Sat nite art crawl - The Mission

photos by "the undercover brother"





I did the round of art shows in The Mission: Low Gallery opening, Needles & Pens, Pond gallery, Adobe Bookshop and Complex Ion's Hyper Mechanism @ The LAB. It was a tight squeeze with a lot of social elbowing. I'll have to go back on a quiet day and take better pics.

I must have been attracted to shiny, white things as evidenced by the suspended, doll-like sculpture and the mesmerizing white boots of The Disappointment's lead singer, Ann. Both objects were in full force at The Lab, which made me take mental note to check out both, the venue and the band, more often.

When my friend J asked me how the band was, I told him their name was "The Disappointment" so there wasn't much to live up to. Now if they were named "The Fantastics".... they'd better deliver. After hearing them play that night, I must say they are light years away from disappointing. The Disappoinment are, in fact, FANTASTIC! Heavy, lush guitars, a rockin' drummer and a vocal sound w/a Smiths/Cardigans/EBTG bent. Not to make much on comparisons, but they float in that realm. Lucky for me, they play at The Makeout Room tonight so I may fill my ears with more non-disappointing sounds.

The LAB is a sizeable gallery on the corner of 16th St & Capp, in The Mission. It's an interesting corner next to the Bart station, bustling w/blue collar workers, artists, God-fearing soapbox evangelists, hookers, junkies and their dealers. Despite this edgy backdrop, I've always felt comfortable on this street and make sure to have my wits about me. After years of living in tropical island paradise, I'm not adverse to this urban landscape. Besides, it being The Mission, you can count on a slew of trendy restuarants, shops and venues only a block away. The LAB and it's location are no exception -- Ti Couz, the Kilowatt, Otsu Vegan, Urban Forage and some of the best taquerias, only steps away. So I sound a beacon to the SF peeps, please check out Hyper Mechanism at The LAB before it goes away.

Hyper Mechanism
The LAB - Mission District
2948 16th Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
www.thelab.org

The Disappointment
www.shelflife.com