In October We Wear Pink

Halloween tends to overshadow the fact that the month of October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.
The movie Mean Girls reminds us that "on Wednesdays we wear pink", however in October we wear pink in support of and in solidarity with Breast Cancer patients, surviors, those who lost the battle and as an important reminder that early detection is key. 

In January of 2023 I found out while doom scrolling one night that a good friend from high school had lost her battle with breast cancer. Stacey was just shy of 40 years young.

 Back in high school we were two peas in a pod in a most tumultuous way induced with heavy underage drinking, Marlbro Lights and lots of late night romps. As teenage girls we grew up in the early 2000s before the Me Too movement, before thearapy talk of toxicity in relatonships or trauma, when body positivity was not a thing. It was anything but an empowering enviroment for budding little women and while I was secure in all of my insecurities, Stacey was the opposite.
With her blonde hair and curvy body she flaunted her confidence and it seemed that she usually got what she wanted.

Whether it be: a local punk rock show at an obscure venue, a night out of town for Motocross or Monster Trucks, a house party, camping, leaving a concert early to get a show poster,  making up choreographed dances to "Forgot About Dre" in the middle of the night, wreaking havoc around our hometown in her yellow cabriolet with the top down, dancing Thursday nights away at Popscene, going to underground raves, or dressing in a Moulin Rouge-esque outfits at a Country themed school dance, if I was in, Stacey was down.

Stacey was living her best life way before that was a popular moto. She wasn't even 18 yet and I was right by her side. 

When I found out about her passing it hit me hard, literally knocking the wind out of me.
We had an unhealthy falling out a while ago but I never had ill-will towards her and all of the memories we shared over the years. I couldn't help but think of all time spent together partying and sharing cigarettes. As cliche as it sounds, it could have been me but it wasn't, it was Stacey.
Stacey was young and lived fast and hard and big, anyone who knew her in our high school years knew that. I like to imagine she did after our friendship faded, too. 
 All of a sudden the phrase live fast die young made too much sense in a moment when nothing made sense.
Stacey died of Breast Cancer. 

When I saw that SusieCakes has Breast Cancer Awareness cupcakes I saw it as an opportunity to pay tribute to my old friend who lost her battle with the disease at such a young age and to help spread awareness to other women, young ladies, girls and families.

 

For the month of October SusieCakes teamed up with Susan G. Komen, the world's leading breast cancer organization, to create a recipe for change in an effort to make days better for those affected by Breast Cancer. From October 1st through October 31st SusieCakes has a few different options of Komen Cupcakes and cakes and throughout the month will donate $1 of every Komen cupcake sale and $5 of every Komen cake sale to Susan G. Komen to help find a cure. 

There are a few different ways your sweeter side can support Breast Cancer Awareness month with Susie and Susan: 

Komen Cupcake: your choice of chocolate or vanilla cake topped with a natural pink buttercream frosting complete with the signature SusieCakes swirl and sprinkled with natural pink sugar.
- $4.99 each 

Komen Ribbon Cupcake 4-pack: two chocolate cake and two vanilla cake cucpakes topped with the same natural pink buttercream frosting only these ones are decorated with a pink ribbon stencil and bordered with natural pink sugar. 
- $23.96 for the four pack (24hr notice required)

Komen Ribbon Flourless Cupcake 4-box: four flourless chocolate cupcakes topped with natural pink buttercream frosting decorated pink ribbon stencil and boardered nautural pink sugar. 
- $25.96 for the four pack (24hr notice required)

Komen Cake: A delicious 6-inch vanilla cake with pink buttercream frosting. This cake ships nation wide and comes with a complimentary candle, match box and you can customize the message on it. 
- $94.00 (shipping prices are included in the price of the cake)

All SusieCakes treats are baked fresh daily and 80% of the team at SusieCakes are female. One on every eight women in the United States will confront a breast cancer diagnosis in their lifetime, SusieCakes' founder Susie Sarich is one of those 1 in 8 women.

Breast cancer isn't just a satistic, it is a harsh reality. Susan G Komen is the world's leading breast cancer organization, dedicated to saving lives and investing in breakthrough research to prevent and one day cure breast cancer. The goal of this sweet partnership is to create a recipe for change and make days better for those affected by breast cancer. 

If you got your fill of cake but still want to donate to raise awareness you can donate directly to Susan G Komen . 

