DEPT The Good Life
ISSUE Fall 2012
AUTHOR Kanara Ty
PHOTOS Interior photo by Mohammad Gorjestani, all other photos by Jennifer Yin.
In recent years, the San Francisco Bay Area’s culinary scene has grown beyond the local-produce-loving-community it has become recognized for. In fact, it is steadfastly becoming the playground for renowned chefs to create some of the region’s most creative and innovative dishes. Of course, this all comes at a hefty price — many folks will find themselves breaking the bank to eat at some of the Bay Area’s most coveted restaurants. While this may be an exciting time for food enthusiasts, the accessibility to such experiences is another matter.
CAAMfest Festival and Exhibition Director Masahi Niwano, filmmaker Nadine Truong, Producers of Linsanity, Brian Yang, Christopher Chen, Allen Lu, director Evan Jackson Leong, and Festival Managing Director Christine Kwon.
It was a beautiful night, and The Castro district was buzzing with Jeremy Lin fans and movie buffs. It was the opening night of CAAMfest, and my photographer Erilou and I couldn’t be any more excited for what was in store. We got dolled up, but on our cute dresses and drove out to SF. On our schedule was the premiere of Linsanity and a gala at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, Ca. We had such an amazing time and met so many amazing people. Check out our coverage on this year’s CAAMfest opening night!
Eem Byung-hak and Kim Naun of Goonam performs at the SF Music Matters Asia showcase at Broadway Studios in San Francisco on March 8 (photo credit: Karen Datangel).
Many indie musicians have already gathered at the world-famous SXSW festival in Austin, Texas, but before heading to the Lone Star State, some of these artists and a few others took their show to the City by the Bay for two nights of unforgettable music mayhem. From sentimental soul and slinky blues to pulsating electronic beats and fist-pumping dance-rock, the East met the West in a duo of shows, delivering something special for every music lover.
As a special preview to the newly branded CAAMFest (Formerly the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival), the inaugural San Francisco Music Matters Asia showcase brought together some of the hottest musical acts from Korea, China, and Taiwan at Broadway Studios on March 7 and 8. This Bay Area stop served as an extension of Music Matters, Asia’s yearly premier music event in Singapore. Partnered with local music promoters from the bands’ countries (DFSB Collective of Korea, Maybe Mars of China, and The Wall of Taiwan), SF Music Matters Asia was not only a rare opportunity for fans to see so many critically-acclaimed Asian artists together, but opened doors for these artists to share their music with a wider international audience.
We’re giving away tickets to Music Matters Asia in San Francisco for March 7-8! To enter:
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As a special preview for CAAMFest (formerly the San Francisco International Asian-American Film Festival), Asia’s premier music industry event, Music Matters, has teamed up with an alliance of Asia’s leading indie music promoters (China : Maybe Mars / Korea : DFSB Kollective / Taiwan : The Wall) and Singapore’s Viki.com to proudly present the launch of San Francisco Music Matters Asia (March 7th-8th, 2013).
A brand new extension of the highly successful Music Matters Live festival in Singapore (http://AllThatMatters.Asia/LIVE), the two-day San Francisco showcase will spotlight Asia’s top indie music artists. According to Music Matters Founder and CEO Jasper Donat, “Asia is smoking hot for talent at the moment and we’re delighted to have some biggest and best live bands from the region sharing the same stage for the first time ever in America.”
Tthe inaugural showcase headliners include the following critically acclaimed, SXSW music acts from China, Korea, and Taiwan:
CHINA
Carsick Cars (2009 China MIDI Awards : Album of the Year – Nominee)
The Gar (2012 China MIDI Awards : Song of the Year – Winner)
White+ (2012 China Douban Awards: Electronic Music Album of the Year – Winner)
KOREA
3rd Line Butterfly (2013 Korean Music Awards : Musician of the Year – Nominee)
Galaxy Express (2011 Korean Music Awards : Musician of the Year – Winner)
Goonam (2012 Korean Music Awards : Modern Rock Album of the Year – Nominee)
Lowdown 30 (2013 Korean Music Awards : Album of the Year – Nominee)
No Brain (2007 Korean Music Awards : Band of the Year)
TAIWAN
The Chairman (2011 Taiwan Golden Melody Awards : Band of the Year – Nominee)
The Saturday afternoon parade was a grand moving showcase of Filipino customs and culture along with community (All photos by Karen Datangel).
