On the Cheap listings are compiled by Soojin Chang. Submit items for the listings at listings@sfbg.com. For further information on how to submit items for the listings, see Picks.
WEDNESDAY 25
"A Poetic Soundtrack to Black Life" Michael Warr’s poetry performance Museum of African Diaspora, 685 Mission, SF. (415) 358-7200, www.moadsf.org. 6:30pm-8pm. $10 general admission; $5 for seniors and students. Poet Michael Warr — accompanied by guitarist Todd Brown, saxophonist Prasant Radhakrishnan, bassist Michael Shiono, and drummer Howard Wiley — performs a recitation of his life journey. The esteemed writer’s lyrical memoir begins here in San Francisco’s Hunters Point, but takes flight around the world to Timbuktu, Addis Ababa, Baton Rouge, and back.
THURSDAY 26
200th Anniversary of the Brothers Grimm Goethe-Institut Art Lounge, 530 Bush, SF. (415) 263-8760, www.goethe.de. Reception starts 6:30pm. Regular exhibition hours Mon.-Thurs., 10am-6pm; Fri., 10am-4pm, free. The enchanting stories of the Frog Prince, Hansel and Gretel, and Sleeping Beauty are celebrating their 200th birthday. To celebrate, German artists from the Bay Area have created paintings, drawings, photos, and installations showcasing modern day interpretations of the legendary fairy tales.
Cocktail party and live window fashion presentation Loft 1513 Boutique, 3927 24th St., SF. (415) 550-1513, www.loft1513.com. 6pm-10pm, free. Booze and shopping can be a very dangerous thing, but hopefully you can live to tell the tale of Loft 1513’s fashion night. Celebrating the launch of their new location, the local clothing and accessories boutique will be hosting a live fashion show, after-hours shopping event, and art presentation.
FRIDAY 27
"Night Light" multimedia garden party SOMArts Cultural Center, 934 Brannan, SF. (415) 863-1414, www.somarts.org/nightlight. 8:30pm-10pm, $10 adv.; $12 at door. For one night only, SOMArts will be illuminated with light and sound sculptures, digital and cinematic projections, and reverberating with live music. Soak in the ethereal ambiance of various electric musicians and abstract dance performances while nestled in the bamboo grove or sifting through the unique gallery space.
"Summer Nights" series launch party Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak, Oakl. (510) 318-8400, www.museumca.org. 5pm-9pm, $6. Summer is so close, we can almost taste it. For every final Friday until October, OMCA will be extending gallery hours, screening classic films, and offering half-price admission, as Amoeba DJs spin tracks from the 1970’s.
Food Shift and Silent Disco party RallyPad, 144 Second St., SF. www.rally.org. 7pm-10pm, $3 with RSVP. For those who are drawn to the idea of a silent rave but hate techno, this is the event for you. Silent Storm Sound System has paired up with Food Shift for a fundraiser disco party addressing food waste. Enjoy complimentary food, drinks, and a suspiciously noiseless dance floor.
SATURDAY 28
Food Bloggers Bake Sale Omnivore Books, 3885 Cesar Chavez, SF. (415) 282-4712, www.bakesalesf.wordpress.com. 11am-4pm, free. Food blogs are better than porn, and now you have a chance to thank these baking demi-gods in person. San Francisco’s favorite food bloggers are joining chocolaty forces to put together a bake sale, donating 100 percent of the sales to the national nonprofit Share Our Strength.
Soap Bubble flash mob Dolores Park, 18th St. at Dolores, SF. www.facebook.com/doloresparkbubbleday. Noon, free. With your help, Dolores Park will bubble over in an effervescent glory like a barely-opened bottle of champagne.
SUNDAY 29
California Mile Preview historic car show The Fairmont, 950 Mason, SF. (415) 479-9950, www.californiamile.com. 8:45am, free. From 1927-1957, Mille Miglia (Italian for thousand mile) hosted a famed open-road endurance race, birthing sports cars like BMW, Ferrari, Maserati, and Porsche on the way. Today, cars from all over the world that would have qualified for the original event that will line the street in front of Fairmont Hotel in the biggest free car show of its kind.
Nights of Cabiria The Tannery, 708 Gilman, Berk. www.berkeleyundergroundfilms.blogspot.com. 7pm, free. Federico Fellini’s Night of Cabiria is about a spunky escort who meanders the streets of Rome looking for love but winds up in all the wrong places. Join BUFS, an all-ages club for film collectors, researches, and enthusiasts for a rare 16mm screening of this Italian classic.
MONDAY 30
"Learn to Make Cool Things with Electronics" Noisebridge, 2169 Mission, SF. (415) 449-8862, www.noisebridge.net. 7pm, free. Learn how to build virtually anything you wish with the help of hardware experts at Noisebridge, a teach-learn space for creative technology projects. You are open to bring your own idea, or choose from available kits like "Atari Punk Console," which transforms Altoids tins in to musical instruments or "MintyBoost," an alternative way to charge your USB-enabled gadgets.
TUESDAY 1
Wood Shoppe free concert series Brick and Mortar Music Hall, 1710 Mission, SF. (415) 800-8782, www.woodshoppesf.com. 8pm, free. Enjoy tasty refreshments, sweet tunes, and be the first to hear emerging bands in this monthly, no-cover music event. For this month, New Zealand’s Midnight Youth will make its San Francisco debut as the show’s kiwi-rock headliner.