Jeremiah Lockwood

Tonight is not only the final night of the Festival of Lights (Chanukkah), but also the the final night of the pop-up Tikva Records store. For those of you who have never heard of Tikva Records, they were a Jewish label that disbanded more than 30 years ago. (Here’s a cool little article about the label from NPR.)

And so, the Idelsohn Society for Musical Preservation is holding the last of a series of live music events to celebrate the season, hosted by Jeremiah Lockwood of Sway Machinery and (one of my personal faves) the Balkan Beat Box, and featuring a couple of unbelievable guests: Ethan Miller (Howlin’ Rain, Comets on Fire) and — hold onto your hats — Luther Dickinson (North Mississippi Allstars, The Black Crowes)!

The truly amazing thing about this event is that it’s absolutely free! But tickets are limited, so register/RSVP very, very soon! Here are the details:

Who:  Jeremiah Lockwood; Ethan Miller; Luther Dickinson

What:  Mystical Lights of the Guitar Night 2

Where:  Tikva Records Pop-Up Store, 3191 Mission St.

When:  7 p.m. — 8 p.m. only!

Anything else?:  Doors open 15 minutes before show (i.e. 6:45 p.m.). Also, this is very limited admission, so reserve your tickets soon! The ticketing site is closing down at 6 p.m.! And, finally, the event is being held at the Queens Nails Projects space, which is basically a performance artist space. This is in the Mission District, so parking may be tricky; plan accordingly.

First up: San Francisco popfest 2011, a celebration of international indie-pop music, featuring such bands as The Aberdeens, 14 Iced Bears, and Eternal Summers. Festival runs May 25th to May 29th at various venues throughout the City. Check out the Web site for more info!

Not so much into the indie scene? Like your music with what one may call a little more spice? Then check out San Francisco Carnaval! The festivities run May 28th and May 29th. And not only is there a full-blown, feather-boa’d parade both days, not to mention a ton of grubbin’ food and libations, but there is a bevy of luscious music, from the salsa of Avance, to the Afro-Latin beats of Sandy Perez — not to be missed!

So get out this weekend and get your free live music on! See you around town.

Hey, gang! We’re baa-aack! I’ve missed you guys so much — you have no idea! But enough with the mushy stuff; down to business. Here are a couple things happening this Tuesday which caught The Scene’s eye. Check’m out!

LIVE:

Artist/Event: Seed of Crowell
Genre: Acoustic/Alternative/Pop
Venue: Cafe Royale, 800 Post St. (@ Leavenworth)
Time:  8:00 p.m.
Anything Else?: This band’s flavor is definitely acoustic, with bare-bones instrumentation and clean-yet-mournful vocals. And occasionally there’s a bit if gypsy style thrown in. Note that they hail from Berkeley, so for you East Bay’ers, if you like what you hear, seek’m out!

Artist/Event: “Flower”
Genre: DJ/Pop
Venue: Knockout S.F., 3223 Mission St. (@ Valencia)
Time:  9:00 p.m.
Anything Else?: Featuring DJs Will Ivy and Moses of Honey. The sound is reminiscent of early 80s Euro-Pop and pretty catchy. They self-describe as Psych-Rock. You decide.

DJ:

Artist/Event: “Alcoholocaust”
Genre: DJ/Hard Core/Punk/Rock
Venue: Argus Lounge, 3187 Mission St. (@ Valencia)
Time: 9:00 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.
Anything Else? Featuring DJs What’s His Fuck and The Wizard. Part of the draw of this party is that these guys aren’t just DJs; they’re also trivia game hosts! That’s right, there’s a chance to win free cans of Tecate! Just be the first to correctly guess the name of the song that’s being spun before it’s over, and you win a free drink ticket.

NOT QUITE FREE:

Artist/Event: 16 Volt, Chemlab, Left Spine Down, Slave Unit
Genre: Cyberpunk/Drum ‘n’ Bass/Electro/Experimental/Industrial/Metal/Punk/Rock
Venue: DNA Lounge, 371 11th St. (@ Folsom)
Time: Doors @ 8:00 p.m., Show @ 9:00 p.m.
Anything Else?: This is one of the stops on the MIDI Ghetto Tour being headlined by 16 Volt and Chemlab, and featuring local favorite Slave Unit (based out of Oakland). Tickets are $10 if you buy them in advance or $15 at the door. And no doubt this goes without saying: this show’s gonna be kick-ass, especially if you like experimental alternative rock music that pulses through your bones. Alas, The Scene will be working. But if you go, post your pictures over at our Facebook fan page!

