Not so early Wednesday, Robb Green, Mosaic and I headed for a day trip to Santa Cruz. This peace loving town is a mere 1 hour from San Francisco (1 1/2 along the coast). I couldn't have picked a better week to be in the bay area. The sun's reflection on the ocean burned its border with the sky a brilliant blue.
Since Mosaic spent a few years as a resident in the town, his return was like a reunion around every corner. We met up with an old friend of his for some lunch at Charlie Hong Kong, an Asian outdoor diner with organic food so fresh I looked around to the back expecting to find its own sustainable garden. Yum! This was my first taste of this tender town, a hippie paradise tainted with tourists. After lunch we cruised the shops, passing by all of them except the town's three record stores. I purchased Hot Chip's new album 'Made in the Dark' in preparation for their performance at Coachella at the end of April. (The name, I found out through Remix Magazine is a tribute to the fact that many of the songs were made from their respective bedrooms). After a quick tour through the bustling outdoor market and snagging some taste tests, we rested at a one of the countless coffee shops carved from a huge victorian home complete with a gorgeous outdoor seating section. I love how so many restaurants, bars and coffee shops (and even fast food joints!) in California grant the luxury of lounging outdoors!
Once we were juiced up on caffeine, we headed to the boardwalk which was opportunely open for all the families enjoying a summery Spring Break. We passed through rides, arcades and greasy spoons to the lovely light sandy beach where said families were scattered in an array of idle. There we met up with more friends of Mosaic's who were chillin' with warm beers and a football that was one size smaller than the usual -- perfect for fitting my dainty hands. I tossed it around with the boys, wowing them with my spiral so unusually found from girls. (Until the Powder Puff revolution, of course -- or are we still waiting for that? Bring it on!)
As the sun started into the West-most part of the sky, we realized we should start the drive back to the city so I would be on time to show my not-so-hidden talent. I was set to play at 9pm at Qoöl, "an original clubbing happy hour in SF, if not the world. Every Wednesday evening, starting at 5pm, Jondi & Spesh host a five hour club night at 111 Minna in San Francisco. The music has a progressive theme, from prog house to breaks to techno and even drum 'n bass. Each dj plays a short 45 minute set, and the talent ranges from bedroom DJs to international supastars. Partygoers range from electronic music loving phreeks to unemployed dot-commers (not mutually exclusive), and the enthusiasm and dedication of Qoölios is world famous. In fact Qoöl is often pegged for its personal vibe and all out 'Saturday at 3AM' feeling. The door is only $5 and a good chunk of the proceeds go to non-profit organizations, including The SETI Institute and the San Francisco Homeless Coalition." Stoked to be part of Qoöl (via Qoöl Seattle), we followed the ocean back to the bay, grabbed my CD's back at the Casa and entered the Art Gallery at 7:41.
Despite the nearly 500 people that were crowding the bars and dance area, I was not very nervous for this gig. Since I had visited the venue back in December and already had a feel for the crowd, I had confidence that my new sound -- high-energy electro house blended with San Francisco's fascination for funky nu skool breaks -- was enough to keep the crowd at Qoöl from turning cold. The only cold I felt was the sweat on my back after my set was finished as I set out in the evening, my ears ringing from the booth monitors and my San Francisco support group -- Robb, Mugs, Chloe and Mosaic, by my side.
More pics from Santa Cruz and Qoöl.
