Sunday, June 1, 2025
Exhausted from last night, I remained in bed all morning and skipped breakfast and lunch. In the afternoon, I had a small snack: some unsalted roasted peanuts and a dried peach slice, then Patrick and I attended a flamenco show at Dance Mission Theater: Theatre Flamenco 2025: A Compas Flamenco Spring Showcase. While waiting for the performance to begin, they played flamenco music but we also heard a frequent and loud screeching noise alongside the music. We tolerated it for a while, but after a while I asked the person in the booth if it was feedback. I was told it was not feedback but rather a fan and that it would be turned on soon. He suggested I speak with the manager, so I did, saying that the noise was deeply unpleasant and I was considering leaving and asking for a refund, and the manager thanked me for the feedback and within a few minutes the screeching had stopped. The performance began, and there was no more screeching. When Patrick had purchased the tickets, there was no indication online that the performance was entirely of student performers, so we had purchased tickets thinking that these were professional performers. They were not. We do enjoy supporting local arts now and then, but we feel this was clear misrepresentation. The show was entertaining. The singer and guitarist were excellent as were the costumes. The fifth performance piece, a woman with a scarf, was the best. Direction and choreography seemed to have a clear vision, and the performers' skill ranged from good to well. We stayed until the intermission then left. Afterwards we dined on tapas at Esperpento: two glasses of happy hour sangria, esparragos a la plancha (grilled asparagus), pinchos morunos (pork skewers which included a bit of paella), gambas al ajillo (shrimp with garlic and oil), croquetas de bacalao (salt cod croquettes with dipping sauce), and complimentary bread with dipping sauce. All food, drink, and service were excellent. $59.88 before a $10.50 tip—one of our more affordable meals lately. Afterwards we walked to Evil Eye for drinks. Patrick had El Gruño (mezcal, fernet branca, ancho reyes, strawberry-balsamic shrub, lemon, ginger beer), I had Drunken Sailor (coconut-washed bourbon, white rum, velvet falernum, cinnamon, grapefruit, lemon, served tall on pebble ice). Afterwards we played a Xenon pinball machine. For the first round the sound did not work, but we reported the problem and they reset the machine and comped us a round and then the sound worked perfectly. We played one more round. We walked and rode Muni home.