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Review: Van Morrison leans into his blues roots at San Francisco show

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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.

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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.

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Flight of fancy: San Francisco moves to build private luxury airport terminal

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Flight of fancy: San Francisco moves to build private luxury airport terminal


Sick of the TSA lines? Tired of playing musical chairs at the gate? Rather sit as far from your fellow airplane passengers for as long as possible, in the comfort of your own private, luxury airport terminal?

Soon you may get your wish. And San Francisco international airport wants to be your genie – for a fee.

The airport is hoping to build a brand-new terminal exclusively for passengers who pay a premium, gaining access to a luxurious airport experience complete with private security lines and valet service from terminal to tarmac. It will service commercial flights, not business or corporate jets, and the terminal will have its own Transportation Security Administration (TSA) lines as well as Customs and Border Protection (CBP) lines for international travel.

SFO is seeking bidders to take on the development, construction and operation of the private terminal, which is planned for a 75,000-sq-ft site located across the runway from all current public terminals. The airport will accept proposals between late September and early October, and is looking to award a contract by early December with hopes of opening the terminal in late 2028.

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SFO’s interest in a luxury development comes from what airport spokesperson Doug Yakel called a “high level of demand” for “premium experiences” in travel, citing the popularity of existing credit card and premium lounges. A private terminal is essentially the next step up in exclusivity from those lounges – and the best chance at avoiding airport crowds entirely.

“Somebody that uses this product really wouldn’t see the other passengers they’re traveling with until they’re taken up the stairs of the jet bridge and onto the aircraft,” Yakel said.

Spending on “pay-to-play” luxury experiences at large is on the rise, according to a new report by Bain & Company and Altagamma. The airline industry has bought in, revamping lounge and onboard experiences with chef-designed menus and expanded premium seating for the highest-paying passengers.

Many see a market in San Francisco, where an AI-driven wealth boom is already agitating the local housing market, with homes sold at the fastest pace in five years and the single-family median home price clocking in at $2.2m.

Yakel said SFO felt now was the right time to enter the market of luxury travel.

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“We see the level of interest that’s being invested onboard aircraft, inside terminals, around airports, and clearly this is something that other airports are rolling out,” Yakel said.

The price to pay for a private airport experience will be decided by whoever wins the bid for operations, and will be offered on a membership or per-use basis. The traffic experienced at public terminals likely won’t change, Yakel said.

Private terminals have become popular worldwide. London Heathrow and Paris-Charles de Gaulle airports in Europe have long operated luxury terminals, and São Paulo/Guarulhos international airport recently opened the first private terminal in Latin America.

If SFO is successful, it would become the next major American airport to open a luxury terminal. Los Angeles, Dallas Fort Worth, Miami and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta international airports all offer a private terminal through PS (formerly known as the Private Suite), a company owned by security firm Gavin de Becker and Associates. Multiple representatives from PS and Gavin de Becker and Associates attended a June conference hosted by SFO about the private terminal, and PS has said it hopes to open a private terminal at every major US airport by 2030.

Access to existing PS private terminals can cost passengers $1,295 for a one-time experience, or up to $4,850 for a yearly membership. Heathrow’s private terminal costs thousands of pounds per person.

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What’s next for San Francisco Giants as MLB trade deadline approaches?

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What’s next for San Francisco Giants as MLB trade deadline approaches?


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The San Francisco Giants have a lot to consider at this juncture of the MLB season.

There were mid-level expectations for the Giants at the start of the season. On paper, it seemed like the Giants could battle for a wild card berth.

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The Giants won’t meet those expectations.

A week before the All-Star break, San Francisco has the third-worst record in baseball at 38-54. The Giants lost 10-0 to the Toronto Blue Jays on July 8, held hitless through eight innings.

It’s becoming increasingly obvious that this team won’t be competitive down the stretch, which has many of the Giants faithful singing a NxWorries tune, wondering what to do and where to go from here.

It’s evident that a shake-up is needed. It’s simply a matter of where they start and what they can realistically do to change things in the dugout. But one thing’s for sure: the Giants are sellers heading into the trade deadline.

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What should the Giants do now?

The Giants have to accept their fate. Entering the season, they looked like a team that could compete with anybody, but then the baseball games were played and that proved to not be the case. So now San Francisco has to look itself in the mirror and figure out what went wrong and how to make things right – well, better than they have been going, anyways.

Here are a few ideas:

Get aggressive in the trade market, sell high

It’s easier said than done, but the Giants have to get off the expensive contracts eating up their salary. Reason being, you won’t be able to get any talent, let alone invest in your prospects, if there isn’t enough dollars to go around by the time negotiations occur.

It’s also a matter of how aggressive they plan to be and who will be prioritized. Who is untouchable? ESPN’s Jeff Passan has Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee as a top-ranked trade candidate. He plays all throughout the outfield. Offensively, Lee ranks top 10 in MLB in batting average and strikeout rate.

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Lee, 27, makes $22.83 million this season and next, before going down to $21.33 million in both 2028 and 2029. Although not a star, the Giants can sell teams on Lee being a promising, solid all-around player.

Move on from veteran players

With a record like San Francisco’s, the best thing you can do for the fans is give them something to be hopeful for. That’s not aging veterans.

Examine the market for your guys who are age 30 and up, or are occupying a ton of salary space.

Rafael Devers turns 30 in October. His age isn’t so much a problem, but his contract … combined with the lack of expected production. Devers has had a down year so far, batting .244, registering 86 hits and 18 homers. He’s under contract through 2033 at a hefty price tag.

Others to consider moving on from are Willy Adames and Matt Chapman. They’re fan favorites, but based on age and dollars it all makes sense. Adames is under contract through 2031 at over $31 million per season. Chapman is locked up through 2030 at over $25 million per year.

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It’s hard to say goodbye, but in the best interest of the Giants, they have to find new homes for these guys. And honestly, it wouldn’t be surprising if Devers, Chapman and Adames wanted to find a new home if it meant playing for a contender and a chance at a World Series title.

Retain young talent, bring in fresh faces

There’s promise for the future in this squad with guys like Bryce Eldridge, Blade Tidwell and Drew Gilbert. It’s a start.

“The San Francisco Giants, who would love to trade two of their infielders at the trade deadline, need to clear space for power-hitter Bryce Eldridge. They realize it’s stunting his growth as an infielder to keep using him as a DH at the age of 21,” USA TODAY Sports’ Bob Nightengale wrote.

Eldridge has had plenty moments as a designated hitter but none bigger than his walk-off grand slam against the Washington Nationals on June 10.

Another intitiative San Francisco needs to focus on is hanging on to guys like Logan Webb, Heliot Ramos, Casey Schmitt and Landon Roupp. The best bet is to hang on to them to help usher in a new era. Years from now, when the team has a new look, you can decide whether to leverage them for additional assets.

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However, in the interim, hold on to those guys for dear life because teams will come knocking as MLB gets closer to the trade deadline.



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Bay Area Teen Waymo Riders Nabbed For Allegedly Shooting Projectiles From Robotaxi

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Bay Area Teen Waymo Riders Nabbed For Allegedly Shooting Projectiles From Robotaxi


San Mateo Police said they were contacted by Waymo about the two 15-year-old riders after they were seen drinking and shooting from the vehicle. The vehicle was stopped as police responded and officers were able to safely remove the teens.

An investigation determined the teens were shooting Orbeez water beads and drinking while being chauffeured around the city.





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