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.
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.'"
Opera for the masses? Not in this country, where the great unwashed can go home to watch a hundred low-effort channels of quality TV -- or at least Temptation Island. But Donald Pippin's Pocket Opera aims to change that sad…
How cool is Maceo Parker? Think cucumbers. Think ice. Think twice before giving up the opportunity to see this quintessential saxman play live: If there's anything Parker's proven over four decades of delivering funky licks, it's that nobody plays that…
Press releases about Sweet Honey in the Rock refer to the quintet as "her" and "she," flouting grammatical convention. (One example: "She has established herself as a matchless source from which flows the rhythmic stories of her African ancestors.") In…
"Have I been tarred with the brush of Dylan, Beck, and Harmony Korine, who all used down-home imagery ironically to amuse sophisticated urban audiences? Am I a craven and opportunistic rootless charlatan posturing, when it suits me, as a Scot?"…
Indie rock fans have never been fruit-basket types: They don't welcome outsiders with open arms (that is, unless the newcomers know the genealogy of fellow alternarockers Neutral Milk Hotel). At the first whiff of commercial success, once-loyal acolytes might run…
For most people, solo piano music has more of a classical connotation than a jazz one; not surprisingly, jazz pianists from Bill Evans on did their earliest training in classical music. Likewise, New York-based impresario Brad Mehldau spent considerable time…
Puppet. Even the word sounds hopelessly cute, conjuring up images of the clunky, big-eyed felt creatures that Mister Rogers used to visit, or Jim Henson's stable of Muppet characters. But there's much more than cuddliness in the puppet oeuvre. We…
Style to spare: That's what's gonna be throwin' down at the Ritual Expo, a "bazaar-haus" day-to-night party and fashion event, coming this Saturday to the Fillmore. The mix makes sense, since the magic of mike artists has always gone hand-in-glove…
When she launched Tanto Tempo and went on tour back in June, Bebel Gilberto heard her first full-length solo album described as the soundtrack of summer. But as the rain rolls into San Francisco and we shrug off daylight savings,…
Jazz festivals abound in the Bay Area, from North Beach to Berkeley to San Jose, but there's a simple reason for that: There's a lot of great jazz here. This superabundance of festivals means that the definition of what counts…
"Got me a ticket for a direct flight ... gotta get to Memphis," croons jazz-rocker Ben Graves on the title track of his latest album, Memphis. It's not a particularly original sentiment (anyone else hear "Don't got no time to…
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.'"
