Cool local electro-dream trio Pixel Memory puts all that recent construction scaffolding to use in its latest, consisting of “sleek, cyberpunk visuals” from director Sean Gillane.
Bonus: Pixel Memory are pretty awesome live — check them out performing a version of 2501 live at SUBmission:
Love the look:
The smells of deliciousness were overwhelming. Where do we start?!
As Sam Love and I wandered around the La Cocina media preview for August 17’s San Francisco Street Food Festival, everywhere we looked there were delightful taste treats, colorful, fresh and also deep fried. I’ll take four of each, thank you.
We made the rounds, chatting with fantastic chefs who are living their dreams, whipping up flavors from around the world. We tried everything and, while we enjoyed it all, becoming clean plate champions many times over, there were three highlights that made our short list. If you don’t have the stomach to make it to all the vendors at the Street Food Festival, we’d recommend trying these first:
Chiefo’s Kitchen
Chiefo served plantain and chocolate bread pudding that was soft and heavenly, but also punched back with a sinful slap of rum. Chiefo’s Kitchen West African flavors are not to miss. Check her out at the Night Market!
Azalina’s Malaysian
I live for Azalina’s smile. She could hand me a slice of cold leftover pizza, and with that smile, it would taste like the most exquisite dish. The fact is, Azalina cooks with tremendous love and care, and eating her food is therapy for the soul. She is an amazing chef, from a long family line of street vendors from Penang, and her food explodes with the island’s spices, but also takes advantage of our freshest local California produce. She prepared sweet potato dumplings, decorated with colorful fruit and veggie bonnets. So yum!
Hella Vegan Eats
Two words: doughnut burger. Wait — it’s not what you’re thinking! It’s a doughnut sandwich stuffed with a beet and kamut patty, topped with kale, pickled red onions and dill weed, and squirted with secret sauce. It’s pretty much the cutest thing ever, perfectly balancing the most unhealthy and healthy food items in a few giant bites, and worth unhinging your jaw for. Vegan can definitely be bad-ass.
Almost exactly a year ago, an explosion and chemical fire at Chevron’s Richmond refinery sent a toxic plume of smoke billowing into the air. Visible for miles, the blaze sent 15,000 to the hospital with respiratory and other health problems.
On the eve of the anniversary of that disaster, Chevron faces mounting pressure from all sides as everyone from city officials to environmentalists continue to seek accountability.
On Aug. 2, Richmond city officials held a press conference to announce that the city is suing the multinational oil giant for damages related to the refinery fire. Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin joined other officials and representatives from the firm Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy in announcing the legal action, which was unanimously approved by City Council.
The complaint charges that Chevron’s failure to address safety issues at the plant is reflective of a deeper problem.
“In our view, the incident on Aug. 6, 2012 was not an isolated incident – it really is one that followed a period of dozens of prior incidents” of harmful chemical releases, attorney Frank Pitre told the Guardian. “These aren’t coincidences, they’re indicative of a problem of corporate culture at Chevron that ignores safety.”
Pitre added that the very year that Chevron’s refinery blaze occurred, it recorded record profits with the Securities and Exchange Commission exceeding $26 billion, and its top executives were paid around $100 million apiece. Additionally, the company recorded about $10 million in spending on political campaigns and lobbying. Meanwhile, Chevron’s spending on City Council races in Richmond alone hovers at around $1 million, according to local activists.
The lawyer refused to speculate on how much Richmond plans to seek in damages, but noted that the city had been impacted by factors like mounting an emergency response to the blaze as well as “intangibles,” like the effect the incident had on the comfortable use and enjoyment of public spaces. “You had people who had to run into their homes, as if they were imprisoned.”
Pitre also said that the suit aims to correct Chevron’s lax attitude toward safety, and to “send a very loud and clear message into the corporate board room that they have to change their behavior.”
That message is also coming from grassroots organizations.
On Saturday, Aug. 3 at 10 a.m., activists with a broad coalition of Bay Area environmental and labor organizations will converge in Richmond for a march and rally to call on Chevron to improve its safety practices.
The event, which is expected to draw quite a crowd, is part of 350.org’s national Summer Heat campaign, which seeks to foster climate change activism at the local level. The march will by led by Idle No More, an indigenous rights organization, and organizers have hinted that there will be some form of civil disobedience at the refinery.
Andres Soto, a Richmond organizer with the environmental justice organization Communities for a Better Environment, explained that the safety issues at the refinery stem from Chevron’s failure to address pipe corrosion, which is worsened by the practice of refining dirty crude oil with high sulfur content. Roughly 80 percent of the crude that is processed in Richmond originates in the Persian Gulf, Soto said, and contains high levels of sulfur.
Refining this type of crude oil can result in worse air pollution, and also makes it harder for the company to predict the degree of corrosion that will result from processing.
This graph is from a report issued by the Chemical Safety Board, showing the steadily increasing levels of sulfur content in the piping circuit that failed and caused the refinery blaze.
“The blast on Aug. 6, 2012 was caused by a failed carbon steel pipe,” Soto explained. A report issued by the federal Chemical and Safety Board contained urgent recommendations directing the company to use pipes that are more resistant to corrosion, Soto said, but not all of those recommendations have been implemented, even after the failed unit was brought back into service.
The safety board report went into great detail about just how bad things were allowed to get before the blast occurred. “The 52-inch component where the rupture occurred had experienced extreme thinning,” the safety board found. “The average wall thickness near the rupture location was approximately 40 percent thinner than a dime.” (A dime.)
Soto regards this level of deterioration as par for the course at Chevron. “It’s about a management culture that allows the equipment to fail,” he told the Guardian. “They’re just waiting until the pipes fail, and then they’re going to replace them.”
Remember that brief, exciting period last year when Woody Allen sightings were being breathlessly reported on ’round town, particularly in the Mission? Here’s your chance to see Allen’s take on San Francisco (it ain’t exactly glossy) in Blue Jasmine, which boasts a stellar performance by likely Oscar nominee Cate Blanchett as someone you would not want to have as a houseguest. Dennis Harvey’s take on the film here.
Also opening today: a doc about Napster, a so-so biopic of political theorist Hannah “Banality of Evil” Arendt, an action flick for Denzel Washington completists, and likely Oscar nominee (um…) Smurfs 2. What can I say…if you’re not a Woody Allen fan, it’s kind of a slower week. Read on for short reviews.
Downloaded The startlingly fast rise and even more abrupt demise of Napster is chronicled in this entertaining documentary by Alex Winter (yes, of Bill & Ted fame). Shawn Fanning dropped out of college in 1999 to work on an idea of greatly improving the then-tortuous downloading and sharing of MP3 files, soon moving to the Bay Area and drawing other friends (including co-founder Sean Parker) to launch Napster for real. When the program launched in mid-1999, it quickly took the world of music fans by storm, allowing any user to post or access any song for free — rapidly building a massive library that won tens of millions of fervent participants. But what the company saw as a “community building” global-record-swapping-party was viewed by an ill-prepared and appalled record industry itself as blatant copyright infringement. Artists themselves were sharply divided, with some (like Seal here) thinking Napster brought “true democracy back into the music business” while others, most notably Metallica and Dr. Dre (who both sued, as did various labels) loudly proclaimed that it was blatant theft of their work. (It’s worth noting that these were among the comparatively few acts who’ve gotten rich rather than screwed by the biz.) The somewhat one-sided thesis in this doc (on which Fanning is an executive producer) supports the founders’ continued plaint that “sharing” wasn’t “piracy” and that they always intended to integrate themselves with the established industry as legitimate fee-charing digital distributors — though each side says the other wouldn’t negotiate. In any case, after little more than two years, Napster was shut down by court decisions — though file sharing continues, and the industry’s poor adjustment to new technologies has seen it in fiscal freefall ever since. Napster staff, musicians, executives, and others offer their two cents here, with DJ Spooky providing an original score. (1:46) Roxie. (Dennis Harvey)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIUbQR9b1P8
Hannah Arendt New German Cinema’s Margarethe von Trotta (1975’s The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum, 1986’s Rosa Luxemburg) delivers this surprisingly dull biopic about the great German-Jewish political theorist and the heated controversy around her New Yorker article (and subsequent book) about Israel’s 1961 trial of Nazi Adolph Eichmann. Played with dignified, slightly vulnerable countenance by the inimitable Barbara Sukowa, Arendt travels from her teaching job and cozy expat circles in New York to Jerusalem for the trial. There she comes face to face with the “banality of evil” in Eichmann, the petty careerist of the Holocaust, forcing her to “try and reconcile the shocking mediocrity of the man with his staggering deeds.” This led her to further insights into the nature of modern society, and triggered a storm of outrage and vitriol — in particular from the Commentary crowd of future neocons — all of which is clearly of relevance today, and the impetus for von Trotta’s revisiting this famous episode. But the film is too mannered, too slick, too formulaic —burdened by a television-friendly combination of posture and didacticism, and bon mots from famous and about famous figures in intellectual and literary history to avoid being leaden and tedious. A mainstream film, in other words, for a very unconventional personality and dissident intellectual. While not exactly evil, there’s something dispiriting in so much banality. (1:49) (Robert Avila)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQbSGLaVJ5c
The Smurfs 2 Look at it this way: any enterprise that employs Neil Patrick Harris can’t be all bad. (1:45)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyruH2JikwM
2 Guns Rob a bank of cartel cash, invade a naval base, and then throw down against government heavies — you gotta expect to find a few bullet-hole-sized gaps in the play-by-play of 2 Guns. The action flick is riddled with fun-sized pleasures — usually centered on the playful banter and effortless chemistry between stars Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg — and the clever knot of a narrative throws a twist or two in, before director Baltasar Kormákur (last year’s Wahlberg vehicle Contraband) simply surrenders to the tidal pull of action. After visiting Mexican mafia kingpin Papi (Edward James Olmos) and finding the head of their contact in a bag, Bobby (Washington) and Stig (Wahlberg) decide to hit Papi where he’ll feel it: the small border bank where his men have been making drops to safe deposit boxes. Much like Bobby and Stig’s breakfast-time diner gab fest, which seems to pick up where Vincent and Jules left off in Pulp Fiction (1994), as they trade barbs, truisms, and tells, there’s more going on than simply bank robbery foreplay. Both involved for different reasons: Bobby is an undercover DEA agent, and Stig is a masquerading navy officer. When the payout is 10 times the expected size, not only do Papi, Bobby’s contact Deb (Paula Patton), and Stig’s superior Quince (James Marsden) come calling, but so does mystery man Earl (Bill Paxton), who seems to be obsessed with following the money. We know, sort of, what’s in it for Bobby — all fully identifiable charm, as befits Washington, who makes it rain charisma with the lightest of touches. But Stig? The others? The lure of a major payday is supposed to sweep away all other loyalties, except a little bromantic bonding between two rogue sharp shooters, saddled, unfortunately, with not the sharpest of story lines. (1:49) (Kimberly Chun)
Red Hots Burlesque — the longest running queer burlesque show in the country, according to founder and producer Dottie Lux — moves out of the bars and into the theater with Burlesque and WHY (The Naked Truth), a show-and-tell built around the biographies and personalities of its performers, an eclectic group of burlesque artists comprised of Dottie Lux, the Lady Ms. Vagina Jenkins, Magnoliah Black, Lay-Si Luna, Alexa Von Kickinface, and Burlesque Hall of Famer Ellion Ness. It runs through Sun/4 at StageWerx.
As Lux suggests in her introduction to the show, the theater as a venerated space for storytelling provides a rare opportunity to ‘class up’ the act a little — by talking about class for these working bodies, as well as about race, body issues, feminism, aging, and much more — all in direct address and various states of undress, through two 35-minute sets of vignettes and straight-up striptease that run the gamut from playful eroticism to defiant meditations on self-worth and solidarity with the outcast and oppressed.
Sure, the acting and stagecraft can be stilted, erratic, and a little shaky — everything beyond the burlesque numbers themselves, that is, which are generally sure and precise. But then it’s a theatrical outing like no other. And the performers redeem the rough edges with their agile curves as well as the pride, confidence, and natural charm they bring to the enterprise. These women have strong voices and compelling stories. And away from the barroom din, to the supportive calls of audience members, they ring out clearly, with lots of sass, well-earned brazenness, and even self-effacing humor. But then a burlesque performer knows a little modesty can go a long way.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVjcX8mkl4w
Red Hots Burlesque Presents: Burlesque and WHY (The Naked Truth)
Tonight, 10pm; Sat/3, 7 and 10pm; Sun/4, 5 and 8pm, $5-$35
Stage Werx
446 Valencia, SF
On the morning of Aug. 1, San Francisco District 9 Sup. David Campos joined a group of parents and kids at the 24th Street BART station, climbed aboard the 49-Mission/Van Ness, and rode to City Hall, where he filed paperwork to run for the California Assembly.
“Running for office is not an easy thing. It’s a very personal decision,” he said. “And thinking about it, I am where I am because I was given a lot of opportunity as a kid coming in, as an undocumented kid. It was the opportunity of getting a quality education, the opportunity to really get a degree,” and to stay motivated by the idea that “if you really work hard and play by the rules, that you can really fulfill your potential.”
Campos was elected to represent San Francisco’s District 9, which spans the Mission, Bernal Heights, and surrounding areas, in November of 2008. The gay Latino elected official is regarded as one of the most progressive members of the Board of Supervisors, and he is credited with spearheading Free Muni for Youth, a city program offering free public transit access to some 40,000 low-income kids.
Campos stressed that many of the policies he’s tackled on the Board of Supervisors have been aimed toward aiding low-income families and youth, “whether it’s helping families who are struggling with free Muni for low-income kids, to improving the quality of schools in the Mission, to focusing on public safety in a progressive way that tries to build a relationship between the police and the community.”
Naturally, Muni took longer than expected.
Some of the kids amused themselves with a clapping game while they waited.
Many of the parents were monolingual Spanish speakers, and their kids were Free Muni for Youth participants. Raul Foneza (pictured in the first shot, with his thumbs up), spoke to the Guardian through a translator and said he had come out for the supervisor that day because he respected Campos’ support for the city’s young people and was there with his friend and her two kids.
When the bus arrived at City Hall, another group of kids was there awaiting Campos’ arrival, with signs. So was Assembly Member Tom Ammiano, who has already granted Campos his endorsement.
Ammiano spent a few moments on the steps of City Hall speaking to the kids. “I hope you tell people to vote for David Campos, I hope you all do your homework, be good to your teachers, and go to college. How does that sound?” After they cheered, “yeeeah!” in unison, Ammiano half-jokingly added something about how then they could all get good-paying jobs, so they could afford an apartment.
Once inside, the crowd of kids and parents squeezed into the basement-level Department of Elections office, where Campos filled out the paperwork to make his candidacy for State Assembly official. He turned to face his supporters, most of whom will have to wait eight years till they’re old enough to vote, and explained that he had decided to run “because we want to make sure our state makes you the top priority.”
We had a packed house last night for our community forum on the future of the Bay Guardian and the progressive movement in the Bay Area, with lots of great input, advice, gratitude, and just a bit of acrimony. It was even more informative and inspiring than we had hoped for and we appreciate everyone coming out and speaking so frankly.
