Mission Mission

Local comedian Emily Heller has a cool radio show called “Slumming It” on FCC Free Radio with Marcello Fama.

Turns out she’s pals with local singer Karina Denike, who you might know from the ’90s 3rd wave ska band Dance Hall Crashers, and had a great interview with her on a recent show. Hear them chat about the golden age of East Bay punk, opening for MC Hammer, how the Rite Spot launched a ton of awesome bands, and the Dance Hall Crashers mysterious lez-appeal.

On a related note, Sunday we went out to the Riptide to see Karina Denike sing with the Cottontails. Allan kept raving about the DHC’s remix of Rancid’s “I Wanna Riot” (which she didn’t remember and actually turned out to be the Stubborn Allstars… OOPS), Karina told us a pretty crazy story about getting mugged in the Mission in the ’90s, and we’re pret-ty sure Fat Mike from NOFX was hanging out for a minute.

MP3: Karina Denike on Slummin It

P.S. Karina plays with her own band 2nd Sundays at the Rite Spot Cafe, and all this ’90s talk is making me want to cruise down San Pablo bumping “Give ‘em the Boot Vol. 1″.

If you were the type of kid that had a White Out checkerboard pattern on your Jansport backpack in the 90s (guilty, here) you’ll probably recognize Karina Denike from her early gig as a lead singer for the Dance Hall Crashers.

Since then, she has been hanging out in San Francisco playing less-skankable tunes with groups like Mr. Lonesome and the Bluebelles, the Cottontails, and Eight Legged Monster. In my humble opinion, she’s probably got one of the most powerful, virtuosic voices around and a vocal delivery that’s JUST SEXY. You really have to see her live to know what I mean.

Ms. Denike also writes her own pop-y, quirky, singer-songwritery stuff, which is what she’ll be performing on Sunday at the Rite Spot Cafe on 17th and Folsom. She will be joined by her band, her harmonium, and the also insanely talented Lily Taylor. Show starts at 8pm.

If you can’t make that, Karina will also be singing with the Cottontails at Revolution Cafe Saturday night from 9-12ish.

(By the way, she loooves talking about the Dance Hall Crashers and is not embarrassed by it in the slightest.)