WNP Film Club is a film series at the 4 Star Theater brought to you by Western Neighborhoods Project, your friendly community history nonprofit, in partnership with Bay Area Movies. Join us in celebrating movies filmed on location in San Francisco, with an emphasis on the west side. Each screening will feature an introduction by WNP’s resident film buffs, John Martini and Chelsea Sellin, who will share some background about the film and its featured locations, including historical images from the OpenSFHistory photo archive. Optional Extra Credit: stick around after the movie to chat with John and Chelsea and indulge your inner film nerd.

Join us on Wednesday, April 16, for the classic 1958 crime drama The Lineup. The SFPD are hot on a case involving heroin smuggled by unwitting travelers. They’re up against a sinister Eli Wallach and his criminal gang. If you think Bullitt basically invented the San Francisco car chase, you’ve got to check out The Lineup. Plus! An extensive sequence inside the former Sutro’s—it’s like you can step back in time and visit it yourself. Directed by Don Siegel, who later did Dirty Harry and Escape from Alcatraz, this is a true cine noir classic.

The program begins at 7:00pm. Tickets sales support both WNP and the 4 Star Theater!

Throwin’ Bo’s presents:

Black Belt Eagle Scout

This land runs through Katherine Paul’s blood. And it called to her. In dreams she saw the river, her ancestors, and her home.When the land calls, you listen. And KP found herself far from her ancestral lands during a time of collective trauma, when the world was wounded and in need of healing. In 2020 she made the journey from Portland back to the Skagit River, back to the cedar trees that stand tall and shrouded in fog, back to the tide flats and the mountains, back to Swinomish.

It is a powerful thing to return to our ancestral lands and often times the journey is not easy. Like the salmon through the currents, like the tide as it crawls to shore this is a story of return. It is the call and response. It is the outstretched arms of the people who came before, welcoming her home.The Land, The Water, The Sky is a celebration of lineage and strength. Even in its deepest moments of loneliness and grief, of frustration over a world wrought with colonial violence and pain, the songs remind us that if we slow down, if we listen to the waves and the wind through the trees, we will remember to breathe.

There is a throughline of story in every song, a remembrance of knowledge and teachings, a gratitude of wisdom passed down and carried. There is a reimagining of Sedna who was offered to the sea, and a beautiful rumination on sacrifice and humanity, and what it means to hold the stories that work to teach us something.

Chord progressions born out of moments of sadness and solitude transform into the islands that sit blue along the horizon. The Salish Sea curves along her homelands, and when the singer is close to this water she is reminded of her grandmother, how she looked out at these same islands, and she’s held by spirit and memory.

The Land, The Water, The Sky rises and falls, in darkness and in light, but even in its most melancholy moments it is never despairing. That is the beauty of returning home. When you stand on ancestral lands it is impossible to be alone. You feel the arms and hands that hold you up, unwilling to let you fall into sorrow or abandonment. In her songs Katherine Paul has channeled that feeling of being held. In every note she has written a love letter to indigenous strength and healing.

There is a joy present here, a fierce blissfulness that comes with walking the trails along the river, feeling the sand and the stones beneath her feet. It is the pride and the certainty that comes with knowing her ancestors walked along the same land, dipped their hands into the water, and ran their fingertips along the same bark of cedar trees.

This is a story of hope, as it details the joy of returning. Katherine Paul’s journey home wasn’tmade alone, and the songs are crowded with loved ones and relatives, like a really good party. And as the songs walk us through the land it is important we hover over the images and the beauty, the moments that mark this album as site specific. The power of this land is woven throughout, telling the story of narrow waterways, brushstrokes, salmon stinta, and above all healing. Let it take you. Move through the story and see the land through her eyes, because it is a gift, awelcomedsʔabadəb.

**The word “gift” in Lushootseed, the language of the Coast Salish people

Spotify | IG

DOORS at 7:00 PM | MUSIC at 8:00 PM

Slumberland Records & Tunnel Records present:

Lunchbox

(Record Release Show)

Evolver is a product of a distinct time and place, or rather three places: the pre-gentrification Oakland Rockridge neighborhood, where Donna and I lived in the so-called “Shafterhouse” with its basement studio, in walking-distance of crucial trumpet-friend Jeremy Goody who lived around the corner; the Mendocino coast up around the town of Gualala, whose rugged, slightly-spooky coastline was (and remains) an irresistible attraction for us (and was the source of all Donna’s photos for the cover and insert); and the city of Berlin, Germany, where we lived in the mid-late 1990s during my graduate research, indelibly stamped by post-Wall underground club culture and the crumbling beauty of a city we were haunted by and are still in love with. We played a number of Berlin shows, including one in the legendary techno-squat Im Eimer, a fairy-light lit crumbling former slaughterhouse with a giant hole in the top floor through which the band could look down into the rooms below onto an all-night Jungle dance party. Like playing inside a UFO.

The Evolver moment in time—right around the year 2000—was similarly a product of three influences: I was in graduate school at Berkeley and had a ton of time to work on records in the basement instead of writing my dissertation; we had been doing a live band since 1995 and were sick of the restrictions imposed by having a band, especially by the straightjacket of turn-of-the-century West Coast indiepop, with its pro forma sounds and gestures; and it was also—so I was informed—the moment of a rare astrological transit related, for me, to some kind of psychedelic awakening. Basically, Evolver was conceived and recorded in kind of a low-level acid trip, infused with a strong feeling that everything was alive and connected, part of an indissoluble whole. Those three time-related factors added up to a sense of freedom—Evolver was the first and last time that we really made a record just for us, with no concern whatsoever with how it would be received.

The sense of freedom was also bound up, crucially, with technology—Evolver is first and foremost a product of sounds that came out of specific pieces of equipment piled all around the Shafterhouse basement: a 1971 Micromoog; an array of Teac 2 and 4-track reel-to-reels; a barely-working Japanese Vestakaza RV-1 Reverb (impossible to find again, I’ve learned); various Electro-Harmonix boxes; and above all, two keyboards: one, an Everett home-market console organ that had keypads that not only made the dreamy Maj9 chords heard all over the album, but produced chord progressions that we would never have come up with on a guitar or piano; the other was a Mattel Optigan, a kids’ keyboard from the 1970s that used primitive optical sampling technology to reproduce the sounds of guitars, or pianos, or whatever. We had a full set of the flexi-discs containing the samples, which you inserted through a slot where they were read by a light sensor. Happily, you could also put the records in upside down, making the samples play backwards.

Other than the Everett and the Optigan, the most important basis of the recording process was the tape decks themselves. We recorded mostly onto a Tascam TSR-8 8-track, and a little onto a TEAC 3340 4-track. But the biggest feature of the decks was the tape delay you could get out of the various two-tracks we had sitting around. The whole record is steeped in tape delay: this is where a signal goes out of the main deck into a second tape deck, and the distance between the record and playback heads (and in dependence on the speed of the deck) produces a delayed signal that then comes back into the board. If you then send that signal back to itself, all sorts of fun stuff ensues, the decks serving as instruments in their own right, producing squalls of noise or deconstructive dubscapes.

In keeping with the spirit of the place(s) and moment, the machines kind of literally told us what to record, and we just sort of obeyed. The influence of drum ‘n’ bass, imbibed during our Berlin sojourn, as well as during our late-1990s run of London shows, is clear on the record. Also clear are shades of dub reggae and the dreamier side of indiepop. But we really didn’t strive to be one thing or another—we just tried to realize what was being given to us. It was easy, like surfing a wave. It will never be that easy again, that magical again, but we’re incredibly fortunate to have Slumberland Records come along to release a Twentieth Anniversary edition of a record that never came out on vinyl like it was supposed to and was basically lost. Now, it is found, and we couldn’t be happier. —Tim Brown (Oakland, CA, Winter 2025)

Bandcamp | IG

Now

"Now Does the Trick" all too well
With balance, harmony, and simplicity,
Now slips their hand into the pocketbook of modfathers
without being nicked by nostalgia
Harmony on every corner
“Beat Girl” playing on late night TV
The fantasy soundtracks People doing handstands at a party with Syd Barrett
Where the Soft Boys play in the background and no one crosses a picket line,
Like a long walk next to the train tracks on Ringo’s day out
with Sunlight Bathed in the Golden Glow:
A little blood in your teeth of an Andy and Edie bubblegum Dream.

