While Taraval’s occupants wait for the L train’s return and the war for the Great Highway wages on, music and community collided on Sunday at the Ocean Beach “Hole Erth” clean-up hosted by Toro y Moi and local Outer Sunset businesses.
Chaz Bear — AKA Toro y Moi — is an alternative artist specializing in chillwave electronic jams and is prolific on the Bay Area event scene. Two years ago, I crossed paths with him when he did a DJ set at St. Joseph’s Art Society for another charitable cause, the Project Pearls Scholarship. That was just after the debut of his 2022 album MAHAL, a stellar record featuring the Golden Gate Bridge on the cover.
Besides the standard tour of concerts and parties, Chaz and his team continue to focus on making a big impact with small causes, as they were the ones to reach out to Andytown and Tunnel Records for the day’s events. Andytown provided the caffeine, Tunnel Records set up the equipment, and Toro y Moi provided the tunes — plus some band-branded grabber sticks and bandanas.
This semi-secret gig was lightly advertised to prevent an overwhelming turnout but still attracted a nice-sized crowd, including people who came from several hours away. “We love to build community and host actionable events,” stated Andytown manager Brittany.
Ocean Beach is not necessarily known as a beach with a trash problem, which might be because of the community’s regular clean-ups, often hosted by Andytown Coffee. A brigade of about 50 people scattered to cover both the beach and the streets, hunting down little pieces of plastic in the dunes and gutters.
Chaz found the first piece of litter, a slippery little plastic sauce container on the street before we even reached the beach. Participants were enthusiastic about de-polluting the area and making connections with their neighbors. San Franciscans love a bit of organized fun.
You get the impression that Toro y Moi is as low-key as his music. Chaz spun records inside the shop at the big window, slightly hidden by the large Tunnel Records logo decal. Lucky ticket holders got to enjoy the set from inside the shop, but the tunes were directed outside for general enjoyment. It was less a concert and more a neighborhood kickback. I heard one audience member ask, “How did they get out here? This is the middle of nowhere.” To which I’d tell them, “They took the bus.”
For two lovely hours, we stood out in the sun, sipped cocktails from Whitecap, and enjoyed music selected by Chaz from the Tunnel Records collection. The grand finale was Toro y Moi’s new album Hole Erth, dropping Sept. 6. No spoilers, but this might be his best work yet and includes collaborations with artists such as Kevin Abstract and Don Toliver.
I often hear the Outer Sunset described as sleepy, quiet, and cold. On occasion, when the sun comes out, the end of Taraval can be relatively lively, such as when Riptide puts on a live band or Underdogs shows a popular sporting event. The new French cafe Galinette is bringing an unseen level of fine dining to the intersection, and the classy cocktails at Whitecap make it a wonderful date night spot.
When you come out and experience all these businesses and events, you get the impression that people in this far-flung neighborhood are truly enjoying life. If the highway undergoes its transformation to a park and the train reopens by the end of this year, we could be seeing a cultural renaissance among the Taraval community — at least while the weather is good.
T. Von D. is a local museum worker and lesbian.
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