Don’t misunderstand. I love P-Town, but last year my love didn’t stop me from spending a considerable amount of my income to get away from it for a long holiday. Maybe if Risibisi on Petaluma Boulevard had opened a year earlier, I’d still have money left over in the travel coffer, because Risibisi is an escape. Walking off the street into this oasis of urbanity is like stracciatelle for the soul, it makes you feel good, with a worldly touch that mom just didn’t have.
The design of the restaurant is carefully thought out and meticulously implemented. It’s shiny clean with an eclectic blend of earthy brick walls and dried flowers juxtaposed with modern art and slick, white light fixtures that resemble space-age chrysanthemums. The sophisticated music sends you drifting into a separate reality from the street just 20 paces away, and if you do what we did and start your meal with a Champagne mojito ($7), you’ll land on Planet Risibisi in no time.
The folks who work and manage Risibisi are natural and friendly, but not so casual that you lose the sense of your own specialness. If it weren’t for the fact that both times I’ve eaten here I’ve seen people that I know, I could have convinced myself that I was in New York, perhaps even Paris.
In order to keep the dishes and ingredients freshly seasonal, the menu changes weekly. On a recent jam-packed Saturday, my friend started with an organic baby beet salad ($7) dressed in a beautiful vinaigrette that coated the arugula and watercress without disguising the greens’ distinctive characteristics. Studded throughout with candied pecans, dry ricotta, beets and blackberries, it had sublime complexity of flavor. I hit it off with Harry’s Bar carpaccio ($10) which was paper thin, Valentine-tender and anointed with a sprinkling of capers, black truffle oil and shaved Parmesan. It was good while it lasted–which wasn’t long.
For main courses, we chose pan-roasted halibut ($18) and butter nut squash ravioli ($14). Despite its long trip from Alaska, the large filet of halibut was exquisitely fresh and came with grilled asparagus and a portobello mushroom imbued with the sweet flavor of fresh thyme. The little swizzle of lobster bisque at the bottom added a nice visual component, but did little to impart additional taste.
My ravioli came packed with a wonderfully rich squash purée, and the pasta reminded me of the stuff from an ancient ravioli factory in Eureka that my dad once doted on. The lovely red chard underneath added an interesting earthiness to the dish. Dusted with spices and glazed with browned butter, the pasta pillows set the stage for the autumn that’s just at our doorstep.
The pistachio crème brûlée ($6) and the warm Mission fig strudel ($7) sounded good enough to tempt, but they were somewhat of a letdown. If you’re hungry for a sweet after, stick with the superb vanilla gelato.
Risibisi is a fine addition to the downtown P-Town scene. In addition to dinner, I’ve also enjoyed a wonderful lunch there, featuring a very reasonable $12 two-course prix fixe menu. My next frontier will be the Sunday brunch, which makes its debut on Sundays at 10am. The menu promises crêpes, omelettes and frittata, and because I’ll use any excuse to travel, I’ll be there.
Risibisi, 154 Petaluma Blvd. N., Petaluma. Open for lunch Monday-Friday; dinner, daily. Sunday brunch begins at 10am. 707.766.7600.
Quick-and-dirty dashes through North Bay restaurants. These aren’t your standard “bring five friends and order everything on the menu” dining reviews.
Letters to the Editor
Baggin’ on Byrne
Last week’s Bohemian featured another that illustrates the need for a decisive change by the editors of the paper (“Election Blues,” Nov. 1).
In that piece, Byrne attempts to slime councilman Mike Healy of Petaluma for refusing to talk with him. As an ally of Mike Healy, who has been supportive of the living wage ordinance in Petaluma, and as another victim who has been dragged through the Byrne mud-pit, I can attest that the primary mistake that we both made was to talk with Byrne in the first place. I have had hostile interviews with Fox News-type right-wingers that were more fair and balanced than the hatchet job that Byrne metes out to anyone who makes the mistake of granting him an interview.
It’s too bad, in a way, that after lacking significant political content for years, the Bohemian made such a bad choice for a political columnist when they hired Byrne. Although he has done some interesting pieces on national political issues, similar material is widely available on the Net. What the Bohemian really needs is someone who is part of the real progressive movement in the North Bay and is committed to the patient, long-term process of developing the broad coalition of labor, environmental, religious and social justice groups necessary to build a progressive majority.
I can supply, on request, a short list of qualified local activist writers for the position who are actually part of the movement and can perform a constructive role.
Ben Boyce, Sonoma
Peter Byrne is a multi-award-winning investigative journalist who is rabid for the truth, tolerates duplicity not at all and whose best stuff cannot indeed be found “widely available on the Net.” An independent columnist, rather than one who is entrenched in area politics, makes for a tougher and ultimately fairer voice.
Greek Defamation league
Alastair Bland’s (Oct. 18) miserably fails in its attempt at humor and at times is downright offensive. It is unclear why this article was printed, for it offers neither an educated view of the Odyssey nor an accurate description of Greece. By using a poem thousands of years old as a tour guide to contemporary Greece, this article discredits the Odyssey for what it truly is–a heroic tale of an epic journey. Ignorant remarks are made about the mighty Odysseus; he is likened to a “handsome brute,” while his men are called “rambunctious tourists.” Tourists! These men were veterans of Troy, heroes in their day, striving to return home with their spoils!
Midway through the article, while criticizing the lack of hospitality he encountered on his journey, Bland remarks, “There were only six occasions when friendly strangers invited me in for the night.” Not only does this statement suggest that the writer felt entitled to receive such hospitality as was described in the Odyssey, but it also discredits those who were kind enough to generously share their homes with him. On the whole, I found “Mythic Journey” to be written in a snobbish and unbearably sophisticated manner.
Samantha Sharpe, San Rafael
Mythic injury
Alastair Bland decided to travel to Greece and used the Odyssey as a travel guide, to follow Odysseus’ footsteps. It is a clever concept, but Bland approached it the wrong way. His writing expresses a point of view that is degrading to the Greek culture. Bland’s tone is very condescending to the Greek people as a whole, insulting their food, customs and language. He says, “It was a challenge, this strange archaic language, for English has grown mostly from Latin and Germanic roots. . . .”
Coincidentally, “archaic” is actually from Greek roots, but he does not mention this. And we owe much of our mathematical and scientific language to the Greeks. The Greek language is also not archaic, as people still speak it today. Bland’s article is trying to be ironic and sarcastic, but it just comes off as belittling and insulting to Greece. Next time, your staff should think of how such a tone can deeply anger and hurt someone of different origin than American.
One more thing, “sarcasm” is also from Greek roots.
Remy Wallace, San Rafael
No, no, no! This was our Lit issue. We mixed it up with a foodalogue that included Lit. Given the volume of women from San Rafael writing to us about this (six letters unprinted), we humbly hang a head and say: We apologize to the great country and great people of Greece. Geez.
Keep up the good work, indeed!
I just wanted to thank you and let you know that I very much enjoyed (“Iraq the Vote,” Nov. 1), particularly the tid-bit about Measure R. I very much look forward to riding that train as well, and am well aware of the fact that it is only a drop in the bucket of what we have to accomplish to solve all of our planning mistakes of the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s, ’80s, ’90s and even ’00s. Keep up the good work.
Brian Lamoreaux, Mill Valley
We love you, Brian.
