Family style at Lolinda

lolinda

Lolinda is a modern Argentinian steakhouse that combines Latin American flavors with California sensibilities and local ingredients. This San Francisco establishment is celebrating ten years in business in the heart of San Francisco’s Mission District. Lolinda prides herself on being a “new kind” of Argentinean steakhouse, one that isn’t just juicy cuts of meat, but a place that brings together the best flavors and dishes of all of Latin America.

“The inspiration for the menu, and the restaurant as a whole, was to create a “different kind of steakhouse” – one in which family-style service and sharing was the norm,” explains Alejandro Morgan, Executive Chef of Lolinda. “We believe sharing is not only the best way to enjoy many different dishes and maximize your experience here at Lolinda, but it also is more sustainable in a sense. By reducing the number of individual plates ordered, we reduce waste and create better value for our guests.”

This lively restaurant destination is an ideal spot for group dining, dates, business dinners and celebrations, thanks to its spacious interiors and two full bars.

Wood fire grill

lolinda

Nightly, a wide range of meats are cooked perfectly over the wood-fired asador, as well as freshly made ceviche, empanadas, specialty dishes, and grilled skewers ready to be served. Popular cuts include the filet mignon, 100% grass-fed from Argentina and the bife de chorizo, or the New York steak.

Lolinda encourages guests to curate a family-style menu from its varied selections of meats, ceviches, hot and cold small plates, skewers and larger format plates. You can’t go wrong with the ceviche mixto with squid, shrimp and halibut; any of the savory, stuffed empanadas; or the pulpo with salsa verde.

At the heart of this experience is the Asado Mixto, a classic combination of traditionally wood fire-grilled Argentinian meats that include chorizo, morcilla, flap loin, and short rib, meant to be accompanied with a variety of sides like yuca-riccota croquettas, pan de queso or papas. Another popular dish is the guacho, a juicy, prime bone-in ribeye for two.

Malbec braised short ribs

lolinda

We chatted with Adriano Paganini, Owner & Operator of Back of the House, and Alejandro Morgan, Executive Chef of Lolinda on this ten year anniversary and more. Here’s what they had to say.

San Francisco’s restaurant competition is steep. What are the top three things you attribute Lolinda’s success to?

Adriano: Consistency in our offering, our product, our purveyors and, of course, all our team members. We worked really hard to develop a menu that had a little bit of everything for everyone, while respecting seasonality, and over the past decade we have developed a deep understanding of what our guests are looking for. This allows us to really perfect our craft and make sure that every single dish and drink is perfect every time. We are also very lucky to be in a neighborhood that just makes a lot of sense for our style of steakhouse.

Talk about the inspiration of the menu. What are some of the dishes that have remained staples over the years?

Alejandro: In terms of the actual dishes and the menu itself, we took inspiration from the rich culture of the Sunday Argentinian Asado, and infused other Latin American flavors from different countries to create a unique point of view.

For our chef partner Alejandro Morgan, who grew up in Costa Rica and didn’t have the most amazing culinary heritage, he fell in love with the diverse foods and flavors of Latin America. He wanted to highlight the richness and diversity of the region. He wanted to have some of their best dishes on the menu: from the Peruvian ceviche, or the Nicaraguan vigoron to the Argentinian asado – and make them all with our own “Lolinda touch.”

How did the pandemic affect business?

Adriano: We were hit pretty hard, especially because we don’t have any outdoor dining space, but our team was nimble and we got creative selling meal kits to-go during the early days, offering our food on delivery platforms (which we had never done before) and then eventually reconfiguring our HVAC system and offering limited indoor reservations. Now we’re back to normal, and business is good, which we feel really grateful for.

What is the mixology and overall beverage program like? Talk about the two bars.

Alejandro: Our bar has always been an integral part of the vibe at Lolinda. We offer a selection of classic cocktails that do not deter from their classical preparation like the Manhattan and Martini which are both served old-school with a sidecar. These drinks really complement our menu, and there’s a little bit of something for everyone here. Our nuevo cocktails are where our bartenders get to have some fun. They change seasonally and give our staff a chance to play around with fun flavors, trends and different ingredients.

Going forward, is there anything you’re planning to change or evolve?

