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Who saw We Are Scientists at the Warfield last night? Perhaps the thing we like most about W.A.S. is how they make the most out of what they've got. They've trimmed the fat. There are no five-string basses or extraneous conga players. The drummer's kit is tastefully small. Everyone in the wiry trio does double duty, playing their instrument and singing along on harmony. And even though a lot of their sound relies on of-the-moment disco beats and dancey guitars, there's thought behind their songs and melodies. As much as we love their current record, we expect big things from the next one. more ›

You might think that we have the craziest Board of Supervisors, what with them taking time off of their busy schedules to vote in support of breast feeding, but it's looking like the Board of Supervisors in Contra Costa might have them beat. Last Tuesday, they passed a resolution banning the use of bureaucratic jargon in hearings. The fine? $1. For now on, if any member of the Board says anything like "revaluating the LAFCO" or "EIP shows a 5% amortization of AFBAG" that member will have to fork over a buck. Money will be donated to charity. Says the measure's sponsor, Supervisor John Gioia of Richmond: "It really is about making government more understandable and user-friendly…when people can't understand what you're talking about, they can't feel involved." more ›

Question: where does one go if one were to celebrate the birthday of an Orchestra Conductor? Why the Tosca Cafe, of course! Last Tuesday, San Francisco Symphony conductor Michael Tilson Thomas (that’s MTT for those not in the know) had his 60th birthday party thrown there in his honor by his partner of 30 years, Joshua Robinson. Robinson chose Tosca because Thomas had said he wanted to go someplace “very San Francisco” and what says “very San Francisco” more like an 85 year old bar known for it’s celebrity sightings and opera laden jukebox? SFist has been going to Tosca for years trying to hunt down celebrities (Bono hangs out there!), but sadly, we've mainly seen Euro-Trash and those striving to become Euro-Trash there. more ›

It's been an action-packed week for the Bay Area movie world, hasn't it? Last Tuesday saw the triumph of all that was right in the world...HA! OK, not really. But it did see success in three battles when it came to Bay Area cinema. First was the failure of Proposition L. If you don't recall SFist Jon's deft description of this prop: more ›

Kevin Shelley still has his job � do you have yours? It�s time for a SunsetGate update! more ›