WEDNESDAY 7
Swahili Search for the words “Swahili” and “band” on YouTube and you could easily get lost in a deluge of traditional Kenyan music. But refine your query a bit to the emerging Portland, Ore. band by that name and you’ll find something that is more of a psychedelic trip than a geographical one. Sure, the polyrhythms are there, along with generally obscured lyrics that could be a foreign language, but listen to the other elements, and you’ll here the sounds of other territories — including The Grid, as the ominous synths on slow, pounding track “Fallout” could have fit right in with Daft Punk’s Tron Legacy soundtrack. (Ryan Prendiville)
With Blonde Stranger, Feelings
9 p.m., $6
Hemlock Tavern
1131 Polk, SF
(415) 923-0923
Spilt Milk One-Year Anniversary
What up, local bass and techno scene? The Bay’s gotten such an influx of touring DJs and international guests in the past couple years that we sometimes overlook the talent in our own community garden plot. Namely, Berkeley’s got a nice scene going, cute and scruffy around the edges with a nice, deep thrust. For its first anniversary, weekly Wednesday party Spilt Milk showcases Berkeley’s ace Mother Records head honcho Mountaincount, along with labelmates King’s Ransom and Taylor Fife. Add on deliciously dark SF synth duo Pixel Memory, nu disco-house Epicsauce DJs, and zany hyphy-house skullsmashers WACK RAPS — there’s no need to cry, baby, except with hometown pride.
8:30 p.m., free
Milk
1840 Haight, SF
(415) 387-6455
THURSDAY 8
Béla Fleck and the Flecktones
What makes the Flecktones the Flecktones? Bassist Victor Wooten recently suggested that it has something to do with how “we’ve all been considered crazy when relating to our instruments.” Yes, these men are passionate, insanely talented musicians who’ve created their own brand of bluegrassy jazz, an enormous fan base, and a musical instrument or two (e.g. Victor’s brother, Future Man’s drum-guitar hybrid, the drumitar). The group’s been playing since 1988, but before Rocket Science (released last May), the original foursome of Bela Fleck, Howard Levy, Victor Wooten, and Roy “Future Man” Wooten hadn’t gotten together to create new material since the early ’90s. Although their current tour has been coined a “reunion tour,” Fleck has stressed that it’s more about performing new pieces than wallowing in nostalgia. (Mia Sullivan)
8 p.m., $32.50–$45
Regency Ballroom
1290 Sutter, SF
(888) 929-7849
“Living in Studio Kuchar”
Every once in awhile, the Oscar telecast sprinkles a little unexpected joy into its “In Memoriam” montage. Chances are more than a few San Francisco film fans, and experimental cinema junkies worldwide, were gasping with delight at the recent inclusion of the late, great George Kuchar alongside mainstream mourn-ees like Whitney and La Liz. Kuchar’s contributions to film art will never be forgotten; now, here’s an outstanding opportunity to further commemorate his life and work: an exhibit of his films, videos, drawings, writing, and more, plus a campus-wide celebration (tributes, lectures, screenings) honoring the legacy of one of the San Francisco Art Institute’s most beloved (and proudly perverse) instructors. (Cheryl Eddy)
Opening reception (5:30-7:30 p.m.) and celebration (7:30 p.m.-midnight) tonight; exhibit through April 21
Walter and McBean Galleries
San Francisco Art Institute
800 Chestnut, SF
FRIDAY 9
Tall Ships Visit SF
Avast, me hearties! It’s time to weigh anchor, raise the mainsail, and discover a sense of adventure and exploration through maritime history. Two special tall ships will be making port in the city this week for walk-on tours, educational programs, and a series of sailing trips navigating through San Francisco Bay. The Lady Washington, a wooden-hulled replica of a Revolutionary War-era privateer, and Hawaiian Chieftain, a steel-hulled version of an early 19th century trading vessel, are outstanding examples of the majestic ships that once filled the oceans. Don’t miss your chance to take the helm, sing a shanty, and travel back in time, landlubber! (Sean McCourt)
Tours and sail times vary; see website for schedule, $3–$35.
