Alex Baca wrote about music and DJ'd at the Black Cat in Washington DC before recently relocating to San Francisco.
What was the food highlight of your year?
This year, I moved from D.C. to San Francisco by way of a snack-fueled road trip. I've been learning about my new city by eating through it. I love a local novelty like Craftsman & Wolves' The Rebel Within and have been on a steady diet of carnitas tacos, but my favorite discovery is Mitchell's ice cream. It's 16 percent butterfat and 100 percent the dreamiest ice cream ever. The pistachio is the best.
What was the music highlight of your year?
Beach Slang's existence, period. Both Beach Slang EPs are exactly what I want music to sound like, and I love how the band manages to be as goddamned poetic on social media as they are with their lyrics, which are simultaneously joyous and heartrending. I hope when I die, I feel as alive as I did while seeing their Saturday night set at Fest 13.
Was there a moment when food and music came together in a memorable way?
My going-away party in D.C., at Black Cat, was also our last Bad Scene, Everyone's Fault DJ night. My dudes Matt, Justin, and I played a lot of sentimental pop-punk for all our friends; after, we got our drunk asses some pizza at Manny & Olga's. It wasn't anything special, but it's nights like that I miss the most living on the other side of the country.
A close second: Eating lemon poundcake from It's All Good (whose building has a tremendous history) at a hardcore show in Oakland. I haven't gone to many shows on the West Coast, and have gone to even fewer house shows. It reminded me of D.C., and the poundcake was incredible.
