geoffvasile:

Inktober, day 13. A housewarming gift for @wambamash and @asshatchets, drawn in sharpie. #inktober #inktober2014 #sharpie #pumpkin #portrait

HECK YES! Geoff made my housemate and I look GOURDeous. 

And now, come December, I’ll be able to see what I’d look like at 80 years old, wrinkly with the orange glow of a beach senior. 

Thanks, Geoff! I didn’t even get the chance to show you your work that I already had lying around the house. 

Last night’s PHONOGRAPHIC MEMORIES

Last night, I participated in the first installment of Phonographic Memories, a vinyl playing/storytelling event put together by my friend, Corey Bloom. 

Five of us volunteered to share a song (on vinyl) and a personal story about why we chose that song. There were stories of mothers and jazz, deconstructing rap beats to their roots, overcoming gender inequalities, sitting on the sticky floors of a 1960s Fillmore, and then my story about one particular night that was defined by a particular sort of heartache. 

You can listen to the song, and my full explanation of why I chose it, here: 

Photo by Diane Lee

And download a pristine version of Tammi Terrell’s burner, “Baby Don'tcha Worry,” now, on iTunes. 

And be sure to catch Phonographic Memories, happening every third Wednesday at the Bernal Heights branch of the San Francisco Public Library. It kicks off at 7 p.m., it’s free and all ages are welcome. The next installment will be on October 29th, full details on the event are here: http://goo.gl/2Fs12D.

Breaking News: Tonight, All-Female DJ Crew Brings Trashiest Records Possible to Local Glitter Bar

The Cat Days of Summer: KCRW’s 24-Hour Radio Race

(UPDATE: We won the Social Butterfly Award for this year’s Radio Race! Read about it here. Thanks so much to KCRW’s Independent Producer Project for giving us such a great reason to make weird, funner-than-usual radio.)

This past weekend, my radio gal pal Kristina Loring and I teamed up to do something we’ve always dreamed of… Make a radio piece that comprised of all of our “babies.” You know that term creative production people use to describe their favorite parts of a project, or for radio folk, their favorite pieces of tape? Those beloved parts are usually the parts that are quick to be edited out of a final project or NPR story: “killing babies,” “drowning puppies,” the term for them is never too cheery. 

Kristina and I said, “FUCK IT, let’s make something that is ONLY made of the babies.” So, that’s what we did. Made a radio piece comprised solely of our favorite moments from Dolores Park’s first ever “Caturday.”

We heard about the meetup earlier in the week on Mission Mission, and Kristina and I both decided that no matter what, we were going to make Caturday work for KCRW Independent Producer Project’s 24-Hour Radio Race.

…And you’ll just have to listen for yourselves:

With fun being the number one goal, we spent the morning strolling and soaking up the fog around Lower Haight and the Mission, scheming of interview questions and planning the tape we were hoping to get. With the 24-hour limitation for recording, writing, and producing the piece, we knew we needed to be stealth about how much tape and just want sort of tape we needed to gather.

We sorted that ish out quick, and then we headed to the meetup… At which, there were barely any cats, and almost 80 hopeful cat-petters. With surgeon-like precision, Kristina and I maneuvered through the crowds, and took on interviewing every cat owner that was there. We also made sure to take a personal “meowment” with each kitty as well. 

We have the best of the beasts up now in our 24-Hour Radio Race album (on Flickr): 

Each hour flew by: Brainstorming turned into recording, recording into Pro Tools’ mixing, Pro Tools’ mixing into cocktail mixing, cocktail mixing turned  back into Pro Tools’ mixing, and we finished right on time.

I even had the energy afterwards to pull together a montage of every single moment Kristina and I randomly burst into song throughout the day; listen to the bonus outtakes reel below. I think I might enjoy this piece more than the one we entered into the race. That’s what you get when you let your “babies” live. 

Knife fights, girl groups, sweaty dance floors, & more!