Deck the Hols
Visions of Sugar Plums
Break Move over Stomp!, as Break, an innovative new hip-hop ensemble, percuss and jump through 30 years of hip-hop history. Many of the artists honed their chops as Madonna’s and Janet Jackson’s backup dancers. A live DJ makes the mix happen. Sunday, Nov. 19, at 3pm. Marin Center, 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael. $20-$50. 415.499.6800.
‘The Nutcracker’ Stapleton Ballet includes some hundred dancers and guest artists, and beautifully crafted costumes and scenery. Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 2-3, at 1pm and 5pm. Marin Center’s Veterans Memorial Auditorium, 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael. $16-$28; Sugar Plum party after 1pm performance, $10. 415.472.3500.
‘The Nutcracker’ Marin Ballet presents lavish, full-length production of classic ballet. Meet the cast and see a puppet show at the Candy Cane parties following the matinees. Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 9-10, at 1pm and 5pm. Marin Center’s Veterans Memorial Auditorium, 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael. $19-$31; Candy Cane party after 1pm performance, $8. 415.499.6800.
‘The Nutcracker’ Ballet Califia presents holiday classic as envisioned by company director David McNaughton. Friday-Sunday, Dec. 15-17. Friday at 8pm; Saturday at 2:30pm and 8pm; Sunday at 2:30pm. Spreckels Performing Arts Center, 5409 Snyder Lane, Rohnert Park. $12-$16. 707.588.3430.
‘Sophie and the Enchanted Toy Shop’ Marin Dance Theatre presents full-length, two-act children’s ballet in which a magical toymaker whisks young Sophie away to a winter wonderland. Saturday, Dec. 16, at 1pm and 5pm; special Teddy Bear Tea Party after 1pm performance. Marin Center, 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael. $16-$30. 415.499.6800.
‘The Nutcracker’ Napa Regional Dance Company continues a family tradition with an emphasis on stunning sets and costumes, as well as, of course, dance. Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 16-17. Saturday at 12:30pm and 6pm; Sunday at 2pm. Lincoln Theater, 100 California Ave., Yountville. $15-$25. 707.944.1300.
‘Tapcracker’ Tap-dance version of ye olde favorite offers updated version with rappin’ mice and Sugar Plum Barbies. Saturday, Dec. 16, at 2pm and 5:30pm. Marin Center Showcase Theater, 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael. $12-$20. 415.499.6800.
Little Ones’ Wonder
‘Little One Inch’ Youth in Arts Performing Arts Series and Tears of Joy Theatre present the puppet adventures of Issun, a little boy who, after proving his strength by defeating a rat, is called upon to save Japan from a great ogre. Two shows on Tuesday, Nov. 28, at the Marin Center’s Showcase Theater. 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael. 9:30am and 11am. $4-$8.50. 415.457.4878.
Bay Area Discovery Museum Blizzard of events for the young ones includes Gingerbread Architectural Extravaganza (Nov. 25-26, Dec. 2-3, 9-10, 16-17, 19-23), The Snowcat with flugelhornist Dmitri Matheny (Dec. 16-17, 27-29) and a special Kwanzaa hip-hop dance performance (Dec. 26). Discovery Museum, Fort Baker, 557 McReynolds Road, Sausalito. $7-$9. 415.927.0960.
Fred Garbo Inflatable Theatre Co. “Pnuematic wizard” Fred Garbo has convinced a beautiful Brazillian ballerina to once again take a chance on a fast-paced show involving his inflatable objects (many of them he wears), much juggling and, of course, her dance. Sunday, Dec. 3, at 2pm. Napa Valley Opera House, 1030 N. Main St., Napa. $15-$25. 707.226.7372.
Yes Please, Shopping!
Gifts ‘n’ Tyme Holiday Faire This fair features 82 booths and home-baked goodies by the greater Napa Valley Lion’s Club. Start your shopping with handmade craft items. Friday-Sunday, Nov. 17-19. Friday, 10am to 7pm; Saturday, 10am to 6pm; Sunday, 10am to 4pm. Napa Valley Exposition, 575 Third St., Napa. Free. 925.372.8961.
Holiday Pottery Sale The Sonoma Community Center offers one-of-a-kind handmade goods by local artists and pottery students. Friday-Saturday, Nov. 17-18. Friday, 11am to 3pm; Saturday, 9am to 3pm. Sonoma Community Center, 276 E. Napa St., Sonoma. Free. 707.938.4626.
Christmas Crafts Fair Hourly door prizes, imported items from around the world and a plethora of homemade crafts and artisanal offerings mark this event, partially benefiting the Russian River Watershed Protection Committee. Friday-Sunday, Nov. 24-26. 10am to 5pm. Sebastopol Veterans Building, 282 High St. $2-$3; under 12, free. 707.869.0054.
Holiday Festival Marin Art and Garden Center hosts festive shopping with annual greens sale, as well as baked goods, an open house, a toy drive and their newest tradition, the Teddy Bear Tea. Friday-Saturday, Dec. 1-2, 10am to 4pm. Tea, Saturday only, two seatings, noon and 2pm. Special tea craft this year is teddy bear making; $25. 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Ross. 415.455.5260.
Harmony Winter Festival Revamped winter crafts fair draws heavily from the ideas that work so well at its summertime compadre, the Harmony Festival. New this year is free admission and parking, as well as a renewed emphasis on locally made and one-of-a-kind items. The live music schedule is stellar, featuring the Waybacks, Keola Beamer, Gator Beat and “A Jewish Music Celebration” with the hottest in klezmer sounds. Fairy-tale costumed characters will stroll the hall, and the National Puppet Theater will creates its version of The Nutcracker. Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 2-3 and 9-10 at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds, Grace Pavilion, 1350 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa. Free. www.harmonyfestival.com.
Dance Palace Holiday Crafts Fair One of our personal favorites, this shopping mecca gathers some 40 high-level craftspeople under one roof for some groovy early-season shopping. Friday-Sunday, Dec. 2-4. Friday, 3pm to 9pm; Saturday-Sunday,10am to 5pm. Dance Palace, Fifth and B streets, Pt. Reyes Station. Free. 415.663.1475.
December in Calistoga Community Christmas bazaar now in its 37th year offers artisan-made art, crafts, jewelry, ornaments and other treats. Santa will also be there for photographic opportunities. Saturday, Dec. 2. Crafts fair, Napa County Fairgrounds, 1435 Oak St., Calistoga. 9am to 4pm. Parade, down Lincoln Avenue, 6pm to 7pm. Both events free. 707.942.4232.
Goddess Crafts Faire Winter solstice Goddess Crafts Faire celebrates 12th year of handmade gifts by local and regional women, as well as live music, tarot readings and food. Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 2-3, 10am to 6pm. Sebastopol Community Center, 390 Morris St. 707.829.3938.
Muir Beach Quilters Quilt artists and other artisans gather at 34th event with handicrafts of all kinds and free activities for the kids. Perfect complement to a day at the beach; free shuttle from Muir Beach parking lot. Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 2-3. Saturday, 11am to 5pm; Sunday, 10am to 4pm. Muir Beach Community Center, 19 Seascape Drive. Free. 415.383.6762.
