Mission Mission

Yep. It was going to be called Triton City. Cracked explains:

Triton anticipated a lower maximum population of just over 100,000 people, and was also to be the first fully organic city, complete with a desalination system to re-circulate ocean water. Schematics for Triton were sent to the United States Navy’s Bureau of Ships, to check it for “water-worthiness,” stability and organic capabilities, then off to the Bureau of Yards and Docks to see whether or not they could even build this thing, specifically at the cost they had projected. Both Bureaus gave the thumbs up, and the Navy’s cost estimate came within 10% of Buckminster’s. And that’s probably the craziest part of Triton: At every stage, it was going to work.

So why aren’t you living in a floating metal pyramid, mocking the ocean and all her impotent fury? Like all things, you can probably blame Lyndon B. Johnson for that: The plans had taken too long to get approval, and by the time they did, LBJ left office and took all support for the idea with him. He even took the Triton City model when he left and put it in the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library & Museum. You guys didn’t play nice, so he just took his futuristic water-city and went home. [link]

Bummer! (Although it’s probably for the best; today we don’t have to watch blog trolls complain about Triton douchebags invading the Mission.)

[via husk.org]

There are plenty of art alleys in the Mission, and almost everyone has traversed Clarion and Balmy. But how many of you have heard of Ames Alley?

This charming community gallery is tucked away on Ames Street (slightly west of Guerrero) between 22nd and 23rd. It began a few years ago as part of a neighborhood beautification project, and neighbors have been adding to the display ever since.

A foam-bearded Brian Wilson inhabits one end…

…and a sleepy bluebird proclaims his love for Ames from the other.

Urban refuse demonstrates solidarity by occupying Valencia.

Or, perhaps it’s viral marketing for the Garbage reunion world tour.

If you think New Orleans is where you’ll find the best brass bands, you might want to take a second look at Southeastern Europe.

Balkan music is high-energy, virtuosic brass/percussion at it’s best and it has been finding it’s way into more American acts. You may have heard the influence in the music coming from that moody New Mexico kid Beirut, who is apparently more popular now than the actual Lebanese city which bares the same name.

San Francisco has its own Balkan Brass band, Brass Menazeri, who have been tearing it up for years. In fact, they are probably one of the only groups of their caliber in the states. Their shows are dancey and fun. Here’s a clip of them on Chasing the Moon.

If you’re into this stuff, starting October they are performing first Thursdays at El Valenciano. You know, that place you always walk by and wonder, “what goes on in there, anyway?”. Turns out, it’s actually a beautiful room with a lot of charm and an excellent dance floor.

Thursday, October 6, 2011 Brass Menazeri – now every first thursday!!!!
1153 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA (United States) – Map
Set: 9:00 PM
21+
Tickets: $5-10

Public Works is growing up so fast!

They’ve hosted literally a ton of epicly memorable events, and worked really hard to become a beloved member of the community. Here are details on the big anniversary bash:

FREE BEFORE 10PM (Must click attending)
$5 BEFORE 12AM (Must click attending)
$10 admission after
PUMPKIN JUST ADDED !

DRINK SPECIALS:
$3 BEER All Night
$3 PW Cocktail till 11pm
$2 Tequila Shots till 11pm

Kramer [DISTRIKT]
Shawn Reynaldo [Icee Hot]
Solar [No Way Back]
Pumpkin (Pocket Underground, LA)
Adnan [Forward]
Marco De La Vega [120 minutes]
Afrolicious [with live percussion]
Rich Korach [As You Like It]
Gordo Cabeza [Motown on Mondays]

Sounds good to me! What’s more, a big chunk of the proceeds are going to two worthy local charities: 7 Teepees and Mission Graduates.

To win free tickets, post a picture of yourself and/or your friends partying hard at Public Works (or if you’ve never been, post a picture of you and/or your friends pretending to party hard at Public Works) on our Facebook wall. We’ll pick a winner at random and that winner will win a pair of tickets. Contest ends at 7pm this coming Wednesday.

RSVP and invite your friends here.

Mission United is tonight! You know you’re always too hung over for Hard French. And you know you always miss 2 Men Will Move You because it conflicts with some other party. This is your chance to go to both, on the same night, in the same venue, for one low price. And there’s a bunch of other great stuff going on in there too.

RSVP and invite your friends and check out the full lineup here.

