Music
Freedom is within you
Giving makes us feel good
Hello to my people
Say hello to the future
-- "Alive," by Empire of the Sun (17 million views; Apr '13 upload)
The Australian electronic duo met at a Sydney bar with the encouragement of a music executive, and they worked several years on a project that garnered the attention of Elton John. Their first studio album won seven music awards at Australia's ARIAs, and a second popped out last year. In between two sets at Coachella (April 12 and 19), they'll grace Oakland's Fox Theater on April 17 and 18.
Previous songs: Down to the River to Pray (Alison Krauss); Three Rounds and a Sound (Blind Pilot); Chicken Fried (Zac Brown Band); The Story (Brandi Carlile); Lucky One (Pure Bathing Culture); Easy Way Out (Gotye); Hell or High Water (William Elliott Whitmore); Hymn #101 (Joe Pug); Midnight City (M83); So American (Portugal. The Man); Carry On (Fun.); Remembrance (Balmorhea); Miss Atomic Bomb (The Killers); Take a Walk (Passion Pit); Closer (Tegan and Sara); It's Time (Imagine Dragons); Higher (Matt Nathanson); Rawnald Gregory Erickson the Second (STRFKR); So Many Details (Toro Y Moi); Ho Hey (Lumineers); Winter Winds (Mumford & Sons); Wanted (Hunter Hayes); Levels (Avicii); The A Team (Ed Sheeran); Hold On (Alabama Shakes); Don't You Worry Child (Swedish House Mafia); Lonely Boy (The Black Keys); It's a War (Blackbird, Blackbird); Man on Fire (Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros); Big Girl (Mika); Step (Vampire Weekend); All of Me (Tanlines); King and Lionheart (Of Monsters and Men); Celestica (Crystal Castles); Angels (The xx); Out of My League (Fitz & the Tantrums); If I Know You (The Presets); Dumb Disco Ideas (Holy Ghost!); Even If I Could (Rachael Yamagata); Tired Eyes (The Trophy Fire); Knock Knock (Band of Horses); Around the Block (Pretty Lights); Brave (Sara Bareilles); Same Love (Macklemore + Ryan Lewis, feat. Mary Lambert); Safe and Sound (Capital Cities); All-American Boy (Steve Grand); Entertainment (Phoenix); Your Drums, Your Love (AlunaGeorge); Garden (Lost in the Trees); Royals (Lorde); The Mother We Share (Chvrches); High School Lover (Cayuca); She Keeps Me Warm (Mary Lambert); Dyin' Bedmaker (Andrew Bird); Zombies (Radiation City); Bitter Rivals (Sleigh Bells); Tall Tall Shadow (Basia Bulat); Sunday (Crocodiles); Pompeii (Bastille); Breezeblocks (Alt-J); Sweater Weather (The Neighbourhood); Hurricane (MS MR); Trojans (Atlas Genius); Animals (Martin Garrix); Promising Actress (John Vanderslice and Magik*Magik Orchestra); Lightning Bolt (Jake Bugg); San Francisco (The Mowgli's); The High Road (Broken Bells); Call Me in a Day (La Luz); I Can't Go for That (Nicki Bluhm & the Gramblers); Black Night (The Dodos); I Learned the Hard Way (Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings); The Robots (Kraftwerk); We Can Make the World Stop (The Glitch Mob); The Truth Don't Stop (Dr. Dog); & It Was U (How to Dress Well); Heartbeats (The Knife).
Current Event
San Francisco's City Planning Commission will consider a proposal to increase the geographic possibilities for medical cannabis dispensaries by reducing the restricted distance from schools and child-serving recreational areas. Currently, no pot clubs exist in the Sunset, Parkside, West Portal, Outer Richmond, Laurel Heights, the Marina, North Beach, or Haight-Ashbury neighborhoods.
"Finding a location that works, finding a landlord who's willing, and finding a neighborhood that's willing isn't easy."
-- Robert Jacobs, SPARC dispensary executive director and Sebastopol mayor
"There are things I would like to discuss, since this concerns our students. I'd like to hear about what ... safeguards there are, as well as any concerns from our principals."