As Sup. David Campos (who just announced his candidacy for the California Assembly) said last night, “The Bay Guardian has been the conscience of the [progressive] movement and I think it’s important for the Guardian to continue to play that role,” and that’s a role that the new generation of Guardian leaders will continue playing while also reaching out to a new generation of Guardian readers.
We’ll have a full rundown in next week’s paper, along with an extended letters to the editor section to make up for shutting down online comments this week, so for now let me just offer a brief overview. In addition to Campos, the crowd of around 100 people included Sup. John Avalos, Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi, and City College of San Francisco Trustees Rafael Mandelman and Chris Jackson.
The crowd also included Todd Vogt, CEO of the San Francisco Print Media Company, who got an earfull from progressive activists Gabriel Haaland, Chris Cook, and others over the abrupt departure of longtime Guardian Editor Tim Redmond in June, with concerns expressed over the Guardian’s credibility and editorial autonomy.
Both Vogt and those on the Guardian’s panel — which included (from right in the photo above) Publisher Marke Bieschke, Editor Steven T. Jones, Music Editor Emily Savage, Senior A&E Editor Cheryl Eddy, Art Director Brooke Robertson, and News Editor Rebecca Bowe — emphasized that the Guardian has full editorial autonomy and control over what we cover and how, and who we endorse. The mission of the paper — “To print the news and raise hell,” and to be an indispensible guide to Bay Area arts and culture — hasn’t changed.
We’re all still digesting everything what was said last night (both at the forum in the LGBT Center and an informal session afterwards at Zeitgeist that went late), and we will be factoring it into what we do and continuing this ongoing conversation with all of you. We also welcome everyone’s input and advice, which you can send to us at news@sfbg.com.
A special thanks to Alix Rosenthal for moderating the public input — and to everyone who came — for somehow keeping the comments and questions clear, concise, and constructive.
Onward!
UPDATE: Journalist Josh Wolf has written an excellent summary of the forum here at on the Journalism That Matters website. Check it out.
8/6 UPDATE: We just turned comments back on after shutting them off for a week-long experiment.
San Francisco based duo Midi Matilda has managed to worm its way into a corner of electro-pop music that is highly accessible. As the musicians put it, they aren’t DJs and they aren’t a live band either.
Whatever they are, they seem to be catching. After an early spring tour with Shiny Toy Guns, the pair released a cover of the Temptations “Just My Imagination,” in June which garnered close to 30,000 views in just two days. Plus, Midi Matilda’s debut EP Red Light District has acquired similar mass attention on YouTube.
As Midi Matilda’s Skyler Kilborn and Logan Grime are also set to play Outside Lands next week (Aug. 9-11 in Golden Gate Park), I chatted with them about live shows, the songwriting process, and their can’t-miss Outside Lands recommendations:
San Francisco Bay Guardian What was the last great live show you went to?
Skyler Kilborn In Sacramento at a place called Ace of Spades we saw Gold Fields, it was really awesome. The crowd [seemed] engaged the entire time. They got off stage, danced around, got on the bar, and kicked over somebody’s drink.
Logan Grime We’ve done a number of shows with guys from Capital Cities, it’s awesome to see how they’ve progressed over time, how much bigger their following has become. It was inspiring to see them.
SFBG What separates your performances from that of other artists?
LG A lot of people tell us they really enjoy the energy we bring to the stage. Our show has a lot of electronic elements to it; we don’t have people playing on stage. We both love to DJ and just make it a unique experience that‘s different from a lot of the things we’ve seen. We’re trying to push it in a new direction. We’re not DJs, or a full live band either. We’re trying something new and it’s working out so far.
SFBG What would you say is the best show you’ve performed this year, or any that really stick out?
LG For me it was headlining a show in San Francisco. We had played a lot more shows than we ever had in a year so far just in this year alone and so we were put in front of a lot of audiences that didn’t know who we were. After all that, playing a sold out show at a venue we really like in front of a lot of people.
SK It felt like the tour we just finished we played so many shows it got our performance to a new level. That show is a good example of us bringing ourselves to a level we hadn’t really achieved before, and the tour was a good way for us to practice.
SFBG Could you talk a little bit about song “Red Light District”? It’s also your EP title so it seems to have some significance.
SK It’s a very introspective tune, not really about the Red Light District. It can be if you want it to be, but it’s more about a state of mind. Bringing yourself up as opposed to bringing yourself down. Red Light District is a metaphor for bringing yourself down. It’s about connecting in a place where it’s better to bring yourself up than bring yourself down. Songwriting, at least for myself, it’s always about something I’m going through at the time. I think it’s important to access something real to you, at least as foundation for the idea. But I also think it’s fun to be a little more poetic and bring people directly to the point. Leading them there, but also giving them the opportunity to meet it at their level, wherever that is.
SFBG Are you guys looking forward to Outside Lands, are there any artists you’re definitely not going to miss?
LG The lineup this year is pretty amazing compared to some of the other years. This year’s strong in every day’s lineup. I know that no matter what I will not miss Paul McCartney. I’m excited to see so many bands.
SK I’ve been fantasizing about playing the festival since the first time I went in 2009. A group I actually love is Vampire Weekend. I have not seen them perform but I’ve listened to their music quite a bit and would love to see how they do it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVJqevdtaZQ
FILM Before Nancy Grace and 24-hour news channels turned every vaguely salacious story into a screaming headline — and before TMZ.com and Twitter captured and exploded every dark urge in the American heart — there was a more innocently lurid time. Proudly sordid news shows like Hard Copy and A Current Affair zeroed in on names like “Menendez” and “Bobbitt.” Sally Jessy Raphael investigated “Satanic baby breeders.” A white supremacist threw a chair into Geraldo Rivera’s face. In 1999, Vanity Fair dubbed the 1990s “the Tabloid Decade” — and one of the era’s most memorable crimes had to be the one involving Long Island teenager Amy Fisher.
Quick recap: Fisher was a 16-year-old temptress (or victim, depending on whom you believe) who hooked up with auto-body shop owner Joey Buttafuoco, 20 years older than her and inconveniently married. Their relationship grabbed national attention when Fisher strolled up to Buttafuoco’s front door and shot his wife, Mary Jo, in the face. (She survived, though they later divorced; in 2009, she penned Getting It Through My Thick Skull, a tell-all about being “married to a sociopath.”)
Naturally, pop culture couldn’t resist sinking its fangs into this deliciously trashy tale, and three made-for-TV films quickly went into production: Lethal Lolita — Amy Fisher: My Story, which aired Dec. 28, 1992, and starred Noelle Parker; The Amy Fisher Story, with Drew Barrymore; and Casualties of Love: The Long Island Lolita Story, with Alyssa Milano. (The latter two aired opposite each other on Jan. 3, 1993.) Two decades later, the Roxie hosts Triple Fisher: The Lethal Lolitas of Long Island, a campy, crazy-quilt film that mashes up the best (and worst) moments of all three docu-dramas. Obviously, I had to speak to the man behind the madness: Los Angeles filmmaker Dan Kapelovitz.
SF Bay Guardian It’s been years since l’affiare Buttafuoco. What made you want to revisit the story with Triple Fisher?
Dan Kapelovitz I actually had the idea [to edit the films together] right when they came out — so, over 20 years ago. I had some time off [recently] between jobs and I said, “Now’s the time to do it!” I called a friend of mine who was an editor, and we worked on it together. I mainly did it just as a fun thing. It’s gotten a lot bigger than I thought it was going to get. I’ve been showing it all over the country and people seem to really like it.
SFBG Did you watch all three when they originally aired?
DK I actually did. Two of them aired at the exact same time, so I had to tape one of them. It was a big media event at the time.
SFBG What did you find fascinating about the story, and why does it hold up today?
DK It was the first time in TV history that they made three films all about the same event. I think now the story’s almost kind of quaint, given 9/11 and everything that’s happened since. I don’t know, today, if that story would even get as much play as it did back then. I talk to young people, and they have no idea who Amy Fisher is, or Joey Buttafuoco. Some people say, “Oh, wasn’t that the guy whose wife cut off his penis?” They think it’s John Wayne Bobbitt.
I think people like Triple Fisher because it’s funny even if you know nothing about the story. And there are still tons of these made-for-TV movies. I just watched the Jodi Arias story. I watched the Anna Nicole Smith one. HBO now does these kind of high-profile ones, on people like Liberace and Phil Spector. I love ’em all. Some are better than others, obviously, but it’s a good genre. And they crank them out pretty quickly. These Amy Fisher ones, the trials went through September or so, and the movies came out late December, early January. So they’re almost in real time. Considering how quickly they were made, they’re actually pretty good.
SFBG How did you decide which segments to take from each film?
DK Some things I wanted because they were so hilarious on their own. Sometimes, the three movies would depict the same thing, but they’d be slightly different, so I’d want to put those together. Or sometimes I might want to repeat something that I thought was funny, like Lawrence Tierney saying “Shut up!” [in a scene from the Alyssa Milano version]. I went through it millions of times and kept improving the jokes, re-editing it.
SFBG Did you have a favorite among the three movies?
DK At first, my favorite Amy Fisher was Noelle Parker, the least-known one. I thought she was the most realistic, and the most sympathetic. That film came from Amy Fisher’s story. The one with Alyssa Milano comes from the Buttafuoco point of view. And the Drew Barrymore one is from a journalist’s perspective, so it’s supposed to be more objective.
But now I think I like the Alyssa Milano one the best. I think it’s purposely funny, and then it’s also really dramatic. And I love the [sidekick] character played by Nicky Corello, who [has the line] “Way to go, Joey!” He has all the funniest lines in the movie. I actually called him up and he came to a screening. It was really cool because he had the original script and he let me have a copy, and he was telling all these crazy stories. He’d never even seen the original movie.
We’re doing another screening in LA [Aug. 15 at the Cinefamily], actually, and Joey’s going to come. I wonder what he’s going to think of it! It should be pretty wild. *
TRIPLE FISHER: THE LETHAL LOLITAS OF LONG ISLAND
Thu/1, 7:30 and 9:15pm, $10
Roxie Theater
3117 16th St, SF
“Oh it’s hot and it’s sticky and it’s naaaaasty,” said drag goddess Lady Bunny of the current New York City summer weather. “And that’s just how I like it. The kind of men I like can’t afford to leave the City when it’s hot, so they just have to strip down and stay put, right where I can get at ’em.
“Let those other queens got to Provincetown or Fire Island or wherever. Lady Bunny’s got everything she needs right here: sweaty men and a big can of hairspray.”
Watch you don’t explode there, Bunion! We need you to make that flight to San Francisco to star at the weekly Some Thing party on Fri/2 (10pm-late, $8. The Stud, 399 Ninth St., SF.)
Speaking of which, does Miss Bun-Bun have to buy an extra seat on the plane for her trademark ginormous blonde wig?
“No, just for my fat ass! And then I have to buy another seat for the scabies.”
But then her voice dropped into a more serious register — these were her wigs after all — and she said, “You know, it’s sometimes nervewracking to travel with my priceless hair sculptures. But I’ve just learned to stack them in a carry-on and then I just tease them when I bring them out. I don’t know how to do all the hot rollers and other things the queens all do.
“Marke, I’m just a tomboy with makeup and a poor taste in clothes.”
Lady Bunny was off and running in her trademark perky Southern drawl from the second she picked up her landline for our chat. Landline? Please tell me at least she has a Princess Phone. “Oh no, just a regular old phone. I heard Carol Channing still had her landline and I just love her. Of course, mine has those big buttons for seniors.”
I’ve known Bunny since way back in her Wigstock days, when she hosted the huge outdoor drag festival that ruled the NYC gay scene for like 3000 years (1984-2005).
And it’s kind of wonderful, the way she moved to NYC from Atlanta on a wing and a prayer in the ’80s with RuPaul — and adorable DJ Larry Tee, who invented electroclash and has been seen here a bunch of times lately — and now, she’s a TV personality as Dean of Drag on RuPaul’s Drag U. show and celebrity judge on Drag Race, as well as remaining one of Ru’s besties. Clubkids: all grown up!
“I got on fabulously with every queen on Drag Race that I met — except one, who shall remain nameless, but I think everyone knows who she is,” drops Bunny casually. “I mean, I know nothing about reality TV. I grew up with Lucille Ball and Leave It To Beaver. But I do love a paycheck, so why not?”
As ever though, Bunny is appearing all over with her comedy parodies of hit songs, her filthy double-entendres — and now with a cute club-ready song of her own, “Take Me Up,” which showcases her more serious singing talents. In as much as Bunny can ever be serious.
Oh, wait on that — Lady Bunny does have a second reputation, beyond the wigs and parodies, as an outspoken political commentator. Her blog is usually aflame with her acerbic sentiments, some of which can cause even seasoned political observers to grasp their burning ears. (For her recent thoughts on SF, check this out.)
“How can I keep my mouth shut when there’s so many travesties, so much injustice going on. I mean, take that incident recently when Michelle Obama told the protesting lesbian to be quiet or leave that fundraiser — and it was like the whole gay community was saying, ‘Go Michelle!’ But that woman was raising attention about how we don’t have rights, how we still don’t have the same rights as everybody else. And the gay community was telling her to be quiet! These kinds of things enrage me, so I let it all out. Anger is a very potent emotion!”
Does she ever let it all out on stage? “Oh you know, people want the comedy, they want the parodies, and to be entertained. They don’t want some queen browbeating them about political stuff in the middle of their party.”
So what can we expect when she hits Some Thing on Friday? “I’m so excited to be back in SF — I’m an ooooooold friend of [Some Thing party founders] Glamamore and Juanita More. And I even patched things up regarding an old fight with Heklina. I’ll have to find something else to fight with her about now!
“But, you know, it’s just going to be me up there with my dirty jokes and my filthy mind and a little music — straight out of the gutter and on your face!”
Norman Solomon is co-founder of RootsAction.org and founding director of the Institute for Public Accuracy. His books include “War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death.”
The sun rose with a moral verdict on Bradley Manning well before the military judge could proclaim his guilt. The human verdict would necessarily clash with the proclamation from the judicial bench.
In lockstep with administrators of the nation’s war services, judgment day arrived on Tuesday to exact official retribution. After unforgiveable actions, the defendant’s culpability weighed heavy.
“Our apologies, good friends, for the fracture of good order, the burning of paper instead of children, the angering of the orderlies in the front parlor of the charnel house,” another defendant, Fr. Daniel Berrigan, wrote about another action that resulted in a federal trial, 45 years earlier, scarcely a dozen miles from the Fort Meade courtroom where Bradley Manning faced prosecution for his own fracture of good order.
“We could not, so help us God, do otherwise,” wrote Berrigan, one of the nine people who, one day in May 1968 while the Vietnam War raged on, removed several hundred files from a U.S. draft board in Catonsville, Maryland, and burned them with napalm in the parking lot. “For we are sick at heart…”
On the surface, many differences protrude between those nine draft-files-burning radical Catholics and Bradley Manning. But I wonder. Ten souls saw cruelties of war and could no longer just watch.
“I prefer a painful truth over any blissful fantasy,” Manning wrote in an online chat. Minutes later he added: “I think I’ve been traumatized too much by reality, to care about consequences of shattering the fantasy.” And he also wrote: “I want people to see the truth … regardless of who they are … because without information, you cannot make informed decisions as a public.”
