San Francisco report

Subtitle: (I left my liver in San Francisco)

Last week's trip to San Francisco was fabulous. We stayed at the historic Sir Francis Drake, a landmark grande dame in Union Square. SF is a beautiful city any time of year, a metropolis on the Pacific with a charm all it's own. What many people may not realize is how many films noir were either shot or set there. Dark Passage, The Maltese Falcon, Nora Prentiss, Out of the Past, The Lady From Shanghai, Impact, D.O.A., and so many others. And the city is uniquely supportive of the arts, including classic and noir cinema. The Noir City 9 film festival coincided with our visit, and what a wonderful event it is! It was held at the marvelous Castro Theatre, a 1920's movie palace. Check out Noir City and Castro Theatre online. We also scouted photo shoot and video locations, including a cool '50s radio station, and have arranged for a live performance video to be shot later this year in the gorgeous Starlight Room, at the top of the Drake. We'd love to have you join us for that. Other than that, I consider it my solemn duty to thoroughly eat and drink my way through any city I visit, and reverent gastronomic romps in San Fran included the evocative and historic John's Grill (The Maltese Falcon) and Pompeii's Grotto (Nora Prentiss).

Now back in Las Vegas, my liver and I (it arrived yesterday, after a short recuperation in a Sausolito clinic) are turning our attention back to recording. Stay tuned here on my blog, as well as my facebook page, www.facebook.com/midnightrefrain for more updates!