Showdown formerly known as Matador is right next to my FAVORITE Vietnamese restaurant, Tu Lan, on 6th Street between Stevenson & Market Streets. They now have Karaoke Dance Parties with DJ
Purple of Make Out Room infamy every 3rd Thursday night now from 9:30pm to 1:30am. Let me start by saying his Dance Party is unlike MOST karaoke gigs because he wants you to DANCE not JUST sing. He attracts a younger 20 somethings crowd.
High energy is his modus operandi, so if you were expecting his usual set list of songs, you are mistaken to come on this night. He has a special book for Dance Party nights, so that you can't choose a slow song allowing the energy level to drop. He does play his signature sax during solos in between verses and choruses as usual, but the interludes between songs can be a bit longer to encourage the youths to get on that floor and shake it like it was BROKEN.
I've been back to this bar since last night, crime scene scene of the crime... hehehe :) After all I used to live a stumble and crawl away from there, and my girlfriends still live around the corner. When I'm in the area, the FIRST thing I do is hit up Tu Lan if I'm not too late before closing time. I definitely like the stencils on the back black walls better than the way they were blank and ominous before. Lots of illegal brown bagging happened in here before it changed hands, and who knows WHAT else when it was the Matador.
I kind of dig the dark cavelike feel to this venue. It definitely smells LESS like a toilet now than it did before, THANK GOD! I like what they’ve done behind the bar regarding the décor as well. Did I mention the pours here are GENEROUS! The mixologists here are really good compared to before when it was beer or shots only because you REALLY didn't want to try the concoction they'd mix before. Blech is putting it MILDLY!
High energy is his modus operandi, so if you were expecting his usual set list of songs, you are mistaken to come on this night. He has a special book for Dance Party nights, so that you can't choose a slow song allowing the energy level to drop. He does play his signature sax during solos in between verses and choruses as usual, but the interludes between songs can be a bit longer to encourage the youths to get on that floor and shake it like it was BROKEN.
I've been back to this bar since last night, crime scene scene of the crime... hehehe :) After all I used to live a stumble and crawl away from there, and my girlfriends still live around the corner. When I'm in the area, the FIRST thing I do is hit up Tu Lan if I'm not too late before closing time. I definitely like the stencils on the back black walls better than the way they were blank and ominous before. Lots of illegal brown bagging happened in here before it changed hands, and who knows WHAT else when it was the Matador.
I kind of dig the dark cavelike feel to this venue. It definitely smells LESS like a toilet now than it did before, THANK GOD! I like what they’ve done behind the bar regarding the décor as well. Did I mention the pours here are GENEROUS! The mixologists here are really good compared to before when it was beer or shots only because you REALLY didn't want to try the concoction they'd mix before. Blech is putting it MILDLY!
Don’t be deterred by the Skid Row status & reputation of the neighborhood. Take public transportation! Ride a bike! If you MUST drive here, park somewhere better, safer, well lit, and look for broken glass on the ground. Use your common sense. I know common sense isn't so common anymore, but try to practice. Broken glass is ALWAYS an indicator that this particular spot is popular for break ins and you WILL be hit if you leave your car there for an extended period of time. TRUST me. This is my old hood!
I ran into a rare duet partner of mine who I've seen a couple of times at Bender's on the last Friday of every month for Punk Rock & Shlock with Lady Eileen. He's too adorable, and in his young 20's probably gayer than a May Day Parade, and I could be wrong. Maybe he's just that cute, nerdy, and metro. Who cares! It's San Francisco, and that boy can SANG, mama! I love singing Lita and Ozzy with him. I gave him homework the first night we met. We mutually admired each other's performances, and I handed him a karaoke sign up slip with a homework assignment on the back instead of a request for the KJ, a duet. "Close My Eyes Forever" by Lita Ford featuring Ozzy Osborne.
I told Carlos that the next time I saw him there I expected him to know the song, and be ready to sing it with me then. I gave him the assignment because we spoke briefly earlier, and he had NEVER heard of this duet before. He's a fan of his, after all, and if he's to complete his rock and metal education, he must stretch, I felt. I love when people challenge ME as a singer to grow out of the same old stuff I always do. Why not pass on the favor to others?
He took my words to heart because the next time I saw the young man 1 - 2 months later, he was ready for me! It was a pleasure making the acquaintance of his friend Danny too tonight. Delightful young lads. Danny and I are brainstorming web design ideas, and we're excited to start working together on a project to create a webpage for me that I'd maintenance, but he'd create for me since he IS a web designer. He would create the calendar feature I mentioned previously in my blog regarding Rocketfish and hopefully go live with it before the 3rd quarter of this year. :)
He took my words to heart because the next time I saw the young man 1 - 2 months later, he was ready for me! It was a pleasure making the acquaintance of his friend Danny too tonight. Delightful young lads. Danny and I are brainstorming web design ideas, and we're excited to start working together on a project to create a webpage for me that I'd maintenance, but he'd create for me since he IS a web designer. He would create the calendar feature I mentioned previously in my blog regarding Rocketfish and hopefully go live with it before the 3rd quarter of this year. :)
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