With our Magnetic Fields coverage turning out to be a bust, we scoured the streets of San Francisco on a particularly gloomy Monday afternoon for a worthy replacement. I’d already seen some of the sights, so we searched for weirder ways to occupy the time. The mission: turn any rocks over that we could, and hopefully unearth whatever interesting, unusual and weird creatures Frisco had to offer. Despite it being a Monday, we got a little lucky after digging around all day.
After getting a tip from the photographer’s friend, we traveled beyond the Golden Gate Bridge and far outside downtown San Francisco to what was really the closest to a real village in the rolling hills of Marin County. Like us, Dave McDonald had a mission of his own: to re-invent the American flag. While that may sound like a rather far-fetched and futile crusade, wait until you hear the story itself. Among his favorite adages was a quote by Mark Twain: “Patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels.” McDonald believes that like himself, many people are ‘allergic’ to Red, White and Blue: Thus, the new flag, which he’s taken the time to put on a both bumper stickers and tee-shirts. Reportedly even Robin Williams came into the shop and got both a sticker and a shirt.
When a friend of McDonald’s had a dream of a quasi-apocalyptic future — one which carried a vivid image of a new American flag — Dave McDonald soon thereafter experienced a similar one, only with classic 50′s UFOs hovering around at the top (McDonald believes we’ve been visited several times). While I’m a skeptic, it’s nice to meet a more down-to-earth eccentric especially in such a cozy and peaceful place like Marin. Little doubt he’d have been the town eccentric ages ago (or burned at the stake). McDonald’s store is a collection of erotica, strange artifacts that is centuries-old, bizarre knick knacks, bric-a-brac and good ‘ol mary jane paraphernalia.
Wandering down to Broadway after a show at The Independent to get some pizza, we witnessed some of the debauchery of Frisco, a bit seedier than I’d remembered it from the days of yore. Coincidentally located near The Financial District, Broadway is famous for its debauchery and sketchy characters. Two motorcycle cops nearly collided when one got a little caught up in the hustler/stripper action lurking outside the bar. We grabbed a bite to eat at the local pizza joint, only to watch a bunch of scantily clad girls walk across the street from the strip club. Amongst the usual chatter, one of them mentioned the exact words ‘I didn’t do my homework for 4th period’, which just somehow made the night more complete.
After the hustlers and crackheads of Broadway, we ambled down into the hipper parts of the city. I came to appreciate the more run-down parts of the city I’d (naively) never pictured Frisco ever had so much of. The clubs where we saw the bands play, the areas surrounding, none of this was the stuff of Full House or any TGIF shows. And speaking of which:
If images of Bob Saget and that other guy with the mullet aren’t clashing in your cerebellum, consider yourself lucky. Currently this iconic pop culture landmark is selling for 4 million. How badly do you miss the magic of late 80s television staple TGIF? For an extra 10 dollars, Balki will move into the basement and keep you company. Stumbling back into the nightlife, where there were plenty of headbangers and beer-guzzlers to be found, along with a very unusual bar whose owners clearly have a penchant for taxidermy, plaid, and rifles, though not necessarily in that order.
With an early flight the next morning and a ride to catch home, I bid San Francisco adieu, with a vow to return, visit more bars, clubs, weird bands, crack heads, and discount tickets to some of the better strip joints on Broadway. And with an electric chair like this, who needs Alcatraz?
Words by Jeff Nau, Photos by Glenn David Williams
