This week: Live music on the ferry, a “boujee” club for all ages, a hand-drawn map of Berkeley, wild radish, and a donkey reality show. Plus, Public Domain Day at the Internet Archive, the local legacy behind an ‘80s hit, and the Asian Art Museum explores rave culture.

Music on the water

Friday ferry rides picked up a new rhythm this month as SF Bay Ferry began hosting live performances on select routes through the month of January. The “Tides and Tunes” series brings local musicians, bands, and DJs onto the fleet’s larger vessels with room to host small performances.

The performances come at no extra cost beyond the regular ferry fare. The series runs at select times on Fridays, with artist Lolah returning for another set on January 23. — KPIX

The legacy of a hit

“Rumors” by Timex Social Club started as a song written by East Bay teens and went on to become one of 1986’s biggest hits, selling more than a million copies. The track still shows up in DJ sets and party playlists, even as most people know little about the group behind it.

In his book, How Do Rumors Get Started, founding member Marcus Thompson details how the band formed in Oakland, recorded the song on basic equipment, and quickly found national success. It also follows what came after, including industry disputes, broken agreements, and the breakup of the group in the years following the song’s rise. — SFGate

Cultural artifacts made public

Each January, a new batch of music, books, and films enters the public domain, and the Internet Archive marks the moment by opening the doors to creative reuse. This year includes works from 1930 like “Georgia on My Mind,” “On the Sunny Side of the Street,” The Maltese Falcon, and early Nancy Drew stories.

The Archive frames the public domain as a way to keep culture accessible, especially as copyright battles have narrowed access to its digital library. The celebration includes a daylong online event and an evening gathering at the Internet Archive (300 Funston Avenue, SF), centered on remixed films made from newly public works on January 21. — Mission Local

Paths on paper

Tattoo artist and illustrator Danielle Hopkins has drawn a hand-rendered map of the Berkeley Hills that traces stairways, rock parks, and winding streets with the elaborate detail of someone who walks them often. After she shared an early version on Nextdoor, neighbors began showing up at her door to buy copies.

She’s sold about 30 so far and given others away, including to neighbors who became friends through the process. The map grew out of her move from San Jose to Berkeley and her attachment to the hills, especially the Tamalpais Path, which she calls a brutal climb with a view worth the effort. — Berkeleyside

Pulse and light

At the Asian Art Museum, Rave into the Future: Art in Motion looks at dance culture through the work of West Asian artists shaped by diaspora, memory, and movement. The exhibition brings together multimedia installations, sculpture, and sound to explore how music and dance create spaces of connection, privacy, and release.

Highlights include Sahar Khoury’s commission with a working DJ deck, Yasmine Nasser Diaz’s bedroom-as-dance-floor installation, and Joe Namy’s copper-tiled floor that records every step taken on it. The show, which is curated by Naz Cuguoglu and features work by 10 artists based in the U.S. and Europe, remains on view at the Asian Art Museum through January 26. — The Chronicle

Candy-colored commons

In Walnut Creek, Ruby Lou’s is opening as a place where birthday parties, cocktail hour, and casual play all blur together. Built by longtime mixologist and set designer Megan Abraham Benshalom and named for her daughter, the space leans into bright color, built-in board games, claw machines, and furniture that looks pulled from a candy shop daydream.

The menu mirrors that split personality, with Wagyu hot dogs, short-rib nachos on housemade chips, and a full cocktail program alongside an ice cream bar and “yolo” sundaes for kids. It’s designed for families in the afternoon and adults after dark, without forcing either group to leave the room. Ruby Lou’s is open now for private events and plans to open to the public very soon. — Bay Area News Group

Salt on the buds

Out in the Baylands, invasive wild radish began flowering in late December, its pale purple and white petals standing out against the marsh. Unlike wild mustard, which blooms yellow, the radish can be identified by its four-petaled flowers and its edible parts from top to bottom.

The leaves, buds, and seed pods can all be eaten, carrying a mild, peppery bite, and sometimes a trace of salt from the coastal air. There’s even a small radish root at certain times of year, though most foragers prize the greens and buds. It grows alongside plants like sea asparagus in the San Francisco Baylands, where winter still yields plenty of plantlife. — The Bay Forager

From pasture to prime time

A Northern California donkey rescue has found a national audience through a reality series on ABC. Donkey King follows the day-to-day work at Oscar’s Place, a Mendocino County sanctuary that takes in donkeys from auctions, surrenders, and unsafe conditions, and either rehomes them or gives them a permanent home on the ranch.

