Oceania

Reptile Rally to Make Snakes, Alligators Seem Not So Abhorrent After All

Since it's rattlesnake season and all, we'd thought we'd try to put a positive spin on reptiles, especially those who are looking for someone to love, not to eat. This coming Saturday, Petco is hosting a reptile fete of sorts throughout San Francisco where you can learn all about why these cold-bl ... More >>

Total Control: Show Preview

See What $5 Buys You In Bananas, Coffee, Beer, And Other Foods Around the World

A few weeks ago we told you about Buzzfeed's video illustrating what 2,000 calories looks like in everything from bagels to bacon. They've followed it with a video showing what five American dollars will buy you in various foods around the world. Key takeaways: Coffee is at a premium in Italy, you c ... More >>

San Cisco Is Big in Australia -- And Too Young to Drink in the U.S.

Most people are just starting college or work life at the age of 20. And while that's the median age of the members of San Cisco, the Australian indie-pop group is embarking on a different, more daunting journey: its first North American tour. One of Australia's most hyped new groups since Tame Impa ... More >>

Kristen Bell Loves Pigs, Sweet Potatoes Love Chocolate, and This Squirrel is Like "OMG"

​Hello and happy Meatless Monday! What has everyone been making lately? I've been making microwave meals but over at Minimalist Baker, they made these awesome chocolate-dipped sweet potato chips. I want them like whoa: See Also: Quinoa Controversy, Sriracha Soy Curls, and You Can Now Officially ... More >>

Dino-Mite

Tamaryn: Show Preview

Phono Del Sol: Show Preview

Will the Buzzy, Blaring Royal Headache Help Australia Get the Rock Recognition it Deserves?

Australia's Royal Headache is set to simultaneously soothe and dizzy attendees at Bay Area appearances this weekend with its hook-laden, buzz-saw garage rock. The strength of the band's self-titled debut record has helped revive American interest in Australian music. But it's not the first time an A ... More >>

Revel in the Pre-Postmodern

Australian DJ Anna Lunoe on Moving to L.A., S.F.'s Dirtybird Label, and Laying Down Vocals

With a musical career beginning in Australian radio in 2006, DJ/vocalist/producer Anna Lunoe's encyclopedic musical knowledge has helped her become an important figure in the resurgence of disco in the EDM scene, and allowed her to open for artists from Soulwax to Santigold. In 2009, she was the fir ... More >>

Mark Sultan: Show Preview

Notye: Five Innovative New Australian Bands That Aren't Gotye

See also: * Gotye Shows Up To San Francisco Pub Trivia Night, Kicks Everyone's Ass * Australia's Gotye on Taking His Offbeat Pop to the Top of the U.S. Charts With Gotye's arrival, the musically cognizant American populace has begun to give some attention to Australia. This is a fine start, but adv ... More >>

Satellite Nations Welcome

Occupy Melbourne Uses Tent Monsters to Evade Police

Meanwhile, in Australia, Occupy protesters have come up with a more choreographed way to escape police.

East Comes West

Identify Anthony Bourdain's Mystery Sandwich

via yfrog​So as we posted yesterday, No Reservations star Anthony Bourdain is in town, tasting some local fair, barhopping, and tweeting about it for our enjoyment. Yesterday, after finishing up a photo shoot, his No Reservations director of photography, Zach Zamboni, had the huge, delicious- ... More >>

Who Do You Want to Be Today?

Just Boxers — No Briefs

The Black Ryder Hasn't Made Any Deals With the Devil -- Yet

The Black Ryder performs Thursday at Popscene​Having recently toured the U.S. with The Cult -- almost immediately after moving to Los Angeles -- Australian-born outfit The Black Ryder will play its first-ever West Coast headlining show this Thursday at Popscene. Multi-instrumentalists and vocalis ... More >>

Tonga Room Execution Stayed. Does Anyone Care?