-- Sandra Fewer, SFUSD president
"I don't think we need two on the same block. (They) are coming in, and residents want hardware stores and bookstores and more neighborhood-oriented businesses."
-- John Avalos, District 11 supervisor
"This unequal distribution (of dispensaries) requires some patients to travel long distances to obtain their medicine... and have to visit several times a week."
-- San Francisco Planning Department report
Food
The Galley
1401 Valencia St
San Francisco, CA 94110
Yelp
For about three years, inside a very rowdy dive bar steps from a union hall, this tiny kitchen has pumped out deliciousness to off-the-beaten-path seekers. The grilled cheese is thick and oozes its flavors into your mouth rather spectacularly. I didn't have any beer at Clooney's Pub, but I'd gather that prices are fair and turnover of kegs is fairly frequent. And yes, it does take cards using a mobile system. 4-1/2 stars - 78 reviews
Previous San Francisco picks: Radius; Limon Rotisserie; Art's Cafe; Little Star Pizza; Yamo; Breakfast at Tiffany's; Humphry Slocombe; Tu Lan; Foreign Cinema; Zanze's Cheesecake; San Tung; Katana-Ya; A La Turca; Boxing Room; Frances; Saigon Sandwich; Brenda's French Soul Food; Park Tavern; Broken Record; Rosamunde Sausage Grill; Curry Up Now; Yasukochi's Sweet Stop; Lime Tree Southeast Asian Kitchen; Firefly; Red Door Cafe; L'Ardoise Bistro; Pluto's; My Tofu House; Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous; Walzwerk; Good Luck Dim Sum; Amber India; Sotto Mare; Sweet Maple; Shanghai Dumpling King; Super Duper; Kokkari Estiatorio; Olea; Bodega Bistro; The Chairman Truck; Molinari Delicatessen; Wayfare Tavern; Wexler's; Thorough Bread & Pastry; Lers Ros Thai; Helmand Palace; HRD Coffee Shop; Fat Angel; Aperto; Pho Huynh Hiep 2; Ted's Deli; Zero Zero; Zazie; Shalimar; Swan Oyster Depot; Dottie's True Blue Cafe; La Taqueria; Chez Maman; Radio Habana Social Club; Tony's Pizza Napoletana; Hard Knox Cafe; Shabusen; Ragazza; Morty's Delicatessen; Hawaiian Drive Inn #28; Just For You Cafe; Woodhouse Fish Co; Mission Pie; El Metate; V-105; Kitchen Story; Frisco Fried; Range; Suzu Noodle House; The Codmother Fish & Chips; The Front Porch; Blue Plate; Chomp N' Swig; Piccino; La Mediterranee; Ken Ken Ramen; Tommaso's Ristorante Italiano; 1760; The Richmond; Nick's Crispy Tacos; Cinderella Bakery.
Previous Peninsula/South Bay picks: Curry Up Now (San Mateo); Little Lucca Sandwich Shop & Deli (Burlingame/South SF); Falafel's Drive In (San Jose); Sunny Bowl (Mountain View); Back A Yard Caribbean Grill (Menlo Park/San Jose); Pluto's (Palo Alto/San Jose); Ramen Dojo/Ramen Parlor (San Mateo); Amber India (Mountain View/San Jose/Palo Alto); Nini's Coffee Shop (San Mateo); Kabab and Curry's (Santa Clara); Fiddler's Green (Millbrae); Alana's Cafe (Burlingame); Sushi Sam's Edomata (San Mateo); Shanghai Dumpling Shop (Millbrae).
Previous East Bay picks: Little Star Pizza (Albany); Angeline's Louisiana Kitchen (Berkeley); Asmara (Oakland); Keanu's Island Kine Food (Vacaville); Tara's Organic Ice Cream (Berkeley/Oakland); Pluto's (Chico/Davis/Sacramento/
Previous North Bay picks: Bouchon Bakery (Yountville); Della Fattoria Bakery (Petaluma); Sol Food (San Rafael/Mill Valley); Stumptown Brewery (Guerneville); Moustache Baked Goods (Healdsburg); Super Duper (Mill Valley); The Pelican Inn (Muir Beach); Garden Grill (Guerneville); Buckeye Roadhouse (Mill Valley).
