First Bite

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Editor’s note: First Bite is a new concept in restaurant writing. This is not a go-three-times, try-everything-on-the-menu report; rather, this is a quick snapshot of a single experience. We invite you to come along with our writers as they—informed, intelligent eaters like yourselves—have a simple meal at an area restaurant, just like you do.

Housed in a comfortable roadhouse along Highway 12, the Vineyards Inn offers meals in its rustic dining room, fireside at the bar or on the grapevine-covered patio in warmer weather. But diners will have more decisions to make than where to sit; the menu is huge and ranges from raw ahi poki to pasta to pot stickers to enchiladas. Once a Mexican restaurant, the Vineyards Inn retains some Mexican dishes but now bills itself as a bar and grill with “flavors of Spain.” It also, the menu assures, tries to be “as green as possible and raise most of our (certified organic) vegetables.”

We settled at a table in the warm patio and ordered the house margarita with Sauza Silver ($7), blended, no salt. It was perfectly balanced between sweet and tart. A glass of house red, the restaurant’s own organically grown and produced Slanted Bench Primativo Zinfandel ($4.50) was disappointingly acidic.

Wary of the overwhelming variety of choices, we settled on sharing a meal of tapas, chef Esteban’s specialty. We started with the recommended ceviche ($11), and were wowed by the super-fresh albacore and black cod diced with home-grown pico de gallo salsa and avocados on a crispy tortilla. Warm stuffed artichoke crowns ($14) filled with Dungeness crab, bay shrimp, green onions and grated Spring Hill organic dry jack had a nice mix of flavors, but the fire shrimp ($9), two six-shrimp skewers, were dry and only mildly spicy.

I bravely ordered the Basque crispy chicken liver salad ($11), thinking that it would feature small crispy pieces of meat, but the pieces were too large to get a crisp bite. Served on romaine with Rose Ranch basil vinaigrette, something more than salad was needed to balance the overpowering liver taste, so I paired it with bites of delicious, fresh red onion rings ($6), battered and flash-fried to a non-oily crispness. Chorizo bocadillo ($8) was made with tasty, grilled homemade Spanish sausage on fresh baguette slices, with diced tomato and a dab of aioli.

We finished the meal with a piece of cheesecake ($6) in a German graham cracker crust, but missed the promised garnish of organic Kenwood strawberry sauce. No fresh fruit was available except oranges, so we opted for a drizzle of chocolate sauce, which was a good choice, as the cheesecake was as dry as billed.

 

With a menu as vast and varied as the Vineyard Inn’s, another visit—or three—is in order.

The Vineyards Inn Bar & Grill, 8445 Sonoma Hwy., Kenwood. Open for lunch and dinner, Wednesday–Monday. 707.833.4500.



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Quick-and-dirty dashes through North Bay restaurants. These aren’t your standard “bring five friends and order everything on the menu” dining reviews.

Wine Tasting Room of the Week

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Wine Tasting Room of the Week

Situated next door to Dean & Deluca with a Frank Gehry–designed extravaganza under construction at Hall Winery down the road, Flora Springs knew it had to make a bid to get noticed when one of its distributors said he’d driven by without ever seeing the tasting room. This month, the 30-year-old family winery got the jump on its neighbor with a flamboyant renovation of the formerly nondescript building that’s hard to miss.

Bringing the hills to the highway with its design, the new landmark, opened Aug. 8, resembles a New Mexico adobe that has been melted by a nuclear sun and is clinging to a geotectonic eruption. At the recent grand opening, guests were ushered by white-suited gentlemen through oversized glass doors to the cavelike entrance. Within, black-clad, devil-horned vixens greeted guests with a refreshing glass of Soliloquy Sauvignon Blanc, while DJ music throbbed and go-go dancers gyrated in a windowed booth.

The high-tech windows of, yes, the “Temptation Cave” can be made electronically opaque for private food and wine pairings. At the bar, newspaper cones full of spiced popcorn accompanied the light, firm and dry Sangiovese-based 2007 Rosato ($14). In the background, archeologists seem to have revealed a collection of Flora Springs magnums perfectly ensconced in the limestone strata.

“Welcome to heaven,” identical young blondes clad in angelic, silky white chimed to guests on their way upstairs to the veranda. Heaven may be a place where nothing ever happens, but the view sure is fantastic. Here, they poured the 2002 “25th Anniversary” Cabernet Sauvignon ($300 magnum), a lean, elegant claret (if there are any high-alcohol fruit bombs, they’d surely be poured in hell).

The upstairs/downstairs bit was just a fun party theme; the real story is expressed in the impossibly undulating, exposed wooden beams and waving forms throughout. Meant to evoke the hills of the Flora Springs estate, the theme also mirrors ocean waves (family matriarch Flora grew up in Hawaii) and the flowing-haired woman on the iconic label. A retirement project turned three-generation wine dynasty, the estate now covers 650 acres throughout Napa Valley.

As the band set up, one family member, clearly nurturing the presumptive fourth generation on the way, noted that she received a few dirty looks for having her little half glass of wine. Hey, how are wine dynasties made, anyway? For inspiration, look to namesake Flora herself, who at 96 was in attendance, and reportedly enjoys a glass of Merlot a day.

Speaking of family wineries, over 400 will pour at Family Winemakers of California’s 18th annual tasting this Sunday at San Francisco’s Fort Mason Center. The organization advocates for the wine industry’s little guys (10,000 cases or less).

Flora Spring Winery, 677 S. St. Helena Hwy., St. Helena. Open daily, 10am–5pm. Tasting fees, $15–$25. 707.967.8032. Family Winemakers of California Tasting 2008, Fort Mason Center. Sunday, Aug. 24, 2–6pm; $45–$55. 415.345.7575. [ http://www.familywinemakers.org ]www.familywinemakers.org.



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Dreams of Obama

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08.20.08

M yths are all-important. Fifty years ago, the mythic Barack Obama existed only as an aspiration, an ideal, in a country where interracial love was taboo and interracial marriage was largely banned.

The early Civil Rights movement, the jazz musicians and the Beat poets dreamed up this mythic Obama before the literal Obama could materialize. His African father and white countercultural mother dared to dream and love him into existence, incarnate him, at the creative moment of the historic march on Washington. Only the overthrow of Jim Crow segregation opened space for the dream to rise politically.

If this sounds unscientific or, as some would say, cultish, remember that none of the supposedly expert people in the political, media or intellectual establishments saw this day coming. It was dreamed up and built by experienced dreamers with long histories in community organizing, social movements and not a few lost causes.

In one of his best oratorical moments, Obama summoned the spirit of social movements that were built from the bottom up. As he repeats this mantra of movements thousands of times to millions of Americans, a new cultural understanding becomes possible. This is the foundation of a new American story that is badly needed, one that attributes whatever is great about this country to the ghosts of those who came before, in social movements from the margins.

John McCain represents a different American story. He bombed Vietnam at least 25 times before being shot down in a war that never should have been fought, in a defeat that still cannot say its name. He wants to continue the unwinnable Iraq War, costing $10 billion per month, until every suspect Iraqi is dead, wounded or detained, even though our military tactics keep causing more young Iraqis to hate us than ever before.

As if fighting the war on terrorism until the end of terrorism isn’t enough for him, McCain wants to reignite the Cold War until the Russians are forever broken and humiliated. The vanguard for the anti-Russian offensive has been Georgia, a stronghold of the neoconservative lobby (and, incidentally, a cash cow for McCain’s own foreign-policy adviser Randy Scheunemann, who made hundreds of thousands of dollars working as a lobbyist for the country before joining McCain’s campaign team).

There are many outside the Obama movement who assert that the candidate is “not progressive enough,” that Obama will be co-opted as a new face for American interventionism, that in any event real change cannot be achieved from the top down. These criticisms are correct. But they miss the larger point.

Most of us want President Obama to withdraw troops from Iraq more rapidly than in 16 months. But it is important that Obama’s position is shared by Iraq’s prime minister and the vast majority of both our people. The Iraqi regime, pressured by its own people, has rejected the White House and McCain’s refusal to adopt a timetable.

