Today’s the annual San Francisco version of Carnaval — always the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, since its traditional Mardi Gras date happens in February when the weather is likely to be horrid here — featuring squads of be-feathered dancing girls and boys cavorting and shimmying down Mission St. It’s a great parade, if you’ve never seen it. And if you miss it, just check Flickr in a few hours. (Update: try the 2008carnaval tag.)

Also today, conveniently beginning a few hours after the parade of nearly-naked people: the annual Masturbate-a-thon, a benefit for the Center For Sex and Culture. It starts at 3:00 pm, features live performances by real porn stars, and is open to all persuasions. Interestingly, it costs $20 to participate — and $40 to just watch.

These people really know SF: Flickr’s “Guess Where SF Pool”. Above photo was guessed in mere minutes (it was too easy!) and others (to the right) have yet to be found. I’m new to the game so my photos aren’t as good, but go in yourself and try to outdo the dozen or so superstar visual sleuths. The rules are: add a comment below the photo noting the address or cross-street. They are difficult. And then you start seeing the city in a new way. There are rules on context, so it can’t be completely impossible. Though I did post a photo of a cement square with keys in it, which I thought was unique. Originally posted by Mark P. (thanks Mark! Or should I say no thanks since I’m seriously addicted?)

Word filters in from friends that an icon of the local arts underground has passed away, that being a big man with big impact, Jack Davis.

Whether you remember him onstage coordinating acts at the early SF Blues Festivals, or from behind the scenes at The Farm or SOMArts Cultural Center or serving as Commodore of The Bayview Boat Club or perhaps on the Mayor’s recent Arts Task Force, he was a hard working, (for awhile hard drinking) and truly memorable spirit serving this city over at least the last 35 some years. He lived out by the houseboats near Pac Bell, in a community of renegade spirits, and was a true character, of the kind that cannot ever be recreated.

Not to be confused with the notorious local political consultant of the same name, this Jack Davis was known for his many contributions to the local arts scene, serving on the boards of organizations like S.F Mime Troupe and in the 1970’s helped get Intersection For The Arts off the ground. He was actually instrumental in helping so many groups and creative spirits it’s hard to document the contributions, including helping launch the four art cultural centers in the city, and he did so without divisive power squabbles, ugly ego or taking undue credit. The well liked guy’s heart just finally gave out last weekend, apparently while driving, almost a year to the week that a previous heart attack had set him back.

sadly, SOMarts annual Day of The Dead exhibit curated by Rene Yanez will have one more addition to mourn…

After the jump… there’s an excerpt of an excellent tribute piece written by John Law last year, after Jack had suffered his first heart attack.
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An opportunity like this doesn’t come around often…

San Francisco’s only marching band that matters is looking for “flag team” members. You don’t need to play a tuba, or memorize complex musical charts… you just need to move & groove with some distinctly discernible enthusiasm…

The pay is apparently low to non-existent, but according to their fearless leaders:

“rewards are vastly beyond logic and defy description“

There’s a video clip i made awhile back of this internationally feared musical attack unit in case yer unfamiliar with their antics after the jump…
If after watching that, you think you might be able to contribute, or just want to see a more recent video …

see ya on the other side…
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Among the many politically or culturally oriented murals in the Mission District is this lovely piece on a house on Alabama St.

Search Flickr for murals in San Francisco.

You would think that a medieval person would stick out at a fair about the Renaissance. Thing is, it wasn’t about the Renaissance- it was about Harry Potter, LOTR, wikkens, pagans, tribal folks, burners, and… yes, about every social subgroup remotely having to do with period costume. So I fit right in, because as long as you’re friendly and not dressed in Tivas and shorts, you’re “fair folk.”

We were asked to work there about 5 times.
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This weekend in Golden Gate Park, the Renaissance Festival will be here- at Speeway, in all of its fantasy world of dungeons & dragons, seriously nostalgic, heraldic glory (photos here)

As I decided to go earlier this week, I realized that I could no longer make fun of burners (fond name for Burning Man attendees, which occurs at the same time in Nevada.) yes- days of playa hatin’ are gone now. though I still am collecting bad BM stories if you have ‘em.

I was at the Chinatown fabric shop*- Fabric Depot on Stockton right before the tunnel- talking to the owner about fairs coming through town and whether anyone had been here stocking up on naturally dyed linens and leathers. “The Dickens fair was big. Lots of stuff for that.” He told me. He was impressed that I was going to try to make a dress without buttons. I wanted to be “faire legal”- despite being a newbie. Buttons aside, can we keep the Nanos & Crackberries at home?

I’m hoping the Renn Fest is Zeitgeist in costume. We can always dream.

* Making an 8-panel dress out of sky blue muslin from a historically Greenland pattern that was found in a dig. It’s easy but the shoulders are hard. “gates of hell” bodice.

Tonight, The SF Bay Guardian hosts it’s annual & free “Best Of The Bay” party at the revamped DeYoung museum in Golden Gate Park. Could be a good chance for automotive enthusiasts to try out Warren Hellman’s multi-million dollar parking garage, and mingle with Bruce Brugmann, who for some reason I doubt does much bicycling (details after the jump) …

Other events going on around town tonight include:

A jumpin’ Project Ahimsa fun-raiser benefit at 111 Minna with DJ J.Rocc, that’s free if you RSVP here before 8 pm tonight.

It’s KUSF’s B-Day tonight at Bimbo’s on Columbus where those New Wave hot Dog Eater’s from New Jersey known as Yo La Tengo perform.

Jimmy from The Barfeeders’ wild post-wedding party at Thee Parkside on 17th St is featuring TRICLOPS! and possibly a mysterious group of ex-Golden Gate Park denizens known as Three Weeks Clean.

Details on Guardian Free Party @ DeYoung after the jump…
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I haven’t had a chance to go explor ethis, but I desperately want to. I love the idea of sidewalk stencil graffiti telling a story, especially a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure style story with branching plotlines and dead ends. It’s a story writ in physical space, literalizing the text.

I would love to see more stories scribed across the andscape, turning our streets to palimpsest.

From Flickr:

The mission stencil story is an interactive, choose-your-own-adventure story that takes place on the sidewalks of the Mission district in San Francisco. It is told in a new medium of storytelling that uses spraypainted stencils connected to each other by arrows. The streetscape is used as sort of an illustration to accompany each piece of text.

Its a love story with 2 characters who start in different locations. His story starts at 16th and Valencia, in front of the Crown Hotel / Limon Restaurant with the text “He Leaves his Lonely Apartment.” Her story starts at 21st and Guerrero in front of a stunning mansion with the text, “She Leaves her Lonely Apartment.” Eventually their paths merge, at the point where they meet, and their paths travel together until drama pulls them apart.

Their are two possible endings, happy and tragic, and two other points where the story can end unexpectedly if the viewer chooses the wrong ending. All in all, there are 4 possible endings.

Seen here.

Stopped by the Crucible’s Fire Art Festival under the maze in Oakland. These are three stilt walkers passing in front of the back of a big fire dragon. The Crucible is a workshop where you can take classes on pouring glass to beadwork. This festival seemed, from behind the fences, to center mostly on the fire work- and yes, it was really Burning Man-esque, though many porta potties abounded.

I arrived five minutes after they sold out, so my friend and I toured the entire block from behind the fence. In the words of my friend “close as I want to be to some of these flames.” Some video and more photos after the jump.
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