Those words came seven weeks after the world was able to watch the “Collateral Murder” video that Manning had provided to WikiLeaks. And those words came just days before military police arrived to arrest him on May 29, 2010.
Since then, huge numbers of people around the world have come to see Bradley Manning as personification of moral courage. During the last several months I’ve read thousands of moving comments online at ManningNobel.org, posted by signers of the petition urging that he receive the Nobel Peace Prize. The comments are often stunning with heartfelt intensity of wounded idealism, anger and hope.
No verdict handed down by the military judge can change the moral verdict that has emerged from people all over the world, reciprocating what Bradley Manning expressed online a few days before his arrest: “I can’t separate myself from others.” And: “I feel connected to everybody … like they were distant family.”
The problem for the U.S. government was not that Bradley Manning felt that way. The problem came when he acted that way. Caring was one thing. Acting on the caring, with empathy propelling solidarity, was another.
Days ago, in closing argument, the prosecutor at Fort Meade thundered: “He was not a whistleblower, he was a traitor.”
But a “traitor” to what? To the United States … only if the United States is to be a warfare state, where we “cannot make informed decisions as a public.” Only if we obey orders to separate ourselves from the humanity of others. Only if authoritative, numbing myths are to trump empathy and hide painful truth.
Norman Solomon is co-founder of RootsAction.org and founding director of the Institute for Public Accuracy. His books include “War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death.”
(Bruce B. Brugmann, who signs his blogs and emails b3, writes and edits the bruce blog on the Bay Guardian website at sfbg.com. He is the former editor and co-founder and co-publisher of the Bay Guardian with his wife, Jean Dibble, 1966-2012).
As promised, we’ve disabled reader comments this week, at least on all the stories in this week’s paper, fresh blog posts, and those stories and posts that were still actively being commented on. It’s a week-long experiment and encouragement for those who don’t require anonymity to send give your feedback directly at our forum tonight (6-8pm at the LGBT Center, 1800 Market) or by email (news@sfbg.com) or snail mail. We’ll publish a lot of that feedback in next week’s paper.
It’s not our intention to be doctrinaire about this or play cat-and-mouse with trolls who want to comment on older posts and feel like they’re getting away with something. Knock yourselves out and we’ll come shut down comments on those posts when we get around to it or if things run amuck.
One avenue for comments that we aren’t shutting down this week is our Facebook page, where it’s tougher to troll anonymously, and we encourage you to go and comment there if you have something to say. Or you can tweet at us. And if the demand seems to be there to allow for a discussion on our site of the issues raised in tonight’s forum, we may even consider opening up a channel for that.
The Bay Guardian has been a work in progress since 1966, and that’s never been more true than the current moment we find ourselves in as we seek to revive and rejuvenate the paper and the Bay Area’s larger progressive movement. So thanks for your support and we hope to see you tonight.
WEDNESDAY 31
ROCK
Bottom of the Hill: 1233 17th St., San Francisco. Al Lover, Coo Coo Birds, Face Tat, Bubblegum Crisis, 9 p.m., $8.
Brick & Mortar Music Hall: 1710 Mission, San Francisco. Mammoth Life, Giggle Party, Animal Friend, Li Xi, DJ Neil Martinson, 9 p.m., $8.
Cafe Du Nord: 2170 Market, San Francisco. Sebadoh, Octa#grape, 9 p.m., $15.
El Rio: 3158 Mission, San Francisco. Pale Chalice, Larvae, Verdant Realm, 9 p.m., $7.
Hemlock Tavern: 1131 Polk, San Francisco. Winter Teeth, The Plurals, Rare Animals, 8:30 p.m., $6.
Milk Bar: 1840 Haight, San Francisco. Down Dirty Shake, Siddhartha, DJ Dahmer, 8 p.m., $2.
Neck of the Woods: 406 Clement St., San Francisco. Heavy Glow, I’m Dirty Too, 9 p.m., $5.
DANCE
The Cafe: 2369 Market, San Francisco. “Sticky Wednesdays,” w/ DJ Mark Andrus, 8 p.m., free.
Cat Club: 1190 Folsom, San Francisco. “Bondage A Go Go,” w/ DJs Damon, Tomas Diablo, & guests, 9:30 p.m., $5-$10.
The Cellar: 685 Sutter, San Francisco. “Eye Candy Wednesdays,” 9 p.m., free.
Club X: 715 Harrison, San Francisco. “Electro Pop Rocks,” 18+ dance party with A.C. Slater, more, 9 p.m.
F8: 1192 Folsom St., San Francisco. “Housepitality,” w/ KMLN, Keith Kraft, Sharon Buck, Kimmy Le Funk, 9 p.m., $5-$10.
Harlot: 46 Minna, San Francisco. “Qoöl,” 5 p.m.
Infusion Lounge: 124 Ellis, San Francisco. “Indulgence,” 10 p.m.
The Knockout: 3223 Mission, San Francisco. “Doing It for the Kids: A Tribute to Creation Records,” w/ DJs Nickie & Gareth, 10 p.m., $3.
The Lab: 2948 16th St., San Francisco. “Replicant: Part II,” w/ Vice Device, RedRedRed, Time Release, Jon Porras, 9 p.m., $5-$8.
Lookout: 3600 16th St., San Francisco. “What?,” 7 p.m.
MatrixFillmore: 3138 Fillmore, San Francisco. “Innov8,” 8 p.m.
Monarch: 101 6th St., San Francisco. “Queen Bitch,” w/ DJs Mario Muse, Jacob Lehrbaum, Galine Modemoeselle, and Baron Van West, 9 p.m., $5.
Q Bar: 456 Castro, San Francisco. “Booty Call,” w/ Juanita More, Joshua J, guests, 9 p.m., $3.
Rickshaw Stop: 155 Fell, San Francisco. Astro, Miles the DJ, 9 p.m., $15-$20.
HIP-HOP
Double Dutch: 3192 16th St., San Francisco. “Cash IV Gold,” w/ DJs Kool Karlo, Roost Uno, and Sean G, 10 p.m., free.
The Independent: 628 Divisadero, San Francisco. El-P, Killer Mike, Despot, Kool A.D., 8 p.m., $20.
Skylark Bar: 3089 16th St., San Francisco. “Mixtape Wednesday,” w/ resident DJs Strategy, Junot, Herb Digs, & guests, 9 p.m., $5.
ACOUSTIC
Cafe Divine: 1600 Stockton, San Francisco. Craig Ventresco & Meredith Axelrod, 7 p.m., free.
Fiddler’s Green: 1333 Columbus, San Francisco. Terry Savastano, Every other Wednesday, 9:30 p.m., free/donation.
Plough & Stars: 116 Clement, San Francisco. The Toast Inspectors, Last Wednesday of every month, 9 p.m.
JAZZ
Amnesia: 853 Valencia, San Francisco. Gaucho, Eric Garland’s Jazz Session, The Amnesiacs, 7 p.m., free.
Burritt Room: 417 Stockton St., San Francisco. Terry Disley’s Rocking Jazz Trio, 6 p.m., free.
Cafe Royale: 800 Post, San Francisco. Ken Husbands Trio, 9 p.m.
Club Deluxe: 1511 Haight, San Francisco. The Techtonics, Every other Wednesday, 8:30 p.m., free.
Jazz Bistro At Les Joulins: 44 Ellis, San Francisco. Charles Unger Experience, 7:30 p.m., free.
Le Colonial: 20 Cosmo, San Francisco. The Cosmo Alleycats featuring Ms. Emily Wade Adams, 7 p.m., free.
Martuni’s: 4 Valencia, San Francisco. Tom Shaw Trio, Last Wednesday of every month, 7 p.m., $7.
Oz Lounge: 260 Kearny, San Francisco. Hard Bop Collective, 6 p.m., free.
Rasselas Ethiopian Cuisine & Jazz Club: 1534 Fillmore, San Francisco. M.B. Hanif & The Sound Voyagers, 8 p.m.
Revolution Cafe: 3248 22nd St., San Francisco. Michael Parsons Trio, Every other Wednesday, 8:30 p.m., free/donation.
The Rite Spot Cafe: 2099 Folsom, San Francisco. The Glasses, 8:30 p.m., free.
Savanna Jazz Club: 2937 Mission, San Francisco. “Cat’s Corner,” 9 p.m., $10.
Top of the Mark: One Nob Hill, 999 California, San Francisco. Ricardo Scales, Wednesdays, 6:30-11:30 p.m., $5.
Zingari: 501 Post, San Francisco. Brenda Reed, 7:30 p.m., free.
INTERNATIONAL
Bissap Baobab: 3372 19th St., San Francisco. Timba Dance Party, w/ DJ WaltDigz, 10 p.m., $5.
Cafe Cocomo: 650 Indiana, San Francisco. “Bachatalicious,” w/ DJs Good Sho & Rodney, 7 p.m., $5-$10.
Pachamama Restaurant: 1630 Powell, San Francisco. “Cafe LatinoAmericano,” 8 p.m., $5.
Yoshi’s San Francisco: 1330 Fillmore, San Francisco. Oliver Mtukudzi & The Black Spirits, 8 p.m., $22.
REGGAE
Elbo Room: 647 Valencia, San Francisco. FogDub, The Rudicals, Carne Cruda, 9 p.m., $8.
BLUES
Biscuits and Blues: 401 Mason, San Francisco. Tinsley Ellis, 8 & 10 p.m., $24.
The Saloon: 1232 Grant, San Francisco. Little Jonny & The Giants, 9:30 p.m.
SOUL
Boom Boom Room: 1601 Fillmore, San Francisco. West Grand Boulevard, 9:30 p.m., free.
The Cellar: 685 Sutter, San Francisco. “Color Me Badd,” w/ DJ Matt Haze, Wednesdays, 5-9 p.m.
THURSDAY 1
ROCK
Cafe Du Nord: 2170 Market, San Francisco. The Dangerous Summer, Tommy & The High Pilots, Rare Monk, Breaking Laces, 7:30 p.m., $10.
The Knockout: 3223 Mission, San Francisco. The Remones, Astro Zombies, Japanese Baby, 9:30 p.m., $6.
Make-Out Room: 3225 22nd St., San Francisco. Colossal Yes, Zachary Cale, 7:30 p.m.
Monarch: 101 6th St., San Francisco. Heart of the Whale, Pony Fight, Le Fomo, 8 p.m., $5-$8.
Slim’s: 333 11th St., San Francisco. The Protomen, The Deadlies, 8 p.m., $14.
DANCE
Abbey Tavern: 4100 Geary, San Francisco. DJ Schrobi-Girl, 10 p.m., free.
Aunt Charlie’s Lounge: 133 Turk, San Francisco. “Tubesteak Connection,” w/ DJ Bus Station John, 9 p.m., $5-$7.
Boom Boom Room: 1601 Fillmore, San Francisco. J-Boogie’s Dubtronic Science, 9:30 p.m., $7-$10.
The Cafe: 2369 Market, San Francisco. “¡Pan Dulce!,” 9 p.m., $5.
Cat Club: 1190 Folsom, San Francisco. “All ‘80s Thursdays,” w/ DJs Damon, Steve Washington, Dangerous Dan, and guests, 9 p.m., $6 (free before 9:30 p.m.).
The Cellar: 685 Sutter, San Francisco. “XO,” w/ DJs Astro & Rose, 10 p.m., $5.
Club X: 715 Harrison, San Francisco. “The Crib,” 9:30 p.m., $10, 18+.
DNA Lounge: 375 11th St., San Francisco. Cynical Mass, The Vile Augury, Flesh Industry, Black Gradient, DJ Mephobic, 9:30 p.m., $8.
S.F. Eagle: 398 12th St., San Francisco. Bézier, RedRedRed, DJ Josh Cheon, 9 p.m., $8.
Elbo Room: 647 Valencia, San Francisco. “Afrolicious,” w/ DJs Pleasuremaker, Señor Oz, and live guests, 9:30 p.m., $5-$7.
The EndUp: 401 Sixth St., San Francisco. EDMSF Thursdays, 10 p.m., $10 (free before midnight).
F8: 1192 Folsom St., San Francisco. “Beat Church,” w/ Bosstone, Psymbionic, Liquid Geometry Crew, Ryury, 10 p.m., $5-$10.
Infusion Lounge: 124 Ellis, San Francisco. “I Love Thursdays,” 10 p.m., $10.
Madrone Art Bar: 500 Divisadero, San Francisco. “Night Fever,” 9 p.m., $5 after 10 p.m.
MatrixFillmore: 3138 Fillmore, San Francisco. “Fusion,” w/ DJ Big Bad Bruce, 9 p.m., $5.
Otis: 25 Maiden, San Francisco. “Art Star S.F.,” First Thursday of every month, 10 p.m., free.
Public Works: 161 Erie, San Francisco. Bay Area VJ Meetup, Showcase, and Battle, 7:30 p.m., free; Nick the Neck, Kimba, Peter Blick, 9:30 p.m., $7-$10.
Q Bar: 456 Castro, San Francisco. “Throwback Thursday,” w/ DJ Jay-R, 9 p.m., free.
Raven: 1151 Folsom St., San Francisco. “1999,” w/ VJ Mark Andrus, 8 p.m., free.
Rickshaw Stop: 155 Fell, San Francisco. “Popscene,” w/ French Horn Rebellion, 9:30 p.m., $12-$14.
Ruby Skye: 420 Mason, San Francisco. “Awakening,” w/ Tritonal, Topher Jones, 9 p.m., $15-$20 advance.
The Tunnel Top: 601 Bush, San Francisco. “Tunneltop,” DJs Avalon and Derek ease you into the weekend with a cool and relaxed selection of tunes spun on vinyl, 10 p.m., free.
Underground SF: 424 Haight, San Francisco. “Bubble,” 10 p.m., free.
Vessel: 85 Campton, San Francisco. “Base,” w/ Tone of Arc, Mozhgan, 10 p.m., $5-$10.
HIP-HOP
Eastside West: 3154 Fillmore, San Francisco. “Throwback Thursdays,” w/ DJ Madison, 9 p.m., free.
John Colins: 138 Minna, San Francisco. “The Premiere,” video hip-hop party with VDJ T.D. Camp, First Thursday of every month, 9 p.m., $5.
Park 77 Sports Bar: 77 Cambon, San Francisco. “Slap N Tite,” w/ resident Cali King Crab DJs Sabotage Beats & Jason Awesome, free.
The Parlor: 2801 Leavenworth, San Francisco. “Locals Night Out,” w/ DJ Illy D, 9 p.m., free.
Skylark Bar: 3089 16th St., San Francisco. “Peaches,” w/lady DJs DeeAndroid, Lady Fingaz, That Girl, Umami, Inkfat, and Andre, 10 p.m., free.
ACOUSTIC
Amnesia: 853 Valencia, San Francisco. Misisipi Mike & The Midnight Gamblers, First Thursday of every month, 9 p.m.
Atlas Cafe: 3049 20th St., San Francisco. The Country Casanovas, 8 p.m., free.
Bottom of the Hill: 1233 17th St., San Francisco. Owen, Laura Stevenson, Shawn Alpay, 9 p.m., $13-$15.
Hemlock Tavern: 1131 Polk, San Francisco. Josephine Foster, Victor Herrero, Mark Borthwick, 8:30 p.m., $10-$12.