In 2007, I walked into another world, located inside the heart of San Francisco. It was 1964!, the rowdiest dance party I have ever been too. I was introduced to a tableau of young folks dancing faster and harder than I had ever seen before, to songs that seemed sacred: rare, raw, girl groups, and soul 45’s from early to mid-1960s. It all happened in a 50ft x 50ft room, painted black, with zero ventilation and barely any lighting. It was magic, my first time dancing to 60s soul music outside my bedroom, and it changed my life. 

But, that’s how everyone else seems to refer to 1964!: “life changing.” After years of hearing stories and also larger than life declarations of devotion to 1964!, I knew that I needed to start recording these recollections. 

In honor of the 12th anniversary of 1964!, as well as its ending, I produced a short documentary(ish) of some of the more wild and tender memories of the night, from the mouths of the DJs and dancers who were involved in 1964! over the years.

You should listen – it’s the closest you’ll get to actually being there: 

Favorite quotes to look out for:

“It looks like a German Beerhall that has hit its head and gotten confused and thinks it’s Scottish.” - Nick Waterhouse

“Watching the clock that’s over the doorway and wishing I could slow down the hands so we could go longer.” - Jackie Sugarlumps

“We called it ‘Church.'” - Tyla Jones (DJ Tylawave)

“That’s what I’m going to remember, in my paisley pajamas at 95.” - Troy Corduroy

“1964 made a home for me in San Francisco.” - Alison Leddy (DJ The Biz)

It was such a blast to interview so many folks about a topic that I’m so passionate about, and try to turn experiences that are so personal into a piece that would be fun for anyone who listened. My non-stop mission to communicate the magic that dance floors have here in the Bay Area, to a larger audience, keeps getting more complicated and more enjoyable… 

Producing radio that only I could make is the most satisfying experience I’ve had in my career. I hope that remains a constant.

Congratulations to everyone who made 1964! such a life-changing experience for so many – especially the one and only, Matt Bonar.

File under: The people you meet when you work in public radio

Sugar Pie De Santo! Sugar Pie De Santo! Sugar Pie De Santo! ♥♥♥ The one and only itty-bitty stopped by KALW today, and she definitely brought the sunshine and soulful dress with her.

…Next level fangirl status achieved.

It’s 1964 (again) tonight.

Friends, I have something important to tell you.

Tonight looks to be the last time I’ll be guest DJing at the one and only 1964. This was the dance night that started it all for me – the first soul party I ever attended, over eight years ago.

This, the beloved, sweaty, and charming soul night of our lifetimes is coming to an end in July, so NOW is your chance to get down to the sweet, big-hittin’ tunes of Matthew Bonar (and me, your humble guest DJ.)

1964!

(All vinyl soul jams from the early to mid-60s)
10pm - 2am
No cover/21+
Edinburgh Castle
950 Geary Street, San Francisco

Full details can be found HERE.

Don’t be a jerk and stay home tonight. Come out and dance about it!

Radio + Records

Right now at the Oakland Museum of California, you can get allllll touchy-feely with hundreds of vinyl records. 

I made a radio story about the new exhibit, Vinyl: The Sound and Culture of Records. If you missed it on KALW’s “Crosscurrents” yesterday, you can listen to it below, and read the transcript here.

Surprises that came my way when making the story: 

• I interviewed several people who were hanging out in the exhibit, and the average time they were spending there? An hour and a half. So. Much. Record listening.
• Contra Costa County is responsible for some of my favorite 60s soul performers, including members of The Apollas. 
• I have finally met the person who has the job I’ve dreamed of since middle school, Archivist Alec Palao. He gave me a tour around his MASSIVE record library, and showed me an incredible piece of my own history – a flyer for a 60’s garage rock night that happened in my insanely tiny, hometown, Bethel Island.
  
  

  

Records lead to baffling, amazing experiences. For real, though.

This happened a week ago. I wish canndo was sharing the frame with me, instead of holding the camera. <3

Untitled by Crystal Vielula
Clarion Alley, San Francisco.
May 4, 2014.