The American Cancer Society offers a Breat Cancer screening guidline you can share with loved ones to spread awareness about breast cancer and early detection even further. 

The National Breast Cancer foundation offers insight on Breast self exam, explaining what they are, how to do them and when to do them. You can download a free early detection guide for yourself, friends and family. 

Another valueable resource for women's health is Planned Parenthood where you can also get information about Breast Cancer, awareness, prevention, etc.
Utilizing services offered at Planned Parenthood is where I was advised to get a second opinion from a primary doctor which resulted in my first mamogram before the reccommended age of 40 for annual mammograms. Subsequently this led to my first bisopsy which never would have happened without without a visit to Planned Parenthood. 

Don't forget to wear pink this month and share this post with friends and family!

Alice Phoebe Lou shows

 Berlin based, South African born, Alice Phoebe Lou has stelthfully been on the alt-indie rise. With five albums under her belt since 2016 the 31 year old singer/songwriter has been coming up under of the radar, as rising indie music starlets tend to do. Since the fifth instalment to her catalog, 2023's Shelter, Alice Phoebe Lou hit the road with her own North American tour this past Spring. 

By September Lou was back on the road not only opening for fellow indie starlet Clairo on the Charm tour while simutaneously playing limited shows of her own.  That's right,  Lou played headlining sets at intimate venues that coincided with her opening sets on Clairo's tour. 

As if she isn't giving making a name for herself her all already, a couple days ago Lou announced she'll

be opeing for yet another indie starlet. Next April is your chance to see Alice Phoebe Lou open for Remi Wolf at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado!
Tickets to that show are on-sale tomorrow, Friday October 18th. 

She's currently still on The Charm tour opening for Clairo with a show of her own in Mexico City at the end of this current run.

October 17th = The Salty Shed in Chicago, IL

October 20th = Kemba Live! in Columbus, OH

October 21st = The Anthem in Washington, DC

October 23rd = Massey Hall in Toronto, Canada

October 24th = Massey Hall in Toronto, Canada

October 25th = Massey Hall in Toronta, Canada

October 28th = Roadrunner in Boston, MA

October 29th = Roadrunner in Boston, MA

October 30th = Roadrunner in Boston, MA

November 1st = Franklin Music Hall in Philadelphia, PA

November 2nd = Franklin Music Hall in Philadelphia, PA

November 4th = Opry House in Nashville, TN

November 5th = Ovens Auditorium in Charlotte, NC

November 7th = Fox Theatre in Atlanta, GA

November 8th = Fox Theatre in Atlanta, GA

November 10th = Brooklyn Steel in Brooklyn, NY

November 15th = Corona Capital in Mexico City, Mexico 

Bob's Donuts: cruffin or cupcake?

 Back when I was a fresh faced festival worker some more experience festival working friends of mine introduced me to Bob's Donuts. A hole in the wall donut joint on Polk Street in San Franscisco.
Bob's open 24 hours a day, seven days a week which put them on the map with the area's surplus of bar hoppers and donut enthusists alike. The gristle of their deep fried dough made into apple fritters or donuts topped in thick, chocolatey, chocolate frosting or covered their famous crumbs has kept people coming back since 1977. 

Chocolate cruffin from Bob's Donuts on Polk Street in San Francisco 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Before the pandemic, Bob's branched out of San Francisco's Polk Gulch district with a store closer to the panhandle on Baker Street and outside of SF on Altomonte Street in Mill Valley. The Polk Street store is the only one with a 24/7 status. Since the pandemic Bob's Donuts has branched out from their usual, run of the mill, fresh donuts. These days to stay in the growing donut game, along with their classic cake, raised and old fashion donuts Bob's has more fancy donuts with fancy toppings and fillings.They even have their own take on the cronut.

 

After a two and a half week work fueled visit back to The Bay, I took one of my festie besties to my favorite SF donut spot. She'd had Bob Donuts in years past when we'd worked in SF.
but this was her first experience visiting Bob's Donuts.
We went to the orginial location, my favorite one, on Polk Street. It's a litte rough around the edges like a beloved dingy dive bar. There's just something about that old oil they use and when customers walk in they might find Bob's Donuts donuts being made right in front of them. 

