Golden Gate Park Archives — Page 6 of 28 — San Francisco Bay Guardian Archive 1966

Before Outside Lands: death and train-tripping with Wavves

Tony Robles

June 12, 2013

As we collectively await Outside Lands 2013 (August 9-11, Golden Gate Park) and attempt to enjoy summer — the sun’s actually here, in the city! — I decided to get productive. This year’s lineup for the festival is again a juxtaposition of big names like Paul McCartney, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Vampire Weekend and kick-ass local artists like the Easy Leaves and Midi Matilda. Oh yeah, and there are, of course, tons more acts in between, which you can check out here.

Wanting to check in on bands during the pre-festival festivities, I’m kicking off this series with a quick and dirty email interview with San Diego-based garage rock group, Wavves. Given the indie band’s track record with journalists, it seems I was pretty lucky to have received a reply. Frontperson Nathan Williams talks practical jokes and dying while bassist Stephen Pope recounts a horrific mushrooms experience (never trip on a train) and explains why he doesn’t mess with people.

SF Bay Guardian What was the last thing you did just to mess with someone?

Nathan Williams I put my drummer’s phone number on my Twitter.

Stephen Pope I don’t like to “mess” with people. That’s mean.

(Ed. note: Don’t worry, stealing drugs from a dealer and throwing high heels at him doesn’t count as “messing” with someone, right?)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lG8HCFQa3OQ

SFBG What was the last song you wrote about?

NW Dying.

SP How everyday life brings about extreme anxiety and how I always think I’m dying of something. Geez.

SFBG If your life was a cartoon which would it be, why?

NW The Critic, not for any particular reasons other than I weirdly relate to Jay Sherman.

SP Hmm, I’m going to pick Home Movies because even though I’m not an 8-year-old aspiring director being raised by a single mom, I still feel like I really connect with Brendon. He’s kind of a loser, but he has friends that he does creative things with…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfPNbZB6PvM

SFBG What was one of the most bizarre experiences you have ever had while under the influence (of anything), why was it so odd?

NW Ummmm…

SP The first time I ever did mushrooms when I was a teenager, my friends and I broke onto a train bridge that ran across the Mississippi River between Memphis, Tenn. and Arkansas. We brought road flares and Roman candles, dangled off the edge, and had a fireworks party a few hundred feet above the river. When the mushrooms really started to take effect I got a little nervous about dangling off the side of the bridge, and climbed through the train stopped on the tracks to get to a more stable part. As I was climbing through the train, it started moving suddenly and I was carried a few hundred yards down the track standing between the two rail cars while tripping. I finally jumped and luckily didn’t fall to my death or get crushed by the train.

SFBG Who’s your musical guy crush?

NW Gunplay.

SP Weird Al x 1,000.

Bands on the run

Jesse Hawthorne Ficks

June 11, 2013

emilysavage@sfbg.com

MUSIC In an airy third-floor loft in SOMA, not far from the Sightglass Coffee flagship and an antique mall with a pennant flag twisting out front, 20 filmmaking teams shuffle across a makeshift finish line some time before 8pm Sunday evening. Exhausted, they hold in their hands a digital file, the physical evidence of a brand new project — a joint effort between Bay Area bands, directors, producers, and editors. Something of this magnitude would traditionally take weeks or even months to complete, but in this focused case, it was all completed in a thrilling 48-hour period.

Flash back to the start of the weekend; it’s Friday night in the lower-level grotto of Sports Basement on the Mission-Potrero border, and everyone is huddled near complimentary Lagunitas beer. There’s a buzzy sense of anticipation. The bands and solo artists — truly diverse in sound and geography — are waiting to hear which filmmaking team they’ll be paired with for the remainder of the weekend.

For this is the second annual Music Video Race competition, and they’ll only have a short time to complete the project. Sure, given modern technology such as iPhones, basic music videos can now be made in a day (see Kitty Pryde, or other web-bred artists), but this is about the competition within the timeframe; the race pits artists against one another to see who can come up with the best concept and execution in the allotted two-day period.

Among the crowd, there’s young and quick-tongued Mission rapper A-1, bouncy power-pop act Giggle Party, groovy Ethiopian blues Sun Hop Fat, forest country-folk Whiskerman, dancey electro-pop duo Happy Fangs, vintage jazz crooner Quinn DeVeaux, and dreamy “post-indie” Magic Fight.

The names of filmmaking teams and bands are yelled out, and the room grows loud with introductions. “Have a blast, and thanks for playing!” (The next time they’ll be in the same room together will be the screening Sat/15 at Rickshaw Stop.)

Magic Fight gets paired with first-time music video director Cory K. Riley, an eager young filmmaker who says he cashed in just about every favor he had for this production (along with some online donations and money from his own pocket). He has a crew of three or four with him at Sports Basement tonight. “We’re definitely the messier one to follow,” Riley tells me with a wink. After they’re paired, the band and the Riley crew walk outside on this warm weekend evening, and pop the Magic Fight CD into Riley’s hatchback. It’s the first listen. Until moments before, they were all strangers on the local independent arts scene.