Musicians Union Local 6: 116 Ninth St., San Francisco. San Francisco Singer-Songwriters’ Workshop, hosted by Robin Yukiko, First Thursday of every month, 6:30 p.m., $25 (free for AFM members).
Plough & Stars: 116 Clement, San Francisco. The Shannon Céilí Band, First Thursday of every month, 9 p.m., free.
JAZZ
Blush! Wine Bar: 476 Castro, San Francisco. Doug Martin’s Avatar Ensemble, 7:30 p.m., free.
Bottle Cap: 1707 Powell, San Francisco. The North Beach Sound with Ned Boynton, Jordan Samuels, and Tom Vickers, 7 p.m., free.
Club Deluxe: 1511 Haight, San Francisco. Michael Parsons, 8:30 p.m., free.
Le Colonial: 20 Cosmo, San Francisco. Steve Lucky & The Rhumba Bums, 7:30 p.m.
The Royal Cuckoo: 3202 Mission, San Francisco. Chris Siebert, 7:30 p.m., free.
Savanna Jazz Club: 2937 Mission, San Francisco. Savanna Jazz Jam with Eddy Ramirez, 7:30 p.m., $5.
Top of the Mark: One Nob Hill, 999 California, San Francisco. Stompy Jones, 7:30 p.m., $10.
Yoshi’s San Francisco: 1330 Fillmore, San Francisco. NaJe, in Yoshi’s lounge, First Thursday of every month, 6:30 p.m., free; Steve Cole, 8 p.m., $24.
Zingari: 501 Post, San Francisco. Anne O’Brien, First Thursday of every month, 7:30 p.m., free.
INTERNATIONAL
Bissap Baobab: 3372 19th St., San Francisco. “Pa’Lante!,” w/ Juan G, El Kool Kyle, Mr. Lucky, 10 p.m., $5.
Pachamama Restaurant: 1630 Powell, San Francisco. “Jueves Flamencos,” 8 p.m., free.
Rasselas Ethiopian Cuisine & Jazz Club: 1534 Fillmore, San Francisco. Latin Breeze, 8 p.m.
SFJAZZ Center: 205 Franklin St., San Francisco. World Drum Extravaganza: Body Music with Keith Terry, 4 p.m., $20.
Verdi Club: 2424 Mariposa, San Francisco. The Verdi Club Milonga, w/ Christy Coté, DJ Emilio Flores, guests, 9 p.m., $10-$15.
Yerba Buena Gardens: Fourth St. & Mission, San Francisco. Will Magid Trio, 12:30 p.m., free.
REGGAE
The Independent: 628 Divisadero, San Francisco. Rootz Underground, Blue King Brown, 9 p.m., $15.
Pissed Off Pete’s: 4528 Mission St., San Francisco. Reggae Thursdays, w/ resident DJ Jah Yzer, 9 p.m., free.
BLUES
Biscuits and Blues: 401 Mason, San Francisco. Deanna Bogart, 8 & 10 p.m., $20.
Jazz Bistro At Les Joulins: 44 Ellis, San Francisco. Bohemian Knuckleboogie, 7:30 p.m., free.
EXPERIMENTAL
The Luggage Store: 1007 Market, San Francisco. Doug Lynner, Lindsey Walker, 8 p.m., $6-$10.
FUNK
Brick & Mortar Music Hall: 1710 Mission, San Francisco. Mingo Fishtrap, The Eleven, 9 p.m., $7-$10.
FRIDAY 2
ROCK
Bottom of the Hill: 1233 17th St., San Francisco. Happy Body Slow Brain, Beta State, Via Coma, Ghost Parade, 9 p.m., $10-$12.
Brick & Mortar Music Hall: 1710 Mission, San Francisco. “Southern Fried Seance: A Mississippi–Bay Area Mind Expansive Guitar Celebration,” w/ Luther Dickinson, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Andy Cabic, Richard Osborn, Jimbo Mathus, 8 p.m., $15-$20.
Hemlock Tavern: 1131 Polk, San Francisco. Neil Michael Hagerty & The Howling Hex (performing Rogue Moon), Sands, 9 p.m., $12-$15.
The Independent: 628 Divisadero, San Francisco. Ben Kweller, Mahgeetah, Bonnie & The Bang Bang, Surf for Life benefit show, 9 p.m., $25.
Milk Bar: 1840 Haight, San Francisco. The Institution, Empire Slum, 8 p.m., $10.
Neck of the Woods: 406 Clement St., San Francisco. French Girls, Down Dirty Shake, The Downbeat Crowd, 9 p.m., $5-$8.
Slim’s: 333 11th St., San Francisco. The Sword, Castle, American Sharks, 9 p.m., $20.
Thee Parkside: 1600 17th St., San Francisco. Filthy Thieving Bastards, Jayke Orvis & The Broken Band, Sean Wheeler & Zander Schloss, 9 p.m., $10.
DANCE
1015 Folsom: 1015 Folsom St., San Francisco. “Witness 3.0,” w/ Hudson Mohawke (DJ set), Cashmere Cat, Jacques Greene, Om Unit, Roosevelt, Nick Hook, DJ Dials, Danny Corn, Hokobo, more, 10 p.m., $25 advance.
Amnesia: 853 Valencia, San Francisco. “Brass Tax,” w/ resident DJs JoeJoe, Ding Dong, Ernie Trevino, Mace, First Friday of every month, 10 p.m., $5.
BeatBox: 314 11th St., San Francisco. “As You Like It,” w/ Rrose, Rich Korach, Mossmoss, Honey Soundsystem, 9 p.m., $10-$15 advance.
Cafe Flore: 2298 Market, San Francisco. “Kinky Beats,” w/ DJ Sergio, 10 p.m., free.
The Cafe: 2369 Market, San Francisco. “Boy Bar,” w/ DJ Matt Consola, 9 p.m., $5.
Cat Club: 1190 Folsom, San Francisco. “Strangelove: A Tribute to Depeche Mode,” w/ DJs Tomas Diablo, Melting Girl, Sage, and Panic, 9:30 p.m., $7 ($3 before 10 p.m.).
The Cellar: 685 Sutter, San Francisco. “F.T.S.: For the Story,” 10 p.m.
DNA Lounge: 375 11th St., San Francisco. One More Time, Delorean Overdrive, DJs Mr. Tyler Jackson & Devon, 9 p.m., $15-$20; “Twitch,” w/ Vice Device, plus DJs Justin, Omar, Rachel, and Mozhgan, 10 p.m., $5-$8.
The EndUp: 401 Sixth St., San Francisco. “Fever,” 10 p.m., free before midnight.
F8: 1192 Folsom St., San Francisco. “Vintage,” w/ DJ Toph One & guests, 5 p.m., free.
The Grand Nightclub: 520 4th St., San Francisco. “We Rock Fridays,” 9:30 p.m.
Infusion Lounge: 124 Ellis, San Francisco. “Escape Fridays,” 10 p.m., $20.
Lookout: 3600 16th St., San Francisco. “HYSL,” 9 p.m., $3.
Madrone Art Bar: 500 Divisadero, San Francisco. “Dirty Rotten Dance Party,” w/ Kap10 Harris, Shane King, guests, First Friday of every month, 9 p.m., $5.
MatrixFillmore: 3138 Fillmore, San Francisco. “F-Style Fridays,” w/ DJ Jared-F, 9 p.m.
Mezzanine: 444 Jessie, San Francisco. “Future Fridays,” w/ Gorgon City, 9 p.m., $10-$20.
Monarch: 101 6th St., San Francisco. Christian Cambas, Syd Gris, Eliki, Sex Pixels, 9:30 p.m., $10 before 11 p.m.
Powerhouse: 1347 Folsom, San Francisco. “Nasty,” First Friday of every month, 10 p.m., $5.
Public Works: 161 Erie, San Francisco. “Dusty Rhino Pre-Burn Extravaganza,” w/ DJ Icon, Kramer, Ding Dong, Shooey, Alvaro Bravo, DJ Dane, Nugz, Jason Wilson, DJMK, Mystr/Htcht, more (in the main room), 9 p.m., $15-$20; “Clockworks,” w/ DJ Doc Martin (in the OddJob Loft), 10 p.m., $10-$15.
Q Bar: 456 Castro, San Francisco. “Pump: Worq It Out Fridays,” w/ resident DJ Christopher B, 9 p.m., $3.
Rickshaw Stop: 155 Fell, San Francisco. Trapeze 8: One-Year Anniversary Hot August Hoo-Ha, DJs Delachaux, JsinJ, and The Klown spin electro-swing cabaret platters while Lux-O-Matic, Fou Fou Ha!, Eva D’Luscious, and Miss Scarlet Conte get down in dapper flapper burlesque performances., 9 p.m., $10.
Ruby Skye: 420 Mason, San Francisco. Gabriel & Dresden, 9 p.m., $20 advance.
Slate Bar: 2925 16th St., San Francisco. “Haçeteria,” w/ Avalon Kalin, Nonamoan, plus resident DJs Jason P, Smac, Tristes Tropiques, and Nihar, 10 p.m., $5-$7.
Underground SF: 424 Haight, San Francisco. “No Way Back,” w/ Daniel Avery, Conor, Solar, 10 p.m., $10-$15.
Vessel: 85 Campton, San Francisco. “Blitz,” w/ Oliver, Justin Milla, 10 p.m., $10-$30.
Wish: 1539 Folsom, San Francisco. “Bridge the Gap,” w/ resident DJ Don Kainoa, Fridays, 6-10 p.m., free; “Depth,” w/ resident DJs Sharon Buck & Greg Yuen, First Friday of every month, 10 p.m., free.
HIP-HOP
EZ5: 682 Commercial, San Francisco. “Decompression,” Fridays, 5-9 p.m.
Mighty: 119 Utah, San Francisco. “Summer in the City,” w/ Triple Threat DJs Shortkut, Vinroc, and Apollo, 9 p.m., free.
Nickies: 466 Haight, San Francisco. “First Fridays,” w/ The Whooligan & Dion Decibels, First Friday of every month, 11 p.m., free.
ACOUSTIC
Bazaar Cafe: 5927 California, San Francisco. Sugar Ponies, 7 p.m.
The Chapel: 777 Valencia St., San Francisco. Griffin House, Megan Slankard, 9 p.m., $18-$20.
Elbo Room: 647 Valencia, San Francisco. The Pine Box Boys, Cutthroat Shamrock, Three Times Bad, 10 p.m., $10.
Pa’ina: 1865 Post St., San Francisco. Kimie, 7 p.m., $15 advance.
Plough & Stars: 116 Clement, San Francisco. The Naked Bootleggers, The Westpile Boys, 9 p.m.
The Sports Basement: 610 Old Mason, San Francisco. “Breakfast with Enzo,” w/ Enzo Garcia, 10 a.m., $5.
St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church: 2097 Turk, San Francisco. First Fridays Song Circle, First Friday of every month, 7 p.m., $5-$10.
JAZZ
Beach Chalet Brewery & Restaurant: 1000 Great Highway, San Francisco. Johnny Smith, 8 p.m., free.
Bird & Beckett: 653 Chenery, San Francisco. Don Prell’s SeaBop Ensemble, First Friday of every month, 5:30 p.m., free.
Jazz Bistro At Les Joulins: 44 Ellis, San Francisco. Charles Unger Experience, 7:30 p.m., free.
Savanna Jazz Club: 2937 Mission, San Francisco. Savanna Jazz Trio, 7 p.m., $5.
SFJAZZ Center: 205 Franklin St., San Francisco. World Drum Extravaganza: Monk on Drums with Allison Miller, 4 p.m., $20.
Top of the Mark: One Nob Hill, 999 California, San Francisco. Black Market Jazz Orchestra, 9 p.m., $10.
Zingari: 501 Post, San Francisco. Joyce Grant, 8 p.m., free.
INTERNATIONAL
Cafe Cocomo: 650 Indiana, San Francisco. Taste Fridays, featuring local cuisine tastings, salsa bands, dance lessons, and more, 7:30 p.m., $15 (free entry to patio).
Little Baobab: 3388 19th St., San Francisco. “Paris-Dakar African Mix Coupe Decale,” 10 p.m.
Pachamama Restaurant: 1630 Powell, San Francisco. Cuban Night with Fito Reinoso, 7:30 & 9:15 p.m., $15-$18.
Yerba Buena Gardens: Fourth St. & Mission, San Francisco. Venezuelan Music Project, 11 a.m. & 12:15 p.m., free.
REGGAE
Cafe Du Nord: 2170 Market, San Francisco. One Drop, Midnight Raid, Jethro Jeremiah & The Soulmates, 9:30 p.m., $10-$12.
Gestalt Haus: 3159 16th St., San Francisco. “Music Like Dirt,” 7:30 p.m., free.
Showdown: 10 Sixth St., San Francisco. “How the West Was Won,” w/ Nowtime Sound, First Friday of every month, 10 p.m., free.
BLUES
Biscuits and Blues: 401 Mason, San Francisco. Samantha Fish Trio, 8 & 10 p.m., $20.
Boom Boom Room: 1601 Fillmore, San Francisco. Bill Phillippe, 6 p.m., free.
FUNK
Amnesia: 853 Valencia, San Francisco. Swoop Unit, First Friday of every month, 6 p.m.
Boom Boom Room: 1601 Fillmore, San Francisco. Moksha, Ruby Velle & The Soulphonics, 9:30 p.m., $5-$15.
Make-Out Room: 3225 22nd St., San Francisco. “Loose Joints,” w/ DJs Centipede, Damon Bell, & Tom Thump, 10 p.m., $5.
SOUL
Edinburgh Castle: 950 Geary, San Francisco. “Soul Crush,” w/ DJ Serious Leisure, 10 p.m., free.
The Knockout: 3223 Mission, San Francisco. “Oldies Night,” w/ DJs Primo, Daniel, Lost Cat, friends, First Friday of every month, 10 p.m., $5.
Yoshi’s San Francisco: 1330 Fillmore, San Francisco. Les Nubians, 8 & 10 p.m., $28-$32.
SATURDAY 3
ROCK
Bender’s: 806 S. Van Ness, San Francisco. Hornss, Apogee Sound Club, 10 p.m., $5.
Bottom of the Hill: 1233 17th St., San Francisco. Guy Fox, Ghost & The City, Fortress Social Club, 9:30 p.m., $10-$12.
The Chapel: 777 Valencia St., San Francisco. This Charming Band, Strangelove, Add It Up, 9 p.m., $15.
El Rio: 3158 Mission, San Francisco. Nobunny, The Shrills, Sweat Lodge, 10 p.m., $8.
Hemlock Tavern: 1131 Polk, San Francisco. Neil Michael Hagerty & The Howling Hex (performing Earth Junk), Sweet Chariot, 9 p.m., $12-$15.
Make-Out Room: 3225 22nd St., San Francisco. Screature, POW!, Mane, 7:30 p.m., $8.
Slim’s: 333 11th St., San Francisco. The Sword, Castle, American Sharks, 9 p.m., $20.
Sub-Mission Art Space (Balazo 18 Gallery): 2183 Mission, San Francisco. Lightsystem, Broken Cities, Your Cannons, Tracing Figures, 8 p.m., $5.
