welcome to the front counter...

Guess what? I remembered I had a blog (also entitled “Worshipping at the altar of San Gria”)

wstsdmrkt — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 01:39:56 +0000

Not like anyone was looking, but I’ve been gone for a minute. Ok, more than a minute. A long time. The site needed a lot of maintenance on the other end, and I just got busy, then I got busier. Work was breaking my back, taxes were making me sweat, and life in general was not quite the party that it was around the time of my last post, yet all was not lost. Wstsdmrkt will be dropping a new season really soon, work has straightened out, and basically the party continues. This was the beginning.

Back at Cha Cha Cha’s worshiping at the altar of San Gria.

True SF and Stussy SF had a drunken sunday night. I really couldn’t count the pitchers.

Joel. Damn son.

So to leave you, and to welcome you back to The Front Counter at the same time, I leave you with this pic of Alexander Spit of Instant Messengers fame (also a trusted employee of Peoples’ Cafe…) at his front counter, with his hand out, looking for some cash.

peace.

A few weeks in about 43 photos.

wstsdmrkt — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 02:17:47 +0000

One of the reasons I haven’t been blogging much this year is the amount of time that it takes to put something together that is actually worth saying. I’ve even tried to post more photos in order to not write as much, but posting photos is almost more of a task in and of itself. So I put it off. However, like laundry, you have to do it some time. You can only air clean a t-shirt so many times before it actually has to go through a washing machine, but that’s besides the point. Back to the purpose of this post: posting the mother of all photo blog posts while attempting to retain chronological integrity. The problem is that I can’t for the life of me remember in what particular order most of these events took place. Have you ever woken up one morning and said to yourself, “Damn, what happened last month?” Maybe you haven’t. Unfortunately, I just did. I’m glad I took pictures. Here’s my attempt at making sense of the ordeal.

It all started at Milk. I know that much for sure. It was packed as usual, but the music was on point.

Apollo was making sure the crowd was taken care with a round of champagne.

Ran into these guys, but then again, I can’t ever remember not running into these guys.

Fran and J-Billion held down the private supply for the stage crowd. Basically we were wrecked.

The next day was that one day a week in which we get to experience the sun in San Francisco. I took a picture to commemorate the moment.

I was feeling somewhat sentimental and decided to glorify my pedals and hubs in photographs.

Why? Because I’m a nerd like that.

While riding through Hayes Valley I met up with local sage Anthem.

A quick run in with Shorty Rockwell left me walking as my bike was commandeered.

Later that evening on the corner of Gough and Octavia, Irene and I stumbled across a make-shift living room set. Complete with couch, computer, rug, toaster with books, and an Ayn Rand book. Just so you can really make out the scene, I’ll brighten up the next image.

Really. Hilarious.

The next day started off with the weekly board of directors power lunch at Cha Cha Cha’s. The usual inebriation ensued.

We’re basically there for the sangria, I think the food is just a distraction. Clear the table please.

Many people believe it’s impossible to hate on more things than I, enter Joey. You guys were all wrong.

Cha Cha Cha t-shirts. Limited edition. $16 bucks. Don’t sleep.

The day continued with a cross-town bike ride ending at the Rebel 8 warehouse.

At the warehouse I learned that you’re never too old for prank phone calls. Here’s Josh, pictured while in the middle of a very complex four call prank.

On the way back I made a detour up a large hill, much to the chagrin of my aching legs and lungs, but I caught this dope view of sunny San Francisco in the process.

Sometime later that week it was another night of Hiro, Abdul and 821. Hiro stayed busy tapping his glass with his forefinger. He is fascinated by the strangest things.

Once again, Joey spreads love and warmth.

Onward to Madrone. Why? To prove it’s humanly possible to have this much fun.

Diana and Stephanie stopped by and tried to take a nice picture. I just ended up looking like a creep. Again.

Nick Nice held down the music with his imaginary records.

The next night I stopped by the Guardian’s “Best of the Bay” awards celebration at the De Young Museum. It was definitely an odd type of family affair, with artwork, bands, tranvestites, the girls from The Lusty Lady, and face painting for the kids.

This band played some form of polka/funk/spanish something, but had the entire room, from toddlers to the elderly dancing. I told you it was weird party.

An perturbed looking J Boogie followed up the band’s set.

On my way out I caught yet another shot of the beautiful summer sky.

In San Francisco, we sometimes like to get together between the months of June and August, hang out on rooftops and pretend that it’s nice out.

We do a fairly good job of it. I’ll post a little video from this party in a couple days.

Next day off I caught up with two of my old friends/roommates and had lunch at Sunflower in the Mission. If you’re looking for some good veggie Vietnamese, check this place out.