Bob's Donuts on Polk Street in San Francisco 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Cruffins at Bob's Donuts on Polk Street in San Francisco 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

We got there at the right time because there was no line!
My friend got to take in the full view of all of the different donuts on display in their store front windows that face SF foot traffic. Something caught my eye as she looked. It was something I hadn't seen in Bob's window before. Being that I used to live only a couple city blocks away I'm quiet familiar with what Bob's Donuts has to offer but this was something new. It looked like a cupcake, a giant cupcake. Upon closer review I thought maybe it was a morning bun? Or some sort of cinnamon roll? Some were dusted with sugar, some with pink frosting and rainbow sprinkles, others with chocolate frosting and rainbow sprinkles but what were they?

Chocolate cruffin from Bob's Donuts on Polk Street in San Francisco 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Chocolate cruffin from Bob's Donuts on Polk Street in San Francisco 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

When we stepped inside my friend was taken aback that there were even more donuts to choose from inside. My first question was what are those giant cupcake looking things in the window?

Cruffins. 

I took one with chocolate frosting and rainbow sprinkles. 

 Introduced to me by Mr. Holmes Bake House not too far from Bob's, I had forgotten about cruffins: the cross-bred pastry creation that popped into exsistance a few years back.

Sadly, the pandemic claimed Mr. Holmes Bake Shop but it didn't claim cruffins.  

Chocolate cruffin from Bob's Donuts on Polk Street in San Francisco 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

The cruffins from Bob's are huge. One took up a brown paper lunch bag all on it's own. 

I love a good maple old fashioned but Bob's chocolate frosting takes the cake for the best chocolate frosting on a donut. Not only is slathered on in generous doses but it's also thick and richly chocolatey. Far from the thin, waxy, hardly flavorful chocolate that passes for frosting at other donut shops, Bob's chocolate frosting is never skimpy no matter what kind of donut you get. 

Chocolate cruffin from Bob's Donuts on Polk Street in San Francisco 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

The cruffin, a hybrid of a crossiant and a muffin, is laminated dough (the dough used to make crossiants) baked in a muffin tin.

The cruffin from Bob's was so big I almost didn't know where to begin, so I unwrapped it and started from the bottom. The billowing muffin top wasn't bothered as I ripped a piece from the tappered bottom, exposing the off-white, fluffy croissiant pastry dough under it's golden exterior. The inside was so bouyant and fresh. Tearing off piece after piece it was easy to gobble this whole monstrosity of a cruffin up with a cup of coffee. Eating pieces from the chocolate covered top was like eating a petit chocolate croissiant with every bite. 

Chocolate cruffin from Bob's Donuts on Polk Street in San Francisco 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Sure there are fancier cruffins out there but lest not forget that a cruffin is a croissiant baked to look like a muffin and that's what you get at Bob's. A large crossiant, rolled and baked like a muffin that looks like a big cupcake.

Simple yet delightfully delicious. 

Cruffins, cronuts, eye-catching, influencer worthy topped donuts, Bob's Donuts takes signs from the times and rolls with it.
Whatever kind of pastry tickles your fancy can probably be found at Bob's Donuts. Sharing my favorite SF donuts and donut spot with friends and family brings me joy and I love that bringing a festie to Bob's Donuts came full circle with this visit. 

Nikka Costa @ Cornerstone Berkeley 9/22/2024

 Divine funkstress, Nikka Costa, returned to the Bay Area on Sunday September 22, 2024 at Cornerstone in Berkeley, her third performance on the West Coast leg of the tour promoting her latest album, Dirty Disco. 

Nikka Costa at Cornerstone Berkeley 9/22/2024
photo by Curtis DeMartini

Accompanied by a four piece band, Nikka delivered the goods. The entire set that night was a rollicking joyride of rock infused funk that had the crowd grooving and moving. 

Opening with the Prince inspired title track followed in succession by the second and third songs from the new record, Nikka exhibited the grit and vocal prowess reminiscent of her earliest U.S. releases. 

Nikka Costa at Cornerstone Berkeley 9/22/2024
photo by Curtis DeMartini

Nikka informed the crowd that she set out to record an album fuelled with joy and chock-full of danceable tunes to lift us out of the post pandemic doldrums to add a counterbalance to a world that can seem uninviting at times I couldn’t help but think that is the essence of Nikka Costa's musical aura. 

As the notes to her seminal "Like a Feather" kicked in, the crowd erupted as Nikka belted out her lyrics, swayed her hips and spurred her band. The happiness emanating from the room and the stage was palpable. The classic was followed up with two more from Dirty Disco. A glorious medley of tunes from the albums Pebble To A Pearl and Can'tneverdidnothin followed. 