Thee Parkside: 1600 17th St., San Francisco. Third Annual San Frandelic Summerfest, w/ Vincent Gallo, Spindrift, Guy Blakeslee, Outlaw, Greg Ashley, The Groggs, Wild Honey, Owl, Meat Market, Cool Ghouls, Virgin Hymns, 2 p.m., $30.
DANCE
Cafe Flore: 2298 Market, San Francisco. “Bistrotheque,” w/ DJ Ken Vulsion, 8 p.m., free.
Cat Club: 1190 Folsom, San Francisco. “Leisure,” w/ DJs Aaron, Omar, & Jetset James, First Saturday of every month, 10 p.m., $7.
DNA Lounge: 375 11th St., San Francisco. “Bootie S.F.,” w/ DJs Tripp, Faroff, Fox, Kool Karlo, Starr, Artitude, and more, 9 p.m., $10-$15.
The EndUp: 401 Sixth St., San Francisco. “Play,” w/ Mike Huckaby, John Tejada, Hoj, Atish, 10 p.m.
Infusion Lounge: 124 Ellis, San Francisco. “Volume,” First Saturday of every month, 10 p.m., $10-$20.
The Knockout: 3223 Mission, San Francisco. “Debaser,” w/ resident DJs EmDee, Jamie Jams, and Stab Master Arson, First Saturday of every month, 10 p.m., $5 (free before 11 p.m. if wearing flannel).
Lookout: 3600 16th St., San Francisco. “Bounce!,” 9 p.m., $3.
Madrone Art Bar: 500 Divisadero, San Francisco. “The Prince & Michael Experience,” w/ DJs Dave Paul & Jeff Harris, First Saturday of every month, 9 p.m., $5.
Mezzanine: 444 Jessie, San Francisco. Conspirator, The Flying Skulls, DJ Morale, 9 p.m., $20.
Mighty: 119 Utah, San Francisco. The Bromance Tour, w/ Gesaffelstein & Brodinski, 10 p.m., $18 advance.
Monarch: 101 6th St., San Francisco. “15 Years of Viva Recordings,” w/ Pezzner, Johnny Fiasco, Rick Preston, Jon Lemmon, Chad Neiro, 9 p.m., $10-$15.
Public Works: 161 Erie, San Francisco. “All Night Long: 1-Year Anniversary Party,” w/ DJ Garth & Eric Duncan (in the OddJob Loft), 9:30 p.m., $10-$15.
Q Bar: 456 Castro, San Francisco. “Homo Erectus,” w/ DJs MyKill & Dcnstrct, First Saturday of every month, 9 p.m., $5.
Rickshaw Stop: 155 Fell, San Francisco. “LCD Soundsystem Is Playing at My House,” w/ North American Scum, plus American Tripps ping-pong, 8 p.m., $6-$8.
Ruby Skye: 420 Mason, San Francisco. “House Connection,” w/ Bad Boy Bill & Richard Vission, 9 p.m., $20 advance.
The Stud: 399 Ninth St., San Francisco. “Go Bang!,” w/ Jordan Fields, DJ Osmose, Sergio Fedasz, Steve Fabus, 9 p.m., $7 (free before 10 p.m.).
Vessel: 85 Campton, San Francisco. Norman Doray, 10 p.m., $10-$30.
HIP-HOP
John Colins: 138 Minna, San Francisco. “N.E.W.: Never Ending Weekend,” w/ DJ Jerry Ross, First Saturday of every month, 9 p.m., free before 11 p.m.
Milk Bar: 1840 Haight, San Francisco. “Sonic Universe Mini-Festival,” w/ VerBS, Gee Soul & Rayshell with Rod Roc, Bwan, Digital Martyrs, MonBon, Rymeezee, J.R. & Mariyet, 10 p.m., $5.
Public Works: 161 Erie, San Francisco. Rye Rye, MicahTron, DJ Olga T, Hard French DJs Carnita & Brown Amy, in the main room, 9 p.m., $15-$20.
Slate Bar: 2925 16th St., San Francisco. “Touchy Feely,” w/ The Wild N Krazy Kids, First Saturday of every month, 10 p.m., $5 (free before 11 p.m.).
ACOUSTIC
Atlas Cafe: 3049 20th St., San Francisco. Craig Ventresco & Meredith Axelrod, Saturdays, 4-6 p.m., free.
Bazaar Cafe: 5927 California, San Francisco. Alex Jimenez, Lauren Oakshott, 7 p.m.
Neck of the Woods: 406 Clement St., San Francisco. Shani, Blackford Hill, Exhausted Pipes, 8 p.m., $8.
Plough & Stars: 116 Clement, San Francisco. “Americana Jukebox,” w/ Old Belle, Misisipi Rider, 9 p.m., $6-$10.
Revolution Cafe: 3248 22nd St., San Francisco. Seth Augustus, First Saturday of every month, 9 p.m., free/donation.
The Riptide: 3639 Taraval, San Francisco. Back40, 9 p.m., free.
JAZZ
Club Deluxe: 1511 Haight, San Francisco. Saturday Afternoon Jazz, w/ Danny Brown, Danny Grewen, Eugene Warren, & Beth Goodfellow, 4:30 p.m., free.
Jazz Bistro At Les Joulins: 44 Ellis, San Francisco. Bill “Doc” Webster & Jazz Nostalgia, 7:30 p.m., free.
Rasselas Ethiopian Cuisine & Jazz Club: 1534 Fillmore, San Francisco. The Robert Stewart Experience, 9 p.m., $7.
Savanna Jazz Club: 2937 Mission, San Francisco. Savanna Jazz Trio, 7 p.m., $5.
Sheba Piano Lounge: 1419 Fillmore, San Francisco. Charles Unger Experience, First Saturday of every month, 8 p.m.
Yerba Buena Gardens: Fourth St. & Mission, San Francisco. AfroSolo’s Jazz in the Gardens, w/ E.W. Wainwright, African Roots of Jazz, Denise Perrier Quintet, 1 p.m., free.
Zingari: 501 Post, San Francisco. Hubert Emerson, 8 p.m., free.
INTERNATIONAL
1015 Folsom: 1015 Folsom St., San Francisco. “Pura,” 9 p.m., $20.
Little Baobab: 3388 19th St., San Francisco. “Paris-Dakar African Mix Coupe Decale,” 10 p.m.
Make-Out Room: 3225 22nd St., San Francisco. “El SuperRitmo,” Latin dance party with DJs Roger Mas & El Kool Kyle, 10 p.m., $5.
Pachamama Restaurant: 1630 Powell, San Francisco. Peña Eddy Navia & Pachamama Band, 8 p.m., free.
SFJAZZ Center: 205 Franklin St., San Francisco. World Drum Extravaganza: Rumba Cubana with Sandy Pérez, Jesús Diaz, and Erick Barberia, noon, $20; World Drum Extravaganza: Samba Batucada with Jorge Alabe, 2:30 p.m., $20; World Drum Extravaganza: Uruguayan Candombe with Edgardo Cambón, 5 p.m., $20.
St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church: 2097 Turk, San Francisco. The Klez-X, 8 p.m., $14-$17.
BLUES
Biscuits and Blues: 401 Mason, San Francisco. E.C. Scott, 8 & 10 p.m., $20.
EXPERIMENTAL
Victoria Theatre: 2961 16th St., San Francisco. Sun Ra Arkestra, sfSoundGroup, Hans Grusel’s Krankenkabinet, 8 p.m., $20.
FUNK
Boom Boom Room: 1601 Fillmore, San Francisco. Polyrhythmics, 9:30 p.m., $5-$15.
Brick & Mortar Music Hall: 1710 Mission, San Francisco. Afrofunk Experience, Broun Fellinis, 9 p.m., $7-$10.
Yoshi’s San Francisco: 1330 Fillmore, San Francisco. Cameo, 8 & 10 p.m., $42.
SOUL
El Rio: 3158 Mission, San Francisco. “Hard French,” w/ DJs Carnita & Brown Amy, First Saturday of every month, 2 p.m., $7.
Elbo Room: 647 Valencia, San Francisco. “Saturday Night Soul Party,” w/ DJs Lucky, Phengren Oswald, & Paul Paul, First Saturday of every month, 10 p.m., $10 ($5 in formal attire).
SUNDAY 4
ROCK
Bottom of the Hill: 1233 17th St., San Francisco. Balmorhea, Young Moon, 9:30 p.m., $10.
Brick & Mortar Music Hall: 1710 Mission, San Francisco. Lecherous Gaze, Joy, Red Octopus, Grill Cloth, DJ Hackk, DJ Goosebumps, 9 p.m., $7.
Cafe Du Nord: 2170 Market, San Francisco. The Pops, The Beggars Who Give, Sad Tires, Headlines, 8 p.m., $8.
DNA Lounge: 375 11th St., San Francisco. “Summer Throwdown,” w/ Space Vacation, Son of a SuperCar, Systematic Decay, Look a Flying Pig, Dammit!, When Earth Awakes, Anisoptera, Sea in the Sky, Serville, Demacia, How the Beautiful Decay, 4:30 p.m., $10-$15.
Hemlock Tavern: 1131 Polk, San Francisco. A Million Billion Dying Suns, Foli, Disappearing People, 8:30 p.m., $6.
DANCE
The Cellar: 685 Sutter, San Francisco. “Replay Sundays,” 9 p.m., free.
The Edge: 4149 18th St., San Francisco. “’80s at 8,” w/ DJ MC2, 8 p.m.
Elbo Room: 647 Valencia, San Francisco. “Dub Mission,” w/ DJ Adam, DJ Sep, Vinnie Esparza, 9 p.m., $6 (free before 9:30 p.m.).
The EndUp: 401 Sixth St., San Francisco. “T.Dance,” 6 a.m.-6 p.m.; “Sunday Sessions,” 8 p.m.; “BoomBox,” First Sunday of every month, 8 p.m.
F8: 1192 Folsom St., San Francisco. “Stamina Sundays,” w/ DJs Lukeino, Jamal, and guests, 10 p.m., free.
Holy Cow: 1535 Folsom, San Francisco. “Honey Sundays,” w/ Honey Soundsystem & guests, 9 p.m., $5.
The Knockout: 3223 Mission, San Francisco. “Sweater Funk,” 10 p.m., free.
Lookout: 3600 16th St., San Francisco. “Jock,” Sundays, 3-8 p.m., $2.
Monarch: 101 6th St., San Francisco. “Ms. White: A Chic Polyamorous Monthly,” w/ DJs Solar & Robert Jeffrey, 10 p.m., $5.
Otis: 25 Maiden, San Francisco. “What’s the Werd?,” w/ resident DJs Nick Williams, Kevin Knapp, Maxwell Dub, and guests, 9 p.m., $5 (free before 11 p.m.).
The Parlor: 2801 Leavenworth, San Francisco. DJ Marc deVasconcelos, 10 p.m., free.
Q Bar: 456 Castro, San Francisco. “Gigante,” 8 p.m., free.
Temple: 540 Howard, San Francisco. “Sunset Arcade,” 18+ dance party with bar games and video arcade, 7 p.m., $5.
HIP-HOP
El Rio: 3158 Mission, San Francisco. “Swagger Like Us,” First Sunday of every month, 3 p.m.
Skylark Bar: 3089 16th St., San Francisco. “Shooz,” w/ DJ Raymundo & guests, First Sunday of every month, 10 p.m., free.
ACOUSTIC
Bazaar Cafe: 5927 California, San Francisco. Gary Adler, Aaron Ford, Lesley Greer, 6 p.m.
Club Deluxe: 1511 Haight, San Francisco. Musical Mayhem with the Dimestore Dandy, 5:30 p.m., free.
Jane Warner Plaza: Market, San Francisco. The Buds, 3 p.m., free.
The Lucky Horseshoe: 453 Cortland, San Francisco. Sunday Bluegrass Jam, 4 p.m., free.
Madrone Art Bar: 500 Divisadero, San Francisco. “Spike’s Mic Night,” Sundays, 4-8 p.m., free.
Milk Bar: 1840 Haight, San Francisco. Parlor Tricks, The Rusty String Express, 4 p.m., free.
Neck of the Woods: 406 Clement St., San Francisco. “iPlay,” open mic with featured weekly artists, 6:30 p.m., free.
Plough & Stars: 116 Clement, San Francisco. Seisiún with Cieran Marsden, 9 p.m.
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church: 1755 Clay, San Francisco. “Sunday Night Mic,” w/ Roem Baur, 5 p.m., free.
JAZZ
Amnesia: 853 Valencia, San Francisco. Kally Price Old Blues & Jazz Band, First Sunday of every month, 9 p.m., $5.
Chez Hanny: 1300 Silver, San Francisco. Soul Sauce, 4 p.m., $20 suggested donation.
Club Deluxe: 1511 Haight, San Francisco. Jay Johnson, 9 p.m., free.
Jazz Bistro At Les Joulins: 44 Ellis, San Francisco. Bill “Doc” Webster & Jazz Nostalgia, 7:30 p.m., free.
Madrone Art Bar: 500 Divisadero, San Francisco. “Sunday Sessions,” 10 p.m., free.
Revolution Cafe: 3248 22nd St., San Francisco. Jazz Revolution, 4 p.m., free/donation.
The Royal Cuckoo: 3202 Mission, San Francisco. Lavay Smith & Chris Siebert, 7:30 p.m., free.
SFJAZZ Center: 205 Franklin St., San Francisco. Josh Jones & The Jazz-Funk Messengers, 9:30 p.m., $20.
INTERNATIONAL
Atmosphere: 447 Broadway, San Francisco. “Hot Bachata Nights,” w/ DJ El Guapo, 5:30 p.m., $10 ($15-$20 with dance lessons).
Bissap Baobab: 3372 19th St., San Francisco. “Brazil & Beyond,” 6:30 p.m., free.
Oasis Bar & Grill: 401 California Ave., San Francisco. “El Vacilón,” 4 p.m., $10.
SFJAZZ Center: 205 Franklin St., San Francisco. World Drum Extravaganza: Caribbean Sensibility for Drummers with Josh Jones, 1 p.m., $20; World Drum Extravaganza: Brazilian Bloco Afro Workshop with Wagner Santos, 4 p.m., $20.
Thirsty Bear Brewing Company: 661 Howard, San Francisco. “The Flamenco Room,” 7:30 & 8:30 p.m.
BLUES
Biscuits and Blues: 401 Mason, San Francisco. Mitch Woods & His Rocket 88s, 7 & 9 p.m., $15.
Revolution Cafe: 3248 22nd St., San Francisco. HowellDevine, 8:30 p.m., free/donation.
The Saloon: 1232 Grant, San Francisco. Blues Power, 4 p.m.
Sheba Piano Lounge: 1419 Fillmore, San Francisco. Bohemian Knuckleboogie, 9 p.m., free.
COUNTRY
The Riptide: 3639 Taraval, San Francisco. “The Hootenanny West Side Revue,” First Sunday of every month, 7:30 p.m., free.
SOUL
Boom Boom Room: 1601 Fillmore, San Francisco. “Deep Fried Soul,” w/ DJs Boombostic & Soul Sauce, 9:30 p.m., $5.
Delirium Cocktails: 3139 16th St., San Francisco. “Heart & Soul,” w/ DJ Lovely Lesage, 10 p.m., free.
MONDAY 5
ROCK
Bottom of the Hill: 1233 17th St., San Francisco. Heavy Action, Caustic Casanova, City of Women, 9 p.m., $8.
