Spring has sprung, and with all the excitement over upcoming shows, music festivals and new releases, ASD almost forgot to tell you about one of the more interesting local concerts this season: The Roots at Davies Symphony Hall on May 30th. We'll be the first to say that when we saw this show announced on SFJAZZ' Spring 2009 lineup, we thought it was a typo. After all, who in their right mind would invite a bunch of hip-hop and soul-heads from the mean streets of Philadelphia (gasp!) to play at the same venue which normally features opera, ballet, and classical music? Oh, the horror.
SFJAZZ may be insane, but they're not crazy. The organization has been widening the boundaries of what jazz is for a while now (hint: it's no longer just some old guy in a porkpie hat), and the Roots--the house band for Jimmy Fallon's new talk show and "one of the twenty greatest live bands in the world," according to Rolling Stone--are the perfect band to take hip-hop to a symphonic level. Tickets, which range from an affordable $25 to a patron-level $60, are available here.
Personally, I've always found the concept of the "Ultra Lounge"--an upscale dance club--more than just a little bit pretentious. Bottle service for exclusive clientele who arrive in limousines? That's not chic, just bougie. And let's face it, dress codes are for douchebags. I'm not saying Tevas and tank tops or Tims and hoodies are always appropriate evening attire, but if I want the fashion police to regulate what I can and can't wear to a club, I'll put in a call to Joan Rivers and the Queer Eye dudes. But the worst thing about ultra lounges--the absolute deal-breaker--is that, to be frank, the music they play is kinda sucky. Isn't it possible to be fly without Top 40 hip-hop and generic house music?
Case in point: the Whisper Lounge. Here's their dress requirements, as posted on their website, which imply a clear double standard for men and women: "Ladies - Keep doing what you've always done. Gentlemen - Button Down Collared Shirt + Form Fitting Pants + Casual Dress Shoes." (Form fitting pants? You've got to be joking.) The rules go on to state, "You'll have to step it up if you wanna step in. Please dress to impress the ladies who are always looking sexy here."
Apparently, all that sexiness just wasn't paying the bills. The venue recently announced its closure after seven years, which suggests that offering $3000 corporate packages and $250 bottle service isn't entirely realistic in this economy. (And, interestingly, the venue's picture gallery shows plenty of dress-code violations, including dorky-looking dudes in track jackets and --Oh My!--nylon mesh trucker hats.)
We don't have to give you the news that today's Friday. We can tell by the way you're counting the minutes until lunchtime, after which you'll be counting the minutes until quittin' time, after which you'll be...yeah, who knows? But here's a couple recommendations for doing up the weekend on a budget.
1. Intelligence, Oh Sees, Ty Segall at Annie's (Friday)
One man's junky noise is another's post-punk treasure, and this show, friends, is our tippy top recommendation for Friday night. Seattle band Intelligence is in town to promote its best record yet, Fake Surfers. Fake is a tangle of misfiring-circuitry rhythms, hail-on-a-tin-roof beats, and space 'copter sound effects. There are also, of course, plenty of nonsensical choruses like "I don't have time for squids." Hey, who does? Intelligence headlines a bill at Annie's with two of our local favorites, Thee Oh Sees and Ty Segall. All this for only $8? We take that back, we do have time for squids. (9 p.m.)