The match up of the bands and filmmakers seems almost up to dumb luck when the pairings are read aloud, a split-second decision and boom! Now there are new teams racing across the Bay with wild costumes and characters. But it’s actually months of hard work for co-organizers Tim Lillis and Jacquelyn “Jax” Marker. They pore over submissions, choose the pairings, find the sponsors, and host the happy hours leading up to the weekend.

They came up with the idea for the Music Video Race in 2011, while having drinks at Lucky 13 before a Mister Heavenly show — you know, that band in which Michael Cera intermittently played bass. “It came about talking about our friends that were in bands that needed music videos, and also our filmmaking friends that were either in corporate jobs, not getting as much creative release as they may like, or our filmmaking friends that had been sitting on something for two years that had never seen the light of day,” Marker says.

Plus, Marker and Lillis had together participated in the 48 Hour Film Festival, so they knew the thrill of the creative weekend. (“It was horrible,” Marker says with a laugh, of their joint project for that fest, which also challenges filmmakers to come up with a quality product in two days. “I directed it, and I’m a really good producer, not so much a director.”)

For the Music Video Race, the key objectives of the project were to create something fun, collaborative, and finite — with a clear ending time. “With this there’s an element of control,” Lillis says. “The song is the control, right?” He likens the organization to something like a very dialed-in Treasure Island, where the bands shift like clockwork. “I’m kind of production nerd, as well,” he says. While Lillis now works as a freelance illustrator and plays in an as-yet-unnamed band in San Francisco, in his former life in Boston, he did event production for Kaiju Big Battel, which pits costumed Godzilla-type characters against on another in a traveling steel cage.

Marker grew up in Sydney and came to San Francisco in ’06 for what was going to be a one-month project for Mythbusters. She begged her producers to let her stay in SF, which she did until late ’11. Now she’s back in Australia as a TV producer there, but was here for two months in 2012 for the first Music Video Race, and flew in for 10 days to be back in SF for the race this year. In the months leading up to each, there was a lot of organizing via Skype.

The 2012 videos were screened at a sold-out Rickshaw Stop show, where doppio’s video for “Beware of Cobra,” directed by filmmaking team the Outer Avenues, won overall. But beyond that, the videos gained artists more recognition. WATERS’ Vidola Productions-created video for “Mickey Mantle” premiered on the popular music blog Consequence of Sound, and the French Cassettes “Mouth Drum” video nearly went viral, earning director Dalan McNabola a few additional music video shoots from the exposure.

There are actual prizes too, including recording time with an engineer at Studio SQ for the bands, gear rental from popular grip and electric house DTC for the filmmakers, classes through TechShop, Vimeo memberships, Bay Area Video Coalition memberships, and more. A panel of judges including Noise Pop staff, and Bay Guardian film editor Cheryl Eddy (who, full disclosure, accepted judging responsibilities after I began work on this story), will choose the winners.

Still, the real goals of the race are collaboration and artistic expression. “I don’t think anybody is looking for this weekend to make them famous,” Lillis say. In what feels like direct contrast to the ethos of the Music Video Race, elsewhere in the city this weekend was the Chipotle Cultivate Festival, a free outdoor concert in Golden Gate Park with “Chipotle Eats” meals available for purchase.

“This is a passion project for us,” says Marker. “We both have full-time jobs while we put this on. What do we get out of this? It was definitely the most fun weekend I had of 2012. It was a year of work into 48 hours. And it’s about what other people get out of it, you know?”

Depending on how this year goes, Marker and Lillis are hoping to expand the Music Video Race to other cities, including Boston, Austin, and Sydney so far, just based on their own personal connections in these places. But before that, they’ll need to get through the weekend of this second annual competition.

“[You hope that] everybody just gets along, but you kind of want some craziness,” Marker says.

“There are a lot of personalities in the room. But everyone comes to it with a good attitude,” Lillis adds.

#MVRSF

At 10am the next morning after the race kickoff, inside the stuffy SUB-Mission venue space, the Cory K. Riley cast and crew seems to have tripled in size. Along with Riley, there’s producer Stuart Griese, director of photography Ryan Thomas, gaffer Matt Stouppe (Thomas and Stouppe own their own company, RTMS), first assistant director Alun Lee, art director Norah Hoover, makeup artist Laura Grassi, and a likely half a dozen more milling about, at any given moment.

There’s professional lighting and camera equipment from DTC laced throughout the cavernous three-room space, a snack table at the bar near the front with chorizo and egg burritos, tortilla chips and hummus, a big bottle of OJ, fresh fruit. And there are colorful Cosby sweaters and other clothing on the center stage of the venue, splayed out by the band as possible wardrobe choices.

