Local eats now famous

By Justin Hannigan

Heavy beats, bottles and cans in the gutters on Market Street, woefully over-weight and under-clad middle aged men: what can all this signify if not another San Francisco street festival?

I've seen a fair share of them during my years in the Bay Area, and Saturday's LovEvolution brought all the usual splendor and decadence in force. This weekend's festival marked a departure from years past in a few ways besides just the name.

A $10 entrance fee was required, to the surprise of partiers accustomed to this being a free event. I had caught wind of this change and had my Hamilton ready, but several of my friends had to borrow cash to get in. An associated difference: this year, there was actually a site to get in to. All streets leading to the Civic Center were blocked and policed, and the only pedestrian entrance was from the United Nations Plaza.

The hope might have been that this would make for a safer, less chaotic, more chemically responsible environment. But, true to the form of previous LoveFests, raging intoxication ruled the day for many festival-goers. Certainly the event can be enjoyed soberly or at least responsibly, but moderation, it seems, is against the grain of LovEvolution tradition.

These remarks are largely beside the point. LovEvolution is about music and, well, love. So, how was the music? A novel and exciting approach was tried this year, where the turntable- and speaker-laden parade floats encircled the Civic Center after completing their route along Market Street, continuing to blast excellent dance and electronic music well into the evening. And how was the love? I certainly felt the positive vibe of the event, though some might have had trouble distinguishing between earnest emotion and stuporous chemical elation. Overall, LovEvolution 2009 was another success for the San Francisco public party scene.

My alarm went off at 7 a.m. on a Saturday morning, and I grumpily reached out to smack my phone into submissive silence. After my hand painfully encountered wall, I swore -- and then remembered that it was the morning of LoveFest. Or LovEvolution, whatever they called it this year.

Still grumbling, I rolled out of bed and into a pair of neon pink jogging pants, a nylon teal jacket, a maroon undershirt, a black afro wig and a giant peace pendant.

There it was -- I managed to look like Tom Campbell's worst nightmare.

I went to my girlfriend's house and politely declined offers of cheap champagne and orange juice as a precursory activity.

We left for the train station shortly thereafter, receiving no less than three honks from amused drivers. I passed out on the train, and before I knew it, I was in The City.

After past LoveFest experiences, this was the first time I'd ever taken the early train to LoveFest and beaten the rush of brightly-colored, wig-clad, inebriated partygoers to the parade.

I didn't expect it, but we were still getting funny looks even when we got off the train in San Francisco of all places. One guy even held up two fingers and said, "Peace", with a hand symbol and in a tone we always expected would be utilized by a little green man, followed closely by the words, "Take me to your leader."

When the parade finally came around, I mundanely survived the uncovered bits of manflesh and eardrum-shattering bass long enough to realize that I was tired and hungry. We ate a delicious meal at Panda Express, enduring the stares of the patrons there, and headed to the train station for the -- you ready for this? -- 3 p.m. train home.

Getting off the train, we spotted several of our senior friends who told us they were going straight home for a shower and a nap.

I went home and watched TV after LoveFest. MLIA.