Jesse, Rosie Perez, and Ron Weasley on a 38-Geary to the Farallons 05.05.11
At last month’s Muni Diaries Live, Jesse shared the story of withering away of innocence when it comes to riding Muni:
I grew up and went to high school in Southern California. I did what everybody else did — I drove a car … I graduated high school and I fled, like crazy. I went to San Francisco State. I didn’t even look at the school — I just knew it was in San Francisco and gay people live there!
And I encountered Muni. I encountered buses, and trains, and trains that did buslike things, and stairs, and all that craziness. I was flabbergasted, to say the least. Riding Muni was like riding a unicorn. It was like, “What??!? I get a transfer? This is so great! $1?” I’m dating myself.
I was that guy on Muni who was so in love with the experience that I was talking to people. I was like, “Oh my god, you shopped today? So did I!”
Watch the video above to hear the rest of Jesse’s gripping tale.
Previously: MissionMission’s Ariel Tells All: First Kiss, on Muni
MissionMission’s Ariel Tells All: First Kiss, on Muni 04.29.11
Ariel, you have no idea.
In this video, Ariel opens Muni Diaries Live’s third anniversary show with his very personal and very awesome story that happened his freshman year in high school.
“I never had a girlfriend before; I never kissed a girl before, but somehow I found out that this really pretty girl, this really cool girl who was a flutist, liked me. Like, like me liked me. I was just overwhelmed but somehow we ended up going out…I mean, going together. It wasn’t “going out” yet. I didn’t really know what to do. I mean, I’d never had a girlfriend before. But I knew some of the first steps that I had to do. So I got rid of all my friends, and spent all my lunches with her; I didn’t talk to anybody else, we held hands, and said I love you a lot. And I was like, this is a lot easier than I thought!”
Oh, but teenage love is never that easy. Watch the video for the rest of Ariel’s story.
Muni Diaries Live 5 Recap: We turned 3! 04.25.11
Photo by Amber Wolf of Wiz Bang Photography
Hometown boy Ariel Dovas of MissionMission opened the show with a story of his first kiss, which happened in a Muni Metro station underground. We learned why watching movies is not a good way to learn how to kiss in real life: they never show you what the hell you’re supposed to do with your tongue! Teenage romance can be so tough.
Photo by Amber Wolf of Wiz Bang Photography
Audience favorite Jesse James returns to the stage with a story of pre-Jaded Period heroics on Muni. Gentlemen (sorry, ladies), Jesse says he is single and looking for “good looking, age-appropriate men with low standards.” I happen to think he’s a solid 10. I mean, he wasn’t voted “most extraordinarily unique male senior” in his high school for nothing!
Photo by Amber Wolf of Wiz Bang Photography
H.P. Mendoza, who you know from Colma, the Musical, and Fruit Fly, brought his toy piano and led us in a cheerful song called “Public Transit.” “San Francisco’s like a bowl of cereal: when you get rid of the nuts and fruits, all ya got is flakes!”
Photo by Amber Wolf of Wiz Bang Photography
As usual, we open the stage to our wonderful audience to tell a short Muni story and win prizes. This time, our awesome prizes from Chrome Bags, Seed Store, and Metronome Dance Collective attracted six brave souls from the audience: Katie, Adam, Pam, Jeremy, Emily, and Carrie.
Photo by Amber Wolf of Wiz Bang Photography
Guess who won by thunderous audience applause?
Photo by Amber Wolf of Wiz Bang Photography
Go Pam!
Two-time Oakland grand slam champion Joyce Lee had us all enthralled with two Muni stories, one involving Joyce’s impeccably dressed southern mother who told some misbehaving boys on the bus how it is. We loved Joyce, and now we all want to meet her mom.
Photo by Amber Wolf of Wiz Bang Photography
What better way to wrap up our anniversary show than to have Kirk Read tenderly caress the Muni Diaries stage? Kirk’s story about standing up for a fellow passenger’s “art” had us in stitches. Art smells, real life smells, and when Kirk tells you, you better take note.
Photo by Amber Wolf of Wiz Bang Photography
Julie Michelle of I Live Here: SF took some great black and white shots of the show. Check out her slideshow here:
In the three years of running Muni Diaries, you help remind us every day that Muni stories aren’t just about the bus being late or smelling poop on the bus (though both happen with alarming regularity). We’re a community born out of the shared experience of riding public transportation, which connects us no matter who we are. The stories from the stage Friday night speak to that sense of community.
We’ll have videos from the show in the next few days. We also have some new features on the site that we’ll be rolling out in the coming months, so stay tuned and keep sending us your Muni stories!
Three Reasons to Leave Work Early Today 04.22.11
We have three more:
1. A Chrome messenger bag.
2. $100 to Seed Store to get some fine duds.
3. A gift certificate for free dance lessons at Metronome Dance Collective.
Aside from roaring storytelling from our performers, the three prizes above could be yours in the audience participation part of the show. What do you say? Have we twisted your arm?
