The Fox Oakland: A glimpse of past & future

Contributed by Bobby Gordon

There are things worth saving. This was one of those things.

For all of us who were born after 1970, the giant "Fox Oakland" sign on the outside of the Fox theater had always been like a glimpse into a once vibrant past. A reminder that downtown Oakland must have had a heyday a long time ago. A time when a lively nightlife bustled beneath Downtown's neon lights. But the extinguished marquee and the shuttered theater made it clear, we do not live in that time.

At least we didn't until last week.

There hadn't been regular shows in the venue since the 1960s and any shows since the 1970s. But after recent renovations, the Fox Theater reopened its doors on February 5th and has been enjoying packed houses with audiences as eager to see the venue as whatever band is playing.

Walking in to the grand old theater I understood why. From the bright lights of the marquee to the ornate decorations of the interior, the Fox Oakland is breathtaking.

Hats off to the team that did the renovations. They did a phenomenal job. Of particular note, were the exotic glowing statues that sat tall on either side of the stage and the intricate illuminated ceiling.

I had a great teacher that once told me that you win over people with pleasure, not by telling them what they should care about. Being in that theater was an immense pleasure, and after such a rich visceral experience, I believe in the importance of holding on to our cultural landmarks more than I could have any other way.

A big part of that pleasure was supplied by Michael Franti and Spearhead. There may be no other artist living today with such a positive message that can also have you dancing until you fall over from exhaustion. A Northern California native himself (he's from Davis), it felt fitting to have the stage filled by his dreads, his sound, and his unparalleled love of bass heavy music.

Oakland's problems are not solved. This means nothing for the challenges of our public schools, City Hall's failures, or issues of police brutality. But this does mean something very big. The Fox Oakland is a destination. A major one, in an area that really needs a major destination. With all of the stories of struggle and failure lately, this is an important one of success.

"Berkeley Hella Much" Adam Stern w/ Bobby G

Check out my B-Town folks, Bobby Gordon and Adam Stern, as they serenade their home town from a cafe down in West Hollywood. This is just a little low-fi impromptu folk cipher, but I find it fresh nonetheless. You can peep more of Bobby's poetry over at the Amateur High Dive, and more of Adam's music here at adamstern.us.

Adam is a singer, song writer & guitarist who draws on feel good folk, reggae, surf rock and campfire balladry to create a distinctly Berkeley sound. Its a sound he labels "Organic Pop Progressive." To put it another way, Adam sounds like he could be the musical lovechild of Jack Johnson and Goapele. . . if James Taylor was his nanny. These are intimidating names to associate him with, but Ef it, that's how the boy feel. GOSH!

In any case, make sure to check out his music here!! You can listen to his entire album, check his show listings, peep a couple music videos and feel him out. My favorite tracks are "Stronger Everyday," "The Way You Are, and "Cornerstone," but the whole joint is smooth and soothing.

Here is a song available for download on his site. It's a bit more electric than his usual sound, but it gives you a taste nonetheless. Enjoi

See? It's deeper than rap! LOL (C) Officer Ross

A Plea from Berkeley's Bobby Gordon on H8

Followed by an Olbermann soliloquy

This is my plea to all yes on Prop 8 voters:

It doesn’t affect you
The law accepts you
No one expects you to really feel this,
Except me.

Because it doesn’t affect me either
Because either of us could easily ignore this
Because clenched fists on Wilshire will surely dissipate
At some point in the night
And you can go on about your business
So this is my plea.

My boss wears a wedding ring.
Been with his husband Peter as long as I’ve known him.
The two of them are sophisticate eloquent elegant adults
Who have committed their lives to one another
Their union is as deviant as your parents’ union
egregious only to the fact of death do us part.
The two of them raise two beautiful children
They are a family.

I show up at work after an Obama victory in the election hoping to celebrate.
Prop 8 in the back of my mind
I walk into the office ready to pop open two Martinelli’s bottles.

I see his wedding ring.

We pop open one bottle for Obama and leave one unopened until he can call himself a married man in the eyes of the state.
It is a tiny gesture that feels small and trivial and it is all I can do.

My boss wears a wedding ring
Treats his children with love and care
He is a father, picks kids up from swimming,
He is more of a father, more of a husband than most straight men and
He is forced to hide the pain at work that all he can do is not give up hope
And he is pretty good at it
And I can not do anything but make minute gestures that can’t mean much.

The irony is too much.
A high minority voter turnout
Elects the first African-American President in a major victory for civil rights and
Votes yes on prop 8 because of Churches’ influences.

I have no slogans to share.
Cleverness seems as inappropriate as
Simply celebrating our forward thinking in this election.
I wish I could.
David I wish I could ignore prop 8.
Because before the results were in I felt proud to be an American
for the
first time
without conditions
.

But it stares at me and
Slaps you in the face
That
Hate remains an acceptable political position.

It seems perverted how used to this you are.

I want to say I’m sorry.
But that feels young and naïve.
I am young and naïve,
So I say I am sorry.

I am sorry to my coworker Noel.
A writer, a mentor,
I wish there was something I could give you.
I can see you breaking inches below the surface as
We drink the bubbly cider celebrating Obama
And the drink tastes sickly and sweet.

You are the sweetest man I know.
A role model of how to be kind to other people.

I want to have an answer for their ignorance.
Help you find enough love to counter balance.
I am young and naïve and I love you.
As you search for love and dream of marriage
All I can do is catch you at the office door and squeeze you for a moment as
You walk out.

All I could do for Johnny was hold him.
A beautiful student dancer,
The hurt bubbles out of his tall body
I can see his frame shaking with it.
Pores leaking with “how could they do this?”
I stopped him in the hall.
“I love you,” was the only useful thing I said,
though I said much more.

Johnny is young. Johnny is not used to this yet.

So this is my plea:
Don’t let him be.

The slogan is not new and robbed of power by overuse
But still simple and true
If you are against gay marriage, don’t have one.

I know this one thing to be true.
If you are worried about how gay marriage will affect you,
Please understand this.

To David, Noel and Johnny,
Your life could not be
Less relevant.

There is no agenda with you on it.
You have Nothing to do with this.

These are my friends,
These are their lives,

You are not required or invited to take part.

All I ask is that you stop restricting parts of theirs.

This is my minute gesture to my friends.

To you, this is my plea.

Nov. 7, Los Angeles, 2008