San Francisco, CA
Review: Van Morrison leans into his blues roots at San Francisco show
Before he was a genius, Van Morrison was a professional, and he’d probably take the latter as a higher compliment. Morrison came up in the world of Irish showbands — a regionalized variant on the jazz big band, a relic of a time when there was more money in live music than today, and a commitment that entails practice as a lifestyle. This work ethic is the most useful way to explain how he was able to write perfect songs like “Here Comes the Night” as a teenager — and, if the legends are true, improvise the songs on 1968’s masterpiece “Astral Weeks” more or less on the spot.
Anyone who knew the first thing about Morrison knew they were unlikely to hear any of those songs at his exclusive engagement at San Francisco’s Chapel on Monday. This was the launch party for his new album, “Somebody Tried to Sell Me a Bridge,” which is entirely in a blues idiom; Morrison’s father had one of the biggest record collections in Ireland, and the eventual Van the Man grew up immersed in blues, R&B and classic soul. This is still the music dearest and truest to his heart, and though he’s an infamously erratic live performer, the chance to be immersed in this music allowed him to coast on a kind of cool professionalism.
The setlist leaned obscure, and he sounded best on faster numbers like Eddie Vinson’s “Kidney Stew Blues” and Marie Adams’ “I’m Gonna Play the Honky Tonks.” The most unconventional cover, a slowed-down version of Fats Domino’s “Ain’t That a Shame,” gave him an opportunity to indulge in the perverse repetitions of words that so enthralled rock critics in the 1970s, when Morrison was in his live prime. On recordings like “Listen to the Lion” from 1974’s definitive live album “It’s Too Late to Stop Now,” these repetitions felt like his way of channeling a universal, Bardic Celtic subconscious. These days, it feels more like one of his moves.
“I used to live here,” he repeated at one point, emphasizing his Bay Area roots, but the rich vein of Marin new age and Theosophic thought that came to full flower on his ‘80s records was not relevant to this set. Here was the Belfast boy, drunk on blues.
A more evident connection to Morrison’s Marin years was the presence of John Allair, one of Marin County’s earliest rockers and one of the few people alive today who can be said to have played with Fats Domino in his prime. Now in his mid-80s, he’s a damned good organist, and not just for his age. Rising from his seat to solo, he was often more visible than Morrison, who stalked among his musicians, giving stage directions and generally seemed more comfortable at the center than at the front.
Allair’s presence also reinforced the idea that this show was a living link to a pre-Beatles era when putting on a great show was more important than being a genius, when musicians came to the blues through Sonny Boy Williamson rather than Led Zeppelin, when the average artist would put more of a premium on practice than on the druggy surrendering to cosmic visions that became associated with great rock music in the mid- to late ‘60s. An announcer began the set by announcing, “Ladies and gentlemen, Van Morrison.” When was the last time you went to a set with an announcer? Usually rock bands dim the lights, trudge glumly onstage and hope you’ll cheer. A lot was gained when rock ‘n’ roll became art rather than dance music, but a lot was lost.
Morrison is 80 years old, thinner than the pink-suited popinjay who graced the Band’s “Last Waltz” stage with Rockette high kicks. If there wasn’t much of the “Astral Weeks” wonder boy in Morrison’s set, there wasn’t much of the cantankerous side, either; aside from a brusque request to turn the mic up, his bubble of contentment remained un-popped throughout the show. When he encored with the garage-rock standard “Gloria,” just in case you forgot he wrote it, it felt like a gift from this most uncompromising artist: a rare glimmer of genius amid the professionalism, and maybe a reward to the audience for not shouting for it.
Morrison performs at 7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday at the Palace of Fine Arts at 3301 Lyon St. in San Francisco. Admission is $277 and up. Go to palaceoffinearts.org.
Bay Area High School baseball fans are treated to a rare opportunity Saturday (April 18) with three games at Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, including the famed Bruce-Mahoney clash between West Catholic Athletic League rivals St. Ignatius and Sacred Heart Cathedral.
