upcoming shows >>>

SO many great shows coming up!!!

Here goes:

MAY 8: DIRTYBIRD Spring Pajama Jam @ MEZZANINE
MAY 22: GHOSTLAND OBSERVATORY + DROP THE LIME @ MEZZANINE
MAY 22: BLK JKS + FOREIGN BORN @ THE INDEPENDENT
MAY 23: BUN B + MIKE JONES @ MEZZANINE
MAY 27: M83 + James Yuill @ MEZZANINE
MAY 28: MERCURY SOUL @ MEZZANINE
MAY 28: TIGA @ THE INDEPENDENT
MAY 30: SILA & THE AFROFUNK EXPERIENCE + FOOL'S GOLD @ MEZZANINE
JUNE 6: THE JUAN MACLEAN + THE FIELD @ MEZZANINE


Check out the cool blogs of the following bands for exclusive downloads...

BLK JKS
FOREIGN BORN
FOOL'S GOLD
THE JUAN MACLEAN
THE FIELD//KOMPAKT
TIGA

mp3s and other goodies coming SOON!!!

WIn a chance to MEET DEERHUNTER!!!

Deerhunter > SF > Tuesday > February 24th > Mezzanine

And
Guess
What??!?!?

WIN A CHANCE TO MEET THE BAND BEFORE THEIR SOLD-OUT SHOW!!!!

All you have to do is email us the ONE QUESTION you've been wanting to ask the band!!

The only pre-requisite: you must be over 21 years of age.

Ready. Set. GO!

info@mezzaninesf.com

...and here's an mp3 to top it all off!

Deerhunter - Little Children

Just Twitter-ing about

We finally succumbed and got ourselves a Twitter account so you can follow in our every footstep. Keep up-to-date on all things Mezzanine-related by following us here!

GET SCHOOLED :: Sébastien Tellier

The 33 year old French multi-instrumentalist is no stranger to being erotic, from having fellow French friends like Air as well as making this year's album Sexuality, an "11-track meditation on lovemaking." After having his song featured in this year's Eurovision Song Contest (which is sort of like an American Idol between European countries), Tellier is landing in San Francisco Thursday, December 4 to bring his take on the new Parisian pop, as well as sitting down with us to talk about soft sex and V-neck shirts.

--

Q: We are very thrilled to have you back in the States. I went into American Apparel a month or so ago and noticed ads for your new album, Sexuality. How did you get involved with the brand name to do a promotion which essentially released your album before record stores, [at] at a clothing store?

A: It was by chance. American Apparel and I share the same aesthetic for soft sex and easy color, and that links us with a similar philosophy. They even made a Sébastien Tellier t-shirt for me and started the promotion in July.

Q: I totally felt a perfect pairing. I have a bunch of friends who purchased the Sébastien Tellier tee. It's an ultra-deep V [neck], oversized tee, right?

A: Yes, you're correct.

Q: Speaking of your new album, Guy-Manuel de Homen-Christo [that also did Daft Punk] produced it. How did you connect with him?

A: Guy-Manuel is the best producer. He's really clever and doesn't use his brain when it comes to music; Guy feels the music. As for me, I'm a composer of the music and don't see some things that Guy does, so he's very good and does everything that I don't see. I'm a composer and I'm always thinking about the music from the beginning until the end of the day. It's always on my mind and he's a producer, always, and coming up with new things.

Q: He's brilliant, and your new album is great as well. Can you tell us about your live shows? Does it only feature you on stage?

A: It's a really intimate setting. I do have a band; there's four of us on stage. I've been on tour for the last year so this is a new band for this tour. I play guitar and channel. I want to see kisses in the crowd and have everyone excited to hear the songs.

Q: What about lights, visuals, projections? Do you have all of that stuff?

A: Lights are important to mood. We use soft pink lights that remind us of the 70's; it's a very natural setting, but also electronic. I want it to feel more real as if the spirit is "woody" so sometimes there's not too much light.

