When dusk hits on a humid summer day, what better place to be than laid out on a blanket under the stars with friends, snacks, and a big screen playing some of the most famous flicks? Luckily for you, more and more major cities across the nation are establishing their own version of the outdoor film festival, where a variety of films both old and new are screened in parks, on beaches, or rooftops.

Dolores Park Movie Night, San Francisco

If you bail from the Bay, be sure to check out San Francisco’s Dolores Park Movie Night on the 2nd Thursday of each month. The festival is already slated to feature some foreign favorites, like Amelie, and is dog friendly (just in case you wanted to bring your puppy along)! With the lure of the mega screen and the infamous Virginia the Tamale Lady, who’s rumored to stomp the grounds hawking her delicious tamales while doling out advice, how could you not be down with this amazing festival!

HBO Bryant Park Film Festival

For those of us on the East Coast, the options in New York city are a-plenty. Most famous is the HBO Bryant Park Film Festival, which showcases a lineup of timeless classics that everyone should see at least one. Starting on June 15th, make your way to the park each Monday evening and chill with your homegirls while you take in oldies but goodies like Harold and Maude, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. While they don’t offer tamales, they do have gourmet sandwich drop-off at your blanket courtesy of Top Chef head honcho Tom Colicchio’s ‘Witchcraft. Not bad for a night of lounging in the park!

If you’re across the river in Brooklyn, you don’t have to make the trek into the city to catch a great flick. Consider the Rooftop Films Festival, which is a platform for local and underground filmmakers to show their work. Although not free (on average, screenings run about $9 a pop), the events are usually preceded by interesting panels with the directors, and followed by some free beer and open bar offers. Be sure to catch much-buzzed about Voices from El-Sayed,  a documentary that looks inside the world’s largest community of deaf people living together. Brooklyn also offers the Movies with a View festival, in its 10th year. With world-class DJs from Brooklyn Radio spinning, and dinner being served up by popular eatery Rice, the festival allows guests to unwind under the Brooklyn Bridge. The lineup this year includes Tatum O’Neal classic Paper Moon and Johnny Depp fave Edward Scissorhands.

Chicago Outdoor Film Festival

Don’t worry Midwest, you’re still in the game! Chicago isn’t one to be left out, so the immensely popular Outdoor Film Festival will be back with a vengeance. Every Tuesday, your favorite black-and-white flicks like Psycho and Sunset Boulevard will grace the screen. The lineup here is really amazing, so make sure you pack a picnic and check it out.

Free is (most of the time) better, so this summer before you throw down $12 bucks plus popcorn to catch a movie in a dark theater, head out to your local park and catch one for nearly nothing (minus the cost of your snacks) under the stars!

Step into the Darkside for Your Summer Sneakers

The Darkside Initiative just received a gang of new sneakers for your warm weather rendezvous, some of which should spark memories of summers long gone. For all you true sneaker heads, the Air Max ’90 is usually a popular pick, and this time it receives an updated ’09 look with shiny patent. If you’re up for a punch of color, go for the purple/white pair, but for those who are not so bold, the silver/black/red will be the go-to pair for everyday life, from running errands to running the track. My personal fave, the Air Max ’95, has been re-released in a colorway popular to Frisco folks, orange and grey.  Thankfully the shop thinks of the ladies, because although the ’95s are men’s sizes, they ordered down to a size 6, equivalent to a women’s 7.5 (sorry for the tiny feet!).  If your old pair from high school has been around the block one too many times, it’s now time to upgrade!

Those that favor the new new have a few choices to pick from. The Blazer Mid “Bamboo” just breathes summertime with its woven look and green accents. And…these are strictly for the ladies so rock them out to make the fellas jealous! For something on the dark side, opt for the black/metallic pewter pair with subtle hints of snakeskin, or even the Air Rift in a similar colorway. With the ninja-inspired split-toe box and easy-access Velcro elastic straps, you’ll be able to swiftly handle your business and pleasure. Then, art and Dunk lovers alike can feel fly with the latest “skinny” silhouette that feature French textile designer Paule Marrot’s feathers pattern. Again, this is only for the females.  The Darkside Initiative has you covered!