Dickens of Holiday Crafts Fair Featuring juried work by some 60 craftspeople, offering everything from glass to woodwork to ceramics to clothing and more. Live music enlivens. Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 2-3, Saturday, 9am to 5pm, Sunday, 10am to 4pm. Finley Community Center, 2060 W. College Ave., Santa Rosa. $2; under 18, free. 707.543.3737.
Occidental Holiday Crafts Faire The diversity of West County glows with this one-of-a-kind crafts and gifts. Santa and the missus are in attendance, and Faire Cafe is open. Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 9-10, Saturday, 10am to 5pm, Sunday, 10am to 4pm. Occidental Community Center, corner of Graton Road and Bohemian Highway. Free. 707.874.9407.
Merrily & Caroling
Holiday in Carneros South Napa comes alive at annual Holiday in Carneros Open House to benefit college scholarships for those planning to study wine. Participating wineries include Ceja, MacRostie, Schug, Buena Vista and many others, with special tastings, live music and other treats. Saturday-Sunday, Nov. 18-19, from 10am to 4pm. $25. www.carneroswineries.org.
Healdsburg Holiday Party Town celebrates with refreshments, music, horse-drawn carriage rides and more. Friday, Nov. 24, from 5pm to 9pm. Free. 707.433.6935.
Heart of Sonoma Open House Open house festivities with 22 wineries throughout valley opening their doors to benefit the Redwood Empire Food Bank and make holiday shopping all the easier. Wineries include Arrowood, B.R. Cohn, Eric Ross, Landmark (Saturday only), Loxton and many others. Friday-Saturday, Nov. 24-25, 11am to 4:30pm. $20 per drinker; $10, designated driver. 866.794.9463.
Festival of Lights Yountville is magnificently illuminated at annual event as Washington Street is closed to traffic–with the exception of horse-drawn buggies. Caroling, costumed characters, dancers and food booths complete evening’s glitter. Friday, Nov. 24, from 2pm. Downtown Yountville, Washington Street. Free. 707.944.0904.
Parade of Lights All of northern Healdsburg lights up when Trentadue Winery, Chateau Souverain and Simi host family-oriented event for local charities. Santa will be in merry evidence and a trolley shuttles holiday-goers from place to place. Friday, Dec. 1, from 5pm to 8:30pm. Free; $5 tasting fee may apply. www.trentadue.com.
Light Up a Life Hospice helps to honor lives lost in annual candle- and tree-lighting ceremony. Friday-Sunday, Dec. 1-3, in different locations. Friday, at 7pm, Center Park, the strip of trees outside of McNear’s and the Mystic Theatre on Petaluma Boulevard South, Petaluma. Saturday at 6pm, Railroad Square, Third Street, downtown Santa Rosa. Sunday at 6pm, Star of the Valley, Oakmont. Free. 707.778.6242.
Holiday B&B Play resident tourist and plan the next weekend getaway when Napa B&Bs open their doors for an open-house holiday tour, replete with winemakers, chefs, food pairings, live music and other surprises. Saturday, Dec. 2, from 3pm to 8pm. $25-$35. www.napaholidaytour.com.
Luther Burbank Open House Annual festive community celebration, themed for the Victorian era and hosted by costumed docents. Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 2-3, 10am to 4pm. Luther Burbank Home and Gardens, Santa Rosa and Sonoma avenues, Santa Rosa. Free. 707.524.5445.
Victorian Tea Petaluma Historical Society and Museum holds its annual high English cream tea, replete with dainty sandwiches, scones, fine china and de rigueur costumed maids. Sunday, Dec. 3. Two seatings, at noon to 3pm. 20 Fourth St., Petaluma. $40. 707.778.4398.
Cirque on Ice Ice show that adds acrobats, contortionists and aerialists to the mix, guaranteeing that the word “spectacle” is not hyperbole. Wednesday-Thursday, Dec. 6-7, at the Lincoln Theater. 100 California Drive, Yountville. $30-$50; not recommended for children under eight. 707.944.1300.
Windsor Open House Old downtown Windsor (brand-spanking-new Windsor), hosts merchant open house with horse-drawn carriages, trolley rides and the Claus family. Santa and the missus arrive at 6:15pm to light the tree on the Windsor town green. Thursday, Dec. 7, from 5pm to 8pm. Free. 707.838.1260.
Petaluma Boat Parade Local watercraft wait for sundown to show their true colors in splendid nighttime display. Saturday, Dec. 9. Parade begins at the Petaluma Marina at 5:30pm and arrives at the Turning Basin downtown around 6:30pm. Free. Pssst: the best place to watch is the launch at Papa’s Taverna. 707.769.0429.
Victorian Inns Holiday Tour Six grand Victorian Inns in Healdsburg will be open to the public during this free tour. Sunday, Dec. 10, from 2pm to 4pm, rain or shine. 707.433.8182.
‘Sister Christmas Catechism’ It’s CSI: Bethlehem when Sister Christmas Catechism examines the nativity scene for clues as to what happened to the Magi’s gold, in a bit of audience-reactive tomfoolery subtitled The Mystery of the Magi’s Gold. Expect to perform, receive a gift, sing carols and even eat dessert. Dec. 12-13, 15-16 and 19-22. Napa Valley Opera House, 1030 N. Main St., Napa. 7:30pm; matinee on Saturday, Dec. 16, at 2pm. $35. 707.226.7372.
Fa La La La La
Cypress String Quartet New music ensemble are artists-in-residence at San Jose State University. To celebrate their 10th anniversary, they premiere new work by George Tsontakis as part of the Santa Rosa Concert Association package; individual tickets available. Monday, Nov. 20, at the Wells Fargo Center. 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa. 7:30pm. $16-$120. 707.546.3600.
Bach Christmas Celebration Santa Rosa Symphony and the Sonoma County Bach Choir team up to offer three concerts in honor of Monteverdi and the 1610 Vespers. Baroque at its finest. Friday-Sunday, Dec. 1-3. Friday, St. Vincent de Paul Church, 35 Liberty St., Petaluma. Saturday, St. Eugene’s Cathedral, 2323 Montgomery Drive, Santa Rosa. Sunday, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, 8400 Old Redwood Hwy., Windsor. All performances at 8pm. $20. 707.546.8742.
Chamber Singers Sonoma County Chamber Singers chorale ensemble present work under the theme “The Gift of Music,” featuring work by Tomas Luis de Victoria, Healey Willan, Alfred Burt, Morten Lauridsen and their composer-in-residence, Janis Wilson. Friday-Sunday, Dec. 1-3. Friday at 8pm, Community Church of Sebastopol, 1000 Gravenstein Hwy. N., Sebastopol. Saturday at 2pm, the Glaser Center, 547 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa. Sunday at 4pm, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 1300 St. Francis Road, Santa Rosa. Free; donations accepted. 707.837.8984.
Sister Hazel & Gin Blossoms Firefighters’ Toys for Kids Drive, Les Schwab and the MIX 104.9-FM sponsor concert to raise toys for holidays. Saturday, Dec. 2, at the Wells Fargo Center, 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa. 8pm. $10. 707.546.3600.
Concerts by Candlelight Marin Symphony’s holiday concert is once again held by candlelight and features the Marin Symphony Chamber Chorus and Chantons, a choral ensemble composed entirely of teenaged women. Hanukkah music and a sing-along complete the evening. Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 2-3. Saturday at 7:30pm; Sunday at 4pm. Church of Saint Raphael, 104 Fifth Ave., San Rafael. $25. 415.479.8100.
