It seems that Travis has been declared the band "that paved the way for bands such as Coldplay, Keane and Snow Patrol." We are very thankful for this (as the three aforementioned bands are some of our favorites) but we are confused. Why is it that more people know those bands, but not the trailblazer, Travis? Take the jump to see what we thought of the concert, with videos.........

Earlier this month we mentioned that The Decemberists' five-night engagement at the Fillmore was canceled. It was going to be the highlight of our week, but we guess tofurkey will just have to do. This week, our picks are Travis who are playing with Maximo Park at the Fillmore tomorrow night. Friday night at the Fillmore, The Drones (listen to "Shark Fin Blues" here) are opening for Band of Horses, an indie-rock band based......

Londonist are starting to think their city is getting just a little bit too expensive, when even Christian Slater can't afford to go out there. And there's no escaping, as local singer Lily Allen discovered when she was barred entry to the US. The British mapping agency caused further bad karma, by blocking a 3-D representation of London in Google Earth. But the smiles returned to Londonist's faces as they interviewed Baroness von Reichardt,......

Here's todays sports news...

Much like "the Sopranos," our week-long look at the A's this season concludes with a look at pitchers and outfielders, as well as some closing thoughts on the A's from Christy. FYI- there's nobody gets whacked in this write up ...

Here's todays sports news of the day...

Here's today's sports news...

Sharks 3 Predators 2- SFist did something we haven't done in a long time-- watched a hockey game. Well, the last period at least. For those who've never watched playoff hockey, it's great fun. The sport is already pretty intense with it's speed and occasional bouts of violence and the intensity is turned up several notches during the playoffs. Especially when one is facing elimination. Other than a minute of action, when the Predators scored......

Here's todays wrap up of the sports scores...

Photographer Drew Altizer goes to all the good parties! Drew reports in from Saturday's birthday party for DJ AM (Adam Goldstein, former fiance of Nicole Richie and just-dumped boyfriend of Mandy Moore) at Mezzanine, featuring not only the birthday boy himself on the turntables, but also Travis Barker (from +44 and the defunct Blink-182, as well as a former Paris Hilton fling and the back-on again husband of Shana Moakler, of reality TV fame).......

Last week's winner, the Guardian. The SF People's Organization is having a meeting this Saturday. Letters about guns in the Castro. Everything is better with strippers -- union woes, men against women, and a no-fatties proposal at the Lusty Lady. Hating on fixie bikes -- and big ups to SFist Sarah L for pointing out to us how awesomely combative the comments in response have gotten (typical comment: "My god man, do you have an......

Getting ready for Tuesday's election? Study up on our handy-dandy chart of the gubernatorial candidates or our five-second summary of all the state and San Francisco propositions. Or pick sides in Ma v. Ja! And if your favorite candidate loses, well, he or she can always become a filmmaker instead. Free free free! A free Madame Butterfly performance, free We Are Scientists tickets, free readings, a free baseball, free stuff on Craigslist, and free......

SFist goes to the Civil War Reenactment at Roaring Camp...

After making more flip-flops than an Indonesian child-labor sweatshop, the Environmentalist-in-Chief finally decided to spend his Earth Day Eve and morning at Dick Cheney's favorite disclosed location, Meadowood Resort in St. Helena. Although nobody's exactly sure why W made the last-minute call to go Napa, mountain biking might have had something to do with it.

The perpetually well rested Bush spent Friday night in one of Meadowood's $4,000 a night suites, then motorcaded over to Las Posadas State Forest in Angwin Saturday morning for a 65-minute mountain bike ride of unreported distance.

The ride, which Bush made with his SS entourage, the vaunted Travis Air Force Base cycling team, and AP writer Scott Lindlaw, was part of a carefully scripted Earth Day itinerary meant to highlight Bush's concern for the environment and sustainable fuels. Unfortunately for the Earth and everyone who lives on it, Bush is more Soylent Green than Greenpeace.

SFist's award-winning sports desk continues on with their scintiliating discussion about the upcoming baseball season. Part 1 can be seen here

SFist Chris:On paper, in my opinion, the Junior Circuit is clearly the stronger league, so I'm looking for a team with a DH to win it all this year.

Last week's winner, the San Jose Metro: Gary Singh does his best Travis Bickel to help out a friend getting blackmailed for her journal. Cover article: Blogs! Will they change politics? (no.) An experimental Canadian thriller, a documentary about Israel and Palestine: it's Cinequest time. Greek food in Santa Clara -- we were taken by the title, "Your Pal Is Athena." And BET Uncut -- the educational TV program! ("Once an acoustic guitar gets to......

The Olympics are done -- the last broom has been swept by the curling team, the snowboarders are done Fakey McTwistying, or whatever their jumps are called; the last ice skater has fallen down. And what's the Bay Area medal count? Two -- one gold from tiara-topped skiier Julia Mancuso in the women's giant slalom, and one silver in the women's bobsled (or, as NBC calls it now, the "bobsleigh") from Foster City's Valerie Fleming. Yes, we're now counting Tahoe as "the Bay Area," why do you ask? Other Bay Area Olympians include Bode Miller's ski teammate Darren Rahlves who also flamed out; Elli Ochowitz, a Palo Alto speedskater whose mother was also a speedskater and who blamed a false start for throwing her concentration; Elena Hight, the youngest women's halfpipe snowboarder; and Shannon Bahrke and Travis Cabral, two moguls skiiers, among others. You're all winners to us! Especially because we don't write for Bode Miller's Easton, New Hampshireist! Picture of Julia Mancuso, in tiara from the AP...

Last week's winner, the Weekly: Are you an apologist for Tom Cruise? Cover article: SF Cardinal Levada's denial of Catholic sexual abuse in the Bay Area. Meredith Brody hits her western boundary at Max's on Van Ness and Golden Gate. Bands in town next week: the peppy Go! Team and Sufjan (pronounced "Soof-yan") Stevens with two of the fifty nifty United States. Savage Love: male bisexuals -- are they real? And why don't bis date other bis? The EBX: Why do shooting-range targets have pictures of animals on them? Cruelty! Poorly-retrofitted houses. Cover article: A guy who loves metal (not Chuck Klosterman). Bay to Barkers! (not the family of Travis from blink 182). Judging pies at the Alameda County Fair. The Hammer show sucked. The top 10 Li'l Jon hits (we like his work with Pitbull ourselves.) More KPFA drama, this time featuring the hip-hop show Hard Knock Radio. And Sufjan! After the jump, Sufjan and other delectables in the SFBG, and the pick of the week. ...

San Francisco's favorite but least read Q&A columnist, the Essefficist, cracks a bad joke or two about eleven-year-old strumpets and checks into how to get racist cab drivers in trouble....

How did we miss this last week? Mixing two offenses recently made popular by Minnie Driver (actors playing the role of "earnest singer-songwriter") and Shawn Colvin (artists appearing on "Oprah" to divulge details about personal struggles in the same week their new CD comes out), Robert Downey Jr. came out with his debut album The Futurist last Tuesday. That was the same day of his "Oprah" appearance, for anyone who's counting. Music is all......

Bay Area crime roundup...