Bandcamp | IG

The Kitchenettes

The Kitchenettes from San Francisco is a new addition to the local underground pop community, having just released their demo tape via Discontinuous Innovation last month. These 5 tracks are essential if you follow Cindy, Flowertown etc. Couldn’t find any photos of them but the above is a nice live video. The trio is led by Morgan Stanley who’s also in The Umbrellas. Charlie Ertola and Thomas Rubenstein are in The Telephone Numbers. —Record Turnover

Bandcamp

with DJs Anorak Pop and Kid Frostbite

DOORS at 7:00 PM | MUSIC at 8:00 PM

Linus is certain that the Easter Beagle will bring eggs for everyone this year, but the rest of the gang is skeptical; taking matters into their own hands, Peppermint Patty and Marcie try to make Easter eggs, while Lucy throws a private egg hunt.

CinemaSF is proud to announce that our Saturday & Sunday morning POPCORN PALACE movie screenings at the 4 STAR will be presented FREE OF CHARGE in 2025!

Thanks to an incredibly generous grant we will be showing you fantastic family-friendly movies every weekend at 10:00 AM! Perfect for everything from birthday get-togethers to casual stop-ins, so bring the whole family over to the 4 STAR THEATER for community movies together.

Reservations will be first-come-first-serve when the box office opens thirty minutes before the screening on the day of the show. Ticket links are below for the later screenings of this film. We look forward to seeing you at the movies!

Lewis Carroll's beloved fantasy tale is brought to life in this Disney animated classic. When Alice (Kathryn Beaumont), a restless young British girl, falls down a rabbit hole, she enters a magical world. There she encounters an odd assortment of characters, including the grinning Cheshire Cat (Sterling Holloway) and the goofy Mad Hatter (Ed Wynn). When Alice ends up in the court of the tyrannical Queen of Hearts (Verna Felton), she must stay on the ruler's good side -- or risk losing her head.

David (Mark Ruffalo) is a recently widowed architect moving into a new apartment in San Francisco. But the apartment isn't entirely empty; it's haunted by the ghost of a woman named Elizabeth (Reese Witherspoon). And although Elizabeth can't remember much about her life, she's convinced that she isn't really dead. While David recruits Darryl (Jon Heder), an absent-minded psychic, to get to the bottom of Elizabeth's identity, he and Elizabeth begin to fall in love.

With a special introduction from SFGATE’s Amanda Bartlett, who is writing a companion piece for this supernatural romantic comedy’s 20th anniversary. She will highlight some of the local filming locations and why it remains such a great love letter to San Francisco.

Linus is certain that the Easter Beagle will bring eggs for everyone this year, but the rest of the gang is skeptical; taking matters into their own hands, Peppermint Patty and Marcie try to make Easter eggs, while Lucy throws a private egg hunt.

CinemaSF is proud to announce that our Saturday & Sunday morning POPCORN PALACE movie screenings at the 4 STAR will be presented FREE OF CHARGE in 2025!

Thanks to an incredibly generous grant we will be showing you fantastic family-friendly movies every weekend at 10:00 AM! Perfect for everything from birthday get-togethers to casual stop-ins, so bring the whole family over to the 4 STAR THEATER for community movies together.

Reservations will be first-come-first-serve when the box office opens thirty minutes before the screening on the day of the show. Ticket links are below for the later screenings of this film. We look forward to seeing you at the movies!

Lewis Carroll's beloved fantasy tale is brought to life in this Disney animated classic. When Alice (Kathryn Beaumont), a restless young British girl, falls down a rabbit hole, she enters a magical world. There she encounters an odd assortment of characters, including the grinning Cheshire Cat (Sterling Holloway) and the goofy Mad Hatter (Ed Wynn). When Alice ends up in the court of the tyrannical Queen of Hearts (Verna Felton), she must stay on the ruler's good side -- or risk losing her head.

It’s 2007 in Pfresno, Texas. Raphael is in county jail following an arrest for graffiti. He’s a good kid. It’s just graffiti. So you can’t blame Raphael for the events that unfold after his arrest. He’s not responsible for the sting operation, Pflophaus’s new mixtape, Officer Williams and her delusional suspicions, the meth pipes, the FBI, the rich kids with nothing to lose, Mateo, Larry the pig, all the knives, the local aspiring TV newswoman, the plutonium deal gone wrong, or anyone who may or may not die due to that deal turning sour. None of it is Raphael’s fault, but it is his problem.

Filmmaker Q&A moderated by Johnny Whitney of The Blood Brothers to follow the film.

MICROCOSMOS (1996)

It’s 4/20, baby, and Media Meltdown Movie Madhouse has your stoner needs covered this high holiday! As its original French title, Microcosmos: Le peuple de l'herbe, suggests - this movie is for THE PEOPLE OF THE HERB! Unlike other stoner films which tend to be stressful romps through chaotic situations, Microcosmos takes a breath and gets out into nature, focusing on the microscopic world of insects and invertebrates. It’s a psychedelic exploration of the weird and wild world of bugs (and doesn’t have a plot so it’s perfect to step away from for a little smoke break if needed). Plus, your drag hosts will be debuting a short film and a trailer for an impending full-length project inspired by the world of Microcosmos! 

MEDIA MELTDOWN MOVIE MADHOUSE

Gender jesters Piranha Psychotronica and Kafka  X bring you a new experience in cinematic depravity… Media Meltdown Movie Madhouse! Prepare yourself to enter into a world of face-flaying  forgotten and forsaken films… Made-for-TV, Direct-to-Video, VCR games, underground cinema,  and more wiley weirdness than your minds can handle! In a world dominated by AI, CGI, mega streaming platforms, and cinematic universes, Media Meltdown celebrates the amateur, the low-budget, the handmade, the experimental, and the weird! Commit yourself every 3rd Sunday to … MEDIA MELTDOWN MOVIE MADHOUSE!

When young Joshua (Michael Stephenson) learns that he will be going on vacation with his family to a small town called Nilbog, he protests adamantly. He is warned by the spirit of his deceased grandfather that goblins populate the town. His parents, Michael (George Hardy) and Diana (Margo Prey), dismiss his apprehensions, but soon learn to appreciate their son's warnings. Guided by his grandfather's ghost, will Joshua and his family stand a chance in fighting off these evil beings?

The Basement is an art collective with one of the largest VHS archives in the Bay Area. Every week, they screen a movie in their basement in the Mission. On this night, they will be taking their series to the 4-Star!

VHS preshow also curated by The Basement.

Digitally re-mastered in 4K from the original 35mm footage, with enhanced audio newly mixed by Steven Wilson, the upcoming theatrical release presents the definitive version of this pioneering film.

Pink Floyd at Pompeii - MCMLXXII is accompanied by the live album, set for release by Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music, on CD, Digital Audio, and for the very first time in Dolby Atmos and on vinyl, from 2 May. Presenting a stunning first look at the newly restored footage and audio, a performance video clip of ‘Echoes’ at Pompeii is released today.

Pink Floyd At Pompeii pre-dates the release of The Dark Side Of The Moon. The film documents what Pink Floyd did before they became giants of the album charts on both sides of the Atlantic - where their music remains celebrated to this day. Set in the hauntingly beautiful ruins of the ancient Roman Amphitheatre in Pompeii, Italy, this unique and immersive film captures Pink Floyd performing an intimate concert without an audience.

Filmed in October 1971, the performance marked the very first live concert to take place at Pompeii, and features the vital ‘Echoes,’ ‘A Saucerful of Secrets,’ and ‘One of These Days.’ The breathtaking visuals of the amphitheatre, captured both day and night, amplify the magic of the performance.

Additionally, the film includes rare behind-the-scenes footage of the band beginning work on The Dark Side of the Moon at Abbey Road Studios. Nick Mason said “Pink Floyd: Live At Pompeii is a rare and unique document of the band performing live in the period prior to The Dark Side Of The Moon.”