The first pitch of the 20th annual Dante Benedetti Baseball Classic starts at 11 a.m. and pits two more San Francisco private schools as University (9-7), winners of four straight, taking on Riordan (5-11).
That will be followed by the Bruce-Mahoney game at 2:30 between St. Ignatius (12-5, 4-2 WCAL) and the Irish (7-10, 1-5) and finished off with a North Coast Section clash between North Bay’s Marin Catholic (9-7) against Acalanes (7-6-1).
The Benedetti Classic, founded by Dante’s Boys Foundation board member Tom Lounibos and Giants president Larry Baer, benefits the DBF which honors the spirit of Benedetti who for nearly 40 years owned San Francisco’s Mr. Baseball nickname for his kindness and generosity to baseball-playing youth in the area.
Among their philanthropic efforts are glove and baseball equipment drives, field renovations and contributions to scholarships and sponsorships.
After starting the season 0-4 — three of those losses were by one run — University, under head coach Andrew Suvunnachuen, has found its way, winning the last four, all in Bay Counties League play, by a combined 51-6 count over Lick-Wilmerding (16-1 and 11-3) and San Domenico (13-2 and 11-0).
Senior catcher and pitcher Jett Messenger leads the way with a .447 average, while getting on base at a .638 rate. He also leads the team with 20 stolen bases. Junior third baseman Tate Gebhart is hitting .419, while Leo Felder and Behbart share the RBI lead with 15 each.
Junior Matthew Foley is 3-2 on the mound with a 2.38 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 17.2 innings.
Riordan, under second-year head coach Craig Sargent, was 5-5 in nonleague games but lost six straight in the rugged WCAL, losing two tough games this week to Mitty (3-2 and 7-4). Junior third baseman and pitcher Santiono Williams leads the team in batting average (.371), on-base percentage (.488) and stolen bases (nine). He’s also been the team’s top pitcher at 4-2 with a 2.84 ERA.
The teams have split two previous games in their history, with Riordan winning 2-0 in 2023 and University prevailing 5-0 in 2021.
St. Ignatius, led by ninth-year head coach Brian Pollzzie, has already secured the Bruce-Mahoney trophy with four straight wins — one each in football, girls volleyball, boys basketball and girls basketball — but this rivalry is always spirited.
The Wildcats, who are ranked fourth in the Bay Area by the San Francisco Chronicle, are coming off a tough 3-0 home loss to No. 2 St. Francis on Friday after beating the host Lancers 10-6 on Tuesday.
The team is led by Stanford-bound Archer Horn, who is hitting .486 with four home runs and a .604 on-base percentage. The shortstop and pitcher also has not allowed an earned run in three pitching appearances while registering one save.
Pitching is a team’s strength with a 2.59 ERA, led by a brigade of strong arms including Leo Rhein (2-0, 2.38), Tycco Giometti (2-1, 2.62), Charlie Stecher 1-1, 0.72) and Chase Gordon (1-0, 2.80). The team is missing standout Finn Demuth, out of the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Sacred Heart Cathedral, led by fourth-year head coach Gregg Franceschi, has scored 60 runs on the season and given up 61. The Irish are coming off two losses to eighth-ranked Valley Christian (5-2 and 10-1).
They are led offensively by junior outfielder Brody O’Sullivan (.381) and senior infielder Jacob Vines (.378). Johnny Nepomuceno and Max Nylander are other run-producers. Zach Stallworth (37 strikeouts, 29.2 innings) and Cooper Rogers Lewis (0.25 ERA) have been the team’s top pitchers.
The series has been remarkably close since 2005 with Sacred Heart Cathedral holding a 27-20 edge, though St. Ignatius won both games last season (5-0 and 6-3) after the Irish won 9-7 and 1-0 in 2024.