Christmas Jug Band The ever-changing lineup of holiday merry-music makers might include the likes of Dan Hicks, Austin deLone, Norton Buffalo, Tim Eschliman and who knows who. Enjoy some irreverence with your eggnog this season. The lads begin the tomfoolery with a bit of grit on Thursday, Dec. 7, at the 2AM Club in Mill Valley. The family show is on Sunday, Dec. 10, at the 142 Throckmorton in Mill Valley. Adults welcomed back on Saturday, Dec. 16, at the Mystic Theater in Petaluma. Gigs conclude with three-day stand Dec. 20-22, at the Sweetwater Saloon in Mill Valley. Check www.christmasjugband.com for details.
Holiday Chorale Napa Valley Chorale under the direction of Jan Lanterman presents a slate of holiday music. Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 9-10. Saturday at 7pm, Sunday at 2pm. Jarvis Conservatory, 1711 Main St., Napa. 7pm. $35; includes refreshments. 707.255.5445.
Sing-Along ‘Messiah’ Sebastopol Center for the Arts invites all to raise a joyful noise with Handel’s Messiah under the direction of John Maas. Rehearsal: Sunday, Dec. 3, from 4pm to 6pm. SCA, 6780 Depot St. Event: Saturday, Dec. 9, at the United Methodist Church, 500 N. Main St., Sebastopol. $6-$15. 707.829.4797.
Chanticleer Men’s chorus blend traditional carols, Medieval and Renaissance sacred works and spirituals. Sunday, Dec. 10. Two performances, 6pm and 8:30pm. St. Vincent de Paul Church, 35 Liberty St., Petaluma. $25-$42. 415.252.8589.
A VOENA Christmas VOENA (Voices of Eve ‘N Angels), an internationally acclaimed multi-ethnic children’s choir, mixes song with dance, a cappella, percussion and theatrics. Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 16-17 at 3pm. COPIA, 500 First St., Napa. $22.50-$25. 707.265.5979.
Klezmatics’ Happy Joyous Hanukkah Klezmer music, traditional Hanukkah songs and, yes indeedy, Woody Guthrie are all celebrated at this dizzying holiday show. Saturday, Dec. 16, at the 142 Throckmorton Theatre. 142 Throckmorton Ave., Mill Valley. 8pm. $35-$45. 415.383.9600. Catch them the next day at the Napa Valley Opera House on Sunday, Dec. 17, at 2pm. 1030 Main St., Napa. $30-$35. 707.226.7372.
‘Tis the Season, in the Spirit Over a hundred joyful singers from the five youth and adult choral ensembles of SingersMarin present a holiday choral concert with familiar Christmas and Hanukkah songs. Sunday, Dec. 17, at the Marin Center. 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael. 4pm. $18-$28. 415.499.6800.
Collin Raye Family Christmas Tour Country star brings best-loved favorites to life in this family-friendly concert replete with a full orchestra. Monday, Dec. 18, at the Wells Fargo Center, 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa. 8pm. $45-$85; a portion of the proceeds benefit the Children’s Hunger Fund. 707.546.3600.
Symphonic Chorus Santa Rosa Symphonic Chorus, under direction of Dan Earl, present Sing-Along Messiah. The Baroque Sinfonia directed by Nicholas Xenelis will appear with the Chorus along with guest soloists. Wednesday, Dec. 20, at the Santa Rosa High School Auditorium, 1235 Mendocino Ave. 8pm. $15-$20. 707.546.2723.
Brian Setzer Orchestra Former Stray Cat front man brings his jive-jumpin’ holiday show back for the fifth year in a row. Dig that crazy Christmas! Wednesday, Dec. 20, at the Wells Fargo Center, 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa. 8pm. $45-$85. 707.546.3600.
The Kinsey Sicks America’s favorite dragapella beauty-shop quartet present Oy Vey in a Manger, an over-the-top production featuring such classics as “Harried Little Christmas.” Thursday, Dec. 21, at COPIA. 500 First St., Napa. 8pm. $22.50-$25. 707.265.5979.
Woody Allen & His New Orleans Jazz Band Allen and his sextet usually head for Europe in the winter, thank you very much, but hang stateside this holiday, bringing their Naw’lins sound to the 142 Throckmorton Theatre on Friday, Dec. 22. 142 Throckmorton Ave., Mill Valley. 8pm. Price TBA. 415.383.9600. Allen and the boys travel east the next day to perform on Saturday, Dec. 23, at the Napa Valley Opera House. Napa Valley Opera House, 1030 N. Main St., Napa. 8pm. $150. 707.226.7372.
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.
Strong Persuader
Yank: A seven night gig with Clapton gave Cray the confidence to record live. The result is superb.
By Alan Sculley
Fans who have seen the current edition of the Robert Cray Band know that one of the real attractions is to listen to how the four band members play together, support each individual instrument and serve each song. Onstage, the spontaneous chemistry between guitarist and singer Cray, keyboardist Jim Pugh, drummer Kevin Hayes and bassist Karl Sevareid is blatantly obvious. But even after having played more than a thousand shows with this lineup, Cray himself has never fully appreciated how his band play together until he started listening to tracks for his new concert CD, Live from Across the Pond.
“There are a lot of things you don’t realize that go on when you’re performing,” Cray says. “I mean, I’m at the microphone and I’m playing guitar, and I hear the support, but then again I don’t really hear it because I’m concentrating on what I have to do. It wasn’t until I sat down and listened to each one of these tracks and just heard all of us playing together instead of me being a part of it at that particular time. I listened to the bass. I listened to what the bass was doing with the drums. I listened to what the keyboard player was doing with the bass and what the two of them were doing with the drums and what my rhythm was doing with the rest of it. I thought, ‘This is pretty funky.'” Cray brings the band to the Mystic Theater on Nov. 13.
Perhaps more than Cray’s dozen studio albums, Live from Across the Pond showcases the interplay between the band members. The spare setting of “The One in the Middle,” for instance, offers an example of how Sevareid’s bass line not only helps anchor the song, but plays off both Cray’s guitar runs and Pugh’s churchlike organ solo. On “Time Makes Two,” the four musicians work off of Hayes’ booming beat to gradually build to the song’s dramatic finish.
Furthermore, Live from Across the Pond is the first live CD from Cray in a career that now stretches more than 30 years. He formed his first version of the Robert Cray Band in 1974, and with key members of his original band, enjoyed a major commercial breakthrough with the 1986 album Strong Persuader.
With the 1990 CD, Midnight Stroll, Hayes and Pugh joined, while Sevareid replaced long-time bassist Richard Cousins on the 1992 CD, I Was Warned. The core lineup has been together ever since.
The idea of doing a live album was not new to Cray, but previous shows that were recorded just didn’t pass muster. One key reason, Cray says, is that when the tape is rolling, he’s felt the pressure of delivering a top performance.
“We’ve had problems with that in the past, trying to just record a single show,” Cray says. “For some strange reason, it’s a complete psyche-out. You know it in advance and you get all wound up and tight–I’m speaking for myself–and I’ve even kind of lost my voice in anticipation.”
But the band’s seven-night-stand opening for Eric Clapton earlier this year at London’s Royal Albert Hall offered a way to overcome some of the problems of past recording attempts. For one thing, it eliminated the all-or-nothing pressure of needing to nail a single concert for a live release. Cray said the band members were also focused first and foremost on trying to deliver as Clapton’s opening act, and this almost made the recording seem secondary.
