THURSDAY 9
Chrysta Bell
What kind of dreamlike, noir-ish persona does it take for David Lynch to call you his muse? Enter Chrysta Bell, a tall, modelesque redhead who could star as the doe-eyed femme fatale in the film director’s next trippy mystery. But Bell is more than a pretty face with a penchant for stilettos. The chanteuse shines with a series of moody numbers that range from brooding to fiery in her Lynch-produced 2011 solo album, This Train (Lynch also designed the visuals for her live performance). The LP’s title track evokes a Portishead-like sensibility, with Bell’s plaintive intonations sailing through electric guitar reverberations. (Kevin Lee)
With Emily Jane White
8pm, $20
Bimbo’s 365 Club
1025 Columbus, SF
FRIDAY 10
“The Rocky Horror Show 40th Anniversary Concert Tribute”
It’s astounding: The Rocky Horror Show — the original stage musical that spawned the 1975 lingerie-clad mother of all cult films, The Rocky Horror Picture Show — turns 40 this year. Who better to pay tribute than Peaches Christ and friends, who’re bringing Patricia “Magenta” Quinn to town for the occasion? The most-recognizable opening-credits lips ever will be performing as part of a “fully realized rock music concert” (with a cast of local musical luminaries), plus she’ll be taking questions from Peaches and fans in the audience. Also, there’ll be a Rocky character costume contest, a “Time Warp Warm-up” with perform-along veterans the Bawdy Caste, and much more. A toast to Rocky! (Cheryl Eddy)
Tonight and Sat/11, 8pm (also Sat/11, 3pm), $30-35
Victoria Theatre
2961 16th St., SF
Kingdom of Not
Does Google Earth include Dan Carbone? He’s hard to pinpoint even if, with his lolloping overgrown baby frame, he’s equally hard to miss. If you go to the Garage tonight, you’ll almost certainly not miss this longtime absurdist master of the tweely macabre, nor Andrew Goldfarb, his sturdy collaborator, as the duo unpack a new trunk of treats in the gleefully unbalanced musical playroom known as Kingdom of Not (arch architects of the self-produced CD, Journey to the Far Side of the Room). This evening of fresh mutterings and mischievous ditties — entitled “i am a Lie that ALWAYS tells the TRUTH” — features special guests Richard J. Berman (bass), Gray (“demon goddess”), and pioneering Texas psychedelic autoharpist Billy Bill Miller (of Roky Erickson and the Aliens). (Robert Avila)
8pm, $10–$20
Garage
715 Bryant, SF
Eifman Ballet
If you think that ballet is about princesses, swans, and dancing flowers skittering across the stage in an superannuated vocabulary, Boris Eifman is the man for you. This Russian iconoclast makes works about art, passion, sex, betrayal, and power. Dance is but one element in these hugely conceived pieces that tell stories, big-time. His long-limbed, fabulously trained dancers can do anything. They are spectacular but so are the sets, costumes, acting and music, all conceived by Eifman. He collages his own scores, and he is ruthless in taking what he thinks he needs to make his super-dramatic statements. The current piece is called Rodin, but don’t be fooled by the title: it’s as much a work about Rodin’s lover and badly treated mistress, sculptor Camille Claudel. (Rita Felciano)
Tonight and Sat/11, 8pm; Sun/12, 3pm, $30–$92
Zellerbach Hall
Bancroft at Telegraph, UC Berkeley, Berk.
Greyboy Allstars
Even the words associated with Greyboy Allstars have a certain groove to them: “boogaloo,” “funk,” “acid jazz.” First performing together in 1994 in San Diego, the group has managed to come together since then to create five albums amid solo projects, numerous outside collaborations, and work in other industries. Every time the Allstars reunite, it stitches together of the most danceable elements of many genres — not just jazz and funk, but ’80s pop, hip-hop, and even some psych-rock — and the results are intriguing. These two performances at the Independent present a rare opportunity to catch ’em in action, so jump (or more appropriately, dance) at the opportunity. (Laura Kerry)
With Alan Evans Trio
Tonight and Sat/11, 9pm, $25
Independent
628 Divisadero, SF
SATURDAY 11
Bob’s Burgers Live!