The real problem with Obama’s position on Iraq is his adherence to the outmoded Baker-Hamilton proposal to leave thousands of American troops behind for training, advising and ill-defined “counterterrorism” operations. Obama should be pressured to reconsider this recipe for a low-visibility counterinsurgency quagmire.

One thing is certain: The man will disappoint as well as inspire.

Then why support him? There are three reasons. First, American progressives, radicals and populists need to be part of the vast Obama coalition, not perceived as negative do-nothings in the minds of the young people and African Americans at the center of the organized campaign. Second, his court appointments will keep us from a right-wing lock on social, economic and civil-liberties issues during our lifetime. Third, it should be no problem to vote for Obama and picket his White House when justified.

Obama himself says he has solid progressive roots but that he intends to campaign and govern from the center. (He has said he is neither a “Scoop” Jackson Democrat nor a Tom Hayden Democrat.) What is missing in the current equation, however, is not a capable and enlightened centrist but a progressive social movement. The creative tension between large social movements and enlightened Machiavellian leaders is the historical model that has produced the most important reforms in the course of American history.

Mainstream political leaders will not move to the left of their own base. There are no shortcuts to radical change without a powerful and effective constituency organized from the bottom up. The next chapter in Obama’s new American story remains to be written, perhaps by the most visionary of his own supporters.

There is the improbable hope that the movement set ablaze by the Obama campaign will be enough to elect Obama and a more progressive Congress in November, creating an explosion of rising expectations for social movements—here and around the world—that President Obama will be compelled to meet in 2009.

That is a moment to live and fight for.

Open Mic is now a weekly feature in the Bohemian. We welcome your contribution. To have your topical essay of 700 words considered for publication, write [ mailto:op*****@******an.com” data-original-string=”5ajy1/ocDSxXdklqW/2fSw==06a8e8ljS/+fQMM74v7iN/Cii9tB30LF8zpfcRkk3seutnL+wtdELkJlLDCQKaawKaHzitf/4sap/O6qjFcJHzsaYohpzh9htvJFHl8hgXS47M=” title=”This contact has been encoded by Anti-Spam by CleanTalk. Click to decode. To finish the decoding make sure that JavaScript is enabled in your browser. ]op*****@******an.com.


Artful Autumn

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Artful Autumn

08.20.08


Compiled by Brodie Jenkins and Cassandra Landry

September

Sausalito Art Festival Aug. 29&–Sept. 1. Sausalito has long been hailed as an artist’s paradise, with its seaside breezes and laid-back environment, so hosting the No. 1 arts fest in all of America is a no-brainer. The winning combo of music and art opens with Robinson’s Carusos (Aug. 30) and closes with the Cheeseballs (Sept. 1), but be sure to catch the Neville Brothers on Aug. 31 if nothing else. The artsy-ness swarms Marinship Park, on Marinship Way, and the Bay Model Visitors Center, 2100 Bridgeway, Sausalito. Aug. 29, opening gala, 6pm. Saturday, Aug. 30&–31, 9am&–6pm; Sept. 1, 9am&–5pm. $5&–$20; under six, free. 415.331.3757. www.sausalitoartfestival.org.

Napa River Festival Aug. 31. “Take Me to the River,” the 16th annual River Festival, with the breathtaking Napa Valley Symphony doing what they do best, is slated just a skosh ahead, but we sneaked it in anyway: Sunday, Aug. 31. This year’s bash features the brand-new Veterans Park and amphitheater. Napa Valley Expo, 575 Third St., Napa. Free. 707.254.8520. www.friendsofthenapariver.org.

Labor Day BBQ Festival Sept. 1. Featuring treats from around the world, the Oxbow Public Market ain’t the average collection of farm stands—it’s more like a foodie mecca. The OPM teams up with the Napa Valley Opera House for a pre&–Willie Nelson (he’s sold-out, sorry) barbecue, complete with live bluegrass music by Rita Hosking and Cousin Jack. Enjoy the day off, support Napa’s home to the arts and pig out on some of the finest food the North Bay has to offer. Oxbow Public Market, 610 First St., Napa. 4:30&–6pm. $60. 707.226.7372.

Russian River Chamber Music Series Sept. 5. This important free series devotes itself entirely to the Golden State this season, featuring quartets from California, with each program highlighting at least one composer from our slice of Left Coast. Los Angeles&–based Rossetti String Quartet give it the old Cali try with a program heavy with Mozart, Piazzolla, Beethoven and California’s own Bernard Hermann. Healdbsurg Community Church, 1100 University Ave., Healdsburg. 7:30pm. Preconcert talk, 7pm. Reception follows. Free. 707.431.7622.

Cajun & Zydeco Fest Sept. 6. Formerly held indoors at the Sebastopol Community Center, the local rotary chapter has moved the fest out to Ives Park for some late-summer sun. All rumps are guaranteed to be shakin’ as Roddie Romero and the Hub City All-Stars, the Wild Catahoulas and many more storm the stage to take the edge off that gator sausage. Ives Park, 400 Willow St., Sebastopol. 10:30am&–7pm. $20; under 12, free. 707.824.2550. www.rotarycajun.com.

Art for Life Sept. 6. Now in its 21st year, this annual auction to support Face to Face/Sonoma County AIDS Network has a new location and several new artists donating work. A terrific opportunity to buy art while supporting an important cause—and the food is always stellar. Sept. 6, 2&–6pm; bidding begins at 2pm. Mary Agatha Furth Center, 8400 Old Redwoody Hwy., Windsor. $75. Preview, Sept. 5, noon&–3pm. Free. www.f2f.org.

Russian River Jazz Festival Sept. 6&–7. Now in it’s 32nd year, the Russian River Jazz Festival is back with a vengeance. Wayman Tisdale and Bobby Caldwell take the stage (Sept. 6) along with George Duke (Sept. 7) for all North Bay music lovers. Johnson’s Beach, Guerneville. $45&–$170; 10 and under, free. 707.869.1595. www.russianriverfestivals.com.

Best of the SF International Comedy Competition Worldly wits square off for a shot at $30,000 and a fairly high-profile catapult toward fame. Previous contestants include Dana Carvey, Robin Williams and Carlos Alazraqui of Reno 911. Several dates throughout the North Bay. Sept. 12 and Oct. 5 at the Napa Valley Opera House, 1030 Main St., Napa. 8pm. 707.226.7372. Sept. 13 at SSU, Evert B. Person Theatre, 1801 E. Cotati Ave., Rohnert Park. 707.664.2382. Sept. 14 and 21 at the Marin Center, 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael. 415.472.3500. Sept. 28 at the Wells Fargo Center, 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa. 707.546.3600. Oct. 2 at the 142 Throckmorton, 142 Throckmorton Ave., Mill Valley. 415.383.9600. www.sanfranciscocomedycompetition.com.

Old Grove Festival Sept 12&–13. The Sun Kings, a jumpin’ Beatles tribute band, make the redwoods sway on Sept. 12, and the Sonoma County Repertory Theater performs The Taming of the Shrew on the Sept. 13. Bring flashlights, seat cushions and warm clothes to the Redwood Forest Theatre, Armstrong Redwoods State Preserve, 14107 Armstrong Woods Road, Guerneville. $25&–$50. 707.869.9403.

Tuck & Patti Sept. 13. This jazzy, classical and charming duo opens the 2008 season for the Redwood Arts Council. Analy High School, 6950, Analy Ave., Sebastopol. 800.838.3006. www.redwoodarts.org.

Great American Blues & BBQ Fest Sept. 13. This free downtown event celebrates two uniquely American products, and you know that’s blues and barbecue. The inimitable Austin de Lone brings his cheerfully named 14th Rib Review band featuring Nick Gravenites to helm the day while food and sauce and wet wipes and bibs inform the rest. Sept. 13, 11am&–6pm, downtown San Rafael. Free. 415.383.3470.

The Big Read Sept. 15&–Oct. 5. Books: harmless collections of pages with ink all over ’em, right? Wrong. Try captivating, incendiary and powerful. To prove it, libraries all over the country banding together as a part of the Big Read. This year’s featured book is Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. It all kicks off at the Northwest Santa Rosa Library, 150 Coddingtown Center, Santa Rosa. 10am. Free. 707.546.2265.