As the week begins to slowly make its way towards the usual bacchanalian festivities, tomorrow night (i.e. Thursday) is shaping up to be a veritable cornucopia of musical delights, which is why we all love playing in the city in the first place, right? Right! So, here are my picks:

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25th:

LIVE:
Artist/Event: Noise Pop Happy Hour Concert featuring Social Studies, The Old Fashioned Way, and Shark Toys
Genre: Indie/Pop/Post-Punk/Punk/Rock
Venue: Bender’s Bar & Grill
Location: 806 S. Van Ness Ave. (at 19th St.)
Time: 5:00 p.m. — 8:00 p.m.
Anything Else?: This line-up is kinda crazy-good. That being said, although it’s technically a concert, it’s also a happy hour show, so get there early and stake your claim to your bar stool.

Artist/Event: Concerts at the Presidio featuring S.F. Conservatory of Music String Musicians
Genre: Classical
Venue: Golden Gate Club
Location: 135 Fisher Loop
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Anything Else?: The musicians will be junior high school and high school students studying with the Conservatory’s preparatory division. The program features string instruments, which (yes) includes the usual assortment of violins, violas, cellos, etc., but will also include some classical guitar work. And, finally, while the admission is technically free, there is a suggested donation of $5.

DJ:
Artist/Event: Living Room Sessions with DJ Mark Sires
Genre: Dance/DJ/Electronic
Venue: Mars Bar & Restaurant
Location: 798 Brannan St (at 7th St.)
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Anything Else?: As you may have guessed by the venue’s name, this is primarily a restaurant that just happens to have a great local DJ spinning tunes. That being said, this is a happy hour dance party that takes place on a monthly basis, so getting up to shake your groove thing is not at all prohibited!

NOT QUITE FREE:
Artist/Event: Go Kart Mozart, Riot Professor, The Illness, Endroit
Genre: Alternative/Experimental/Indie/Jam Band/Metal/Progressive/Rock/Visual
Venue: Anu
Location: 43 6th St. (between Jessie & Stevenson Sts.)
Time:  8:00 p.m.
Anything Else?: Cover is $5. Anu is mostly known for its dance music parties and yummy drinks. Keep in mind that the venue is kind of long and narrow, and there’s not a ton of seating, so be prepared to stand. Also, beverages can be a little pricey, but the ambience is kickin’ and the staff is friendly, so it’s all totally worth it.

Once again, we have managed to travel past the middle of the week, and it is now time to dust off our toe-tappers and make plans to go see some of the glorious free live music that this variegated city has to offer! Here are some of The Scene’s picks for this weekend (and pay special attention to Saturday’s killer line-up at Pissed Off Pete’s, and then Sunday’s one-of-a-kind pedal steel extravaganza at The Riptide): 

Friday, January 8th

Who: Kally Price
What: Vintage Blues, Vintage Jazz
Where: Revolution Cafe, 3248 22nd Street (between Bartlett & Mission Streets)
When: 8:45 p.m. — ?
Anything Else?: Kally Price hails from Oakland, and is known for her vintage blues and jazz vocal stylings.

Who: Jimmy Ryan Quintet
What: Jazz
Where: Bird & Beckett Books, 653 Chenery Street (between Carrie & Diamond Streets)
When: 5:30 p.m. — 8 p.m.
Anything Else?: This is part of Bird & Beckett’s “Jazz in the Bookshop” series.

Saturday, January 9th

Who: Lighter Thieves / Rottencore / Of The Other
What: Rock, Punk, Alternative
Where: Thee Parkside, 1600 17th Street (between Carolina & Wisconsin Streets)
When: 3 p.m. — ?
Anything Else?: This is Thee Parkside’s regular Saturday Happy Hour show, which is all ages, and features drink specials; later that night (at 9 p.m., to be exact) will be their “Dinner and a Movie” event, where they’ll be screening The Hangover, and will have $5 burgers and $2 PBRs!

Who: Lucabrazzi / The Jibbers / Capp Street Girls / Bite
What: Industrial, Punk, Rock, Blues, Garage, Southern Rock, Glam
Where: Pissed Off Pete’s Bar and Grill, 4528 Mission Street (between Harrington Street & Santa Rosa Avenue)
When: 9 p.m. — ?
Anything Else?: This is part of “Danny Dee’s Birthday Bash,” and I, unfortunately, have no idea who that is. Maybe he’s one of the owners or a manager?

