Heads up on the Kiki & Herb show coming soon (or rather returning) to San Francisco, scheduled to open Friday July 13th at the A.C.T. on Geary with tix starting at only $12 and going up to $45. My advice is get 'em now while you can -- especially at the cheaper end prices -- before reviews get out on this side-splittingly hilarious duo's show that makes its way back to the Bay from New York City where the cabaret comedy duo with a punk attitude got nominated for a Tony after their successful Broadway show. The talented duo started out in San Francisco in the early nineties before taking their cabaret drag act East a few years later.

I recently caught their most current show at Joe's Pub in New York where they did about a month of Sunday nights. Before going, I honestly had no idea what they would be like. I just knew that the show, in which Kiki (Justin Bond) and Herb (Kenny Mellman), was some sort of irreverent drunken drag comedy musical live show -- but frankly, that description sells it short -- way short. What it was, is one of the most entertaining, quick-witted, satirical-comedic, music-based stage performances I have ever witnessed. It was one of those perfectly crafted performances that is so smoothly delivered that it comes off as totally improvised, which it is not, and the ninety minutes or so of the show zipped by like it was only 20 minutes. Brilliant! Check this review of their Broadway show from the New York TImes.

AFFORDABLE SF ARTIST EXPO: It might seem hard to recall a time when artists exchanged ideas and information (images, sounds, videos, etc.) not via laptops, Blackberrys, or iPhones, but in person. It was really not that long ago. In fact, when the Expo for the Artist & Musician started back in the year 2000, there was no MySpace or YouTube and while most individuals had Email addresses and/or websites, the digital age wasn't in the progressive state it is in today. Regardless, then or now, nothing beats that personal touch -- especially when it comes to artists literally reaching out and meeting other artists and sharing ideas in a common physical space. And that is exactly what the affordable, recommended annual Expo for the Artist & Musician does. It is only $25 to secure a table at the event, which happens on Saturday, September 15th (11AM - 6PM) at SomArts 934 Brennan. Click right here for more info.

After a very slow week of nothing last week, this week coming up is crazy. July 10th is such a big new release date that I have to get an early start. It is the big week where Interpol and Spoon will battle it out for the number one spot at Amoeba. I am betting on Interpol.  Idlewild just put out a new album not too long ago. It was called "Make Another World." Around the same time Roddy Woomble, the singer with the group was working on slower and more folky songs. He decided to put out a solo album using these different, less Idlewild songs. This album, "My Secret is My Silence" is finally coming out domestic on Tuesday. It has been out for almost a year as an import. But I have patiently been waiting and actually have not ever heard it until a couple weeks ago.



Idlewild has been one of my favorites over the last 10 years. They got their start in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1995. I was first introduced to them with their first real album "Hope is Important." I really liked the album. But they quickly became one of my favorites with the release of  "100 Broken Windows" in 2000. The songs are super catchy and not really too far off from what you could expect from an indie band from the U.S. Sort of similar to R.E.M. It is really their lyrics that set them apart. Very literary lyrics. Its almost like reading a book or maybe a collection of poems when you read the lyrics. Much like Morrissey, Roddy is a man obsessed with literature and authors. He did name his band after the book "Anne of Green Gables." There is really nothing like 100 Broken Windows. It easily was one of my favorites of 2000. I still go back to it every once in a while. And it is still as great as it was when I first heard it.

So I just watched the new video for the new Siouxsie song "Into a Swan." I thought I would share it with all of you. I have known for a while that she is working on a new solo album. But I had no idea there is already a video. Things are now moving fast. The new album is called "Mantaray" and comes out October 2nd.  I have loved Siouxsie since I can remember liking music. She is amazing and is still amazing. She manages to stay brilliant and relevant after all these years. I met her about 8 years ago at an instore for the Creatures and she was not really the nicest person that I have ever met. But Budgie was such a wonderful nice little guy that he kind of made up for it. And she is Siouxsie Sioux so she can kind of get away with anything. There is really nothing like a Siouxsie fan. They are crazy fanatical devoted fans. So this is really something to be excited about.

You can check out the official Siouxsie website for more info. Here is the new video....
Siouxsie -Into A Swan




I am seriously excited for the new album. The countdown begins. Only 2 months to go. And a new albums means a new tour.

The Cure are also working on a new album! It will come out at some point this year. And Porl Thompson is back in the band! Tickets for the October 6th show in the bay area at Shoreline go on sale July 19th. Go to the Cure website for more info. I have never missed a Cure tour in the last 20 years or so. But unfortunately some really good friends of mine are getting married on the exact date of the Cure show at Shoreline. So I will most likely be driving down to Santa Barbara to catch the show there. But they are also playing at Red Rocks in Denver. And I have always wanted to see a show there. And there is nothing like a Cure show. They still put on the most amazing live show. Sort of like what a Dead show was like to a Grateful Dead fan. I guess.

I am exhausted today. Totally exhausted, after spending 24 hours with Jack Bauer, or rather, with the entire seven DVD set of Season 5 (from 2006) of the popular television series 24 starring Keifer Sutherland. I watched it from start to finish over the past three days, and honestly, it wore me out, just watching it. It felt as if I was right there with Jack Bauer, going through every draining confrontational thing that the cool-headed Jack endured from moment to moment and never once having time to stop to just drink some water or even grab a sandwich. Poor Jack Bauer!

My goal was to watch the entire  season of 24 in real time, as in over the course of one day/24 hour period. * Actually it's 18 hours due to fact that each show is approx 45 minutes,   But even at 18 straight hours, it proved just too exhausting for this viewer. Simply put, I couldn't keep up with Jack Bauer! Not owning a TV, I had never seen the show before. Of course, I had read about it and heard about it from friends who are diehard fans of the show. They told me it was a rare good TV show and addictive viewing. They were right! They just didn't prepare me for the relentlessness of each minute of every hour (episode) of Jack Bauer's day.

Other things I learned from watching 24 include that the word "schematics" is used a lot and that Jack Bauer utters the word 'dammit' frequently. And I noticed that, despite all the turmoil and danger he finds himself constantly in, he never loses his head or that little shoulder bag of his. And neither he nor anyone else ever seem to have to charge their phone batteries -- yet they are on them all the time. Same for their laptops, although they are usually plugged in. They also never laugh or smile, eat food or drink water, or catch a wink of sleep as far as I could see from watching Season 5 of 24. I also learned, after doing a bit of online research, that there is a Jack Bauer Appreciation Day (May 9th) and that there are numerous spoofs of 24 including an episode of the Simpsons in which Bart prank calls Jack Bauer.
         
But exhausting as watching 24 for the first time was for me, I am hooked on the great TV show and want to see the other seasons (which should by the way be available in Amoeba's DVD section). I am told that the earlier seasons were better so I am looking forward to checking them out...but first I need to rest some more.