Nikka Costa at Cornerstone Berkeley 9/22/2024
photo by Curtis DeMartini

Ending with the inspirational anthem "Everybody Got Their Something" in which Nikka stoked the audience into an all-out sing along. It was a sight and sound to behold. Absolutely fantastic! 

The set ended with "Dance Wit Me", "Glitter In My Tears" and an en core of “Connectivity" all from her 2024 LP. Nikka Costa's performances have always been a joyus romp of funk and her show at Cornerstone that Sunday night was no exception. 

Nikka Costa at Cornerstone Berkeley 9/22/2024
photo by Curtis DeMartini

Her tour is ongoing so if she is performing in a town near you, I highly reccomend that you attend. 

review and photos courtesy of Curtis DeMartini

The Matches @ The Fillmore 9/21/2024

 From the moment I saw The Locals perform in my high school's cafeteria on grad night twenty two years ago I was a fangirl of theirs. The next few years my friends and I tracked them down at every show they played in and around the Bay Area. We watched as The Locals became The Matches and saw their populairty explode with every album released. 

The Matches at The Fillmore 9/21/2024 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

By 2008 the local boys from Oakland had 3 albums under their belts, the last of which, 2008's  A Band in Hope found them working with Tim Armstrong of Rancid and Nick Hexum of 311 as two of the producers. The Matches were well on their way to stardom. Then the devistating news of the band's disbandment in 2009 shattered pop-punk hearts around the Bay Area, the country and quite possibly  the world. 

In 2020 a documentary Bleeding Audio hit the scene at Sundance Film Festival outlining The Matches' rise and fall then their successful reunion shows that follwed their fall out. Creative differences may have been a player in their break-up but they kept being drawn back to the stage after they stopped  making music together.
And they were selling out those shows.

Honetsly,  I can't remember going to a show if theirs that wasn't packed since the name change. 

Twenty years later proved to be no different when The Matches annouced a show at The Fillmore in San Francisco on September 21st. The show was in celebration of 20 years since the release of their debut album, E. Von Dahl Killed The Locals and tickets sold-out in a heartbeat. Then came the annoucement of a show in Chicago at The House of Blues on September 28th with the third show added in L.A. at The Taragram Ballroom on December 13th just a few weeks ago. 

All but one friend who I use to frequent Matches shows with from the height if my pop-punk days withstood growing up and apart pains of adulthood. Me and my cousin were going to The Matches show at the historic Fillmore, a favorite of both of ours. 

We hadn't been to show there together in years and we were both so excited to be back. 

The line was long when we got there about the time doors opened around 7:00pm but it moved quick. As we waited we reminised about the shows we had seen there together when we were younger, No Doubt in 1999 definitely being the hightlight. 

The Matches at The Fillmore 9/21/2024 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

 

Inside, at the top of the stairs was the fimilair brass bucket full of apples. I had wondered if it would be there and there it was. Only this time instead of the Washington Delish red apples, which had been offered for as far back as I can remember, the apples on Saturday night were Pink Ladies. 

The Matches at The Fillmore 9/21/2024 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

We headed up to the infamous poster walled rooms to gaze at all of the artwork stretching decades of live shows played on the stage there. This is a must when you're there to see a show. 

Amongst other things, The Fillmore is known for handing out a show poster to attendees when they exit the show. This use to be an every show occurance but a while back only shows that sell-out within a certain time frame before the show date now get a Fillmore show poster. 

Needless to say, we would be getting a Fillmore show poster that night. 

We made our way downstairs bypassing the winding merch line and watched the openers, Omnigone, on the floor which was already packed at that point. 

We were ready and so excited for The Matches! 

The Matches at The Fillmore 9/21/2024 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

To think that twenty years ago we filled the L3 warehouse in Oakland at Matches shows with a lot of the same people who were there that night. A lot has changed since then, including the fact that I didn't have a drop to drink (back in the day me and my posse were the wasted ones in the straight-edge pop-punk scene). The venue roared with excitement when the house lights dimmed as the band made their way to stage. In a matter of minutes it was as if the room time traveled to 2004: opening with the first song off of their first album "Dog Earred Page" literally had everyone on the floor jumping and singing along like we had all done when we were young, er. 