Sunday, January 10th

Who: Instrumental Dynamic Duo Crack Spackle
What: Rock, Experimental
Where: El Rio, 3158 Mission Street (between Powers & Precita Avenues)
When: 5 p.m. — 7 p.m.
Anything Else?: El Rio is a gay-friendly bar; the band will be playing in the front room; band members are Dawn Richardson (who is also a member of local band Dolorata, and who recently toured as a member of Tracy Chapman‘s band in Europe) and Joe Gore (who is a local composer/musician/producer that has worked with an impressive array of musicians, including Tom Waits, Aimee Mann, the Eels, and PJ Harvey).

Who: Joe Goldmark and the Seducers
What: Pedal Steel Guitar, Americana, Country, Rock, Roots
Where: The Riptide, 3639 Taraval Street (between 46th & 47th Avenues)
When: 7 p.m. — 10 p.m.
Anything Else?: You should know that Joe Goldmark is considered to be an expert at the pedal steel guitar; this is by far a golden opportunity to hear a master at his best!

O.K., kiddies, need to blow off some steam in preparation for next week’s festivities? Dreading the proposition of spending several hours with — gasp! — your family and need a little palate cleanser beforehand? Then here are some live music shows that will be sure to pump you up and put you in the party mood:

Friday, December 18th

Who: The Younger Lovers, The Butts, Fast Love
Where: BrainWash Cafe & Laundromat
When: 8 p.m. — ?
What: Rock/Garage/Indie/Punk/Power Pop
Anything Else?: Note that this is an all-ages show.

Who: KFJC 50th Anniversary Party
Where: Cafe du Nord
When: 7 p.m. — ?
What: Rock/Indie/Psychedelic/Freestyle/Progressive/Experimental/Punk
Anything Else?: Bands slated to perform include Al Qaeda, Pink Mountain, T.I.T.S., and Arrington de Dionyso, among others.

Who: Bayonics
Where: Rockit Room
When: 9 p.m. — ?
What: Hip-Hop/Funk/Latin
Anything Else?: This is a big-ass group of musicians, with a live horn section and all!

Saturday, December 19th

Who: Maniacal Rejects, Bullet 66, United Defiance
Where: Thee Parkside
When: 3 p.m. — 8 p.m.
What: Rock
Anything Else?: Please note that this is a happy hour concert, and is all-ages. Also, the venue’s Web site says that United Defiance is playing, but the event flyer says that War of Aggression is playing. Guess we’ll find out!

Who: EpiscoDisco
Where: Grace Cathedral
When: 7 p.m. — ?
What: Gothic/Americana/Folk
Anything Else?: This is a sort of art/cultural event featuring a multi-media installation and a performance by Pale Hoarse.

Who: Doni Harvey
Where: Skip’s Tavern
When: 9:30 p.m. — 1 a.m.
What: Blues
Anything Else?: Nope!

Sunday, December 20th

Who: Sunday Sessions w/Wil Blades
Where: Madrone Lounge
When: 6 p.m. — 12 a.m.
What: Jazz/Jam Session
Anything Else?: The first set is a performance by the band, and then the second set opens up as a jazz jam session for all levels of musicians. Note that you must be 21 or older!

Who: Twang Sunday w/The Poontones
Where: Thee Parkside
When: 4 p.m. — ?
What: Acoustic/Americana
Anything Else?: This is an all-ages benefit show with proceeds going to breast cancer charities; there’s a $5 BBQ.

Who: Singin’ Sundays w/Roger Niner Karaoke Extravaganza
Where: Butter
When: 9 p.m. — ?
What: Karaoke
Anything Else?: I know, I know — karaoke! Still, sometimes a person just needs to get sloshed and stand in front of a few dozen strangers and belt out “I Will Survive” before heading home for the holidays. Just sayin’…

Who: Tippy Canoe, Rick Quisol, Terese Taylor, Misisipi Mike
When: October 20, 2009
Where: Revolution Cafe, 3248 22nd Street, SanFrancisco, CA
Hidden Costs: Artists “pass the hat” to accept tips/donations

The Take-Away

Venue: Good for a hang out, but probably not so much so if you’re serious about having a pure music experience. Go there and get yummy coffee (the guacamole’s not half bad, either) or a pint of Chimay Red on tap. Discuss the state of the world with recent college grads and/or bona fide beatniks. Get immersed in a true neighborhood dive in a one-of-a-kind city. But don’t come for the great sound system, ’cause it ain’t there.

