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The annual Noise Pop Fest is San Francisco's largely successful and mostly fantastic attempt to pull off something that feels, if not identical, then vaguely similar (in a very excellent way) to Austin's overcrowded (and, arguably creatively moribund) SXSW. Starting out in 1993 as a strictly music festival, it's grown to include film and other arts, and now spans multiple venues' worth of booze soaked musical and artistic merriment. Unlike SXSW, Noise Pop remains relatively obscure and as a happy result, manages to showcase appearances by formidable out-of-town talent while still showcasing the best of the Bay Area's unsung, but usually wonderful, music scene.
For this year's fest, LAist managed to finagle ourselves in, and we (by which I mean I) will be bringing you daily updates about the experience. You might have your own priorities but we can't wait to catch Magic Wands, Honeycomb, Four Tet, If By Yes and LAist's homies for life, Princeton. You might also find a little band known as The Magnetic Fields to be up your alley. And this isn't even the tip of the iceberg. The complete Schedule can be found here: If you're in SF this week, you now have plans.
In our first exciting installment, thrill to our account of last nights opening night happy hour at the scenically divey Bender's Bar1, brought to you by the douchebags of Diesel clothing, and hosted by the world's sexiest troll, the inimitable Har Mar Superstar. HINT: Those of you wishing to know how much of an idiot your humble writer is can skip to the final photo.
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1) Yes, they even have a sculpture of that Bender above the bar.