Lewis Black Sept. 18. More “pissed off optimist” than “mean-spirited curmudgeon,” it seems Lewis Black just couldn’t get enough of the Wells Fargo Center, which is more than OK with us. Black is back on Thursday, Sept. 18, with Let Them Eat Cake. Wells Fargo Center, 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa. 8pm. $54.50&–$67.50. 707.546.3600.

Taylor Eigsti & Julian Lage Duo Sept. 18. The only word that comes to mind is “prodigious.” Who would’ve thought that little 12-year-old Julian Lage performing at the Sonoma farmers market all those years ago would make it big? Um, everyone. After opening for Diana Krall at the 2008 Sonoma Jazz Festival, the duo stole hearts—watch out ladies, they’re quite the stunners—and they now return to the North Bay on Sept. 18 as part of the Napa Valley Opera House’s jazz subscription series. 1030 Main St., Napa. 8pm. Call for tix, 707.226.7372. www.nvoh.org.

Grammy Winners of Hawaiian Slack Key Sept. 19. No time for a vacation on the soft beaches and palm-tree-laden shores of Hawaii? Never fear, for George Kahumoku Jr., Keoki Kahumoku and Dennis Kamakahi are here! Take in an evening of lilting guitar and hula performances as these talented musicians take on the mainland. Napa Valley Opera House, 1030 Main St., Napa. 8pm. $25&–$30. 707.226.7372. Also, Sept. 21 at the Dance Palace, Fifth and B streets, Pt. Reyes Station. 7:30pm. $20. 415.663.1075.

Sebastopol Celtic Music Festival Sept. 19&–21. The greatest Celtic musicians this side of the Emerald Isle do more than just fiddle around. The talent-packed lineup already includes Cara Dillon from Ireland, Genticorum from Quebec and Tannahill Weavers from Scotland. Sebastopol Community Center, 390 Morris St. $10&–$500; 10 and under, free. 707.823.1511. http://cumuluspresents.com/celtic.

Petaluma Arts Center Grand Opening Sept. 20. Gallery displays, live music, free food and drink and hands-on arts projects will make the opening of Petaluma’s new art center a rollicking good time for the whole family. The next day, the first annual Petaluma Poetry Walk kicks off at 10am, with the Arts Center open for visiting and exploring until 4pm. Located on the corner of Lakeville and D streets (next to the Petaluma visitor’s center). 11am&–4pm. Free. 707.766.5200. www.petalumaartscouncil.org.

Napa Valley Aloha Festival Sept. 20. Aside from the beautiful beaches and fruity drinks, what do we really know about Hawaii? The Manaleo Hawaiian Cultural Foundation hosts the first annual festival to celebrate and teach about Hawaiian native culture. Live music and dance, authentic foods, arts and crafts and a variety of vendors provide a bounty of delights for the senses. As this is a family event, alcoholic beverages are prohibited. Napa Valley Exposition, 575 Third St, Napa. 10am&–6pm. Free. 707.966.4017.

Sonoma County Book Festival Sept. 20. The ninth annual book fest features readings and workshops by both local and national authors, a sure bet for any bookworm. Events located in downtown Santa Rosa at the Sonoma County Central Library, the Cultural Arts Council Gallery and Courthouse Square. 10am&–5pm. Free. 707.527.5412. www.socobookfest.org.

Los Pinguos Sept. 20. Argentinean band draws from many Latin traditions, creating propulsive music popular enough to get the guys the No. 1 spot in The Next Big Thing. Sept. 20 at 8pm. 142 Throckmorton Theater, 142 Throckmorton Ave., Mill Valley. $25&–$35. 415.383.9600.

The 52nd Annual Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival Sept. 20&–21. Some 150 artists converge at this storied fair in the tall redwoods of Old Mill Park. Perched at the base of Mt. Tamalpais, there isn’t a better spot in the North Bay to support the handiwork of creative minds. Throckmorton Avenue at Cascade Drive, Mill Valley. $5&–$8; under 12, free. 415.381.8090. www.mvfaf.org.

Glendi International Food Fair Sept. 20&–21. Basically, this is the place to find chefs wide-eyed like kids in a candy store. Accompanied by live Balkan music, the internationally influenced food rises to new heights. Ever been to Eritrea, Kenya or Romania? Be transported with just one bite at the Protection of the Holy Virgin Orthodox Church, 90 Mountain View Ave., Santa Rosa. $8; under 12, free. Those in the know plan to take food home. 707.584.9491. www.glendi.net.

The Black Crowes Sept. 21. Believe it or not, lead singer Chris Robinson did more than marry Kate Hudson. Special guests Howlin’ Rain also make an appearance. Wells Fargo Center, 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa. 8pm. $25&–$55. 707.546.3600.

Jarvis Puppet Workshop & Festival Sept. 21&–22. Got the world on a string? Learn the über-classified backstage secrets of puppetry, make your own Sifl or Ollie, and see the pros work their magic. Not appropriate for children under five. Jarvis Conservatory, 1711 Main St., Napa. $10&–$20. 707.255.5445. www.jarvisconservatory.com.

American Ballet Theatre II Sept. 23. They’re young, they’re beautiful and they’re amazingly talented. But we like them anyway. The apprentice company for the critically acclaimed ABT perform pieces by some of the most notable young choreographers in the world, white tights and tutus in tow. Wells Fargo Center, 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa. 8pm. $15&–$25. 707.546.3600.

Janis Ian Sept. 27. Musical icon Janis Ian has finally penned an autobiography—full of all the juicy tidbits about her controversial and long-lived career as a talented songstress—and she’ll be at the Napa Valley Opera House to sign her books away. Napa Valley Opera House, 1030 Main St., Napa. 8pm. $25&–$30. 707.226.7372. www.nvoh.org.

KAL Sept. 27. The music of Roma is fast, funky, furious and quintessentially hip right now. Witness Gogol Bordello frontman Eugene Hütz’s recent table-walking legacy at the Roma Fest this summer in Sonoma County. This stuff is hot, and KAL promise to take it a few degrees higher. Sept. 27 at 8pm. Spreckels Performing Arts Center, 5409 Snyder Lane, Rohnert Park. $22&–$25. 707.588.3400.

Taste of Petaluma Sept. 27. Wine and food enthusiasts unite for a day of upscale culinary trick-or-treating at the third annual Taste of Petaluma event. Over 70 of Petaluma’s finest restaurants, wineries, breweries and food purveyors gather to tempt guests with their talents. All profits go to benefit the Cinnabar Theater. Begin treating the taste buds at any of these three Petaluma locations: Putnam Plaza on Petaluma Blvd.; Gallery One, 209 Western Ave.; Haus Fortuna, 111 Second St. in the theater district. 10:30am. $40. 707.763.8920.

Hand-Car Regatta Sept. 28. Builders, tinkerers and artists converge on Santa Rosa’s Railroad Square for this celebration of kinetic ingenuity and flat-out hipster fun. 11am&–6pm; handcar races, 1pm. Free. Railroad Square, Santa Rosa. 707.526.5315.

The 11th Annual Petaluma Progressive Festival Sept. 28. Petaluma’s lovable rabble-rousers are known for many things—public protests, vigils, working with campaigns and helping out in local schools—but best of all, they throw a damn good festival. Soak up the good vibrations on Sept. 28, at Walnut Park, Sixth Street and Petaluma Boulevard South, Petaluma. Free. 707.763.8134. www.progressivefestival.org.

The 21st Annual Napa Valley Open Studios Sept. 20&–21 and 27&–28. Sponsored by the Napa Valley Arts Council, the tours allow art lovers to peruse among various locations in and around gorgeous Napa Valley. The opening reception is slated for Sept. 5 at Mumm Napa, 8445 Silverado Trail, Rutherford. 6:30&–8:30pm. 707.257.2117. www.artscouncilnapavalley.org.