Pulling songs from various nights on the seven-show stand, the CD’s 14 songs span Cray’s entire career. “It’s pretty varied with the songs throughout the years,” Cray says “So what I had to do was sift through the various versions of songs and pick out what I felt were the best performances of the particular songs. And some of them, night to night, varied and were good in their own ways. It made it kind of difficult.
“But there were little things, like for example, the song ‘Our Last Time.’ On the CD now, it’s the version where Jim Pugh plays a solo on organ, whereas he normally plays it on his piano. Since he played it on the organ, I thought that would be a nice change of pace. So there were little things like that that popped out. Basically, what I was looking for was the performance.”
The Robert Cray Band perform on Monday, Nov. 13, at 8pm. Mystic Theater, 21 Petaluma Blvd. N., Petaluma. $35; all ages. Opening band TBA. 707.765.2121.
Happy Humbug
What the Dickens! He who lived a portion ofhis life in debtor’s prison naturally devised timeless Christmas tales.
By David Templeton
Unless you’re one of those annoying Frank Capra-type people who can actually look beyond the blaring din of piped-in Christmas carols, the aggravating rudeness of overworked store clerks, the heavily increased traffic of roadways and shopping malls, and somehow focus on things like love and family and togetherness and eggnog, you probably dread the coming of the winter holidays like the rest of us sensibly grouchy human beings who secretly wish that Santa Claus had never been born, that all snowmen everywhere would melt into carrot-seasoned puddles, that everyone who goes about with “Merry Christmas” on their lips could be boiled in their own pudding and buried with a stick of holly through their hearts . . .
All right, then. Are we in the mood for A Christmas Carol yet?
Some of us find that, when attending the annual pageant of Dickensian holiday inspiration that is A Christmas Carol, it enhances the fun to enter the theater identifying as strongly as possible with cranky old Ebenezer Scrooge, rather than to start right out with a heart brimming like Tiny Tim. This way, our expectations are almost always exceeded, and once the ghosts appear and Tim starts blessing everyone, and the sweet-and-gooey climax kicks into high cheery gear, we get to experience our hearts melting and our spirits rising right along with the Scroogester. Some have found that it’s helpful to start getting in the Ebenezer mood immediately after Halloween, and then practice our bah, humbugs on everybody at Thanksgiving dinner.
That said, it would be a waste of all that cranked-up ill will to end up missing the big show, so we’ve created a little reminder for you, with information about the local productions of A Christmas Carol (there are two of them this year), plus details on a few of the other charmingly entertaining, chock-full-of-goodness holiday shows occurring in the North Bay.
The longest running version of ‘A Christmas Carol’ is the one at the Sonoma County Repertory Theater in Sebastopol, where an especially tight adaptation, by Preston Lane and Jonathan Moscone, plays to packed houses every Christmas. Directed by Jennifer King and Scott Phillips, the Rep’s version of the show has become known for its high-energy Victorian dancing and party game scenes–and super-scary Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. The show runs Nov. 24-Dec. 23. 104 N. Main St., Sebastopol. Call 707.823.0177 or visit www.the-rep.com.
A very different version of ‘A Christmas Carol’ makes its debut in the North Bay at the capable hands of the Roustabout Theater company, whose “apprentice” version of Little Shop of Horrors was an unexpectedly enormous draw last spring. The new version is something along the lines of word-by-word theater, in that the script and the dialogue is taken verbatim from Dickens’ novel, read and acted out by a shape-shifting cast of talented teens and youngsters. The program, which runs Dec. 8-17, will be staged at the Luther Burbank Art & Garden Center, 2050 Yulupa Ave., Santa Rosa. Call 707.527.0983 or check www.roustabout-theater.org.
As beloved as Dickens, yet lacking in ghosts, graves and the chains of hell, is Charles M. Schulz’s ‘Charlie Brown Christmas.’ In its annual animated television form, Charlie has become as integral a part of the season as candy canes and hyped-up toddlers on Christmas Eve. Before his death, Schulz collaborated with local director Mollie Boice on a stage version of the celebrated short. The world premiere will finally take place this Christmas, with Boice directing a seasoned team of actors from the Sonoma County Rep’s energetic Theater for Young Audiences troupe. Charlie Brown will save that famous Christmas tree twice a day on Saturdays, Nov. 18-Dec. 30.
Finally, for a bit of holiday weirdness, the place to be in recent years has been out by the Russian River, where the marvelously eccentric Pegasus Theater holds an annual variety ‘Hollyday’ show extravaganza. This year, it features elves and reindeer gang-fighting to music from West Side Story, Santa going head-to-head with the Dalai Lama (make that the “Jolly Lama”), with lots of lively choir music, quirky political satire, cute little children and singing-and-dancing Hanukkah candles. Written by Andrea van Dyke and Steven Fowler, the popular show gets five performances only, Dec. 9-17. 20347 Hwy. 116, Monte Rio. Call 707.522.9043 or visit www.pegasustheater.com.
Till then, practice that humbug. You’ll be thankful you did.
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.
Rice Dream
Heady stuff: A traditional drink for centuries, sake has been enormously refined in just the last 30 years.
By Molly Jackel
Many moons ago, I sat down to a Sunday afternoon sake tasting at the Ume Japanese Bistro in Windsor. The two things I remember most about that day are that (1) I’ve never been so plowed in broad daylight and (2) how shocked I was at the drastic difference in taste between one type of sake and another. C’mon, it’s just rice!
Seio Shimada of World Sake Imports hosted the event. (He was also involved in the giant “Joy of Sake” tasting at the Moscone Center this last August). Shimada presented a history of sake and explained the preparation and brewing processes while leading us graciously through a sake and food pairing.
We tasted selections from the three basic categories of premium sake, which are classified by the amount of polishing or milling of the rice grain. There are about 65 varieties of sake rice, some more valued than others. Like grapes, different rice strains grow best in particular regions. Premium sake is brewed with special rice in which the starch component is concentrated at the center of the grain, with proteins, fats and amino acids toward the outside. The polishing removes these “impurities” from the outer layers of the sake rice, which can affect fermentation and flavor. This also leaves just the starchy core, which is what eventually ferments. The more polishing, the purer the starch, and subsequently the cleaner, more refined the flavor. The three main types of premium sake, in descending order of refinement, are daiginjo, ginjo and junmai.
Premium sakes make up only 20 percent of all sake, the other 80 percent being something akin to table wine with much added alcohol and sometimes even sugars; this is the sake you might find served hot. In fact, serving piping hot sake is a holdover from times when brewing was not as refined as it is today. Even 30 years ago, sake was far rougher, fuller and sweeter, a profile more suited to warming than sipping cold. Heating sake is still common practice for making lower-grade sakes more palatable. However, most good sake tastes best slightly chilled. Ginjo sakes with a floral or fruity flavor are best lightly chilled, while earthier junmai and honjozu sakes with more rice flavor are good either warm or cold, but should never be served hot.
The history of sake is unclear. One historian believes that leftover cooked rice was left out long enough to get moldy; people noticed that moldy rice tasted sweet and smelled alcoholic. At some point before the third century B.C., these observations led to a technique for producing alcohol.
