Event Review: The 8th Annual How Weird Street Faire

For me the How Weird Street Faire has always served as the kick-off for Burning Man and the San Francisco festival calendar that ends with Halloween. In some ways I think of it as The City's groundhog day, providing a glimpse into what we might expect in the coming months. This time we saw a lot of shadow, as a consequence of the Faire's re-location along a stretch of Second and Howard among higher buildings, and I did not come away from it with as much a sense of jubilation as in the past, but it was very interesting that the main stage, put together by Symbiosis at Second and Howard, featured techno over the psy-trance that I have always thought of as the primary soundtrack for How Weird.

In an odd bit of coincidence, How Weird was re-located this year to the area around Second and Howard where I have worked three out of my five San Francisco jobs. Standing at the Symbiosis stage I could see all three buildings at the same time, and I think that this association with toil and travail might have had some effect on my overall experience. The main thing about the new location, though, was that it was colder; in the old location I don't think there were any buildings over two stories, and that particular stretch of Howard Street seemed wider and attractive of more sun. In the new location many of the dance stages, particularly those located in the narrow streets off Second, seemed to be in shadow during the majority of the afternoon, spoiling my conception of How Weird as a return-of-the-sun festival. There were a total of nine sound stages this year, and while I really appreciated the diversity of what I heard, the distance between these systems was small and I thought the sound isolation was not particularly good, such that I couldn't really find anyplace to just hang out and talk at normal levels except behind the Symbiosis stage and backstage at the Tantra stage (where I encountered more candy ravers than I would normally have associated with the psytrance scene, which has previously been very candy hostile).

I have usually thought of psytrance as the dominant sound of How Weird, and while this year's psytrance stage certainly roiled up a huge bouncing mass of dancers to sets by Kode IV and Witchdokta v. Liam Shy, among others, I found it very interesting that the Symbiosis stage (a beautiful bit of bamboo construction that was put together starting at 6AM that morning) featured techno during the sets I heard, in forms ranging from tech-house to straight-up minimal, that drew in just as large an audience at what felt like the central stage of the street fair.

I didn't come away from this year's How Weird with quite the same ebullience as in years past, but my own personal experience seemed much less important than the survival, after last year's seeming demise, of what is a quintessential San Francisco experience. How Weird is like the Dore Alley to LoveFest's Folsom Street Fair, the local, insider, personal experience of everything that is wonderful about San Francisco's underground music and cultural scene. Having now gone through the first year in their new location, I'm sure the organizers will use this experience to make it even better next year, once again reminding us all that we are entering into the season of the sun.

Upcoming Event: How Weird Street Faire, Sunday May 4

The street fair season kicks off with a distinct San Francisco flavor this weekend with the How Weird Street Faire aka The Burning Man Street Fair. This year they've been shifted off to a somewhat more remote commercial location on Howard Street and Second, but there are nine(!) music stages. Check out the full details on the website, and keep your eyes peeled for afterparty info (I know for sure there's one at Temple, which is only about two blocks from the fair).

The How Weird Street Faire
11:11PM - 5:55PM
$5 requested donation in costume, $10 without
Enter at Howard and New Montgomery or Howard and First

It's Official: How Weird Street Faire Returns on May 4th

From the media relations department of the How Weird Street Faire comes the official announcement:

The World Peace Through Technology Organization is excited to announce

the return of the
How Weird Street Faire
on Sunday May 4, 2008

from 11:11 am to 5:55 pm

on Howard Street, between 1st Street and New Montgomery
and on 2nd Street, between Mission and Howard
and both blocks of Minna St. and Natoma St. off of 2nd Street

The faire will now be centered at:
Latitude = 37°47'12.4" N
Longitude = 122°23'53.7" W

Visit the website for updated information...
http://www.HowWeird.org

The Return of the How Weird Street Faire, May 4th?

