Posts Tagged ‘arts’

OMG, Lexus “Laws of Attraction” at City View Metreon – SF’s Party of the Year – World Premier of New LS 460 F Sport

Tuesday, July 31st, 2012

Now why did Lexus choose San Francisco, of all the cities of the world, as the place to debut its “Laws of Attraction” exhibit and to unveil it’s brand-new LS 460 F Sport model?

I don’t know, I guess we’re special.

Hey, look who was there, high atop the Metreon at City View:

It’s  the Stars of the Lexus Laws of Attraction Photo Exhibit as they pose with the 2013 Lexus LS: (left to right) Jonathan Adler, Simon Doonan, Devon Aoki, James Bailey, Jaime King, Kyle Newman, Brady Cunningham and Jason Schwartzman.

Man, this Monday night party was off the hook – I was transformed from an overweight Dell Jockey into an overweight Dell Jockey at the City View:

Oh, and what’s this just outside but four stories up, a Lexus supercar, the likes of which I’ve only seen once before? How did they get this halo vehicle to the roof of the Metreon? Crane, chopper, ramps, giant elevator? It’s a mystery:

(You can’t just buy one of these, Lexus has to invite you to buy this $400,000 car. There’s just 500 in the world, that’s it.)

The place was packed, hundreds and hundreds of party-goers were up there:

Oh, here we go, the moment of unveiling:

Do people take iPads to parties to take photos these days? People do:

See the photos behind the car? That was the point of this shindig, deets below:

A good time was had by all, all the dolled-up gals from the east and south bay and all the older dudes from Marin…

If you ever get invited to a free party hosted by Lexus, jump at the chance, is all I can say.

Get all the deets, see all the art photos of the couples, see the new, sportier Lexus, see the new “spindle” grill, see the less-luxurious, performance-oriented SPORT F sedan, see it all, right here and/or after the jump.

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Sneaking Into Outside Lands WON’T BE EASY This Year: Going Over or Under the Fence Gets Lots Harder

Tuesday, July 24th, 2012

Back in the day, back in the aughts, all you had to deal with was one line of eight-foot cyclone fencing in order to get into Outside Lands.

You had to go under or over.

Here’s UNDER. See how that works? Easy peasy.

Click to expand – well there’s the problem: No bottom tension wire on the chain link fence + line posts too far apart = jailbreak.

And here’s OVER. This here is called the bum rush:

You could get away with this kind of thing a couple years ago.

But things have changed recently – you won’t be able find these weaknesses in 2012.

Oh, your friend Badger’s working on the inside this year and he’s going to let you and your buds in? Well, that might work.

But the days of a single chain link fence between you and your tunes are over.

Just saying.

“PRANCE – SATURDAY, MAY 26, 222 Hyde” – Wow, a Great Flyer Spotted in the Western Addition on Divisadero

Friday, May 18th, 2012

It’s arresting is what it is.

Let’s hope The Artist Formerly Known doesn’t find out about this:

Click to expand

 

Incredible Teatro ZinZanni (and Pathetic Bauer’s Limousine) Find New Homes After America’s Cup Eviction

Wednesday, December 7th, 2011

Our Teatro ZinZanni has a new home, but Sarah Duxbury says that some heavy lifting still needs to be done.

No matter, TZ’s cabaret performers were on hand all smiles yesterday at the news conference* in the “50 Broadway” parking lot near the Embarcadero. This location will be ZinZanni’s new home, if everything works out.

(I’ll tell you, I can’t tell the difference betwixt Gavin Newsom running the Newsom Administration and Ed Lee running the Newsom Adminstration, fundamentally. I mean, Ed Lee is not an impetuous asshole, so that means he behaves better, he tends to show up at these kinds of functions with a smaller entourage and less drama. That’s good, I s’pose…)

Oh, there he is, to the right of the gorgeous Martian(?) lady: 

Click to expand

See how this will work? The famous European tent they use will go behind the new building:

All the deets after the jump.

And get over to highly-rated ZinZanni (if you can still get tickets, perhaps on a Wednesday or Thursday) before they shut down on the night of December 31, 2011. It really is quite an experience.

* I didn’t stick around for the Bauer’s “Intelligent” Transportation part of the presser. You know, you really need to work hard at sucking to get a Yelp rating this low.** But Bauer’s is well-connected to SFGov, so there you go, there’s your bidness model.