The film has been meticulously hand restored, frame-by-frame, from the original 35mm cut negative - discovered in five dubiously labelled cans within Pink Floyd's own archives. This momentous breakthrough unearthed the very film that rolled through the cameras during those sweltering days amidst the ruins of Pompeii over 50 years ago.

Led by Lana Topham, Director of Restoration for Pink Floyd, the team’s mission was to preserve the integrity and beauty of the original picture. The film was scanned in 4K using advanced techniques to ensure the finest, sharpest detail. Colors were enhanced, and every frame was meticulously reviewed and repaired, maintaining a natural and vivid appearance with minimal grain adjustments.

“Since 1994, I have searched for the elusive film rushes of Pink Floyd At Pompeii, so the recent discovery of the 1972 original 35mm cut negative was a very special moment. The newly restored version presents the first full 90-minute cut, combining the 60-minute source edit of the performance with the additional Abbey Road Studios documentary segments filmed shortly after,” said Lana Topham, Director of Restoration for Pink Floyd.

The film also features stunning sound quality with a new theatrical and home entertainment mix by Steven Wilson in 5.1 and Dolby Atmos that enhances the film's depth and clarity, preserving the authenticity and spirit of the original 1972 release. Wilson’s aim was to remain faithful to how the band would have sounded on those scorching hot days in 1971.

Wilson added, “Ever since my dad brainwashed me as a kid by playing The Dark Side of the Moon on repeat, Pink Floyd has been my favourite band. They are my “Beatles", deeply ingrained in my musical DNA. I first saw Pompeii from a grainy print at a local cinema. It made an incredible impression on me with its untethered and exploratory rock music made by four musicians that seemed to epitomise the notion of intellectual cool. It was an honour to remix the soundtrack to accompany Lana Topham's incredible restoration of the film, which looks like it could've been filmed yesterday.”

The accompanying album release Pink Floyd at Pompeii - MCMLXXII will see the performance presented as a full-length live record for the very first time. The 2025 remix by Steven Wilson is newly available on CD/LP/Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital Audio/Dolby Atmos from 2 May. Pink Floyd at Pompeii - MCMLXXII is presented by RM Productions and directed by Adrian Maben. It is executive produced by Reiner Moritz and Michelle Arnaud. Sony Music Vision is the distributor.

Album Track-listing:

Side A

1. Pompeii Intro

2. Echoes - Part 1

3. Careful With That Axe, Eugene

Side B

1. A Saucerful of Secrets

2. Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun

Side C

1. One of These Days

2. Mademoiselle Nobs

2. Echoes - Part 2

Side D

1. Careful With that Axe, Eugene - Alternate take

2. A Saucerful of Secrets - Unedited

hit me, Harold!

PERFORMANCE ENHANCING DRUGS ARE NOW LEGAL.

Christopher "Tofu" Lee - Bass/Vocals/Keys
Max Volen - Drums/Percussion
Jack Connor - Guitar/Vocals

Bandcamp | IG

Charity Kiss

Scrappy desert rock with just an iddy biddy bit of twang from Reno, NV.

Bandcamp | IG

Green Cat

Bandcamp | IG

DOORS at 7:00 PM | MUSIC at 8:00 PM

Carl Fredricksen, a 78-year-old balloon salesman, is about to fulfill a lifelong dream. Tying thousands of balloons to his house, he flies away to the South American wilderness. But curmudgeonly Carl's worst nightmare comes true when he discovers a little boy named Russell is a stowaway aboard the balloon-powered house. A Pixar animation.

CinemaSF is proud to announce that our Saturday & Sunday morning POPCORN PALACE movie screenings at the 4 STAR will be presented FREE OF CHARGE in 2025!

Thanks to an incredibly generous grant we will be showing you fantastic family-friendly movies every weekend at 10:00 AM! Perfect for everything from birthday get-togethers to casual stop-ins, so bring the whole family over to the 4 STAR THEATER for community movies together.

Reservations will be first-come-first-serve when the box office opens thirty minutes before the screening on the day of the show. Ticket links are below for the later screenings of this film. We look forward to seeing you at the movies!

In a stunning dual role, international star Jet Li portrays Gabriel Yulaw, a police officer confronted with a sinister form of himself escaped from an advanced, parallel universe and intent on killing Gabriel. His alter ego's hunt culminates in a fateful battle between good and evil that changes Gabriel's perception of reality and forces him to examine the evil hidden within himself.

Make it an action-packed triple-feature and join us for Unleashed and Hero, also part of our Saturday SPOTLIGHT ON JET LI!

Crime boss Bart raises orphan Danny with no knowledge of anything other than how to fight, using him as an enforcer when debts must be collected. Planning to enter Danny into a fight tournament and retire with the prize money, Bart disappears after a deadly drive-by shooting. Danny flees and takes shelter with piano tuner Sam. Away from Bart's abusive control, Danny learns how to live like a human and begins investigating his past.

Make it an action-packed triple-feature and join us for The One and Hero, also part of our Saturday SPOTLIGHT ON JET LI!

In this visually arresting martial arts epic set in ancient China, an unnamed fighter (Jet Li) is being honored for defeating three of the king's most dangerous enemies. When Nameless recounts his battles with the assassins -- Broken Sword (Tony Leung Chiu Wai), Flying Snow (Maggie Cheung Man-yuk) and Moon (Zhang Ziyi) -- the king begins to question some of the details. As Nameless goes on, the king challenges the tales, interjecting his own take on these perhaps suspect version of events.

Make it an action-packed triple-feature and join us for The One and Unleashed, also part of our Saturday SPOTLIGHT ON JET LI!

Carl Fredricksen, a 78-year-old balloon salesman, is about to fulfill a lifelong dream. Tying thousands of balloons to his house, he flies away to the South American wilderness. But curmudgeonly Carl's worst nightmare comes true when he discovers a little boy named Russell is a stowaway aboard the balloon-powered house. A Pixar animation.

CinemaSF is proud to announce that our Saturday & Sunday morning POPCORN PALACE movie screenings at the 4 STAR will be presented FREE OF CHARGE in 2025!

Thanks to an incredibly generous grant we will be showing you fantastic family-friendly movies every weekend at 10:00 AM! Perfect for everything from birthday get-togethers to casual stop-ins, so bring the whole family over to the 4 STAR THEATER for community movies together.

Reservations will be first-come-first-serve when the box office opens thirty minutes before the screening on the day of the show. Ticket links are below for the later screenings of this film. We look forward to seeing you at the movies!

Digitally re-mastered in 4K from the original 35mm footage, with enhanced audio newly mixed by Steven Wilson, the upcoming theatrical release presents the definitive version of this pioneering film.

Pink Floyd at Pompeii - MCMLXXII is accompanied by the live album, set for release by Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music, on CD, Digital Audio, and for the very first time in Dolby Atmos and on vinyl, from 2 May. Presenting a stunning first look at the newly restored footage and audio, a performance video clip of ‘Echoes’ at Pompeii is released today.

Pink Floyd At Pompeii pre-dates the release of The Dark Side Of The Moon. The film documents what Pink Floyd did before they became giants of the album charts on both sides of the Atlantic - where their music remains celebrated to this day. Set in the hauntingly beautiful ruins of the ancient Roman Amphitheatre in Pompeii, Italy, this unique and immersive film captures Pink Floyd performing an intimate concert without an audience.

Filmed in October 1971, the performance marked the very first live concert to take place at Pompeii, and features the vital ‘Echoes,’ ‘A Saucerful of Secrets,’ and ‘One of These Days.’ The breathtaking visuals of the amphitheatre, captured both day and night, amplify the magic of the performance.

Additionally, the film includes rare behind-the-scenes footage of the band beginning work on The Dark Side of the Moon at Abbey Road Studios. Nick Mason said “Pink Floyd: Live At Pompeii is a rare and unique document of the band performing live in the period prior to The Dark Side Of The Moon.”

