Mission Mission

Imagine an elevated train down 17th, and another down the center of Capp Street with half a block on either side torn down to make way for a six lane boulevard. This is what your great-grandparents were considering in 1930.

More details on 80 year old Mission retro-future rapid transit options over at Burrito Justice.

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

I keep noticing this bit of sidewalk stenciling in front of a house on Valencia between 20th and 21st.

It’s not in S. Pigeon’s “Codes Of The City” guide, so I can only assume that this is the meeting place of an underground club where swingers try out all the latest non-standard sex positions. You heard it here first. Knock on their door and ask for an application if you’re interested. (Don’t really do that)

Except, of course, “Who the fuck would steal a tortoise?”

(Photo and pressing question by Cleary. Thanks, Cleary!)

Previously:

The Tortoise and the Sleep Apnea

I take color for granted. I walk around looking at the great architecture of the neighborhood and sometimes the color just seems like part of it all. Like that’s what color it was built to be.

Bob Buckter, Dr. Color, probably resents that idea. This Mission resident consults property owners on building on the beauty of the design by properly coloring the exterior. (he does interiors too, but I don’t get to see those) And judging by the examples on his website, he gets the job done.

Here is the doctor’s handy guide to stenciling:

Picture from drcolor.com

How to stencil:
(1) Look for a similar building of the same period which has more architectural enhancements.
(2) Take a photograph of the enhancement.
(3) Enlarge the print to scale.
(4) Trace the print on Mylar or acetate.
(5) Cut your stencil.
(6) Wearing the right colored shirt helps you to “tie-in”!

Check out his site for more.

The Pushbike blog is soliciting photos of you and yours putting your Freight Baggage brand cycling accessories to good use. They’re off to a good start.

Previously:

Cute Puppy Looking Cute in a Messenger Bag

I Love My Timbuk2 Bag

Oh, you wish Favors would hurry up and play in Dolores Park on some sunny Sunday afternoon? Me too!

["Real People" by Favors on YouTube]

The battle for edgy chalk sign supremacy rages on at Frjtz, who is still in the lead for unpronounceable restaurant names.

Previously:

• Bowel, Please
• You Should Come In. Yeah.
• Regalito: “Made By Real Mexicans”
• Oh, Come On

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.

In a noble (yet likely futile) effort to break the recent worrisome trend of pigeon-biased posts, I bring you street art, Tetris style:

(Taken on Treat & 23rd by rhiannononon.)

The only possible improvement to this would be to color each sidewalk square as a tetris block, visible from Google Maps.

Then again, Mexist took it a step beyond, mapping out 8-bit 1978 onto streets laid out a century earlier.

Viva 8-bit Mission!