Soon enough, Magic Fight will be windblown with twigs, spritzed in the face with water, dragged on the ground, and surrounded by beautiful young women in island-print dresses and coolly detached expressions.

But long before that, the four men of Magic Fight are hanging out front of the electric blue building, eating breakfast and waiting to shoot the first scene of the as-yet-unknown concept. They have a naturally light and upbeat energy between them, frequently joking with one another, ribbing, making puns, laughing; you’d never guess they were such a friendly bunch based on the somber tone of the song we’ll hear repeated all day as the cameras roll.

“Grand Children,” is an emotional indie pop rollercoaster off the band’s April 2013 album Wooden Swords and Stolen Echoes. The chorus methodically repeats the lyrics, “I want to die,” as octaves slowly rise and fall like rolling waves beneath them. There’s the sound of literal waves subtly crashing beneath the track as well, along with Alex Haager’s distressed vocals and gentle ukulele plucking, Alex Pinto’s bass, Jeff Gist’s steady drumming, and Hernando Buitrago’s twinkling keys.

The band members agree they’re all a part of the Music Video Race because of Buitrago. “I went to the [Music Vide Race] screening last year,” he explains. “I saw that Tim had a gathering at Hotel Utah a month ago, and I went — no one else wanted to go with me, but I went.” All laugh in unison. “I met Tim and he was down with having Magic Fight in it.”

“It was one of our classic email conversations that start between the hours of 2am and 8am, which seems to be how we communicate in this band,” Pinto says.

“I seem to remember a lot of screaming and finger-pointing,” Gist adds with one of his frequent sly smiles.

“Hernando has really good ideas, so we trust him,” Pinto concludes.

Haager and Buitrago say they first met at the Little Shamrock in the Inner Sunset over a game of backgammon, which Haager lost. That was the only game they played, but they ended up playing music together, or so the story goes. The others knew Buitrago through mutual friend Jessica Nguyen, a.k.a the Bicycle Bánh Mì owner.

They’re each talented in their own right, all in their late 20s, having played in various bands before coming together as this foursome for the first time in October of 2012 at Public Works. Previously, Haager conceived of Magic Fight as some sort of an electro-pop solo project — there’s an old Myspace page out there to prove it. He also played in Berlin and Brooklyn based quartet Hungry, Hungry Ghost.

And Pinto plays in his own jazz trio — which actually played its last SF show the night of the Music Video Race shoot — and also organizes the experimental jazz SF Offside Festival. He’ll be leaving Magic Fight too, at the end of summer, when he moves with his wife to India on a Fulbright Scholarship, where he’ll be creating new music content in jazz studies with South Indian classical music at the Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music (his father grew up near the area). Though, he jokes, he may try to bring the band out to India for one show, his last performance with Magic Fight will be July 14 at Brick and Mortar Music Hall.

The band and I have kept up with others in the race through the hashtag #MVRSF on Instagram and Twitter. Everyone’s been posting photos and geotagging their locations, tweeting about their late nights and crazy shoots. But at this point, Magic Fight has yet to film a scene. “People were shooting all night long,” Buitrago says incredulously. “They were like, ‘Wrapping up! Four in the morning.'” Through the hashtag, we see scenes of ninjas in sports cars, bands playing in the park and at the beach, children with war-paint, balloons for days, and tiny voodoo dolls.

Later, Marker and Lillis tell me they were able to visit 11 different sets on Saturday: “We discovered A-1 literally underneath his apartment building covered in dust and cobwebs; Animal Friends were conducting some sort of healing ritual in a Mission apartment; we walked into a house in Oakland to find two guys from Battlehooch dangling another member out of a house window; we caught a werewolf arm wrestling a woman at dusk down past Third Street. Oh the funniest by far was rocking up to the parking lot at Secret Studios and finding what we first thought was an abandoned set but then heard the members of Giggle Party screaming from inside the parked box truck.”

“Magic Fight’s set up had the most manpower and fancy gear for sure.”

HURRICANE SEASON

An hour or so after Magic Fight finish hanging out in front of SUB-Mission with breakfast burritos, Haager is wearing one of his colorful knit sweaters inside the darkened middle room of the venue, and there’s a bright halo of lights aimed directly on his face. He starts on a depressed blue couch covered in braches, leaves, flora debris, gets up and walks toward the camera with a piercing yet forlorn expression, mouthing along to the words of “Grand Children.”

The impressively large crew walks backward, carrying heavy-duty film equipment, lights, and coiled chords. Two additional crew members hoist an industrial-strength fan near Haager and throw even more leaves near him and the pieces shoot across his chest, face, hair. A 20-second bit of “Grand Children” is playing in the background so he knows which words to mouth, but the fan is too loud now and he cracks a smile. Cut, back to one.

Once they get the shot, Haager is flat on his back on the cool ground and Gist and Pinto are pulling him. He’s again mouthing along, this time with a vintage mic in his hand, attached to a tiny amp on his chest. Riley sprays Haager with a bottle of water as he slides. Still, it’s not entirely clear what is going on here, what will bring this all together as a concept.