**Even with the work of shill reviewers avec their bogus five-star ratings…

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ZOMG, the Ziptrek Zipline is Coming Back to San Francisco for the Summer of 2011! Just $29 a Ride

Sunday, June 26th, 2011

Here’s the news from AkitIt’s ba-aaaack! Its the ZipTrek EcoTours zipline* (or ziplines, as they will have two, side-by-side). Deets are below.

Now, last year, back in 2010, the rides were free, so people were lining up at 3:00 AM. But this year, the cost will be $29, so that will certainly cut down on the riff-raff, and therefore surely shorten the queue.

(And oh, our friends from up in the Great White North just told me that they will be highly disappointed if Edwin Lee, San Francisco’s once (and future?) Mayor chickens out, if he blows off his obligation. Other Mayors have done it and it all worked out fine. See below for one example…)

This could be you:

Hangtime by Justin.Beck

The deets:

All guests are required to sign an Assumption of Risks and Release of Liability Agreement (coming soon) before zipping. Under 19 requires signature by a parent or guardian.

The ziplines are gravity fed, so guests do not have to worry about controlling their own speed. Guides are stationed at each tower to connect (launch platform) and disconnect (landing platform) each and every guest. Age restrictions apply and guests must weigh more than 65 pounds and no more than a maximum of 275 pounds.

When:
Summer 2011
11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. *

Where:
Justin Herman Plaza at Embarcadero Square, San Francisco, California

* times may vary on certain days”

Will you have the guts to climb a temporary tower (80 feet tall!) just like this one from 2010 to earn the right to tell your friends you rode the Justin Herman Plaza Zip Line?

Just asking.

via Josegee – click to expand

Clicque to expand

But first, you’ll need to wait in line next to the abysmal Vaillancourt Fountain, sign a waiver, and get harnessed up.

Le mise-en-scene.

You’ll ascend the 80 foot tower and encounter a friendly Canadian guide at the top. If you need a pep talk, you’ll get one:

You’ll soon be steadying your nerves by glancing at your jump buddy…

…and then you’ll be off, into the wild bleu.

Sisters doing it for themselves:

Can you see the nervous giggles? There’s your team bonding right there.

And this is what it felt like last year. Everything zooms by with a quickness, and there’s a loud buzzing above your noggin. Some people go upside-down even.

And they’ll totally let you bring a camera to make your own YouTube:

You owe it to yourself to try.

Don’t dissappoint lovely Ashleigh. She brought her Olympic Gold all the way down here last year just so you’d consider Vancouver as the starting point for your next vacation:

via Amy Widdowson

And I’ll tell you, last year the kids from Project Insight were quite amused to see former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown take a run on the fantastic British Columbia Zip-Line near the Ferry Building.

Here’s an account from John Coté.

Willie, sporting cashmere, handed out souvenir mittens (I still have a pair sitting in the back seat of Mom’s Taxi) from Up North:

Then it was time to harness up:

A reluctant exchange of headgear:

It’s go time.

 

Then he was off:

 

Here’s a close-up of those cardinal socks:

The landing tower. Here’s the reverse angle from David Paul Morris

And then a press conference:

His reaction after flying through the sky?

“I was scared as Hell, but there was no way I was going to show it!”

Good for you, Mr. Brown. Will you ride again in 2011?

Anyway, if he can do it, you can too.

See you there this summer!

And get the latest info direct from la source here:

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*Aka flying fox, foefie slide, zip wire, aerial runway, aerial ropeslide, death slide or tyrolean crossing

Don’t be Such an Emo – Get Out and Celebrate the Giant EMO Buttons of Lucasfilm, Letterman Digital Arts Center!

Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011

What would you make of things if you were hanging out in the Presidio and came across this giant cartoonish button?

You’d get on the Yelp and award Five Stars, as so many others have done before you.

Check out what Serge has to say:

“YES! I am glad that I was not the only one to notice this.  First time I walked around the Letterman Digital Arts Center these buttons stood out like a sore emo thumb.  Has anyone ever pressed one? Will the creek flood with emo kids? Will the water run red from razor cut wrists? Will a dark cloud cover the park as the trees die and pigeons turn to black crows?  WHO KNOWS!”

Via A.J.

Bon courage, giant cartoonish EMO buttons of the Presidio!

Despite the Rain, the Show Goes On at the Haight and Ashbury Ben and Jerry’s – Phish Bassist Mike Gordon Plays

Sunday, November 7th, 2010

There still should be free ice cream at 2:15 PM or whenever the short set ends, though.

Click to expand

Actually, I’m surprised the NIMBYs didn’t try to kill this one:

Next stop, the Independent….

