In addition to being the setting for countless movies including Clint Eastwood's "Escape From Alcatraz" and Burt Lancaster's "Birdman of Alcatraz" the island of Alcatraz aka "The Rock" has also been the setting for some music videos. Eighties metal guitar gods the Scorpions chose the former prison setting, smack in the middle of the San Francisco Bay as their set backdrop for the video of their  popular song "No One Like You." (see clip below).

The next decade horror-core, hardcore Sacramento producer/rapper Brotha Lynch Hung  got permission to shoot on Alcatraz for scenes for one of his music videos. During the overnight shoot Brotha Lynch Hung swore on his life to me, in an interview for XXL at the time,  that he witnessed a ghost in one of the creepy abandoned old cells on the small island.

Listed as a historic landmark for over twenty years the best way to access daily tours of Alcatraz (home to the oldest operating lighthouse on the west coast) these days is by taking the ferry from either the Fisherman's Wharf in SF or from the other direction: Angel Island and Tiburon. For more information on Alcatraz, which is well worth a visit and is administered by the National Park Service click here. 

Like the close by and even bigger  Angel Island, where you can even camp by booking in advance, a lot of times people who live in the immediate Bay Area tend to never bother to visit (outside of mandatory guided trips when they are kids in school) and this is too bad because often what is on our own doorstep is worth a visit over a lot of out-of-town destinations. The state park of  Angel Island, is  probably the best and most immediate rural , remote-feeling getaways for those who live in SF but who don't have a car to drive for miles/hours on end.

Another recent victim of visa problems entering the US to perform, UK based and Sri Lankan singer/rapper and designer M.I.A. has apparently overcome her American immigration issues this time around and will be performing all scheduled shows including a highly recommended free instore at Amoeba Music, Berkeley (2455 Telegraph Ave.) this Saturday at 2pm!

Yes, the scheduled Saturday afternoon show with the artist often associated with Diplo is due to kick off at 2PM but, as regulars to Amoeba Berkeley already know, space is somewhat limited when it comes to in-stores at the East Bay location so get there early if you want to secure a good vantage point - especially for this artist who will most likely attract a large turnout.

Expected during the performance, which will be followed by a meet-and-greet/signing session with the artist who just celebrated her 30th birthday last week, will be her performing tracks from her last album (the critically acclaimed 2005 Arular which launched her unique blend of hip-hop, ragga, grime, and baile-funk Stateside) and her soon-to-drop new album "Kala" (due out August 21st)  featuring the song Boyz. (check out the colorful, mutli-cultural music video for this new single below -scroll down past "Continue reading") 

Good word has it that if you buy either the vinyl 12" or CD version of the new M.I.A. single at Amoeba Berkeley on Saturday that you will  receive a certificate good for two bucks off the ablum "Kala" when it drops in August plus a limited edition bandanna designed by the musician/designer herself (while supplies last). For full details/restrictions, click here. 

This weekend, on Saturday (July 28th),  from 10AM til 1PM, is your chance to be a star when the world-famous Apollo Theater of Harlem, NY will make its once a year visit to California in search of "amateur" talent for upcoming Showtime At The Apollo shows back in New York City at the historic 125th Street venue.  This year the producers of the show will only visit five American cities outside of New York in search of talent so this is a great opportunity to try out if you are an aspiring entertainer: be it singer, rapper, spoken-word artist, comedian, dancer, musician (any instrument), etc.  And on Saturday their only West Coast tryouts will be held at the Oakland Convention Center located 1001 Broadway in downtown Oakland.  

Note if you plan on attending the tryouts (for which there is no charge and is based on a first come, first served basis) I suggest you get in line earlier than the scheduled 10AM door opening time. The first 300 in line will be admitted to audition. But even though the cut off time is 1PM the actual tryouts inside the auditorium will last long past that - until 6PM or possibly even later - so pack a sandwich and bring lots of water, and sunscreen (you might be in line outside for hours). And another tip is to get lots of rest the night before so you are at your best.

 A couple of months ago I attended one of the two-a-year tryout sessions held in New York and wrote about it for the New York Press and what amazed me most was the level of quality talent who showed up to audition.  I enjoyed the tryouts even more than the actual Amateur Night at the Apollo (held every Wednesday for the past 73 years) and am looking forward to attending the Oakland session for which I am scheduled to write a report for the San Francisco Bay Guardian.

Not to be confused with the East Bay based Hieroglyphics producer of the same name, Domino the SoCal rapper with the Southern drawl that betrayed his real roots, who arrived  on the rap world in late 1993, was the pop-rap artist who scored hits with "Ghetto Jam" and "Sweet Potato Pie"  signed to Outburst but picked up by RAL (Rush Associated Labels) And who, despite his LBC claimed roots and his Snoop Dogg affiliations, sported a delivery that was less gangsta and leaned more towards the pop/RnB spectrum of hip-hop music:  a catchy sing-song style I guess you could call it.  Not too long after he arrived in December 1993 he scored his fiirst hit "Ghetto Jam" which garnered Gold status after six straight weeks atop the Billboard maxi-single charts. It was followed up soonafter with an even bigger hit - "Sweet Potato Pie"  (see video above). The album's groove-laden production came care of AMG and Battlecat and would prove to be Domino's only real hit. His delayed sophomore follow-up album, 1996's "Physical Funk,"  and subsequent releases including 1997's "Dominology"  and 2001's "D-Freaked It' all fell short of the mark.

If you are a regular at Amoeba Music you may have already seen the silk screened poster art of Forest Stearns who has done several pieces specifically for Amoeba events.  Or maybe you've been lucky to catch Forest doing his art live at one of the interactive music-and-art Amoeba instores he has been a part of over the past year.

These include one with DJ Shadow (San Francisco Ameoba instore) and two with Cut Chemist (San Francisco and Hollywood Amoebas).  He has also done live interactive art with hip-hoppers such as Z-Man and at other events such as Reggae On The River.

Additionally the NorCal artist, who is just about to move to San Francisco, designed the poster for the Noisettes instore show at Amoeba San Francisco which reportedly everyone loved including Universal who Forest says want to take and flesh out to make an animation based on the illustration.  I recently caught up with the aritst to chop it up about life and art, and art and life. For more information visit his website: draweverywheredotcom.


AMOEBLOG: What inspires you to make art?

FOREST STEARNS: Art is what I do. It is a way to be myself. It is exciting and thought provoking, it creates a dialogue and has a lot of history to build from.


AMOEBLOG: And what keeps you doing art on the shitty days?

FOREST STEARNS: The shitty days are cool. I can sleep in then have some tea then by that point I can do some art and the day turns out pretty nice. The shitty days are when you work for someone else and hate it. I work for myself and work with others on projects that I get to choose. I am an optimist, so shitty days can usually be squashed by either looking at the art of others or getting down with some art of my own.