Many of the crew members are also unsure, but trust Riley’s vision. He seems to thrive in the chaos, pulled like taffy in different directions, and asked his opinion on every factor. Tall and thin, with dark arching eyebrows and a beanie pulled down over a shaved head, he’ll give copious high-fives, frequently ask how everyone is doing, and use the phrase “viciously entertaining” multiple times throughout the weekend.

It’s set designer-art director Nora Hoover who finally enlightens with what’s going on, and then it all clicks: the swirling chaos of water, leaves, branches, twigs, and pink flowers, the women in Hawaiian dresses and leis. Hoover and Riley were up early in the morning picking up most of these pieces at a prop warehouse in South San Francisco, in a situation Riley described to Hoover as “just like Supermarket Sweep.”

The music video would have a dystopic feel, sad yet hopeful: a thrashing hurricane in picturesque Hawaii.

It’s a set location Riley knows something about. He grew up on Kauai, and Hoover lived there for a few months one winter. The two — who met on the set of a Kacey Johansing music video — connected over this.

Riley tells me the concept grew while he, Hoover, and producer Griese drove around the Mission Friday night after they left Sports Basement, listening over and over to the Magic Fight song. As they drove, Riley threw out words and connections in a stream-of-consciousness manner — “rain! leaves!” — while Griese scribbled down the ideas.

“I had pinks, whites, greens,” Riley says of the set aesthetic. “It was [supposed to be like] the late ’60s, thinking of a postcard for those old airlines, like, ‘Come to Waikiki!’ I felt like there was a mod ’60s kind of feel to the sound, whoever recorded the [Magic Fight] album that way, and there’s a line in the song that said, ‘I’ve never been to Hawaii.'”

All of these elements come together in the late afternoon scene. Riley points to the back room, which is being dressed by Hoover and more set designers. He smiles then winks, “that’s going to be a little bit of a freak show.”

The backdrop is breathtaking. It’s lit up bright white, with a big, twinkly arch of pink flowers and branches, a large black circular bed on the ground also covered in leaves. The women in island dresses stand behind Haager and slowly hula. There are other ladies propped languorously behind him, lounging with outstretched legs in a wicker chair, or on a raised bed with a vintage suitcase behind the action. I later find out they were the girlfriends and close pals of the crew, called in that morning to help out. Leaves and other fragments fall from the balcony.

From behind the camera, it looks beautiful — but will it be enough to win the race? Riley, his crew, and the band will find out this weekend at the Rickshaw Stop, where all the videos will be shown for the first time, and Magic Fight just happens to be playing live. “Even if you lose the race, you end up with a video, which is winning,” says Haager.

MUSIC VIDEO RACE SCREENING

With Magic Fight and Animal Friend

Sat/15, 7:30pm, $12–$15

Rickshaw Stop

155 Fell, SF

www.rickshawstop.com

ADDITIONAL SCREENING

Sun/16, 7pm, $10

Opera Plaza Cinemas

601 Van Ness, SF

www.landmarktheatres.com

New NIN sounds like old NIN, and it’s coming to Outside Lands

Tony Robles

June 6, 2013

Admit it, there was a time when a Nine Inch Nails album was the hardest music in your CD collection. You slipped your Downward Spiral disc in to drown out — or perhaps embolden — the bitter angst seething within. That was likely in the 1990s and you got way more hardcore following elementary school.

More recent decades have not been as kind to Trent Reznor and Company, as a unit. (Although, Rezner has achieved solo success elsewhere, scoring little films like The Social Network and so forth.) But the band? It seemed to have lost its way. NIN’s most recent album was ’08 misfire, The Slip, appropriately titled.

But the band will tour this fall with Explosions in the Sky, and before that plays Outside Lands in SF; and now it all makes sense: NIN will release metal-grinding new full-length Hesitation Marks on Sept. 3.

As Stereogum precisely points out, the first single – “Came Back Haunted” – is “a ferocious return to the ‘classic’ NIN style.” Perhaps this ‘90s nostalgia thing will indeed play out a little longer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgwrxcO48N8

Reminder: Outside Lands is Aug. 9-11 in Golden Gate Park. Tickets are available here. Regular three-day passes are $249.

Alerts

Andrew Lam

June 4, 2013

THURSDAY 6

Resisting gentrification in San Francisco The Green Arcade bookstore, 1680 Market, SF. www.thegreenarcade.com. 7-8:30pm, free. San Francisco author and political economist Karl Beitel will discuss his new book, Local Protest, Global Movements: Capital, Community, and State in San Francisco, which chronicles the history of anti-gentrification and housing rights activism in the city. The book focuses on the broader historical, political and global context of urban movements. Book talk followed by discussion.