Hemlock Tavern: 1131 Polk, San Francisco. M.O.T.O., Surprise Vacation, Manatee, 6 p.m., $8.
DANCE
DNA Lounge: 375 11th St., San Francisco. “Death Guild,” 18+ dance party with DJs Decay, Joe Radio, Melting Girl, & guests, 9:30 p.m., $3-$5.
Q Bar: 456 Castro, San Francisco. “Wanted,” w/ DJs Key&Kite and Richie Panic, 9 p.m., free.
Underground SF: 424 Haight, San Francisco. “Vienetta Discotheque,” w/ DJs Stanley Frank and Robert Jeffrey, 10 p.m., free.
ACOUSTIC
Amnesia: 853 Valencia, San Francisco. Belle Monroe & Her Brewglass Boys, First Monday of every month, 9 p.m., free.
The Chieftain: 198 Fifth St., San Francisco. The Wrenboys, 7 p.m., free.
Fiddler’s Green: 1333 Columbus, San Francisco. Terry Savastano, 9:30 p.m., free/donation.
Hotel Utah: 500 Fourth St., San Francisco. Open mic with Brendan Getzell, 8 p.m., free.
Osteria: 3277 Sacramento, San Francisco. “Acoustic Bistro,” 7 p.m., free.
JAZZ
Cafe Divine: 1600 Stockton, San Francisco. Rob Reich, First and Third Monday of every month, 7 p.m.
Le Colonial: 20 Cosmo, San Francisco. Le Jazz Hot, 7 p.m., free.
Make-Out Room: 3225 22nd St., San Francisco. “The Monday Makeout,” Local ensembles push the boundaries of jazz — and sometimes even sound itself — in a free whirlwind of improvisational whimsy., First Monday of every month, 8 p.m., free.
Rasselas Ethiopian Cuisine & Jazz Club: 1534 Fillmore, San Francisco. Open Mic Jazz Jam with Tod Dickow, 8 p.m.
The Union Room at Biscuits and Blues: 401 Mason, San Francisco. “The Session: A Monday Night Jazz Series,” pro jazz jam with Mike Olmos, 7:30 p.m., $12.
Zingari: 501 Post, San Francisco. Nora Maki, 7:30 p.m., free; Kitt Weagant, 7:30 p.m., free.
REGGAE
Skylark Bar: 3089 16th St., San Francisco. “Skylarking,” w/ I&I Vibration, 10 p.m., free.
BLUES
Jazz Bistro At Les Joulins: 44 Ellis, San Francisco. Bohemian Knuckleboogie, 7:30 p.m., free.
The Saloon: 1232 Grant, San Francisco. The Bachelors, 9:30 p.m.
SOUL
Madrone Art Bar: 500 Divisadero, San Francisco. “M.O.M. (Motown on Mondays),” w/ DJ Gordo Cabeza & Timoteo Gigante, 8 p.m., free.
TUESDAY 6
ROCK
Bottom of the Hill: 1233 17th St., San Francisco. Dead Serious, Bob Nick & Sutro, Black Belt Karate, 9 p.m., $8.
Brick & Mortar Music Hall: 1710 Mission, San Francisco. “Wood Shoppe,” w/ Lightning Dust, Louise Burns, Spells, 8 p.m., free.
The Chapel: 777 Valencia St., San Francisco. Eric D. Johnson & Yellowbirds, Black Cobra Vipers, 9 p.m., $13-$15.
Hemlock Tavern: 1131 Polk, San Francisco. Down Dirty Shake, Mrs. Henry, Open Bar: The Band, 8:30 p.m., $6.
The Knockout: 3223 Mission, San Francisco. Iron Fist, Ewig Frost, Speedboozer, Hemorage, DJ Agitator, 9:30 p.m., $7.
Neck of the Woods: 406 Clement St., San Francisco. Adventure Galley, Tall Sheep, Behind Sapphire, 9 p.m., $8-$10.
DANCE
Aunt Charlie’s Lounge: 133 Turk, San Francisco. “High Fantasy,” w/ DJ Viv, Myles Cooper, & guests, 10 p.m., $2.
Laszlo: 2532 Mission, San Francisco. “Beards of a Feather,” Enjoy classy house records, obscuro disco, and laid-back late-’80s jams with DJ Ash Williams and guests, First Tuesday of every month, 9 p.m., free.
MatrixFillmore: 3138 Fillmore, San Francisco. “TRL,” w/ DJ Big Bad Bruce, 10 p.m.
Monarch: 101 6th St., San Francisco. “Soundpieces,” 10 p.m., free-$10.
Q Bar: 456 Castro, San Francisco. “Switch,” w/ DJs Jenna Riot & Andre, 9 p.m., $3.
Underground SF: 424 Haight, San Francisco. “Shelter,” 10 p.m., free.
Wish: 1539 Folsom, San Francisco. “Tight,” w/ resident DJs Michael May & Lito, 8 p.m., free.
HIP-HOP
Skylark Bar: 3089 16th St., San Francisco. “True Skool Tuesdays,” w/ DJ Ren the Vinyl Archaeologist, 10 p.m., free.
Slim’s: 333 11th St., San Francisco. MC Chris, Dr. Awkward, Jesse Dangerously, Tribe One, 8 p.m., $15.
ACOUSTIC
Bazaar Cafe: 5927 California, San Francisco. Songwriter-in-Residence: Wilson Wong, 7 p.m. Starts . continues through Aug. 27.
Plough & Stars: 116 Clement, San Francisco. Seisiún with Suzanne Cronin, 9 p.m.
JAZZ
Beach Chalet Brewery & Restaurant: 1000 Great Highway, San Francisco. Gerry Grosz Jazz Jam, 7 p.m.
Burritt Room: 417 Stockton St., San Francisco. Terry Disley’s Rocking Jazz Trio, 6 p.m., free.
Cafe Divine: 1600 Stockton, San Francisco. Chris Amberger, 7 p.m.
Club Deluxe: 1511 Haight, San Francisco. Eugene Warren Trio, 8:30 p.m., free.
Jazz Bistro At Les Joulins: 44 Ellis, San Francisco. M.B. Hanif & The Sound Voyagers, 7:30 p.m., free.
Oz Lounge: 260 Kearny, San Francisco. Emily Hayes & Mark Holzinger, 6 p.m., free.
Revolution Cafe: 3248 22nd St., San Francisco. West Side Jazz Club, 5 p.m., free; Conscious Contact, First Tuesday of every month, 8 p.m., free.
Verdi Club: 2424 Mariposa, San Francisco. “Tuesday Night Jump,” w/ Stompy Jones, 9 p.m., $10-$12.
Yoshi’s San Francisco: 1330 Fillmore, San Francisco. Tommy Igoe Big Band, 8 p.m., $22.
INTERNATIONAL
The Cosmo Bar & Lounge: 440 Broadway, San Francisco. “Conga Tuesdays,” 8 p.m., $7-$10.
F8: 1192 Folsom St., San Francisco. “Underground Nomads,” w/ rotating resident DJs Cheb i Sabbah, Amar, Sep, and Dulce Vita, plus guests, 9 p.m., $5 (free before 9:30 p.m.).
REGGAE
Milk Bar: 1840 Haight, San Francisco. “Bless Up,” w/ Jah Warrior Shelter Hi-Fi, 10 p.m.
Pa’ina: 1865 Post St., San Francisco. Paula Fuga & Mike Love Trio, 8 p.m., $15 advance.
BLUES
Rasselas Ethiopian Cuisine & Jazz Club: 1534 Fillmore, San Francisco. Bohemian Knuckleboogie, 8 p.m., free.
The Saloon: 1232 Grant, San Francisco. Lisa Kindred, First Tuesday of every month, 9:30 p.m., free.
EXPERIMENTAL
Elbo Room: 647 Valencia, San Francisco. Pete Swanson, Bad News, Earth Jerks, 9 p.m., $10.
FUNK
Madrone Art Bar: 500 Divisadero, San Francisco. “Boogaloo Tuesday,” w/ Oscar Myers & Steppin’, 9:30 p.m., free.
SOUL
Boom Boom Room: 1601 Fillmore, San Francisco. The JRo Project, First Tuesday of every month, 9:30 p.m., $5.
Make-Out Room: 3225 22nd St., San Francisco. “Lost & Found,” w/ DJs Primo, Lucky, and guests, 9:30 p.m., free.
LOBSTER ROLL
On weekends, pair a giant, perfectly buttery lobster roll “shortie,” $10.62, from Sam’s Chowdermobile, the mobile version of the famous chowder joint, with a breezy afternoon of art, science, and general Golden Gate Park ambiance on the Music Concourse. The food truck is usually tucked behind the bandshell. Check Sam’s Twitter for info: www.twitter.com/chowdermobile
PINEAPPLE SHAKE
The pineapple shake, $2.30 at Beep’s Burgers (1051 Ocean Ave., SF.) is the stuff of legend, its secret knowledge passed down from generation to generation with a burp and a giggle. Fresh pineapple mixed into a vanilla shake: It’s that simple, but somehow so magical — especially with a basket of fries in Beep’s throwback drive-in burger joint setting.
PLUM SOUP
Who knew the Danes were so good at summer treats? Maybe because the sun sets so late in the region, the Scandinavian-influenced weekend brunch menu at Bar Tartine (561 Valencia, SF.www.bartartine.com) brings a bit of sunshine to our summer. The seasonal chilled stonefruit soup, just past apricot now into plum, is both gorgeous and delicious, a perfect compliment to Tartine’s hearty smørrebrøds (Danish openfaced sandwiches).
EURO TART FROYO
We’re big fans of frozen yogurt — and you know the diet-conscious Marina has to be poppin’ with fly froyo options. Sure enough, local chain Cultivé just opened a self-serve Marina outpost (1998 Union, SF. www.cultiveyogurt.com), with dozens of flavor options, many of them seasonal. One flavor always on the menu: Euro Tart. A thick, icy blast of tongue-tickling, it’ll make you pucker right up for summer.
KALBI BURRITO Stuck in the FiDi at lunchtime after an appointment — or, worse, for work? If it’s sunny, hit up tiny John’s Snack and Deli (40 Battery, SF. www.snackanddeli.com) for an awesome kalbi burrito to go (and find a spot along the wall on nearby Sansome between Market and Bush to enjoy it, and some great people-watching). The melt-in-your-mouth kalbi, a.k.a. Korean braised shortribs, wrapped like a burrito, wins our vote in the $8 lunch category, just beating out the bulgogi and kimchi burrito.
culture@sfbg.com
TABLEHOPPING Ahhh, the much-maligned San Francisco “summer,” the 62-degree, socked-deeply-in-the-fog days we love to hate on — but secretly cherish when the rest of the country is melting in 98-degree temps with sauna-like levels of humidity. But we are a hardy bunch. We proudly don our scarves with a flourish as we sit on patios drinking pitchers of beer, our stripy sweaters like badges of honor as we attend windy picnics in the park, eating corn on the cob (that was grown somewhere warm, definitely not here) while wearing fingerless gloves.
Since the calendar says it’s summer — even though some days almost require a parka — we have a restaurant summer salute for you: your cheat sheet of new restaurants with patios and sidewalk seating, plus recently opened spots that are just plain hawt, no matter what the temperature is. Oh, and a sneak peek at a couple places opening in time for Indian summer. Sunblock optional.
Due to reopen this week is a revamped Ziryab (528 Divisadero. SF. www.ziryabgrill.com), with a brand-new look, and there will now be both the popular front terrace and a new back patio with greenery. Add in a fresh Mediterranean menu from chef Khalid al Morabet (think vegetable tagine, merguez flatbread), plus a new liquor license with cocktails from Zach Taylor, previously at Hog and Rocks. Dive into drinks like the Ziryab Manhattan, with date-infused Bulleit rye, lapsang souchong tea, and a touch of arak — yeah, it’ll keep you warm.
In the Castro, the owner of Italian hotspot Poesia recently opened Dante’s Table (544 Castro, SF. www.dantestable.com), which has a back patio and garden area fittingly called “Paradiso.” You can swing by for a menu of casual Italian dishes (pasta, Neapolitan pizza), plus summery classics like bruschetta with tomato or burrata and tomatoes. Bonus: full liquor! There’s a happy hour from 5pm–6:30pm, with $7 cocktails, and $5 bites (suppli al telefono, fried and cheesy risotto balls…) that you can enjoy before the fog rolls in.
On the waterfront, Michael Chiarello’s Spanish Coqueta (Pier 5, SF. www.coquetasf.com) has a few outdoor tables where you can watch joggers go by as you swill your gin and tonic and eat jamón iberico (we recommend you do this at lunch for maximum sun). If the wind picks up, there is the Bar5 space that flanks the restaurant, with a communal bar table, high leather chairs, and tiled floors. And it’s full of windows that open and let in fresh air and light, so it’s almost like being outside.
We have mentioned these other new patio-bedecked places in our weekly Tablehopping column, but here’s your reminder: in North Beach, there’s the latest location of Tacolicious (1548 Stockton, SF. www.tacolicious.com), serving tacos and margaritas — available by the pitcher, oh yeah — all day to put you in a Mexico frame of mind as you kick it in your sidewalk seats. Meanwhile, over in the Upper Haight (a.k.a. fog-bank city), there’s Sparrow Bar and Kitchen (1640 Haight, SF. sparrowbarandkitchen.com) with its spacious heated beer garden in the back. Order one of the burgers to pair with the 14 beers on tap. Lastly, the very-soon-to-open (and heated!) back patio at Rustic (3331 24th St., SF. www.rusticsf.com) in the Mission will help you pretend you’re a well-seasoned Italian man, or reaffirm your official status as one, playing on the two bocce ball courts while eating pizza.
With a name like Waiheke Island Yacht Club (Pier 29, SF. www.waihekeislandyachtclub.com), you practically assume your drink is going to be a Cape Cod, served by someone in a navy blazer with gold buttons. Far from it. This higher-end, pop-up restaurant in a Pier 29 shed is a New Zealand import, open until the end of the year. It sports an airy and spacious look, with low-slung leather chairs and a gleaming open kitchen. It’s unlike anything in the city. The modern cuisine features New Zealand ingredients, like lamb (of course) and a smashing venison dish. You’ll find inventive cocktails at the bar, such as the Red Snapper, a spin on a Bloody Mary that totally rocks. Or refresh with some beers from Kiwi import MOA.
Also on the waterfront, the Boulette’s Larder team just opened the minimalist and contemporary Bouli Bar (Ferry Building, SF. www.bouletteslarder.com) in the former Culinaire space, with a wood-burning hearth, more than six kinds of pizzas, a variety of meze and salads, and lunch to go. Of course you can expect organic and very carefully sourced ingredients galore, with interesting seasoning and spices. Yup, it’s all so bougie. And in case you’re wondering, Boulette’s is due to reopen in August.
Over in Jackson Square, the business crowd has a new spot to power lunch at Roka Akor (801 Montgomery, SF. www.rokaakor.com), while the after-work scene can take over the downstairs lounge. The focal point of the dining room is the robata grill encircled by a hypertrendy shou-sugi-ban counter made of charred birch wood finished by hand. The menu, by chef Roman Petry, has a wide range of Japanese-inspired dishes, from lobster and abalone miso soup to Wagyu beef and kimchi dumplings, plus nigiri sushi, steaks, and more.