I don’t eat meat, but I do eat Bob’s Burgers. That’s because Bob’s Burgers are cartoons, just wholesome natural cartoons: not exactly good for you, but light on your buns. The cast of Fox’s hit animated series comes to town for an evening of juicy, charbroiled, wax-paper-wrapped comedy — including stand-up, table readings, audience Q&A, and sneak previews of new episodes — featuring the highly animated real people behind the scenes: H. Jon Benjamin (Bob Belcher), Kristen Schaal (Louise Belcher), Eugene Merman (Gene Belcher), Dan Mintz (Tina Belcher), John Roberts (Linda Belcher), and the show’s creator and executive producer, Loren Bouchard. (Avila)
8pm, $32.50
Nob Hill Masonic Auditorium
1111 California, SF
http://bit.ly/bobssanfrancisco
“Oakland Internet Cat Video Festival”
Imagine the motor skills, emojis, and investigative aptitudes that are expended towards the perusal and dissemination of internet cat videos. Now envision the United States’ gently slipping global profile, our general disdain of forward thinkers, and disappointing affinity for environmentally rape-y mineral extraction processes. Is it such a stretch to believe a cat lovers movement could save the world? We could take this day-long festival, with its locally made cat vendors, cat-themed aerial acrobatics, and of course, lineup of furry clips projected onto Oakland’s Great Wall that are oft-watched in the privacy of our homes — and turn it into a rallying moment. Cat lovers, turn your golden eyes upon the future! Click your way to Barack Obama’s website and meow your concern over fracking tactics that will leave the world a worse place for our tiny, furry babies! But first, one more video of Lil Bub breathing loudly. Okay, now go. (Caitlin Donohue)
3-10pm, $10-$75
Great Wall of Oakland
West Grand between Broadway and Valley, Oakl.
Art Industry Open Studios
With 10,000 square feet of space, American Steel Studios resembles a museum more than a studio space. But in museums, the art has been completed; the walls are still and quiet. Within American Steel, on the other hand, sculptors, architects, and inventors buzz with creativity and work. During this weekend, the buzz will increase with studio tours, performances, and artist talks as the venue invites the public into a place that has played a significant role in Oakland’s recent arts boom. And as an added bonus, American Steel also contains a brewery that will participate in the event. Not many museums can claim that. (Kerry)
Through Sun/12
Noon, free
American Steel Studios
1960 Mandela, Oakl.
SUNDAY 12
Jim James
Jim James, sometimes billed as Yim Yames, has howled and hopped his way to folk-rock royalty with his bombastic performances and killer vocals as the frontperson for My Morning Jacket. Circuital, MMJ’s most recent full-length, bridged the gap between folk jams and radio-ready hits with its catchy hooks and sunny choruses. In his solo work, James is slightly more mellow, but still delightfully, uncompromisingly, eccentric. No matter what moniker he performs under, James will always be one hell of a performer. The Fillmore’s hallowed ground is the perfect match for his bizarre theatrics and unmatched charisma. (Haley Zaremba)
With Cold Specks
8pm, $31
Fillmore
1805 Geary, SF
Mothra
Celebrate Mother’s Day this year with the most massive maternal monster of them all — Mothra! Award-winning writer August Ragone, author of Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters, which looked at the life of the Japanese special effects legend (among his many creations: the beloved winged kaiju), hosts a screening of Ishiro Honda’s 1961 Mothra as part of Will Viharo’s excellent “Thrillville” series. Prepare to settle on some comfy couches (pro-tip: the New Parkway serves pizza and beer), listen to Ragone share secrets and behind-the-scenes photos about the making of the movie, and sing along with the two tiny twin fairies as the glorious destruction begins! (Sean McCourt)
6pm, $6
New Parkway
474 24th St, Oakl.
MONDAY 13
Yngwie Malmsteen
Coming to prominence in the early 1980s, guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen blew away listeners with his classically-inspired shredding and a flashy style that displayed his incredible technical prowess on the instrument. The virtuoso has released a slew of metal and rock records that show off his scorching solos, but he has also put out albums featuring classical and orchestral compositions and collaborations with groups such as the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. Malmsteen, whose latest effort, Spellbound, came out last year, continues to hone his fancy fretwork — and occasionally makes headlines for his off-stage antics as well. Don’t miss out on your chance to see him “unleash the fury!” (McCourt)
With Burning Heat
8pm, $32
Regency Ballroom
1300 Van Ness, SF
TUESDAY 14
“The Social Network Effect with Nicholas Carr”
“If Terrence Malick were given a lobotomy, forced to smoke seven joints in rapid succession, and ordered to make the worst TV advertisement the world has ever seen, this is the ad he would have produced.” Nicholas Carr was unkind on his blog to Facebook’s first television commercial, but he saves his most potent invective against Facebook, Google and other internet behemoths that have taken hold in society. The former Harvard Business Review executive editor argues such sites are hindering our ability to remember information, connect with others and consume media. His 2011 book, The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains, is a harrowing treatise on how the World Wide Web is shaping us more than we are shaping it. Tonight, he’s in conversation with former Wired editor Thomas Goetz. (Lee)
7:30pm, $22–$27
Nourse Theatre
275 Hayes, SF