Previous Other picks: Shoki Ramen House (Sacramento); Built to Grill (Portland); Freshies (South Lake Tahoe); Mon Ami Gabi (Las Vegas); Fox & Goose Public House (Sacramento); La Bonne Soup Cafe (Sacramento); Snow City Cafe (Anchorage); Starling Diner (Long Beach); Masa of Echo Park (Los Angeles); Biker Jim's Gourmet Dogs (Denver); Philippe the Original (Los Angeles); Han Bat Sul Lung Tang (Los Angeles); Jayne's Gastropub (San Diego).
Nightlife
The Armory Club
Freedom is within you
Giving makes us feel good
Hello to my people
Say hello to the future
-- "Alive," by Empire of the Sun (17 million views; Apr '13 upload)
The Australian electronic duo met at a Sydney bar with the encouragement of a music executive, and they worked several years on a project that garnered the attention of Elton John. Their first studio album won seven music awards at Australia's ARIAs, and a second popped out last year. In between two sets at Coachella (April 12 and 19), they'll grace Oakland's Fox Theater on April 17 and 18.
Previous songs: Down to the River to Pray (Alison Krauss); Three Rounds and a Sound (Blind Pilot); Chicken Fried (Zac Brown Band); The Story (Brandi Carlile); Lucky One (Pure Bathing Culture); Easy Way Out (Gotye); Hell or High Water (William Elliott Whitmore); Hymn #101 (Joe Pug); Midnight City (M83); So American (Portugal. The Man); Carry On (Fun.); Remembrance (Balmorhea); Miss Atomic Bomb (The Killers); Take a Walk (Passion Pit); Closer (Tegan and Sara); It's Time (Imagine Dragons); Higher (Matt Nathanson); Rawnald Gregory Erickson the Second (STRFKR); So Many Details (Toro Y Moi); Ho Hey (Lumineers); Winter Winds (Mumford & Sons); Wanted (Hunter Hayes); Levels (Avicii); The A Team (Ed Sheeran); Hold On (Alabama Shakes); Don't You Worry Child (Swedish House Mafia); Lonely Boy (The Black Keys); It's a War (Blackbird, Blackbird); Man on Fire (Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros); Big Girl (Mika); Step (Vampire Weekend); All of Me (Tanlines); King and Lionheart (Of Monsters and Men); Celestica (Crystal Castles); Angels (The xx); Out of My League (Fitz & the Tantrums); If I Know You (The Presets); Dumb Disco Ideas (Holy Ghost!); Even If I Could (Rachael Yamagata); Tired Eyes (The Trophy Fire); Knock Knock (Band of Horses); Around the Block (Pretty Lights); Brave (Sara Bareilles); Same Love (Macklemore + Ryan Lewis, feat. Mary Lambert); Safe and Sound (Capital Cities); All-American Boy (Steve Grand); Entertainment (Phoenix); Your Drums, Your Love (AlunaGeorge); Garden (Lost in the Trees); Royals (Lorde); The Mother We Share (Chvrches); High School Lover (Cayuca); She Keeps Me Warm (Mary Lambert); Dyin' Bedmaker (Andrew Bird); Zombies (Radiation City); Bitter Rivals (Sleigh Bells); Tall Tall Shadow (Basia Bulat); Sunday (Crocodiles); Pompeii (Bastille); Breezeblocks (Alt-J); Sweater Weather (The Neighbourhood); Hurricane (MS MR); Trojans (Atlas Genius); Animals (Martin Garrix); Promising Actress (John Vanderslice and Magik*Magik Orchestra); Lightning Bolt (Jake Bugg); San Francisco (The Mowgli's); The High Road (Broken Bells); Call Me in a Day (La Luz); I Can't Go for That (Nicki Bluhm & the Gramblers); Black Night (The Dodos); I Learned the Hard Way (Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings); The Robots (Kraftwerk); We Can Make the World Stop (The Glitch Mob); The Truth Don't Stop (Dr. Dog); & It Was U (How to Dress Well); Heartbeats (The Knife).
