Mission Mission

My best concert experience ever was Andre Williams at the Hemlock, April 2006.

It began with Mission hero Johnny Davis saving our asses: My girlfriend at the time had left her ID in her other fucking yoga pants and was being turned away — Andre within minutes of taking the stage — when suddenly Johnny swooped in and vouched for us. Then we all drank a bunch of Jim Beam and Pliny the Elder and ducked into the crowd. (Thanks again, Johnny!)

Andre owned the world that night. A septuagenarian with the energy of a teenage punk rocker, he hops around on the stage, shouts, bellows, emotes. There’s this song he does called The Dealer, the Peeler and the Stealer, and it floored everybody. Driving rhythm, shout-along chorus. We were in a little black box jumping up and down as Andre jumped up and down, our brains replaced with solid soul swagger.

Andre plays Slim’s tonight as part of Noise Pop. It’s less intimate a room, but I don’t imagine he won’t make it work just as well. And they definitely have Jim Beam and Big Daddy.

Photo by Dena Flows.

Bonus: The Noise Pop Film Festival screens a feature-length documentary about Andre next Friday at ATA.

Okay, so this flyer makes this thing look ludicrous. But I was listening to Delly Ranx just now on his MySpace page, and shit is dope, particularly the track “Working Class.”

And really, if you can get past the graphic design and just read the information, what’s not to like? It’s free. You get to be in a video for a SMASH hit. Clothing giveaway. Something called “Red Bull & Guiness.”

West Gate of Babylon has further details and advice here. Thanks, Devin!

And who knew Bruno’s is called Bruno’s Cork Club?

Once upon a time, all the good punk songs were about how great London was or how great New York City was or how great LA was. Growing up in Northern California, I felt left out.

Youth Brigade‘s “Sink with California” was probably mostly about LA too, but the chorus was inclusive enough for me. So I loved singing along to it, and I loved being proud of where I was from, and I loved Youth Brigade.

But there’s more to Youth Brigade’s story than just that song. They started a seminal punk label and got in adventures and did some other stuff presumably, and it’s all documented in Let Them Know: The Story of Youth Brigade and BYO Records, which screens tonight at the Roxie at 7:15 as part of the San Francisco Independent Film Festival.

AND THEN, there’s an afterparty at Thee Parkside at which Youth Brigade and Filthy Thieving Bastards perform! (And you get a discount when you show your ticket stub from the movie.)

Will Youth Brigade play my song? I hope so.

DRY HUMP

THE ORIGIN OF LOVE AFTER PARTY

10PM AT THE MAKE-OUT ROOM

DJs JOHN CAMERON MITCHELL & BUS STATION JOHN

EXTRA ACTION MARCHING BAND

$5-20 DONATION BENEFITS THE HOMELESS YOUTH ALLIANCE

VIDEO INSTALLATION BY DER BLAUE REITER

NO ONE TURNED AWAY FOR LACK OF FUNDS

If you’re like me, Hedwig is your favorite movie musical of all time and thus John Cameron Mitchell is a hero of yours and thus you’re ecstatic that he’s decided to spend Valentine’s weekend at the Victoria Theatre in the Mission performing a one-of-a-kind stage show called Origin of Love that includes readings on romance, screenings of his films with live commentary, and SINGING OF SONGS FROM HEDWIG.

Showtimes and details are as follows:

Fri., Feb 13, 8 pm (SHORTBUS) Hosted by Connie Champagne
Sat., Feb 14, 7:30 pm (HEDWIG)  Hosted by Peaches Christ
Sat., Feb 14, 11 pm (SHORTBUS w/ live  director’s commentary ) Hosted by Anita Cocktail
Sun., Feb 15, 8 pm (HEDWIG w/ live director’s commentary) Hosted by Connie Champagne

Link. Bonus: Jonathan Richman’s version of “Origin of Love” is pretty good too. Hear it here.

Watch this video flyer if you’ve any doubts.

The Passionistas go on at about 10:30pm, at The Knockout.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vmac3DPy0-w]

This is the video for “American Water,” a new single by Please Quiet Ourselves from Berkeley. It is a minute and 40 seconds of teenage heart and soul.

Sunday night at Beauty Bar: Lux Lives!

For the duration of an extended happy hour (5-10pm), CRAMPS DANCE PARTY!! I’ll be there with bells on. And if you need another reason, dig it. What a vocal!

OK, I’m bummed again. Lux Interior has passed away. I will never see the Cramps again. This is a movie I made, the emotional heart of which is a Cramps song containing probably my favorite Lux vocal ever.

Nobunny is I think everybody’s new favorite rock ‘n’ roll band. Lucky for everybody, Nobunny plays tonight at The Knockout, and with everybody’s other favorite rock ‘n’ roll band The Flakes no less! All for only $6!!

Sweet Nobunny video here. Nobunny rules!

Photo by RG Karlic.

Previously on Mission Mission:

How To Cut A Bunny’s Face Off