The Divisadero Corridor, so foodie-hot, and with the August 14th opening of La Urbana (661 Divisadero, SF. www.laurbanasf.com), it’s going to really be en fuego. This stylish restaurant and bar will be giving us a taste of Mexico City, with an eclectic design highlighting so many custom touches — mucho contemporary cantina. The cutting-edge cuisine from chef Benjamin Klein will offer modern takes on traditional regional Mexican dishes; the bar is going to be all about mezcal, and there will even be a Mezcaleria, with over 30 mezcals for sale (soon).
Anyone who is a fan of the elegant Acquerello is getting excited to see what owner Giancarlo Paterlini’s son Gianpaolo is putting together for his new 1760 (1760 Polk, SF. www.1760sf.com) project on Polk and Washington. It’s going to be a chic yet comfortable 80-seat spot (read: no tablecloths), with a rocking wine program (of course), a full bar, and a modern, ingredient-driven menu by chef Adam Tortosa. Stand by for an opening in late summer.
Marcia Gagliardi is the founder of the weekly tablehopper e-column; subscribe for more at www.tablehopper.com. Get her app: Tablehopper’s Top Late-Night Eats. On Twitter: @tablehopper.
WEDNESDAY 7/31
Attention fuzz pedal enthusiasts and indie rock fans alike: Lo-fi godfathers Sebadoh are coming to town! Formed as an offshoot of vocalist and guitarist Lou Barlow’s band, Dinosaur Jr., Sebadoh takes influences from proto punk and noise bands and presents it in a tight, dissonant package. The band has two sides: Barlow’s folk-infused songs and vocalist and bass player Jason Loewenstein’s more aggressive punk tunes. Both combine for an energetic, albeit schizophrenic set. Sebadoh will be hitting the Bay Area, promoting its newest EP, Secret EP and building up hype for its first full length album in 14 years, Defend Yourself, expected to drop in September. (Erin Dage)
With Octa#grape
9pm, $15
Cafe Du Nord
2170 Market, SF
(415) 861-5016
WEDNESDAY 7/31
Hey, this is something put on by the paper you’re currently reading. No nepotism though, this should be an interesting panel on one very specific publication and the media as a whole. At the forum, staffers — including publisher Marke Bieschke and editor Steven T. Jones — will seek community input on the state of the paper and media in the Bay Area, engage in a dialogue with readers, and discuss the future of the Bay Guardian. This comes at a crucial time for the paper, which saw the loss of longtime editor-publisher Tim Redmond last month. Following a brief interim period, Guardian staff members reached an agreement with the parent company “ensuring full editorial autonomy and control,” meaning, there’s a reinvigorated desire to rejuvenate the paper and connect closer with the community — a community Bieschke and Jones know well, having both been with the paper for a decade. (Emily Savage)
6-8pm, free
San Francisco LGBT Community Center
1800 Market, SF
Facebook: Guardian Community Forum
THURSDAY 8/1
Become the wine connoisseur of your circle by attending a night of unlimited wine tasting (from over 75 wineries) and some interesting presentations of its history in SF. Enjoy live music, chocolate, and even olive oil tasting at this uniquely informative event. FlipSide — part of the San Francisco Museum and Historical Society — has put together this event, among others like Historic Bar Crawls and lectures, to draw a younger generation of support for the city’s history. The Old Mint project, a big part of FlipSide’s mission, aims to create a new center with historical exhibits inside SF’s Old Mint at Fifth and Mission Streets. Listen to live music and taste unlimited amounts of wine for around 20 bucks — sounds like the right way to attract the younger generation to me. (Hillary Smith)
5:30 p.m., $21
Old Mint
88 Fifth St., SF
FRIDAY 8/2
What recession? Oh, that one. You can find some wee relief from economic woes, at least literary-wise, and a good night out with smart sexy peeps at Booksmith’s popular Bookswap party. For $25, you get dinner, drinks, special swag, and a new book, discovered in a white elephant swap at the end of the evening. August’s installment has a “Summer Blockbuster” theme — bring a book you think deserves to get the Hollywood treatment and become a movie. Bonus host: Heather Donahue, the captivating Blair Witch Project star and writer whose recent memoir Growgirl: The Blossoming of an Unlikely Outlaw shed new light on the treatment of women in the underground marijuana farming scene. It should be a movie! (Marke B.)
6:30pm, $25
Booksmith
1644 Haight, SF
(415) 863-8688
FRIDAY 8/2
If Brenda Way, KT Nelson, and Kate Weare’s Triangulating Euclid sounds like something off-putting out of high school geometry, it isn’t. The piece, which premiered last March, is a gorgeous, lush, totally involving piece of choreography, the result of three smart, independent women choreographers putting their heads together. Programming it into ODC annual Summer Sampler affords it — and the dancers — an opportunity in a different, non-proscenium theater. Triangulating will be joined by the world premiere of Kimi Okada’s duet Two if By Sea, which among other skills asks Vanessa Thiessen — who will retire after this performance — and Jeremy Smith to dig out their tap dancing shoes. Then a trio of ODC men will take on Weare’s 2006 The Light Has Not the Arms to Carry Us, which recently was performed by Weare’s own dancers during the Walking Distance Festival in June. (Rita Felciano)
Through Sat/3, 2013, 8pm, $30–$45
ODC Theater, SF
(415) 863-9834
FRIDAY 8/2
“I’m just a tomboy in cheap makeup with poor taste in clothes.” Says who? Says hysterical drag goddess Lady Bunny — legendary clubkid, reality TV favorite, MAC makeup model, comedienne, chanteuse, outspoken activist, and sporter of the largest wigs in existence. (The higher the hair the higher the drag queen, even if, as she recently told me on the phone, “it’s like I travel with my own motel mattress on my head. Great, except for the scabies.”) When Her Royal Bunion moved to New York in the 1980s with fellow Atlantians RuPaul and DJ Larry Tee, she helped start a gay-friendlier pop culture revolution. Friday at the fantastic weekly Some Thing drag show party she’ll bring the Dynel hair overload, the dirty jokes, and her cute new single “Take Me Up.” (Marke B.)
10pm, $8
Stud
399 Ninth St. , SF.
FRIDAY 8/2
What’s the only thing better than watching R. Kelly’s “Trapped in the Closet”? Packing in the Castro with hundreds of like-minded hip-hopera fans and singing along to that shizz. That’s right: “R. Kelly Trapped in the Closet: The Interactive Sing-Along” brings the controversial, inimitable R&B star’s soapy extravaganza (well, the first 22 chapters of it, anyway) to the big screen for all to croon along, complete with “custom subtitles.” Prepare your pipes for “Bump ‘N Grind,” “Ignition (Remix),” and other hits — plus cliffhangers galore (“Oh my god, a rubber!”), careless gunplay, a little-person stripper named “Big Man,” a Will Oldham cameo, and further lurid, hilarious, and — at last! — participatory insanity. (Cheryl Eddy)
Through Sun/4, $12
Castro Theatre
429 Castro, SF
SATURDAY 8/3
Get your sweet-tooth and literature fix all in one at this foodie favorite Fruit Pie Contest. Stop by and support local food-specializing bookshop, Omnivore Books, by sampling pies or even entering your own in the contest. Drop off your pie by 3pm to be included. The $5 door charge for non-bakers, who will be voting on the pies, will be split between the winner and Omnivore Books. Events are held at the shop on everything from growing an apartment garden, to the future of chocolate. Stop by the store for dessert, but stay for the inventive food lessons, the chance to meet new people, and to poke through vintage cookbooks. Here’s your chance to show off your award-worthy recipe to a knowledgeable food crowd. (Smith)
3pm, free
Omnivore Books on Food
3885a Cesar Chavez, SF
SATURDAY 8/3
As the name implies, this 12-year-old fest features a smorgasbord of live soul (and soul-ish) music, along with colorful artwork. The two-day music lineup includes Lisa Loeb (yes that Lisa Loeb, of “Stay” fame), Los Rakas, Leela James, Vintage Trouble, buzzing local songstress Mara Hruby, Bang Data, recently Guardian profiled singer-songwriter Lia Rose, and more. There’s also a more straight-forward blues stage, and a Sunday afternoon gospel hour. One of the key elements of the art side is the Community Mural Project — a decade-plus tradition in which budding artists can participate in a group mural. And then, of course, there will be hundreds of vendors selling their wares throughout the fest. Lastly, local food trucks will be whipping up jambalaya, hush puppies, lumpias, and smoked turkey legs — all those favorable festy eats. (Savage)
Through Sun/4, noon-8pm (noon-6pm, Sun.),. $8–$15
10 blocks between Frank Ogawa Plaza and City Center, Oakl.
SATURDAY 8/3
It’s hard to pick a favorite moment, character, and line from Rob Reiner’s 1987 fantasy-comedy The Princess Bride, but here’s a go: Inigo Montoya vs. the Man in Black sword battle (moment); Fezzik (character); “Inconceivable!” (line). Or: Miracle Max crafting the miracle pill; Grandpa; “Mawwage!” Seriously, I could do this all day. Bundle up, pack a picnic (“Anybody want a peanut?”), and gather your posse for a screening of this timeless classic in Dolores Park. Future SF events in the Film Night in the Park series include 1952’s Singin’ in the Rain (Aug 17, Union Square); 2012’s Moonrise Kingdom (Sept. 7, Washington Square Park); and 2012’s Skyfall (Sept 21, back at Dolores). (Eddy)
8pm, free (donations appreciated)
Dolores Park
19th St at Dolores, SF
SATURDAY 8/3
Guy Fox is a new band, only active for about a year or so. But the soulful Afro-indie group has already created a stir in the Bay Area. This year alone the band played Brick and Mortar Music Hall, the Boom Boom Room, Bottom of the Hill, Shattuck Down-Low, Rasputin, El Rio, and Café Du Nord. It also went on a month-long tour across the States this May. So it’s been busy. Frontperson Noodle Witherbee’s vocals range from the weathered scratchy sound of Cage the Elephant, to the smooth soul of the Black Keys, and everything in between. Guy Fox is easy listening, and at the rate it’s picking up gigs, it should be just as easy to catch live. (Smith)
With Ghost and the City, Fortress Social Club 9:30 p.m., $12
Bottom of the Hill
1233 17 St., SF (415) 626-4455
MONDAY 8/5
Apologies to the late, great Roger Ebert, but if she’d been born a few decades later, Pauline Kael’s Twitter account would’ve been the greatest movie-critic tweet stream of all time. The Petaluma native and UC Berkeley grad was known for her wonderfully biting, intelligent wit; she paved the way for modern film criticism (the good kind, not the poorly-punctuated, “I only know movies from the last five years” Internet-spawned kind) with her books (1965’s I Lost It At the Movies) and print-journalism gigs, most notably at the New Yorker. Presented as part of Shotgun Cabaret’s First Person Singular series, Mary Baird’s solo show Love in the Dark: Pauline Kael and the Movies draws on Kael’s own writings to bring the feisty legend, who died in 2001, back to life. (Eddy)
8pm, $15
Ashby Stage
1901 Ashby, Berk.
TUESDAY 8/6
MC Chris marches to the beat of his own drum machine. The pint-sized Chicago-area rapper is technically a hip-hop artist, but this is likely not the kind of hip-hop you’ve heard before. In his characteristic chipmunk chirp, MC Chris raps about Star Wars, DQ Blizzards, and lots of computer geek nerdiness. In addition to being the world’s unlikeliest rapper, he has also worked as an animator, voice actor, and songwriter for a handful of Cartoon Network Adult Swim shows, including Aqua Teen Hunger Force. In his free time (ha) MC Chris is working on a recently Kickstarted comic and acts as an advocate for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. He and his hyper-dedicated fans have raised over $100,000 for the cause. (Haley Zaremba)
With Dr. Awkward, Jesse Dangerously, Tribe One
8pm, $15
Slim’s
333 11th St., SF
(415)-255-0333
Schedules are for Wed/31-Tue/6 except where noted. Director and year are given when available. Double and triple features marked with a •. All times pm unless otherwise specified.
ALBANY 1115 Solano, Albany; www.landmarketheatres.com. $7. “Family Series:” Where The Wild Things Are (Jonze, 2009), Sat-Sun, 10:30am.
CASTRO 429 Castro, SF; (415) 621-6120, www.castrotheatre.com. San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, Wed-Thu. See www.sfjff.org for program information. “R. Kelly Trapped in the Closet: The Interactive Sing-Along,” Fri-Sun, 8. Advance tickets ($12) at www.ticketweb.com. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Hughes, 1968), presented sing-along style, Sat-Sun, 2. Advance tickets ($9-12) at www.ticketweb.com.
CHRISTOPHER B. SMITH RAFAEL FILM CENTER 1118 Fourth St, San Rafael; (415) 454-1222, www.cafilm.org. $6.75-$10.25. The Hunt (Vinterberg, 2012), call for dates and times. One Track Heart: The Story of Krishna Das (Frindel, 2012), call for dates and times. Rebels With a Cause (Kelly, 2012), call for dates and times. Storm Surfers 3D (McMillan and Nelius, 2012), call for dates and times. 20 Feet From Stardom (Neville, 2013), call for dates and times. Hannah Arendt (von Trotta, 2012), Aug 2-8, call for times.
CLAY 2261 Fillmore, SF; www.landmarktheatres.com. $10. “Midnight Movies:” “A Nightmare to Remember: Volume One,” short films hosted by Miss Misery, Sat, midnight.
“FILM NIGHT IN THE PARK” This week: Dolores Park, 19th St at Dolores, SF; www.filmnight.org. Free (donations appreciated). The Princess Bride (Reiner, 1987), Sat, 8.
NEW PARKWAY 474 24th St, Oakl; www.thenewparkway.com. Free. “First Friday Shorts,” works by local women filmmakers, Fri, 6-8.
NEW PEOPLE CINEMA 1746 Post, SF; www.jffsf.org. $13. “J-Pop Summit Festival: Japan Film Festival of San Francisco,” new films and anime from Japan, Wed-Sun.
PACIFIC FILM ARCHIVE 2575 Bancroft, Berk; (510) 642-5249, bampfa.berkeley.edu. $5.50-9.50. “Tales of Love: The Enchanted World of Jacques Demy:” Jacquot (Varda, 1991), Wed, 7; Model Shop (Demy, 1969), Fri, 9; Donkey Skin (Demy, 1970), Sun, 6:30. “A Call to Action: The Films of Raoul Walsh:” “Behind the Scenes: Film Critics Dave Kehr and Michael Fox in Conversation:” Wild Girl (Walsh, 1932), Thu, 7; “Book Signing and Discussion with Dave Kehr:” The Lawless Breed (Walsh, 1953), with a discussion of Kehr’s book, When Movies Mattered, Sat, 6; Pursued (Walsh, 1947), Sat, 8:40. “Dark Nights: Simenon and Cinema:” Betty (Chabrol, 1992), Fri, 7. “Castles in the Sky: Masterful Animation from Studio Ghibli:” From Up on Poppy Hill (Miyazaki, 2011), Sun, 4:30.
