THE SOUNDS & STORIES OF SAN FRANCISCO SFSOUNDS SEPTEMBER 2015 SFSOUNDS.ROCKS VOL. 1 • NO. 1 • FREE rint may be fading but we’re here to put ink back in your hands with this LIVE MUSIC in THE CITY first issue ofSF Sounds, covering what we think Pyour ears need to hear. SF’s music scene still rocks We’re mostly into the smaller clubs, the “Hey, let’s see who’s play- — you just need to know where to look. ing tonight at [that spot down the street]” kind of places. That’s not to say the bigger stuff that rolls through our little internationally renowned city is to be overlooked; we just want to help spread the spotlight beyond the concerts you already get weekly spam emails about. We also want to use this as a medium to explore what allows (or doesn’t allow) music to happen in our city. Why do we keep hearing about how different the city’s mu- sic scene was in the 80s and 90s? What politics are involved (e.g., can we blame the tech boom for ev- erything)? Every few pages we might get a little synesthetic and drift away from music as we throw a comic your way or ramble about beer a bit. But it sits well with us since, honestly, who doesn’t like the sound of “Wanna grab a beer?” So sit back, relax and enjoy the next ten or so pages highlighting the amazing diversity of sounds emerging from every corner of your Le Butcherettes beautiful city. Photo: Sargent House – Chris Weir, Editor in Chief BAY HIP-HOP MEETS NEW ORLEANS SAVE OUR SCENE THE BREW REVIEW LYRICS BORN: NEW ALBUM, ALL-STAR BAND Page 3 EDITORIAL Page 4 A TASTE OF SF’S CRAFT BEER SCENE Page 5 SFSOUNDS SF Sounds is your guide to San Francisco’s music and entertainment scene. Editor Chris Weir Our goal is to shine a spotlight on some of the most talented artists the city has Art Director Matt Fleming to offer. As an independent, locally owned newspaper, we strive to give a voice to Advertising [email protected] the communtiy and to do our best in developing stories that make a difference. Contact [email protected] Want to contribute to SF Sounds? Submit album reviews, show reviews, comics, Cover Photo Le Butcherettes by Sargent House editorials, and missed connections to [email protected] Website sfsounds.rocks 2 SEPTEMBER 2015 Lyrics Born New album performed by a live all-star band By Jesse Calton DENSITY SF CLOTHING FOR MEN AND WOMEN 593 VALENCIA STREET SAN FRANCISCO CA 94110 Lyrics Born Photo: Dylan Maddux DENSITYSF.COM om Shimura, the emcee ceeded to rock the mic, because known as Lyrics Born, that’s essentially what he did. will celebrate his 43rd As suggested by its title, Real birthday this year. At People is music of, by and for the that age in hip-hop years, people. LB touches on the high Tyou’re practically headed for the times of celebration and pleasure, legacy circuit, close to becom- but not without acknowledging ing a relic of times past, hardly life’s tough breaks, mourning lit- a thing for any self-respecting eral and symbolic broken levees. rap artist to celebrate. But With the help of Trombone even if you think 40 is the new Shorty and Living Colour’s Cory 30, or that hip-hop belongs to Glover, LB ends the record on a the youth, our man Lyrics Born redemptive note. In spite of our shows no signs of slowing down. personal failures and society’s In his latest release, Real Peo- shortcomings, the final track ple, LB delves deep into New Or- encourages us to get together leans culture. While he is a Bay and let ourselves have a good Area native, he vibes with the time. If there’s one thing New New Orleans sound as if he grew Orleans can teach the world, up on a steady diet of seafood it’s precisely this. Where else in gumbo and second-line parades. America do people mourn death Among those featured on the by celebrating life with a parade? record are New Orleans heavy- On October 9th, we real peo- weights Ivan Neville, Trombone ple will be having a celebration Shorty and Galactic to throw of life at the New Parish in Oak- their own flavor on the tracks. land’s uptown district. Our em- Deviating from the electroni- cee will be none other than Lyrics cally synthesized sounds of hip- Born, featuring supreme instru- hop’s past, Real People channels mental talents from the album. If the live backing band sound pio- you’re going to be anywhere that A craft beer establishment with 36 rotating handles neered by groups like The Roots. night, come kick it with the com- Each track feels as if LB jumped munity. Young or old, it doesn’t and small bites from an eclectic kitchen. up on stage