Patent pending: The rise of GM humans Brower Center’s Goldman Theater, 2150 Allston, Berk. www.browercenter.org. 7:30pm, free. In 1997, New York Medical College cell biologist Stuart Newman applied for a patent on a “humanzee” — part human, part chimp — to call attention to the ethical hazards of biotech patenting. Last year, researchers in the UK and US sought approval for creating and implanting genetically modified (GM) human embryos. What is the state of human genetic modification? What is at stake for the species? Join Stuart Newman, PhD, in conversation with Milton Reynolds of Facing History and Ourselves for this talk, part of an East Bay Conversations series on the Promises and Perils of Biotechnology.

SATURDAY 8

Tenth anniversary World Naked Bike Ride Justin Herman Plaza, 1 Market, SF. 10:30am-4:30pm. Organizers of San Francisco’s Tenth Anniversary World Naked Bike Ride are hoping for the largest turnout yet. Meet on the northeast side of Vaillancourt Fountain at 10:30 AM to spend half an hour primping with body and face paint, then get ready to ride as bare as you dare. Route will pass through Fisherman’s Wharf, the Marina, Lombard, North Beach, the Embarcadero, the Civic Center, the Haight, past Golden Gate Park, and finally to Ocean Beach. The WNBR is part of a global against oil dependency.

TUESDAY 11

Our vanishing civil liberties St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Avenue, Berk. 7:30-9:30pm, free. This panel talk on the erosion of civil liberties will feature Birgitta Jonsdottir, a member of Icelandic Parliament, Wikileaks and Bradley Manning supporter, and poet; Daniel Ellsberg of Pentagon Papers fame; and Nadia Kayyali of the Bill of Rights Defense Committee. Panelists will hit on concerns such as indefinite detention, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), police militarization, and the prosecution of whistleblowers.

Former Hayes Valley Farm site Occupied, renamed Gezi Gardens

June 4, 2013

“We’re doing this to help give the community a choice,” Ayr told me, sweeping his arm out. “Everyone should have a voice when it comes to issues of land use and green space, which is rapidly disappearing in the city. That’s why we’re inviting the community to meet here tonight [Tue/4 at 6:30pm, also Sat/8 at 3pm] and see what we’re about. This is a land liberation concept, we’re calling it Free the Land, or Liberate the Land.”

Ayr was leading me around the former site of Hayes Valley Farm, the lauded public experiment in urban farming on an undulating patch that used to be a freeway entrance, which has now been cleared to make way for a 185-unit development on half the the lot (low-income housing is slated eventually for the other half).

Well, not quite cleared. Ayr was showing me around an Occupy-like scene, with an agricultural twist.

Hayes Valley Farm officially ceased exiting on May 31, which is when Free the Land (“including some of the original Hayes Valley farmers,” Ayr told me, and others are related to the Human Bein organization) gently moved in. Large organic garden plots and twisty permaculture-based water cachements still transformed the land; rows of sprouts were peeking through the dark soil. About 20 people were tending the plots or attending a free food stand. Ayr guided me through the garden’s parts, which also included an encampment of about three tents, the food stand, a free store, and a greeting table with info.

Although the aim is to preserve one of the city’s few urban farms left in the wake of an eviction epidemic and upscale housing development boom, the action also has broader intentions. “In solidarity with what’s going on in Turkey, we’ve renamed this space Gezi Gardens, because it started with trying to protect a green space” Ayr told me. “And we also want to bring up that fact that there are about 30,000 vacant units in the city, and 6,000 homeless people.”

Had they had any complaints? “People have been very supportive. The police have come around to check on us, just to make sure we have no vehicles or structures that would be violations. But no one’s filed a formal complaint yet that we know of. Probably nothing will happen until the politicians decide if they can benefit from this or not.” (Indeed, while I was there, two police cars with five officers pulled up and took a look around the gardens, asking people to leash their dogs.)

Here’s the full statement from Gezi Gardens — you can get more info at www.humanbein.org.

A letter to the neighbors: We wish to keep the space formerly known as Hayes Valley Farm open as a community space and source of fresh, free local food. We have renamed this land Gezi Gardens in solidarity with the people of Turkey who initially were peacefully attempting to protect urban open space from private development. Food Not Lawns!

Dear Neighbors,

You may already know that the space formerly known as Hayes Valley Farm is slated for development. Build Inc. and Avalon Bay Communities plan to replace the farm with housing, parking, and retail. Meanwhile, the San Francisco Tenants Union reports that over 30,000 housing units are vacant in San Francisco. We believe that the city should develop housing units in existing vacant buildings instead of places like this beautiful farm and green space.

We are a grassroots collection of bay area residents, urban farmers, and neighbors. We agree that large scale land-use decisions which impact entire communities should not be based on economic interests alone, and must recognize the inherent value in preserving open, publicly accessible space. We are dedicated to maintaining this piece of land as a space for growing food.

