thanks, Eric! More photos (including a closeup of the aforementioned B-pillar logo) after the jump:

(more…)

The Golden Hour! First one is tonight! Our pal Julie from Penelope Popsicle is host and executive producer (and after seeing her work over at Oakland Nights… Live, we can guarantee this is going to be the bomb), our very own Andrew Sarkarati and Helen Tseng are co-hosting a little news segment, there’re free shots (!!!) and the house band is called the Hats! I can’t wait!

RSVP and invite your friends!

This Sunday, Joshua will host a FREE workshop at 1 PM on how to shoot live shows! You know him of Bad Blood on @missionmission – \m/(-_-)\m/

— Lomography SF (@LomographySF) September 14, 2012

Perhaps there will be a lesson on how not to stand up front holding your phone up in the air obstructing everybody’s views of the band like a fucking idiot.

SoMa StrEatfood Park may be really hard to type, but it’s a fun place for lunch or dinner or even late-night snacks and beers, and for one night only, as part of SF Cocktail Week, it will become a serious cocktail hotspot:

We guarantee that you will be served drinks in a way that you’ve never been served drinks before. Unique, fun and interesting – come out to enjoy the great food truck culture of San Francisco when it is paired with the amazing cocktail talent of our city. Guests will experience bottled cocktails provided by Rye on the Road, carbonated cocktails provided by Elixir out of soda siphons, kegged cocktails provided by Jasper’s Tap and Kitchen, and canned cocktails by 15 Romolo that will be canned onsite with The Can Van. Guests will be given a food voucher for dinner from a food truck of their choice, while mingling and stargazing during an Indian summer night in San Francisco.

To win a pair of tickets (a $90 value) tell us your best fancy cocktail-related anecdote in the comments section below. Contest ends at noon on Monday. Winner will be picked based on merit.

Buy tickets here.