Hello faithful subscribers!
It appears this poor newsletter has accumulated two years' worth of digital dust since I last sent a dispatch. My apologies. Life and such! That said, I have some new stories to share so let's give this old pile of bones another kick, shall we?
I think I’ll devote future newsletters to catching folks up on some of the things I’ve published since Rolling Stoned went dormant, but it does feel worth noting that in the fall of 2021, I was published for the first time by the actual Rolling Stone.
Speaking of that publication, fuck Jann Wenner. More on all of the above later, but for now, I’d welcome your eyes on any of the following stories I’ve recently sent out into the world.
(Oh, and for any subscribers who may now be regretting their past decision to subscribe, please know I will not publicly shame you for making a hasty exit. Life is short. Do your thing.)
STORY TIME
Oakland’s Children’s Fairyland proves charming host for experimental music festival
Over the weekend, I attended Through the Looking Glass Festival, which was hosted at the historic Children’s Fairyland amusement park in Oakland. It was a supremely special experience, expertly curated by local artist SPELLLING and the ever-brilliant minds at Atlas Obscura. Click the title above to read my review of the festival, published via the San Francisco Chronicle.
Maria Bamford’s memoir finds hilarity in harrowing experiences
Since we were last in touch, I’ve had the distinct pleasure of reviewing a couple of books for the Washington Post. I’ll plug my first review in a later newsletter but my second is a rave for comedian Maria Bamford’s new memoir, Sure, I’ll Join Your Cult. Keep reading and you’ll soon see cults are a bit of a thing with me. But more importantly, this book is amazing and anyone who suffers from mental health issues (aka everyone on the planet) should absolutely read it. My gut tells me the audiobook, narrated by Maria, is a surefire winner too. Click the title above to read my review.
Joshua Grannell aka local drag legend Peaches Christ has been hosting Terror Vault, an insanely cool, queer-friendly immersive haunted house in the vaults of SF’s Old Mint, since 2018. Ahead of 2023’s installment — a cult-themed storyline ominously entitled “The Inititaion” — I met up with Grannell in his office for a chat that covered everything from Anton LaVey to the cathartic power of fear and art. Huge thanks to Alta Journal of California for giving this story a home. Give it a read by clicking the title above.
Listen to Ratboys’ new album, The Window. Just trust me. And if you live in the Bay Area, don’t miss them at Cafe du Nord on Oct. 27. Stay tuned for my interview with the band where we covered all things cannabis, coming soon.
Wiki Rabbit Hole: If you haven’t read about the Hitler Diaries hoax, it’s a doozy.
Huge love to local SF cinemas the Balboa and the 4 Star for picking up right where the Castro has left off. I’ll have more to say on that too (sensing a pattern?) but for now, I implore you to check out each theater’s monthly calendars and to give them all the support you can!