The film has been meticulously hand restored, frame-by-frame, from the original 35mm cut negative - discovered in five dubiously labelled cans within Pink Floyd's own archives. This momentous breakthrough unearthed the very film that rolled through the cameras during those sweltering days amidst the ruins of Pompeii over 50 years ago.

Led by Lana Topham, Director of Restoration for Pink Floyd, the team’s mission was to preserve the integrity and beauty of the original picture. The film was scanned in 4K using advanced techniques to ensure the finest, sharpest detail. Colors were enhanced, and every frame was meticulously reviewed and repaired, maintaining a natural and vivid appearance with minimal grain adjustments.

“Since 1994, I have searched for the elusive film rushes of Pink Floyd At Pompeii, so the recent discovery of the 1972 original 35mm cut negative was a very special moment. The newly restored version presents the first full 90-minute cut, combining the 60-minute source edit of the performance with the additional Abbey Road Studios documentary segments filmed shortly after,” said Lana Topham, Director of Restoration for Pink Floyd.

The film also features stunning sound quality with a new theatrical and home entertainment mix by Steven Wilson in 5.1 and Dolby Atmos that enhances the film's depth and clarity, preserving the authenticity and spirit of the original 1972 release. Wilson’s aim was to remain faithful to how the band would have sounded on those scorching hot days in 1971.

Wilson added, “Ever since my dad brainwashed me as a kid by playing The Dark Side of the Moon on repeat, Pink Floyd has been my favourite band. They are my “Beatles", deeply ingrained in my musical DNA. I first saw Pompeii from a grainy print at a local cinema. It made an incredible impression on me with its untethered and exploratory rock music made by four musicians that seemed to epitomise the notion of intellectual cool. It was an honour to remix the soundtrack to accompany Lana Topham's incredible restoration of the film, which looks like it could've been filmed yesterday.”

The accompanying album release Pink Floyd at Pompeii - MCMLXXII will see the performance presented as a full-length live record for the very first time. The 2025 remix by Steven Wilson is newly available on CD/LP/Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital Audio/Dolby Atmos from 2 May. Pink Floyd at Pompeii - MCMLXXII is presented by RM Productions and directed by Adrian Maben. It is executive produced by Reiner Moritz and Michelle Arnaud. Sony Music Vision is the distributor.

Album Track-listing:

Side A

1. Pompeii Intro

2. Echoes - Part 1

3. Careful With That Axe, Eugene

Side B

1. A Saucerful of Secrets

2. Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun

Side C

1. One of These Days

2. Mademoiselle Nobs

2. Echoes - Part 2

Side D

1. Careful With that Axe, Eugene - Alternate take

2. A Saucerful of Secrets - Unedited

Sunday 27, April

4:00 PM & 7:00 PM

Duke Ellington Birthday Celebration:

Solo Piano Tribute from Nathan Kruse & Screening of Paris Blues (1961)

Duke Ellington (1899–1974) had a career as a composer, pianist, and bandleader that spanned more than 50 years, during which he created nearly 2,000 compositions and appeared in more than 20,000 performances around the world.

Born to musical parents, Ellington grew up in a house filled with the sound of popular songs. At the age of seven, he began taking piano lessons. His formal training ended soon after when he became more interested in visual arts and enrolled at the Armstrong Manual Training School to study commercial art. By 14, his exposure to ragtime music drew him to jazz and ignited a desire to become a professional musician.

Ellington began composing music and playing in ensembles throughout his hometown of Washington, D.C. Before long, Ellington formed his own group, The Duke’s Serenaders, and the band began playing in both the Black and white communities.

Having had much success in Washington, the young Ellington moved to New York City. After a rocky start, he found work playing in both theater orchestras and jazz bands. He soon became the bandleader of a small jazz band, but his need to push musical boundaries quickly grew his band into an orchestra. It wasn’t long before Ellington’s orchestra hit the stage at Harlem’s famous Cotton Club, New York’s most prestigious nightclub.

His “Concerto for Cootie”—named to honor trumpet player Charles “Cootie” Williams—was the first jazz composition in the form of a concerto (a three-movement piece of music for one or more solo instruments and an orchestra). Ellington did not stop breaking musical conventions there; he also invented his own harmonic language.

As the country sank into the Great Depression in October 1929, many bandleaders had trouble making ends meet. But Ellington flourished. The 1930s found him caught up in a musical and social whirlwind. In addition to touring, playing Broadway shows, and appearing in movies like Symphony in Black: A Rhapsody of Negro Life (1935), Ellington also broadcast on radio, which brought the musician worldwide recognition.

Ellington and his orchestra broke racial barriers, performing in hotels and theaters that once barred Black artists. He became a cultural ambassador for the State Department as a result of his world tours.

Duke Ellington had a versatile style of music that was all his own. From the jungle music of the Cotton Club to the swing played on the dance floor, Ellington’s music goes beyond the category of jazz. Ellington was known for showcasing the talent of his band members and wrote entire songs for individual players. He was also experimental, always pushing boundaries and constantly reinventing himself as a musician.

Even today, Ellington’s music is a study of contrasts—dramatic and personal, traditional and innovative, strictly composed and loosely improvised—music that was often based on a highly personal memory, mood, or image.

In celebration of his oeuvre, we’ll be screening a film containing one of his most iconic scores— Paris Blues:

Despite being far from home, American jazz musicians Ram Bowen (Paul Newman) and Eddie Cook (Sidney Poitier) are content living and working in Paris. Ram knows it's the best place for him to develop his musical reputation, and Eddie is far away from the racism that once greeted him on a regular basis. But after meeting and falling in love with American tourists Lillian (Joanne Woodward) and Connie (Diahann Carroll), the pair must decide whether their artistic integrity is worth abandoning.

Movie at 7:30 PM

Music before the Film

LOCAL CRITIQUE

Local Critique is a free, community event with an open format that brings together a diverse group - of artists, researchers, writers, musicians, farmers, scientists - to show a work in progress. Work can be in very early stages or in a more mature stage. The goal is to create an intimate, community-driven setting for real sharing.

San Miguel Fraser

San Miguel Fraser is redefining folk music with their dynamic fusion of Castilian and Celtic traditions. The duo, featuring María San Miguel—an Oviedo Conservatory graduate deeply rooted in the vibrant music of Castile—and Galen Fraser—a Berklee College of Music alumnus and son of the legendary fiddler Alasdair Fraser, blends heartfelt vocals, intricate string arrangements, and the lively charm of the cittern. Their music celebrates the shared spirit of their homelands while embracing the beauty of innovation.

Their latest album, Dots of Light, is a testament to their artistry, shining with vibrant new compositions and imaginative reworkings of traditional tunes. With their unique chamber-folk style, San Miguel Fraser crafts performances that resonate deeply with audiences worldwide.

The band has captivated listeners at prestigious festivals and venues, including Celtic Connections, Festival Internacional de Ortigueira, Sisters Folk Fest, KVMR Celtic Festival, and Miguel Delibes Auditorium. Whether performing at intimate gatherings or grand stages, they bring a heartfelt connection and a celebratory spirit to every performance.

Spotify | IG

with an opening set from

Sumaia Jackson & Colin Cotter

With driving groove and a smooth, open sound, fiddler and tunestress Sumaia Jackson is a quintessential modern West Coast fiddler. Jackson and Cotter weave together tunes and songs both original and found with an easy virtuosity and electric interplay. Born and raised in Santa Cruz, Jackson was awarded a full scholarship to get her Bachelor’s degree from Berklee College of Music in the American Roots Music department. Jackson has toured all over the world with Jayme Stone’s Folklife and Laura Cortese & the Dance Cards—playing places such as the Kennedy Center, Library of Congress, Celtic Connections, Planet Bluegrass, and the Edmonton Folk Festival. She has also been a member of the Real Vocal String Quartet (who composed and recorded music for a world music Culture Kin project) and released her debut fiddle record—Möbius Trip—on May 1st, 2019, featuring Colin as a guitarist on several tracks.

