Sizzle & Fizzle: Highs and Lows from the Last Week in S.F. Music

A A A Comments (0) By SF Weekly Staff Wednesday, Jan 23 2013

Sizzle

Patrick Wolf began the year in S.F.

No Grammy set for Lil B

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• English pop star Patrick Wolf spent much of January hanging out in San Francisco — and we caught up with him at the Hayes Valley Victorian where he lived. Turns out that an adoring crowd at the Great American inspired him to come here: "In some way I'm connecting, and I need to go and explore why," he said.

• City officials and music industry insiders are launching a nonprofit to create a community center where S.F. musicians can rehearse, hang out, and even find subsidized housing. The project, called the Root, is looking for an employee to spearhead its efforts.

• Bernal Heights isn't the first place you might think to look for local live music, but the Lucky Horseshoe bar is trying to change that. The new owners of the former Skip's threw a Christmas party with Mark Eitzel last month, and are keeping their bookings full.

Fizzle

• The problem with Lady Gaga is that while everyone expects her to be ever more shocking and provocative, the search for new controversies has become a major distraction from the music. Her San Jose show was a ridiculous spectacle, of course, but we'd love to see her play a piano wearing just a T-shirt and jeans.

• No, Lil B will not be performing at this year's Grammy Awards on Feb. 10. He did enter a contest to win the votes required, but apparently the Recording Academy just decided to go with the usual boring event.

• That new Destiny's Child song, "Nuclear," sounds like background music for a wine bar frequented by gray suits after a long day at the office. Did Beyoncé really allow her name to be put on this?