marke@sfbg.com
SUPER EGO There’s a reason many of us got all churchy when word came down last month that Frankie Knuckles, the Godfather of House, had passed to that vast, sweaty dance floor in the sky. As dance music continues to grow, it seems more necessary than ever to affirm its root credo of love and acceptance. Frankie was house music’s apostle: He could make you glow in the light of the deepest underground track or a remix of the hoariest pop hit. (I’m not lying when I tell you that his 10-minute reconstruction of “You Are Not Alone” saved my life once.)
Some among us think that holy spirit is dead — they need to get out more. But it still could use some reaffirmation. This weekend, two house greats, NYC’s Hector Romero and our own David Harness, salute Frankie’s legacy and keep the fires burning hot. Let’s do this. Sat/10, 10pm-4am, $15 advance. Mighty, 119 Utah, SF; www.mighty119.com
KAFANA BALKAN
This wild, whirling romp through Balkan music packs in a ton of fun — and people, so now it’s at a bigger space. With Mastermind Serbian DJ Zeljko, belly dance wiz Jill Parker and her Foxglove Sweethearts in a Gold Rush-themed show, live band Petrovic Blasting Company and more. Fri/9, 9pm-late, $25 advance. Beatbox, 314 11th St, SF; www.facebook.com/kafanabalkan
JORIS VOORN
Sometimes the words “Dutch” and “techno” go great together. Justly lauded Voorn transcends with a killer edge of trance-iness to his work. Not so much the twirling glow stick kind of trance, but the heady, funky kind. (Glow sticks OK, though.) Sat/10, 9pm-3:30am, $13–<\d>$25. Public Works, 161 Erie, SF; www.publicsf.com
APEX
A giant night of excellent names that’s basically a mini-festival. Deep house duo Tale of Us, spacey basser Joy Orbison, endlessly hummable Thugfucker, energetic double-whammy Blond:ish join forces at the Sound Factory (it’s last hurrah before the condos get it). Sat/10, 10pm-6am, $15–<\d>$30. Sound Factory, 525 Harrison, SF; www.facebook.com/apextour
DESTINO: LA MUSICA
A three-hour sunset boat tour, with a deck-full of the Bay’s soulful house players DJ Cecil, Emancipacion, Son of Son, Diaztek, and percussionist Soul Mojo — and some grown, sexy people? Sign me up, captain. Sat/10, 4:30-8pm, $40. Meet at Jack London Square, foot of Broadway, Oakl; destinolamusica.eventbrite.com
JACKIE BEAT
I’ve developed a severe allergy to comedy drag queens (possible overexposure) — except one: the inimitable Jackie Beat of LA. Somehow her sassy, tacky, spoofy act always splits my sides. “If You See Something, Say Something” is the theme of her show. And there will be a lot of seeing. Sat/10, 7 and 10pm, $25 advance. Rebel, 1760 Mission, SF; www.brownpapertickets.com *