Spotify | IG

DOORS at 7:00PM | MUSIC at 8:00 PM

Tunnel Records and Nada Sound present

La Curandera Cumbiambera

The Earth is dying and being ruled by a mutant dictator and he’s on a quest to conquer new worlds. A small group of animals band together to fight back and summon the ancient healers for help in battle.

plus a conversation with filmmaker Ivan Flores & Jesús Iñiguez

with live music from

Ritmos Tropicosmos

Ritmos Tropicosmos is a seven piece psychedelic cumbia group, from Oakland, creating heavy tropical rhythms with an emphasis on live percussion, synthesizers and familial stories put into song. Together in a time-warped crossroads of electric and acoustic instrumentation, Ritmos Tropicosmos stands somewhere within the traditional rhythms of the past and the futuristic soundscapes of The Now.

Bandcamp | IG

DJ Sizzle Fantastic

Sizzle Fantastic is an artist and Entrepreneur born in Guerrero, Mexico, and raised in Boyle Heights, California.

Currently, she is the Director and co-founder of Cumbiatón, a nationwide event paying homage to the Afro-Latinx culture and music. Most recently, she and her Mom opened up a women-owned and operated restaurant, Sazón, in the city of Huntington Park.

Dj Sizzle uplifts and centers women, migrant, queer, and working-class BIPOC through music, art, and activism. Her work has been recognized and praised by many including reputable outlets such as Los Angeles Magazine, LA Times, Good Morning America, Remezcla, and Uproxxx. You can find her on Instagram and Soundcloud to stay up to date with her shows.

Twitch | IG

DOORS at 7:00PM

Mitch Rocket

Mitch Rocket is a sax-forward indie rock quintet from San Francisco, CA. They specialize in a style they’ve dubbed “Yacht Grunge,” which mixes the jazz chords of Steely Dan and Stevie Wonder with the overdriven angst of Smashing Pumpkins and Soundgarden. From its humble beginnings as a solo bedroom project, Mitch Rocket has grown into full-fledged, rip-roaring 5-piece rock band with the addition of a crack team of veteran Bay Area musicians. The band is led by songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Mitch Rocket, who writes thoughtful, jazz-inflected songs which the band brings to life with technicolor detail. Since June 2021, the Mitch Rocket band has been electrifying audiences around the Bay Area with a setlist that ranges from folk rock to ska to free jazz.

Mitch Rocket premiered their debut album Petting Zoo to the world at the legendary San Francisco venue Bottom of the Hill in late 2021. March 2023 saw the release of a live EP taken from the band's performance at San Jose's Art Boutiki in 2022. In July 2023, Mitch Rocket released the single Worry Less," which attracted favorable national and international press and quickly became their most-streamed song to date. They followed it up with Dirty and Wrong (Fuck You Jeff Bezos), an anti-billionaire, anti-Trump singalong that has been a highlight of live shows for years.

On April 20th, 2025, Mitch Rocket will release an EP pulled from a live performance at the "Retro-Future Revue," a live mini-festival that the band put on at the Golden Gate Park Bandshell in San Francisco. The EP covers broad stylistic ground, from sunny indie pop, through jazz balladry, to swirling psychedelic rock. Three singles from the EP are already available: Venture Cowboys, Blue Sky, and Brain Stew.

Bandcamp | IG

Sadie Alan

Sadie is the lead singer and lyricist of Secret Secret. She has been writing songs since she was young and specializes in striking metaphores and imagery. Sadie released her debut solo EP in 2019. Alan pours out lyrics about her experiences of love, sadness and growing up.

Spotify | IG

cup cup

cup cup is equal parts earnest, unrestrained and a good time. Close friends and multi-instrumentalists John, Nathaniel, Scott, Matt, and Tommy write together, swap instruments, and bring cupcupian energy to every concert.

Bandcamp | IG

DOORS at 7:00PM | MUSIC at 8:00 PM

When Celine begins filming a documentary about her failing relationship, her boyfriend, Jay, becomes suspicious that she may have an ulterior motive: to cancel him. In a paranoid attempt to seize authorship over the film, Jay sets up hidden cameras and tries to entrap Celine into problematic behavior he can record as insurance. As their secret surveillance escalates, they find themselves creating a movie full of absurd, erotic and highly performative scenes, with a wild cast of characters. But when another couple’s whirlwind marriage puts Jay and Celine’s dysfunctional dynamic into perspective, the two of them must use all the cinematic moments they've shared to try and save their love, in this high-concept relationship comedy that asks, “Who’s in control of the narrative?”

Q&A with Director Eugene Kotlyarenko to follow the film.

4 Star Theater and (((folkYEAH))) present:

Little Wings

Little Wings is the enchanting musical endeavor of Kyle Field, an artist who has been captivating audiences since 1998 with his heartfelt blend of indie folk, dreamy soundscapes, and poetic storytelling. Hailing from the West Coast, Little Wings embodies the essence of its coastal origins, weaving tales of wonder, introspection, and the beauty of life's simple moments.

Kyle Field's journey as a musician is deeply rooted in his love for the arts, drawing inspiration not only from the natural world but also from his experiences as a visual artist and poet. His unique background lends a distinct creative vision to Little Wings, seamlessly intertwining his passions to produce music that resonates with listeners on a profound level.

As Little Wings, Field has crafted a magical universe that invites audiences to explore the depths of their emotions, while embracing the mysteries and wonders of life. From warm melodies that evoke the sun-kissed shores of California to the introspective musings inspired by the lush landscapes of the Pacific Northwest, Little Wings' music transports listeners on a journey that transcends time and space.

Kyle Field continues to forge new paths and evolve as an artist, perpetually redefining the boundaries of his creative expression. As Little Wings, Field offers a tender, authentic voice that speaks to the heart, gently reminding us all of the beauty and complexity of the human experience.

Bandcamp | IG

Jeff Manson

Jeffery Manson is a song crafter, home recorder, sound explorer, native plant enthusiast, doomsday comedian, trickster-poet on the crumbling coast.

“If (Little Wings') Kyle Field is a surfing Walt Whitman, Jeff Manson is the freaking lifeguard at Troubador Beach, one eye on the horizon, the other on a his copy of Walden.” —Al Larsen, Some Velvet Sidewalk, Melting Igloo

Bandcamp | IG

DOORS at 7:00PM | MUSIC at 8:00 PM

FINAL DESTINATION 3: THRILL RIDE EDITION

In honor of the release of the sixth film in the franchise, Media Meltdown is looking back at a fan favorite installment - Final Destination 3! The one with the roller coaster! And the nail gun! But we’re not only watching the film, we’re living it! Not only will you be stepping into the immersive Movie Madhouse Final Destination experience, we will be watching the film using the DVD bonus feature THRILL RIDE EDITION! In this scenario, Kafka and Piranha will lead the audience in challenging Death itself by playing the “Choose Their Fate” version of the film. At key moments, the audience will be asked to make a choice, which highlights alternate versions of scenes and ultimately, if played carefully, can result in saving one character’s life! 

MEDIA MELTDOWN MOVIE MADHOUSE

Gender jesters Piranha Psychotronica and Kafka  X bring you a new experience in cinematic depravity… Media Meltdown Movie Madhouse! Prepare yourself to enter into a world of face-flaying  forgotten and forsaken films… Made-for-TV, Direct-to-Video, VCR games, underground cinema,  and more wiley weirdness than your minds can handle! In a world dominated by AI, CGI, mega streaming platforms, and cinematic universes, Media Meltdown celebrates the amateur, the low-budget, the handmade, the experimental, and the weird! Commit yourself every 3rd Sunday to … MEDIA MELTDOWN MOVIE MADHOUSE!

West Coast Fruitless Tour

Trixie Rasputin presents:

Rainbow City Park

Rainbow City Park is an indie-rock/dream pop band from Northern California. The group draws inspiration from the 90s alt-rock scene and modern artists such as Phoebe Bridgers, Diiv, and Pinegrove. RCP is based out of Sacramento, Davis, and San Francisco.

