Author Archive
Weekend Update: Stomach and Brain Food
by shell on Aug.02, 2010, under Food, Movies
We had a few different options for shows to go to on Saturday night, but ended up being lazy and decided to stay in for most of the weekend.
Read on for food adventures at High Tide, Le Petite Camille, and Papa John’s, along with some musing about Inception.
(continue reading…)
Catered Lunches: Week 1
by shell on Aug.01, 2010, under Food
Getting catered lunch again at work. Time to start reviewing!
This week: The BBQ Boys, Buca Di Beppo, Bill’s Hot Dogs, Pho Garden, and Amilia’s.
(continue reading…)
August 2010 Events
by shell on Jul.27, 2010, under Music
After tossing out TEDxBoulder this list seems awfully short. What are we forgetting?
8/14 Noe Venable
8/17 Billy Idol
8/20 Drifting Sand
8/21 MC HAMMER!
8/21 TSR!
8/22 Rock The Bells?
8/29 Slash
Chasing The Moon podcast: Ramon and Jessica premiere
by shell on Jun.02, 2010, under Music
We were invited by Dina a few months back to attend a Ramon and Jessica performance to be filmed for a podcast. It took place at Hyde Street Studio C, where bands like Green Day and Digital Underground have recorded albums. We were quite honored and terrified to be there, as we figured we’d destroy some equipment or make loud obnoxious noise that would ruin takes. Or that we’d be on camera. Fortunately, the former two didn’t happen. We got through recording the room levels (“silence” that would be EQed out) without giggling, and got to watch performances of four songs that will go on the next album.
The Chasing The Moon podcast is recorded on the night of a full moon, and a new episode is screened also on the night of a full moon. We returned to the former site of 12 Galaxies, now The Blue Macaw, to watch the premiere of Ramon and Jessica’s ep, as well as watch both Ramon and Jessica play their own material. The room wasn’t all that different, but the undertone of the weirdness that is Frank Chu was missing.
The night opened with Hélène Renaut, a singer/songwriter on guitar and uh…some other stringed instrument which she played on her lap. I don’t usually dig singer/songwriters on guitar and unfortunately, this gal wasn’t an exception. Eh well. Strangely though she didn’t put me to sleep.
Next up was Jesse, who handed out percussive noisemakers in a Hershey’s tin. I got a mini maraca, Dina got a rainmaker, and I think Marië and some other people got bells. Jesse had probably about 13 or so instruments/pieces of equipment total in order to make his music from his album recorded in New Mexico, Ojito, including a looper, a tape player and a tuba. As I told him after the show, “I wasn’t sure how you were going to pull this off…and I still don’t know how you pulled it off!” There was a pretty decent crowd in the venue for his set, and he said he had envisioned silence between the songs and to take that as they wanted, but thanked them for the applause. He deserved it because he was working hard up there (and quite sweaty afterward). The centerpiece of the album, “Creature” was equally brain-melting performed live as it is layered on the album.
Next up was Dina, who is usually backed by a trio of Erics, but that night only had her guitarist. She started out with a Beck cover a cappella and off mic in the front attachment of the stage, with the audience backing her up. After that, her songs seemed to be more moody and present with her vocal being a lot more bare and exposed than it is when drums and bass are present. “In Your Galaxy” made me sad that the place wasn’t called 12 Galaxies. Jesse played glock on it. It would have been an awesome night for “Driving Is Fun,” but “The Appointment” won out as the final song because the person it was about was in the audience.
An encircled countdown started soon on the screen above the stage after Dina’s set. We saw a rather dark version of the podcast which is available to view online; in the video file you can see Erik and other people in the audience, but at the show we could only see the performers. Also the online version includes an interview at the end. I didn’t care much for the editing of the first song, as there was a bit too much not-showing-faces, but the editing of the second song very much captures the whimsy of the band, which I hadn’t expected at all to see. The third song shows off the skilled fingerplay of the musicians. The fourth song is only partially heard in the credits. They sounded really good loud.
When it was over, Dina, Jesse, and Marië all got together on the center floor and hugged. We hastily bid them goodbye, missing the last band, Indianna Hale, because Erik had flown to in LA and back that same day for work, and was loopy. We’ll have to see them some other time. They made a really nice peacock flyer for the show. To go along with the bird theme, Jesse had put the R&J bird in a space suit for his flyer. And so ended our first time at The Blue Macaw.
Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream review
by shell on Jun.02, 2010, under Food
We went on a food quest this weekend with a friend. Her initial suggestion: Humphry Slocombe ice cream. They have weird savory flavors as well as twists on the normal ones. They only have 10-12 flavors out at a time, using local and seasonal ingredients, and once a flavor is gone for the day they rotate a new one in. They had just gotten some buzz in the NYT, MSN and such.
Went there and everyone was getting Salt and Pepper. Had a sample and it tasted like, well, salt and pepper in ice cream. There was nothing wrong with it, but I don’t typically just eat salt and pepper by themselves, usually it’s to enhance meat or veggies…? As an enhancement for ice cream, didn’t work for me. But then, I have the raging sweet tooth.
After I got home, found out that they had tweeted right when we left the house that Boccalone (the Tasty Salted Pig Parts peeps in the Ferry Building) Prosciutto Ice Cream was going to be out… *the next day.* Durnit. They did carry bacon peanut brittle, but we didn’t get any.
The malted milk chocolate was fantastic, the Harvey Milk & Honey Graham Cracker was overrated. Our friend said the curry for the peanut butter was very subtle. The waffle cone was waffle flavor, not sugar, with a good crunch but not breakteeth hard.
It was only about a 15 minute wait in line, with some weird dude calling out to the street on an apartment balcony above. It was a good adventure since we had the time, and hopefully next time we go there are some weirder flavors, but we have plenty of other ice cream places to try…
Concert schedule for June/July
by shell on May.31, 2010, under Event, Music
Here’s what I have so far. What am I forgetting?
6/01 The Sweet Revenge
6/05 Math The Band, MC Lars, MC Chris
6/06 BFD
6/17 The Sweet Revenge
6/18 Dina Maccabee, Jesse Olsen
6/19 En Vogue
6/20 Heather Combs, Garrison Starr, The Rescues
6/22 Kate Miller-Heidke
6/25 Brandi Carlile
7/05 Lilith Fair
7/08 Dina Maccabee Band
7/11 MZD [reading, not concert]
7/17 Katie Herzig Marika Hughes, Charming Hostess
7/17 Ramon and Jessica (not 19th, can bounce after ChoHo)
7/18 Charming Hostess
7/24 Toad The Wet Sprocket
7/25 Toadies
WonderCon 2010 schedule
by shell on Mar.14, 2010, under Event, Nerddom, TV
Last year I wrote that Wondercon seemed especially underwhelming. Boy was I ever wrong! This year seems even worse. Good stuff is going to overcome it, watch!
Fri: Only gonna pick up the badge, then leave and go to the Metreon to see Clash of the Titans!
Sat:
11:15-12:15 New ABC TV Series: Happy Town – Esplanade (with Amy Acker)
1:00 Photo op with John De Lancie/Marina Sirtis
Yeah. Looking forward to one panel. Sheesh.
Erik’s also got this scheduled:
6:30-7:40 BBC America Presents the U.S. Premiere Screening of the new Doctor Who – Room 103
(or 7:45-8:55 since we’ll probably get shut out)
Sun:
12:30-1:30 Costuming for Conventions – Costume designer Shawna Trpcic (Firefly, Angel, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, Dollhouse) – Room 236/238
2:30-3:30 Chuck Special Presentation and Q&A – Esplanade (with Josh Schwartz, Chris Fedak, Zachari Levi, Adam Baldwin and Joshua Gomez)
Yeah. Three panels total. Sheesh. But that just allows for much more time to stand around in lines on the Exhibitor floor!
Autographs:
John DeLancie and James Marsters – 236
Tim Russ – M17
Marina Sirtis – M10
Denise Crosby’s there too, but I’m not a hardcore fan of Tasha Yar or anything, so…
I don’t get why these awesome Star Trek guests don’t have a panel. I would really LOVE to see John DeLancie talk. Oh well. At least we’ll get to meet him! His photo op times better not conflict with any of the few panels I want to see!
Avatar “review”
by shell on Jan.23, 2010, under Movies
There isn’t a whole lot to review with Avatar due to its lack of depth. 1-D characters, hot pilot (it’s like the pilot and the EMT from Trauma‘s helicopter had a girl), awesome visuals. Generic army vs. fighters for their land plot. I felt nauseous occasionally when the 3-D was swooping across the screen, and my heart was racing, but otherwise it was a fine, but really long popcorn film.
