SF Porchfest in the Mission

The rush of youthful energy at Saturday afternoon's SF Porchfest in the Mission district just about bowled me over after spending three weeks of geriatric serenity in Palm Springs. (Click here to see the band Kiori who were playing on somebody's porch near 20th & Valencia.)

The homespun music festival began in Ithaca, New York in 2007 and has since sprouted local variations in over 100 locations throughout the U.S. and Canada. The basic concept is for community members to host a musical act on their front porches, and yesterday's version in San Francisco was utterly delightful. (Click here for a Dozee video.)

On Valencia Street the remarkable young singer/songwriter Seth Kaminsky held court on the sidewalk while spectators stood on the stoops of a Victorian porch. (Click here for a Seth Kaminsky video.)

The smooth Latin band Los Rasquaches were esconced in a restaurant parklet playing to a large, appreciative audience on the sidewalk.

A half-block away on Bartlett there were a series of bands spaced out along the road closed to traffic, starting with the great sounding Spanish band Rumbahia. (Click here for a taste of Rumbahia's music.)

Further down, a duo of old pros flanked a young man in a loud, propulsive rock band called GENII that had the crowd going.

On 21st Street there was a wildly entertaining set by Wave Wise, a duo consisting of Doug French on drums and Nick Semansky on guitar and vocals. (Click here for a Wave Wise video.)

Semansky was not only shredding his guitar but was looking like sex incarnate and the crowd of dancers on the sidewalk were reflecting the vibe.

Of course, it wouldn't be a San Francisco event if it didn't include a Waymo nervous breakdown. The bulging crowd spilling from the sidewalk in front of Wave Wise stopped a pair of the robotaxis to a standstill. It was not a good day to be anything other than a pedestrian in the quadrant between 20th and 23rd Streets and Mission and Valencia.