Fourth Annual Far West Fest Sept. 20. Question: Where in all of mighty Marin County is there a fabulous, sustainable, inclusive and all-around warm and fuzzy festival for the family to drop in on for the day? Pt. Reyes’ Far West Fest, no contest. Community radio extraordinaire KWMR hosts this year’s festival out on Love Field, 11191 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Point Reyes Station. Gates open at 11am; music runs from 11:30am&–7pm. $20 advance. www.kwmr.org.

Kingston Trio & Brothers Four Sept. 23. Originators of the folk music movement reprise hits from 40 years ago, still fresh in sentiment today. Lincoln Theater, 100 California Drive, Yountville. $45. 7pm. 707.944.1300.

October

Iris Dement Oct. 2. With her uniquely angelic voice, Iris Dement comes back to the North Bay to share her soulful introspective songs. Napa Valley Opera House, 1030 Main St., Napa. 8pm. $30&–$35. 707.226.7372.

Slammin’ All-Body Band Oct. 2. Watch this sextet from Oakland perform an awe-inspiring blend of a cappella singing, beatboxing and body music. Wells Fargo Center, 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa. 8pm; preshow discussion at 7pm. $15. 707.546.3600.

Annual Mill Valley Film Festival Oct. 2&–12. Now in its 31st year, this prestigious festival showcases over 150 independent films and bigger features destined for the multiplex. Settle in for popcorn and fun at various venues in Marin. 415.383.5256. www.mvff.com.

Bonnie Raitt Bonnie may live nearby, but she rarely plays close to home, this year making a rare (and nicely priced) appearance with special guest Jude Johnstone. Wells Fargo Center, 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa. 8pm. $19.50&–$85.50. 707.546.3600.

Sonoma County Harvest Fair Oct. 3&–5. Hit up the World Championship Grape Stomp competition, slurp some wine, hitch a hay ride or just get down to some swingin’ jazz music. Sonoma County Fairgrounds, 1375 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa. $7. 707.545.4203. www.harvestfair.org.

The 22nd Annual B.R. Cohn Charity Events Fall Music Festival Oct. 4&–6. Vintner Bruce Cohn not only gives us the Doobie Brothers, Kris Kristofferson and the Turtles. Todd Rundgren and Michael Finney will be there too! Over the years, Cohn and crew have raised over $5 million for various charities. Feel good while bobbing in time to the tunes and putting a perfect triple-eagle at the B.R. Cohn Winery Amphitheater, 15000 Sonoma Hwy., Glen Ellen. Charity auction dinner on Friday, Oct. 3, 6pm; Saturday, Oct. 4, shows at noon; tee-off for the golf classic on Monday, Oct. 6, 11am. $95&–$325. 707.938.4064, ext. 127. www.brcohn.com.

Calabash! Oct. 5. A celebration of gourds, art and the garden, Calabash takes place at Food for Thought in Forestville. A silent auction, exhibitions and demonstrations go on from 1pm to 5pm. Enjoy music played on handmade gourd instruments while supporting a great cause. 6550 Railroad Ave., Forestville. $35&–$40. 707.887.1647.

David Byrne Oct. 8. The big-suited man does a night devoted to his collaborations with Brian Eno as well as Talking Heads. Wells Fargo Center, 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa. 8pm. $15&–$65. 707.546.3600.

Soweto Gospel Choir Oct. 11. The 26-strong choir, formed to celebrate the unique beauty and power of gospel music, draws on the best talent from the many churches in and around Soweto. Enjoy the cultural richness and vibrancy at the Marin Center’s Veterans Memorial Auditorium, 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael. 8pm. $20&–$50. www.marincenter.org.

Three of a Kind Comedy Oct. 11. Chris Voth, Dave Burleigh and Andrew Norelli swing their laff-circuit through town offering a joyful skewer of it all. Oct. 11 at 8pm. Spreckels Performing Arts Center, 5409 Snyder Lane, Rohnert Park. $22&–$26. 707.584.3400.

ARTrails Oct. 11&–12 and 18&–19. The Arts Council presents a self-guided opportunity to buy directly from artists and peek into their workspaces. Two weekends throughout Sonoma County. 10am&–5pm. Free. 707.579.2787. www.artrails.org.

El Día de los Muertos Oct. 14&–Nov. 3. Day of the Dead celebration in the North Bay kicks off in Petaluma with fine and folk art, altars and performances throughout the town. Sonoma Valley Museum of Art hosts its annual exhibit, Oct. 31&–Nov. 4. Santa Rosa celebrates with community altars at the Sonoma County Museum and downtown events, Nov. 1&–2. 707.778.9922. www.petalumaartscouncil.org.

Bioneers Conference Oct. 17&–19. Hear about groundbreaking ideas and discuss building a blueprint for sustainable systems at the 18th annual Bioneers Conference, a meeting of environmentally focused minds. Featured speakers include Sandra Steingraber, Lucas Benitez and a myriad of others. Marin Center, 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael. $140&–$410. 877.246.6337. www.bioneers.org.

Dengue Fever Oct. 18. Groove to this new indie band’s totally original, jazzy blend of psychedelic Cambodian and American oldie pop sounds. Napa Valley Opera House, 1030 Main St., Napa. 8pm. $25&–$30. 707.226.7372.

Pinot on the River Oct. 23&–26. Fully immerse yourself in a weekend of Pinot Noir, including in-depth tastings and seminars, vineyard tours and sumptuous food. Various venues in the Russian River Valley. Sunday boasts a grand artisanal tasting. $69; all-access ticket, $750. 707.922.1096.

Sue Monk Kidd Oct. 24. Listen to the author of bestseller The Secret Life of Bees discuss her journey as a writer and spiritual seeker, followed by a Q&A. Marin Center’s Veterans Memorial Auditorium, 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael. 8pm. $20&–$40. 415.499.6800. www.marincenter.org.

Mystery Ball Oct. 25. Headlands Center for the Arts throws a killer Halloween party complete with three floors of food, music and dancing. Entertainment includes the French group Les Croque Notes, rock band Kugelplex and DJ Nightbeat. The hippest way to ring in the Wiccan New Year. 944 Fort Barry, Sausalito. 6pm. $90&–$100. www.headlands.org.

Savage Jazz Dance Company Oct. 25&–26. During its two-day stand, Savage will debut a new suite of works by emerging choreographer Mala Siani, a veteran of this important modern dance troupe. Oct. 25&–26; Saturday at 8pm, Sunday at 2:30pm. Spreckels Performing Arts Center, 5409 Snyder Lane, Rohnert Park. $18&–$24. 707.584.3400.

Champions of the Dance Oct. 26. Stars from the Dancing with the Stars program join International Ballroom and Latin Dance champions in a program of grace, beauty and women going backward in high heels. Oct. 26 at 5pm. Lincoln Theater, 100 California Drive, Yountville. $49&–$59. 707.944.1300.

Vince Gill Oct. 29. The silky-voiced country singer is back in town with his soulful tunes and masterful guitar picking. Wells Fargo Center, 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa. 8pm. $15&–$85. 707.546.3600.

November

Bill Maher Nov. 1. Just three days before the election that will decide just how much the rest of the world can continue to hate us, Maher brings his refreshing focus to clear the air. Wells Fargo Center, 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa. 8pm. $19.50&–$65.50. 707.546.3600.

Festival of Harps Nov. 8. Now in its 19th year, the festival this time features multicultural lineup from China to Ireland to Paraguay. Sorry indie hipsters, Joanna Newsom is nowhere in sight. Spreckels Performing Arts Center, 5409 Snyder Lane, Rohnert Park. $22&–$26. 707.588.3400.

Bill CosbyNov. 8. America’s favorite dad—at least, our favorite TV dad—does his sly funny-guy stuff. Nov. 8 at 3pm. Lincoln Theater, 100 California Drive, Yountville. $69&–$89. 707.944.1300.

Santa Rosa Symphony Set Two Nov. 8&–10. Playing a delicious variety of music, from Jalbert’s Fire and Ice to Bernstein’s On the Waterfront, the Santa Rosa Symphony is sure to blow you away. Featuring young violin virtuoso Corey Cerovsek. Wells Fargo Center, 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa. $19&–$149. 707.546.3600.