Adriano: The restaurant business evolves whether you want it to or not, especially in the last few years. For us, our evolution will always be about listening to our guests’ wants and needs. We will always evolve and strive to be better, but not at the cost of what we believe in: having a menu that is creative, not fussy, where we have good flavors and quality ingredients as the main component, in a space that is fun and inviting for everyone.

The post San Francisco’s Vibrant Argentinean Steakhouse Celebrates A Decade In Enterprise appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

100 years ago next month, San Francisco’s Nasser family opened the Castro Theatre: an event that came to define an era and a neighborhood. A century on, it is the longest continually family-owned movie palace in the US To mark the occasion, the Nasser Family in partnership with Another Planet Entertainment is scheduling a week of film screenings featuring iconic movies from each decade of the Castro’s history, June 3–12, some family and children’s programming, and a “Happy Birthday” special event on June 22—the actual date of the Castro’s opening day in 1922—with movies filmed in San Francisco. Concurrent with the centennial celebrations, the LGBTQ Frameline Film Festival will return after a two-year hiatus.

“It continues to be my family’s honor and privilege to own the Castro Theatre,” said Steve Nasser, of Bay Properties, Inc. “After two years of COVID-forced closures, it is such a joy and a pleasure to reopen and to work with the very best, and most sensitive local producers around, Another Planet Entertainment.” Steve and Elaine Nasser Padian are the third generation of this family to lead the company, founded by their grandfather Abraham and his sons having designed and constructed the Castro Theater in 1922.

“The Castro is much more than a theatre,” said Mary Conde, Senior Vice President for Another Planet who oversees the overall Castro Theater Project. “An LGBTQ touchstone, a film-lovers icon, a community landmark and an architectural gem, the Castro is unique. Another Planet is honored to restore, renovate, and revitalize the Castro as a home to everything we’ve come to love about the Castro, and expand its audience.”

Tickets for the special week of screenings are $16 weekdays and $18 weekend with the morning youth programming at $10/adult $6/youth up to age 12 and may be purchased online at https://tinyurl.com/3denv6uv

While there are no vaccine or masking requirements for entry, all attendees are encouraged to have been fully vaccinated and boosted. Masking and adherence to social distancing and proper hygiene protocols are strongly encouraged.

Another Planet Entertainment is partnering with Bay Properties, Inc., owners of the Castro Theater, on an evolution and preservation of San Francisco’s world-renowned entertainment and LGBTQ community landmark. With a long-standing history of working to preserve and improve historic buildings such as the Fox Theater in Oakland, the Greek Theater in Berkeley, and the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, Another Planet seeks to enhance the Castro Theater by implementing significant improvements to the sound, lighting, production, HVAC, ADA access, and the theatre’s trademark marquee, among other facets of the building.

The Nasser brothers got their start with a nickelodeon in 1908 in the Castro neighborhood. The Castro was designed by then-unknown architect Timothy Pflueger, who later designed the Paramount Theatre, the Pacific Cost Stock Exchange, the Pacific Telephone Building, and the Top of the Mark on Nob Hill. Pflueger chose an exterior design reminiscent of a Mexican cathedral. The large windows, the shape of the roof line of the front wall of the building, and the plaster wall decorations all combine to convey a look of grandeur in keeping with the large scale of many theaters built in the 1920s. Sound was installed in 1928. The marquee and the vertical neon sign are additions from the late 1930s, but the glazed tile street foyer, ornate tent-like box office, and the wooden doors are all from the early 1922.

The Castro’s interior is very diverse. One can sense Spanish, Asian, and Italian influences. The auditorium seats over 1400 in a fantasy setting that is both lavish and intimate. Both side walls of the auditorium are covered with classic motif murals that were created in a wet plaster process called scrafitto. This type of wall decoration is rare. On either side of the stage and screen (the small original screen has long ago been replaced with a large screen) are large organ grills. The Art Deco chandelier dates from 1937 when a small electrical fire destroyed the original parchment fixture. It is one of the few remaining movie palaces from the 1920s that has been in continuous operation under same family ownership.

