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.
Every day around rush hour, Muni trains passing through the downtown stations are filled to the brim with commuters who rush the doors as soon as they open.
The island trend of Hawaiian-style poke, or raw fish/seafood dressed with a variety of sauces and fresh toppings, has been kicking around the West Coast mainland for a while, particularly in Los Angeles, where its lean protein-rich nature is a big hit with the diet and camera conscious.
If the current San Francisco punk-rock scene can be described as a tsunami wave of distortion-pedal–enthused, home-recorded garage, then the Hospitals are a little tugboat just past the horizon, flipping out on ferocious sounds outside the flux of the tide.…
Sacramento's Mayyors spent 2008 spreading a wild rock 'n' roll fury throughout the Golden State. John Pritchard (Sexy Prison) vomits buckets of drool to deliver a static-ridden howl over the grating wall of guitar created by Chris Woodhouse (FM Knives).…
All-female trio Grass Widow is rapidly commanding attention in a local music scene that has grown tired of the same old garage-rock racket. A year into the group's existence, after months of courting drummer Lillian Maring to relocate from Seattle,…
In a decade saturated with bloated rock songs, it's easy to appreciate the concise methods of Wire in 1976, when the band's tense, polished angularity helped define the postpunk approach. Wire has since veered in and out of hiatus, dropping…
Nashville punks Cheap Time put the timeless formula of matching loud hooks with lightning-speed rhythms to the test on their self-titled debut. The band spits out 14 tracks of mindless rock and roll in less than 30 minutes. The record…
Punks around the Bay will help sell out another hardcore explosion with Seattle's Sex Vid. The four-piece, armed with homemade cassette releases and a handful of 7"s, is creating some of the wildest thrash out there. The group is equally…
Jonathan Richman's musical importance is generally understated, despite his having released nearly two dozen records over the past three decades. While he has been heralded as something like the godfather of offbeat singer-songwriting, it's easy for his reported eccentricities (such…
To the city's young gays looking for something outside the "superthumpy, Vocoder-Cher-style music" to dance to, Seth Bogart promises "You'll never hear that shit at my club." Indeed, Bogart's alternative to the Top 40-heavy Castro scene is the Hubba Hubba…
Fishbone is the quintessential hyphenated combo. From its inception in 1979, the spazztastic Los Angeles septet has been mashing genres, pioneering a ska-punk-thrash-funk sound that's as fresh, feral, and nutty as ever. Yet mainstream success has long been elusive for…
Sia, a contributing vocalist for British electronica artists like Jamiroquai and Zero 7, recently released her third studio effort, Some People Have Real Problems. True to the album title, this record is a collection of flavorless to the point of…
After releasing two records on quaint indie-noise label Siltbreeze, Times New Viking jumped to the supersized indie Matador, and its latest release is equally ambitious. Rip It Off is an extension of the young Ohio trio's trademark distortion-laden pop; the…
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.'"
