[Image courtesy Eater SF]
Though Yoshi's Jazz Club Restaurant was scheduled to fling open its doors to Fillmore Street tomorrow, Brother Eater reports that the date has been pushed back to December 1st, possibly later. What does that mean for those holding tickets to an opening night bash graced by the likes of Roy Hanes, Ravi Coltrane (hottness across the board) and a long list of other jazz impresarios? You'll have to take in one of Yoshi's legendary world class programs without gorging on the Sashimi (for once). Poor, deprived you.
Fast forward to today's Beyond Chron, where Randy Shaw claims that Yoshi's "can't disguise redevelopment's failure in the Fillmore," considering what he sees as the agency's lack of vision in the wake of the city's previous mass displacement of African Americans, both in the Western Addition and along Fillmore Street. He contends that Yoshi's won't bring African American folks back to the Fillmore area, dismissing the nabe as one that will never be construed as an "authentic" jazz area, such as Bourbon Street.
[Ed note: as for the correction above; our apologies. We tend to think of Yoshi's as one in the same.]
Shaw makes several salient points about gentrification and such: It is nearly impossible to bring a once-thriving urban enclave back to it's original state. The times they are a changin' and have been for a long time. Ultimately though, his editorial reads as a simple gloss on the current state of race relations and jazz fan-dom, as well as a trite dismissal of Yoshi's ticket pricing and such, a problem that plagues music venues of all kinds given industry changes.
While admit to initial skepticism regarding both the Fillmore restoration efforts and Yoshi's migration from the already processed (Velveeta!) Jack London Square. We love us the jazz though— and who can deny Yoshi's place as a long-time heavy hitter, regardless of its location? That said, we feel like Shaw (and all of us) should just step back and observe for another month or two. And give Yoshi's a break in the meantime. Or, alternatively, Randy n' the gang might establish their own jazz venue in the 'Loin? Perhaps next to Farmer Brown, the restaurant committed to supporting African American farmers, revitalizing the Tenderloin, and making bad-ass macaroni and cheese. Think big, Beyond Chron. Think big.
· Yoshi’s Can’t Disguise Redevelopment’s Failure in Fillmore [Beyond Chron]
· Yoshi's Jazz Club [official site]
· Breaking Yoshi'sWire: Restaurant Won't Open Wednesday [Eater SF]
· Nervous Glances Beginning to Turn Towards Yoshi's [Eater SF]
· Fillmore Jazz (Coming Soon) [Curbed SF]
· Up and Coming: Heritage on Fillmore [Curbed SF]
UPDATE— Shaw has a point on the resto front says Eater SF, noting that the surrounding area is pretty bleak as far as dining goes. Hey, we just heart the jazz.
· Yoshi's Might Inspire Pac Heights, Not The Fillmore [Eater SF]
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