To the asshole at the Thermals show last night

You’re the guy who when the Thermals told us they grew up in SF and it’s always good to be back you shouted, “It’s awful now!”

You’re the problem. Feel free to leave. (And I felt that way even before I was informed that you were a white dude wearing a keffiyeh.)

The Thermals ruled though:

['gram by Rachel]

46 Responses to “To the asshole at the Thermals show last night”

  1. scum says:

    One grew up in Sunnyvale, the other in San Jose.

    • Bay Area Music Lover says:

      Sunnyvale Music Club member?

      • scum says:

        Don’t even know what that is.

        • Bay Area Music Lover says:

          Sunnyvale Music Club – A bunch of kids setting up shows and supporting each other’s music. Prior to Sunnyvale music club most of the all age shows were at places like Gilman and random places like Pony Express Pizza in RWC. The helped put on shows at the Cupertino library and stuff like that. You seem to know something about Hutch and Kathy so I thought you might have grown up with them. :-)

          • scum says:

            Thanks for the info,it’s always cool when kids can be exposed to live music. Didn’t grow up with them but I can smell when people claim to be “raised here” and they weren’t, so I looked them up.

          • Herr Doktor Professor Deth Vegetable says:

            What? You just said they were from SF! Sure, San Jose and Sunnyvale are suburbs of SF, but it’s still culturally San Francisco. Might as well be bummed out if someone from Cambridge says they’re from “Boston” or someone from New Rochelle says they’re from “New York”.

          • scum says:

            Sunnyvale and San Jose are a complete 180 from S.F. I had a girlfriend from S.J. and I spent a lot of time there, it’s nothing like here, and Sunnyvale is even worse in my opinion.

          • Herr Doktor Professor Deth Vegetable says:

            I disagree, man. I mean, sure, they’re suburbs, but nobody actually GROWS UP in the suburbs. They may get older, but you only actually grow up where there’s culture.

          • Chalkman says:

            if you grew up in the South Bay, and had a brain in your head, you did everything you could do to get up to either SF or Berkeley (or maybe Santa Cruz when there was still a Greyhound Bus station in downtown Los Gatos)

  2. of course says:

    Nah, bro, you’re the problem.

  3. Bob says:

    SF is still good, honestly I dont see the Portland attraction. It’s like a city of people obsessed about food with little actual arts occurring within the limits. A spread out bikers paradise where people argue over which artisan bread maker ‘gets it.’ No theater scene, no painting, the music scene is on the level of Little Rock Arkansas. How did this become the new cool city? Maybe I’m just not into whatever the hipster scene turned into

  4. speculator says:

    sigh… I had such a crush on Kathy in high school… (Sunnyvale Music Club days).. still so pretty….

    • Bay Area Music Lover says:

      Middle College! or Homestead! yay

      • speculator says:

        Middle College!!! And… she’s such a sweet person too.

        also… “Hutch! You’re just a kid these days! You… don’t know nuthin’!”
        -The Dewey Decibels

        • Bay Area Music Lover says:

          We might have been in the same Middle College class. Nice to know some south bay people are still around. :-)

          –damon

          • speculator says:

            yeah… I can only remember a few kids from class… Ariel, Derek: a huge skater with a bunch of tattoos he did on himself, Brian Hopkins… Laura… etc. Kathy was actually a grade ahead so we only saw her on breaks or when the classes co-mingled. The band I had back then played plenty of shows at the Cupertino Library and the Knights of Columbus Hall off of Stevens Creek. Such a rad scene back then…

      • siesta says:

        I went to Middle College too! Class of 1997. Don’t know where I’d be without it. And before that I was at Homestead. I also went to shows at Cupertino Library, that was such an awesome scene back then. The passion we had about seeing live music was insane, we didn’t care where it was, a library, a community center, a living room, didn’t matter.

        Do you middle college people remember The House and That Place? They were like teen hangout centers that would have bands play. Our passion for music exceeded our passion for naming venues, nonetheless we had some great times there.

  5. Herr Doktor Professor Deth Vegetable says:

    Concur. I was at the show, and it was fucking awesome.