Current Event
San Francisco's City Planning Commission will consider a proposal to increase the geographic possibilities for medical cannabis dispensaries by reducing the restricted distance from schools and child-serving recreational areas. Currently, no pot clubs exist in the Sunset, Parkside, West Portal, Outer Richmond, Laurel Heights, the Marina, North Beach, or Haight-Ashbury neighborhoods.
"Finding a location that works, finding a landlord who's willing, and finding a neighborhood that's willing isn't easy."
-- Robert Jacobs, SPARC dispensary executive director and Sebastopol mayor
"There are things I would like to discuss, since this concerns our students. I'd like to hear about what ... safeguards there are, as well as any concerns from our principals."
-- Sandra Fewer, SFUSD president
"I don't think we need two on the same block. (They) are coming in, and residents want hardware stores and bookstores and more neighborhood-oriented businesses."
-- John Avalos, District 11 supervisor
"This unequal distribution (of dispensaries) requires some patients to travel long distances to obtain their medicine... and have to visit several times a week."
-- San Francisco Planning Department report
Food
The Galley
1401 Valencia St
San Francisco, CA 94110
Yelp
For about three years, inside a very rowdy dive bar steps from a union hall, this tiny kitchen has pumped out deliciousness to off-the-beaten-path seekers. The grilled cheese is thick and oozes its flavors into your mouth rather spectacularly. I didn't have any beer at Clooney's Pub, but I'd gather that prices are fair and turnover of kegs is fairly frequent. And yes, it does take cards using a mobile system. 4-1/2 stars - 78 reviews
Previous San Francisco picks: Radius; Limon Rotisserie; Art's Cafe; Little Star Pizza; Yamo; Breakfast at Tiffany's; Humphry Slocombe; Tu Lan; Foreign Cinema; Zanze's Cheesecake; San Tung; Katana-Ya; A La Turca; Boxing Room; Frances; Saigon Sandwich; Brenda's French Soul Food; Park Tavern; Broken Record; Rosamunde Sausage Grill; Curry Up Now; Yasukochi's Sweet Stop; Lime Tree Southeast Asian Kitchen; Firefly; Red Door Cafe; L'Ardoise Bistro; Pluto's; My Tofu House; Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous; Walzwerk; Good Luck Dim Sum; Amber India; Sotto Mare; Sweet Maple; Shanghai Dumpling King; Super Duper; Kokkari Estiatorio; Olea; Bodega Bistro; The Chairman Truck; Molinari Delicatessen; Wayfare Tavern; Wexler's; Thorough Bread & Pastry; Lers Ros Thai; Helmand Palace; HRD Coffee Shop; Fat Angel; Aperto; Pho Huynh Hiep 2; Ted's Deli; Zero Zero; Zazie; Shalimar; Swan Oyster Depot; Dottie's True Blue Cafe; La Taqueria; Chez Maman; Radio Habana Social Club; Tony's Pizza Napoletana; Hard Knox Cafe; Shabusen; Ragazza; Morty's Delicatessen; Hawaiian Drive Inn #28; Just For You Cafe; Woodhouse Fish Co; Mission Pie; El Metate; V-105; Kitchen Story; Frisco Fried; Range; Suzu Noodle House; The Codmother Fish & Chips; The Front Porch; Blue Plate; Chomp N' Swig; Piccino; La Mediterranee; Ken Ken Ramen; Tommaso's Ristorante Italiano; 1760; The Richmond; Nick's Crispy Tacos; Cinderella Bakery.