Cop these kicks at the shop at 1827 Powell Street in San Francisco. Don’t sleep or you’ll be left in the dark.

Santigold at the Warfield, San Francisco, 05.21.09

I just got back from seeing the Santigold show at the Warfield and I have to say, Santi has come a long way from the first time I saw her perform in NY, before her album released, at Corio. Rather than playing to a small intimate crowd in a downtown NY restaurant, Santigold packed the Warfield, a place as full of history, as it was with people there to see Santi shine.

Santigold at the Warfield, San Francisco, 05.21.09

True to her name, she and her dancers were decked in metallic gold - and yes, she was wearing the Jeremy Scott x adidas Originals Metro Attitude Highs to match! She played with a band, and not a DJ, which is refreshing. There were no distractions or bells & whistles, just good, solid music with lots of heart and energy. The vibe you get from a live band is irreplaceable - a sound that no DJ could replicate (sorry, but it’s true when it comes to live music).

Santigold at the Warfield, San Francisco, 05.21.09

Santi’s voice has hints of many great ladies that came before her -  a bit of Siouxsie Sioux’s charm, some of Xene’s punk attitude, Tina Turner’s sass and Pauline Black’s strength - all of these combine to form the majesty that is Santigold. Not only is she a ground breaking musician, she’s a positive role model for women - strong independent beautiful “a lady” and so positive - she lights up a room. And her dancers, as she said herself, are “bad ass bitches!” Those ladies have presence like no other, and they can dance! They flank Santi and don’t do anything to detract, rather, they make her shine brighter.

Check out the clip below to get an idea of what the show was like…more clips coming over the weekend!

Amanda Blank Opening for Santigold at the Warfield 05.21.09

Amanda Blank has been on the scene for the past few years but I’ve mostly taken note of her style more than for her sound.  Well, tonight I had a rude awakening and realized I should have been paying less attention to her good taste in clothing and manicures and more attention to what she had to say.

Amanda was a great choice to open for Santigold - both ladies hail from Philly - and Amanda’s raw energy was just what the crowd needed to get ready for Santigold.  She took to the stage, with just a DJ, but she was able to fill the space with her voice and her moves.

I’m glad I had the chance to finally see Amanda perform, and I know it won’t be the last.  I’ll be waiting for her summer release and something tells me she may have a song of the summer.

Check out the clip below for a bit of her performance…

Tonight, ArtNowSF presents the Juxtapoz Magazine issue release party at Club 6 in San Francisco. If the art and music alone won’t convince you to come, the fashion showcase sure will! This month’s party will be the biggest show yet, as 7 Bay Area designers will fuse their fashions together with art, music, and spoken word. Poet Ruby Veridiano-Ching, who was highlighted as a M.I.S.S. Woman Making History in November, will kick off the fusion fashion show at 10PM, so get your discounted presale tickets here and make sure to arrive early and party late.

Check out this list of designers:
Nicacelly (M.I.S.S. Women Making History last March!)
Homeygrown
Alchemetric
Hellagant
P.E.A.C.E.
Heathen
Kamileon Designs

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Start the year off right with the ladies of Everlasting Bass the first Saturday of January with DJ Zita and Pam the Funkstress at 330 Ritch Street.  With these ladies on deck, your booty is guaranteed to shake.  This Saturday join the ladies of Bay Area Sistah Sound with special guest Daneekah of Cooyah.  Don’t forget to RSVP for the $5 guest list.  See you there!

I recently attended the preview of the Yves Saint Laurent Retrospective at San Francisco’s de Young Museum, and was absolutely spellbound by the finesse of the exhibition and the vast collection of the 130 Maison Haute Couture Yves Saint Laurent ensembles never before seen in the U.S. outside of the French house’s private archives. The exhibition celebrates his life’s work as a French couturier, as sadly, he passed away in June of this year, leaving behind a fashion legacy spanning four decades, and whose designs were so influential, that he helped redefine feminism as we know it today by modernizing the pantsuit, establishing its importance as a chic and socially acceptable fashion staple.
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