Direct from Vegas—The Rat Pack Nov. 14. Carrying on the smooth-talking, tuxedo-clad, razzle-dazzle near-sobriety of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr., Gary Corsello, Steve Apple and Nicholas Brooks belt out classic tunes and snap their fingers so suavely that audience members will think they’ve been transported to a 1960s Vegas nightclub. Wells Fargo Center, 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa. 8pm. $25&–$45. 707.546.3600.

Joan Baez Nov. 15. Touring in support of her 24th studio album, Day After Tomorrow, folk icon Baez promises a night of clarity. Wells Fargo Center, 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa. 8pm. $15.50&–$45.50. 707.546.3600.

Djoliba Ensemble of Mali Nov. 15. Sway to traditional African folk music and dance that takes from a variety of different styles. Marin Center, 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael. 8pm. $18&–$40. 415.499.6800. www.marincenter.org.

The Country Rat Pack Nov. 17. Male vocalists Tracy Byrd, Tracy Lawrence and Tracy, er, Richie McDonald share stories and unplug the hype in this nonetheless rampantly popular show. Nov. 17 at 8pm. Lincoln Theater, 100 California Drive, Yountville. $49&–$69. 707.944.1300.

Lisa Lampanelli Nov. 21. Attendees should prepare to have their politically correct buttons pushed, punched and twisted so hard they can’t stand up. What’s more, they’ll love it. Don’t bring the kids, as this is some seriously “mature” content. Wells Fargo Center, 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa. 8pm. $39.50. 707.546.3600.

East Village Opera Company Nov. 22. Blending opera and some serious rock, this group—composed of a five-piece band, a string quartet and two fabulous vocalists—recreates popular scores from Carmen, Turandot, Rigoletto and more in a striking, sizzling blend of the old and the new. Napa Valley Opera House, 1030 Main St., Napa. $45. 707.226.7372. [ http://www.nvoh.org ]www.nvoh.org.


Museums and gallery notes.

Reviews of new book releases.

Reviews and previews of new plays, operas and symphony performances.

Reviews and previews of new dance performances and events.

Renegade Racing

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Renegade Racing

08.20.08

Small-time Big Time: Napan Curtis Inglis won last year’s SSWC ‘decider race’ in Scotland for his whiskey and jigging prowess, thus bringing this oddly prestigious race home for ’08.

If you’re only gonna beat half the people,” Curtis Inglis pronounces, motioning toward the baby-blue women’s mountain bike he’ll be racing in this year’s Single Speed World Championship, “you might as well beat ’em on something stupid.”

Racing a brutal mountain course on a women’s bike, even a custom-made one, might seem weird, but that’s only part of the story. Inglis, 39, plans to enter the race wearing lederhosen. And a bib. What’s more, he’s the race organizer.

The Single Speed World Championship (SSWC), slated for Aug. 24 at Napa’s Skyline Park, is unlike any other bike race on the planet. The grand prize isn’t purse money or a trophy; rather, winners are required to get a tattoo. That’s it. There are additional awards for Drunkest Rider, Worst Crash, Best Beard and Dead Last. This year’s event even incorporates a midrace Easter egg hunt.

Despite these hijinks, the SSWC isn’t just some clown-around, beer-league mountain bike race. It actually is the world’s premier single speed race, with over 50 sponsors and a waiting list of over 800 riders. Last year’s winner, Adam Craig, who finished first on the Scotland trail in a mustache, mullet, pantyhose and denim hot pants, is currently in Beijing racing for the U.S. Olympic team.

What separates the SSWC from mainstream mountain bike races—apart from the requirement that its riders must use only one gear—is that it’s open to anyone, spanning a ridiculously wide span of expertise. This year, the contestants range from professional riders like Travis Brown and Carl Decker to a guy from Ohio who Inglis says enters every year, always gets way too drunk the night before the race and always drops out after the first lap.

Inglis has raced in the last four SSWCs, and he resolved long ago to bring it to his hometown. At last year’s event in Scotland, he caught a lucky break: in the “decider race,” where contestants rode trainer bikes, slammed whiskey and danced a jig, Inglis got the best crowd response. That’s why it’s in Napa this year.

“To some people, it means getting away from their regular lives and reliving their childhood as drunken buffoons,” Inglis says, reclining in cutoffs and a T-shirt outside his Napa bike shop, Inglis Cycles, where he builds about 50 custom single speed frames a year. “But for me and my friends, it was a backlash to the whole NORBA [National Off-Road Bicycle Association], huge, conglomerate-y races that were becoming less and less fun to do, where you became more of a number.”

Inglis, sitting on patio furniture with his miniature husky, Max, on his lap, is an old-fashioned sort. On the rare occasion that he drives, he hops behind the wheel of either his 1964 Plymouth Valiant or his 1956 BMW Isetta. A 1974 Lambretta scooter sits parked near his garage.

Inglis’ first bike, a 20-inch gold Schwinn Stingray, is his Rosebud; it guides his sense of fun, something he often felt was lacking in road racing. “Once I got on a mountain bike, it was all over,” he says. “It was all the stuff that I enjoyed as a kid, but with gears, and I could go farther. It just made me feel like I was nine. I loved it.”

Soon he begged his way into a job at Retrotec Cycles in Chico. There, owner Bob Seals became his single speed mentor. In 1995, Seals presented a race called the W.H.I.R.L.E.D. Championships, standing for “Wasted Hairy Insanely Retro League of Enlightened Degenerates.” To qualify, riders had to drink a beer on the starting line. It was, for all intents and purposes, the first Single Speed World Championship.

Over the years, the race has grown in prominence, and this year, the response was overwhelming. Within minutes of open registration, starting on midnight of the new year, Jan. 1, 2008, over 1,200 riders from around the world had entered. Only the first 400 made it in, a limit that caused many to react angrily, and the situation worries Inglis. Due to its loose nature, there’s no concrete safeguard in place, no president or official founder, to keep the SSWC from turning into what it hates.

“Sooner or later, it’s gonna fall on its face. The decider race this year could go to some guy who thinks it would be great to run it at the Sea Otter down at Laguna Seca,” he says, referring to the largest annual mountain bike race in North America, “and have this huge, over-the-top circuslike atmosphere. That’s gonna be great for a lot of people, they’re gonna think it’s just swell. And people who were around when it was smaller and more fun and edgier are not gonna go. It’s like with anything. We’re all fighting the progression of it getting bigger.”

Inglis doesn’t want to reveal the specific details of this year’s decider race, but this much can be said: those looking to host the SSWC’s 2009 event in their hometown might want to find an old Atari 2600 video game console and start brushing up on their skills.

Single speed enthusiasts—that is to say, those who ride bikes with only one gear instead of 10 or 18 or 27—have historically rebelled against the seriousness of modern cycling, with all of its options for gizmos and accessories. Steve Paschoal of Petaluma is one of them. “I started riding single speeds because I got sick of all my friends kicking my ass,” he explains, “so I figured I might as well be dumber than them instead of faster than them.”

Paschoal, 40, has raced in five Single Speed World Championships, including the very first at Big Bear in 1995, and for years helped to organize a Bay Area single speed race called the Crusty Cup. He’ll be racing the SSWC this weekend, but he won’t be anywhere near the front. “Oh, I’ll be last,” he says casually. “I’m always last. Only two finishers get noticed—first and last. And last is a hell of a lot easier to achieve.”

On this night, Paschoal is racing in the weekly Dirt Crits at Santa Rosa’s Howarth Park. Everyone here knows him, and everyone knows he won’t win, but each time he comes around the track, everyone cheers him on, including his two daughters. Friends tell stories about how he’s actually managed in the past to secure sponsorships because he rides slower, and therefore with more logo visibility, than others.

Another single speeder in the Dirt Crits is 31-year-old Chris Wells, riding in sunglasses with no lenses. Wells once rode his bike all the way from his hometown of Wauconda, Ill., to Wauconda, Wash., simply because the town shared the same name. “I’m just this Midwestern mutt from a small town,” he explains. “I thought, ‘What is my heritage?’ So I researched my hometown, and I found out there was another Wauconda, and thought it’d be cool.”