Q: Your video for "Divine" (which was also iTunes "Video of the Week" for New Music Tuesday) puts you in various venues like a library, liquor store, a ferris wheel, a police lineup. What was going through your head, or does it have meaning?

A: It wasn't trying to be hip; the video has no meaning. I just made it because I don't live just one life. If you're going to be happy, you got to live your life how you want to.

Interview by Shahim Ali

Pictures courtesy of management

Ah, to score things that are free

I have two pairs of tickets for the Soulwax/2manydjs show at the end of the month! You want 'em, yeah? First two people to email me answers to the following gets some love:

- What is Samantha Fu?
- Name five remixes the Dewaele brothers have been responsible for.
- How would you describe the difference between the two groups?

Does anyone else think it a little funny they're opening up for themselves? I digress....

(Note: Contest has closed lovies! - Ed. 10/27)

Everyone needs some free swag! (aka, enter here for your free ish)

What's up party people!

(Sorry, I think I had too much coffee tonight - or maybe not enough)

I come bestowing more gifts. MSTRKRFT is playing next week, and I am almost tempted to drop some hallucenegetic drugs to witness this new light show that's gonna pop (no, Mom, I'm not going to - Ed.). So, we're doing this cool swaggy thing where if you're interested, you can comment on this entry and get some sweet T-shirt and turnable scratch pads f-r-e-e of charge sent to you if you'd like them cos really - everyone knows you need that shit when you least expect it. You can also email me if you're more shy like that. I'll be nice.

(EDIT: We actually did not end up getting our hands on scratch pads, but instead offer sweet MSTRKRFT CDs instead. I got a handful left of 'em, so let me know if you're still down for either/or. I'll close shop on Wednesday, October 8 for sending goodies out! - Ed. 10/6)

Also, should you purchase more than two tickets to the show, you will be entered into a drawing to win a free drink card worth $25 at the Mezzanine bar, which, if you've been here before, know that it can come in handy. We only have a couple of these though, so buy buy buy!

This post is mustache-approved.

Hey! Dirty! Baby I got your money

Such a grand song...

Remember that free shit I promised? Well, here are the details:

I will be running around this weekend at the Treasure Island Music Festival, as well as the sweet afterparty on Saturday at le olde Mezzanine with Foals and Tilly and the Wall (you've RSVP'ed, right?). If you find me, tell me the answer to this question and you will be rewarded with a pair of MSTRKRFT, Brazilian Girls, or Soulwax tickets. Simple as that!

Answer this: why is Treasure Island named so? (Hint: something special is found 'inside' the island...)

Find me and my bright ass hair, and you too can be a winner! See you then!

Come bell rocking on Saturday...

:: JUST ANNOUNCED ::
an advertisement just for you

THE OFFICIAL
ROCK THE BELLS
AFTERPARTY
S a t u r d a y, A u g u s t 1 6

Hosted by NAS & MOS DEF
DJ Set by Q-TIP
Performance by JAY ELECTRONICA
DJ BIG VON spinning all night

Special $10 advance tickets here!

Doors @ 10 PM

Is the Dirty South still dirty?

We just announced the Nelly show in September (on a Saturday, no less - party on, Wayne) - does this mean I have to go buy a box of new white Band-Aids? Wear jerseys in the middle of SF's Indian summer? Or should I just take off all my clothes?

So many questions...

If you go to his MySpace, you'll see an uber-classy picture of said man in a slideshow of pictures of him in front of a bridge, reclining on a chair, and these sweet superghetto spotlights moving back and forth about as fast as caterpillars. Very excellent.

And although I'm not sure I can fully endorse someone with such bad takes at spelling, look at those "knuckles" on the 'Space that are being used to represent Nelly's aptly-named Brass Knuckles tour; are they diamond-encrusted? Super ass shiny? Topaz?

So many more questions...

I'm so fucking excited about tonight - also, thanks Oprah!

Mr. Thicke, please don't be upset I said these things about you...

