My City: Salsa, foreign films and a great city view
By: Karen Palmer
Special to The Examiner
March 29, 2009
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Inner Sunset resident and songwriter Kirk Hamilton describes himself as creatively idiosyncratic, a creature of habit and a jogging addict. (Juan Carlos Pometta Betancourt/Special to The Examiner)
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SAN FRANCISCO — Faves and raves by Kirk Hamilton
Personal stats
AGE: 28
YEARS IN THE CITY: Six
NEIGHBORHOOD: Inner Sunset
OCCUPATION: Songwriter, teacher, saxophonist and composer at-large, whose new CD, “The Exited Door,” is available at www.kirkhamilton.com
SELF-DESCRIPTION: Creatively idiosyncratic, creature of habit, jogging addict, grammar nazi
FAVORITE NEIGHBORHOOD SPOT
Le Video
WHERE: 1231 Ninth Ave. at Lincoln Way
WHAT: The selection of more than 90,000 films
INFO: (415) 566-3606 or www.levideo.com
This is the best video store I’ve ever been to. They just have anything you could possibly want, including an amazing selection of foreign films, and a lot of TV on DVD if you’re catching up on something like “The Wire.”
FAVORITE PLACE TO WRITE MUSIC OUTDOORS
Stow Lake
WHERE: 50 Stow Lake Drive in Golden Gate Park
WHAT: Writing lyrics at the reservoir on top of the lake
INFO: (415) 752-0357
The reservoir on top of Stow Lake is great because nobody goes up there. It’s peaceful, and you get an incredible view of The City. When I need to get out of a rut — especially when I’m writing lyrics — I’ll head over there to break the writer’s block.
FAVORITE RESTAURANT
Kezar Bar and Grill
WHERE: 900 Cole St. at Carl Street
WHAT: A BLT on rosemary focaccia bread
INFO: (415) 681-7678
What can I say, I’m a man of simple tastes. The pub itself has a great atmosphere; it reminds me of a place I used to go to in Indiana, actually. They have a cool beer selection and the food is amazing. The BLT has onions on it, so I guess it’s actually a BOLT.
FAVORITE JAZZ JAM
Amnesia
WHERE: 853 Valencia St. between 19th and 20th streets
WHAT: Wednesday night sessions hosted by Mitch Marcus
INFO: (415) 970-0012 or www.amnesiathebar.com
These jam sessions go until late, and there’s just a really high level of playing. The club itself has a really casual vibe, too.
FAVORITE LOCAL MUSIC RESOURCE
Community Music Center
WHERE: 544 Capp St. between 20th and 21st Streets
WHAT: The Bay Area’s oldest community arts organization, which hosts music classes and provides programs for musicians
INFO: (415) 647-6015 or www.sfcmc.org
The Community Music Center brings a lot of musicians together. There are a lot of performances and cool practice rooms you can rent.
FAVORITE BURRITO
Papalote
WHERE: 3409 24th St. between Valencia and Guerrero streets
WHAT: A super chicken burrito and salsa to take home
INFO: (415) 970-8815 or www.papalote-sf.com
The green-chile burrito is delicious, too. I’ll even sometimes buy a jar of their salsa; it’s so good. The salsa is actually what makes the place.
FAVORITE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM
Aim High
WHERE: 2030 Harrison St. between 16th and 17th streets
WHAT: Summer programs for middle school students from low-income families
INFO: (415) 551-2323 or www.aimhigh.org
The Urban School, where I teach, hosts Aim High over the summer, and it’s incredible. It’s basically an outreach school program that gives kids who may not otherwise be able to attend summer programs the opportunity to do so.
FAVORITE PLACE TO PLAY A SHOW
The Independent
WHERE: 628 Divisadero St. between Grove and Hayes streets
WHAT: Playing a venue that’s not too big and not too small
INFO: (415) 771-1421 or www.theindependentsf.com
The Independent has the best crew in The City; the sound and lighting guys are just total pros. I’ve only played there once, but can’t wait to go back.
FAVORITE PLACE TO RECORD MUSIC
Coast Recorders
WHERE: 1340 Mission St. between Ninth and 10th streets
WHAT: Fantastic owners and great sound
INFO: (415) 522-0108 or www.coastrecorders.com
This is where I mastered my CD, and have done some recording for other artists there, but I would love to do some recording at Coast Recorders. The owners are just doing an awesome job.