The first sake widely made was called kuchikami no sake, or “chewing in the mouth sake,” because people would chew the rice, spit it into a tub and the enzymes from the saliva would begin the fermentation process. Shimada claimed that in the early days, the finest sakes were spawned by a virgin in a white kimono with a cheekful of rice and a spittoon.
Several centuries later, whole villages of folks chewing and spitting for the sake of sake became obsolete when the koji mold, which supplies the enzyme that converts the rice starch to sugar, was discovered. By the seventh century A.D., sake’s popularity warranted full-time brewers at the Imperial Palace, leading to further advances in technique. The 20th century brought great technological strides in brewing. The first sake tasting and competition was held in 1907; yeast strains specific to brewing were isolated, and the wooden barrels considered unhygienic were replaced with enamel-lined steel tanks.
The subtle flavors and aromas of premium sake complement so perfectly the delicate flavors of Japanese food, that it’s like they were made just for sushi. All the sakes that Shimada poured on that storied Sunday had a clean earthiness like the sweet smell after a rain or of a foggy morning–understated, clean and sweet–not so different from many things traditionally Japanese, the subtle beauty of which seems to call for a quieting of the mind and a honing of observations.
We started with the top of the line, a Daiginjo Hoyo Kura no Hana “Fair Maiden.” This one was fragrant and exceedingly light with just a hint of sweetness. It was paired with a super-fresh Fanny Bay oyster, which was also slightly sweet; neither eclipsed the other. This kind of sake works well served with shellfish or white fish sashimi.
Next came a Ginjo Dewazakura Dewasansan. This was fuller bodied and dried out the mouth somewhat; it tasted more alcoholic than the others and smelled incredibly of green apple but with the right acid balance to keep it from being too sweet. It was paired with a beautifully fresh sashimi plate. This sake goes well with rich, oily fish, like salmon, and with grilled fish.
Then a Junmai Masumi Okuden Kantsukuri “Mirror of Truth.” This one was stronger, edgier, more acidic and complex than the others. It was less sweet and tasted more of the earth, something like the Côtes du Rhône of sakes. It was paired with an intensely flavored soup-stew of tender beef braised with lotus root, snow peas and daikon.
A side-by-side tasting of two of the highest grade sakes was next, both paired with julienned squid tossed with citrus mayo and tobiko. The Daiginjo Masumi Yumedono comes from a 400-year-old brewery that exports only 800 bottles per year to the United States It had an intense fruity resonance that came on strong and then seemed to vanish just in time for a bite of squid. Shimada’s favorite, Daiginjo Akitabare Suirakuten, or “Heaven of Tipsy Delight,” had a much more subtle and fleeting flavor–almost like water. It was somewhat the opposite of the previous, with the flavor developing slowly in the mouth and lingering slightly, gentle and strong at the same time. This is one of the few aged sakes.
While we learned about the sakes, Shimada also instructed us on etiquette. Never pour your own sake and never let your friend’s cup go dry. It is a sign of disrespect to fill your cup when others are empty, or to allow your companion’s glass to go empty. If the cup is served in a larger saucer (or if the box cup is served on a small tray), it is customary to overfill your companion’s vessel as a sign of boundless friendship and generosity. Furthermore, contrary to popular fashion, I was surprised to learn that the wooden box cup, or masu, is a traditional serving vessel, but is not recommended, as the wood affects the aroma and flavor of the sake, especially the cedar boxes. Better are the little ceramic cups called ochoko.
For Your Own Sake
Japanese sake doesn’t have the same fruitiness or acidity as wine, nor the malty or hoppy flavor of beer, because it’s made from the pure starchy center of the rice grain (the shinpaku or “white heart”). Some say this makes sake the purest expression of the flavor of fermentation itself–surprisingly fruity and flowery, though no fruit or flower has touched it.
When purchasing sake from a shop, be sure to check the bottling date on the label. If the sake was brewed in Japan, note that this year (2006) is the year 18. So the date Nov. 8, 2006, would look like this: 18.11.8. Try to buy a sake bottled within the last year: the fresher, the better (except for koshu sakes, which are aged, and namazake or unpasteurized sake, which is a rich, fruity sake often served like a dessert wine. It is only released in springtime and should be consumed within six months of bottling). Look for purveyors who keep their sake refrigerated, as sake can spoil within days if kept at room temperature or exposed to sunlight. Never buy unrefrigerated namazake. Properly stored, it will last six months to a year. Once opened, sake should be consumed within one to two days.
If you want to have a try, see below for local restaurants with extensive sake menus. Kampai!
Ume Bistro 8710 Old Redwood Hwy., Windsor. 707.838.6700. Ume will be holding another sake tasting this winter. E-mail ke***@*******ro.com or call for more information.
You can also find some of the sakes we tasted at the following restaurants:
Hana Japanese Restaurant 101 Golf Course Drive, Rohnert Park. 707.586.0270.
Go Fish 641 Main St., St. Helena. 707.963.0700.
Ora Restaurant Bar & Lounge 24 Sunnyside Ave., Mill Valley. 415.381.7500.
Sushi Ran 107 Caledonia St., Sausalito. 415.332.3620.
For sakes from other importers try:
Hiro’s Japanese Restaurant 107 Petaluma Blvd. N., Petaluma. 707.763.2300.
Osake 2446 Patio Court, Santa Rosa. 707.542.8282.
Sushi Tozai 7531 Healdsburg Ave., Sebastopol. 707.824.9886.
–M. J.
SEARCH AVAILABLE RESERVATIONS & BOOK A TABLE
Quick dining snapshots by Bohemian staffers.
Winery news and reviews.
Food-related comings and goings, openings and closings, and other essays for those who love the kitchen and what it produces.
Recipes for food that you can actually make.
Morsels
Here’s a cheering fact for the upcoming holidays: It’s more difficult to butcher heritage strains of turkeys and pigs than it is commercially raised poultry and hogs, because the former are differently sized. They’re, um, normally sized, without overstuffed breasts or genetically plumped loins. While an opinion writer in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat recently predicted that one day soon we won’t have to eat the carcasses of dead animals, but rather will be able to tuck lustily into “tasty vats of meat” produced à la Margaret Atwood’s warning tale Oryx and Crake, there are some who still like a turkey to wattle and a pig to waddle.
But curiously, given the craze for all things heritage, there is a glut, if you will, of heritage turkeys available for Thanksgiving tables. Supporting both 4-H and FFA programs, Slow Food Russian River has paired students with heritage animals, and offers organic heritage turkeys for $7.50 a pound this holiday.
These tasty trotters, which the New York Times describes as “the essence of turkey,” are sized between eight and 25 pounds, and drop off/pick ups will be individually arranged; a $40 deposit per turkey is required. For details, go to www.slowfoodrr.org or call 707.824.8448.
Meanwhile, North Bay residents who attended the larger-than-massive recent Slow Food Terra Madre convivium in Italy have returned, still not certain what they witnessed. Sheryl Cahill, owner of the Station House Cafe in Pt. Reyes Station, went as an observer under the aegis of Marin Organic. “My goal was to hear stories from around the world and try to find out what issues there are, and put our situation here in perspective,” she explains. “It seems that everyone is facing very similar problems, and they all have to do with globalization. Small producers all over the world are feeling that the pressure to succeed means that they have to participate in the very problem that’s putting them out of business in the first place: mass market production.”
