Riff Raff

Here at Riff Raff, we call it a crock.

Well, Mr. Vanderslice? "It was a prank," he confesses. He says he came up with the idea with Josh Bloom of Fanatic Promotion, a PR firm of which he's a client, and that the "Bill Gates" single was sent to radio stations around the country with a note about the false cease-and-desist order to elicit interest. CDNow's news section, All Star, has already swallowed the bait, writing up the story as "Seattle [sic] Indie Rocker Ruffles Microsoft's Feathers." Vanderslice also notes that Entertainment Weekly and New York Magazine have been requesting quotes. Not that we believe him or anything.

There Was a Riot Goin' On, But That's Over Now Dec. 7 marked the last of Cafe Du Nord's Tuesday night salsa events, closing out an eight-year tradition at the below-street-level Market Street club and one-time speak-easy. It wasn't a happy ending: At closing time, patrons and Du Nord staff got caught up in a melee that left two of the staffers injured. And while owner Cindy Johnson notes that salsa provided for "our most consistently busy night from a business standpoint," those financial issues were trumped by the need to make the club's employees feel safe. "It just got too rough," says Johnson, who notes that she is open to bringing salsa events back in the future. Until that happens, the jazzy Neo Trio will be filling in on Tuesdays.

OopsDarren Keast's feature last week on Emanate Records ("Rethinking Techno," Dec. 8) gave an incorrect location for the electronic music label. Emanate is based in Berkeley. We apologize for the error.