[Poster by Primo]

“A party celebrating all things Mission” Mission United is called. It’s at Public Works this Friday and here are all the details:

The Deals:
- $5 admission between 8-10:30pm with Facebook Event RSVP.
- FREE food samples and drink specials between 8-10pm
- FREE Tequila tasters while they last and $2 shots
- DRINK SPECIALS: $3 special cocktail (till 11pm) and $3 beer (till midnight)

Public Works presents its second 8 hour event celebrating our melting-pot neighborhood, San Francisco’s Mission district. Cherry-picking some of the best in music, performance, art, fashion and food. Mission United brings the sights and sounds of our favorite hood under one roof.

In the main room curated by HARD FRENCH:
- Hard French DJs (Carnita & Brown Amy)
- Afrolicious with live percussionists
- 2 Men Will Move You (Primo & Jordan)
- Tres Lingerie [Live PA]
- Qumbia Qrew playing Queer Qumbia!

In the OddJob Room:
- Lights Down Low DJ’s Sleazemore and Eli Glad
- Marco de la Vega (120 minutes)
- Shovelman
- Jonah and Christa Larrama

Trunk Show & Fashion Installation curated by Archetype Boutique
- Camile Bemer of Kucoon Designs
- Major Babe Alert: a Stay Gold Pop Up Shop
- Dear Mina
- Josie Adele
- Love and Keep
- Mission Statement Sf
- Sea Pony Couture
- Stone Pony Vintage
- Wood Thumb
- Venus Superstar

Tasty Food Selections from:
- Chile Lindo Empanadas
- Good Food Catering
- Taza

PROCEEDS TO BENEFIT MISSION NON-PROFITS:
- SFSmiles & the Homeless Prenantal Program
- Dolores Street Community Services

RSVP and invite your friends here. And if you’d like to win a pair of tickets, in the comments below link us to a picture of you and a buddy in your best “unity”-themed pose. Two winners will be picked based on merit and notified by Thursday at 5PM.

FYI, Primo and Jordan of 2 Men Will Move You have the 1AM-3AM slot, so no matter what you do on Saturday night, you can probably end up here and shut the place down.

La Oaxaqueña, a 17th and Mission late-night Mexican spot that I have sung praises about before, is known for their adventurous offering of grasshopper tacos. Sadly, it looks like the party’s over for bug-eaters, according to SF Appeal:

…despite Persaud’s permit to import them, the DOH takes issue with where the grasshoppers come from.

“They want us to get grasshoppers from here, United States,” Persaud told ABC7.

If I were a right wing commentator, I’d be inclined to say:

*Cue national anthem* I for one couldn’t agree more. This is America, folks. These goddamn im’grants need to learn that here in the U.S. of A., there’s only one kind of bug: AMERICAN BUGS, the best goddamned bugs in the world. Our bugs have the crunchiest exoskeletons and the juciest thoraxes around. And if you don’t like it, you can go home to Mexico. *Fade out national anthem*

But I’m not.

[via SF Appeal, photo by elise_fleming]

In the aftermath of the shootings at El Tin Tan last night, reader Alicia recalled a Mission Local piece from a couple years back which details the bar’s very special standing in the Mission and abroad:

When Pedro Ruiz arrived here twelve years ago, his only possessions were a bag of clothes and a slip of crumpled paper: “El Tin Tan, 3065 16^th Street, San Francisco,” it read.

Ruiz had come from Yucatan, Mexico and El Tin Tan—a dusty bar between Mission and Valencia Streets where Spanish and Tecate are on everyone’s tongues and mournfulrancheras howl on the jukebox—was his only contact in America. But he didn’t come for a cerveza. He came for a job.

Informal meeting places where immigrants gather and hear about job opportunities have always been vital to settling in America. Despite its humble appearance, El Tin Tan is one of these places, famous throughout Pedro’s home state of Yucatan as a key stop in the United States for Latinos hoping to escape poverty in their home countries.

Read on.

P.S. El Tin Tan, not to be confused with El Tim Tam.

[Photo by Mission Local alum Armand Emamdjomeh]

It was great to see Ryan and Kat serving up southern specialties at Mission United on Saturday. (I was too busy anticipating Frito pie in my mouth to take a good picture, sorry.) The food was amazing as ever, and business was booming, but it was bitter sweet knowing that this was just a one-off appearance. What if I want another Frito pie next week? Or five more whoopie pies right now?

I guess the best we can do is keep a close eye on the Gypsy Kitchen Twitter feed, so as to not miss anymore one-offs.

Previously:

• Kat and Ryan part ways with Bruno’s