Below is the schedule of Castro Theater 100th Special Film Screenings

Friday, June 3: Decade of the 1920s

• Oh Doctor (2:45 pm) Reginald Denny & Mary Astor

• The Mark of Zoro (4:30 pm) Douglas Fairbanks, Noah Beery, Marguerite De La Motte, Robert McKim

• Across to Singapore (6 pm) Joan Crawford, Ramon Navarro, Ernst Torrence

• The Lodger (7:45 pm) Marie Ault, Arthur Chesney, June Tripp, Malcolm Keen, Ivor Novello

• Sunrise (9:45 pm) Janet Gaynor, George O’Brian, Margaret Livingston, Harold Schuster, Bodil Rosing

Saturday, June 4: Decade of the 1930s

• Bright Eyes (10:30 am) Shirley Temple

• Pardon Us (1 pm) Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy

• Thin Man (2:45 pm) William Powell, Myrna Loy, Maureen O’Sullivan, Nat Pendleton

• The Adventures of Robinhood (4:45 pm) Errol Flynn; Olivia de Havilland; Basil Rathbone; Claude Rains; Una O’Connor

• The Women (7pm) Joan Crawford, Rosalind Russell, Norma Shearer, Joan Fontaine, Paulette Goddard

• Night at the Opera (9:30 pm) Groucho Marx, Chico Marx, Harpo Marx, Kitty Carlisle

Sunday, June 5: Decade of the 1940s & Special Family Feature

• Lion King (10:30 am) The Disney children’s classic, not 1940s

• Philadelphia Story (2:30 pm) Cary Grant; Catherine Hepburn; James Stewart; Ruth Husey

• The Lady from Shanghai (5 pm) Orson Wells, Rita Hayworth, Everette Sloan, Glen Anders, Erskine Sanford

• Mildred Pierce (7pm) Joan Crawford, Jack Carson, Eve Arden, Zachary Scott, Ann Blyth

• Casablanca (9:30 pm) Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains, Peter Lorrie, Paul Henreid, Madeleine LeBeau

Monday, June 6: Decade of the 1950s

• From Here to Eternity (4 pm) Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Deborah Kerr, Donna Reed, Frank Sinatra

• Some Like it Hot (6:30 pm) Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon

• All About Eve (9:15 pm) Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, Marilyn Monroe, George Sanders, Celeste Holm, Gary Merrill, Thelma Ritter, Hugh Marlow

Tuesday, June 7: Decade of the 1960s

• Butch Cassidy & Sundance Kid (2 pm) Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Katherine Ross

• The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (4:30 pm) John Wayne, James Stewart, Lee Marvin, Andy Devine, Vera Miles

• Breakfast at Tiffany’s (7 pm) Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard, Patricia Neal, Buddy Ebsen, Martin Balsam, Mickey Rooney

• The Magnificent 7 (9:30 pm) Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn, Eli Wallach, Charles Bronson

Wednesday, June 8: Decade of the 1970s

• Star Wars: A New Hope (4 pm) Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter Cushing, Alec Guinness

• Chinatown (6:30 pm) Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Huston, Diane Ladd

• The Godfather (9:20 pm) Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Richard Castellano, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard Conte, Diane Keaton

Thursday, June 9: Decade of the 1980s

• Raiders of the Lost Ark (4 pm) Harrison Ford; Karen Allen; Paul Freeman; Ronald Lacey; John Rhys Davies; Denholm Elliot

• Amadeus (6:30 pm) F. Murray Abraham, Tom Huice, Elizabeth Berridge, Simon Callow, Ry Dotrice, Christine Ebersole, Jeffrey Jones, Charles Kay

• Blade Runner (9:20 pm) Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Edward James Olmos

Friday, June 10: Decade of the 1990s

• Casino (1pm) Robert De Niro; Sharon Stone; Joe Pesci; Don Rickles; Kevin Pollak; James Woods

• Rush Hour (4:30 pm) Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, Julia Hsu, Elizabeth Pena, Ken Leung, Clifton Powell

• American Beauty (6:45 pm) Kevin Spacey; Annette Benning; Thora Birch; Mena Suvari; Wes Bentley; Allison Janney; Peter Gallagher; Chris Cooper

• The Bird Cage (9:30 pm) Robin Williams, Gene Hackman, Nathan Lane, Dianne Wiest

Saturday, June 11: Decade of the 2000s

• Ironman (1 pm) Robert Downey Jr. Terrence Howard; Jeff Bridges; Shaun Toub; Gwyneth Paltrow