The nonprofit has rescued more than 400 animals, and each episode centers on the care and recovery of one donkey, with staff balancing medical needs, transport, and trust-building. The show airs Saturday mornings on ABC, with episodes available to stream for free afterward at donkeyking.com. — The Press Democrat

Top image: Performance by TCS; activation of 'For Your Eyes Only' by Yasmine Nasser Diaz; Photo by Tracy Nguyen/Asian Art Museum

Previously: Field Notes: Fairy Rings, Waterfalls, SF Library Map, and New East Bay All-Ages Music Venue

Mountain View police succeeded in harshing the mellow of many ravers and would-be ravers over the weekend when they arrested over 100 people at the Beyond Wonderland music fest at Shoreline Amphitheater. The arrests were mostly for drunkenness and drug offenses, and it's unclear why so many people had to face arrest, but this particular event has had its share of trouble in the past.

Last year's Beyond Wonderland, which took place at Oakland's Oracle Arena, led to dozens of noise complaints from all over the region.

This year's party was over two days and attracted 40,000 ravers. As the Mercury-News reports, the legions of arrestees were all taken to Santa Clara County jail. We assume they had buses, or something.

It seems that Peninsula cops wanted to combat any potential drug-related medical issues by arresting as many people and confiscating as many pills as possible. Authorities are still made nervous by the specter of those ecstasy overdoses at the Cow Palace a couple years back.

[Mercury-News]
[Chron]

For anyone who ever thought Bay to Breakers was four miles too long and not nearly neon-colored enough, a new fun-running sensation directed at fans of EDM and fitness who apparently don't have the attention span or musical taste to get through a Rock 'n Roll half marathon is poised to sweep the nation in 2013.

As the organizers of The Rave Run explain on their promotional website:

The Rave Run was founded in 2012 by a runner, an artist and an insomniac. The idea was to bring the adrenaline pumping music and special effects from electronic festivals onto a 5K course. The dazzling light effects are designed by EDC artists and industry experts. It’s like Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory except with lights. It’s candy for your eyes and ears. It’s a glow run…gone wild! Get ready for the night of your life. Experience a magical world of light and sound unlike anything else out there.

Before we can pass this off as a one-time event put on by the Raving Runners of Riverside County, apparently this idea of jogging through a Willy Wonka-esque tunnel of lights while high on molly or whatever has nationwide appeal. The Rave Run will thump and bass and blink and glow and maybe cause seizures in 34 American cities from L.A. to Tampa and Boston to Portland.

Another similar event called the Electric Run is already well into its tour of 26 cities nationwide. The Electric Run bills itself as so much more than just a fun run: "a show, participation art, and celebration of life." Like Burning Man without the commitment and a Deadmau5 set at the end. Of course the lighting technicians have solid rave resumés, boasting experience in Vegas and Coachella. The lights along the route will pulse to the beat! Rivers may glow in otherworldly hues! There will be "red rock cliffs glowing in psychedelic colors and patterns!" There will probably be a neon cactus! So it will be like any other acid trip, except you have to pay an entry fee and there's a finish line. An early edition took place in rave-friendly Orange County, California last year:

The Electric Run apparently comes to San Francisco on April 27th of this year, although there are no details at this point. The Bay Area's edition of the Rave Run takes place at the Santa Clara Fair Grounds in San Jose on Saturday, May 11. Ravers/runners who don't get up before 2 p.m. have nothing to fear here though, the 3.1 mile fun run has a 9 p.m. start time, which somehow still seems like too early to be be doing pre-race lines of cocaine in the portapotties.

Scandal has rocked — or at least gently swayed to a pulsing beat — Mark Zuckerberg this week as a British tabloid has dug up this ancient photo from 2009 which allegedly shows the young Facebook CEO doing what he does best: standing awkwardly amongst his peers. And also sweating a lot.

The UK's The Sun asked, "Is that Mark Zuckerberg looking off his Facebook?" Which we're pretty sure is English slang meant to imply he was either "rolling balls" or "drinking a lager" or "enjoying himself immensely."

Back stateside, NBC Bay Area tracked down the DJ in the photo, an LA-based gal who goes by the name of DJ Dory. According to Dory, the photo is about three years old, which still doesn't excuse the guy wearing the wifebeater and headband on the right.

Zuckerberg has yet to confirm or deny whether that is actually him pictured and we can't say we blame him either. There is a lot of awkward dancing going on in this photo. His Facebook profile does reveal that he's a fan of Daft Punk and LCD Soundsystem and he has historically shown that he likes to participate in general day-to-day leisure activities with non-billionaires. At least everyone kept their shirts on this time.

