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.
With neighborhood institutions like the 21 Club closing to make way for yuppie cocktail bars, Brown Jug remains an oasis — and one that takes full advantage of the state's operating hours window, 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily.
Show To Know
Poppet Makes Electronic Baroque-Pop That is as Weird as it is Wonderful
PostedBySam Ribakoff
on Mon, Jun 27, 2016 at 10:24 AM
Sabrina Araujo
Poppet
Most of the time, when you hear an artist described as being "emotionally honest," they're usually an NPR-approved indie-folk singer-songwriter or that guy from your high school who just discovered Bright Eyes and his dad’s acoustic guitar.
Not so with Poppet. The Olympia, Wash. native makes "emotionally honest" music that recognizes that trauma and pain, especially in regards to heartbreak and love, are universal experiences and that we can all find meaning in expressing and connecting with both.
“When people cry during my shows that’s almost the biggest compliment to me,” Poppet says. “Because sometimes I’m almost crying. My performances are definitely very intense.”
And a Poppet show really is a performance. On her current tour, which includes stops in Oakland and Emeryville, she will be performing solo shows using only a synth keyboard, a drum machine, and a looping pedal. Dancer Nina Joly will join her onstage, and they'll be wearing “floor length, amazing, gold, sequined gowns." Part performance art, part musical act, the best way to describe a Poppet show is that it lies somewhere between Kraftwerk, Nintendo 64 video game soundtracks, Dirty Projectors, and Grimes.
“People could call it electro-pop, but that’s a really wide banner,” she says. “I feel like it’s baroque-pop. I use harpsichords and strings and those types of things, so it’s probably more fitting.” While synthesizers and electronics might provide the backbone of Poppet’s sound, the real centerpiece is her voice, which she stacks into choruses with a looping pedal and folds into melodies and chord progressions, reminiscent of Bjork and Kate Bush.
“I rely so heavily on my voice to provide the emotional content of the music,” Poppet says. “I hope people are tuning into the content of the songs. I’m definitely posing difficult question occasionally, or things that I’ve struggled with that I’m trying to find the answer to, or things that humanity is struggling with in general.”
One question posed on her most recent album, DESOLATION LOVESONGS, which she self-released on Bandcamp, is, “Is love useless?”
Inspired by what she refers to as “ruinous cycles” of love and relationships, DESOLATION LOVESONGS is meant to be an exploration of the nature and limits of love and romance in the 21st century, a dilemma that many feel burdened by, especially the younger generations.
Of her name, Poppet explains that it is an "affectionate term for a female or a doll. But on the other hand, it’s another term for a voodoo doll, so it really rides this dichotomy between innocence and darkness. Poppet has always been an expression of the very inner wedge of my personality, but when I’m performing, I want people to have the space to reflect on their own emotional standpoints in life… or just relate at least.”
Poppet will perform on Wednesday, June 29 at Secret Garden Gallery in Oakland, and on Thursday, June 30 at Scandinavia in Emeryville. More info here.
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.'"