Tell a Muni Story, Win a Chrome Messenger Bag 04.21.11
If you get up on stage to tell a Muni story during the audience story portion of Muni Diaries Live, you can win a Chrome messenger bag!
Chrome says that their bags are weatherproof and city-proof. By the looks of it, I would guess that they’re Muni/Caltrain-proof, too. When I picked up the bag from the very nice folks at Chrome, I was very tempted to keep it for myself. But you know what? I have ethics. Take a look at this bag:
Look at what this bag can do:
Essentials. ‘Nuf said, right?
The reviews for this bag are as awesome as the bag itself. Reviewers call this bag “sweet,” “killer,” and “legit beyond all means.” Chrome also has men’s and women’s clothing (even socks), all extremely functional for the urban dweller and totally anti-nonsense. So get your story ready for tomorrow. This bag (street cred optional) can be yours.
Tell a Muni Story, Win $100 From Seedstore 04.20.11
Tell a 1-2 minute Muni story on stage during the audience portion of Muni Diaries Live this Friday and you might win one of the great prizes from one of our sponsors. These prizes will rock the pants off any Muni rider (hopefully not literally).
Seedstore, the impeccably curated boutique in the Inner Richmond, is giving the best audience storyteller an $100 gift certificate to the store. You can use it toward any of the goodies at the store, like Joe’s Jeans, dresses from Free People, Pendleton blankets, and lots of other brands for men and women. Seedstore has a lot of love for the Inner Richmond neighborhood, which features prominently in their lookbook:
And…
Yup. Fashion shoot at a Muni shelter! Seedstore also has a blog where you can keep up with the latest happenings at the shop.
So, get your story ready for the audience portion of Muni Diaries Live this Friday so you can win this Seedstore gift certificate.
Stay tuned for more prize information this week. Tomorrow: Chrome Bags.
Muni Diaries Live 5 celebrates three years of your Muni stories! 03.22.11
Photo by Chipmonkey
You’ll also hear stories from MissionMission‘s own Ariel Dovas and Muni Diaries Live: Breaking it Down audience favorite Jesse James.
And don’t forget: We always save room for audience stories, with prizes galore. Come prepared to drink, laugh, and share your Muni tales.
We are so thankful to have seen so many of you at our live events in the last three years — every show leaves us energized and in awe of the amazing community in San Francisco. To make things a little easier for our readers (we know it can get crowded and hot at the Make-Out Room), we are selling show tickets in advance. So get your tickets now so you have more time to mingle and enjoy the Make-Out Room’s excellent cocktails. Due to popular demand, we opened up a few more advance tickets, so get them while you can. If you’re not the planning type, we saved some tickets for the day of the event so you can still buy them at the door. Doors open at 7 p.m.
Never been to a Muni Diaries Live before? Check out our recaps of Muni Diaries Live one, two, three, and four.
Where: Make-Out Room — 3225 22nd Street
Routes serving the area: BART 24th St. Station, Muni: 12, 14, 22, 33, 48, 49, 67
Save the Date: Muni Diaries Live, Friday, April 22! 02.28.11
Photo by Flickr user Chipmonkey
Come on down to hear H.P. Mendoza, screen writer and composer of Colma: the Musical and director of Fruit Fly, Joyce Lee, two-time Oakland Spoken Word Grand Slam Champion, and Kirk Read, writer and mastermind curator of Smack Dab and K’vets.
You’ll also hear stories from MissionMission‘s own Ariel Dovas, author Jan Richman and Muni Diaries Live: Breaking it Down audience favorite Jesse James.
And as always, you will have an opportunity to tell your Muni story on stage, with prizes galore! The photo above is Jesse, one of our audience winners whose story about the 1 had us in stitches. If you have a Muni story you would like to tell on stage, email us soon and let us know.
So what’s it like when a bunch of Muni riders pack the Make-Out Room and share tales from the bus? Come and find out. Meanwhile, check out our recaps of Muni Diaries Live one,two, three, and four. See you there!
Muni Diaries Live — It’s Our Third Birthday!
When: Friday, April 22, 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. $8 advance tickets, $10 door.
Where: Make-Out Room — 3225 22nd Street
Routes serving the area: BART 24th St. Station, Muni: 12, 14, 22, 33, 48, 49, 67
Get your advance tickets today at EventBrite
Muni Tales from Andrew Lam 11.29.10
Andrew will be reading from his new book, East Eats West, at the Book Passage in the Ferry building in San Francisco on Dec. 7, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
‘We can do this’ on the N-Judah 11.23.10
P.S. We know you’re not really working this week, so adjust the volume, put on the headphones, and enjoy Derek’s hilarious and possibly uplifting tale.
Ride Muni like a boss. Our Fast Pass Clipper card holders and Muni Diaries T-shirts are on sale 