Ah, the always attentive eye of SFScene spotted a scoop this morning: as I was walking into work I noticed a sign on a lamp post for a proposed "traffic variation;" on closer inspection it was notice of a hearing for the closure of Howard Street between 1st and New Montgomery, and 2nd Street between Howard and Folsom, for the How Weird Street Faire on May 4th! So, assuming there's no protest (and I can't see why there would be, as this is all commercial property through here and it becomes a ghost town on the weekends), we'll see the glorious return of the How Weird Street Faire on May 4th! Yayayayayayayay! And best yet, since my office is right in the middle of it all, I'll have an easy way to escape the crowds and use the potty! Double yayayayayay!

Remember you heard it here first, kids; count on SFScene to sniff out all the deets on what's going on way before those "other" nightlife sites that make their money from, and give all their attention to, the mainstream club scene.

More on the Halloween Mess and the Dismal State of the Entertainment Commission

Yesterday's Bay Area Reporter has a detailed account of how the hand-off of Halloween to the Entertainment Commission failed in a huge, distressing way. Given the Civil Grand Jury report on the Entertainment Commission that came out in July, which I reported on here, this doesn't come as a huge surprise. The upshot of the article is that the Entertainment Commission doesn't have the resources to manage large-scale events, and that the Mayor's Office feels it should only concern itself with the regulation of nightclubs and nightlife (which it also hasn't done such a great job with). The solution proposed is the formation of an Office of Special Events that would deal exclusively and explicity with events like Halloween. I hope this would also extend to street fairs, since, as we've seen in the case of the now-defunct How Weird Street Faire, when it comes down to residents vs. event organizers, the police will always side with the residents, and that's the end of the street faire. However, unless an Office of Special Events turns out to be more effective, and pro-active, than the Entertainment Commission, I'm afraid it will just add to the bureaucracy and patronage politics that are already a maddeing part of The City's political life.

Socking It to How Weird and Other Street Fairs

Over at the San Francisco Bay Guardian Politics blog City Editor Steven Jones has been covering the travails of the How Weird Street Faire. Not only does this look like the last year that the Faire will take place, now both the police and recreation department are socking it to them, and other street fairs, for increased fees. Check out Steven's posts and article below:

How Weird's Last Stand
(Feb 28 2007 SFBG)

How Weird Gets Walloped - Again
(Apr 9 2007 SFBG)

The Fun Keeps Dying
(Apr 12 2007 SFBG)

More News of the How Weird Street Faire

DATE:  Sunday May 6, 2007
TIME:  11:11 am to 5:55 pm
ENTRANCE:  12th & South Van Ness Streets, San Francisco
COST:  Requested donation of $5 in costume, $10 without (kids free)
 All proceeds benefit two Bay Area non-profit organizations.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:  www.HowWeird.org

A fundraiser and celebration for the World Peace Through Technology Organization (www.peacetour.org)

********************
Direct from Justin, Marketing Coordinator for the How Weird Street Faire:

Once again, the center intersection of Howard and 12th Streets will be filled with a mandala of grass – an urban crop circle – a place to relax and connect. This year will feature a special new area called "Ambient Alley" on Kissling Street, a place to escape with chill down-tempo music. The rest of the faire will feature seven dance stages powered by bio-diesel, and one sound system completely powered by humans on bikes! This will be the last event on Howard Street.

********************
The How Weird Street Faire got its start on Howard Street because that was home to the CCC,
aka the Consortium for Collective Consciousness, a commune-ish warehouse space filled with the kind of kids who travelled
to Goa, trafficked in various doo-dads and clothes from the developing world, and threw Goa Trance parties (which were
super exclusive, and if you were dressed like a candy raver, you weren't getting in). It's a bit of a shock to learn that the How
Weird Street Faire will no longer be on Howard Street, and raises the question of where it will be located, if anywhere, in 2008.

Upcoming: Beats for Peace on 3/23, a Benefit for How Weird Street Faire

"Beats for Peace" - A Benefit for the How Weird Street Faire
Friday March 23, 2007
10pm to 5am
1015 Folsom St., San Fancisco
$20-30 sliding scale, $10 before 11pm
Limited $15 pre-sales ( available at www.wantickets.com/ )
21 + with ID

THE BENEFIT LINE-UP...

