Mission Mission

DJ Purple and American Tripps are at it again!

Singin’ & Pingin’ at the venerable Verdi Club on a Friday night! Dance karaoke on the big main stage, two ping pong tables out on the dance floor under the disco ball, cold drinks everywhere you turn!

$6 before 9pm, $8 after! FREE BEER before 9pm too!

Peruse DJ Purple’s songbook here. See photos from Singin’ & Pingin’ at Outside Lands here. RSVP and invite your friends here.

And don’t forget about the…

Service starts August 29th! Sign up now and get a t-shirt and a special “Founding Member” key!

[via Bay Area Bike Share on Facebook]

The A.V. Club today devotes a LOT of words to formerly local hero Ty Segall’s love of tacos:

The A.V. Club: Why do you love tacos?

Ty Segall: Growing up in Southern California and moving to Northern California, tacos are a part of the culture. Also, I don’t know why, but it’s always been more of an excuse for me to spend time with people eating a taco, especially in San Francisco. There was this one place, El Castillito, that we’d always go, and me and my buddy John [Dwyer] from Thee Oh Sees would always meet there twice a week and get a taco. It’s a pretty rad excuse to just sit and eat and talk. I don’t really have any other foods or places in my life that are excuses to hang out with people.

Read on to hear Ty name his favorite taqueria in all the land (which is in SF) and to hear why tacos are better than burritos (something about warmth and love).

(Thanks, Linds!)

[Photo by Google Maps]

It’s happening tonight! Here’s the deal:

Tonight at 9pm three Clarion Alley Mural Project (CAMP) muralists and organizers–Megan Wilson, Jet Martinez, and Roisin Isner — will be painting a mural honoring the legendary Virginia Ramos, aka, “The Tamale Lady.”

Emperor Norton’s Boozeland, the new Tenderloin bar from the boys behind Bender’s, is open for business! And it’s awesome! Lots of the architectural touches from the space’s previous incarnations are fully intact, it’s as spacious as ever, lots of light makes for great day drinking sessions, the bathrooms are waaaay nicer than ever, the back patio is open and lovely, and beers are real cheap at happy hour.

Plus it’s right around the corner from the AMC on Van Ness, so it’s an ideal spot to stop for drinks before (and after) a movie.

[Photos via Boozeland]

The Chronicle asked garage rock legend Russell Quan to tell them about all the best stuff in the East Bay, and he delivered. Here’s what he has to say about Val’s Burgers in Hayward:

No other hamburger can compare with this one anywhere in the world, time, space or dimension. Since 1958, Val’s has made their burgers, steaks, fries and shakes with such utter deliciosity that it will convert the most devout veggies into raving, foaming-at-the-mouth carnivores for life. The flavors and smells are so hunger-inducing that a belly overstuffed to the point of vomiting could fit in a few more papa burgers — one full pound of the highest-quality ground beef.

Read on for lots more hot tips, and more words like “deliciosity” and “juiciosity.” (And then go see Russell Quan DJ the Musical Chairs Party at Make-Out Room tonight!)

The SF Street Food Festival takes place Saturday in the Mission, but the party really starts the night before. Here’s what’s up:

The 2nd Annual San Francisco Night Market will be the kick-off for the festivities of the 5th Annual San Francisco Street Food Festival. This event will partner well-known chefs from across the country with La Cocina program participants to create one-of-a-kind dishes in an environment reminiscent of the nighttime markets in Bangkok, Mexico City, and other vibrant cities of the world.

There will be music, dancing, drinks, twinkling lights, and the enjoyment of exciting and varied flavors.

In addition to food, music, and drinks, this year La Cocina is thrilled to welcome cultural games and activities to the Night Market.  The games include familiar childhood favorites to  more adventurous activities – from cornhole and skee ball in the North American station, Berlin-style ping pong in the Eastern European station, backgammon and a hookah lounge in the Middle Eastern station, and so much more.

And check it out, a discount code for Mission Mission readers: “SFSFFinMission.” Get tickets here! (Note that the VIP ticket includes open bar.)

Local anthropologist David Enos tells us about the Van Ness that exists just north of the Mission. It is very nearby yet seems worlds away:

Van Ness.  The ghoulish men of the Van Ness corridor wear clothing styles usually seen only in action programs on the USA Network: long fried hair, wraparound shades, windbreakers with the sleeves cut off, skin roasted to a crisp by the afternoon sun.  They resemble criminals from The Simpsons.  They are ready to rumble.  Get in their way and they will snarl as though they were filming a WWF promo about your upcoming grudge match.

Read on for lots more insight.

[Photo by local street photographer David Enos]