Wells, an employee of the Bike Peddler in Santa Rosa, is registered for this year’s SSWC, and like Paschoal, he has no intention of placing well. “It’s not necessarily the win,” he says, sitting on a picnic table and nursing a Red Hook ESB. “It’s about the culture and the people. Plus, just to finish this race is going to be an accomplishment. There are sections that are super steep, so unless you’re just superhuman, you’re gonna have to walk. And then the descents are really technical and rocky. With 400 people, it’s gonna be this funny promenade.”

Also racing this year is Steve Smith, an employee of Swobo Bikes in Santa Cruz who helped to organize the 2002 SSWC in Downieville, a duty he describes as bittersweet. “It’s sort of like a big, lovable but mangy and amazingly smelly dog,” he says of the race, “and you take care of it for a little while, and you send it on its way, and you’re really glad to see it go.”

As single speeding continues to gain in popularity, Smith is among those who feels the SSWC has gotten too big in recent years. “It was just this thing that we were doing in the margins, totally existing under the radar, and we all knew each other and it was intimate and small, and it was really exciting,” he says. “Now that it’s a bigger and much more broadly recognized aspect of the bicycle world, I don’t know what it’s going to turn into. The irony is that the knucklehead, jock complainer types, they were the ones we were trying to get away from! We wanted to have as little to do with them as possible.”

As this year’s organizer, Inglis knows that maintaining the casual feel of the race is important; he jokes that if a racer shows up on race day with a bike trainer and starts warming up in the parking lot, he’ll disqualify them on the spot. But there are some things, falling in line with the reputation of single speeders, that he can’t police, like the guy from Ohio who gets wasted and drops out after the first lap. “Yeah, I told him I wouldn’t let him in,” Inglis says resignedly. “But, you know, he’s in anyway. And there are plenty of people like that.

“Right before the start,” Inglis continues, “if there are only 390 people, we’re gonna register 10 more people, and we’ll let ’em race. Because I know there’ll be 15 guys that’ll get too drunk. It’s just inevitable.”

The Single Speed World Championship hits town on Sunday, Aug. 24, at Skyline Park in Napa. 10am. $5. See www.sswc08.com for more info.


Get Yer Groove On

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08.20.08

Few would argue the power of song. I still remember many of the lyrics from the Free to Be You and Me record that I played obsessively in my younger years, and, as an adult, counted the days until my own children were over their Rafi phase. (Much to my dismay, the lyrics to “Banana Phone” still come to mind, unbidden, at random and unpredictable times.)

San Geronimo Valley Community Center event programmer Hannah Doress and rock musician Peter Asmus understand this innate connection between children and music. When planning their Aug. 23 Green Note Festival, the two hit upon the brilliance of booking the very fitting children’s music and puppetry act Let’s Go Green. Kicking off the event, Let’s Go Green promises to get the kids dancing and to set the mood for a varied array of musicians who all have one thing in common: a passion for spreading earth activism through song.

I spoke with Doress over the phone about the festival, a celebration of the center’s new solar installation, which is the largest of its kind in West Marin and is located on the Lagunitas School District campus. There are so many great “green” events happening these days, Doress says, but she has never seen one where all of the bands bring their artistic gifts to bear on issues of the earth and environment.

Doress sought to bring together environmental musicians across a variety of genres, and, through much networking and research, managed to pull together an impressive lineup. The well-loved Tom Finch Group headlines, preceded by six other bands, including the high school band Animal Instincts, the retro psychedelic rock and roll outfit Space Debris, the rabid folks of the Rebecca Riots and others. The outdoor courtyard at the Community Center accommodates 600 with a grassy field, a large stage and plenty of room to get your groove on.

The goal of this fundraising event is to raise money to assist in further “greening” of the Community Center, as well as to showcase the solar installation, which will be generating electricity for both the school and the community center with a projected first-year savings of $16,500 for the district.

The installation—made possible by a collaboration between Solar Power Partners, Borrego Solar Systems and the Lagunitas School District—will reduce the school’s CO2 emissions by 100,000 pounds annually, the equivalent of planting 38 acres of trees. An energy panel will cover such topics as how this installation provides a “solar safety net” for the community, explain the “power purchase agreement” approach to financing large solar installations and detail Marin Clean Energy, a program that allows Marin County to claim 100 percent of its electricity from renewable sources.

The Community Center’s School Readiness Program will have activities for the under-five set, and the Youth Center will be on hand, providing activities for those too young for learning about power purchase agreements but too old for preschool play. Because the band Animal Instincts, boasting members from three different Marin high schools, is slated, Doress hopes that teenagers will be on hand as well. In short, this is an event intended to attract a wide range of people—young and old, scientifically inclined or disinclined, and those who just want to get some good eats and a chance to boogie.

The Salmon Protection and Watershed Network, SPAWN, will be giving tours of the school’s rain catchment system that supports the school garden; organic and local food and drink will be provided by Marin Green Cuisine; and a recycled art show and sale will be on display, featuring the work of both established and up-and-coming local artists. San Geronimo is only 15 minutes from San Rafael, and Doress encourages attendees to carpool or catch the Stage, the local bus that runs to San Geronimo. For the sturdier set, free valet bike parking will be made available by the Marin County Bicycle Coalition.

With summer winding down, this is the perfect opportunity to get out and play, while getting a peek at an impressive solar installation all at the same time. Consider this as a chance to explore a neighboring town and support it in its efforts to make the world a cleaner, safer and more welcoming place for all of us.

The Green Note Fest is slated for Saturday, Aug. 23, from 2pm to 8pm. Featured acts include the Tom Finch Group, the Rebecca Riots, Singing Bear, Space Debris, Animal Instincts, Let’s Go Green and Paul Berensmeier. San Geronimo Valley Cultural Center, 6350 Sir Francis Drake Blvd. $12–$25, sliding scale. 415.488.8888.


Fade from Black

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08.20.08

Fall is really the time for the garage-sale stuff the distributors picked up at Toronto and Sundance—and they looked like such bargains at the time (Hamlet 2, Towelhead)! Now is also the time for talking dogs (Beverly Hills Chihuahua, Bolt) and heart-wringers (I’ve Loved You for So Long, The Soloist, literally bringing out the violins). Starred films are recommended, on previews and the track records of the filmmakers alone. Dates are movable things.

Sept. 5 ‘Bangkok Dangerous’ Remake of the Pang Brothers’ Thai gangster movie, starring Nicolas Cage as an enforcer. ‘I Served the King of England’ Director Jirí Menzel (Closely Watched Trains) hits the rails again in this World War II&–era story of a waiter who runs afoul of communists and fascists alike. ‘Ping Pong Playa’ Jessica Yu’s film-festival circuited comedy about a basketball-loving kid who is stuck playing ping-pong. *’Trouble the Water’ Small-camera documentary about the Katrina disaster.

Sept. 12 ‘Burn After Reading’Pitt, Malkovich and Clooney in a Coen Brothers’ story of a CIA memoir that gets loose among the public. ‘The Duchess’ Keira Knightley as the Duchess of Devonshire, the model for Sheridan’s Lady and girlfriend of the Earl Grey (Dominic Cooper).

‘The Family That Preys’ Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodward co-star as the matriarchs of two different and equally troubled families. ‘Righteous Kill’ De Niro and Pacino as New York coppers on the trail of a poetic serial killer who is picking off deserving criminals.

‘The Women’ Diane English (Murphy Brown) does the sisters-are-doing-it-for-themselves remake. Meg Ryan plays the wife who learns that her husband is untrue; Annette Bening, Eva Mendez, Candice Bergen and Jada Pinkett-Smith give her a good pat on the back with a dagger.