Katie Herzig’s live album
by shell on Jan.04, 2010, under Music
I was listening to Katie Herzig’s Live In Studio: Acoustic Trio on the way to work this morning. In the midst of it, I was just like –
What the heck has this girl gone through, that we probably have nothing in common, yet the situations she sings about resonate so much?
A bit later, as I drove through the hills of 280, there was some lyric that just absolutely made my brain melt. I can’t recall right now, it was something about a relationship, will have to dig it up and add it to this entry later (I think it was from “I Hurt Too”), but then it was like –
How the heck did she figure that out??!!!
As I grow older, bands are getting younger, so I figured she’s younger, but according to Wikipedia she’s not that much younger. Looks like she skipped a grade. Smart girl then.
I read the bio on her site, and it turns out she was in a band before she started her solo work, and they have five more CDs to buy on CDBaby. Dammit!
Oh, so the title of this entry mentions the album, but I didn’t actually say anything about it. Um, the other thing I was thinking about –
Does she realize her voice is so beautiful??!!
I don’t even like singer/songwriter/guitarists. Sheesh. Her trio creates magic on stage, which they’ve tried to bring here, but I haven’t grabbed onto it yet. I think listening in the car doesn’t help. Also, being in studio lets them add a few things, I think there is an electric guitar in the mix, and some vocal effects around. Still, it’s a very good collection and I’m glad to have it.
Autumn Gem
by shell on Sep.30, 2009, under Movies
Erik and I set out this evening to see a free screening of the documentary Autumn Gem. It’s an independent film made entirely by a couple of Vienna’s friends. Since we know Adam and Rae to be very creative, and they’ve been working really hard on it, we wanted to at least know more about it. Once the site for the film launched and I could read what it was about, I was much more inclined to care about it: the subject of the film is a Chinese feminist who fought for her homeland. And she has a sword in the pictures, so yeah, I’m all about that.
We got to Santa Clara University with just a smidge of traffic, but then spent a good 25 minutes wandering the campus trying to find the screening, listed as Daly Science Center 206. We tromped around the Alumni Science lab with no luck finding room 206. We moved on to the Arts and Sciences building, which had some flyers up across from room 206, but nobody was in there. We then asked for help but it wasn’t very helpful. Eventually we circled around another building marked Daly 207-210, and finally saw the easel posted out front. The lights in the room blinked out as we approached. We hurried in, saw the left side was full, went to the other door and the other side as Adam figured out the menu, and saw the right side was full. Thought we were going to have to sit on the steps, but the front row was nearly empty. We plopped down.
Being up close can be daunting, but for this screening we were at just the right distance to not be uncomfortable looking up. Also everything was nice and big. The documentary is largely told with English narration over still images, but with some of Qiu Jin’s writings dramatized by actress Li Jing and others. Some interviews with historians and even a grand-nephew are interspersed throughout. The film discusses her early influences, her privileged upbringing which descends into traditional forced marriage, and then leads into her desire for China to come out of turmoil through the work of both men and women. She leaves her husband and two children to collaborate with both men and women into revolting against the government. Things don’t work out and she comes to an untimely end, but is remembered for her influence.
There were several things of note running through my mind as I watched the movie:
How recently this all happened, the turn of last century.
The effective use of still art to illustrate the story. A map that was highlighted with where the current location of the story was was very helpful, and showed how really far she traveled.
Arty shots, such as Qui Jin through paintbrushes, were effective and of course expected given the artistic talent we’ve seen from Rae and Adam previously.
I liked the political cartoons that were put in, and they were a stark but welcome contrast to all the sort of “real” stuff that was in the rest of the movie.
The soundtrack was a nice backdrop and never distracting.
Girl had *angst.* There were times in the film where my jaw was on the floor and I was like man, she’s gonna cause some trouble.
And as I think with any other sort of large historical figure nowadays, I keep wondering when someone is going to rise up and lead something to deal with our modern times.
After the film, there was a good Q&A from the students there, and including Rae’s father and the guy who tells Qui Jin she is going to be attacked. We said hi briefly to Adam and Rae, and provided many small bills for them in exchange for the DVD. Yay for change! We went outside, took a self-pic with the display and the DVD, and then left for 7-11 which is Domo-ed out. Got home without getting too lost, only missing one turn then finding 880N and getting onto the scary bumper-scraped 20MPH onramp for 101.
