Friday, December 29, 2017

The Besty's » 2017

Cabbage White | Pieris Rapae
01.13.17 » The Cleveland Cavaliers (LeBron) in Sacramento @ The Golden 1 Center
» The NBA is always fantastic, this game was no different. The Golden 1 Center is an amazing venue & my favorite ever to watch basketball in. Sight-lines are unprecedentedly good, regardless of where your seat is. It was flash back Friday so the Kings wore their old-school powder blue uniforms. Thirteen rows from the floor increase the engagement, we were on the baseline near the Cavs bench. 

Early on it was Kevin Love getting buckets. His outlet passes are an asset for sure, it's one or two leaks-outs per game. Shump played well early for the visiting team, he was rocking Nike Air Zoom Generations. When LeBron is focused on defense it's a treat to watch him play weak side, he's the ultimate free-safety in basketball. Cleveland was locked in defensively overall. Kyrie's handles are so sticky and his pull-up jumpers are death blows. At one stretch the Cavs played LeBron with four role players; I've always appreciated these type of five-man groups. There were some nasty highlight reel dunks too. Cleveland's roster was filled with skilled players—it's no wonder we saw a trilogy in The Finals. 

01.29.17 » M » SF 

03.17.17 » March Madness in Sacramento @ The Golden 1 Center, St. Patrick's Day
» Cincinnati vs. K. State - First of all, K State has an awesome band & their arsenal of covers was impressive for sure. College atmospheres are so electric. 

» UCLA vs. Kent State - UCLA resembled a pro team during warm ups, missing only a few shots. Ball was quick to initiate offense and willing to take chances early up the court. I was impressed by the Bruins defense. There were some sets run by the UCLA that had such freedom & fluidity, their athleticism and exciting play is a basketball made fun. Leaf and Welsh were dominant throughout the half-court game. UCLA advanced with five guys scoring in double figures.

04.16.17 » The Birds @ Main Stage West in Sebastopol

04.22 & 23.17 » High Water Festival in Charleston, SC
» Day 1: Margo Price, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, The Shins
» Day 2: Shovels & Rope, The Avett Brothers

» The artists listed above were the best sets I caught while attending the inaugural High Water Festival in Charleston. This will be an annual pilgrimage back to the Carolina's, it's one of the best boutique outdoor festival I've ever attended. And, it's only going to get better. Best friends, great times, good places, need I say more?

06.23.17 » J » SF 

06.27.17 » Tank & The Bangas @ Lagunitas in Petaluma
» Rocking, Psyche, Hip Hop, with breakdown-style call and response to some Nina Simone, and that was only their first song. They dropped some wah-wah pedal, mixing it with an almost scribbled sound two tracks later. An Anderson Paak Cover goes over well with this listener so, "I might never come down." Oozing with future sounds and Jazzy vibes, all I could think was, the future is female. Whatever you want to call their fun-soaked, bass-backed, Hip Hop Jedi sound, make sure to include danceable. Because, similar to their set-closer, Make Your Ass Clap, this band is on fire and you might just have to stop drop and roll. After throwing a party like that at Lagunitas they could have rode off into the sunset, instead, they dropped another bomb, Hey Ya (the Andre 3000 smash).

Summer @ SFMOMA

08.04.17 » BHS Basketball @ Monte Rio » Wags, Whiskers & Wine Gala in Geyserville

August » Road trip along the entire Oregon Coast & Portland
» Oregon is Calling Me...

09.26.17 » Tank & The Bangas @ The Urban Lounge in Salt Lake City
» Tuesday night ramen and some tasty oat sodas, plus kicking it with an all-time best bro and then going to a local venue to see a band that makes people dance—OK! I had a great couple of days in Salt Lake City. I got to mob the streets with the woofer Huey, she's such a sweet girl. Hanging out with one of my favorite people helps to smooth out any situation. I was shown a great time and was reminded of just how cool SLC is. I need to make it back there more frequently. 

We decided to go to Banga'ville, good choice. Tank and the Bangas opened with a Goodie Mob/Dr. Dre mash-up that got me into the groove. "Who's that peeking in the window?" Hip Hop was the early theme and the local crowd seemed to be more than cool with that. The band carved a cool energy into the crowd during the middle of their set; it had an almost lounge vibe, it made me smile. One of the lyrics went, "While you wash my hair, la la la." Returning to a more hip hop driven sound and spitting fire, it got loud. A spoken word-like poem backed by instruments segued nicely into a super creative take on the Zootopia song, it seemed as though I wasn't the only one noticing their ability to dig deep into their bag of tricks. Listeners began to shout the Zootopia line, Hey hey hey, which bent into a remixed version of, "a little bit softer now." As in Petaluma, this show would finish with Andre 3000's, Hey Ya; except this time it started off far more abstract. Having heard them do this over the summer, I whispered to the good Doctor, "Hey Ya."

10.07.17 » Gillian Welch & David Rawlings @ Golden Gate Park in San Francisco
» These American treasures own Golden Gate Park, especially when performing on the banjo stage, an annual right of passage for Bay Area residents. They started with an absolutely beautiful harmony on, Wayside, Back In Time, which set the tone for an emotional set. Elvis Presley Blues gave new meaning to poignancy as Gillian's voice bottled the masses into one moment, singing us into a willful submission; only a siren can silence that many people. The magic of a certain white butterfly kept, The Way It Will Be & The Way It Goes, heartfelt. A minor hiccup during Red Clay Halo revealed to us that they too make mistakes, they are so genuine it's unmistakable. A trio of, Hard Times, Six White Horses and Time (The Revelator), were the songs that hit hardest. The latter two carried even more meaning for my Ninja sidekick, hell, she's the M'F'n leader. Words sometimes carry with them more gravity at different times throughout life. And, when those words are being serenaded to you by authentic artists, all that's left to do is to feel. Letting your emotions take over can sometimes be exactly what is needed. Miss Ohio and I'll fly away closed the set. They would encore with Willie Watson on the cinematic, Don't Leave Nobody But the Baby. 

Set: Wayside/Back in Time, Annabelle, Elvis Presley Blues, The It Will Be, The Way It Goes, Red Clay Halo, Hard Times, Six White Horses, Time (The Revelator), Midnight Train, Look at Miss Ohio, I'll Fly Away, Don't Leave Nobody But The Baby 

10.26.17 » Mary Shelly's Body @ Main Stage West in Sebastopol

11.04.17 » Valley Ford, Dillon Beach, Tomales Bay, Point Reyes Station

» Happy Holidays & Enjoy the New Year!

Cheers,
eightychoices.

Friday, December 22, 2017

Christmas Day | NBA


Christmas time is here. It's the most wonderful time of the year. Only in the NBA.

» 76ers @ Knicks 9 (PT)
» Cavs @ Warriors 12
» Wizards @ Celtics 2:30
» Rockets @ Thunder 5
» Timberwolves @ Lakers 7:30

Happy Holidays,
eightychoices.

Sunday, December 17, 2017

Brew Detective: Chasin' Freshies

Chasin' Freshies IPA | Deschutes
Juicy pear is the best way to explain this India Pale Ale. There's also a perfect amount of bitterness provided by experimental hops, juxtaposing the nectar quite well. 

Deschutes has always made delicious beer and this is no exception. It may not be as ready available however, evidence is in the photo. Chasin' Freshies is a must try IPA. Sorry for the delay in updates (coaching).

Enjoy holiday libations responsibly. I hope everyone has a fun, festive & safe season.

Cheers, eightychoices.