Trip to SF and SJ

RS2 Solid Sound

Odd Numbers

Killer visit to San Francisco and San Jose last weekend. My buddy Ray was in the hospital for a few weeks last November after a tough fall skating and the rise of a tissue infection. Two surgeries and a skin graft later, and those bills are piling up. Ray’s a legendary dude, played in bands such as Los Olvidados, Drunk Injuns, the Faction, etc., and is a best friend (and was in my wedding!). Got the call up to come and help out and spin some records, so I was on it. We arranged a show the Thursday before at Thee Parkside in SF thanks to my buddy Rick. Not a super big turnout but a great time nonetheless, with a few old friends stopping by to say hi too. Rays band RS2 Solid Sound played, then the Odd Numbers. Long-time pal Amy and her beau Justin put me up for the first night, thanks guys! 

Google self-driving car: "Open the pod bay door, Hal."

Brad looks on while RS2 plays



Can Tokers were in effect at the show

Drunk Injuns

Los olvidados

 

Met up with Brad Wescott, then went on to Thrasher to pillage and check in with the folks. Tadashi picked us up, and we were off to San Jose. First stop was an art auction at Seeing Things, Jai Tanju’s gallery, with proceeds going to Ray. Great to see more folks and some very cool art. Got into a bidding war with someone who didn’t understand how the process works and got kinda pissed at me for bidding something up, but I eventually relented and he paid $40 more for a cool painting of Ray. He wound up being Ray’s roommate. Killer art, great times, thanks Jai! Then Meg sowed – she had flown into SJ earlier and had some work to finish up. We wolfed down a quite bite of sushi, then headed straight to the show. I played records for a while, and all three bands ruled: Rock Bottom from SF, Drunk Injuns, and Los Olvidados. Sold out show, killer time!

RS2 with hand made sign for Parkside show

 

Meg and I headed back to SF. She had some more work, so I went record shopping at Rooky Ricardo’s. Holy shit, a fuckton of killer old soul 45s! And Dick, the owner, was super cool and helpful, and after talking to me for a while pulled out a stack of killer tunes for me to check out --- the place had a dozen or so listening stations. Man, left there with a hole in my wallet.

Meg and I went to Millenium for dinner – killer vegcore spot but a big night out kind of place. We got seated in the exact same spot we got 2 years ago (almost to the day). We met our server, and lo-and-behold when she turned around and I saw the Black Flag bars on the back of her arm, I realized that she was the same server we had then too, and we liked her a bunch. She was super helpful, had some good recommendations, and in the course of yakking with her in between courses, we find out she’s from Bloomington, IN, knows some of our friends from there, etc., etc. Small world. She hooked us up big time with some extras and a big chunk out of the bill. Thanks Rebecca, good luck at grad school, and we’ll miss you next time we go.

Sunday Meg had some work to do, so I rolled by Amoeba. I poked around a little, but felt like I had already spent my allotment. And it kind of sucks to realize that Amoeba doesn’t have listening stations for used vinyl – that seems pretty common these days. I wanted to check something out, and since there was no reception in the place, I had to go out and up the street to check the tune out on Youtube on my phone. It was a winner, so I went back and got it. Then on to meet Meg, Amy and Justin for lunch/brunch at a killer spot.

Me, Bender, and Cass

Next to last stop on the trip was to Lee and Cassandra’s place in Oakland. Lee got into a horrible motorcycle wreck two weeks or so ago, crazy injuries: elbow, wrist, head, ribs, lung, both knees. He’s jacked but in good spirits. We got there a little early which was killer as we got to spend time with both of them before all the dudes with beards and bikes showed up. Heal up, kid!

Final stop: quick meal at Borobudur, an Indonesian restaurant. We ran out of time because there was a tour bus full of Indonesians who showed up, so we took it to go and ate in the hotel room before I rushed off to the hotel. Thanks to all, killer trip!