A Festival Dedicated to the Wobbles and the Weird

It’s that time of year again. Well, I guess if you live in San Francisco that time is about every 2 months or so. But this Sunday, May 1st, is the date for the 12th annual How Weird Street Faire in downtown San Francisco.

How Weird 2011 Poster by Brad Olsen and digipop

Many San Francisco residents are familiar with the crazy, electro-inspired festivals and parades that call San Francisco home every year – events like Gay Pride, LoveFest, Pop, etc. But I feel like How Weird doesn’t get as much publicity as the others. Maybe that’s because it isn’t as crazy as those, and hasn’t been labeled as a danger to society….yet.

How Weird kicks off San Francisco’s street fair season that goes into October, so it has to be good. But How Weird isn’t just a dance party like LoveFest or, for people not apart of the gay community, an excuse to run around naked like Pride. It showcases the city’s art and diverse culture, as well as its fondness for electronic music. Electronica, Dubstep, Electro, House, Techno, Drum & Bass, are among the many different types of music that will be performed live at the event.

The stages are setup by local music organizations, many of which put on events throughout the city, such as Temple, Groove Garden, Symbiosis, and Rebel Bass Collective, just to name a few. It’s electronic music in all its sub-genre glory. Click here to see the full lineup!

While the music is the main reason I would go, it definitely isn’t the only. How Weird has to have gotten it’s name for a reason. Along with the subculture of electronic music that will be present, how weird celebrates everyone’s inner weirdness, encouraging people to dress up, lose inhibitions, and have a good time while taking a break from the real world outside of Howard and 2nd Street. How weird attempts to create a different realm of reality – a place where people can come together and make it a “place where our differences and unique perspectives are appreciated as things of beauty, rather than causes for conflict.”

Map of How Weird by Brad Olsen

The How Weird Street Faire is a fundraiser for the local nonprofit World Peace Through Technology Organization, and states that it “uses music to bring many different kinds of people together and create a common bond. We have found that dancing knows no boundaries or political affiliation. Music, more than any other form of communication, is able to transcend differences between people. It is through music and art that peace is always possible.”

So this Sunday, May 1st from 12pm to 8pm, get out, get downtown, and get weird.

YouTube video by Temple Television

Designer Drugs Take Over the Bay

I know I talk a lot about BlowUp, but it seems like it really is one of the best places for people of all ages to go and have fun, without needing to worry about passing security. All 18+ people rejoice.

I, however, just celebrated my 21st birthday. I may or may not have been attending 21+ shows for the past 2 years, but a giant weight has definitely been lifted off of my shoulders not having to worry if I will be able to get in or not and potentially lose the money I spent on my ticket. But with that said, I know I will keep going back to BlowUp. Maybe it’s nostalgia, or maybe they actually have some amazing DJs at a college-student price.

This weekend, March 11, Designer Drugs will be headlining the BlowUp stage. I saw them one other time when BlowUp was at Rickshaw, and another time at Live 105’s 2009 Subsonic Spookfest. They always put on a good show, get the crowd involved, and make everyone have an effortlessly good time.

Designer Drugs are two guys, Patrick Nelson and Theodore Nelson, that hail from New York but have travelled all over the world to promote their music and get people to dance. They are known for their countless number of remixes and mashups, but on February 22nd, 2011, released their debut album HARDCORE/SOFTCORE.

The album has dance-pop tunes with vocals like Crazy For You, and other harder stuff like Face Melter.

Video By: clemlToulousian, YouTube

On top of their BlowUp performance at DNA Lounge, the electronic duo will also be performing at the ASI Rhythms Music Festival at San Francisco State University, on Friday, March 18th. It takes place in the Cesar Chavez student center, starting and ending different times each day. The festival goes from the 16th to the 18th and has other headliners such as Del the Funky Homosapien, who performs Thursday, March 17th.

Here is another taste of a Designer Drugs hit. Enjoy!

Designer Drugs – Drop Down