    As SF remains, despite random douchebags’ attempt to declare otherwise.

  6. James says:

    So… why the hate for a white dude wearing a keffiyeh (aka a scarf)? White dudes get chilly too.

  7. zito says:

    I missed this! I guess I was too busy stage diving :) :)

  8. Mamenmelapinga says:

    I’m not saying it was better before, but San Francisco was certainly dark bro as in really underground, my buddy used to play in this industrial band and one of the props was this old distorted tv playing porn in it, you don’t see that craziness anymore or maybe you do I don’t know but it was more of a DIY feel to it, oh yes and most of the bar walls were painted black literally, it was dark man!!

  9. The Asshole says:

    Hi Allan and everyone,

    This is the asshole from last night. Really.

    First of all, the keffiyeh was a gift from an Iraq war veteran friend who now sells goods from Palenstine to raise money for advocacy and education about the conflict. I don’t intend to culturally appropriate anything, I just try to look fashionable while supporting my friend’s efforts. Maybe if lumberjacks were an ethnic group, dudes would think twice about wearing pendleton wool. Hmm.

    Back on subject, I totally get that some might think I’m the problem and others think that you’re the problem Allan. It all depends on your perspective, I guess. And I don’t know you, so I won’t claim that you’re the problem…just yet. So asking me to leave is kinda rude, don’t you think?

    I yelled, “It sucks now.” Mostly as a joke, because there was a good silent, awkward moment after what Hutch and Kathy said. You have to admit, it was kinda funny. But more importantly, I blurted it out, surprising myself in fact, because gentrification is a very real problem in the Bay Area, a problem with very real impacts on people’s lives. That’s why Google buses are being blocked, that’s why businesses are closing down like long-time family owned places and others like Modern Times Bookstore, and that’s why regular folk can’t afford to live here anymore, and that’s why it kinda sucks now. And while not one person or company is to blame for gentrification (Google, Twitter, Facebook, *cough*), we’re all complicit in it. Hypocrisy is inevitable, yes, but at least some can actively try to understand the problem, educate others about it, and fight against its’ inevitability.

    I’d suggest checking this out, (and other articles/pieces/books about gentrification) for anyone interested: http://www.eastbayexpress.com/oakland/the-bacon-wrapped-economy/Content?oid=3494301

    Anyway, I just wanted to give my two cents, and I’m not really interested in having an ongoing conversation about this on this blog or whatever. I think people should talk to their friends, colleagues, and neighbors about these things. Get off the internet. Thanks for allowing me to share!

    • Dan White says:

      You had me until you misspelled Palestine and called it a “conflict”. And no Iraq war vet would give two turds about that hole or ever live there. Now go get back on your PS4 where someone believes the 15 year old age level bs you spew. I have pubic hairs older and meaner than you are.

  10. lameazoids says:

    Sf is totally lame. Paying 2500 for a one bedroom apt is lame. It’s a city that doesn’t support it’s artists. What real artist can afford 900 for a art studio.

    • Old Mission Neighbor says:

      A successful one.

      • Ian MacKaye says:

        Successful art needs to sell and appeal to the masses to be successful and therefore sucks. Real art is bad and ugly and painted black. So there.

    • Herr Doktor Professor Deth Vegetable says:

      Naw. Sure, SF is totally lame. Don’t let the door hit you on your ass on the way out, son.

    • Zig says:

      How does a city support artists’ rents?

      If the city wanted to build housing for “artists” how would you allocate this to something so subjective? If you cease to be an artist do you have to move? What if everyone else thinks you are talentless or trite?

    • um says:

      I AGREE SAN FRANCISCO WAS GREAT 5 YEARS AGO WHEN IT WAS CHEAP AND RENT WAS FREE

  11. The Asshole says:

    Hi Allan and everyone,

    This is the asshole from last night. Really.