with a local New matter. All we ask is you bring 1700 MISSION ST. SAN FRANCISCO CA 94103 PHONE 415.416.6602 • CRAFTYFOXSF.COM Orleans house band and pro- your real self. See you there. • 1700 MISSION ST. SAN FRANCISCO CA 94103 PHONE 415.416.6602 • CRAFTYFOXSF.COM SFSOUNDS.ROCK 3 ment Commission, whose stated Nord have been dismantled by ris- cious lack of any record of 1800 purpose is to “regulate, promote ing rents and sound complaints— Mission St. (The Armory) or 333 The Selling of and enhance entertainment and complaints often initiated by the 14th St. (Drill Court) in the EC’s nightlife in the city of San Fran- commission’s own investigators. public hearings since 2013, Au- cisco.” The EC seems to have be- Meanwhile the EC has allowed drey Joseph’s Armory has been Our Cultural Soul come much more a regulator of large corporations such as Live permitted to host events that Editorial: Saving San Francisco events not personally connected Nation to open huge venues in- span way beyond their initial to members of the EC than a pro- cluding the Armory and the Ma- stated purpose: to host “book fairs, from Corruption moter and enhancer of the city’s sonic Auditorium without pause. theaters, farmer market [sic].” diverse sources of entertainment. The Armory’s “Community Amnesia, a long-time small n July 26th, the world’s Instead the EC has become an Center,” or Drill Court, was grant- club on Valencia, was subjected to largest concert promot- eager partner of the huge corpo- ed its Place of Entertainment Per- a two hour hearing for a change er (Live Nation) hosted in ownership on August 18th just The Chemical Broth- to keep its Entertainment Per- ers for 4500 fans in The cost of commissioners profiting from their authority is mit. But as for the 4500 seat Ar- Othe heart of the Mission District allowing corporate-run venues to dominate SF. mory and the 3300 seat Masonic? at the historic SF Armory—and “Nothing to see here folks” and no one was happier than Audrey The loss of our small venues means the loss of thousands no public hearing needed, espe- Joseph. Joseph, as both a paid and thousands of gigs for local musicians. cially if your name is Live Na- member of the Entertainment tion and your friend-via-check is Commission and the paid Direc- an Entertainment Commissioner. tor of Events at the Armory, prof- rations that dominate the nation- mit in 2013, although the zoning The cost of commission- ited most from the Armory’s quick wide concert business, protecting and planning requirements are ers profiting from their author- hop over regulatory and public their interests while allowing not clear regarding the location ity is allowing corporate-run hearing rules to be converted smaller, locally-run clubs to die. for public assembly. Despite the venues to dominate SF. The into a massive music venue in The EC has stood idly by while barrage of neighborhood protests loss of our small venues means the city’s busiest neighborhood. SF clubs that provided thousands since the public announcement of the loss of thousands and thou- This blatant conflict of inter- of gigs to SF musicians like Vira- the acquisition of the Armory by sands of gigs for local musicians. est is typical of the Entertain- cocha, The Elbo Room and Cafe du Kink.com in 2007, and the suspi- – Continued on page 11. 4 SEPTEMBER 2015 Missed Connection: To the cute gender-bendery punk drinking a tall can on the fire escape on Mission between 20th and 21st last Wednesday. I’m not sure if that was your apartment or not, Gettin’ Crafty in the City A taste of SF’s craft beer scene By Nico Simonian e sit over a couple of cherry and orange peel and defi- pale ales from Berke- nitely was reminiscent of the clas- ley’s Fieldwork and sic cocktail. take in the scene. This made us consider going The draft board is to Harmonic next, but unfortu- Wdominated by Northern Califor- nately they were closed for the nia breweries, from Altamont in night (which made sense since Livermore to Berryessa in Win- their whole brew team seemed ters. The kitchen serves New to be making friends with their American Bar Fare, from which new neighbors about town, win- we had a green goddess salad with ning them over with free beer. vibrant seasonal veggies, suc- Who doesn’t like free beer?), so we enough, transformed into a dark the much-larger Smokestack lo- culent bacon cheeseburgers and stuck with our original plan and and very low alcohol beer that we cation in the Dogpatch, featuring fries, oven-baked beef poutine.