• The Royal Tenenbaums (4 pm) Owen Wilson, Gene Hackman, Luke Wilson, Ben Stiller, Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelica Huston

• No Country for Old Men (7pm) Tommy Lee Jones; Javier Bardem; Josh Brolin

Sunday, June 12: Decade of 2010s

• Black Panther (1 pm) Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman

• A Star is Born (3:50 pm) Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga, Sam Elliott, Anthony Ramos

• Bohemian Rhapsody (6:30 pm) Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy, Joe Mazzello, Aidan Gillen, Tom Hollander, Mike Myers

• Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (9:15 pm) Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Emile Hirsch, Margaret Qualley

Wednesday June 22: Actual Opening Date in 1922, Movies Filmed in San Francisco

• San Francisco (10:30 am) Clark Gable, Janette McDonald, Spencer Tracy
• Mrs. Doubtfire (1 pm) Robin Williams, Sally Field, Pierce Brosnan, Harvey Fierstein
• Dirty Harry (3:30pm), Clint Eastwood, Harry Guardino
• Sudden Fear (6pm) Joan Crawford, Jack Palance, Gloria Graham
• Bullitt (8:15 pm) Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn

Castro Theatre

Published on May 19, 2022

The post Castro Theatre to Mark one centesimal Birthday with Week of Traditional Movies June 3–12 Curated by Decade – San Francisco Bay Occasions appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

Brick roasted chicken

Kelly Puleio

Bluestem Restaurant & Market located in the heart of downtown San Francisco celebrated its 10th anniversary last year and with it managed to overcome the peak of the pandemic and reemerge as a stronger, all-encompassing one-stop-shop for hungry guests looking for a dining experience, whether it be a quick midday lunch or five course dinner.

With a menu focused on utilizing the highest quality bounty of ingredients Northern California has to offer, combined with the global diversity of cultures and flavors San Francisco is known for, Bluestem offers diners a unique selection of sharable plates. The new menu takes inspiration from the many culinary traditions and techniques that has been brought by waves of immigration spanning more than two centuries to the city.

“Bluestem has always been committed to local and sustainable cooking,” says Adam Jed, co-founder of Bluestem Restaurant & Market. “With the reopening we decided to focus on California coastal fare, the ingredients that grow here and the cultural influences from the many waves of immigration who have shaped this region today.”

Kimchi fritters

Kelly Puleio

On the other side of the restaurant is Bluestem’s artisanal market. The market’s products are inspired by their chef’s pantry, offering a carefully curated snapshot of the Bay Area’s incredible community of local food artisans. Guests can expect to find Pastry Chef Lori Baker’s fresh baked Cinnamon Crunch Babka Muffins—made in limited quantities each morning—Nespresso coffee, cold pressed juices and wellness shots, sandwiches, salads, snacks, prepared food items, pantry staples including artisan coffees and sea salts, as well as vegan soft serve.

We sat down with Adam Jed, co-founder of Bluestem Restaurant & Market to chat about the restaurants 10 years in business, the new menu and market offerings and more. Here’s what he had to say.

Bluestem celebrated its 10th anniversary last year — how has the establishment evolved since opening? In what ways has it grown and changed over the past decade?

The core ethos for Bluestem has remained constant over the years. We are dedicated to farmers and ranchers who practice sustainable techniques, focusing on those which bring only the highest quality ingredients and share our ethos to the forefront of our culinary vision.

Over the last decade Bluestem has continued to honor not just its menu offerings but additionally the way in which we offer our products.

NY strip steak

Kelly Puleio

Talk about the new marketplace and offerings.

The dining consumer has evolved much over the years and it continues to be our mission to meet that guest wherever they are. We recently introduced a marketplace that features the ingredients we are using to produce our seasonal menu which provides the opportunity for our guests to take home (or give as a gift) unique ingredients that can elevate any cooking. We also added “a deli” section of grab n’ go daily fresh made meals and meal accompaniments for the guest to grab either by pick-up or delivery.

Within the restaurant we have added upgraded features, an oyster bar, and BAOninis, our fresh approach to San Francisco street food. We “opened up” the space; adding living plants and a new layout provides a more airy & comfortable floor plan. We also added the ability for our guests to order and pay at the table, implementing QR and order when you are ready technology.