Formed in early 2022, the band consists of Dani Judith (lead vocals, guitar), Chris O’Keefe (guitar), Nick Nassab (guitar, vocals) and Ryan Williams (drums). After a busy first year of touring, they released “Broken Record / Dad Jeans” in the spring of 2023 and “Convince You” in the fall. “Valentine’s Day 1999” was released in early 2024 to critical acclaim and high praise from the west coast indie scene. Frontwoman Dani Judith explores existentialism and family in this ethereal tune.

RCP, known for their tight/energetic shows, has performed alongside artists such as Royel Otis, Japanese Breakfast, Katy Kirby, Wild Child, The National Parks, Ben Nichols of Lucero, and Sarah and the Sundays.

Rainbow City Park is thrilled to announce their debut EP, “Fruitless” – out February 4th, 2025. This five-song collection is a diverse representation of the band’s sonic range while blending introspective lyrics with rich melodies.

Spotify | IG

Sun Casino

Sun Casino is an indie rock band from San Francisco, California. They met on craigslist, but they're much classier than that now.

Bandcamp | IG

Vibe Pilot

(Lucust & Trixie of Lazer Beam)

IG

Topeka Clementine

Starting as the pen name of multi-hyphenate artist Kaigetsu Simovich, Topeka Clementine has steadily become a cornerstone of the San Diego indie scene, with countless collaborators and confidants alike.

On the eve of an AI takeover, Topeka Clementine continues to carve a path for the oddballs, the outliers, and the independent artists who deserve to have their voices heard, attempting in every possible moment to preserve the humanity of the artistic process.

Topeka Clementine takes its namesake from a street corner in Oceanside where the magic of simple human kindness can be seen manifest on a weekly basis through the efforts of Humanity Showers, an organization dedicated to making warm, running water available to our houseless neighbors.

Perched between a firm commitment to grassroots advocacy, and the searing wanderlust that accompanies the experience of growing up in a port town, Topeka Clementine draws inspiration from the often overlooked details of everyday life that shape modern culture, turning the sights, sounds, and smells of our inescapable, shared humanity into fuel for the soundtrack of a hopeful future.

Leaning heavily on the harmonic and rhythmic vocabulary of a rich lineage of various American folk traditions by way of Africa, one would be remiss to not acknowledge the legacy of Black American music as music of resistance, that provides a palette for explaining the unspeakable complexities of the human condition and a vehicle for collective liberation.

Spotify | IG

DOORS at 7:00PM | MUSIC at 7:30 PM

Hectorine

Hectorine is a music project led by Sarah Gagnon that was conceived in San Francisco and named after her late paternal grandmother. Gagnon’s contralto is most often compared to certain low-voiced luminaries of the 60s and 70s, but while the music indeed plumbs the depths of the past, it is simultaneously grounded in the present. The vocals serve as the centerpiece of the music, which is poppy, atmospheric, and extremely lyrical. Celestial synths are balanced by terrestrial guitars as the songs explore themes of love, loss, nature, and the cosmos.

Hectorine’s eponymous debut was self-released in January 2019, and the follow-up, Tears, was released earlier this summer on Paisley Shirt Records. Though Hectorine has gone through several lineup changes over the years, Gagnon is now joined by Max Shanley on guitar, Betsy Gran on keyboards, Matt Carney on bass, and Laura Adkins on drums.

Bandcamp | IG

Whitney’s Playland

Whitney's Playland is the pandemic-era project of Inna Showalter and George Tarlson, longtime friends and veterans of the music scene (Grandma’s Boyfriend, Blades of Joy, Modern Charms). The band expanded into a four-piece in late 2022 with the addition of Evan Showalter and Paul DeMartini.

Bandcamp | IG

Peace Frog

DOORS at 7:00PM | MUSIC at 8:00 PM

Talent Moat presents:

Cuneiform Tabs

Quickly on the heels of their startling self-titled debut, Cuneiform Tabs return with an album that takes a massive leap forward in both melodic sensibilities and inventiveness. Bathed in late night psychedelia, their experimental penchant remains, but this time it is wrapped around tunes too sweet to be denied. In pulling back a little of the crackle and haze that made their first recordings so inviting, they have revealed more of their pop instincts. Content to let a picked acoustic guitar stand alone like a Vashti Bunyan home recording, or sit deep in the looping repetition of a drone sample, like a bedroom My Bloody Valentine, the overall effect is of a perfect set of early Animal Collective demos or Cleaners From Venus attempting a Jackson C. Frank cover on just the right quaaludes.

The duo of Matt Bieyle and Sterling Mackinnon continue their system of trading songs back and forth across the Atlantic. A furtive correspondence between the Bay Area and the UK building and layering and peeling and blurring as they grab whatever instrument is needed until these perfect little sonic nuggets are fully formed. These songs are very much the product of the Tascam and rudimentary software that is integral to the band, but this album is truly the embrace of their melodic songwriting talents, not unlike the recent breakthrough of labelmate Cindy Lee.

This is the record Bob Pollard hears in his head every time he heads down to the basement to pick up a guitar. This is the sound of riding in an elevator hearing McCartney singing “Blackbird” in the distance, only to have it draw closer and closer with each floor as you finally race down the hallway, putting your ear to each door searching for the source. This is Leonard Cohen smoking in the middle of the street outside of a Suicide show. If all of this sounds amazing, it is.

Bandcamp

Jordan Pantalone

A key figure in the SF/Oakland underground music scene over recent years, Jordan Pantalone has played in bands including Spiral Dub, The World, Almond Joy, and Rays. This will be the second-ever live performance of Jordan's eponymously named solo band and is not to be missed!

IG

Cave Babe

Ethereal protest anthems /Goddessxxx jock jams / electronic art band for the beginning of the world.

Soundcloud | IG

DOORS at 7:00PM | MUSIC at 8:00 PM

Pleasure Tapes presents:

Junebug

Bandcamp | IG

Herr God

Website | IG

House of Warmth

Portland , OR. Heavygaze very very warm

Bandcamp | IG

Meadow

Bay Area proto-softcore heavy bloomgaze33333

Spotify | IG

DOORS at 7:30PM | MUSIC at 8:00 PM

Tunnel Records & Nada Sound present

A TUXEDOMOON ANNIVERSARY TRIBUTE

Naked Roommate

Naked Roommate was conceived in 2018 by Amber Sermeńo & Andy Jordan (partners in art & life) as a playful aside from their roles in Oakland's most dearly-departed ensemble, The World. With a handful of twitching insta-sketches, each addled with late-nite D.I.Y. quiver, the duo's side-hustle sprouted in classical easy/cheap fashion [see the demo tape on their Public Nipples imprint for evidence]. As "global" concerns slowed, compatriots Michael Zamora (a superbly slanted multi-instrumentalist late of Bad Bad) and Alejandra Alcala (the region's one true bass supervisor, also of bright lights Blues Lawyer and Preening) joined Sermeńo & Jordan as additional exposed flesh. In full form, Naked Roommate has not only become a must-see, ever-evolving live act, but architects of 'Do The Duvet', one of the most intriguing and inspired recordings to come out of 2020's American subterranea.

Bandcamp | IG

Winston Tong & LX Rudis

"Winston Tong is a San Francisco-based performance artist and singer, acclaimed both for his solo work and his collaborations with experimental music group Tuxedomoon.

Born in San Francisco in 1951, Tong is the son of Chinese parents forced into exile by the Communist revolution. He graduated in theatre from the California Institute of Arts in 1973, and soon established a reputation in the Bay Area with a string of charismatic, left-field performance pieces such as Wild Boys, Eliminations, Frankie and Johnnie and Bound Feet, the latter loosely based on traditional oriental puppet theatre, and recipient of a prestigious Obie award.

In late 1977, Tong met an early incarnation of Tuxedomoon, then comprising Steven Brown, Blaine L. Reininger and Victoria Lowe, after both were invited to perform at a local salon, Chez Dada. Afterwards Tong agreed to perform with Tuxedomoon as and when time allowed, a flexible arrangement that would remain in place until 1985. During this formative period Tong also met Bruce Geduldig, who would take on responsibility for visuals and production design both with Tong and with Tuxedomoon.