OMG, Free Phish Food Ice Cream! Plus, Phish Bassist Mike Gordon Plays Haight-Ashbury this Sunday, Nov. 7th!

Friday, November 5th, 2010

This one could prove popular:

“Ben & Jerry’s and the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival are wrapping up their series of ‘secret’ scoop shop shows with a very special free concert by Phish bassist Mike Gordon this Sunday, November 7th at 1:00 pm outside the Ben & Jerry’s store on the corner of Haight & Ashbury Streets. That’s right, it’s a free outdoor concert smack in the middle of the historic Haight-Ashbury district. The Ben & Jerry’s scoop shop at 1480 Haight Street will host the free outdoor show as well as give away free samples of their “Bonnaroo Buzz” and “Phish Food” ice creams to attendees (while supplies last).”

I wouldn’t plan on driving through the area anytime before or after 1:00 PM on Sunday, but feel free to sit and or lie about the sidewalks – this could be your last chance before the new law* kicks in.

It’ll be mayhem once again at the corner of Haight and Ashbury:

BEN & JERRY’S “BONNAROO BUZZ” AND “PHISH FOOD” FLAVORS PRESENT A FREE OUTDOOR SHOW BY PHISH’S MIKE GORDON ON THE CORNER OF HAIGHT & ASHBURY STREETS…

Ben & Jerry’s and the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival are wrapping up their series of ‘secret’ scoop shop shows with a very special free concert by Phish bassist Mike Gordon this Sunday, November 7th at 1:00 pm outside the Ben & Jerry’s store on the corner of Haight & Ashbury Streets. That’s right, it’s a free outdoor concert smack in the middle of the historic Haight-Ashbury district!

The Ben & Jerry’s scoop shop at 1480 Haight Street will host the free outdoor show as well as give away free samples of their “Bonnaroo Buzz” and “Phish Food” ice creams to attendees (while supplies last).

Mike Gordon is currently on tour supporting his third solo album MOSS, which was released on October 19th on Rounder Records. Mike’s bandmates in Phish – keyboardist Page McConnell and drummer Jon Fishman – also make appearances on MOSS.

Following Mike’s FREE performance at the Ben & Jerry’s Haight Ashbury location, he and his band headline a SOLD OUT show at The Independent later that night.

See you there!

*”In the City and County of San Francisco, during the hours between seven a.m. and 11 p.m., it is unlawful to sit or lie down upon a public sidewalk, or upon a blanket, chair, stool, or any other object placed on a public sidewalk.”

OMG, Free General Admission to the de Young Museum Tonight – “Friday Nights at the de Young” – Live Music from Tango No. 9

Friday, October 22nd, 2010

Thanks to Ovation TV, you can get free general admission to our de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park tonight, Friday, October 22, 2010.

Now, you can’t see Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cezanne and Beyond for free, but everything else is totally wide open.

Atop Hamon Tower during the dinner hour:

 

Click to expand

See you there!

October 22, 2010

5–8:45 pm

Enjoy FREE general admission, FREE music and dance performances, FREE hands-on art activities and more!

Please note that all de Young exhibitions are free except Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cezanne and Beyond.

October 22, 2010

  • VIEW some of the world’s best American paintings, decorative arts and crafts, arts from Africa, Oceania, and the Americas, international contemporary art, and textiles.
  • DANCE to live music by Tango No. 9.  Tango No. 9 brings its synthesis of old-school, nuevo, and contemporary tango.
  • EXPERIENCE the one-night-only La Café Peetnik and sample complimentary selections of signature Peet’s coffees & teas while being entertained by tableaux vivants featuring actors as artists such as Vincent van Gogh, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, and Paul Gauguin.
  • LISTEN to Professor James Housefield, scholar of Modern French art, UC Davis, as he discusses Gauguin’s Baudelairean Dream.
  • CREATE accessories for your own mini art pallet.

And mark your calendars for these dates as well:

November 5, 2010

  • VIEW some of the world’s best American paintings, decorative arts and crafts, arts from Africa, Oceania, and the Americas, international contemporary art, and textiles.
  • LISTEN to Mission Muralismo’s artists as they discuss Art and Revolution and view the animated film Los ABC.
  • DANCE to Manicato’s socially conscious lyrics are backed by a mixture of Salsa, Timba, Reggae, Hip Hop, and Rock.
  • ENJOY a tribute to artist Michael Roman and his related work for Carlos Santana.
  • PRINT your own Poster for Peace.