This issue is not new. San Francisco has a long history taking collective action to defend the character of the city, to make sure that it’s unique beauty is not sacrificed to commercial interests and over-development. In the “freeway revolts” of the 1950′s, our communities banded together to fight off a transportation plan that was intended to ring the entire city (including golden gate park) with massive freeways. As you are probably aware, this very space, as well as the character of the entire neighborhood, owes much to that struggle, which continues to this day!

There is much more to be discussed, so please join us at this weeks’ Neighbors’ Meetings to help develop a vision of what this space could be.

Come to the Farm, located on Laguna between Fell and Oak for neighborhood meetings:

TUESDAY @ 6:30PM
SATURDAY @ 3PM
Online resources:
Twitter: @LiberateLand Hashtag: #GEZIGARDENS
More info: HUMANBEIN.ORG

So many summertime festivals

Andrew Lam

May 21, 2013

caitlin@sfbg.com

MAY 25-26

Carnaval Parade: Starts at 24th St. and Bryant, SF. Sun/26, 9:30am, free; Festival: Harrison between 16th and 24th Sts., SF. Sat/25-Sun/26, 10am-6pm, free. www.carnavalsf.com. The Mission’s most colorful processional and music fest had to change hands this year to avoid financial ruin. Show your delight at its survival by showing up in force for the samba, sequins, and spectacle.

MAY 30-JUNE 5

Green Film Festival Various locations, times, prices, SF. www.sfgreenfilmfest.org. An outdoor screening of a documentary on the tiny house movement is one highlight of this year’s 50 film-program exploring environmental issues today.

JUNE 1

Latino Comic Expo Cartoon Art Museum, 655 Mission, SF. www.latinocomicsexpo.com. 11am-5pm, free with $7 museum admission. In its third year, the popular convergence of Latino panel-makers is dedicated to the memory of underground scribbler Spain Rodriguez.

Chocolate and Chalk Art Festival 1400-1800 Shattuck, Berk. www.anotherbullwinkelshow.com/chocolate-chalk-art. 10am-5pm, free entry, 20 chocolate tickets $20. Picante habanero chocolate chunks gelato? Chocolate ricotta pizza? Discover the possibilities of gourmet cacao and create a sidewalk chalk masterpiece at this fest.

JUNE 1-2

Union Street Festival Union between Gough and Steiner, SF. www.unionstreetfestival.com. 10am-6pm, free. Union Street pops with its 37th annual street fair. Browse craft vendors, cruise your neighbors, and snack to the tunes of live jazz from local bands.

JUNE 6-23

SF Doc Fest Various locations, times, prices. www.sfindie.com. Burning Man and Bettie Page flicks mark the program for this real-life film fest.

JUNE 8-16

San Mateo County Fair San Mateo County Event Center, 2495 South Delaware, SF. June 8, 9, 11 and 14-16, 11am-10pm; June 10, 12-14, noon-10pm, $7–$10 single day, $17-22 season pass. www.sanmateocountyfair.com. Morris Day, an Aerosmith cover band, and Three Dog Night perform alongside a youth piano competition, bareback pony riding, floral art displays, and more at this traditional county fair.

JUNE 9

Haight Ashbury Street Fair Haight between Stanyan and Masonic, SF. www.haightashburystreetfair.org. 11am-5:30pm, free. The groovy posters don’t lie — this classic, hippie-flavored street fair is great place to watch a battle of the band in the sun and ruminate on whether you can ever really have too much tie-dye.

JUNE 14-16

Queer Women of Color Film Festival Brava Theater, 2789 24th St., SF. www.qwocmap.com. From Hawaiian to Navajo culture, this festival of 55 shorts in five programs shows the QWOC experience from a global perspective.

JUNE 15-16

North Beach Festival North Beach neighborhood, SF. www.sresproductions/north_beach_festival.html. 10am-6pm, free. Harken back to North Beach’s days as a close-knit Italian community with this venerable street fair, featuring a traditional blessing of the animals at the National Shrine of St. Francis de Assisi, street painting, music, and snacks galore.

Marin Art Festival Marin Civic Center, 95 Buena Vista, Mill Valley. www.marinartfestival.com. 10am-6pm, $10. This showing of 350 fine artists is a fine excuse to ramble in the sun by the UFO-esque, Frank Lloyd Wright-built Marin Civic Center.

Crystal Fair Fort Mason Festival Pavilion, SF. www.crystalfair.com. June 15, 10am-6pm; June 16 10am-4pm, $6. Over 40 vendors of crystals, jewelery, metaphysical well-being make this the place to get your woo on.

JUNE 16

SummerStruck Monterey Fairgrounds, 2004 Fairgrounds Rd, Monterey. www.summerstruckfestival.com. 11am-6pm, $22.50-40. Twangers unite — this debut year lineup of Jason Michael Carroll, American Young, Buck Ford, and more promises to be stocked with multi-gallon headwear and boots like you wouldn’t believe.

