Rock-and-roll women

On my way back to my place in Los Angeles after a night that included watching the terrific young roots-rock group American Mile at the Farmers Market, a familiar song came on the ... Read More

Coastal Commuter

Anon: Fueling the burn from beach to Black Rock and beyond

By Michael Snyder

More than 30 years after Larry Harvey and Jerry James built an eight-foot-tall figure out of wood and set fire to it on San Francisco’s Baker Beach to mark the night before t... Read More

Coastal Commuter

Don’t be illin’

By Michael Snyder

As I bounce between San Francisco and Los Angeles, one of the unexpected obstacles to a hassle-free two-city life has turned out to be something medical. It’s not about exhaustio... Read More

Coastal Commuter

In two places at once

By Michael Snyder

The Firesign Theater was a very funny and appropriately trippy comedy troupe that sprang into existence on the radio in mid-1960s Los Angeles, right as the drug-fueled psychedelic ... Read More

Coastal Commuter

Bloomin’ crazy

By Michael Snyder

As I sit here and write this, I can smell the fragrance of orange blossoms from one of the fruit trees gracing the backyard of the house where I stay when I’m in Los Angeles. For... Read More

Coastal Commuter

Put a little English on it

By Michael Snyder

I suffer from Anglophilia. And there’s no pill, serum, or vaccine to cure or prevent it, unless you count a hot cup of Earl Grey tea and some Jammie Dodger biscuits — a tem... Read More

Coastal Commuter

Jerks on the loose

By Michael Snyder

I travel a lot. No surprise there, since I write a column called “The Coastal Commuter.” One of the various things that I’ve learned on my journeys is that you’ll run int... Read More

Coastal Commuter

Love on a Shoestring

By Michael Snyder

When things haven’t worked out on the romantic front, a dear friend of mine is wont to say, “Cupid is the devil.” And I fear she’s right. The pursuit of wha... Read More

Coastal Commuter

Resolute or dissolute

By Michael Snyder

There’s something about a new year that fills me with promise. You could say the same thing about springtime with all those green sprouts emerging from the moist, newly warme... Read More

Coastal Commuter

Getaways for a great escape

By Michael Snyder

The fires of November have been so devastating in both the northern and southern parts of the state — with the unprecedented death and destruction of the Camp Fire also resulting... Read More

Coastal Commuter

Thankful for what I don’t have

By Michael Snyder

There’s a classic, soulful slice of early-’70s R&B with the optimistic title “Be Thankful for What You Got,” written and first performed by a cool cat named... Read More

Coastal Commuter

In the presence of the gourd

By Michael Snyder

When’s the best time of year for pumpkin ale? If you’re like I am, the answer is always the same: Never. I could explain away the quip with a follow-up about my inner beer-snob... Read More

Coastal Commuter

Taking the Hemlock . . . and other venues

The entertainment scene is losing more of its precious few places to experience live music

By Michael Snyder

When I heard the recent news that the Hemlock Tavern — a cozy showcase room on Polk Street, featuring up-and-coming indie-rock performers for roughly 17 years — was closing in... Read More

Coastal Commuter

The arc of the dive bar

By Michael Snyder

In my years of covering the entertainment world, I’ve frequently noted the ebb and flow of nightlife venues. The places open, achieve popularity or don’t, and then they either ... Read More

Coastal Commuter

Gone to pot

In the new world of legal marijuana, San Francisco and Los Angeles go upscale in their reefer madness

By Michael Snyder

When I have an evening screening in downtown San Francisco at the Metreon or Century 9, I generally time things so I can drive from my neighborhood and park on Mission Street, a b... Read More

Coastal Commuter