When the ancient Polynesians invented surfing, they often used a paddle to help them navigate. Fast-forward a few millennia, and Stand-Up Paddleboarding, or SUP, finds itself trendy again. Part of its increasing popularity is that standing upright allows surfers to spot waves more easily and thus catch more of them, multiplying the fun factor. Paddling back to the wave becomes less of a strain as well. The ability to cruise along on flat inland water, surveying the sights, is another advantage. Finally, it’s a good core workout. If you’re sold on the idea, schedule an intro SUP lesson, free with board and paddle rental, and you may find yourself riding the waves like a Polynesian king.More
Many of us remember coming home from our elementary schools with freshly glazed pinchpots, cups, or whatever else our young imaginations could conjure up. Saturday mornings at the Randall Museum can bring that memory back, or create a new one for the youngsters. Ceramics make great gifts — especially on Mothers' and Fathers' Day. Hop on board for the Randall's once-weekly class, and for $6 and two weeks to have your work fired and glazed, you'll have all the materials you need.More
December is almost over - the New Year is coming up and everyone is busy drying off from the rain or holiday shopping. Let's take a look at what's happened this month.
Just because you get to go on vacation or take a weekend in Vegas doesn't mean you have to drop your dog off at the modern-day equivalent of the orphanage.
The immortal moment came decades ago: a long-suffering fan already, at 8 years old, slumped against a rail at the ballpark for what could be the last time, defeated on the field and off of it, where the Giants were planning to possibly decamp from Candlestick Park to Florida.
Sub Pop recording artists 'clipping.' brought their brand of noise-driven experimental hip hop to the closing night of 2016's San Francisco Electronic Music Fest this past Sunday. The packed Brava Theater hosted an initially seated crowd that ended the night jumping and dancing against the front of the stage. The trio performed a set focused on their recently released Sci-Fi Horror concept album, 'Splendor & Misery', then delved into their dancier and more aggressive back catalogue, and recent single 'Wriggle'.
Opening performances included local experimental electronic duo 'Tujurikkuja' and computer music artist 'Madalyn Merkey.'"
The Birthday Party reissues (Thirsty Ear/2-13-61) Tracy Pew, the leather-clad cowpoke bassist of the Birthday Party, once said: "Rock music will be remembered as the anus of culture." A typically charming statement from one of rock's great id-men -- and…
Guided by Voices Mag Earwhig! (Matador) For 15 albums or so, Robert Pollard has been the honcho behind the thirtysomething, Dayton, Ohio, Brit-invasion-style, lo-fi pop ensemble Guided by Voices. After a recent and fairly decent solo effort (in conjunction with/response…
Verbena Souls for Sale (Merge) Here's some advice for a record exec working at an entertainment conglomerate (and worrying a bit, in the face of all this Britronica, about the state of American Rawk, and how that trickles down to…
Ultra Lounge: The Lexicon of Easy Listening By Dylan Jones Universe Publishing 144 pages, $19.95 "Easycore" is what he calls it -- see him there, present day, still staggering around in last night's rumpled sharkskin. Another lukewarm martini, one more…
Cheap Trick (Cheap Trick/Red Ant Entertainment) Before we bog ourselves down in the bubble gum, let's get the disclaimer out of the way: The purpose of this essay isn't to compare Cheap Trick to John Coltrane, or Bob Dylan, or…
Radar Bros. (Restless) Whether or not you'll want to pick up the Radar Bros. self-titled debut depends on how you feel about those first few Pink Floyd albums in your record collection. (Mind you, this isn't as direct a relationship…
In the inaugural issue of No Depression -- a fanzine out of Seattle that has somehow grown to embody the genre of "insurgent country" -- the editors wrote: "We claim Gram Parsons as our unholy ghost, minister of the shotgun…
Karp Self Titled LP (K) There are those who would say this country is in dire need of a presidential address on the State of Metal. So many unanswered questions linger: Whatever happened to White Lion? Witchfynde? Angel Witch? Death…
Skeleton Key Fantastic Spikes Through Balloon (Capitol) Back in my college days of yore (the late '80s, at New York University), it seemed Berlin-based industrial-strength noise-makers EinstYrzende Neubauten had influenced every dark corner of the Lower East Side music scene.…
Frank Zappa Have I Offended Someone? (Rykodisc) Have I Offended Someone? probably won't offend anyone. In fact, it is hard to imagine this album offending anyone even back in 1973 when the first of its 15 tracks was originally released.…
Tarnation Mirador (Reprise) Local western crooner (and archaeologist) Paula Frazer has taken her pet "project" Tarnation to some interesting places. A couple of years back we visited an Arkansas trailer park in I'll Give You Something to Cry About, one…
Sub Pop recording artists 'clipping.' brought their brand of noise-driven experimental hip hop to the closing night of 2016's San Francisco Electronic Music Fest this past Sunday. The packed Brava Theater hosted an initially seated crowd that ended the night jumping and dancing against the front of the stage. The trio performed a set focused on their recently released Sci-Fi Horror concept album, 'Splendor & Misery', then delved into their dancier and more aggressive back catalogue, and recent single 'Wriggle'.
Opening performances included local experimental electronic duo 'Tujurikkuja' and computer music artist 'Madalyn Merkey.'"
