Mission Mission

Everybody was doing it. Is this a thing? I never noticed before.

(Everybody except Surfer Blood. Surfer Blood had a real keyboard stand.)

During the Shattered Records Family Showcase/Jay Reatard tribute, King Louie Bankston here got real for a moment. He said, “Jay understood my demons. He understood my demons, but he wouldn’t let me be a failure because of them.”

Maybe that’s true friendship? Understanding your friends’ demons and helping them to rise above them?

Louie’s set ruled, btw.

Previously:

Jay Reatard’s In Heaven

Cheap Time, from Memphis, recorded and released this song probably about two or three years ago, at least. But “People Talk” still rules, and was by far the funnest song to dance to all week. I saw them right after Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings on Thursday, and this song was so fun to dance to, I stood in line a second time on Friday just so I could see them again and dance to it again! What a song!

The Bay Bridged threw a fab party last week. It was called the Bay Area Takeover and a bunch of Bay Area bands wowed crowds all day long. My favorite was Still Flyin’, who were sounding a little more disco than whenst last I saw them. A dozen or so people on stage, lots of fun percussion, unstoppable beat — it was like seeing LCD Soundsystem, only cheaper. Keep ‘em in mind.

I got so jazzed afterward that I ended up stage diving! During Bit Shifter! And Hipster Wife Hunting Pinup #16 was there, watching our every move. Austin rules!

This all took place at Datapop 3, a two-night party devoted to music made with Game Boy parts and Commodore 64 cables. But it’s not one bit twee — it rocks, fully! One performer prefaced his set with, “Now it’s time for some fuckin’ DATA BRUTALITY!!” And it was!

TheBayTaper just put up a stunning video of Realistic Orchestra performing live at Coda Lounge. Realistic Orchestra is a jazz/hip-hop band made up of members of the Jazz Mafia, a super-group collective of San Francisco musicians.

Click the image to check it out, or the mp3 link below if your bandwidth can’t take the 720p.

Realistic Orchestra live at Coda Lounge MP3

On Saturday, I had the pleasure of checking out Mark Growden in an intimate house-concert setting at the Porto Franco Art Parlor. He opened up with with this haunting improvisation on the bicycle handlebars.

It sounds like the type of music that would be playing in the background while an elderly Asian man explains the spiritual journey I’m about to take, shortly before being attacked by bandits from a neighboring village.

Mark’s new album, St. Judas is great and it was recorded completely live, after he and the band took a week-long retreat in the woods rehearsing and speaking to wild coyotes.

Previously:

• Mark Growden @ The Porto Franco Art House This Friday

This new Reggie Watts video is pretty awesome:

That clown guy is Jeff Seal and he used to live in the mission, so save your “not the mission” business. Also, it’s meta-as-fuck, there are beards, and features street art so it’s basically the Mission.

Dang, Vic Wong has another blog! And it’s full of virtuosity just like this.

Blake E. sends us this:

Seen on Friday. I asked someone in Blue Plate what the deal was and he seemed pretty sure the sign had been hacked. Nice.

I’ve gotta admit, even though it’s just petty vandalism, the geek in me thinks this is pretty damn cool. If absurd 90s tech thrillers are true, the hacker behind this could be a smokin’ hot philanthropic babe, too.

Too bad these h4x0rs always use their talents just to throw up nonsense “greetz” to their comrades. Hey guys, here’s a suggestion for next time: “BIKES ONLY”. Kick off the Sunday streets early this year.

Update: Apparently, this is not too difficult to do. Check out some other examples. Hack responsibly, dudes.