Archive for May, 2009

Bittersweet celebration


After a series of trials and tribulations, Niki and Jake, owners and operators of the Javalounge, have decided to bow out of the project and move on. It fills me with great sadness to have to report this as I have looked forward to seeing both of their smiling faces nestled amongst the Skinner murals and coffee pots in search of my morning caffeine fix these past few years. Saturday night will be their last night at the helm and they will be hosting a killer show featuring the Bananas(!), the Foureyes, and Woodpussy. Come out and show them your support.

Good luck you guys!

Crocker Auction Preview Party tonight!!!!


Pork Loin, Rachel Major

The Crocker Auction Preview Party is tonight at Cal Expo in the Fine Art Building. The event is free although parking is $10. Those who come this evening will have the opportunity to bid on the Crocker’s popular Big Names, Small Art category with works by local artists starting $25. BNSA is offered tonight only. This event is a great opportunity to get an overview of the work being produced in this region right now as well as a chance to pick up some lovely work at bargain basement prices, like the above pork loin by Rachel Major. Check it out!

The Gumbiner Collection, Part II

Today’s selection from the Gumbiner Collection is popularly known as Winnebago Man. If you think watching an aging huckster have an F Bomb-laden day of meltdowns while pitching Winnebagos is hilarious, (we did) this is for you.

100% NSFW.

Action, Orson, action.

Huddled around a sound console for three and a half days straight gets a little boring, even when you’re making your own record. So, it’s no surprise that the highlight of the weekend was being turned on to engineer Dana Gumbiner’s collection of favorite youtube clips.

Here, some outtakes with Orson Welles, director of Citizen Kane and Touch of Evil, and shill for Paul Masson. looks like he might have been paid in product.

thanks Dana!

Butt Ugly

by Liv Moe, Photos by Jesse Vasquez

Some fifteen or so years ago Kris Laskey was relaxing at the now-defunct Greta’s Café at the corner of 18th and Capitol when was approached about her bag. “It was this totally gee-gawed up purse made out of a tapestry, with crosses hanging all over it and Jesus on one side,” says Laskey. “This guy said ‘oh, my god, where did you get that? I’ll give you fifty bucks for it.’ and I said ‘where’s a paper sack?’” After obtaining a paper bag and empty the contents of her purse into it, the transaction was complete. Laskey was $50 richer and the road to Butt Ugly began. Read more »

Modaspia

by Jennifer Traverso Tosca, Photos by Jesse Vasquez

Ursula Dean is the mind behind five year old modaspia, a line of whimsical dresses designed and produced in Northern California. Read more »

Take A Chance On The River

by William Burg

Before freeways, before automobiles, even before the coming of the railroads, the fastest means of travel in California was by riverboat. From the Gold Rush era until 1940, steam-powered riverboats carried passengers up the Sacramento River from San Francisco to as far north as Red Bluff. The trip from Sacramento to San Francisco took about ten hours, Read more »

S-S Records Hits 50

A FramesSince its inception in 2001, S-S Records has been an institution in the music underground worldwide. As the label approaches its 50th release it increasingly garners praise from all corners, including a top 10 spot in the esteemed music periodical The Wire’s 2008 End-of-Year best-of list.  Midtown Monthly caught up with the incredibly busy Scott Soriano, the man behind the curtain, to talk about his label and the music he loves. Read more »

Korean Food

One thing I like about Korean food it its eccentricity.  It seems to me that the standard practice of offering slightly different types of banchan (the little free snacks that precede the meal) every day encourages a certain looseness and creativity in the kitchen that I enjoy. Read more »

The Ghost of Daniel Johnston

by Tim Foster

Is Daniel Johnston the world’s greatest living artist?  The answer, according to Jeff Feuerzeig, director of The Devil and Daniel Johnston, an acclaimed documentary about the artist, is “yes.”  Read more »