The Cherry Blossom Parade 1

The annual Cherry Blossom Parade assembles in the Civic Center Plaza before marching up Polk Street and hanging a left on its way to the Japantown complex.



When I first started documenting the parade back in 2001 for the FotoTales project, I was probably the only digital photographer out there...



...but this year the photographers almost outnumbered the participants...



...as they cartwheeled in front of City Hall.



One thing that hasn't changed is the traditional photo op with politicians and festival beauty queens...



...that also included the disastrously ineffective Chiefs of San Francisco's Police and Fire Departments...



...Heather Fong and Joanne Hayes-White respectively.



Winning the best ethnic wardrobe of a politician award would be Supervisor Ammiano who put on a robe before getting into his yellow convertible for the parade.

The Cherry Blossom Parade 2

Another change over the last decade is that the parade has become less monocultural...



...with blonde drummers in marching bands...



...and sword enthusiasts...



...of all races.



Admirers of anime animation also come from all cultures...



...and the urge to dress outrageously in public seems to be very much a San Francisco value.


My favorite group, actually, was a group of old gringos promoting Segways. What that has to do with Japanese culture or the Cherry Blossom Festival is a mystery, but they certainly were theatrical.

Bill Selby's Bloody Birthday

All theatrical troupes that have been around for any period of time become something of a family, and that's particularly true of a group called The Thrillpeddlers who have been specializing in Grand Guignol plays in their own theater South of Market on 10th Street (click here for their site)



The social unit they seem to most resemble is The Addams Family with their relentless fascination with the macabre mixed in with what can only be described as an essential sweetness.



Their current theatrical offering is a potpourri of French horror and "blue" erotic skits preceded by none other than an American premiere of a lost 1921 Noel Coward one-act called "The Better Half" which he wrote for London's copycat Grand Guignol theatre. It's directed by "Czar of Noir" Eddie Muller (above)...



...and is nicely acted by a trio that includes the dimpled Jon Ingbretson above who looks like the perfect Coward leading man. For a nice appreciation of the evening, called "Flaming Sin," click here for Chloe Veltman's review in the SF Weekly.



Last Saturday also featured a very Addams Family event, which was a birthday party for my friend Bill Selby sandwiched in between all the horror that included cake and ice cream for the entire audience. It couldn't have been nicer.

SOMA Artist Studios: Nancy and Flora

In a huge warehouse near the corners of 5th and Bryant Streets, a warren of artist's studios were holding their Spring Open Studios this weekend.



I stopped by last Friday evening during the opening reception because one of the penpals I've made through this blog, "namastenancy," was one of the featured artists...



...and I thought it was time to meet her in the flesh.



Plus, I like her paintings, particularly the figurative ones of strangers in cafes.



Nancy also has a photoblog (click here), mostly dedicated to her own artwork, which is delightful.



There were hurried preparations going on for the masses of people who would be arriving for the opening reception, including lovely layouts of wine and goodies.



"I love it when people to come to look at our work," Nancy explained, "but we also have to deal with the professional moochers who couldn't give a damn about our art and who never seem to leave the food and wine tables."



She pointed out one of the more famous moochers, who was making his way through the hallways above.



On the other side of the warehouse, I ran into Flora Davis, above, who I worked with in a graphics department at Wells Fargo Bank thirty years ago. She was always one of the more gifted graphic artists I've known, but she decided to focus on her fine art and scrape by financially in that difficult field.



Over the years, she has migrated from painting to complex sculptural works to her current medium, folded sheet metal, which is quite wonderful. For more of her work, check out her website by clicking here.