San Francisco Voice

Chinatown Bakeries is a San Francisco folk acoustic band.  Embodying San Francisco’s natural transience and fluidity, this band is made up of a changing array of members which bring a variety of colors to the musical canvas.  In this interview, band founder Jon tells us about the past and future of the group, where their name came from and which spots in the city you can find them if you’ve got stalker tendencies.  The band is on tour at the moment but they’ll be back in San Francisco, playing at Hotel Utah on June 9th with Refrigerator, Adam Lipman and Alas, Alak, Alaska.

How did the band form?

I started the band with the idea that members could come and go as they please, having been in too many dysfunctional bands in Santa Cruz before moving to San Francisco to want something that was immutable. I wanted something loose and fun, and it’s worked out well. With my brother James and good friend Jason, we’ve been lucky enough to have members of some of our other favorite bands (like Jean Marie, Ryan Stively & His Poison Band, and Messes) round out the line up. It’s pretty solid at this point, but due to our sheer size (8 people at our fullest), it can be difficult to get everyone to every show. It’s fun seeing how different the shows are with different combinations of members!

Where’d the name come from?

More than anything, I really wanted a name that no other band, ever, has had. I also wanted something easy to remember. When I first moved here, I rented a room in North Beach and worked at a cafe down in the Embarcadero. I used to work from 4 a.m. to noon, and on my way back, I’d cut through Chinatown. Being in such a sleep deprived and caffeinated state, the variety, colors, and cheap, tasty treats were always a huge comfort for me. I wanted to make music that had that kind of bewildering but ultimately nostalgic feeling… the name just fit the feeling.

What’s your favorite song to perform live and why?

I’m sure everyone would have a different answer for that one, but for me personally, I love playing our song called “Beach.” It’s a joyous song, unlike some of our spookier, sadder songs, and it’s easy to play, which lets me focus a bit more on the vocals. Lately we’ve been doing part of that song a capella, and it feels amazing to be on stage and hear nothing but all 4 of our voices echoing throughout the room. It always gives me the chills.

Do you have a favorite SF venue?

We are really, really lucky to be in San Francisco, as the clubs and performance spaces here are the some of the best in the country, for sure. We’ve probably played some of our best shows at The Hemlock and the bills are always amazing there. The Hotel Utah was one of the first places to take a chance on us, and we still love the intimacy and nautical feel of it. As far as seeing music, the Great American Music Hall always blows me away. It’d be amazing to play there someday!

Which spots in the city can you be found in when you’re just out and about?  Neighborhoods / stores / bars?

Again, I’m sure everyone would have different answers for this one, but I think we all share an affinity for Aquarius Records on Valencia and Kennedy’s in North Beach (although I have to admit, they lost some serious points when they stopped the $5 pitches of Pabst). I personally have been spending a lot of time in the Dogpatch, eating at Hard Knox Cafe and Just For You Cafe. I also love McLaren Park, which is a few blocks from my house and a great place to walk my dog (as are Glen Park and Bernal Heights Park). Cayuga Playground is amazing too, and we put on an outdoor concert there a few months ago. Wild Side West is a rad bar too, reminds me of a great Santa Fe, NM bar called The Cowgirl.

Describe the average Chinatown Bakeries fan.  Any crazy fan stories?

No crazy fan stories that I know of… I like to think our fans are really genuine people. We strive to be as heartfelt and irony-free in our music as possible, and I like to think that our fans are the same way. We did have two very intoxicated guys come up to us after a show a few nights ago and tell us they wanted us to play someone’s child’s birthday party, and that they would pay us each $100…. I told them to contact me, but they never did! What an opportunity that would have been!

Where do you want to be a year from now? Five years?

In a year it’d be great to have our first full band record recorded and released! We’re still saving for it, and deciding where to do it. In five years I just hope we’re all still together!

If the band was a San Francisco landmark, which one would it be and why?

Maybe we’d be the Sutro Baths… anachronistic, slightly weathered through the years, still awe inspiring and mysterious. Or maybe we’d be a bakery in Chinatown.

If there was anything that you could make sure your fans knew, what would it be?

We’d love to talk to you! Send us emails, talk to us after shows! Tell us what’s good, tell us what’s bad. We love you!  Email address in chinatownbakeries@gmail.com.

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