Reflecting on the conference, Cahill says, “The most poignant moment for me came when, in this massive hall filled with thousands of people from nations all over the world, [oyster rancher] Kevin Lunny, who is essentially a neighbor, spoke about how the support of local restaurants was so important to his success.”
Now that her jet lag is gone, Cahill realizes that ruminating upon the information she gleaned at Terra Madre is the next step. “I didn’t come back with any answers,” she says. “I only came back with questions. And the big question right now is, what else can I do? We do not get all of our produce locally at the restaurant yet. How can I do that?”
Moreover, Cahill is careful not to get too precious. “It has nothing to do with being pretentious,” she says. “I can be a liaison between producers and consumers. What can I do to help work against the corporatization of food?
“Doing it here matters,” she says. “And it tastes good.”
Quick dining snapshots by Bohemian staffers.
Winery news and reviews.
Food-related comings and goings, openings and closings, and other essays for those who love the kitchen and what it produces.
Recipes for food that you can actually make.
The Byrne Report
Last week, Indymedia journalist Brad Will was shot dead in the streets of Oaxaca, Mexico, during a demonstration against economic and political oppression. Will’s death was remarkable because he was an American and he cared enough about freedom and democracy to be present in Oaxaca.
His life and death remind me of Rachel Corrie, who was crushed to death in the Gaza Strip in 2003 by an occupier driving an American-made bulldozer. Corrie died because she chose to be present with Palestinian families who were being brutalized by American-subsidized Israeli forces.
And let us not forget Marla Ruzicka, killed last year by a roadside bomb in Baghdad, where she was advocating for Iraqi victims of our military industrial complex.
Many Americans are appalled by the violence we export to the Third World, yet are paralyzed into inaction by an incomprehensible demoralization. I often hear the lament, “What our country is doing is horrible, but there is nothing I can do about it.” Implicit in this despair is an acknowledgement that it will take more than voting for a Democrat to reverse the militarism and government-sanctioned thievery that befouls America.
But Will, Corrie and Ruzicka were not content to be limited by the disempowering electoral lesson preached in high school civics class. Witnessing the injustices wrought abroad by American foreign policy and market economics, they went forth in the spirit of “This I can do.”
These young Americans somehow escaped being programmed to hate the Other by the daily dose of television “news” that sculpts the collective brain of mainstream America. They used the Internet as a tool of political communication, not as a source of instant gratification. They were not pixilated by electronically delivered memes of fear, sex and gluttony engineered to transform survival instincts into commercial impulses. How did these activists manage to learn empathy for their fellow human beings?
Seeking answers, I visited Bonnie River, the director of education at the Live Oak Charter School in Petaluma, which uses the secular-style Waldorf method of teaching. River specializes in the neuropsychology of learning.
River says that empathy develops experientially as a link between antipathy (hot stove! Ouch!) and sympathy (let me kiss the hurt). Empathy allows us to feel what the Other feels. She says that the brains of empathetic people tend to have neural pathways in their prefrontal lobes that have been developed through direct physical interaction with reality. All information is physical. Ethical thinking is a bodily function.
On the other hand, research shows that the myelination, or wiring, of pathways channeling rational discernment is stunted when brains are bombarded by photons streaming out of television and computer screens. All images are taken as real at the lower brain levels. Thus, if you receive a violent image, you really do sense a life-threatening situation before you are able to rationalize that it’s “just television” or “just a video game.” Fear stimulates the release of stress hormones such as cortisol, which flood the midbrain, disrupting memory and the ability to link cause and effect.
The bottom line, River says, is that “reality does not happen inside of a box.” Watching screens is addictive and disembodies our engagement with reality. Our brains become disconnected from the real world; we become observers, not participants. We become incapable of experiencing and mirroring the pain and suffering inflicted upon the people of Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine and Mexico, for example.
Unfortunately, many who do feel empathy can become frozen by depression, incapacitated by feelings of powerlessness. A lifetime of absorbing consumer and political advertising from electronic bursts etches mental patterns that reward passivity and detachment, not activism.
The good news, River says, is that the brain is adaptable, or “plastic.” Damaged and underdeveloped brains can be repaired through physical therapy and by the creation of neural pathways through contact with the real world. In other words, our passive-aggressive culture can be dehypnotized by turning away from the ubiquitous screens.
River envisions a positive role for television. “What if a program juxtaposed the fears and hopes of an Israeli family and a Palestinian family?” she asks. Caught between processing information about two cultures, an observing brain might create new neural pathways, enabling the emergence of empathy for the wounded in both societies.
“My life purpose,” River says, “is to educate children to discern, to think, so that we will not allow our society to become truly fascist.”
or
Buzz Buzz
What is this thing called buzz? Is it strobing vision, caused by the slightly off-register photo of a celeb on a magazine cover? Is “buzz” the drone of a publicist’s voice, caught in the flytrap of my voicemail? (“Your readers will be interested in . . .”) Or is buzz really just the shriek of some telephone screamer in some far-off Manhattan or L.A. office–a shrill cry, distorted by distance, to the insistent whine of a dentist’s drill?
Imagine a world without buzz. Please think of the below not as adding to buzz, but as a mere schedule for informational purposes.
First, Christmas. Think of it: disorientation, panic, crowds, darkness–except for a discernable lack of heat, the holiday season boasts many of the most noteworthy features of Hell. The mold was not yet on the jack-o’-lantern before ‘The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause’ started its annual catastrophe. (In legalese, an “escape clause” means something that excuses a promisor from failure to meet the contract’s terms. Can’t say you weren’t warned by the title.)
‘The Nativity Story’ (Dec. 1) takes on holiday legends from a traditional angle. New Zealand actress Keisha Castle-Hughes (Whale Rider) plays, so to speak, the Virgin Maori. ‘Christmas at Maxwell’s’ (Nov. 10) is more a Seventh Heaven approach, with a languishing mother ruining the hols forever; ‘Deck the Halls’ (Nov. 22) and ‘Unsupervised Minors’ (Dec. 8) go for nigh-patricidal slapstick.
Meaner and doubtlessly more fun is ‘Bad Santa: The Director’s Cut’ at the Smith Rafael Film Center on Dec. 16, with director Terry Zwigoff in attendance. Also comes the remake of Bob Clark’s other famous Yuletide movie besides A Christmas Story, ‘Black Christmas’ (Dec. 25), which revisits the 1974 film’s time-honored approach of pitting a foaming maniac against a houseful of sorority sisters.
Winter cinema packs a flurry of emotional donkey-punches. The most furious seems to be ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’ (Dec. 15), with Will Smith as a homeless but honest dad in San Francisco, tending to his young son while living in a shelter. Tears of some sort–if not the ones proverbially shed for answered prayers–may be unleashed by ‘Rocky Balboa’ (Dec. 22). Even at his age, Rocky may live to fight another day.
But what’s sadder than athletes dying young, as in ‘We Are Marshall’ (Dec. 22)? Answer: the plight of our vets, as exemplified in ‘Home of the Brave’ (Dec. 15), in which Samuel L. Jackson, Jessica Biel and 50 Cent separately recover from Iraq-trauma. Disinterring ‘Bobby’ (Kennedy, that is) at Thanksgiving–well, that’s sad, certainly. But it takes a talking pig to make some of us really bawl. ‘Charlotte’s Web’ opens Dec 20. There were those who required intravenous fluids after seeing Babe, and this promises to be just as dehydrating. Julia Roberts voices a commonsensical Charlotte and Steve Buscemi is Templeton the rat, the salt on the film’s tale.