January 14, 2011

  • VIEW some of the world’s best American paintings, decorative arts and crafts, arts from Africa, Oceania, and the Americas, international contemporary art, and textiles.
  • DANCE to live music by wild jazz band Le Chat Lunatique.
  • EXPERIENCE tableaux vivants featuring actors as artists such as Vincent van Gogh, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, and Paul Gauguin.
  • LISTEN to a lecture on Absinthe: History in a Bottle by Barnaby Conrad, author and Fine Arts Museums Trustee.
  • CREATE your own Impressionist work of art.

For more information about Friday Nights at the de Young, please contact (415) 750-7694 or publicprograms@famsf.org

Ovation and Comcast Xfinity are a proud sponsor of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Ovation turns great art and culture into great television. All day, every day, Ovation showcases movies, biographies and documentaries about actors, musicians, artists and creators of all kinds. Tune-in to Ovation on Comcast Channel 270 or visit OvationTV.com for other local channel listings and program schedule.

Mayor Gavin Newsom Announces First Annual “Central Market Arts Festival” – Sept 24 to Oct 14

Thursday, September 23rd, 2010

Oh, it’s going to be on in the Central Market area over the next three weeks. Check out the Central Market Arts Festival:

“The three-week performing arts festival is coming to San Francisco’s Central Market district. The event, aptly called 24 Days of Central Market Arts, kicks off on Mint Plaza with a weekend of performances by acclaimed local companies on Friday, September 24 through Sunday, September 26. The kick-off weekend includes dance, live music and family-friendly arts activities for all to enjoy the uniquely vibrant arts scene that the neighborhood offers. 

The Central Market Arts Festival continues through October 17 with curated performances in dance, music and theatre at a variety of venues. With the theme of “Bringing Art to Our Neighborhood Streets/Bringing People to Where Art is Made“, festival organizers aim to encourage audiences to visit the spaces where art is envisioned and created. Following the kick-off weekend on Mint Plaza, festival programs will be presented in satellite venues ranging from nearby businesses to fully equipped theatres and studios. Programming is dynamic, with events being added daily.”

Our Gavin just loves his Mint Plaza:

It might go something like this, like when the The Liss Fain Dance Company put on a show at the Mint Plaza. Just a guess:

See you there!

MAYOR NEWSOM ANNOUNCES KICK-OFF OF FIRST ANNUAL CENTRAL MARKET ARTS FESTIVAL
3-Week Festival to Highlight Arts and Culture in the Central Market Area

San Francisco, CA— Mayor Gavin Newsom announced the kick-off weekend for the new Central Market Arts Festival which premieres in Mint Plaza this Friday at noon and continues over three weeks in satellite locations that showcase arts and culture establishments in the area.  The arts festival is part of a comprehensive effort to catalyze arts and culture establishments on Market Street between 5th and 9th Streets, cultivating the area as a destination spot for both tourists and local arts patrons.

“We are excited to highlight the incredible resources in our City’s arts community and continue cultivating Central Market as a premier venue for arts and cultural organizations in San Francisco,” said Mayor Newsom. “Our intention is for the Central Market Arts Festival to become an annual event and for it to serve as another piece of the City and the community’s work to revitalize the area.”

The arts festival is sponsored by the City and supported in part through funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, which awarded the City a $250,000 grant for the revitalization of Central Market through the enhancement of the cultural arts district.  As part of the festival, the recently-inaugurated UN Plaza Art Market, running Thursdays from 12-6pm, will begin hosting street food trucks during the lunch hour.
 
The festival is organized by the Central Market Community Benefit District in partnership with Alonzo King LINES Ballet, KUNST-STOFF Arts, The Garage Theater, and Denia Dance, all of which are located on Market Street or seeking space there. Other participating groups include the Exit Theatre, Gray Area Foundation for the Arts, The Luggage Store Gallery, Levy Dance, Margaret Jenkins Dance Lab, People in Plazas, and San Francisco Conservatory of Dance.  

With events that span many types of performance and visual arts, this festival will begin its kick off weekend with outdoor performances at Mint Plaza from Friday, September 24th through Sunday, September 26th where a full day of family and youth performances will take place. Project Bandaloop will swing and dangle above Mint Plaza as one of the spectacular performances that will take place on the kick off weekend for the three-week festival.  For more information, go to www.centralmarketarts.org

Throughout the three weeks, UN Plaza Art Market will host a special art show by students of the Art Institute, live music and food trucks during the lunchtime hours from the organizers of Off the Grid.  The Art Market, organized by Independent Arts and Media with sponsorship from the City, will continue through December.

All the deets, after the jump
 
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