Last weekend in San Francisco was a busy one with Outside Lands, baseball, and preseason football going on, but there was one other big event that brought more hustle and bustle to the city: The 19th Annual Pistahan Parade and Festival at Yerba Buena Gardens was also the only event where you could hear good music and watch a live sport at the same time, plus find the rare entertainment in watching people eat ice cream and duck eggs. Pistahan—which ran for two days on August 11th and 12th—is the largest street celebration of Filipino culture in San Francisco, and this year’s event broke some new ground as well as kept up with beloved traditions.
Patrons at Chambers SF got together for Happy Hour as a preview to the annual Plate-by-Plate Tasting Benefit, to take place on September 22nd at The Bently Reserve (photo credit: Jessica Huey / Project by Project).
It was a classy and crowded evening of mingling, networking, and tasty cocktails by the pool at Chambers in San Francisco on August 1st, and for a great cause: Project by Project hosted a special preview event—a Happy Hour—for the San Francisco chapter’s 3rd Annual Plate by Plate Tasting Benefit on September 22nd at The Bently Reserve.
Golda + the Guns were one of the darker rock acts to perform at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts' (YBCA) Indie-Pino Underground Music Fest (photo credit: Karen Datangel).
Of all the ways to spend a hot Saturday afternoon in San Francisco, the Indie-Pino Underground Music Festival was the number one outdoor spot to enjoy fresh live tunes from some seriously scorching acts and some tantalizing Filipino dishes and desserts too! The Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA) hosted the free event in their Sculpture Court on June 9th to coincide with their New Filipino Cinema program, and many folks came, went, and stayed to take in the music and food along with the nice weather.
With America still stuck in one of the biggest recession since The Great Depression, days and nights of eating out have been hard to come by. We get it, so we pulled out some of the hottest restaurants and bars out of our little black book that has some of the happiest of happy hours around. Whether the hotspot is a chill bar to hang out with your friends or it’s an upscale restaurant to lure in a love interest, we got your back.
The cast of a special Asian Pacific American production of 'The Vagina Monologues'---performed on May 17th in San Francisco---acknowledged a few individuals at curtain call, including family members, NAPAWF Bay Area, and others who made the production possible. (photo credits: Karen Datangel)
On the topic of sexuality, voices are silenced. Speaking out about sexual desires is considered improper for women and much more alarmingly, speaking out against violence towards women—as survivors of it or as supporters of survivors—is difficult, for the pain and suffering is all too much to relive the ordeals. However, through theater, these stories of women exploring their sexuality and surviving sexual assault, war, and domestic violence can be told boldly and with absolutely nothing held back. Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues goes deep into the varied experiences of the female organ, and performers and activists from the Asian Pacific American community went all out in their recent opportunity to honor the strength and courage of women everywhere, even in the face of adversity.
In honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) and V-Day San Francisco co-presented a landmark production of The Vagina Monologues on May 17th at San Francisco’s historic Castro Theater. Under the direction of Gabrielle Patacsil, the all-Asian Pacific American cast of women from different walks of life came together to perform in this very special presentation, the first by the only national, multi-issue Asian and Pacific Islander women’s organization in the country. Proceeds benefited the Bay Area chapter of NAPAWF and V-Day.
For many of the APA women performers, including Connie Chung, who works at the Asian Women’s Shelter in San Francisco, participating in the production was a valuable chance to address taboo issues amongst the community.
“In media and arts and entertainment, Asian-Americans have such a small presence because of the different barriers that don’t allow them to take front stage,” said Chung. “To have a discussion about sexuality and empowerment is so important, so to bring those two together is such a rare opportunity.”
Our latest Audrey Style Gal comes by way of San Francisco: Suzie Hung of Style Que by Suzie Q!