Tong released his first record in the spring of 1979. Backed by Tuxedomoon members Brown, Reininger, Peter Principle and Paul Zahl, The Stranger paid homage to the existential classic by Albert Camus, while flipside Love/No Hope offered spiky angst-rock at one with the first two Tuxedomoon EPs, No Tears and Scream With A View. A recording for the Tong/Geduldig short film Wild Boys was also later released commercially.

Tong was absent from the first Tuxedomoon album, Half Mute, but returned to the fold for their second, Desire, released by Ralph Records to great acclaim in 1981. Tong joined the band on their first European tour, and shortly afterwards Tuxedomoon relocated to Europe on a longterm basis, settling first in Rotterdam and later in Brussels. Several albums followed, to which Tong contributed heavily, including Divine, Suite en Sous-Sol and The Ghost Sonata, the latter an ambitious 'opera without words' staged in Italy in the summer of 1982. This tally also includes the classic single Time To Lose, to which Tong contributed lead vocal.

The first Tong solo album appeared in early 1983 through chic Belgian indie Les Disques du Crépuscule. In its original form, Like the Others was a handsome cassette and book package, featuring a series of impressionistic monologues with spare musical backing by Tuxedomoon. The title track also appeared as a single in France, while an expanded CD edition later added an improvised live track, Last Words at the Scaffold, on which Tong is backed by members of Tuxedomoon and Cabaret Voltaire. At the same time Tong continued to reprise theatrical performances such as Frankie and Johnnie.

At the beginning of 1983 Reininger quit Tuxedomoon for a solo career. Although he would return in 1987, this loss slowed band activity for the next two years. Tong sang lead on an interim single, Soma, but elected to devote more time and energy to a collaboration with Belgian singer Niki Mono: "two voices of opposite sex from opposite ends of the earth." The pair made their live debut at the Plan K venue in Brussels in November 1983, and in January 1984 recorded a nine-song demo, after which Crépuscule signed the project for an album.

At this time the label attracted backing from Island Records, and in April Tong and Mono traveled to London to record the first single. Produced by Alan Rankine (The Associates) and Dave Formula (Magazine), Theoretical China featured a stellar cast of guest musicians including Jah Wobble, Simon Topping (A Certain Ratio) and Stephen Morris (New Order), although despite the exceptional pedigree of the supporting players this polished funk track didn't quite gel as a killer dancefloor cut.

At the end of April 1984 Tong and Mono flew to Tokyo for a string of live dates with The Durutti Column and Mikado. During this trip the pair recorded The Hunger, a haunting sixteen minute track on which several Japanese musicians guest, including Atsuo Suzuki and Satoshi Kadakura. The Hunger numbers among Tong's finest works, and light years from his witty update of The Twelve Days of Christmas, recorded for a Crépuscule Christmas album.

Theoretical China appeared on Crépuscule in November 1984, backed by The Hunger on 12-inch format, credited to Tong alone. After Mono departed the project, recording of the album continued with Persian-born singer Sussan Deyhim on backing vocals and Alan Rankine handling all production, arrangements, keyboards and sequencing. It's worth noting that a number of earlier Tong/Mono songs were dropped for the album, including To You, Incubo, Zimbabwe and Dream Assassins, although the latter was recorded.

The album swallowed up a good deal of time and money, and in tandem Tong undertook an altogether different musical project, Miserere (Mercy), the soundtrack to a modern ballet based on the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Commissioned by choreographer Pierre Droulers, Tong and Deyhim's remarkable music was recorded exclusively acappella. Feared lost for many years, the masters were eventually located and released by LTM in 2003.

Winston Tong's first album proper eventually appeared in October 1985 as Theoretically Chinese. It's an album of smooth electronic dance pop, sounding expansive and expensive, and a million miles from the angsty art-rock for which Tuxedomoon were renowned. Lush ballad Reports From the Heart made for an elegant second single, while Big Brother and a cover of Broken English by Marianne Faithfull hit the spot as sophisticated disco, and were remixed for single release in Italy. The album sold relatively well in Europe, although Crépuscule must surely have regretted the fact that Tong did not tour to support it, and had donated his most memorable solo song, In A Manner of Speaking, to Tuxedomoon.

In A Manner of Speaking proved a highlight of the Tuxedomoon album Holy Wars, released by Crammed in April 1985, and would later be covered by Martin Gore of Depeche Mode on the EP Counterfeit, and in 2004 by French lounge/bossa project Nouvelle Vague. Tong assisted Tuxedomoon with the launch of Holy Wars, but was gone by the summer of 1985, devoting his time to the completion of his solo album, and performances of Miserere in Paris and elsewhere. Since Tong had also become unavailable to Crépuscule by the time Theoretically Chinese appeared, the media had to make do with a special Interview 12-inch, itself highly collectable today.

Towards the end of 1985 Tong returned to the States, hoping to take a role in Bernardo Bertolucci's epic movie The Last Emperor, and David Hwang's Butterfly on Broadway. Sadly there have been no more solo records, although Tong has continued to perform new shows such as Rasputin, Isadora and Mao and the humouresque Winston Tong Sings Duke Ellington, from which Prelude to a Kiss was extracted, and recorded for a Ralph Records 'jazz' compilation in 1990. In 2005 he again performed with Tuxedomoon in San Francisco, and in 2010 returned to Brussels for a one-off concert at Plan K.

Today Winston Tong is alive and well and living in San Francisco, and flattered that In a Manner of Speaking has become a something of a standard, appearing in countless films, ads and television dramas the world over." ~ James Nice

A former member of San Francisco’s Units [and several other art/punk groups,] Lx Rudis is a multi talented artist in musical, performance, and visual arts. He is renowned for his work with analog synthesizers and has achieved significant recognition for his collaborative works with other performance artists as well as his solo synthesizer works. In his collaboration with Winston Tong and Donovan Drummond, his phenomenal synth performances provide the ideal complement to Winston’s extraordinary voice and Donovan Drummond’s light and media show.

Best known for his work in video game development, he was a member of development teams for the Atari Lynx, the Atari Jaguar and Leapfrog’s ‘Leapster’ handheld device. He appears in the credits of over 40 video games in roles ranging from Sound Design to Executive Producer. He has also remained active in experimental and improvised music, working both as solo artist and within groups. He and Winston Tong have been collaborating for more than a decade, primarily in live performance of contemporary art songs.

Website

Tropisphere

plus DJ Josh Cheon (Dark Entries)

DOORS at 7:00PM | MUSIC at 8:00 PM

BLACK ROSE MANSION

Following the popularity of our screening of Black Lizard last Pride, Media Meltdown Movie Madhouse takes a look this year at the film’s spiritual successor, Black Rose Mansion!  Reuniting director Kinji Fukusaku (The Green Slime, Battle Royale) and drag acting legend Akihiro Miwa, this film is dripping in gothic melodrama, surreal twisted love affairs, lush fashion, and sumptuous performances. Miwa moves from playing a criminal mastermind in Black Lizard to a woman who seemingly drives men mad with desire from her unearthly beauty. The lurid decadence is to die for! So get your affairs in order before entering the… Black Rose Mansion! 

MEDIA MELTDOWN MOVIE MADHOUSE

Gender jesters Piranha Psychotronica and Kafka  X bring you a new experience in cinematic depravity… Media Meltdown Movie Madhouse! Prepare yourself to enter into a world of face-flaying  forgotten and forsaken films… Made-for-TV, Direct-to-Video, VCR games, underground cinema,  and more wiley weirdness than your minds can handle! In a world dominated by AI, CGI, mega streaming platforms, and cinematic universes, Media Meltdown celebrates the amateur, the low-budget, the handmade, the experimental, and the weird! Commit yourself every 3rd Sunday to … MEDIA MELTDOWN MOVIE MADHOUSE!

Throwin’ Bo’s presents:

Squirrel Flower

Less than an hour south of Chicago, along the shores of Lake Michigan, sits the Indiana Dunes, a protected expanse of shoreline recently designated a National Park. When Ella Williams first visited the Dunes, she was awed by the juxtaposition of its natural splendor within the surrounding industrial corridor of Northwest Indiana. “Every time I go there, it changes my life,” she says, without a hint of hyperbole.“You stand in the marshlands and to your left is a steel factory belching fire and to your right is a nuclear power plant.” Across the water, Chicago waits, its glistening towers made possible by the same steel forged here. For as long as she’s been making music, Ella Williams’ songs have been products of the environments they’re written in, born out of the same world they so vividly hold a mirror to. This environment is where her magnetic new album, Tomorrow’s Fire, lives. 