Many of our menu items are lighter now, with a larger focus on vegetables, nuts and seeds than ever before; because that is a diet that supports a more sustainable ecosystem. We also redesigned our menu so we could serve guests faster, and cross utilize ingredients across our restaurant and market so we could help eliminate food waste.

interiors

Kelly Puleio

Bluestem took a big hit as most restaurants did during the pandemic. How did you overcome this period of time and in what ways did you need to pivot to stay afloat?

The entire San Francisco Bay area took a hit during the pandemic. Many of the changes that we witnessed over the last two years in particular are no different than many other businesses faced during this time, it is our responsibility to figure out how to meet the new demand.

Because of the pandemic we had the opportunity to take a deep dive into many of the challenges that we have been facing in the hospitality industry and use it as an opportunity to challenge our beliefs and explore ways to improve the industry. We changed our labor model, eliminating tips and moving to a gratuity-inclusive menu pricing structure and introducing profit distribution for all Bluestem shared amongst all associates.

We also guarantee our teammates full time employment, 40 hours a week, with health, dental, vision, 401K, financial planning services, and programs like AFLAC, to help when those unexpected situations arise. We train our associates to take on more responsibility and learn important tasks, all to prepare them for their futures (wherever they may go), so making everyone stronger teammates.

It does financially cost the business more – but we know everyone needs the opportunity to actively develop their own personal growth plans, and everyone helps to make the restaurant even better.

Honolulu hangover cake

Kelly Puleio

What’s the inspiration for the menu? Menu highlights? Talk about your new all day brunch menu — why brunch and why the change?

We focus on Northern California coastal fare, working with local sustainable farmers, ranchers and producers to showcase local foods and acknowledging how many different waves of immigration have shaped our food system.

We realized that with so many working from home meal times are not as regimented as they once were so we moved to an all day menu – and given brunch has always been a favorite meal period and people love our brunch items, we wanted to make select items available all day – every day.

BAOnini

Kelly Puleio

Menu highlights include our signature BAOnini which we created to offer a delicious and portable meal to enjoy on the go – adapting flavors we know and love. Others include a crispy pork belly sandwich, a decadent truffle grilled cheese and our kimchi corn fritters; and of course the two items we couldn’t remove from our menu were our brown butter cornbread with honey butter and our Honolulu Hangover Cake.

What can guests expect when dining here as opposed to other downtown eateries?

By putting the power of ordering in the hands of each and every guest we can now tailor experiences to meet exactly when our diners are looking for when they are ready for it. By relaxing the traditional reservation style approach to dining we have been able to offer a more familial style of service.

We’re selling a crazy amount of oysters right now. But really what sets us apart is that we are open all day long and you can customize your own experience, you can be in and out in 10 minutes or you can have a 3-course meal paired with drinks. You can eat here or grab something to go. You can come for drinks and desserts after visiting a museum or grab a pre-theater dinner before a show or ballet.

Talk about the cocktail menu and popular sips

Like our food, our cocktails feature local seasonal ingredients that have been inspired by California cooking and the people who have settled here. One popular drink is the Bravocado with rum, avocado, citrus, mint and fine herbs.

Cioppino Cocktail

Kelly Puleio

Another is the Cioppino inspired by the iconic San Francisco seafood stew, it is like a lighter clarified bloody mary with tequila, mezcal, salted tomato water, lime, clam juice and hot serrano chili.

Anything new in the works for the rest of the season?

Our menu is seasonal so we’re working on some new dishes. We’re also working on introducing new items for our retail market, especially as we enter summer we want to offer more grab n’ go items that you can enjoy outside, whether hanging out at Crissy Field or enjoying a picnic in a local park. We’ll have pre-marinated meats to grill, our own bbq sauce, a collection of salads, sides and hot sauces, as well as cookies and cakes to go.

The post How San Francisco’s Bluestem Restaurant & Market Has Developed And Grown In The Previous Decade appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

San Francisco has had one of the lowest percentages of school-age children and teenagers of any major city in the country for several decades. And the latest 2020 census figures show that SF’s youth as a percentage of the total population has only declined over the past decade.