ROXIE 3117 and 3125 16th St, SF; (415) 863-1087, www.roxie.com. $6.50-11. Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me (DiNicola and Mori, 2012), Wed, 6:45, 9. Plimpton! Starring George Plimpton As Himself (Bean and Poling, 2012), Wed-Thu, 6:45, 8:45. “Triple Fisher: The Lethal Lolitas of Long Island,” Thu, 7:30, 9:15. Downloaded (Winter, 2013), Aug 2-8, 7:15, 9:30. *
July 31-August 6, 2013
ARIES
March 21-April 19
Deal with your anxieties, Aries. Try stepping gently towards the nervous thoughts that are freaking you out, instead of trying to avoid or distract yourself from them. This is the time to patiently support your self through transitions, not rush around like a chicken with its head cut off.
TAURUS
April 20-May 20
You have to be willing to change in meaningful ways in order for your life to be different. This week it is important that you let go of old habits and attachments that you know are holding you back. You have so much going for you that it would be a shame to stop your progress just because you’re a little gun shy.
GEMINI
May 21-June 21
You’re standing in the doorway of a new phase in your life, Twin Star, and the wisest approach that you can take is to expect the best. Use the power of optimistic thinking to help get you where you want to go this week. If you focus on positive outcomes, it can only help; be part of the creation process.
CANCER
June 22-July 22
You are changing, Cancer, and the most likely thing to get in your way is your own damn fears. Don’t let your drive towards security freak you out so badly that you sabotage the journey. Let things develop this week, even if they get scary. You’re on your way to a richer life; you just have to tolerate uncertainty along the way.
LEO
July 23-Aug. 22
Love is in the air, Leo. You are at your best when you get to get all loved on and share your good vibes with others. Don’t hold back or limit yourself this week, but also try to keep your head screwed on tight. Know your limits and maintain them, no matter how tempting the alternatives might be.
VIRGO
Aug. 23-Sept. 22
You need to decide where you’re gonna stand, Virgo. This is not the time to be looking outside of yourself and assessing what’s right based on what you think other people may want or expect from you. Get clear about your own needs and intentions, then communicate your stance to whomever it may concern.
LIBRA
Sept. 23-Oct. 22
You can’t make an omelet without cracking a few eggs, Libra. In order to grow into the life you wish to have you need to be willing to undergo some stressful stuff. Not everything that’s frightening is bad, so don’t get the two confused. Be on the lookout for possible overreactions to change this week.
SCORPIO
Oct. 23-Nov. 21
It’s true that you’re not in control, but instead of lamenting what was or could maybe be, keep your energies trained on what you have agency over, Scorpio. This is an excellent time for laying the groundwork for future successes, even if you aren’t crazy about your present. Focus on the constructive this week.
SAGITTARIUS
Nov. 22-Dec. 21
It may be tricky figuring out how to live in an authentic way and stay in your present circumstances this week. Make bold and radical moves without disrupting your security on the material plane. Change your attitudes, investigate new plans, or open up your heart. Just don’t quit your day job, Sag.
CAPRICORN
Dec. 22-Jan. 19
There’s a terrible rumor going around that you’re a patient person, Capricorn, but we know that’s just not true. When things go swimmingly can you leave well enough alone or do you start picking and pecking away at them? This week you should strive to let things develop in their way, and in their own time.
AQUARIUS
Jan. 20-Feb. 18
It doesn’t matter how many ways you look at it; you don’t have all the answers yet. Even if you do your utmost, you’re unlikely to have enough information to proceed this week. Get inspired to better understand how you handle uncertainty. If you can’t tolerate it you may impulsively take some ill-advised risks.
PISCES
Feb. 19-March 20
The worst thing you could do this week is rush past your basic needs, Pisces. Catch up on your sleep, do the groceries and empty your inbox. There’s no value in burning yourself out and getting all weird. Set some limits and stop over committing yourself. You have some hard work ahead of you so should get grounded while you can.
Jessica Lanyadoo has been a Psychic Dreamer for 18 years. Check out her website at www.lovelanyadoo.com to contact her for an astrology or intuitive reading.
emilysavage@sfbg.com
TOFU AND WHISKEY Rye Rye went underground for a blip there. Discovered at 15 in a Baltimore club by Blaqstarr, then later introduced and signed to MIA’s Interscope imprint, N.E.E.T. Recordings, the burgeoning dancer, colorful fashion icon, and hip-hop artist seemed destined for immediate stardom. Then she got pregnant, and her debut album, originally slated for release in 2009, was delayed.
After a great many guest spots and collaborations, she came roaring back solo in 2012 with the release of that debut, Go! Pop! Bang!, and an acting gig in the film remake of 21 Jump Street. She popped up again in 2013 with her spring-released track “After Party” off casually impending mixtape RYEde or Die, and this June as a guest star on Asher Roth’s “Actin Up” (which later ended up also including Justin Bieber and Chris Brown).
She’ll be back in the Bay Area this week, after swinging through Oakland as the opener for Scissor Sisters last year at the Fox. This Hard French after party with Micahtron, however, should be a much more intimate, Rye Rye-centric event (Sat/3, 9pm, $20. Public Works, 161 Erie, SF. www.publicsf.com)
The 22-year-old’s style is bold and her voice positively bursts with energy and sonic Funfetti on tracks like the aforementioned frenzied dance single “After Party,” which includes call-backs to both MIA and Missy Elliott (whom she calls her main inspirations, in addition to Kanye West). She’s equally tough and confident on aggressively fun songs like Go! Pop! Bang!‘s “Dance.” And in the video for tender club hit “Boom Boom,” also off Go! Pop! Bang! — which samples the ’90s Vengaboys’ pop hit “Boom Boom Boom” — Rye Rye stars in a live action video game, showcasing both her dance skills and multihued lavender, sky blue, and pink bangs. Plus, she’s been known to tear up the dancefloor in person, at her own shows.
Yet on the phone, she’s quiet, coy, and talks in a girlish tone. Though she does mention several times that she’s a generally shy person, so this likely accounts for the tiny voice I hear whispering through the phone line from a hot day in Baltimore. She talks to me while watching cartoons with her young daughter, who she says likes her mom’s songs and already dances to them. “She knows it all,” Rye Rye says.
In talking about her own early days, as a teen going out with her older sister, Rye Rye says hip-hop was king, but there was some club music and R&B at the spots they’d hit up. At the time, she was in a group that used to dance all over Baltimore, which is what led to her making her own music. Fortuitously, her sister was friends with Blaqstarr, and she met him in a club then later rapped on his answering machine. “I saw him in the club that night, and he asked me to spit it for him and I was like, being shy so I told him no. But we started working in the studio together then eventually met MIA and Diplo.”
Those sessions led to her first mixtape, and eventually, Go! Pop! Bang! For RYEde or Die, she’s still in the midst of working on new tracks, but says she’s taking her time on this one because she’s not quite sure the direction she wants to go in just yet. “I’m deciding if I want to base it on things I deal with, you know? So I’m just still writing on it, trying to plan it out.”
In between writing new tracks and taking her daughter to the pool (her favorite spot this summer), Rye Rye says she’d also be open to more acting gigs, after enjoying her brief stint on the 21 Jump Street set. She got hooked up with the part when MIA told her the directors of the film were fans of her music and wanted her number, then pulled her in for an audition in LA with Jonah Hill, without a script. She and Jonah just riffed in front of casting directors, and she was picked for the role. The casual sentence that eventually ended up being her most memorable moment in the film? “Meanwhile you two were standing around, finger-popping each other’s assholes.” She says it dressed as a cheerleader with bleached bangs, putting emphasis on the word “popping,” and somehow manages to make the line sound cute.
Similar to how MIA’s “Paper Planes” later became synonymous with Pineapple Express — a track on which Rye Rye also contributed — the 21 Jump Street film theme was a bouncy electro-pop club banger by Rye Rye and Esthero.
Now, the rapper is courting meetings and looking ahead to some sporadic gigs until a proper tour at the end of the year, but says she isn’t too concerned about the future. “Everything for me is always just kind out of the blue,” she says. “You know I just go with the flow.”
As first reported by the Bay Bridged, Different Fur Studio owner and engineer Patrick Brown and Robert Pera have come together to release a beat-heavy electro hip-hop album under the name WOOF. The record, Thrill of it All, is the debut LP from the duo, and was released a couple of weeks back on Bandcamp. It began as an instrumental record, then grew to include guest vocals handpicked by the duo from a broad reach of zeitgeist-y rappers and emcees including locals like Nanosaur, A-1, and Richie Cunning, along with Mykki Blanco, Mistah F.A.B., and Chicago MC Show You Suck. There’s also a Matrixxman remix of the song “Pretend,” which features Bird Call. woofbeats.bandcamp.com.
Experimental electronic producer Al Lover has been quoted as saying “the psych music of today is what the producers of tomorrow will sample.” So the local music-maker recently cut out the middle man, and went straight to the source, creating his own tripped out electro-psych tracks. That meant collaborating with Tim Presley aka White Fence on this month’s seven-inch “Snake Hands,” released through the UK’s PNKSLM Records, which is Lover’s first ever solo vinyl release. (Note that White Fence also has a show coming up Aug. 7 at the Rickshaw Stop.) “Snake Hands” is a single from his forthcoming LP Space Magick. Consummate beat-fiend that he is, Lover also flipped the switch back the other way this summer and put up a collection of remixes, recorded over a one-year period. That includes trance-ready instrumental mixes of tracks by fellow (or former) locals like Nick Waterhouse, Fuzz, and Burnt Ones, along with a standout take on Grinderman’s “Bellringer Blues.” He’ll be showcasing a live beat set at Bottom of the Hill tonight. With Coo Coo Birds, Face Tat, Bubblegum Crises.
Wed/31, 9pm, $8. Bottom of the Hill, 1233 17th St., SF. www.bottomofthehill.com.
You guys, Space Vacation is like SF’s own Spinal Tap, distilling the many aspects of theatrical heavy metal into an entertaining metal act you must see live. The group plays actual sing-along heavy metal (in the vein of Iron Maiden and Def Leppard) but also brings along show-enhancing efforts like smoke and lasers. The quartet plays the all-day, all-ages Summer Throwdown event at DNA Lounge this weekend with Son of a SuperCar, Systemic Decay, Look a Flying Pig, Dammit, Serville, and a handful more. Lean in and throw the devil horns during the daylight.
Sun/4, 4:30pm, $15. DNA, 375 11th St, SF. www.dnalounge.com.
There seems to be an uptick in occult fascination lately, or am I just now really paying attention? This whole lineup — a free show through Wood Shoppe — has the witchy vibe, with Vancouver’s Lightning Dust and Louise Burns, and SF’s own Spells. Lightning Dust’s Amber Webber (of Black Mountain) and Josh Wells began as a whispery folk duo in 2007. However, their spooky third LP, June’s Fantasy (Jagjaguwar), is said to be inspired more by “skeletal synth pop, modern R&B beats, the films of John Carpenter and…absolute minimalism.” Louise Burns has that chilled ’80s darkwave thing down. And Spells, the newest project from songwriter Jennifer Marie, incorporates synth and vintage organs into eerie, lovely nightmarescapes (check locally appropriate “Fog”).
Tue/6, 8pm, free. Brick and Mortar Music Hall, 1710 Mission, SF. www.brickandmortarmusic.com.
arts@sfbg.com
MUSIC The Descendents have been around since the early 1980s, writing fast, coffee-driven punk music with lyrics about trashy, tongue-in-cheek rebellion in songs like “My Dad Sucks” and “I’m Not a Loser.” The group has undergone various lineup changes, losing drummer Bill Stevenson to Black Flag for a while, and periodically losing lead singer Milo Aukerman to his pursuit of higher education and biochemistry (which the band named its most popular record after).
Brad Nowell of Sublime and Jason Thirsk of Pennywise died within months of each other in the summer of 1996, right around the time when the Descendents regrouped to record the landmark album Everything Sucks. How is this all connected? These three groups (well, Sublime with Rome now) will play the America’s Cup Pavillion together on Sun/4. The Descendents on-again/off-again frontperson, Dr. Aukerman, spoke with me recently about the upcoming show, his dual-life as a biochemist and band leader, and his influence on rockers who didn’t make it out of the ’90s.
SFBG First of all, happy 50th birthday! Do you think that your famous massive coffee intake has helped your longevity in any way?
Milo Aukerman Probably not. I think coffee can be good for you in moderation; it has antioxidant properties, for example. But like anything else you put into your body, it’s not good to overdo it. I am a caffeine abuser, for sure. But I like it, and it helps me rock out. At least I’m not strung out on something harder.
SFBG So when Milo [went] to College after releasing the record of the same name, you split briefly from the band and got a Ph.D. in biochemistry. Why the decision?
MA Actually, first I left to get my undergraduate degree (1982-1986), played again with the band (1985-1987), and then left for my Ph.D. (1987-1992). I’ve always said I would be a scientist, and that music was just a hobby for me. It’s a very intense hobby, and one that makes me some extra cash, but I never considered music as a career, and I still don’t. My career is in science, as I always wanted.
SFBG How do you decide to divide up your time?
MA In 1996 I was really burned out on science; I didn’t have a permanent position, so it was pretty easy to walk away from for a while. Once I got a permanent position, I couldn’t realistically take a break from science. Now, my decision to stay connected with music has been primarily based on wanting to have that creative outlet. While science is creative in its own way, I find that music keeps me feeling alive and young in ways that science cannot. So now, although I cannot really “walk away” from science, I take little vacations from it whenever the band gets together to play or record.
SFBG Do you have a quiet, “clone” of a “Suburban Home” in Delaware when you’re back to being Dr. Aukerman?
MA I do have a suburban home! The irony is that Tony Lombardo wrote “Suburban Home” as a way to poke fun at himself, because when he wrote it, he already owned a house. Let’s face it, we all grew up and took on more adult responsibilities and possessions, but we still have to look in the mirror and laugh at ourselves. Many of our songs are self-critical, some in a more humorous way than others.
SFBG You’re opening for Sublime with Rome at the America’s Cup Pavillion. They covered your song “Hope” on 40oz. to Freedom, did you ever meet or play with Brad Nowell while he was alive?
MA They also covered “Myage,” “Sour Grapes,” and “I’m Not a Loser” — I only learned after Nowell’s death how much they liked the Descendents. We never played with Sublime, nor did I ever meet Brad. I looked at their Wiki page, which lists their “Years Active” as 1988 to 1996…that’s the exact same time frame as our hiatus before Everything Sucks, so, there you go. But I’m really looking forward to seeing [Sublime with Rome] play; there will always be the naysayers saying “you can’t fill Brad’s shoes,” but if a band’s good, I don’t care about that shit. Eric shreds on bass, Rome has a good voice and I like their new stuff, so it’s all good.
SFBG Do you write songs like “I Like Food” as fast you play them?
MA Those type of songs usually start out in your head as a jumble of lines, and usually induced by too much caffeine. You may repeat them over and over, and say them to your friends for a laugh. So by the time you actually write them on paper, it’s pretty quick to finish them. Bill’s the master at these; he wrote “Weinerschnitzel,” then realizing it wasn’t short enough, wrote “ALL.”
THE DESCENDENTS
With Pennywise, Sublime with Rome
Sun/4, 5:30pm, $39.50
America’s Cup Pavilion
27-29 San Francisco Pier 33
(415) 371-5500
americascup.com/concert-series