The music Williams makes as Squirrel Flower has always communicated a strong sense of place. Her self-released debut EP, 2015’s early winter songs from middle america, was written during her first year living in Iowa, where the winter months make those of her hometown, Boston, seem quaint by comparison. Since that first offering, Squirrel Flower has amassed a fanbase beyond the Boston DIY scene and released two more EPs and two full-lengths. The most recent, Planet (i), was laden with climate anxiety, while the subsequent Planet EP marked an important turning point in Williams’ prolific career; the collection of demos was the first self-produced material she’d released in some time. With a renewed confidence as a producer, she helmed Tomorrow’s Fire at Drop of Sun Studios in Asheville alongside storied engineer Alex Farrar (Wednesday, Indigo de Souza, Snail Mail). Williams and Farrar tracked many of the instruments, building the songs together during the first week, and then assembled a studio band that included Matt McCaughan (Bon Iver), Seth Kauffman (Angel Olsen band), Jake Lenderman (aka MJ Lenderman), and Dave Hartley (The War on Drugs) lending their contributions. 

Before Tomorrow’s Fire, Squirrel Flower might’ve been labeled something like “indie folk,” but this is a rock record, made to be played loud. As if to signal this shift, the album opens with the soaring “i don’t use a trashcan,” a re-imagining of the first ever Squirrel Flower song. Williams returns to her past to demonstrate her growth as an artist and to nod to those early shows, when her voice, looped and minimalistic, had the power to silence a room. Lead singles “Full Time Job” and “When a Plant is Dying,” narrate the universal desperation that comes with living as an artist and pushing up against a world where that’s a challenging thing to be. The frustration in Williams’ lyrics is echoed by the music’s uninhibited, ferocious production. “There must be more to life/ Than being on time,” she sings on the latter’s towering chorus. Lyrics like that one are fated to become anthemic, and Tomorrow’s Fire overflows with them. “Doing my best is a full time job/ But it doesn’t pay the rent” Williams sings on “Full Time Job” over careening feedback, her steady delivery imposing order over a song that is, at its heart, about a loss of control. 

Williams cites artists like Jason Molina, Tom Waits, and Springsteen as fonts of inspiration for Tomorrow’s Fire, musicians who knew how to write into the mind of a stranger, who could tell you the story of a life in under four minutes. “The songs I write are not always autobiographical, but they’re always true,” Williams says. Nowhere is Springsteen heard more clearly than on “Alley Light,” an electrifying song narrated from the perspective of a down-on-his-luck guy whose car is fated to die any day now and whose girl just wants to escape. There’s a vintage sheen to it, but “Alley Light” captures the very familiar feelings of loss that come with living in a 21st century city, where you blink and the storefronts change. Williams notes, "It’s about a man in me, or a man who I love, or even a man who is a stranger to me." 

The album glides effortlessly over emotional states of being, lightness and heaviness. “Intheskatepark,” written in the summer of 2019, four years later sounds like a dispatch from a bygone world. The scuzzy pop production nods to Guided By Voices, as Williams sings about crushing under summer sunshine. “I had a light,” Williams repeats mournfully on “Stick,” her voice at once aching and powerful, a sense of rage fermenting as the song goes on, until it explodes in the second half. “This song is about not wanting to compromise, just being at the end of your rope,” Williams says. “Stick” harnesses that exasperation and turns it into a battle cry for anyone who is exhausted but feels like they’re not working hard enough, who had to get a job they hate to make rent, who lost their light and can’t seem to find it again. 

Tomorrow’s Fire might sound like the title of an apocalypse album, but it’s not. Tomorrow’s Fire references the title of a novel Williams’ great-grandfather Jay wrote about a troubadour, named for a line by the Medieval French poet Rutebeuf, a troubadour himself: “Tomorrow’s hopes provide my dinner/ Tomorrow’s fire must warm tonight.” Centuries on, the quote spoke to Williams, who describes the fire as a tool to wield in the face of nihilism. Tomorrow’s Fire is what we take solace in, what we know will make us feel okay in the morning, how we light the path we're walking on. 

Closing track "Finally Rain" speaks to the ambiguity of being a young person staring down climate catastrophe. The last verse is an homage to Williams’ relationship with her loved ones — ‘We won’t grow up.’  A stark realization, but also a manifesto. To be resolutely committed to a life of not ‘growing up,’ not losing our wonder while we’re still here. 

Bandcamp | IG

Free Range

the project of Chicago-based musician Sofia Jensen (they/she), announces their second album Lost & Found, out March 28th via Mick Music, and unveils its lead single “Hardly.” Lost & Found follows their sharp 2023 debut, Practice, which “confront[ed] and reflect[ed] on youthful confusion and alienation, and the feelings that inspired them” (Chicago Reader). Lost & Found is about the logical next step of trying to feel like an adult. Much of the album stems from the experiences of 21-year-old Jensen, who formed Free Range when they were 15, moving out from their parents’ house and expanding their world in the Chicago music scene. Amid these changes, Jensen experienced feelings common in one’s early twenties but pervasive throughout adulthood: striving for connection even when you’re surrounded by people, and struggling to be emotionally open.

“I have a pretty easy time being honest lyrically and in music, and it feels like such an avenue for me to just express,” Jensen says. “But in my daily life, I’m a pretty private person and have a hard time telling people exactly how I feel…Being truly vulnerable with other people is a lot harder than you think.” Lost & Found is filled with nuanced, mature reflections on how tough forthrightness can be. 

Lead single “Hardly” is a full-on overdriven electric guitar barn-burner about what it feels like to really lean on someone, and how that can lead to an uneven and slightly dysfunctional relationship. Jensen sings “I hardly notice when I measure you / against me / but I could tell when you were pulling me through / the darkness in this room / cause all I wanted was just someone to look to / you hardly notice when I glance at you.” It also navigates the role that broken communication plays in a relationship where two people do care about each other, but can’t seem to find themselves on the same page. 

Jensen demoed most of Lost & Found in October 2023 in Silsbee, Texas, where producer Tommy Read, his sister Hannah Read (Lomelda), and Eric Adams (Acre Memos) helped Jensen whittle down 50 songs to a batch of 15. Jensen returned to Texas in January 2024 to record with the full Free Range band: bassist Bailey Minzenberger, drummer Jack Henry, and new member Andy Krull on pedal steel. 

Bandcamp | IG

DOORS at 7:00PM | MUSIC at 8:00 PM

Dad Bod

Dad Bod is an Indie Alternative band out of Salt Lake City, Utah made up of 5 band members. Three brothers- Michael, Marcus, and Matthew Marinos made up the original members of the band, joined eventually by Russ Allphin and Michael Morgan. The band has been inspired by artists such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Nirvana, Elliott Smith and Big Thief. Dad Bod has released an EP and two full length albums, including their most recent album release “Pastels” in 2021. The group has had the opportunity to play in major festivals such as the Twilight Concert Series and Kilby Block Party. They have also had numerous tours throughout the western US that has helped their fanbase continue to grow. In preparation to release their third album, Dad Bod has released singles “Alcohol” and “Fine Print”. The much anticipated album “Loop de Loop Miracle Ministries Lords of Glory” will be released early summer of 2024.

Spotify | IG

Local support TBA

DOORS at 7:00PM | MUSIC at 8:00 PM

Throwin’ Bo’s presents:

Sean Nicholas Savage

Sean Nicholas Savage is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, and musical playwright. He has been described by Emilie Friedlander in an article for The Fader as "a singer-songwriter, madcap philosopher, and all-around scene-pillar in the particular freak-flag-flying sector of the Canadian music community"

Bandcamp | IG

Support TBA

DOORS at 7:00PM | MUSIC at 8:00 PM