marke@sfbg.com
SUPER EGO “Do you think that rats … think that bats … are angels?” cracked tall, curly-haired Brendan Lynch, nicknamed Skeletor for kicks, at the opening night of Big Al’s Big Ass Comedy Jam at John Colins on Jan. 19. I’m breaking one of the cardinal rules of comedy journalism (“ha”) by giving away a punch line, but Lynch lobbed and landed so many Moebius-like thought-twisters — think Steven Wright minus Valium — I’m sure he won’t pummel me too much. Yes, I’m flirting.
The other comics peopling the raucous, as in both hysterical and L-O-U-D, new weekly jam (Wednesdays, 9 p.m.-10:30 p.m. with dancing afterward to DJ Whooligan, $5. John Colins, 138 Minna, SF. www.johncolins.com) were pretty damn good, too, although the night could have used a woman’s perspective to help vary the mainly bro-to-bro subject matter. Paging Ali Wong and Marga Gomez! There’s a Big Ass calling your names!
Affable, and yes slightly king-sized, producer Big Al is pretty much an underground comedy legend ’round these parts — his weekly Monday comedy throwdowns at live jazz spot Club Deluxe have been going strong for the past seven years. (Mondays, 9 p.m., $5. Club Deluxe, 1511 Haight, SF. www.sfclubdeluxe.com). There, he usually brings in more established yuksters. But if you’re looking to have your ears scalded by a wildly diverse group of youngsters, get your big ass down to John Colins, order one of their awesome “sidecars de Nicaraguan,” and settle in.
NICK CURLY
Sophisticated party techno is in danger of becoming too homogenous, no matter how perfect it is for people with brains who like to scramble them with killer beats. Yes, Nick Curly is another German dude with a residency at Space in Ibiza, a couple labels, and immediate access to all tomorrow’s hit tracks. But his spin is intriguingly different — he helped delineate the percussive, wide-swinging “Mannheim sound” that’s become de rigueur the past two years, and his attention to texture never tips into fussiness. Oh yeah, and he’s not too hard to look at either.
Thu/27, 9:30 p.m., $20. Vessel, 85 Campton Place, SF. www.vesselsf.com
BUZZED OUT ELECTRO BALL
French hardcore electro DJ Toxic Avenger is the headliner here — if you want to see how much the sound has become pop fodder, look no further than his Facebook-cheeky vid with rapper Orelsan, “N’Importe Commente.” But true banger bangers may want to check out Canadian duo Autoerotique, who claim allegiance to both Dutch house and Norwegian black metal.
Fri/28, 9 p.m., $20. Mezzanine, 444 Jessie, SF. www.mezzaninesf.com
KODE 9
The heady Glaswegian dubstep originator has a degree in philosophy — maybe that’s why his business is melting faces off, so he can better examine our minds? In any case, his Hyperdub label and style are anything but predictable, except for the impeccable low-end fulfillment, and he can stake some claim to helping the grime revival and future bass scenes along, too. He helps celebrate the monthly Icee Hot party’s first anniversary.
Sat/29, 10 p.m.–3 a.m., $15. SOM, 2925 16th St., SF. www.som-bar.com
GADI
Regular readers know I gladly suckle at the wicked-soulful teat of Wolf + Lamb Records, the label run by duo Gadi Mizrahi and Zev Eisenberg. Plundering signifiers from Motown to R. Kelly, Burning Man to Brooklyn, they’ve helped bring sexy back to underground dance floors. Gadi on his own is an aural ladies man: smooth, sensuous, and full of devilish sonic winks.
Sat/29, 9:30 p.m.–3:30 p.m. $15. Public Works, 161 Erie, SF. www.publicsf.com
BONJAY
I’ve been totally grooving on this Toronto duo’s charmingly kick-ass meld of reggae and experimental electronics. Santigold comparisons abound, not a bad thing, and somewhere Diplo, or at least Poirier, is probably waiting to pounce. But singer Alanna Stuart and DJ Pho have an energy, and emotive electronic future-tropics sound, all their own. With Ghosts on Tape and Casy & Brian.
Sun/30, 8 p.m., $7. Rickshaw Stop, 155 fell, SF. www.rickshawstop.com