We immediately realized that the atmosphere was casual and that there was no faux pas in simply pressing our way through the doors.  The impressive beats began to wind their way into my step before we’d even reached the back of the restaurant where we ordered our drinks.  Seating ourselves at the bar of small tables which ran along the wall, we could see that the crowd was already immersed in the music despite the fact that the band was just getting started.

As I listened to more of the sound, I saw that this was really no surprise.  Resin was able to pull off the professional sound of appearing as though they were in a much larger venue while taking advantage of the opportunity to enjoy the intimacy of the small locale.  The result was that the crowd was able to feel almost as if they were participating in a larger musical experience, rather than merely watching a show, while simultaneously noting the impressive nature of the skilled musicians.

So what kind of music were we listening to at this unlikely venue?  An eclectic mix of sounds, actually, incorporating a multi-instrumental approach to shared sonorousness.  Instruments included the standard drums, guitars and bass along with a bongo-style beat, the strength of a sax, the blare of a trumpet, the hum of a harmonica and multiple shakers and sound makers which served to create a truly textured sound.  Weaving in vocals which held the hint of poetry slam style, Resin completed their overall sound with succinct lyrical timing.  Each musician, clearly skilled in his own right, came forward and retreated within the music at the perfect moment to make music which was larger than the sum of its individual parts.

The Giordano Bros. crowd clearly appreciated the show.  There was not a stray conversation in the place as everyone danced or laughed or nodded heads in tune with the beat.  Strangers wandered in off of the street to move along with the music for a few moments before heading back into the North Beach night.  Friends of the band mingled in the spaces between songs, sharing the kind of camaraderie which makes music its own cultural experience.  And amidst the sandwiches and sports bar atmosphere, the band created an atmosphere which was part professional performance and part playing for fun.

This is why I love North Beach!

Post from: San Francisco Voice

If I lived closer to Golden Gate Park, that would be my place of choice – with its many options for glorious diversion offering a urban retreat across so many blocks of the city.  But I live in North Beach, so my park of choice was Washington Square Park, a nice little neighborhood park which is often the home to afternoon Frisbee games and entertaining solo musicians.

Just south of Washington Square Park, on Columbus Street, is Gelateria Naia, the place where I go to get gelato now that my more favorite place around the corner has succumbed to the high rent rates of North Beach and closed its doors.  Naia’s a good replacement, though, offering dozens of different flavors of the creamy almost-ice-cream, flavors ranging from traditional vanilla or chocolate to things like merlot grape or wasabi.

Lounging in the grass, listening to the bells of the nearby church count the hours, eating traditional gelato from a plastic spoon …  I can’t think of a better way to spend a Thursday afternoon in San Francisco.

Post from: San Francisco Voice