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In case you’ve somehow missed out on our reminders, tonight The Court and Spark is having their CD release party at GAMH tonight. Mike Taylor, singer of The Court and Spark, has submitted to the SFist interview process in order to provide extra convincing for you to get out and hit the ‘loin tonight. It turns out that Taylor gives John Vanderslice a run for his money for the title of “nicest rocker around”. True, Taylor is self-labeled as affable, but we haven’t hit any other musicians nearly so willing to share their 15 minutes of SFist fame with other local acts. That, combined with evidence of time well spent with a twelve sided dice, oh, and a killer new album should be more than enough incentive to get you to read his interview and check out the show tonight. Summer 2006 is looking for a soundtrack. “Hearts” may be it.
One word to describe The Court & Spark:
Affable.
One word to describe your music:
Shady.
What's it take to get a gig in this town anyway?
Other than the belief that what you’re doing is worthwhile and a little bit of perseverance, not much.
What do you think of the San Francisco music scene?
I think that the music coming out of San Francisco and the Bay Area in general is the best it’s been since I’ve lived here. There are so many mind-blowing bands and musicians here right now: Michael Talbott & The Wolfkings, Broker/Dealer, Willow Willow, The Mother Hips, Deerhoof, Six Organs of Admittance, Comets On Fire, Whysp, Skygreen Leopards Skyband, Vetiver, Black Fiction, The Finches, Brightblack, Kelley Stoltz, The Cuts, Ara Anderson, Tom Carter, Film School, Paula Frazer/Tarnation, Jeffrey Luck Lucas, Death Sentence: Panda!, Joanna Newsom, Devendra Banhart (can we claim him?), all the Jewelled Antler projects, and a million other acts that I know I’m going to regret not remembering here. It’s a good time for music in San Francisco.
When/ where was your best show ever?
Denver Kiwanis Club, 1961, opening for Sammy Davis Jr.
What band would you most like to have open for you?
Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band circa “Clear Spot” or Universal Order of Armageddon circa “The Switch Is Down.” Duke Ellington if neither of those bands were available.
Where can San Francisco see you next?
Friday, May 12th @ Great American Music Hall with The Finches, Black Fiction, and Jason Molina of Magnolia Electric Co.
Name
Michael C. Taylor
Introduce yourself in one sentence
I am an 11th level elven magician. I wear bracers of defense, and am protected by Alok Silverspear and a company of elvish longbowmen.
Age and Occupation
30 years old / Substitute teacher and musician
Home Town
Irvine, CA
How long have you lived in the Bay Area and Where
I moved to The Mission District (where I still live) in 1998 because I consider our fair city to be one of the most beautiful in the country. My picture of San Francisco is Richard Brautigan standing in front of Ben Franklin in Washington Square Park with his lady friend. He probably had a jug of wine stashed away somewhere behind those trees.
Favorite place to spend time online (website/blog/RSS feeds)
www.dreamchimney.com
Favorite local business
The Aquarius Records / Lost Weekend Video / Dog-Eared Books / Latin American Club quadrangle is crucial. Paala Clothing on 25th and Alabama, 826 Valencia, Builder’s Resource, Amoeba Records, and any liquor store that sells 12-packs of Pilsner Urquell for $9.99 out the door.
What I'm currently Reading
All The King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren.
Best Deal in San Francisco
I recently bought a new copy of Robert Frank’s The Lines Of My Hand for $10 off the overstock table at Dog-Eared Books. That table usually defines “Best Deal” in San Francisco, if you can read.
Favorite mode of transportation
1992 Ford Escort Station Wagon, although those cable cars look pretty great. I’m going to have to try one of those.
Best Band or Musician to come out of the Bay Area
The Grateful Dead. Not the shitty, toneless, tuneless 1980s version of the band, but the face-melting LSD-soaked cowboys of 1970. There would be a tie for second place between Quicksilver Messenger Service (all hail John Cipollina) and the sorely underappreciated Peter Rowan.
Favorite Bay Area Stereotype, and whether or not you buy into it
My favorite stereotype is that all Northern Californians are crystal-worshipping, SUV-driving, dream-catching, latte-slurping spiritual seekers that wear Teva sandals over wool socks. Judging by the Esalen Institute’s course listing that I picked up in Big Sur (Example class: “Using Finger Signals to Tap the Wisdom of the Inner Mind”), this is all more or less true.
Favorite local hangout
The Nature Friends Tourist Club, Muir Woods.
SF has the BEST
Hippies
You've never lived in SF until
You’ve had your car towed twice in one day.
Favorite Bay area politician of past or present
I always liked the Harvey Milk saga, although that Matt Gonzales mayoral race was pretty hot.
Now that Mayor Gavin is single, who are you going to set him up with?
I’m not sure if my upstairs neighbor is single, but if so, I bet she’d totally be up for a date with him.
You can tell someone is a local here IF
They disregard stop signs completely.
SF would be soooo much better if only
DPT would just chill out for a little while. Are those agents in those little scooters earning commission on all those tickets?
Best Burrito
I quit the burrito race a long time ago, but I do very much enjoy the taco plates at El Metate on Bryant Street.
Best Restaurant
Taraval Okazu Ya has always held a special place in my heart. Also, Sunday brunch at Suppenkuche is the shit.
Best movie scene filmed in or about SF
Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” is a beautiful portrait of San Francisco. The animated films of Harry Smith, while not specifically about San Francisco, were created while he lived here and always seem to reflect the milky psychedelic sunshine that is unique to Northern California. Jules Dassin’s “Thieves’ Highway” is pretty good, as far as movies about long-haul truckers delivering fruit to the Embarcadero Farmers’ Market go.
Favorite artist to come out of the bay area
Recently: Eamon Ore-Giron, Urban Inks, Nathaniel Russell of Essen.
Before: The aforementioned Harry Smith. Genius tripper.
Favorite author to come out of the bay area
Recently: Eric Martin (check out “Luck” and “Winners”).
Before: The aforementioned Brautigan, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Gary Snyder, Lew Welch, Philip K. Dick, Sam Shepard. Jack Kerouac’s On The Road and Dharma Bums had as much to do with me moving here as anything else.
Place you always tell visitors to check out
City Lights Bookstore, North Beach.
Favorite Bridge in the area
Tie between the Golden Gate Bridge, SF and the Big Creek Bridge, Big Sur.
You have two hours and $15 bucks to kill in SF, what are you going to do?
If it was Saturday, I’d head down to the Alemany Farmers’ Market to stock up on Sundowner apples, organic honey, Kettle corn, Shiitake mushrooms, and perhaps a live rabbit.
I have found/sold/bought the following on craigslist
Brand new Roland Space Echo for $250.
I want all the SFists out there to know
This interview took me a very long time to respond to.
Tell us a San Francisco Story
I once heard a great story involving a fart, the House Of Prime Rib, and Marty Balin of the Jefferson Airplane barfing into the air vents of someone’s car, but the details are really fuzzy.
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