Pier 40, SF
(800) 200-5239
“Waters Rising”
When seen at last year’s West Wave Festival, Brittany Ceres Brown’s “Columbia Chasing” shone with its finely articulated, fluid yet resilient choreography. She is bringing the quintet back on a mixed bill with Becca Rozell’s “A Triplet Tale,” inspired by the French animation comedy The Triplets of Belleville and, on a more serious note, Andrea Weber’s “Synchronicity & the Sacred Space.” There Weber examines the collision of perception and reality, with the help of writings by storyteller-traveler Jon Turk. Ceres Brown knows about programming. Before turning to choreographing full-time a few years ago, she worked for West Wave. I trust her sense of what we might like to watch. (Rita Felciano)
Fri/9-Sat/10, 8 p.m.; Sun/11, 5 p.m., $18
Dance Mission Theater
3316 24th St., SF
(415) 273-4633
TOKiMONSTA
Once Jennifer Lee traded piano melodies for laptop synths, she became TOKiMONSTA, a pioneer in the Los Angeles beats movement popularized recently in the Bay by regular Low End Theory parties. After joining Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder crew, TOKi launched perhaps her most compelling work yet last year, the seven-track Creature Dreams EP (Brainfeeder). Creature keeps TOKi’s expected warm electronic soundscapes but strays from a completely digital feel. Gavin Turek’s soulful croon complements some harp strumming on the track “Darkest (Dim)” while guitar and piano samples throughout the EP hint at new avenues of musical exploration. (Kevin Lee)
With DiBia$e, Knxwledge, and the Flying Skulls
10 p.m., $20
Yoshi’s Lounge
1330 Fillmore, SF
(415) 655-5600
SATURDAY 10
World Naked Bike Ride
San Francisco, it is our cardinal duty to uphold our hard-won reputation as Gomorrah. This is not as easy as it would at first appear! New Orleans, Austin, and Novato froth at the mouth to unseat us as the country’s most debaucherous, debased metropolis. We must do our part to stay at number one. That being said: World Naked Bike Ride. Fox News waits with baited breath to gasp at clips of this worldwide event, organized in 70 cities, 20 countries, and right here in downtown Freakville as a potent protest against our overusage of fossil fuels. Bring body paint and baby wipes, and do not tag the photos on Facebook. (Caitlin Donohue)
11 a.m.-4 p.m., free
Justin Herman Plaza
Market and Embarcadero, SF
Facebook: World Naked Bike Ride San Francisco
“Kala Art Institute Celebrates Lawrence Ferlinghetti”
Lawrence Ferlinghetti, co-founder of City Lights Booksellers and Publishers, is a poet and artist whose work is imbued with the beauty of the commonplace and reflects on social and political issues. “Lawrence Ferlinghetti — Out of Chaos” is a portfolio that showcases Ferlinghetti’s original artwork and poetry in a five-page suite style. It includes three original, signed black-and-white lithographs, and a cover page with poem and a colophon both printed letterpress and hand-printed on Rive BFK paper. Come meet the Beat Generation’s favorite publisher this Saturday for a reception celebrating the timeless significance of literature and art (Soojin Chang)
4-6 p.m. reception, free.
Kala Gallery
2990 San Pablo, Berk.
(510) 841-7000
SATURDAY 10
Slow Club
As far as album openers go, “Two Cousins” from Slow Club’s album Paradise was an especially good one. A pair of voices quietly harmonize a few syllables and at :06, even before a single piano note plays or the slow drum beat comes in, you’re captivated. Worst case scenario is that a track like that will overshadow the rest of the album, but that doesn’t seem to be a problem for the UK duo of Charles Watson and Rebecca Taylor who create sublime indie, soul, and folk sounds with little more than guitars, odd objects to drum on, and of course, those two voices. (Prendiville)
With Signals, Y La Bamba
9 p.m., $9–$12
Brick and Mortar Music Hall
1710 Mission, SF
(415) 800-8782
SUNDAY 11
Choir of Young Believers
Led by Jannis Noya Makrigiannis, Choir of Young Believers is an orchestral pop group that’s frequently cited as being the equivalent to Fleet Foxes in Denmark. Now a fully fleshed out band (with eight members at last count), the group is set to release its sophomore album, Rhine Gold, on March 20 from Ghostly International. Rhine carries on the forward trajectory of sincere, emotionally grand pop established with by 2009’s debut This Is for the White in Your Eyes, while still showcasing an ever-expansive number of influences, from the Tears for Fears callback on “Patricia’s Thirst” to the Neu! beat on “Paralyse.” (Prendiville)
With Lime Colony
9 p.m., $12
Bottom of the Hill
1233 17th St., SF
(415) 621-4455
MONDAY 12
The Joy Formidable
The Joy Formidable’s sound is difficult to encapsulate in a phrase, but it brings to mind ’90s alternative rock; and it’s engulfing. Lead vocalist-guitarist Ritzy Bryan throws down heavy guitar riffs while flying through foreboding lyrics that focus on time, loss, pain, and the past. This Welsh trio released its debut album, The Big Roar, last year and proceeded to take the stage at major American music festivals including SXSW, Coachella, Lollapalooza, and our own Outside Lands. Bryan, bassist Rhydian Dafydd, and drummer Matt Thomas possess major punch and playful chemistry on stage and make frequent attempts at bringing audiences into their merriment. (Sullivan)
With A Place to Bury Strangers
Through Tues/13, 8 p.m., $20
Independent
628 Divisadero, SF
(415) 771-1421
TUESDAY 13
Memoryhouse
At first glance, it’s tempting to write off Ontario-based dream pop duo Memoryhouse as another Tumblr-ready, sepia-toned Instagram shot — visually appealing perhaps, but vacuous and ephemeral. But if you look beyond the group’s washed out aesthetic, you’ll find that its work can’t be recreated with an iPhone app. The group’s two releases — the stunning independent debut EP The Years (2010) and its recently-released debut LP The Slideshow Effect — are full of sleepy, sonic depth, driven by vocalist Denise Nouvion and composer/multi-instrumentalist Evan Abeele’s palpable partnership. Abeele crafts delicate, layered arrangements that expertly frame Nouvion’s effortless cool, resulting in affecting work that will burrow into your being in a way that is a million miles away from the throwaway photos that clog our timeline. (Daniel Alvarez)
With James and Evander, Sister Crayon
8 p.m., $12
Rickshaw Stop
155 Fell, SF
(415) 861-2011
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