Marin Catholic hopes to get back to winning after starting the season 9-1, but have since lost six straight, four in Marin County Athletic League play, including 4-2 to Novato on Thursday. Senior outfield Luke Martin is the team’s leading hitter at .478 while senior infielder and pitcher Cooper Mitchell is at .455. Senior infielder Walker Untermann leads the team with 15 RBIs.
Acalanes is at the other end of the spectrum, winners of five of six after a 2-5-1 start. Junior infielder Tyler Winkles, also a highly recruited quarterback in football, leads the team with a .383 average and nine stolen bases. Riley Gates (2-3, 2.49 ERA, 30 strikeouts) is the team’s top pitcher.
The teams have played three times, all since 2022, with Marin Catholic owning a 2-1 lead. Acalanes won last year’s game 8-7.
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Chinatown fatal crash victim ID’d, safety measures proposed
The victim killed in Friday’s Chinatown crash was identified Monday by the medical examiner as Cutberto Zamora-Martinez, 49, of San Joaquin County. At a meeting on Monday, city officials said the cause of the crash is still under investigation.
SAN FRANCISCO – A 76-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and speeding following a crash in San Francisco’s Chinatown that killed a man working in the area.
Zhuo Ming Lu, 76, is accused in the March 27 crash that left 49-year-old Cutberto Zamora-Martinez, of San Joaquin County, dead.
Suspect was trying to park
What we know:
Authorities said Lu was attempting to park near Grant Avenue and Jackson Street when his vehicle jumped the sidewalk and crashed into the landmark New Lung Ting Café, also known as the Pork Chop House. The vehicle also struck two pedestrians, including Zamora-Martinez.
Zamora-Martinez died from his injuries.
He had been working in the area, according to a GoFundMe page. A San Francisco Police Department source close to the investigation told KTVU the victims were carpet installers arriving for work.
The fundraising page described Zamora-Martinez as a husband and father who was the sole provider for his family and “a humble man who wanted the best for his family.”
Before his arrest, Lu had been cooperating with investigators. Authorities have not confirmed what caused the crash.
Some residents questioned whether the driver’s age or a possible confusion between the brake and gas pedals may have been factors.
“Maybe if people hit a certain age, you got to get retested for your driver’s license is something I was thinking about,” said Keith Hong, who works next door to the crash site.
Another case involving an elderly driver
Big picture view:
In an unrelated case, Mary Fong Lau, 80, was sentenced to probation after killing a family of four, two parents and their young children. in March 2024. Authorities said Lau struck the victims as they waited at a Muni stop on their way to the zoo.
Lau pleaded no contest to four felony counts of vehicular manslaughter, and a judge accepted the plea. A Superior Court judge cited her age, remorse and lack of criminal history in the sentencing decision.
She was placed on probation for two years, banned from driving for three years and ordered to complete 200 hours of community service.
The Source: San Francisco Police Department, prior reporting
San Francisco first came to know chefs Laura and Sayat Ozyilmaz through their pop-up Istanbul Modern, and later through their breakthrough Presidio restaurant Dalida. The duo’s success is grounded in their take on Eastern Mediterranean food, which they made a conscious decision to champion 10 years ago.
Fast-forward to 2026, and now Laura is taking on a personal project of her own, with Sayat by her side, placing foods from Mexico’s Guerrero and Sinaloa center stage at Maria Isabel. It’s a refreshing menu that combines both Mexican and local ingredients, through the lens of the Ozyilmazes cooking backgrounds.
Reservations are released on OpenTable 30 days in advance, but Laura confirmed that they do take walk-ins depending on space. Smaller parties or solo diners might have better luck sliding in, thanks to the counter in the brighter, “Maria” portion of the restaurant.
The cocktails from consulting bar director Evan Williams are always worth a glimpse, whether at Dalida or at Maria Isabel. They’re well-balanced and have incredible depth and technique behind them. That being said, the team sourced wines from woman-led wine brands such as LOTIS Wines and Amevive Wine, if you’re looking to explore past the usual selections you’ll see elsewhere.
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