JUNE 16-AUGUST 12

Stern Grove Festival Stern Grove, 19th Ave. and Sloat, SF. www.sterngrove.org. Every Sunday, 2pm, free. Deltron 3030 with Kid Koala and Del the Funky Homosapien, Boz Scaggs, and the Symphony and Ballet’s yearly performances are all phenom draws at our favorite, free park ‘n’ picnic weekly summer concert soiree.

JUNE 20-30

Frameline 37 Various locations, times, prices. www.frameline.org. SF’s premier LGBT film festival surges back hard with historical docs, animated features, and more. The opening night gala features Concussion, a head trauma-driven sexy drama. Fest closes with GBF, an at-times comical look at coming out and getting popular in high school.

JUNE 21-23

Sierra Nevada World Music Festival Mendocino County Fairgrounds, 14480 Highway 128, Boonville. www.snwmf.com. $60-75 one-day festival pass, $170 three-day festival and camping pass. Those looking for a music fest with camping to which to bring their brood would be well-advised to choose SNWMF — a lineup headed by Damian Marley features sounds from across the world and a more mellow crowd.

JUNE 22

Berkeley World Music Festival People’s Park, 2556 Haste, Berk., 1-6pm, free; Telegraph Avenue businesses, 1-9pm, free. www.berkeleyworldmusicfestival.org. Amble along and around Telegraph Avenue for a plethora of free shows, from Tunisian MC Rai at People’s Park to Vukani Mawethu Choir’s South African harmonies at the Berkeley Art Museum, with smaller concerts at businesses in between.

Mt. Tam Jam Mountain Theater, Mount Tamalpais State Park. www.tamjam.org. Noon-7pm, $50-100. After-party, 10:30pm, $30. Galactic, Cake, Taj Mahal Trio, and more rock this fundraiser for Mount Tam State Park — at a venue that hasn’t housed a rock concert since 1967.

Summer Sailstice Encinal Yacht Club, 1251 Pacific Marina, Alameda. www.summersailstice.com. 10:30am-8pm. Join the boating set to celebrate this worldwide day of sailing culture. In the Bay, view America’s Cup boats, guest ride a vessel, take in live tunes, and more.

JUNE 22-AUGUST 10

Stanford Jazz Festival Various venues, times, prices. www.stanfordjazz.org. Lil’ ones can learn more about this venerable American music genre at a special kids concert series and educational offerings. Older fans will get their fix at a plethora of concerts featuring up-and-comers (like Taylor Eigsti and Julian Lage), offbeat geniuses (Savion Glover), and legends (hey, Herbie Hancock).

JUNE 29-30

San Francisco Pride Various venues, times, prices. www.sfpride.org. Should the year’s champion-level PR idiocy of naming, then reneging on Bradley Manning as grand marshal leave you with a bad taste, check out the many, amazing unofficial queer parties, readings, and exhibits that rock the city the last week in June.

JUNE 29-SEPTEMBER 22

Shakespeare in the Park Various times and Bay Area venues. www.sfshakes.org. Why you live in the Bay Area: exquisite cultural offerings like the 30th year of free Bard offerings in peaceful park settings.

JULY 6-7

Burger Boogaloo Mosswood Park, Broadway and West Arthur, Oakl. www.burgerboogaloo.com. Noon-9pm, $40 weekend pass. Burger Records just keeps outdoing itself. It has fests around the country that bring together an elite mix of sloppy, legendary, and up-and-coming surf, garage, fun punk, and slack doo-wop acts.

Fillmore Jazz Festival Fillmore between Jackson and Eddy, SF. www.fillmorejazzfestival.com. 10am-6pm, free. Kim Nalley, Bayonics, Crystal Money Hall typify the wide-ranging sounds heard at this free, three-stage celebration of Fillmore’s jazztastic past.

JULY 18-21

Silent Film Festival Various times and prices. Castro Theatre, 429 Castro, SF. www.silentfilm.org. Spend the weekend immersed in loaded looks and dialogue cards at this lineup of classic quiets.

JULY 18-28

Midsummer Mozart Various venues, times, prices. www.midsummermozart.org. Churches, missions, wineries, and the Legion of Honor all host concerts of Mozart’s genius for this fest’s 2013 season.

JULY 19-21

Sunset Campout Belden Town, Calif. www.sunsetcampout.com. Germany’s Dixon and Robag Wruhme are the early announced performers at party crew Sunset’s stellar camping trip — perfect for dancefloor stalwarts who can’t stomach the crowds at larger music fests.

JULY 25-AUGUST 12

Jewish Film Festival Various venues, times, prices. www.sfjff.org. “Rebels, rabbis, and reubens” seems about as amazing a descriptor as you need for this yearly celebration of the Chosen on film.

JULY 26-28

Gilroy Garlic Festival Christmas Park, Gilroy. www.gilroygarlicfestival.com. 10am-7pm, $17. Fear not having pungent breath at this classic small-town fest. Garlic-inflected free ice cream, cook-offs, and celebrity chef appearances make it the order of the day.

