The Blog

I really like the way Sic Alps do things. They operate outside the margins of big hype in this city, and yet they've amassed quite a following over the years. Ok, yeah, the fact that Pavement, Sonic Youth, and Yo La Tengo invite them to open for them offers a ton of cred, but there's something in Sic Alps' music and performances that says they don't care about the prevailing buzz — they're gonna go their own way regardless. Besides, they've got their own buzz going on as it were, and it has a lot to do with the heavy distortion on their guitars, the blizzard of artful noise that always threatens to overtake their jagged pop sensibilities. 

I've seen the band twice in the past month, and their set on Monday opening for Godspeed You! Black Emperor was the best I've seen in a while. The performance was loose and fun, and carried with it that early '90s grunge-or-whatever-you-wanna-call-it sound I grew up on and always dig. Their vibe isn't as heavy as those Seattle godfathers, but they have a bit of the Northwest lo-fi, playful vibe, awash in white noise that brings a good punk edge. 

Tonight is the release party for the trio's great new record, Napa Asylum, out on Drag City, about which Pitchfork had some nice things to say. It has a bunch of great tunes, my favorite being "Do You Want to Give $$?" (video above). They're celebrating this new batch of fuzz at the Eagle, one of my favorite spots to see shows (so long as I don't have to pee. Not fun navigating your way to a women's room that's behind the bands on stage). If you don't see Sic Alps tonight, you're gonna have to wait a month while they bring the Asylum to the rest of the county (and you'll miss sets by The Mantles, Meercaz, and No Boss to boot).

Weather Report: possible snow this weekend. What? 

The SF Chronicle says the last time we've had snow here in the city that stuck was in 1976, but I seem to remember more recent downfall.

There was that blizzard at the Gay Pride Parade.

Not that I wouldn't mind a good toboggan ride down Lombard Street. That might even beat out a steep sail on the Seward Street Slides.

Photos by Flickr users: AGrinberg, JuicyRai, JPhilopson, ThomasLevinson, SteveRhodes, NicoleAbalde, Buson

I've been hearing all sorts of rumors about Straw, the new carnival-themed restaurant in Hayes Valley, so I went to check it out for myself. It turns out that Ari Feingold, the visionary behind the restaurant, developed a taste for concessions while he was organizing them for the Outside Lands Music Festival. Duly inspired, he created a fun and unpretentious hang-out for people who share his addiction. 

One of the coolest things about Straw is this Tilt-A-Whirl which has been converted into a table nook. It took Ari a year and a half to find, but after after flying to LAX, renting a budget truck, picking the thing up in Rialto, CA, and driving it to SF (a 17-hour ordeal), he's happy to call it his own. With loving care he sanded and painted it, and his wife's mother gussied it up with some custom sewn cushions. 

The photos in the place are just hilarious. I was almost as excited as this kid to try the food.

10% of all of Straw's sales on Mondays go to non-profits, which change monthly. Right now the money is going to the Hayes Valley Farm, but next month it will go to Spark, which helps underprivileged middle school kids learn job skills. The mural out front was done by local artist Hugh Leeman, who often works with transient communities.

There were lots of cute little details all around the place.

Here's Ari with his menus, which are made from children's books.

By 7:30 p.m., the place was jam packed with a line out the door. We somehow managed to snag the Tilt-A-Whirl table regardless. Score.

Wings! The entrees change monthly to celebrate street food festivals around the world. This month's menu spotlights the New Orleans Jazz Heritage Festival and next month's will feature the Chicago World's Fair. 

We had to try the house favorite – the Fried Chicken-n-Waffle Monte Cristo. Imagine chicken, swiss cheese, and raspberry jam sandwiched between two waffles and drenched in maple syrup. Words can't describe. 

Then we dug into the "Flying Saucer" – a chocolate peanut butter pie concoction with candied bacon on top. Gut bomb. 

When all was said and done we were sad to finally get our bill, but the fun had to end sometime.      

On my way out, I had the glorious yet scary realization that this place is only two blocks from my house. I suppose death by carny food may not be such a bad way to go out.

Photos by Nicole Grant