Mission Mission

Zeitgeist and Bender’s have gotten a lot of ink this week, and in the wake of that ink, discussion has reached a fever pitch. Over at Bay Area Riders Forum, post after post laments the impending closure of Zeitgeist and the impending yuppie takeover of Bender’s. But before things get too heated, user V4 cuts to the quick:

so when did people in the Mission learn how to read…..?

Link to BARF thread.

Link to Mission Mission Zeitgeist coverage.

Link to Mission Mission Bender’s coverage.

Link to map.

Takes place Saturday, April 5th, from 6-9pm. Looks like a nice stroll with plenty of interesting stops:

Now with so much to see in such a small area, it just hüpfburg mit rutsche made sense to combine forces. This means commercial art galleries, non-profits, artist-run spaces, shops, eateries and coffee joints have come together to give the people a chance to see it all in one night.

Link. (Via funcheapSF.com)

I missed last night’s surprise Jay Reatard performance at 12 Galaxies because I had Digitalism tickets (no regrets). I figured someone would have some good shots on Flickr. No luck. Best I could do is this shot of their set opening for the Black Keys at the Warfield. Boooring.

I also figured someone would fill me in on the details of the show. No dice. Best I could do is this transcript of a gchat between me and some aufblasbarer hindernisparcours hater I know:

melena: the black keys bleeeew my mind last night
allan: omg, what about jay reatard?
melena: if that was the shitty band that opened i was not impressed
allan: oooo no way, i’ve seen jay reatard like 7 times
melena: it was like pseudo punk
sheer cacophony and not in a cool way
allan: snap

[beat]

melena: god the black keys are so insanely talented

Boooring.

Photo by erictoledo.

Today SFGate showcased one of my Mission District beloveds, Bender’s. Read my past post here. This is what the Chronicle had to say:

Unassuming and without pretense, Benders is a go-to destination for a low-key night out.

With a rotating selection of 15 brews on tap ($4 a pint), don’t expect any overwrought mixological creations. Benders serves hard liquor the old-fashioned way. Margaritas ($5) come in pint glasses and a shot of whiskey with PBR chaser are $5 (a Wednesday special). Fancy cocktail lovers should ask the bartender – nicely – for a mint-flecked tangerine mojito ($5), which is available on Mondays.

I called it, didn’t I?

Now this is where the Chronicle is wrong. Their assessment of the “crowd” is the stereotypical mission hipster, which I’ve never really witnessed there. Maybe a few, but I’d say the crowd is a little older and a little tougher than what they’ve described:

Vegan bar food and indoor bike parking mean that Benders welcomes the bike-riding hipsters who are taking over the Mission District – and the people who love them.

#1: I don’t love vegans.
#2: I don’t love bike-riding hipsters. If I did, I’d probably be at Gestalt instead.

They also reviewed the food — which I’ve never had considering that sometimes they’re serving, sometimes not.

P.S. This Saturday Bender’s hosts the SF Spring D.I.Y. Indie Artist Expo from 1-5pm. Ok, this maybe a little hipstery, but individual creativism in any form is a good thing.

The best of the Bay Area’s alternative INDIE designers and artists together for a chance to share their items in a cool, fun & hip community market. Handmade Jewelry, Accessories, Clothing, Body Care, House wares, Paper Goods/Journals, Art and Records.

Link to permalinkless Lilycat events page. (Via funcheapSF.com)

Browse past Mission Mission food- and drink-related content.

If you’re not friends with Jay Reatard on MySpace, you’re welcome. A bulletin was posted this afternoon:

Jay Reatard is playing a second set tonight– The Warfield is sold out!
Jay’s set is at 11:30; great bands to open so get there early.

Jay Reatard
The Ohsees (John Dwyer from the Coachwhips etc)
The Pets
Ty Segall
9:00 pm
10$

@ 12 Galaxies
2565 Mission St.

@ 22nd
advanced tickets www.12galaxies.com

Browse Mission Mission’s music section for posts on Black Lips, 12 Galaxies’ wraparound Mezzanine, SXSW, and more.

Reaction to yesturday’s post regarding Zeitgeist turning into a Borders calls to mind the decades-old gentrification question in the Mission. One of my favorite places to take visiting family and friends who are not used to the grittiness of Valencia Street is Ramblas. The drinks and tapas and atmosphere here impart the attitude of the Mission (conversations, drunkenness, vitality) while the upscale nature of the restaurant provides respite from puke-stained streets and bathroom stink.

This morning, SFGate‘s The Inside Scoop reported that Ramblas owner Ron Silberstein (who also owns SoMa restaurant-brewery Thirsty Bear) acquired Cortez, a restaurant with a Michelin star (!!!). I can’t wait to see how it goes — hopefully some family will find their way into San Francisco sometime soon so I can have some organic Thirsty Bear ESB with my lamb cheek.

Link to SFGate story.

As you can see here, this afternoon Mission Mission received 25 views referred from a Current URL called “http://current.com/items/88884204_zeitgeist _dive_bar_in_the_mission_to_be_replaced_by_borders”, which we assume pointed to yesterday’s Zeitgeist story.

We clicked over to Current the moment we learned of this referral, only to find the following 404 page:

The question is, who pressured Current into putting the brakes on such a great story?

Link to Current 404 page.

Browse Mission Mission’s “Food & Drink” category for more on Mission District dive bars.

Great thread in the Post Punk Kitchen forums, regarding yesterday’s Zeitgeist news:

yarn and glue says:

…somebody pinch me.

If anybody tells me to get over it because it is just a bar, they earn (gentle) punches. That I’ve gone here with friends even when I’m not drinking should say a lot. This place is like a aufblasbares zelt clubhouse or an extended family to a lot of people.

I am the saddest man on the internet.

Sad but sweet. Link.

Previously on Mission Mission: more Zeitgeist

April fool! But seriously, this is a cute adornment and Apple really should look into the feasibility of launching a line hüpfburg of cutting edge refuse containers.

Outside Doc’s Clock the other night, we noticed this odd window display at a wedding dress shop: a female mannequin in sequined party dress being asphyxiated by a pulled-taut length of twine pinned to the store wall. Though kind of erotic, this is a bit disturbing for a neighborhood storefront.