In the Main Room - A Trance Mix (by CCC + Tantra)

Penta (AuraQuake Music, Russia/SF) - Presenting his new album "Horn Please"!
KJ (CCC/Tantra)
Liam (Tantra)
Kode IV (Ceiba)
Cyril (Vaporvent)
Cybert (CCC)

In the Front Room - Beats for Life (by Raindance)

Liberation Movement (featuring Resurrector of Heavyweight Dub Champion, Jillian Ann + special guests)
Subal (Raindance/13 Moon Tribe)
Kraddy (Glitch Mob)
Boreta (Glitch Mob/Raindance)
Adam Ohana (Get Freaky/An-ten-nae.net)
Little John (Raindance/13 Moon Tribe)
Mozaic (Raindance/Nexus)

In the Bassment - A House & Breaks Mix (by Sunset + Music Without Borders + Raindance)

Jeno (Wicked)
Galen (Pacific Sound/Sunset)
Solar (Pacific Sound/Sunset)
Mochi (Waffle Beats)
Hypnotech (Addictech)
Friction (Yellow #5)

In the Back Upstairs - A Downtempo Mix (by Dub Beautiful + False Profit)

Sariah Storm (Terpsichore Group)
pureEvil (Space Cowboys/Glitch Mob)
maer (Dub Beautiful/Psyphy Machine)
DJJD (False Profit)
obi-J (False Profit)
funktion (ill)

In the Front Upstairs - An Eclectic Mix (by Lowpro Lounge + Symbiosis)

B.I.G Crew (featuring Subtek, Enzyme, Jamin Creed, DJ Munk)
Danny (Moontribe/Symbiosis)
Majitope (Lowpro)
James Christopher (Lowpro)
MC Child (B.I.G. Crew/Grime City)
Axiom MC (Beatropolis/Lowpro)
Goddess Alchemy Project
Absynth (Live Electronic Band)
Audette Sophia (Poet/Singer)
Ribotto (Symbiosis)
Taylor Maiden (Linguistic Seamstress)

The Start of the Burning Season

Daylight Savings Time begins early this year, and, for me, so does the Burning seasion, with my Burning Man camp having had our first major planning meeting last night. We're still two months away from the How Weird Street Faire, the event that kicks everything off , but already the fundraisers are happening. This is it, kids, that time of year when San Francisco finally comes out of hibernation, you begin to feel a sense of anticipation in the air, and all the dealers start to stock up for their annual Burning Man Blowout Sale. So, if you hear of any good fundraisers, let me know, okay?

How Weird Saved!

From an email received this afternoon:

The How Weird Street Faire wants to thank you for your letter of
support. On Feb. 22nd, we won the appeal hearing and the 8th annual
How Weird Street Faire will take place on Sunday May 6th!

This is going to be a great year, and our last Faire at the
traditional location on Howard Street between 11th and 12th Streets.
We couldn't do it without the love and support we've received.

And this year we will be having a Benefit for the Faire on Friday
March 23rd at 1015 Folsom.

How Weird loves you!

Thank you very much,
Organizers of the How Weird Street Faire
http://www.HowWeird.org

No More How Weird Street Faire?

This week the How Weird Street Fair had their application for 2007 turned down by SF city agency ISCOTT after complaints by residents about noise and crowds - details are in this San Francisco Bay Guardian editorial. I was there for the first How Weird, and for me it has always marked the beginning of both the Burning Season and San Francisco's ritual feast calendar that culminates with Halloween. According to the SFBG, the venerable Haight Street Fair is in danger as well. Both of these events may yet be saved by determined activist work, but their threatened existence is a sad indicator of how the open civic gatherings that brought together races and classes are being challenged by monied, home-owning elites who are more interested in keeping "those people" away from their neighborhoods than in embracing the values that these events seek to endorse. Let's hope that the coming crash in property prices will also bring about a city-wide attitude adjustment.