Artists: If you’re feeling dark or moody, seek out Terese; she’ll put it all in perspective for you. But try to catch her with a full set-up; her songs will pack more punch that way. If you want a sweet sort of American Legion/USO experience, seek out Tippy; she’ll charm you and take you back to a time when lyrics were straightforward and sing-alongs were encouraged. If you want a luscious male crooner and you know who The Velvet Fog was, seek out Rick; he’ll sweep you off your feet, and do it with a kicky cap and playful persona. And if you want your songs served neat with a dash of homespun insight and impeccable fingerpicking, seek out Misisipi Mike; he’s fun, sassy, and an amazing guitar player. Seriously. Go see him. Now.

The Review

The Revolution Cafe is a quintessential San Francisco kind of place. It’s a little divey, a little hipster, with a whole lotta coffee and a whole lotta beer. The crowd is a mixture of early twenty-something’s discussing how the art of conversation is dead (actual quote from the table next to me: “We just had a meaningful discussion about small talk!”) and aging revolutionaries still taking hits off an old glass pipe on the front patio, cupping their hands over the bowl to shield it from the occasional nor’wester.

(Reminds me of a joke my dad used to tell. Ready? Here it goes: What’s a pot smoker’s favorite body part? “‘Ere!” Get it? I know; it loses something when it’s written out. Go back, read it to yourself out loud, and then maybe you’ll laugh. If not, blame my dad; he can take it. Or, if you still don’t get it, then lemme say this: “‘Ere” sounds just like “ear.” Get it now? But I digress…)

The cafe is sort of a not-so-secret local gem, and even though everyone seems to know that it’s there, the place does its damnedest to remain as anonymous as possible. There is nary a sign bearing the name of the establishment, only a vibrant mural along the length of one side of the building announcing in block letters, “REVOLUTION.”

The interior is just what you’d expect, which is to say that the combination of worn and scarred wooden floors and furniture with heavily shaded pendant lamps just barely leaking any kind of illumination gives the small room a decidedly speakeasy feeling. It’s very dark. Very. Dark. But not only is this place a cafe and a live music venue and a perfect neighborhood dive bar (beer and wine only, folks), it’s also an art gallery. Yep, that’s right! The walls display works from local artists on a rotating basis, and on this particular night, the gallery featured beautifully captured full-color photographs of weather-worn doorways and building fronts.

I knew immediately I was going to like this place.

Oh, one little caveat for those of you who are smoke-averse/sensitive: in order to even enter the establishment, you gotta wade through the front patio area, which is where all of the smokers (tobacco, pot, what-have-you) are sitting. Also, you should know that, because the doors are left wide open during business hours, some smoke will inevitably come into the cafe itself. Just a heads-up.

I walked up to the bar/service counter where the one lone staff member stood facing full-front to cater to the varied wants and needs of her motley patrons. The back wall above the counter was covered in a panoply of dry-erase boards listing the various vittles and libations offered up. I horned in immediately on the Stella Artois ($4.50 for a bottle) and house guacamole and chips ($5 for a serving that could comfortably feed two; this was my dinner, though, so I ate it all by my little lonesome).

Service-with-a-smile and goodies in hand, I was fortunate enough to find a table in the back, and by “back,” I mean about twenty feet from the stage, and by “stage,” I mean the left-hand six-feet-square corner of floor where a lone speaker stood raised above the musicians’ stools and mics. (Did I mention yet that the place is intimate? ‘Cause it is. Seriously. Get there early.)

I watched the musicians tune their instruments, leaning in towards each other to ear-in, checking their connections to the mix board, smiling and laughing with each other. And I quickly realized that each of them had styled themselves in the genre of music they professed to play:

Terese Taylor (Experimental/Black Metal/Folk Rock) wore all black; Misisipi Mike (Folk/Indie/Country) wore a logo T-shirt, khakis, and a fedora; Tippy Canoe (Roots Music/Melodramatic Popular Song/Pop) wore a be-ribboned black beret and a full-length sweater coat; and Rick Quisol (“The Dimestore Dandy”) wore slacks, a golf cap, and a light blue button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up.

The evening’s show was presented in a round robin format. Each artist took a turn playing a song of their choice, calling out the key signature so the others could jump in, should they wish to do so. Both Tippy Canoe and Rick Quisol featured the ukelele in their performances, as well as the occasional washboard percussion section, while Misisipi Mike and Terese Taylor played six-string electric acoustic guitars.

