Clash Guest Blog: The Phenomenal Handclap Band

Blogging straight from their tour of the States, the melodically diverse New York collective of The Phenomenal Handclap Band keep us in tow about vintage tour accommodation, private parties and four hour journeys.

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On tour in California,The Phenomenal Handclap Band piled into the van, Bing Ji Ling, Daniel Collás and I drove a Chevy Malibu up from Los Angeles to San Francisco on the Ventura Highway.

With Bing Ji Ling’s ipod scoring our trip, the 4 hours seemed to fly by. As we made our approach into the Bay Area, it was Sly and the Family Stone , Rotary Connection, and Leon Ware setting the scene. Coming over the SF Bay Bridge, I was met with my usual impression of the city—steep hills, and a wild mix of Victorian and modern architecture. This trip is different though; it’s Bing, who lived in SF only a few years ago, who points out the personal details that give it a new context for me.

We end our journey at Bing Ji Ling’s former place of employment, X21 Modern. This is where we’ll be staying for the next two nights.

This place, a serious antique shop, is amazing; there’s a 20-foot stuffed Swatch Watch on the wall, a $10,000 leather sofa that’s falling apart, and tons of taxidermy and bizarre oil paintings. The owners are getting ready to close down after decades of doing business, but we get to stay on the dilapidated couches and antique beds just before this San Francisco gem disappears forever.

We play that night at a little bar down the street, co-headlining with the great SF legend, Bart Davenport.

Our show goes well, but the most memorable part of that day for me happens after the show. A mish mash of people we know and people we just met go back to our furniture store to unwind. Bart Davenport picks up an acoustic guitar and starts singing popular radio songs, including two of my favorites, “Sentimental Lady” and “Time Will Tell the Wiser”. Our other longtime SF friend, Angelina Moysov, of Persephone’s Bees grabs the guitar and makes a disclaimer about her playing before she blows us all away with a traditional Russian song. After a while we’re all singing and it’s an incredible night in the Mission District.

Next to me on one of those couches is a journalist who tells me that this is really special. He says that nights like this never happen in San Francisco - to him this is a distinctly New York experience.

But to me, and probably to all my bandmates, this is San Francisco.