One of several new works by Robert Syrett at Caffe Centro in South Park

Earthwise of Palo Alto (earwopa) welcomes the New Year by hosting or at least no-hosting a happy hour party Friday, January 13, 2012 at Caffe Centro in San Francisco, 4 to 6 p.m. The event is a giant soft opening for the art exhibit hung by and featuring Robert Syrett — giant soft opening means it’s gonna be huge but so far no one knows about it, and it’s been up since mid-December. And not to be confused with, but not not influenced by Claes Oldenburg’s giant soft fan. (I’m a big fan of Robert’s and kind of a softie; Disclosure: I not only collect and sometimes commission Robert Syrett, but I arranged for this show, up through end of January in one of SF’s coolest cafes, and by far its coolest caffe, in one of its coolest neighborhoods, South Park, in the greater SOMA, near the new ballpark, near the big Oldenburg of a bow and arrow).

The event — for which Erwin and crew at the cafe will stay open an extra hour — will feature the usual yummy assortment of foods, coffees and even beer and wine and will also feature music by DJ Mia ^ 1, a rising star on the underground scene — and close personal friend of the artist Robert Syrett (More disclosures: Mark Weiss, Plastic Alto, Earthwise Productions and Earwopa all are also kind of soft on this Mia ^ 1,– pronounced either “mia won” or “me uh one” or “mee uh carrot one” or “mia to the power of one” — it’s a work in progress —  who excels — under various pseudonyms — in a variety of  creative and performing arts. She will be spinning discs on a Crosley (one turntable, no microphone) of the 7-  and 10-inch varieties ranging from speeds of 33 rpm to 45 rpm, and if things really get going, all the way up to 78 perhaps (no guarantees; you can’t push the muse, you know).

I met Robert Syrett — this is Mark Weiss of Earthwise Productions talking, or at least tapping the keys quite loudly – -I should probably trim my fingernails, while watching a basketball game, UNC Tar Heels, where Superchunk came from, but I digress —

This is my second event in San Francisco in a row, following the hugely successful Alden Van Buskirk event in Duboce Triangle last month — and it  makes me think about announcing a new programming theme — Earwopa-San– like the Japanese term of respect.  “Earwopa” meaning “earthwise of palo alto” but also in SF. Ok, I did that thingy with Tommy Jordan at Lytton Plaza in between, but that was not actually promoted like this is.

I met Rob while putting up a Joey Piziali poster at Accent Arts in Palo Alto and Rob said “I can do anything he can do.” So he did art work and or posters for Vienna Teng /Austin Willacy at Bol Park, for my 2009 Palo Alto City Council race and art show, for the 2009 Earthwise 15th Year Event at Bottom of the Hill, and more. I also helped him get his recent gig at Public Works in SF, last April. Actually, it’s Mia ^ 1 who could probably get the “Annie Get Your Gun” draw on Rob, at this event; she deserves some love, too, from the hipper SF galleries.

In indie rock and classical realms, Syrett is known for his cover art for two cds by Matmos.

He created seven new works for the Caffe Centro show, plus he has re-mounted or at least re-hung a couple pieces that were shown at the “Characters” show at Public Works. Rob will be on hand at the event to answer questions or sign autographs or to solve arguments about the nuances of art and music. He once taught yours truly how to pronounce OWN MARTIN OWE, an early synthesizer featured in works by Radiohead and Messiaen. (This works better in radio). Rob put me in charge of finding good homes for a set of his works, about 200 works on paper, including a group of works, which we will probably bring to event and show on request, of about a dozen sketches and color tests that were used to create the Matmos cover “Supreme Balloon”, to be sold as a set, price on request.

We are hoping to draw a review from the likes of Chronicle writers like Kim Chun or Leigh Garchik, and Kenneth Baker, or Peter Selz, or Rachel Kushner in Los Angeles, whose parents live in SF and came to the Alden Van Buskirk event.

This will be the first real workout for my new Crosley turntable, which my girlfriend the artist and arts administrator Terry Acebo Davis got me for Chanukah. It replaces a NuMark I bought in 2008 at Streetlight but that was pilfered in a burglary. It’s a CR249 Keepsake model, featured recently in Rolling Stone and Spin. Actually I’m using as a crate a square bookshelf I got from David Highsmith at Books and Bookshelves at the Dec. 20 event.

Caffe Centro is located at 102 South Park in San Francisco, between 2nd and 3rd Streets, and Bryant and Brannan. The normal business hours are Monday through Friday, 7 to 4, and Saturdays 8 to 5. Info: (415) 882-1500 or (650) 305-0701.

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