We learned on Thursday, with the release of data for the purpose of redistribution by Congress, that SF’s population increased by approximately 90,000 people between 2010 and 2020. And while California and the country as a whole became more diverse, the demographics of San Francisco changed only slightly in the past decade, the proportion of whites decreased by 2.8%, the proportion of mixed race increased from 3% to 5% and other demographic shares moved up or down by less than a percentage point.

According to a Chronicle analysis, we now learn that the proportion of children under the age of 18 in San Francisco has fallen from 13.4% in 2010 to just 13% in 2020 – a continuation of a trend that dates back to 1990 when Young people made up 16% of the population of the city.

Growing up in San Francisco remains an uncommon thing caused primarily by a lack of affordable family housing and various other factors including a less than outstanding public school district.

Much of the Bay Area has a lower percentage of children under 18 than other parts of the country, but San Francisco has by far the lowest percentage – next in line are Sonoma, with nearly 20% of the population under 18, and Contra Costa County has the largest share at 22.6%.

What does this mean for the city as a whole? Unfortunately, this could mean a persistent lack of broad support for the school system, although an investment in the city’s schools could be effective in deterring families with young children from fleeing the city when those children reach school age.

Former supervisor Norman Yee, the Chronicle notes, wrote a policy briefing four years ago advocating the creation of more affordable family housing, saying, “If we lose our families, we lose some of what San Francisco is about a strong, vibrant church. “

And the former director of the planning department, John Rahaim, wrote in an introduction to the paper: “We have a responsibility to implement family-friendly housing policies that allow families from all socio-economic backgrounds to live and thrive here.”

But how can you reverse a trend that has been going on for 30 years, coupled with a time when fewer people are having children overall? The short answer: you probably can’t. But maybe they can prevent the percentage of children from falling any further.

Related: The release of census data shows the US and California are becoming more diverse – and San Francisco has gained 90,000 people

Photo: Jairo Gonzalez

The post San Francisco Solely Obtained Extra Childless Within the Final Decade appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

Dr. Tim Seelig’s talent, charisma, and sheer life force are unmistakable, immeasurable. When he steps in front of the mighty San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus to conduct, the impact on audiences as the chorus’ members realize his creative vision can be transformative, going far beyond that shared moment in time. Wielding his baton like a magic wand, he takes listeners on an emotional ride that may lead to quiet contemplation and flowing tears one minute, followed by joy so immense that many audience members spontaneously leap out of their seats to applaud and plead for encores.

In the rare instances in which Tim sings solo, his beautiful voice reminds listeners that they are in the presence of a world-class performer—in addition to his being a highly acclaimed conductor, educator, and activist.

We are beyond grateful that Tim is a San Francisco Bay Times columnist. He is a consummate professional and a considerate team player. Even during his busiest weeks, he has never missed a deadline and is always watching out for others. He somehow packs what seems like 48 hours or more of work into a single day. It is therefore little wonder that when he and others speak of his forthcoming retirement, they frequently mention that it will be done “Seelig-style,” referring not only to his drive and productivity, but also to his generosity in helping and mentoring others.

This interview, as an example, took place at 4:30 am on a very hectic work day as Tim and other SFGMC members fended off a barrage of homophobic attacks from the far-right. He could have said no to the interview, but in typical, thoughtful Tim fashion, he was there for us … and for you.

San Francisco Bay Times: What are some of the most memorable moments for you with SFGMC, looking back over the past decade?

Tim Seelig: The most memorable moments have been both small and large. One of those moments came early on when a sweet mom of a student at Harvey Milk Academy showed up at our office. She described the huge need the parents club had raising money for things the kids needed that were not in the SFUSD budget. We told her if she could get the volunteers, they could stand outside our concerts and collect money. The most memorable moment came when one of our staff members handed me the slip of paper at the final holiday concert at the Castro with the total raised. It was over $35,000! I almost fainted.

Another of the most memorable moments was definitely my very first concert with SFGMC, titled “Words.” As is always the case, there was great anticipation of a change of artistic leadership and what that would look, feel, and, most importantly, sound like. It was magic. I truly think that first concert out of the chute (as we say in Texas) set the tone for the ten years to follow. The third simply had to be our 40th Anniversary concert at St. Ignatius. It was filled with incredible emotion as we remembered those lost, and looked to the future.

