Black Jeans

Pressed And

RnB Millionaires

Eyes Lips Eyes

G. Green

Casey & Brian

I was bummed to not catch Dark Beach, but an awesome time otherwise. A great start to 2012′s concert season, I think the love was certainly felt.  View the whole set on flickr!

Word on the street is that Mission Creek Oakland looks to be this year’s biggest East Bay music event, and the festivities are getting a head start tonight with a kick-off fundraiser at the Uptown. And don’t be scared by the word “fundraiser” because entry is a mere $5. Perfect cheap date, much?

When I first heard Casey & Brian this past summer, I was thrown back to warm college nights of LA scene-dancing with nostalgic ardor. Although I don’t miss the straight ironed euro mullets and dudes wearing heavy eye liner, I have missed the dancing. Casey & Brian fill that void with DFA-worthy dance beats and psychadelic synths, and a specific Bay Area flair. The line up is solid with Oakland garage girls Dark Beach, poppy punk from Sactown’s G.Green, and sunny LA  fingerpicking outfit Eyes Lips Eyes.

Show starts at 9, $5, 21+

Culture Clash was a really cool experience, I hope to see the event continue to grow and prosper! Many thanks to those that helped organize it and those that came to check it out and support- I posted pics on flickr, and put some remaining jewelry pieces up on etsy as well- check ‘em out and see you next time~

Check out my new portfolio site...

This Thursday evening I’m excited to participate in a grassroots community event called Culture Clash taking place at CELLspace in San Francisco’s Portrero hood.The local artists, musicians, and film makers are all crazy talented from the links I’m seeing on the facebook page – and it’s only $5 to get in so come check it out, line up below:

8pm-2am

$5 Entry

18 to get in, 21 to drink

Artist/Vendors:

Deadeyes (zines/prints)
Noa- (live painting)
Safety First (zines/prints)
Eduardo Valadez (Food)
Zachary Sweet (Original Paintings, zines)
Suzy Hernandez (Sewn Pieces)
Maris Kaplan (Jewlery)
Tyson Johnston (Original Paintings,prints)
Michael Del Torre (Food)
Aaron Shunga (zines)
Mel Marzahl (drawings/prints/crafts)
Mary Johnson (Winter Accessories)
Realize Zine (Zines, Duh!)
Jared Roses (Original Pieces)

Music:

RNB MILLIONARIES w/ Alt Burlesque by Hayley Moonbeam
Fine Steps (Sacramento)
Archibald Barbarian (Secret Side Walk)
Beat Casso
Moe! Staiano (Sleepytime Gorilla Museum)
DJ Joseph Rosenberry (Lower Bottoms Funk Party)

&and&

#sicksadworld dj’s

GuMMyBeAR (Disaro)
Neto187 (Hoodstock)

Film:

“Sorry I Like To Party” by Eliseo Cabrera & Erik Stinson
“The Mongoosnuffle Shuffle Rag” by Emily Alden Foster
“МОКРОУС 3Д” by Nastia Voynovskaya and Nadya Voynovskaya
“Untitled” By Donghoon Han
“The Creature That Once Was a Man” by Anthony A. Russell

Yeah it’s been forever since anything’s been posted, but I just can’t not indulge in my new favorite tradition. This year I found myself using sites like Pandora and Grooveshark more (I’m still not enthralled by Spotify), so my listening habits weren’t so album-centric . However, thanks to good ol’ iTunes I was able to pick out some of my favorite tracks of 2011 and make my first mix on 8tracks:

Flying Overseas – Theophilus London

Believer – John Maus

Sim Sala Bim – Fleet Foxes

I Follow Rivers – Lykke Li

Before – Washed Out

Peeping Tomboy – Kurt Vile

Sixteen Ways – Vivian Girls

You Can Count on Me – Panda Bear

The Colour of the Earth – PJ Harvey

Lotus Flower – Radiohead

How Come You Never Go There – Feist

The Wilhelm Scream – James Blake

New Beat – Toro Y Moi

Outside a Hexagram (B.Hamilton Cover) – James & Evander

Northern Lights – St. Vincent

Cheers to 2012, Enjoy!

from last year:

Maris’ 2010 Albums

Meg’s 2010 Albums

Keep the spirit, uh, alive with this autumnal awesomeness:

the Mission District’s famous Day of the Dead (tomorrow!)

Houdini: Art and Magic at the CJM

flashlight tours of San Jose’s creepy Winchester Mystery House

Radiolab: Live, In the Dark, as part of the Bay Area Science Festival

The Fire’s Aftermath at OMCA, first Sundays are free

free docent-led tours of Oakland’s epic Mountain View Cemetary, 2nd and 4th Saturdays

Happy candy grabbing, amigos…

I heard the song ‘Under Your Spell’ by Desire on KALX about two weeks ago and I went ‘huh.’ Then, I heard my housemate play it in order to get his Friday night going- I immediately had to ask who was responsible for this cheesily amazing song. He told me it was on the Drive soundtrack… the impressive score is just another reason to go see this movie, besides the obvious I mean. And by “the obvious” I mean that sick jacket, duh.

I don’t eat, I don’t sleep, I do nothing but listen to this damn song on repeat:

Happy 62nd birthday to a pretty cool dad!

For more cool dads, check out Dads Are the Original Hipster

Battlehooch

Amoray

Religious Girls

Battlehooch

Since seeing them back in May of 2010, Battlehooch has seemed to tone things down a bit. At that time, they were decked out and practically bursting off of the tiny stage. The large stage of the Uptown certainly gave Patrick and others room to jam, though. There was a hint of the former Battlehooch rumpus, and one member was wearing a non-clothing item as a piece of their ensemble. It was Grant, and he was wearing a pillow case with holes cut out for his arms and head. Their feel-good vibes were infectiously effective at getting the crowd pumped.

Amoray

You can feel the fabulous on Amoray. It radiates from him. You can see it from the back of a dark, smokey club. During a post-set “hello, great set” hug, some of it actually sloughed off onto us. It felt like hot polyester and sequins. The fabulous of Amoray is fun to watch, too. The two song set could be described as sassy and brassy and was definitely a crowd favorite for the evening.

Religious Girls

Religious Girls showcase a brand of hyperkinetic, obsessively rhythmic noise-rock with a force that has catapulted them to Bay Area buzz band status, as shown by the crowd of young males encircling them with ardor. People on stage during Religious Girls is very unlike people on stage during Amoray. While people on Amoray’s stage are all busting various moves to a cut that I am pretty sure was about the public advocacy of mutual masturbation, dudes on stage during Religious Girls seem to be enjoying their own private musical masturbation.

One aspect of the show that I truly enjoyed was a special audience member. The old dude. I’ve seen this particular old dude at Uptown a number of times but most old dudes at the show ensconces me in a sense of wonder and delight. I’m not sure what it is about the old dude that makes me feel so ok. The sense of self-assuredness required to spend a late night sharing a dark, smoky venue with a seething crowd of wasted twenty-somethings and endure all the ridiculousness and irritation that that must entail for the sheer joy of watching a band.

The night was a rousing success proving that Mission Creek Oakland is necessary and deserved. A big congratulations and thank you to the small MCO team for a month of great shows; the fruits of their labor were appreciated by all. Photos by Maris Kaplan- see the whole set on flickr.