On May 31st and June 1st, Cinema SF and folkYEAH present the first two installments of their new series, City Scenes, that invites local musicians to curate a night of music accompanied by a screening of their favorite San Francisco movie.  

On Thursday, May 31st,  local indie-folk darlings Vetiver present beloved comedy-caper Foul Play (1978), starring Goldie Hawn and Chevy Chase. Next, on Friday, June 1st troubadour Chuck Prophet, whose recent SF-inspired album Temple Beautiful has been storming the nation, brings us Francis Ford Coppola’s paranoia masterpiece The Conversation. Both screenings will be preceded by a 40 minute acoustic performance by the evenings curators. These unique events offer audiences a rare and wonderful chance to hear some of the Bay's most exciting new music while celebrating the history of San Francisco’s city scenes on the silver screen. 

Photography journal Moholy Ground Magazine celebrates their 4th issue with a FREE reception on May 19th from 6pm – 11pm at San Francisco’s most happening photo studio and supply shop, Photobooth, located in the heart of the Mission!

Issues of Moholy Ground Magazine will be available for purchase while you sip wine and peruse the work of the magazine’s featured photographers. Musical guests for the night include Matt Pankuch and Meridians, as well as DJs Boom Bostic and Gabuchan. 

Just as OFF!'s Amoeba Hollywood in-store was back in October 2010, yesterday afternoon's (May 12th) energized set by the SoCal punk rock super-group at Amoeba Music Berkeley was equally off the hook (pun intended) with a sound mix that was perfect, a set list that included lots off the recommended new album (OFF! avail on LP and CD), and between song banter by Keith Morris that was at once entertaining and enlightening.


Check out the official Amoeba Music photos HERE.

As lead singer and former member of the influential and iconic West Coast punk outfits Black Flag and Circle Jerks, Keith Morris has done in the past, again at Amoeba Music yesterday he reiterated how he and his bandmates [Dimitri Coats (Burning Brides), Steven McDonald (Redd Kross), and Mario Rubalcaba (Earthless/Hot Snakes/Rocket From the Crypt)] like to distance themselves from the term "punk" but rather consider themselves simply "human." He made that statement right before OFF! jumped into another five song set of high-energy, fast delivered, short n satisfying punk rock sounding songs. He even made a joke about how their songs are so short, typically one minute in length (like on their new 16 minute, 16 track album), that five songs take five minutes to play.

Yesterday's in-store show was more packed than I have ever seen one at Amoeba Berkeley (easily at, or close to, the 300 maximum capacity mark) and was made up of a wonderful cross-section of people of all ages from new younger teenaged/20 something fans to folks who were followers of Black Flag and the other bands OFF! were in from when they first started out - many of them bringing their kids along with them. Knowing how loud an OFF! show can get parents of some of the kids came prepared by placing muffler headphones (like the guys guiding planes at the airport wear) over the little ones' ears. This became fodder for Keith Morris in one of his many entertaining between song mic breaks when, before he would curse out loud some oppressive power, he advised parents to cover their kids' ears so as not to hear the "FUCK" word. "Oh I see they already have their ears covered," he quipped, pointing to the headphones kids in photo above. Morris, who in his October 2010 Amoeba interview noted that the band's name means "Get the fuck OFF! my back," spoke out against many issues including how the US government needs to stop policing the world and stay the hell out of other countries' political problems and wars (to applause). He had no good words to say about Republicans, but the current administration didn't fare much better either. He admonished Barack Obama, even if he is "a good guy" he said, noting how rather than working on saving the country the prez was busy down "in Studio City hanging out" with Hollywood celebrities for fundraising purposes solely.

The West Coast hardcore punk super-group OFF! play Amoeba Berkeley today at 4pm but if you are a fan of this amazing band you know this fact already, probably attended their anticipated Slim's show last night, and more likely have already snagged your Amoeba wristband for today's free in-store show and signing line that follows which you got from buying the band's just released self-titled official debut album - simply entitled OFF!, on Vice Records at Amoeba (only 300 wristbands available).

Comprised of Keith Morris (Black Flag/Circle Jerks), Dimitri Coats (Burning Brides), Steven McDonald (Redd Kross), and Mario Rubalcaba (Earthless/Hot Snakes/Rocket From the Crypt) OFF! epitomize the term "super group" but unlike so many so-called super-groups who fall short of their collective parts - OFF! somehow manage to push the music to new heights. Simply put; OFF! are off the fuckin' hook! Truly an amazing band!

Around the time OFF! played Amoeba Hollywood (see concert video above + interview below of their October 2010 in-store at the SoCal Amoeba) Vice Recordings released the 4-record set OFF! The First 4 EPs (with artwork, like the just released LP, by Raymond Pettibon). I wrote about OFF! and their 4EPs for the Amoeblog at that time. And, since I am in the East Bay right now, you can bet your ass I will be over at Ameoba Berkeley today at 4pm for their in-store & signing. Note that the capacity of the Berkeley Amoeba is 300 people - hence why 300 wristbands were issued - and that, as of time of publishing this Amoeblog (11am on Saturday morning) there were still wristbands (which guarantee entrance) available.