San Francisco Bay Times: How do you feel that SFGMC has evolved and changed since the time when you first started with the chorus as Artistic Director? 

Tim Seelig: This decade has been incredible—for the chorus, and for our LGBTQ+ community. In the big picture, we all benefited from huge strides in our work toward equality. Set against that backdrop, the chorus found itself on the fast track as well. I feel it was ready when I got here to do even more big things. I didn’t know they were going to be huge things. One of the biggest things that has happened is not visible to our patrons, but certainly is to the membership. We could not have sustained 300 members without huge internal processes. We developed a massive committee structure to make the family work in order to make singing a joy. Today, over 100 singers serve on committees, everything from the Leadership Team to the Easy Bake Coven!

San Francisco Bay Times: Your incredible career extends far beyond what you have achieved with the SFGMC. What are some highlights for you, outside of your work here in San Francisco? 

Tim Seelig: I was lucky very early on in my conducting to have been asked to write a book on choral technique by the world’s largest music publisher, Hal Leonard Corporation. It went on to be a best seller and was followed by 8 more books and DVDs. This put me in a position to be able to conduct and teach to straight choruses all over the country. I have been incredibly lucky to be able to conduct at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center for the last 25 years. One of my last conducting gigs 3 weeks before the pandemic was the national women’s honor choir at Carnegie Hall. The other, and perhaps most enriching for me, is conducting high school students at All-State Choirs around the country. Fourteen hours of rehearsal in 3 days leading to a performance. One that stands out is South Dakota. Their All-State Choir has 1,000 singers in it! The concert draws about 5,000 people from all over the state.

The real exciting thing about all of that is the introduction of me as conductor and my bio in the program. Tens of thousands of straight folks from coast to coast are introduced to a big old gay conductor—maybe for the first time.

San Francisco Bay Times: We agree with others that there is a “signature Tim Seelig sound.” How do you describe it, and what do you think led to it?

Tim Seelig: When I went to college to study music, I proudly announced that I wanted to be an opera singer. I truly had no idea what that meant, but once I said it there was no turning back. With single-minded focus, I set out to make that happen. Fifteen years and 4 college degrees later (one from Austria), at 33, I made it with a full-time opera job in Switzerland. At 35, I came out and the opera career turned into waving my arms at gays! When I came to the act of conducting and teaching a chorus how to sing, I just didn’t know better than to use my own training as the model for the chorus. What resulted was a chorus with a big male choral sound. I used to play recordings of Russian choruses for my own choir to emulate. From the very beginning with the Turtle Creek Chorale, the sound was unique.

We recently celebrated the 40th Anniversary of the 1981 National Tour. In preparation for that tour, the brand-new chorus made a recording to sell along the way. It is gorgeous. Once again, that first group of men set the trajectory of the chorus: extraordinary music. Each of the subsequent conductors has put his or her mark on that music-making.

San Francisco Bay Times: You’ve mentioned that “music is not an end in itself. It’s a means to an end.” Please explain more about that. 

Tim Seelig: This is a broad brush, but in the straight choral world, the goal is musical perfection (that is, for the most part, unattainable). The choruses chosen to perform at conventions are excellent and boring. The one exception is church choirs and, since that was my experience, I naturally saw the music was used in the church service to warm people’s hearts to get them ready for the sermon—or the offering plate! When I moved to conducting LGBTQ+ choruses, that idea that music could move peoples’ hearts stuck with me. There is always an end in mind when making music. We want to touch people. We also want to move the needle of acceptance.

San Francisco Bay Times: What are your hopes for SFGMC moving into the next decade?

Tim Seelig: Toward the end of this past decade with the chorus, the world has completely changed. We have had the trifecta of Trump, COVID, and massive social unrest. All three of these have changed how we will look at the next decade and what will happen. The chorus is on the precipice of huge change as it responds to all the things happening in our world. Most importantly, the chorus is undergoing a complete DEI study—from top to bottom. I don’t have to hope, because I know that the chorus is going to look different and will absolutely remain on the very forefront of music and mission.

San Francisco Bay Times: We are excited about the 2021–2022 season, your final one with the chorus. Please share more about what is being planned for this important season.