Previous Peninsula/South Bay picks: Curry Up Now (San Mateo); Little Lucca Sandwich Shop & Deli (Burlingame/South SF); Falafel's Drive In (San Jose); Sunny Bowl (Mountain View); Back A Yard Caribbean Grill (Menlo Park/San Jose); Pluto's (Palo Alto/San Jose); Ramen Dojo/Ramen Parlor (San Mateo); Amber India (Mountain View/San Jose/Palo Alto); Nini's Coffee Shop (San Mateo); Kabab and Curry's (Santa Clara); Fiddler's Green (Millbrae); Alana's Cafe (Burlingame); Sushi Sam's Edomata (San Mateo); Shanghai Dumpling Shop (Millbrae).
Previous East Bay picks: Little Star Pizza (Albany); Angeline's Louisiana Kitchen (Berkeley); Asmara (Oakland); Keanu's Island Kine Food (Vacaville); Tara's Organic Ice Cream (Berkeley/Oakland); Pluto's (Chico/Davis/Sacramento/
Previous North Bay picks: Bouchon Bakery (Yountville); Della Fattoria Bakery (Petaluma); Sol Food (San Rafael/Mill Valley); Stumptown Brewery (Guerneville); Moustache Baked Goods (Healdsburg); Super Duper (Mill Valley); The Pelican Inn (Muir Beach); Garden Grill (Guerneville); Buckeye Roadhouse (Mill Valley).
Previous Other picks: Shoki Ramen House (Sacramento); Built to Grill (Portland); Freshies (South Lake Tahoe); Mon Ami Gabi (Las Vegas); Fox & Goose Public House (Sacramento); La Bonne Soup Cafe (Sacramento); Snow City Cafe (Anchorage); Starling Diner (Long Beach); Masa of Echo Park (Los Angeles); Biker Jim's Gourmet Dogs (Denver); Philippe the Original (Los Angeles); Han Bat Sul Lung Tang (Los Angeles); Jayne's Gastropub (San Diego).
Nightlife
The Armory Club
1799 Mission St
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 431-5300
It's a classy bar diagonally across from the Armory, which is now mainly used for adult entertainment video purposes. This place reminds me a bit of the Shady Lady up in Sacramento. Happy hour here lasts until 8pm, and you'll find a fairly full menu of artisan cocktails to choose from. 4 stars - 131 reviews
Previous
San Francisco picks: Blackbird; El Rio; Rickhouse; Southern Pacific
Brewing; The Hidden Vine; Vesuvio; The Pig & Whistle; Biergarten;
Martuni's; Tosca Cafe; Toronado; The Alembic; Trad'r Sam; Sugar Lounge;
Speakeasy Ales & Lagers; Lucky 13; Hotel Biron; Bottom of the Hill;
Blackthorn; Local Edition; Magnolia Pub & Brewery; Whiskey Thieves;
Bourbon & Branch; The Monk's Kettle; Amsterdam Cafe; Aunt Charlie's
Lounge; Latin American Club; Two Sisters Bar and Books; Doc's Clock; 15
Romolo; Thee Parkside; The Social Study; The Page; Rye; Bloodhound;
Azucar Lounge; The Residence; Tommy's Mexican; The Revolution Cafe;
Trick Dog; The Hot Spot; Hi Tops; The Homestead; The Phoenix Bar & Irish Gathering House; Fillmore Karaoke; Musee Mechanique; Royal Cuckoo; The Phone Booth; The Bitter End; Dear Mom, Eureka Lounge; Elbo Room; Specs' Twelve Adler Museum Cafe; Amelie; Buckshot; Greens Sports Bar; The Hearth.
Previous
Peninsula/South Bay picks: Antonio's Nut House (Palo Alto); The Oasis
Beer Garden (Menlo Park); Rose and Crown (Palo Alto); Fiddler's Green
(Millbrae).
Previous
East Bay picks: The Trappist (Oakland); Heinold's First and Last Chance
Saloon (Oakland); The Turf Club (Hayward); Jupiter (Berkeley); St.