As Dickens describes him, the Ghost of Christmas Present is known for rich robes, smoking roasts and roaring fireplaces. Maybe he’s the spirit of the cinematic cataclysm, too, and movies about civilizations put to the torch are ever so popular at the butt end of the year. Thus we tremble before ‘Apocalypto’ (Dec. 8), Mel Gibson’s Mesoamerican twilight of the Gods; ‘Eragon’ (Dec. 15), which intends to take up where Lord of the Rings left off, replete with fireballs, swords and dragon-cam views of massed Dark Ages armies; and ‘Curse of the Yellow Flower’ (Dec. 22), Zhang Yimou’s latest ancient Chinese polychrome battle epic. ‘Children of Men’ (Dec. 25) is Alfonso Cuaron’s very well-produced science-fiction epic of societal breakdown in 2027, in which, at the behest of his ex-wife Julianne Moore, Clive Owen must escort earth’s last pregnant girl to safety.
The harder to classify films are perhaps even more interesting: ‘The Good German’ (Dec. 12) offers a love triangle of George Clooney, Tobey Maguire and Cate Blanchett, with our girl vamping Dietrich in Berlin, circa 1945. Shot in a particularly glorious-looking black and white, it’s a tribute to the Fritz Lang thriller. Bombed-out ruins, labyrinthine sewers and fog-shrouded but shiny Lockheed Elektras warming up on the runway–the ingredients are all there. More double-crossing and more Cate are found in ‘Notes on a Scandal’ (Dec. 25), based on Zoe Heller’s novel about a student/teacher romance, with Judi Dench getting to play a monster, Blanchett’s hard-faced, unwanted friend.
‘Dreamgirls’ (Dec. 25) is a musical about a girl-group awfully like the Supremes, with Beyoncé and Eddie Murphy singing through decades of music and fashion. ‘Little Children’ (out now and coming soon) is a witty but painful story of parenting in the Boston suburbs, with Kate Winslet as a mom who suddenly finds herself repeating the plot of Madame Bovary. It’s a huge improvement over Todd Field’s earlier film, the overpraised In the Bedroom. ‘The Painted Veil’ (Nov. 29) has Naomi Watts as the restless wife of a doctor (Edward Norton), who finds duty in the 1920s in the Far East during a cholera epidemic.
For those craving green fields and grazing sheep, ‘Miss Potter’ (Dec. 29) stars Renee Zellweger in the Beatrix Potter story. Scandalous times in Montmarte, opium and sexual experimentation will not be part of the bio-pic. (That would be Nov. 17’s ‘Fur,’ with Nicole Kidman as Diane Arbus in a fairy-tale version of the photographer’s life.) It turns out that Potter, when not water-coloring tender pictures of bunnies, fought the developers and polluters in her native and much beloved Lake District.
Since the next two months will be a fiesta of vainglorious acting and shameless Oscar-grub, ‘For Your Consideration’ (Nov. 17) will be a reprieve. Ensemble improviser Christopher Guest leads a cast of indie-film never-wases who are caught up in the awards machinery when their picture gets “buzz”–which in some cases, means a movie’s death rattle.
New and upcoming film releases.
Browse all movie reviews.
Molten Mood
It’s a great time for metal right now–depending on whom you talk to. A bunch of ogling fair-weather fans have crashed the funeral procession that devoted metal heads have kept going strong for years, without feature stories in Spin, thank you very much. The more metal, the better–but the world of metal is dark and unwelcoming by nature. Merely listening to metal does not make you hip. You have to get it, and not everyone does.
Once primarily the province of fringe deviants and long-in-the-jagged-tooth men and women with graying power mullets, metal is in the throes of a hearty underground renaissance. The best metal of now is vital and sincere, fueled by a potent mix of deft shredding, musical innovation and a fierce nostalgia for simpler times when men shamelessly wore leather pants and allowance money funded the purchase of cassingles at the drugstore.
But what do I know? I don’t listen to metal, and I never really have. Did that keep me from dressing up like a Viking on Halloween and attending a show by the Columbus, Ohio, band Teeth of the Hydra, whose new album, Greenland, wields an obvious Nordic slant? Oh no, it does not, and no one at the club gave me any grief for it.
There was a disappointing dearth of obvious metalheads in the crowd–probably not unusual, considering that this was a CMJ Music Marathon event–although a chain-belted example of what I’ve heard called a “heshbag woman” accosted the right horn of my Viking helmet with a Sharpie, inscribing, “Suck the left one.”
But does one need to look metal in order to be metal? A lot of the press devoted to the current coolness of metal alludes to the disingenuousness of it, as if metal were a bandwagon for bored thirty-something musicians to hop onto for wink-wink kicks. Metal is not a curio to be collected and displayed on a shelf of ironic delights, and fed-up critics roll their eyes at poseurs who maybe have a few Yngwie Malmsteen tracks on their mp3 player and call it a day. Metal, the music of outsiders, does not welcome day-trippers.
And yet the cerebral side of metal has never been so accessible. Bands like Mastodon, Pelican, Priestess and High on Fire value melody over hypermasculine showmanship, and for those who don’t respond to growling vocals and constant lyrical nods to the pain, suffering and the Grim Reaper, it’s a great time to check out up-and-coming, metal-lovin’ bands.
Metal has survived because of its adaptability. Its purity of intention–be loud, be angry, be drunk, get laid–remains the same. But its means of expression are elastic enough to encompass the most disparate subgenres: black metal, adventure metal, speed metal, hair metal, butt-rock and nu metal. Your average Hatebreed fan does not have much in common with the typical Whitesnake fan other than steadfastness–lovers of metal are faithful for life.
That’s why diehards clung tighter and tighter during the lean years after metal’s height of popularity in the mid-1980s. Though not particularly visible, they continued to gather at clubs and amphitheaters across the country to worship under the flowing tresses of their gods. In his 2004 book Too Fast for Love: Heavy Metal Portraits, photographer David Yellen presented these fans as an endangered species, his eager groupies and heavily tattooed, frizzy-haired men confronting the camera in a dare: Go ahead, make fun of me–I don’t give a shit. But some of his subjects betrayed a melancholy resignation in their eyes, as if they knew their glory days had passed, leaving them with nothing but the bizarre ritual of pilgrimages to Poison package tours to bring back to life the days captured in Heavy Metal Parking Lot.
The grandest thing about metal is its permanence. Its presence on the developed world’s cultural radar might ebb and flow, but as long as the sun rises and sets, you will find disaffected, pimply longhaired kids skulking around in ripped-up Levis and AC/DC T-shirts. Fashions change, but just like hippies, goth kids and punk rockers, the stalwart metal archetype soldiers on. Metal is for anyone who needs it and means it, and that includes slick urban dwellers in $300 jeans, awkward teens growing up on a farm in rural Iowa and 45-year-olds with office jobs, growing kids and beautiful metal memories of yore.
First Bite
Letters to the Editor
Deck the Hols
Morsels
The Byrne Report
Buzz Buzz
Molten Mood
FOLLOW US
Copyright © Weeklys All rights reserved.
Our Publications