Tim Seelig: There is one great thing about conducting your final season—ever! I get to program some best of moments. Holidays are just insane, one blockbuster after another. The spring brings my final huge world premiere: Songs of the Phoenix. Our friend and Broadway composer Andrew Lippa has curated a list of 12 lyricists and composers from every possible cultural background, orientation, and age diversity. There are voices new and familiar. There are some just waiting to be discovered. And then there are the tried-and-true friends Stephen Schwartz, Andrew Lippa, and Stephen Sondheim. The final blowout will include the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir and BARS (Bay Area Symphony Orchestra). Then, breathe.

San Francisco Bay Times: We loved hearing that you plan to do freelance conducting gigs once your time with the chorus ends. What would be some dream gigs for you in future? 

Tim Seelig: This part of my future is something I’ve been doing “on the side” for these past 34 years. I look forward to conducting “the kids” in things such as the All-State Choirs and teaching the teachers at conventions and workshops.

San Francisco Bay Times: What else do you hope to do once the 2021–2022 season ends? We’re thrilled and grateful that you’ll be continuing your column for the San Francisco Bay Times.

Tim Seelig: I keep saying I am going to just sit somewhere pretty and breathe for maybe 6 months. I just got my first invitation to do a weekend workshop in Kansas in the fall of 2022, so that sitting and relaxing will have to be Seelig-style … short and sweet.

The decade has been staggering—from my most proud accomplishment, the Artists Portal at the National AIDS Memorial Grove, to the new building, and from the Lavender Pen Tour to Gay Chorus Deep South. We created six major new choral works. But, to be really cheesy and quote a gay anthem, the decade, for me, is truly “measured in love.” It’s the friendships, the community of the chorus, the joys, and the heartaches we have all shared. The music facilitates that for us. That is what I will miss most.

Colleagues, Friends, and Admirers Share Thoughts About Dr. Tim Seelig

“Tim has been a driving force in the evolution of our movement. His passion for artistic excellence has driven our choruses to new heights and his connections outside the LGBTQ choral world have enhanced our visibility. Under Tim’s leadership, the Turtle Creek Chorale and San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus have commissioned new music and films that eloquently tell our stories to millions around the world. New talent will appear on the scene, but Tim’s imprint on the LGBT choral movement will live on for generations.”

Robin L. Godfrey, Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses (GALA) Executive Director

“For the past decade, Tim brought and shared his passion for music and mission to the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus in dramatic ways. He is a master storyteller and deftly takes the audience on a journey at every concert evoking his signature TLC: ‘tears, laughter and chill bumps.’ With his unique combination of good humor and unparalleled mastery of choral pedagogy, he has raised the musical bar for SFGMC to heights of which we had only dreamed.”

Michael Tate, San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus Member and President of the Board of GALA Choruses

“Anyone who’s seen Tim Seelig in concert with his chorus knows that he has the soul of a musician, the sass of a true activist, and the flawless timing of a standup comic.”

Armistead Maupin, Author of the Tales of the City series

“No life is easy, and Tim Seelig’s amazing life has had more than its share of vicissitudes and tragedies, as well as triumphs … Tim is someone I feel fortunate to know and proud to have worked with.”

Stephen Schwartz, Musical Theater Lyricist and Composer

“[Tim Seelig reminds us] that it’s never too late to be who you are. He reminds us that in this discovery there is only the truth of real happiness. As Tim discovers who he is, we begin to celebrate who we truly are.”

Sheila Nevins, Television Producer and Head of MTV Documentary Films division of MTV Studios

“Spanning seven decades, his story is a powerful account of personal struggle, complicated love, and spiritual liberation.”

Cleve Jones, Activist, Lecturer, Author, and Conceiver of the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt

“The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus will flourish after Tim’s mighty leadership concludes. The sign of all great leaders is exactly this: leave things better than when you started, influence the organization to keep growing in your absence, be proud and know you taught them and helped them reach their goals so they can set new, higher ones. This is the legacy of Dr. Timothy Seelig. He is friend, mentor, teacher, leader, and forever, musician.”

Andrew Lippa, Composer, Lyricist, Performer, Author, and Producer

Published on July 15, 2021

The post Tim Seelig Displays on the Previous Decade with SFGMC and Reveals Future Plans – San Francisco Bay Occasions appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.