​Like smoking at work, camel hair coats and a budget surplus, tiki bars are relics of a bygone era, of when Cesar Chavez Street was called Army, when nobody in San Francisco knew what a bike lane was, and organ meat was nothing more than fodder for the cows that we turned into delicious 15-cent ha ... More >>

Oyster Bay 2010 Sauvignon Blanc

​I love the fact that most stores have delegated separate areas for wines from different countries of origin. There are French, Californian, Spanish, and Italian sections, and it's funny how if there's an Australian section, wines from New Zealand are usually ― and somewhat rashly ― thrown ... More >>

Grub Hollers Cummingitit, Louis' Restaurant Keeps Lease (and Awkward Apostrophe)

​ ​The past 24 hours in gossip, innuendo, and cold hard facts about the San Francisco restaurant scene.In the "It's about time" category of restaurant openings (cf: Bar Agricole), Urban Daddy SF announces the arrival of Grub (758 Valencia, at 18th St., 431-4782) on Friday. The pitch: Upscale din ... More >>

Tonga Room Happy Hour: All-You-Can-Eat Tiki Kitsch

Zemistor/FlickrLava bowl for four ― the bar's fairly extensive happy hour spread offers its share of deep-fried, sweet-and-sour landmines.​The place: Tonga Room, 950 Mason (at California, in the Fairmont Hotel), 772-5278 The hours: Wed.-Fri., 5-7 p.m. The deals: All-you-can-eat $10 buffet ... More >>

Kill the Frogs Before It's Too Late: Message to San Francisco

Go ahead, punk: Make my day.​Killer frogs lurk in the dark waters of Golden Gate Park's Lily Pond, awaiting the moment when a visiting youngster totes a few tadpoles home to Auburn and lets them loose in a stream -- thus threatening aquatic ecosystems in the Sacramento River Delta and beyond.Notwi ... More >>

Gavin Newsom Sweet-Talks Transbay Terminal Homeless Into Housing

It's hard to tell who's using whom....​Before the crowds arrived for the last tours of the creaky Transbay Terminal Friday, Mayor Gavin Newsom showed up for his own private walk through ("private" in mayor's terms means followed by his spokesman Tony Winnicker, staffers, Chron reporters and us). A ... More >>

Concert preview: Fat Freddy's Drop

Your Tonga Room News Roundup: What Does It All Mean?

Doug Letterman/Flickr​It seems odd that the Fairmont wants to close the Tonga Room just as neo-neo-tiki is blowing up in artisan-cocktail circles. (Today, for instance, the New York Times reported on the opening of yet another rum bar.) Though it has been a while since we've been to a birthday par ... More >>

The Tonga Room -- Historical or Hysterical?

You and I are passing through history. But the Tonga Room? It is history.​The term "only in San Francisco" is overused. That's a given. But, honestly, in how many cities would one open the paper to read about a brewing preservation battle between developers and tiki bar enthusiasts -- with the cit ... More >>

Baylinks: Tonga Room, Bus Parties, & Bleeding Eyes

We like, we like to party.​When your bus gets delayed you can pout or you can throw a party. [Muni Diaries]Are you between the ages of 12 and 23? Do you love civic duty? Have we got the non-paying gig for you. [Richmond District]Did somebody bomb Duboce Park? [haighteration]Site hawking San Franci ... More >>

Slumberland Records Anniversary

Track of the Day: Surf City, A Post-SXSW Favorite

Now that I'm back in San Francisco, thinking about just one band at a time, I plan on spending the week re-highlighting my favorite acts from the big SXSW weekend. I heard some truly awesome music that I'd hate to see buried in a deluge of Austin wrap-up posts. Surf City topped my list of new disc ... More >>

En Garde!

Curried Favors

Cheap Thrills

Hey, Watch the Suit!

Pixel Flicks

The Black Balloon

The 23rd Annual San Francisco Tribal & Textile Arts Show

Music from Big Pink

Ms. Most Likely to Suck Ten Cocks

Rated X-static

Spit or Swallow

Pants on Fire

Celluloid Tricks and Treats

Stormy Weather

Tonga Room

Treasure Island

Kaleo Cafe

Mixed Up

Ninna

Leftovers

Our Mutual Funds