A thing I love:

Wiretap shows. There's always the same core group of 10 or so people that I really only see at Wiretap events, and who are so darn fun. Then there's the added benefit of watching the San Francisco hipster in its native habitat. Spending a night at Thee Parkside is like being on safari: you know ahead of time that you're going to see lions and tigers and bears, but it is still delightful to spot them in their finery.

It is a very specific aesthetic, and I think there's a lifestyle to go with it. The people at the show last night liv in a hilly old Victorians with 4 or 5 roommates, sinks full of dirty dishes, and lots of spider plants. Their houses smell like pot and occasionally cat pee, and they share t-shirts all the time, regardless of their gender and size. They trade pants, too. Some of them have crappy jobs and spend all their money on music equipment, and some have really cool jobs that they do not talk about much.

All of this is to say, there were some really awesome outfits last night, outfits whose complete avoidance of anything flattering made me feel ashamed for the fact that my shoes matched my belt (shut up) and that my hair is neither short nor very, very messy.

Is that mean? I hope not. I mean, they do it all intentionally; clothes are costumes, so they say, let's just go balls to the wall with it. It's amazing that while the rest of the world is trying to look pretty pretty pretty, in this city, at this time, these people are running in the complete opposite direction. If you are a very tall and skinny guy, and you are wearing a kid's teeball shirt, it is just not going to look sexy, or manly. To me. But to that chick with the she-mullet, off the shoulder shirt, and super tight red jeans, you may be Hot Stuff.

Speaking of hot stuff, I am kind of in love with Chinese Bookie (MySpace), and I told her so. She does what I would do if I could sing: gets up on stage by herself, does little dances, makes faces, puts on a monocle, and sings her head off. If you get the chance to see her live, do it.