It’s a beautiful day and the Derailleurs have planned a May Day Bike Scavenger hunt with great prizes from:
Box Dog Bikes
Mojo Bicycle Cafe
Xanath Ice Creamery
Amnesia Bar
Bar on Church
Bike Light Fairy
Agent Chaos Toptubes
Yesterday I got the tip about the Bay Area National Dance Week. I checked out their website and found that there are free events and classes going on all over the bay area this week. All kinds of dance for all skill levels. Yesterday I found myself in a class I had never been to, dancing with a group of strangers, shaking out my stress and watching myself in the wall length mirror as I couldn’t wipe the grin off of my face. The rush lasted the rest of the evening. Check out the rest of their free events this week! http://www.bayareandw.org/
Bay Area Derailleurs Bike Dance. Burlesque by the Bombshells and the Cheesepuffs. Music by The Nerv and Tounge And Teeth. Plus DJs the rest of the night.
When I tell people that I bike dance I usually get a blank look. Sometimes they say something like:
“Oh, you mean like those German girls on youtube?”
To which I reply with something like:
“Oh god no…..bike dance. We are women that dance on, for, and about bikes. We dance with bike tubes. And bike helmets. And we have parasols made out of bike wheels. We are one part fly girls, one part 4th grade talent show. We promote bicycles through dance. Bike dance. We’re called the Derailleurs. Get it?”
We preform at events around the city and beyond, but if you’re reading this right now and you’re in SF it’s your lucky day. We are putting on an event tonight, MINI BIKE CABARET. It’s at 9pm at the Box Factory at 20th and Florida. The Derailleurs are preforming along with The Bombshells and The Cheesepuffs burlesque troupes, two bands, three DJs, bike movies all night, bake sale, AND MORE. Fun times, make it if you can!
Image Source:http://www.flickr.com/photos/edmdusty/3618210701/in/pool-bayareaderailleurs
Image Source: Richard Masoner http://www.cyclelicio.us/
Sunday Streets is an event in San Francisco where a designated stretch of road is shut down to car traffic for a few hours one Sunday a month. Back in June I witnessed my first Sunday Streets as an observer. I sat outside at brunch on a sunny and clear day in the Mission and watched people go by in all different manners – it was people watching at its best. There were bicycles built for 1, 2, 3, 4, and more, scooting mechanisms that seemed to be powered by a swivel of the hips, roller skaters, roller bladers, and roller dancers. There were babies in strollers and on the backs of bikes. Everyone on the street was going somewhere without anywhere to be, and they were getting there by any means except for automobile. It was amazing. As I bit into my breakfast burrito I swore that I was going to participate in the next Sunday Streets.
Two months passed after that with two Sunday Streets that I failed to attend. When I heard that September’s Sunday Streets was to be the last one of the year I had to make a plan to attend. This one went through Golden Gate Park then turned south along the Great Highway. This meant that there would be car free streets stretching along the Pacific Coast!
Sept. 6 Sunday Streets route map via http://sundaystreetssf.com
The weather for September’s Sunday Streets was in stark contrast to the first one I witnessed, but I hopped on my bike anyway and headed out. As I left the Mission and headed towards Golden Gate Park I noticed dense fog in the horizon. Turning south out of Golden Gate Park I could see the Pacific Ocean, but the fog was so thick it looked apocalyptic. I tried to look past the ocean mist that had accumulated on my glasses and enjoy the experience.
Sunday Street foggy beach. Photo by Ian Tuttle
Along the way there were all sorts of tents and activities set up, but one of the most interesting was Rock The Bike – a bicycle powered rock band! Here riders pedaled to power the amps belonging to the rock band Have You Seen My Toothbrush. The 4 person pedaling power generator rotated participants after each song. I didn’t try it out, but it looked like tough work.
Pedal Power. Photo by Ian Tuttle
Power Inverter. Photo by Ian Tuttle
While the weather was far from perfect it was nice to ride without listening to threatening car horns and breathing in lung-fulls of car exhaust. 2009 was the second year of Sunday Streets and I hope to see it continued next year.
Last week I attended the exhibit of Richard Avedon photography at the SF MOMA. Avedon earned a reputation early in his career as a fashion photographer and is well known for his portraits of celebrities. If you live in SF you’ve probably noticed the banners for the exhibit hanging on lightposts around the city. These banners feature his photographs of Janis Joplin and Bjork. Unfortunate, I think in hindsight, as these banners detract from the exhibit more than anything. Yes, Avedon photographed some famous people, but his work is so multi-dimensional and exciting despite the notoriety of his subjects. Furthermore, it’s Avedon’s ability to tell a story through his portraits of the common person that is truly unique and exciting.
The exhibit starts with a room showcasing the genre of photography Avedon cut his teeth on: fashion. One quality that repeats itself among Avedon’s fashion photography is a dramatic sense of movement. Avedon managed to catch the models at the brink of the action, bringing the clothing to life and creating lively characters out of the models. The clothing drapes and moves flawlessly presenting lively silhouettes. The results are visually stunning from a commercial and fine art point of view, and brought Avedon a reputation that allowed him more creative freedom in the future.
Avedon’s success as a fashion photographer gave him liberty to expand as a fine artist. Between 1979 and 1984 he traveled the American west photo-documenting people living in desolate areas. By this time he had already shot many famous celebrities, but with these portraits he was celebrating the ordinary. He was showing the uncelebrated side of America, not glamorous Hollywood stars or high fashion supermodels. These are real people whose stories are told through stark black and white portraits shot against a plain white backdrop. Rarely do these people hold props, yet so much information can be gathered about them. Avedon has a knack for shooting people in such a way that they seem totally relaxed and natural. It’s as if they have their portraits shot every day. Their faces paint a picture of the landscape of the American west in a way rarely seen. Interesting also is the fact that the MOMA concurrently has an Ansel Adams exhibit on display showing the American west in an entirely different fashion.
My interest in photography is fickle and my attention span for portraiture is short, yet I found myself immersed in Avedon’s photography. Avedon is truly a master at his craft. The exhibit at the SF MOMA runs through November 29th, 2009 and is well worth a visit.