Riff Raff

Shop Talk "No one's doing rock 'n' roll shops anymore," says Jet, the angular, bald-headed, and last-nameless musician who owns just such a store. "Nowadays, it's all hip hop or electronica shops, or, in Upper Haight, hippie joints trying to relive the Summer of '67. There's nowhere to get rock or punk memorabilia, or just a place to find out what's happening in the local rock scene." That leaves Jet fighting a one-man crusade. Nine months ago, he opened Rock and Roll San Francisco in the Lower Haight. Although he admits he's barely squeaking by, Jet's selling several services that rock geeks desperately need. Along with classic posters and T-shirts of bands like the Clash, the Misfits, and Kiss -- especially, Kiss -- RRSF also carries local CDs and essential rock 'n' roll attire like studded belts, leather pants, and, for the ladies, skintight, leopard-patterned miniskirts. Jet also provides a space in the back for touring bands to jam (and for his own outfit, the Evils, to practice), and fosters one of the few shops around that actively promotes local groups. The store's appeal might be a little nostalgic, but Jet says that's really what he's after. "Hey," says an ingenuous Jet, "I just wanted to create a shop that reminds you of your high-school bedroom." (Dave McCoy)

Critic's Corner Riff Raff waves goodbye to parting SF Weekly Arts Editor Bill Wyman. Also known as Riff Raff correspondent B.W., the ever-ebullient Wyman co-founded and helped shape this column. We'll miss him, his bemused giggle, and his office full of toys. We wish him the best.

Riff Raff riffraff: Robert Arriaga (R.A.), Johnny DiPaola (J.D.P.), Jeff Stark (J.S.), Silke Tudor (S.T.), and Heather Wisner (