Sept. 19 ‘Towelhead’ A Lebanese girl becomes involved with a much older military reservist after she goes to live with her father in a backward Texas suburb. Alan Ball (American Beauty) directs. *’Flow: For the Love of Water’ Irena Salina’s documentary about the global politics of water. ‘Ghost Town’David Koepp’s comedy about a man (Ricky Gervais) who can see dead people—particularly one annoying dead person (Greg Kinnear). *’Igor’ Tim Burton&–lite computer-animated story of a rebellious hunchback (voiced by John Cusack). ‘Lakeview Terrace’ Neil LaBute unleashes the ethnic cleansing of LAPD officer Samuel L. Jackson; Jackson gets to play Othello and Iago at the same time.

‘Management’ Comic romance of two underachievers: a saleswoman (Jennifer Aniston) pursued by a motel owner (Steve Zahn). Woody Harrelson plays the slouchy third man in the triangle. ‘My Best Friend’s Girl’ Dane Cook as an asinine Boston guy who gives newly single girls such bad dates that they go back to their boyfriends.

Sept. 26 ‘Blindness’Central Station‘s Fernando Meirelles’ horror story of a plague of blindness hitting a modern-day city. Only Julianne Moore can see what’s happening. ‘Choke’ Chuck Palahniuk’s dark-comic novel informs this film about a promiscuous weasel (Sam Rockwell) who pays his mother’s medical bills by scamming. ‘Eagle Eye’ Shia LeBeouf and Michelle Monaghan are forced into a bizarre game of Simon Says by a killer who has them both under surveillance.

‘The Lucky Ones’ Three wounded Iraq vets (Rachel McAdams, Tim Robbins and Michael Pena) on a trip across America. *’Miracle at St. Anna’ In 1942, four black GIs are trapped across enemy lines in Tuscany. After publicly donnybrooking Clint Eastwood, Spike Lee’s work is cut out for him. ‘Nights in Rodanthe’ Diane Lane and Richard Gere are reunited; this time, it’s a Brief Encounter romance. ‘The Pool’ In Goa, a poor rural boy becomes fixated with the perfect swimming pool of a wealthy resident.

Oct. 3 ‘Beverly Hills Chihuahua’ In live-action animation, Drew Barrymore is a pampered lapdog who gets stuck in Mexico; an all-star cast of Latino entertainers do the voices. ‘The Express’ Ernie Davis (Rob Brown) was the first black football player to win the Heisman Trophy; Dennis Quaid plays the no-doubt tough-but-fair coach who helped him get there.

‘How to Lose Friends and Alienate People’Screenwriter Peter Straughan adapts Toby Young’s novel about journalism; Simon Pegg stars. ‘Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist’ After-hours romance in New York’s nightclubs and underground clubs with Michael Cera (Superbad) and Kat Dennings. *’Religulous’ Bill Maher and Larry Charles investigate the resurgence of religious fanaticism.

Oct. 10 ‘Body of Lies’ Reporter David Ignatius’ novel about an ex-journalist (Leonardo DiCaprio) recruited by the CIA is the source of this Ridley Scott thriller; Russell Crowe co-stars. *’City of Ember’In a mystical city, the lights are about to go out for good; Bill Murray is the mayor. ‘Rachel Getting Married’ Anne Hathaway gets to play a mean, rehab-prone lady who turns up for her sister’s wedding. Jonathan Demme directs.

Oct. 17 *’Ashes of Time Redux’ Wong Kar-wai’s re-edited 1994 costume martial-arts movie, based on the classic novel The Eagle Shooting Heroes. ‘Flash of Genius’Greg Kinnear strikes again as Robert Kearns, the college professor who invented the intermittent windshield wiper, only to be stiffed by Detroit automakers. ‘Max Payne’ Mark Wahlberg in the film of the video game about a cop turned avenger.

‘The Secret Life of Bees’ Dakota Fanning plays a motherless child in the rural south of 1964. *’W.’ Josh Brolin furrows his brow and utters malapropisms in Oliver Stone’s biopic. As his crew: Thandie Newton as Condi, Toby Jones as “Turd Blossom,” Richard Dreyfus as Cheney and Jeffrey Wright as the longsuffering Colin Powell.

Oct. 24 *’The Brothers Bloom’ Rian Johnson’s (Brick) sophomore film about a group of international con men. *’Passengers’ HBO vet Rodrigo Garcia directs this thriller, in which a group of survivors of a plane crash are debriefed by a therapist (Anne Hathaway). Then they start to disappear one by one. ‘Pride and Glory’ Also shame and ignominy. Saga of an NYPD family over the generations. ‘Saw V’ Litterbugs, jaywalkers and those who don’t cover their mouths when they cough: beware!

Oct. 31 ‘Changeling’ Clint Eastwood’s thriller, based on an L.A. case from the 1920s, features a single mother (Angelina Jolie) whose child comes back strange from a kidnapping. *’I’ve Loved You So Long’ Philippe Claudel follows the adventures of Kristin Scott Thomas as an ex-con trying to re-enter life. ‘RocknRolla’ Guy Ritchie’s thriller about swindlers scrambling after a crooked land deal in London. *’Zack and Miri Make a Porno’ Kevin Smith’s got overworked Seth Rogan and Elizabeth Banks as novice skin-movie makers.

Nov. 7 ‘The Lonely Maiden’ Security guards at a museum miss a painting they used to gaze at—so they heist it. Peter Hewitt (Zoom) directs. *’Quantum of Solace’ James Bond (Daniel Craig) discovers that Mr. White (Jesper Christensen) has a posse. In South America, Austria and Italy, Bond tracks them down in a mission that’s half-vendetta, half-business. The girl in the picture is Camille (Olga Kurylenko). ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ Danny Boyle directs a story about a Mumbai orphan who wants to be a contestant on an Indian game show.

*’Stranded: I Have Come from a Plane That Crashed on the Mountains’ Gonzalo Arijon directs this documentary version of Alive; here are the first-person interviews with the survivors of the 1972 Andes plane wreck. *’Synecdoche, New York’ Charlie Kaufman (Adaptation, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind ) returns with the tale of a drama professor (Philip Seymour Hoffman) who tries to fold a life-size version of New York City into a warehouse.

 

Nov. 14 ‘Australia’ Baz Lurhmann goes old-time-movie big with Nicole Kidman as a high-toned Englishwoman who inherits some Oz land. Hugh Jackman co-stars; both get to witness the famous bombing of Darwin by the Japanese. ‘Role Models’ A pair of slackers are forcibly enlisted into the Big Brothers program. Directed by Stella vet David Wain. *’Soul Men’ The last of Bernie Mac; he plays a music legend who agrees to reconnect onstage with his former partner, Samuel L. Jackson.

Nov. 21 ‘The Soloist’ Joe Wright (Atonement) directs Robert Downey Jr. as a journalist who discovers a former prodigy (Jamie Foxx) living as a homeless violinist on the streets of L.A.


Museums and gallery notes.

Reviews of new book releases.

Reviews and previews of new plays, operas and symphony performances.

Reviews and previews of new dance performances and events.

Duel of the Iron Mic

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Duel of the Iron Mic

08.20.08

Following the Wu-Tang Clan is a full-time job. Since their debut, the hip-hop conglomerate has dropped dozens of collective and solo releases from its eight core members. But most essential is GZA’s 1995 album Liquid Swords, which the master lyricist performs at the Phoenix this Saturday. A strong contender for the greatest Wu-Tang record ever, the set combines GZA’s dark, dense imagery with producer RZA’s sparse, foreboding beats to create a modern-day urban samurai epic.

Liquid Swords’ growing legend is tailor-made for the “live in its entirety” treatment. “Usually you’ll see an artist perform certain songs, and you’re always screaming for something,” says GZA, also known as Genius. “This is great because fans know what’s coming. They’re like, ‘It starts off with this, then this is next—I can’t wait!'”

Many feel he peaked with Swords, but GZA doesn’t mind. “Anytime you’re complimented on any work you do is an inspiration, and it’s a drive,” says the rapper. “As a whole, conceptually, it could be my best. It was stitched together very well, production-wise, but I’m still climbing lyrically.”

Case in point is the aptly titled “Paper Plate” off his brand-new album Pro Tools, which continues GZA’s criticism of the “disposable” music of 50 Cent and G Unit. “Got a few hooks but no jabs / Took ’em out your corndog books and notepads,” he spits over an ominous beat. “I get it, you got rich robbin’ those in the industry / Bite off this one, steal from your enemy.”