    First of all, the keffiyeh was a gift from an Iraq war veteran friend who now sells goods from Palenstine to raise money for advocacy and education about the conflict. I don’t intend to culturally appropriate anything, I just try to look fashionable while supporting my friend’s efforts. Maybe if lumberjacks were an ethnic group, dudes would think twice about wearing pendleton wool. Hmm.

    Back on subject, I totally get that some might think I’m the problem and others think that you’re the problem Allan. It all depends on your perspective, I guess. And I don’t know you, so I won’t claim that you’re the problem…just yet. So asking me to leave is kinda rude, don’t you think?

    I yelled, “It sucks now.” Mostly as a joke, because there was a good silent, awkward moment after what Hutch and Kathy said. You have to admit, it was kinda funny. But more importantly, I blurted it out, surprising myself in fact, because gentrification is a very real problem in the Bay Area, a problem with very real impacts on people’s lives. That’s why Google buses are being blocked, that’s why businesses are closing down like long-time family owned places and others like Modern Times Bookstore, and that’s why regular folk can’t afford to live here anymore, and that’s why it kinda sucks now. And while not one person or company is to blame for gentrification (Google, Twitter, Facebook, *cough*), we’re all complicit in it. Hypocrisy is inevitable, yes, but at least some can actively try to understand the problem, educate others about it, and fight against its’ inevitability.

    I’d suggest checking this out, (and other articles/pieces/books about gentrification) for anyone interested: http://www.eastbayexpress.com/oakland/the-bacon-wrapped-economy/Content?oid=3494301

    Anyway, I just wanted to give my two cents, and I’m not really interested in having an ongoing conversation about this on this blog or whatever. I think people should talk to their friends, colleagues, and neighbors about these things. Get off the internet. Thanks for allowing me to share!

  12. JJ says:

    SF is about as wild as a Palo Alto strip mall these days. I’m just here waiting for my building owner to invoke the Ellis Act so I can collect a petty sum and blow this joint. I too remember the Cupertino Library days. There’s nothing even close to comparable to that scene in current day SF. Kinda sad.

  13. JohnnyL says:

    If only everyone had a blog to air their grievances

  14. arse says:

    I definitely won’t be letting the door hit my ass on the way out. it’ll be a happy day for the techies too, with one less hater around.

  15. someguy says:

    I was at the concert, it was great. I’ve loved the Thermals since 2003, never had a chance to see them live until last week

  16. wurple says:

    That comment was probably the most interesting thing going on at an indie rock show these days. You should be happy for the discourse.

  17. shut up says:

    Hey there techies I mean hackers coders or whatever who cares. What about the people that wash your dishes after you at that pork belly sandwich or the people that clean up the bar you went to night before. You know the one where you were “roughing it” cause it’s school edging. How are those people going to support their families when it’s getting increasingly harder for them to afford rent here.

    Oh, yeah and the elderly that having been living in their apartments for 30+ years. Where are they going to go once they kicked out to make room for you. But who cares right?

    • Herr Doktor Professor Deth Vegetable says:

      Are you talking to someone? Or is this the digital equivalent of the crazy hobo ranting on a street corner?

      • COMG says:

        Sounds about right. And talking utter shit, too, since anyone who works in city restaurants these days knows that no one who washes dishes can write English at even the minimum blog comment level. It’s wall-to-wall Spanish in the dish pits.

  18. dave says:

    So simply saying “Sf sucks now” at a club is enough to get a headline on this blog?

    Oh well. It still seems less entitled than when people come on here to complain about their stolen bikes.

    BTW, I kind of pity anyone who is offended at this point that people think SF sucks now. It does, not in all ways, and not overall, but in many ways it does suck. Musically, the city began sucking almost 15 years ago. Apparently everyone knows that but you, which is why very few bands are here any more, and why instead they’re in Portland or LA. Telling people to shut up isn’t going to change that.

    It’s always sad when “love it or leave it” is all you’ve got left. That doesn’t sound like a city with juice; that sounds like a city with an axe to grind.

  19. Nappy Bill says:

    Yep WEAKLING (look then up) broke up around 1999 and the music pretty much died. Except for Matty Luv’s various musics and Old Grandad a handful Mission Records bands.