The first songs of their set were songs off of their first album and all three had the floor bouncing. By the third song of the night, fan favorite"Chain Me Free", my cousin I found ourselves closer to stage right where the enegtic and animated gutairst Jon is stationed and he was giving it his all. 

Knowing first hand that Jon had become a personlal trainer and physical therapist I mentioned to my cousin that I hoped he had done his stretched before the show. We were tickeled when he led a crowd stretch when the song ended! 

The Matches at The Fillmore 9/21/2024 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

They did a good job with their set list, balancing slower tempoed songs after a block of more rowdy ones, giving everyone, including the band, a chance to catch their breath before picking things up again.
There were no guitar or bass changes through out the night. The boys tuned their own instruments from one song to the next which resulted in little lulls. Early on their was a little banter offered during these breif lulls, sharing stories of when they worked in the kitchen at the famous venue they were playing that night and fun pop culture facts from the early 2000s.
As the show went on there was less banter and honestly I don't think fans cared either way, shouting words of encouragement as we waited. At one point I noticed Shawn, the lead singer's, familiar red guitar with what looked like a homemade black swirl on it. Pretty sure it was the same guitar from when they packed venues in the early 2000's I couldn't help but wonder if they were all playing the same instruments from back in the day.

The Matches at The Fillmore 9/21/2024 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

 
You could sence that maybe The Matches were a little out of practice and they knew it but again, Matches fans didn't care. We were at a Matches show and that's all that mattered. We were their to see them play and as always, they put on a great show.  

Everytime a song from E. Von Dahl Killed the Locals was played was blury flurry jumping and singing our hearts out just like it was all those years ago and just like the days of our youth it was an involuntary reaction. They would start playing the song and as much as our necks and backs were already aching there we were having the time of our lives.
Closer to the end of the set more and more people were crowd surfing and I forget what song it was but Shawn went into the crowd and started walking on raised hands, an antic he'd been known to do which I had completly forgetten about. Shawn and Jon's dynamic on-stage was endearing. It was so fun to watching them exchange looks as they sang the lyrics of their songs and I couldn't have been the only one left questiniong the story behind the lyrics. Clearly, Matches fans weren't the only ones reliving their past and the height of The Matches hiatus. 

The Matches at The Fillmore 9/21/2024 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

The set was heavy with songs from their first two albums and a couple from their third and final LP, A Band in Hope including one of my favorites, "Wake the Sun". 

Before the show I had wondered out loud to my cousin if they were going to end the show the song they had ended every show with for years, "Sick Little Suicide". As 11:00 neared they left the stage only to return minutes later for an en core. First up was "Salty Eyes" followed by a surprise cover of the Pixies' hit "Where is My Mind" and last but not least was none other than, "Sick Little Suicide". 

We left elated with a Matches Fillmore show poster in hand and big smiles across our faces. Concuring immediately what a great show it was, what a fun night we had had and that we would be sore in the morning but it was worth it.
I myself had not had that much fun at a show in a very long time. It was invigorating.
The Matches have always put on a great show, anyone who has seen them live knows that.
It's one of the reasons they're fan base is as loyal as it is.
People literally flew in from around the country to see them play in San Francisco and if they couldn't get to that show they flew out to Chicago to see them a week later.
And they'll fly to L.A. to see them in December. 

The Matches at The Fillmore 9/21/2024 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

They may not make music anymore or tour regularly and they have proved that they don't have to.

As they rose to the top before calling it quits they made a place were outsiders and weird kids belonged and that place is at their shows. The Matches struck gold because Matches fans keep going back and we always will as long as there's a Matches show to go to. 

The Matches at The Fillmore 9/21/2024 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

The Matches at The Fillmore 9/21/2024
set-list

1. Dog-Earred Page
2. Audio Blood 
3. Chain Me Free
4. Little Maggots
5. What Katie Said
6. Yankee ina Chip Shop
7. Clouds Crash
8. Superman
9. Borderline Creep 
10. The Restless
11. More Than Local Boys
12. Destination: Nowhere Near
13. The Jack Slap Cheer
14. Life of a Match
15. Wake the Sun
16. Didi (My Doe, Part 2)
17. Papercut Skin
18. Track 11/Scratched Out

en-core
19. Salty Eyes
20. Where Is My Mind? (Pixies cover)
21. Sick Little Suicide