Previously: Behold: Mark Zuckerberg Shirtless, Photo: Mark Zuckerberg Was In Dolores Park
[TheSun]
[NBCBayArea] h/t [Gawker]

A big electronic music fest called Beyond Wonderland happened on Saturday night in the parking lot outside Oracle Arena in Oakland. There were three tents/stages, a ferris wheel, and enough thumping oontz-oontz music to cause noise complaints far and wide. Like, hundreds of them.

The Oakland police tell the Tribune that they were getting dozens of calls by about 11:30 p.m. Saturday, and the calls were coming from as far away as San Leandro and Alameda. The party went until 2 a.m.

On Sunday, the City of Oakland and the Coliseum made a public apology for the "discomfort and inconvenience" caused by the festivities.

At least, as far as we know, there weren't any ecstasy overdoses.

[Tribune]

Oh, jeez, here we go again. Santa Clara County health officials have put together a PSA warning teens about the dangers of ecstasy, in response to some surveying that found that one in four teens in the county had tried the drug at least once.

The PSA has been sent to high schools around the country for screening at assemblies and such. This follows on a larger national trend we told you about last year with ecstasy use up 37% nationwide. And of course there were the two widely publicized incidents involving some (probably bad) ecstasy that killed several kids after raves at the Cow Palace. As county health official Dr. Michelle Jordan warns, "these young people" likely took multiple pills, which can lead to OD and death. (We remain unclear on the OD factor and what she's referring to, if it's para-Methoxyamphetamine or whatever is mixed in with the E or what. Her point is: Be scared.)

Listen to reporter George Kiriyama below as he dramatically says "STEM the TIDE" in regard to the E-pidemic. Also, do you believe that kid he talks to who says he's never done it, but his friends have?

View more videos at: http://nbcbayarea.com.

[NBC]
[KGO-AM]

The State assemblywoman, whose district includes the Daly City home of the Cow Palace, has introduced legislation to ban those all-night bamp-bamp dance parties from public land across the state. Unsurprisingly, it's called the Anti-Raves Act of 2011 and it seeks to ban any "public event at night that includes prerecorded music and lasts more than three and one-half hours.".

Ma doesn't want to infringe on bars or other licensed concert venues, so there's an exception for those, but as the Weekly's All Shook Down points out music festivals like Treasure Island and Outside Lands were both held on public land and included sections with pre-recorded music. According to the Examiner, Sean Manchester, owner of electro-friendly club Mighty and president of the California Music and Culture Association, is also concerned that the ban could affect events like street festivals in San Francisco. That said, Ma is soliciting input on her proposal, which is clearly going to need a couple rounds of revised language.

[All Shook Down/TheSnitch]
[SFExaminer]
[CBSLocal]

Once again it's time for an installment of this mildly confusing feature, in which we ask those ensconced too cozily in your SF bubbles to take a step back, summon your inner C.W. Nevius, and try to understand why some in this great country of ours (certainly not us!) might look askance at the way we do things here — if for nothing else than to enjoy an ironic chuckle at our own expense. If all of this seems too difficult, please refer to our other recurring feature, 7 Reasons to Love San Francisco, and be on your merry way.

This week's edition: Burning Man, candy ravers, and how this town is still stuck in the 90s

We've mentioned before how various Haight-Ashbury urchins like to pretend it's still 1969 and people should be giving them food and drugs, but now we turn our attention to a different decade, the 90s, when a new generation discovered psychedelics (namely ecstasy/MDMA) and began throwing big warehouse parties where everyone could sweat together, dance till dawn, and really *feel* the beat of music that they might otherwise have found extremely boring and monotonous.

Trung Nguyen, 25, died on Sunday at Washington Hospital in Fremont, making him the second fatality after Memorial Day weekend's infamous Cow Palace rave. Nguyen was a graduate of Overfelt High School and UC Davis graduate.

According to CBS 5, Nguyen "had been admitted to the hospital after falling unconscious from a suspected overdose of the drug ecstasy," or whatever was masquerading as ecstasy. Or para-Methoxyamphetamine. Or whatever was masquerading as ecstasy combined with alcohol and heat.