Terese Taylor started off the evening. If you’re an emo kind of person or like to howl at the moon, this artist is for you! Her songs tended to be darker and more introspective, sort of angsty and heady all at once. As a vocalist, she had a lyrical soprano voice that she projected through a tight jaw, all the while keeping a piece of chewing gum in her mouth. (Fascinating!) And she didn’t sing with any vibrato; it was just a straight, poignant, clear voice reaching out across the room and taking you by the shoulders (if that makes any sense). Instrumentally, she was a very agile guitarist, deftly moving from one chord to the next. Her strumming style indicated that at some point she probably had classical guitar training (we learned the same technique in a beginning classical guitar class I started to take out at City College…twice…). And she seemed to like to play with time signatures and tempos, which made her compositions interesting and attention-grabbing. But, boy, did this woman love her distortion pedal! She’d be toolin’ along, strummin’ away her broken and/or disillusioned heart, and all of a sudden — BAM! DISTORTION! No more acoustic ambient guitar! The effect was jarring and much too loud for that particular venue. And, having previously listened to the songs available on her Web site, I can honestly say that if she had been playing those same songs with her full band, the use of the distortion effect would not have been an issue. As it was, however, the result was odd and awkward. But, all of that aside, I largely enjoyed her music. (I guess I’m one of those angsty types; plus, the girl can seriously play the guitar!) By far the best song she did was “Sweet,” which was a lovely waltz that sat lower in her vocal range and was slightly reminiscent of Sheryl Crow’s “Globe Sessions” album. Beautiful, haunting, a masterwork.

Next up was Misisipi Mike, who was actually from Mississippi (originally), but now apparently lives just about a block away from the Revolution Cafe (he told us so; mustn’t be too much of a secret). His music was largely upbeat and folky, with catchy guitar hooks and lyrics chock-full o’ washerwoman wisdom (e.g. “When life gives you lemons…”). The best part for me? This guy was apparently quite fond of his libations! He often referenced drinking, and sang longingly when he covered Evelynn Rose’s “Whiskey Woman.” His style was folk rock-meets-southern rock, and it sat well with him. He was a sort of quintessential singer/songwriter, with impeccable guitar technique and an expressive voice. He was easily the best technical player of the evening, and ably worked into most of the others’ performances, adding a lead guitar line into the instrumental breaks with virtually no fumbling, as though he’d rehearsed the licks ahead of time. Lyrically, his selections ran the gamut from nostalgic (“Lonely Old House on Memory Lane”) to impish (“Louisiana Livin’ and I’m Gettin’ Fat”). His fingerpicking style was nimble, and reminded me of Iron and Wine. I loved this guy. I wanted to be his next door neighbor and sit with him on his front porch drinking beer at dusk…often.

He was followed by Tippy Canoe, the Lovely Lady of the Ukelele. Tippy had a strong, clear high alto voice whose dynamic ebbed and flowed in a rhythmic fashion that reminded me of a pond’s rippling water lapping at the side of a rowboat. She showed herself to be a fan of doo-wop era music, both the upbeat and the balladic. She, too, sang with a straight tone, which at times proved to be problematic for her because she would occasionally get off pitch. She also seemed to play largely by feel, which made it a little difficult for the other musicians to jam with her, because sometimes she would get ahead of herself and not complete a phrase. Also, at that particular venue, she really needed to be more articulate; many of the patrons were not there to listen to the music, and the constant low roar of conversation and partially obstructed view (a lot of SRO audience members) made it difficult to understand the lyrics she was singing. But she by far had the most interaction with the audience, checking in to see if they were having fun, asking about sound levels — that kind of thing. And she was absolutely charming and coquettish and straight-up adorable, which is probably why she was the one who came around the room to “pass the hat” (i.e. solicit tips/donations from the audience). She handled what could have been an awkward moment in a very charming and playful way, making it even more likely that audience members would be amenable to coughing up money.

And, finally, there was Rick Quisol. He also played the ukelele, the washboard, and almost always donned this contraption where he had a kazoo mounted inside an empty tin can (which I can only presume served to focus the sound forward so that it would be picked up by his microphone). The moment Rick opened his mouth, I was entranced. His voice was beyond lyrical; it was like sinking into a warm bath scented with honey and lavender. He was definitely of the old jazz crooner ilk. Listening to him almost reminded me of Mel Torme. His vocal technique was superior, allowing him to be expressive: he was able to phrase his songs in a way that really illustrated the story each song was trying to convey. And he seemed to have the best inherent musicianship of the bunch. When he wasn’t killing you softly, he was making you giggle with his cover of “Knock Three Times.” (Yes, that “Knock Three Times,” as in, “…on the ceiling if you want me.”) At one point, he asked for a volunteer to play the maracas on one of his songs, but, alas, the room was not game. (As a side note, Rick is the bandleader of The Frisky Frolics, who sadly do not appear to have scheduled any shows in San Francisco — free or otherwise — any time soon. But keep an eye out; this guy’s worth your time and money!)