George Spirits (Alameda); Drake's Barrel House (San Leandro); JC Cellars
(Oakland); Dashe Cellars (Oakland); Room 389 (Oakland); Beer Revolution
(Oakland); Make Westing (Oakland); Altamont Beer Works (Livermore);
Prizefighter (Emeryville); Heart and Dagger Saloon (Oakland); Dogwood (
Previous North Bay picks: Lagunitas Brewing Co. (Petaluma); Bear Republic Brewing Co. (Healdsburg); Tourist Club (Mill Valley); Mill Valley Beerworks.
Previous
Other picks: New Deal Distillery (Portland); Stateline Brewery (South
Lake Tahoe); The Garage (Las Vegas); The Shady Lady Saloon (Sacramento);
Mercantile Saloon (Sacramento); 49th State Brewing Co (Healy AK); Goat
Hill Tavern (Costa Mesa); El Prado (Los Angeles); Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey (Denver); Angel City Brewery (Los Angeles); The Hermosillo (Los Angeles); Polite Provisions (San Diego).
Thank you, History.
Nooks & Crannies
Tree's Free Farm Stand is a volunteer project that gives away fresh produce every Sunday at the Mission's Parque Ninos Unidos. The Secret Garden, located off Harrison Street near 23rd Street,
is one of the project's suppliers. Though doors are generally locked,
you can wander inside with advance notice, during neighborhood crawls,
and when someone is tending to the garden.
Charity
Congrats to Rocky Mountain Wild, the latest Randy's Guide donation recipient!
New charity: Plant SF.
The nonprofit, founded by architect Jane Martin, is approaching nine
years of transformative work in San Francisco. Efforts to convert
sidewalk into permeable drought-resistant plant gardens have been
widespread, from the Bayview and Potrero Hill, to the Outer Sunset and
the Tenderloin. The group has numerous volunteer opportunities for those
who are inclined.
Previous
organizations Randy's Guide has spotlighted and donated: Common Ground
Relief, LYRIC, Aldea Inc., Glide Memorial, City CarShare, Maitri, Loaves
and Fishes, Friends of the Urban Forest, Farm Sanctuary, Bay Area
Community Services, Blue Energy, My New Red Shoes, College Track,
Foundation for the People of Burma, Vital Life Services, Little Angel
Fund, San Francisco Health Services Coalition, Natural Resources Defense
Council, Bay Localize, San Francisco Women Against Rape, Sustainable
Conservation, Ashoka, Old Skool Cafe, Darfur Sister Schools, Rebuilding
Together San Francisco, Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center,
Urban Solutions, San Francisco Suicide Prevention, The East Bay Depot
for Creative Reuse, Shanti, Curry Without Worry, SF Neighborhood Theater
Foundation, La Cocina, Japanese Cultural & Community Center of
Northern California, The Bike Kitchen, First Graduate, Lazarex Cancer
Foundation (Amy C), KQED (88.5 FM), FabMo Creativity Center;
Duboce/Valencia Fire Relief; The Coming Home Project; Urban Tilth; Queer
Lifespace; Re-volv, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Prevent Blindness, and Hamilton Family Center.
Free Activities
1. Earth Hour: Saturday, 8:30pm
It
started in Sydney in 2007 as a symbolic gesture to raise climate change
and civic environmental awareness. Last year, more than 7000 cities
participated in over 130 countries. The group asks individuals,
businesses, and cities to turn off all non-essential lights for one hour
on Saturday evening. The before/after images from outer space are
rather striking.
2. Divisadero Art Walk & Microhood Party: Thursday, 6-8pm
Explore
my neighborhood this evening, as Madrone Art Bar, Vinyl, Rare Device,
Bi-Rite, The Mill SF, and other shops offer discounts, freebies, and
live music. Google Shopping Express, Chevrolet, and The Bold Italic
serve as sponsors.
3. BioBlitz Festival: Friday, 9am-5pm; Saturday, 9am-4pm
Hundreds of scientists will lead thousands of students and other community members
on explorations into science. A biodiversity festival will host the
demos, workshops, live animal exhibits, species count, and more. Crissy
Field - in particular, the Crissy Field Center - will be the epicenter
of action.
