Gabe interns. Gabe plays music. Gabe rides his bike. Gabe has something he'd like to whisper in your ear.
The heatwave that overtook the city earlier this week was atrocious. I am not fond of hot weather, that's why I live in San Francisco. I am thankful that we are only "blessed" with this kind of brow-beating heat for three days a year as I am not enthusiastic about feeling tired and stinky at the end of the day. Yikes. I must say however, that the long days that are now becoming the norm are quite pleasant and I did make it out to the beach early one afternoon and okay, the blazing hot sun made staring at the ocean that much more enjoyable. Score one for the heat.

Days before the sun opened up on all of us however, I had the opportunity to play with buddies Pale Hoarse at RVCA gallery on Haight and Ashbury. The show was not terribly crowded but was great because the majority of the people that did come out were friends and familiar faces. It set the relaxed environment for Pale Hoarse and ourselves, NRSZ to pretty much rule it like it was no big deal. Thank you Jen Snyder (who took pictures and also does RVCA's blog) and everyone that came! I heard some new tracks from Pale Hoarse's upcoming record, by the way and it sounds awesome. Look out for that.

Kyle pre-show.

Me pre-show.

NRSZ @ RVCA (6.15.08)

Pale Hoarse @ RVCA (6.15.08)

Antonio post-show.

On Saturday night I was able to weasel my way into the Roxie to see the Arthur Russell documentary, "Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell". I was unaware of it being released anywhere until about four nights before it played. Myself and two friends patiently waited in line for over an hour hoping to be admitted into this sold-out one night only showing. We narrowly got in and it was definitely worth it. The movie was fantastic. All I had seen up to that point was the five minute trailer that was up online about a year ago. For those unfamiliar with Russell, he was a gay experimental composer/cellist that had minor success in the pre-Studio 54 disco era and sadly died of AIDS in 1992, leaving behind an enormous body of unreleased work. Since his death, he has gained a new following and his previously released work as well as newly compiled songs are slowly becoming available through label Audika Records. His tender and beautiful voice complimented by his drone-y echo-saturated cello is so magical that it should be required listening for anybody with ears. The film documents his migration from hometown Oskaloosa, Iowa to San Francisco then to New York where he collaborated with various musician friends such as Allen Ginsberg and Phillip Glass. The interview segments with parents, Chuck and Emily Russell and partner Tom Lee are so intimate and at times very funny and heart-wrenching that it perfectly narrates Arthur's brilliant life story.

I did stay behind afterwards for the Q and A with director Matt Wolf and learned that the movie will open up to a few cities in September of this year, then have an even wider release in October coinciding with a complimentary release on Audika Records called "Love Is Overtaking Me". The DVD will be available in November. Keep on the lookout for this one too!

Finally on Sunday I had a chance to do my first gallery sit at Fecal Face Dot Gallery and came away with these two pieces of information: First, what do people blast out of their cars on a Sunday afternoon at the intersection of Gough and Market? Answer: Maybe some Van Morrison or a little Tina Turner and definitely the Queen and David Bowie power hit "Under Pressure"; though they may be entirely unsatisfied with this song, flip through the dials and then triumphantly re-settle on it, indicating this triumph by inching the volume knob up even louder during the victorious crescendo of "why can't we just get along?" as they blaze through the green light. Second: thrice peeing into a modified water bottle with the gallery door locked makes me uncomfortable, as it appears from the outside that I am getting a little too "relaxed" with my job. This was only confounded by the occurrence of sweet-smelling men and women drifting in and out of the gallery between these secret urinations. "Hi how are you doing today?" "Good...I uh, I just peed in a bottle and dumped it down the sink. I feel much better now. Oh, don't worry...I rinsed the sink out with water."

Dwyer's sweet chocolate-y friend from Japan (he looks sad because he knew I was going to eat him).

Wednesday band practice

A garden for all orientations.

Kyle's new Watership Down tattoo

Dwyer's free free jazz drum lessons

Goddamn the Sun @ the San Francisco Art Institute.

The sun finally sets.

It was so hot that day.

Pale Hoarse @ The Knockout (6.23.08)

Here's some upcoming fun fun fun in the tentative sun sun sun:

7/4- Cell Space with: Bronze, No Boss, Sic Alps, The Fresh and Onlys and others (I'm told it's supposed to be an all night affair so come prepared?)
7/10-Pale Hoarse play again at Amnesia Bar (Valencia and 18th) with Long Legged Woman.
7/11-NRSZ play Thrillhouse Records with Top Critters, Onion Flavored Rings and others. {moscomment}

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