6/27 O Scene Weekend

Featured Event: Soulstice Swap

I got a call a few weeks back from the moms. She’d found a box of my old clothes and wanted to know if should she keep them or sacrifice them to the gods of Goodwill. When she started describing the threads it instantly took me back the early ’90’s, what’s referred to in hip hop as the Golden Age, when the usic was pure and the clothes were super huge and super bright-I’m talking purple jeans, orange and purple Nikes, multicolored Cross Colours button ups with the fitted baseball caps and jackets that matched the rest of the outfit way, way too much. And these were the stepping out clothes. We must have looked like a gang of hood peacocks. Needless to say the box got the donation treatment real quick.
If you’re in possession of such a box of unmentionables, or just have a closet full of last year’s designs you’re itching to get rid of, the homeys from Homeygrown have to solution: bring everything down to Soundwave Studios this Saturday for the Soulstice Swap, a knock down drag out free for all clothing and stuff swapathon. Just show up with your own bag of clothes, movies, books, music or nonperishables and dive right into the mountains of free schwag.
Homeygrown is a local arts and design collective with the mission to “provide a support system for striving artists by offering outlets for exposure.” In the past they’ve sponsored fashion shows, screen printed T-shirts, pushed artist created merch at local street fairs and thrown kick ass parties on both sides of the bay.
Saturday’s event should be another good time. And with the promise all you can drink beer and Sangria for 5 bucks, you just might find yourself coming home with a few questionable items, but hell, just toss them in the closet till next Summer. Unless you find a pair of Orange and Purple Nikes. I might want to get those from you.-kwan

Soulstice Swap
$5
3pm
Soundwave Studios
2200 Wood St,
www.homeygrown.org

1-25-08 Novoscene Weekend

-Mia Zuniga

The official weather forecast for the weekend predicts lots of rain and cold throughout early next week. It’s a damned shame because the Novometro events forecast for the weekend predicts lots of gems for those brave enough to battle the winter weather. Cool jazz, soulful R&B, white hot shopping and some thought provoking cinema are in store for those who can resist the call of the comfy cozy couch. -kwan

1/17-1/19 Hot Couture – A Fusion of Fashion and Fire

The Crucible is like that one little cousin you had when you were young that was always setting shit on fire. Every time you turned around-lighter in hand, I didn’t do it expression on face, flames everywhere. I guess one man’s trash is another man’s kindling. But it helps that the shit they set on fire is pretty damned cool and that you probably won’t get in trouble if you’re mom walks in and finds the place ablaze.

Continuing there mission to bring industrial art hotness to the masses, the Crucible’s latest heaping helping of smoldering performance art celebrates the nonprofit’s 9 year anniversary. The Hot Couture fashion show runs from tonight through Sunday and features over 20 of the Bay’s hottest (you knew that was coming) up and coming designers. including KAYO, miss velvet cream, Fluidance, Alexandria Von Bromssen, Super Sugar Ray Ray and Miranda Caroligne.

The show begins with Community Night and discounted admissions tonight and continues through Saturday with a VIP gala featuring cellist Zoe Keating and contortionist Serchmaa Byamba.

Hot Couture - A Fusion of Fashion and Fire
1/17 - Preview & community night:$15
1/18 : $35 General Admission, $30 Crucible Members, $40 at the door
1/19 - VIP gala $125 in advance, $100 Crucible Members, $150 at the door
7pm
The Crucible
1260 Seventh Street, Oakland
www.thecrucible.org

Photos-Montclair Arts and Crafts Festival

More than 90 renowned artists lined the streets of the Montclair Business District for the 13th Annual Montclair Fine Arts and Crafts Fall Fest a couple of weeks ago. Families and friends strolled the streets looking for early holiday gifts, new fashions or that perfect piece of jewelry. Check the pics.

Photos-First Fridays at Oakland Museum

First Fridays over at the Oakland Museum have been kicking up the heat quite a bit for the last few months. Between last weeks screening of Bay Area graffiti doc Piece by Piece, a night market sponsored by Feria Urbana, a lecture by historian Cecil Brown and funky jazz from Ric Alexander and company, there was a little something for everyone. Reps say they’re working on bringing a new, younger audience into the museum and promise more surprises in the upcoming months. Check the pics.

-kwan

San Francisco Love Fest-the pictures

There were good feelings oozing all over the streets of downtown SF Saturday. The 3rd annual San Francisco LoveFest was a feast of techy beats from local sound systems and the Bay’s most colorful, musical and naked party people. Check the pics and soak up some of that lovin’. -kwan

Block Party in Old Oakland Today

If you want get the weekend off to an early start, hit Old Oakland Thursday evening. The restaurants in the area are hosting a block party. The highlights: an outdoor bar and Fito Reinoso’s 10-piece Cuban band. Get a drink, do some salsa, and enjoy the moonlit night.

The party, which is at 9th and Washington, begins at 5.30 pm. The band stops playing at 9 pm, which doesn’t necessarily mean that the party must end. You can then show your support for one of the places that made the party happen – go get dinner or drinks at B, Tamarindo (my personal favorite), Levende East, or Air Lounge.

And if you’re in the market for a new pair of jeans, you might want to stop by Drift, Old Oakland’s denim store. It’s open until 9 pm today – and yes, they’ll be serving wine with custom fittings.

For the shopping party of the weekend, please see Party with Cari – Priyanka

Party with Cari

Cari Borja, the Oakland designer and maker of all things beautiful and (often) frilly, has finally opened her own store, and she’s inviting everyone to her grand opening party. It’s this Saturday, September 29. If you can’t make it, you can stop by her pre-party sample sales on Thursday and Friday. Special note to all shopaholics: She’s got a sale on jackets, dresses, and other outfits for women, and on kids’ wear.

The party starts at 7 pm Saturday, and you can try on clothes and eat, drink, and mingle, mingle, mingle until 10 pm. The pre-party affairs will run from 11 am to 5 pm Thursday , September 27th and Friday, September 28th.

The address of her new store, which is the venue of her party: 2117 4th Street, studio B (between Addison and Allston Way) in Berkeley

If you miss these events, and really, really want to see her stuff, give her a call at (510) 981-0067, or swing by her studio between 11 am and 5 pm on any Thursday or Friday. The other three days of the week, she’s still going to be sewing away at home in West Oakland. – Priyanka