On May 30, Anthony Mata died while attending the same rave in Daly City. With this in mind, a San Mateo lawmaker and a police official now seek to ban raves at the Cow Palace, which, as we all know, is several shades of ridiculous since banning buh-buh-buh-buh concerts at the Cow Palace would solve exactly 0.0 of the problem. That is, if a real problem of pattern overdosing on mysterious drugs at the Cow Palace even exits. Which, well, doesn't seems to be the case.

Though toxicology reports are still two weeks off, the San Mateo County Times wants to be the first to shout it from the rooftops that last weekend's post-Cow Palace, drug-related death and multiple hospitalizations were the result of an overdose, not of tainted drugs. The journalist in question writes that Anthony Mata "took a fatal dose either before or during the POP 2010 The Dream festival," but nowhere in the article do they or doctors say what this might have been a fatal dose of.

Can someone OD on ecstasy? One would guess this was an OD of something else that the E was mixed with, but clearly the authorities don't want to get into that because they don't sound like they know a lot about drugs. They may not have been tainted drugs, but, we assert, they sure seem to have been BAD DRUGS.

Three of the kids initially hospitalized remain in critical condition from apparent overdoses. None of them knew each other, and they all appear to have taken their drugs prior to arriving at the event.

Apparently, raves are still going strong, as 20,000 people attended the "POP 2010: The Dream" party on Saturday night at Cow Palace.

Eleven attendees ended up in the hospital due to taking tainted drugs, and some of them might be in life-threatening condition. The drug hasn't been identified, but naturally, we wonder if the culprit is that nasty acid that's all the rage in Humboldt right now.

Police arrested 68 adults and 5 juveniles for allegedly possessing or selling drugs at the party. They seized 800 ecstasy pills with a street value of $16,000, along with LSD, cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana.

UPDATE: It looks like one of the ravers, 20-year-old Anthony Mata of Santa Clara, died as a result of the unidentified toxic substance that his drugs were laced with, and five others remain in critical condition. As the Chron is reporting, "all the patients [brought to SF General] exhibited life-threatening symptoms such as internal bleeding and kidney failure, which is usually not associated with ecstasy overdose." [italics ours] Not usually, Chron? Also of note, "800 esctasy tabs were confiscated during the event, along with tabs of LSD and methamphetamine." Anybody seen a tab of meth lying around?

But that's the entire point! Anyway, RicardoSF tells us in the comments section here that:

In January's issue of The Advocate in the Rants & Raves section -- unavailable online --

-- Openly gay Vallejo, CA, Mayor Gary Cloutier, when asked at a Vallejo religious forum if he would support an event like San Francisco's Folsom Street Fair, October 20.

Seesh. Not every party can be the White party, butch. (He must be one of those homos who complain about gays always thinking he's straight, just how much he doesn't get the whole Judy Garland thing, and self--promoting like that. Still, we have to agree with him on some level: we don't care that much for the FSF. But that's because of its pungent crowd and blistering sunlight.

But disgusted? Not so much.

We had been a proud, satisfied owner of an Apple PowerBook for a little over two years (and a blue-and-white G3 for five years before that) when it all went quickly downhill last November. Our computer started making these frightening, crackling, static, grinding noises, accompanied by nonsensical beeps, and then it crashed hard. We did an "erase and reinstall," which bought us about two weeks. Then, we had to pay our first somewhat quick and painless visit to our local Genius Bar, where it was determined we needed a new hard drive. Little did we know, that initial visit was the first of about five or six such increasingly mind-numbing visits in the coming year.

Every couple of months, the same issues kept sprouting up, although the static noise wasn't as bad after they replaced the old cabling. The first couple of times, we thought we just had ridiculously bad luck and had received a defective hard drive. Twice. Then, the second two times we realized that maybe that stupid cell phone holder with the super strong magnetic clip was the problem. Oops, we thought, the second time around, while sitting at an airport bar in tears over our martini, feeling like a total airhead, after we had placed the aforementioned cell phone holder directly onto our hard drive, which actually vibrated from the force. So, we quickly chucked the cell phone holder into the trash and got yet another new hard drive.

By this point, we had become experts at backing up our information and had reinstalled our software about ten times. We had met pretty much every Genius at the Stockton Street Apple store, and a few at the Indianapolis one, after the airport incident. (Any Geniuses out there who can tell us whether you go around telling people you work as a "Genius" for a living?)

Well, the final crash ocurred last week, just nine days before our three-year extended warranty expired. Very timely, we must say. We had done nothing wrong this time around, and we were not about to step foot into that Genius Bar again. Plus, that Einstein quote kept ringing in our head, "Insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

Find out what happens after the jump!