This is a true story

"Hey Wendy! Guess who is coming to Mezzanine next week," I asked my dear friend, who I was on the phone with last night. She’s recently moved back to the Bay Area from a stint being amazing across the planet, and our conversation had reached a good breaking point to talk about upcoming shows.

"Who?"

"This one singer...son of a guy named Alan Thicke..."

"Shut the fuck up! Are you serious?" and bursts of "What?!?!" was all I heard as I fell onto my bed in stiches of laughter.

"Sexual chocolate!"

"Did you just really refer to him as confectionary with a purpose?" I asked.

"Yes…and you didn’t tell me this when we first started talking? This is headline news. What is wrong with you?"

Apparently, this guy is a big deal. Or something. Who am I kidding, the first thing we all want to know is if Robin Thicke can live up to that last name of his. C’mon now.

Kidding!

But on a serious note, I am truthfully very excited to see what this crooner can belt out. I like indie and alt as much as the next Pitchfork ho, but I also very much adore R&B and adult contemporary music as it was the basis for a lot of my childhood (as well as Bone Thugs N’ Harmony and Puffy, but that is a different story). And, as much as I love Justin Timberlake (Robin’s other ‘white chocolate’ brother), Thicke does the falsetto and the suave better than the former NSYNC'er and with the greatest of ease. I’m sure he’s gonna just look at some ladies in the audience and they’ll get pregnant.

Keri Hilson is also opening for Mr. Thicke; I know her as a guest vocalist from Timbaland’s Shock Value record from last year ("The Way I Are" is a brilliant club anthem, albeit illiterate in title), but Wendy informs me that she actually did a lot of vocal arrangements on that album as well as has written for the likes of Usher, Britney Spears, and Mr. Tim. Pretty impressive if you ask me. I guess I’ll forgive her for this heinous video she did with PCD’s Nicole Scherzinger. (I mean, really? Hoisery as head gear? Not cute.)

Come get pregnant next week with me!

Wyclef in the flesh, plus this weekend

Our good friend Jeff snapped up some good Jean pix at the Wednesday show:

More to come as we sort through the epicness of this weekend: Dizzee Racal tonight, Hercules and Love Affair tomorrow, Booka Shade on Sunday...my dancing shoes are gonna be evaporated come Monday.

Also, how hot was last night at Drop the Lime? I had to drink a Red Stripe like water just to cool down.

If you are around at any of the shows this weekend, say hi, drink some, and send me your pictures, bootleg videos, and some love at jenz.mezzanine@gmail.com. Prizes TBA, always.

The World According to Calvin

Booty-shakers and U.K. heartthrobs Dizzee Rascal and Calvin Harris are currently number one overseas in Europe. Mr. Harris blogs all about it on the MySpace, so check out what he has to say on the matter.

Check out Dizzee in two weeks when he headlines the Mezzanine stage on July 25!

NY Times showers love

Party titans, indeed! A cool review on the phenom known as Hercules and Love affair was profiled. We just added 'em to our July shows - don't miss out!

"Party Titans, Updating Disco’s Sound" - Sometimes you instantly know you have a hit on your hands. And sometimes it takes you a few years to realize it, because you mistakenly assume that your lone collaborator hates the song. In 2004 Andy Butler persuaded his friend Antony, the otherworldly singer of Antony and the Johnsons, to record a dance track he had written called “Blind.”

The singer Antony, above, of Antony and the Johnsons, and Andy Butler of Hercules and Love Affair started working on the dance track “Blind” in 2004.

They listened to it afterward, and Mr. Butler said, “Antony was like: ‘What did we just do? What did I do?’ ” This inscrutable response deterred Mr. Butler from trying to release the song. “Antony always thought it was ‘curious,’ ” he said with a grin. “He thought it was a curious melody. I was like, ‘I don’t know what that means.’ ” (more...)

Dilated Peoples ensure dilation of the mind

"Another Day" is a clip of what to expect from the guys who visit Mezzanine on June 26. Check it out!