GZA’s frustration extends to the entire scene. “I think the state of hip-hop has regressed tremendously over the years,” he says of the genre’s continual hedonism and homogenization. “From a writer’s point of view, it lacks a lot of substance and originality, and is so similar and so identical.”

The frantic state of the record industry doesn’t exactly engender originality, either. “Sony just bought BMG, so there are only three majors now,” notes GZA, who released Pro Tools via Babygrande Records. “Everything is categorized to the point where MCs are just trying to make the ‘club song’ or the ‘radio banger.’ So many dudes are just in it for the money.”

Known as Wu’s best lyricist, GZA considers himself a writer above all else. While congregating the entire Clan together remains a challenge, GZA looks forward to going completely solo on his next album, avoiding the perennial guest spots in hip-hop. “It’s like every album is a compilation and you got 25 people!” he says. “It wasn’t like that in the golden era. When Slick Rick did an album, it was Slick Rick holding it down.”

Whatever the future holds for GZA, his artistry ensures never getting lost in the Wu crowd. “I’m not saying I have all the wisdom, because I’m forever learning,” he insists. “I’m just saying that, on an MC-ing level, I puts it down.”

GZA performs Liquid Swords in its entirety on Saturday, Aug. 23, at the Phoenix Theater, 201 E. Washington St., Petaluma. 8pm. $25. 707.762.3565.


Live Review: Nellie McKay at the Mystic Theatre

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I guess the best way to describe Nellie McKay’s show last night is this: in one minute, she pounded the hell out of her keyboard and screamed into the microphone, “Die, motherfucker, die!!” And in the next minute, she picked up a tiny ukelele and sang a beautiful, you-can-hear-a-pin-drop version of the jazz standard, “If I Had You.”
To a half-full house, Nellie McKay thrilled the Mystic Theater with a firestorm show of original songs from all ends of the spectrum, proving herself yet again as one of the craziest and talented songwriters around today. But it was McKay’s selection of cover songs that offset her quirky material in perfect fashion. “Feed the Birds,” from Mary Poppins, was sung in an amazingly authentic old-British-lady voice, along with “I Love to Laugh,” from the same soundtrack.
After her own topical songs about gay marriage, animal rights and feminism, McKay turned to the crowd and announced, “Here’s a song about illegal immigration!”
The song? “Don’t Fence Me In.”
In a similar sly maneuver, McKay performed the old Ella Fitzgerald tune “Vote for Mr. Rhythm,” with the lines: “Vote for Mr. Rhythm / Let freedom ring / Then we’ll all be singing / Of thee I swing.” This led into a mild he’ll-have-to-do endorsement of Obama—which then mutated into a ferociously passionate endorsement of Ralph Nader (??!). McKay even gyrated with mock lust when she described talking to Nader on the phone, and went on and on about how he’s full of great ideas, and sort of, like, failed to mention his overshadowing legacy to this country of viciously crippling the Democratic Party in the most important election ever. “Oh. Hey!” McKay exclaimed, breaking the uncomfortable silence. “Does anyone here have chipmunks?”
As those who’ve seen her before can attest, McKay is plainly talented. . . and firmly sardonic about it. At one point, the crowd began hooting at a particularly flashy piano solo. “Oh, I’m just faking it!” McKay protested, and then went into a series of famous piano quotes—“Für Elise,” “Take the A Train”—to demonstrate? To refute? Who can tell?
Dressed in a red tasseled flapper dress and playing a Roland keyboard, McKay also told the crowd a long story—in a zombie voice, no less—about her grandma who used to drive up from the armpit of the Bay Area known as Milpitas after it took that title from Pacifica to come to Petaluma to sell Tupperware to ladies in Petaluma and she’d drive her Ford Galaxie which ran so smooth you could balance a dime on the hood and it was the same car her mom would drive years later when she was on acid and it was a great car but the terrible thing is that when her grandma left the ladies from Petaluma said they’d send her the money for the Tupperware but then they never did.
McKay’s own material, like set opener “Ding Dong” and encore “Clonie,” was brilliant as always. “Mother of Pearl,” with its 5,000 tongues in cheek about feminists not having a sense of humor, brought the house down, and “Work Song” turned into a three-part audience sing-along at the end. Nice also to hear “I Wanna Get Married,” previously discussed as a possible Gertrude Niesen tribute, and probably my favorite Nellie McKay song of all time, “Manhattan Avenue.”
Nellie McKay plays this Saturday at the Outside Lands Fetsival; be sure to haul ass from the Lupe Fiasco stage to catch her set.

The Rock-a-Fire Explosion

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I’ve been holding back on this one, waiting for a Monday morning. Nothing to erase the beginning-of-the-week doldrums like an animatronic pizza parlor band doing a spot-on Usher jam. Right?
Warning: pretty much NSFW. No boobs or anything, but you probably don’t want your co-workers to see you losing your shit to a bunch of rapping muppets.

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There’s more, including the Arcade Fire, 2 Live Crew, and the White Stripes, over here.

First Bite

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Wine Tasting Room of the Week

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Dreams of Obama

08.20.08M yths are all-important. Fifty years ago, the mythic Barack Obama existed only as an aspiration, an ideal, in a country where interracial love was taboo and interracial marriage was largely banned.The early Civil Rights movement, the jazz musicians and the Beat poets dreamed up this mythic Obama before the literal Obama could materialize. His African father and white...
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Artful Autumn

08.20.08Compiled by Brodie Jenkins and Cassandra LandrySeptemberSausalito Art Festival Aug. 29&–Sept. 1. Sausalito has long been hailed as an artist's paradise, with its seaside breezes and laid-back environment, so hosting the No. 1 arts fest in all of America is a no-brainer. The winning combo of music and art opens with Robinson's Carusos (Aug. 30) and closes with the...
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Renegade Racing

08.20.08 Small-time Big Time: Napan Curtis Inglis won last year's SSWC 'decider race' in Scotland for his whiskey and jigging prowess, thus bringing this oddly prestigious race home for '08. If you're only gonna beat half the people," Curtis Inglis pronounces, motioning toward the baby-blue women's mountain bike he'll be racing in this year's Single Speed World Championship, "you might...
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Get Yer Groove On

08.20.08Few would argue the power of song. I still remember many of the lyrics from the Free to Be You and Me record that I played obsessively in my younger years, and, as an adult, counted the days until my own children were over their Rafi phase. (Much to my dismay, the lyrics to "Banana Phone" still come to...
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Fade from Black

08.20.08Fall is really the time for the garage-sale stuff the distributors picked up at Toronto and Sundance—and they looked like such bargains at the time (Hamlet 2, Towelhead)! Now is also the time for talking dogs (Beverly Hills Chihuahua, Bolt) and heart-wringers (I've Loved You for So Long, The Soloist, literally bringing out the violins). Starred films are recommended,...
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Duel of the Iron Mic

08.20.08Following the Wu-Tang Clan is a full-time job. Since their debut, the hip-hop conglomerate has dropped dozens of collective and solo releases from its eight core members. But most essential is GZA's 1995 album Liquid Swords, which the master lyricist performs at the Phoenix this Saturday. A strong contender for the greatest Wu-Tang record ever, the set combines GZA's...
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Live Review: Nellie McKay at the Mystic Theatre

I guess the best way to describe Nellie McKay’s show last night is this: in one minute, she pounded the hell out of her keyboard and screamed into the microphone, “Die, motherfucker, die!!” And in the next minute, she picked up a tiny ukelele and sang a beautiful, you-can-hear-a-pin-drop version of the jazz standard, “If I Had You.” To a...
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The Rock-a-Fire Explosion

I've been holding back on this one, waiting for a Monday morning. Nothing to erase the beginning-of-the-week doldrums like an animatronic pizza parlor band doing a spot-on Usher jam. Right? Warning: pretty much NSFW. No boobs or anything, but you probably don't want your co-workers to see you losing your shit to a bunch of rapping muppets. There's more, including the...
Read more
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