Followed up that evening watching weird stuff on a projector at a friends house. Someone was too tired to move, despite the giant numbers being flashed across her face.

This is just here to put Romeo on blast and to increase the amount of middle fingers on this page. Never enough, that’s what I always say.

Some random night I took this picture of four of my friends who all showed up wearing Casio watches. If the bikes that they all rode up on are any evidence at all, Casio watches are the new fixed gears.

This last weekend was the Jeremy Fish opening at White Walls. These are some of my favorite pieces on display.

Once again I run into the world wide webfamous Deesto.

…and Stephanie. This time I don’t look like a creep as much as I look like an idiot.

Even Duckie from “Pretty in Pink” stopped by. The place was packed.

I just had to throw this one in for the hell of it. Pam hasn’t been in any pictures yet, despite her attendance at quite a few of the nights pictured in this post.

And this is how broke people end the night at Edinburgh Castle.

Yesterday morning Joel came through. This picture is to mark his second official appearance on his company’s blog. Someone obviously hasn’t been partying hard enough.

I think that’s it.

Greetings from Headquarters…

wstsdmrkt — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 00:59:24 +0000

So today we were taking some time to finalize some of the samples for United next month. What makes a productive Wstsdmrkt workday? Buying shoes on credit, eating crappy ramen to make up for the lost money, and talking alot of crap, all to a soundtrack of Stevie B, Aerosmith, Bailey & J. Valentine, and Ultramagnetic MC’s. Don’t forget to add in wasting time taking pictures of your office (really just your house…) and drinking copious amounts of Mountain Dew. Why do we do these things? I have no idea.

Maybe we really are nerds.
-Josh out.

From the front door. On nice days, that gray mass in the background is actually replaced by a view of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Roomates. Making fun of me for taking pictures of the house.

Joel makes his first actual appearance on his blog. It just doesn’t seem natural.

Close up of the True East grand opening promo tee from last August.

Where I eat my ramen.

And the office/bedroom/closet that is headquarters.

Some favorites in traditional backstock form.

222. Mondays. Always good.

wstsdmrkt — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 18:43:47 +0000

I love going out. I do it far too often, and the music is always fun, or else I wouldn’t be out. There’s still something about most of the clubs, maybe it’s how a DJ caters to a crowd, that makes me feel like something is missing in the set. It’s always dope though when you run across an event where the it’s the DJ that is having fun, playing what they want, experimenting. Wild & Krazy Kids throw a weekly at 222 that has still failed to disappoint me, and I’m not really that nice. The 222 is an old bar with a crazy little cellar room in the back. I think they used to have Jazz shows there back in the day, years ago I remember there were still photo’s of some of the jazz musicians performing there (those pictures aren’t up anymore, which is kind of lame). Regardless of the crowd size, the music is always good. Last week Shortkut came through and killed it, it was the best night out for me in a while, so good that I forgot to take pictures. Last night was Fran’s b-day, and everyone seemed a little more faded than usual. I don’t know what was in the air, maybe it’s what was in the glasses. What the hell is a “Martell Sidecar” anyway?

The sign. Ha.

I guess it hurts to get old. Happy Birthday Fran.

Ant One.

Irene & Shred Uno. My partners in crime for the summer of ‘07.

We really can’t afford these.

Another Saturday of art shows & meandering coupled with food & alcohol consumption…

wstsdmrkt — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 20:23:24 +0000

We stopped by the Shoe Biz “re”-grandopening party/artshow at their Valencia location this weekend. The place looked great and some of the artwork was clean. I think I liked the shoes in the kitchen sink more than anything hanging on the walls though. I would have taken more pictures of the artwork, but the lighting was not very conducive to flash photograpy, and as anyone who knows me is probably well aware of, I’m not a very talented or experienced photographer. After the art show and a brief visit to a local bar to purchase refreshments we headed out to Pier 33 where Fatlace was holding the afterparty to their Store Opening party. Damn, there are alot of stores opening up this month… I think I’ll write about that later.

Regardless, here are some pictures for the 5 or 6 of you who actually find your way to this blog:

This is the sink! Why I love it, I don’t know.

Don’t feed the Nike’s. Please, it just encourages their behavior.

Jeremy Toletino, an old friend and one of the artists displayng their work Saturday night. Seems to have something wrong with his right hand.

The bearers of bad news.

The brothers Smith. Good Dirty Fun vs. Filthy Fresh.

Two of my favorite local musicians. Teeko and Z-man.

I don’t know if I can handle 2 Frans around at the same time.

This is your comic relief. Drunk cartoons.

Ivan of the Pirates looking tough, me, trying to look tough.