JULY 27-28

Berkeley Kite Festival Cesar Chavez Park, Berkeley Marina. www.highlinekites.com. 10am-6pm, free. World record-sized kites, flying lessons, aircraft crafting, and more at this celebration of soaring craft.

Renegade Craft Fair Fort Mason Center Festival Pavilion, SF. www.renegadecraft.com. 11am-7pm, free. Bring your ducats and splurge on DIY presents for all your 2013 birthdays, anniversaries, and plain old “I appreciate you” moments.

JULY 28

Up Your Alley Dore between Howard and Folsom, SF. www.folsomstreetfair.com/alley. 11am-6pm, $7 suggested donation. Hey daddy, cruise the local talent at this leather fair before the happy chaos of big sister Folsom Street Fair hits in September.

JULY 28-AUGUST 4

SF Chefs Union Square, SF. www.sfchefsfoodwine.com. Various times and prices. Sample the city’s best eats and learn from the best in expert demos and classes at this food festival.

AUGUST 3-4

Aloha Festival San Mateo County Event Center, 1346 Saratoga, San Mateo. www.pica-org.org. 10am-5pm, free. No booze allowed at this celebration of Pacific Islands culture, but you won’t miss it: tasty plates, infotaining activities for the little ones, and lots of music and performance rock.

Oakland Art and Soul Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakl. www.artandsouloakland.com. Aug. 3, noon-8pm; Aug. 4, noon-6pm, $10-15. The line-up will be announced in June for this East Bay music and food fest, where the tunes range from R&B to jazz and indie.

AUGUST 3-4

Nihonmachi Street Fair Post between Laguna and Fillmore, SF. www.nihonmachistreetfair.org. 11am-6pm, free. We’re down for a fair whose intended mission is to provide jobs for a neighborhood’s youth, and Nihonmachi always delivers community power-building and more – go to 2013’s edition for a doggie section, Asian artisans, and street cuisine.

AUGUST 4

Jerry Day Jerry Garcia Amphitheater, McLaren Park, 45 John F. Shelley, SF. www.jerryday.org. 11:30am, free, donate to reserve seats. A forgotten Excelsior playground was converted into the music venue for this annual celebration of the Dead’s godhead, who grew up nearby.

AUGUST 9-11

Outside Lands Speedway Meadows, Golden Gate Park, SF. www.sfoutsidelands.com. Three-day tickets now on sale, $249.50. Sway to Paul McCartney, grind to D’Angelo – and then get all those calories back at the superlative, locavore-oriented beer, wine, and food sections at this hip-kid SF music fest.

AUGUST 16-18

Tattoo Body Art Expo Cow Palace, 2600 Geneva, SF. www.bodyartexpo.com. Aug. 16, 2-11pm; Aug. 17, 11am-11pm; Aug. 18, 11am-8pm, $20. Babely bros and bro’d out babes gather to show off their ink, get tatted by visiting masters, and compete for body art superlatives.

AUGUST 17

Festa Coloniale Italiana Stockton between Union and Filbert, SF. www.sfiacfesta.com. Check website for details on time and price. Go beyond red sauce at this decadent convergence of Italian food trucks, artists, crafters, gluttons, more.

Street Food Festival Folsom and 24th St. and surrounding streets, SF. Check website for details, www.sfstreetfood.com. Alcoholic artisan Jello shots, fried grasshoppers, snacks from restaurants high and low — food entrepreneur incubators La Cocina throw a damn good street party that’ll leave you stuffed. We recommend making an appearance early in the day to avoid lines.

Stumptown Brewery Beer Revival and BBQ Cook-off Stumptown Brewery, 15045 River Road, Guerneville. www.stumptown.com. Check website for time, $75-100. Unlimited tastings with 30 breweries and 30 BBQ teams out in the summer glory of Guerneville. More information, we think, is unnecessary here.

AUGUST 24-25

Gem and Mineral Show SF County Fair Building, Ninth Ave. and Lincoln, SF. www.sfgemshow.org. Aug. 24, 10am-6pm; Aug. 25, 10am-5pm, check website for prices. Revel in sparkle and shine at this expo of glittering gewgaws – bring in your own to stump on-site classification experts.

Bodega Seafood, Art, and Wine 16885 Bodega Highway, Bodega. www.winecountryfestivals.com. Aug. 25, 10am-6pm; Aug. 26, 10am-5pm, check website for price. Sea breeze, fresh crab, hay bales – good times await at this food, art, and beer fest.

First City Monterey County Fair and Event Center, Monterey. www.firstcityfestival.com. $149.50-279.50 two-day passes. Did you know this seaside hamlet was the Golden State’s first capital? In a bid to recapture our hearts, the city is hosting a two-day musical line-up of big time acts like Modest Mouse, Passion Pit, MGMT, Neko Case, Beach House, Toro y Moi, and Devendra Banhart.

SEPTEMBER 9

EcoFair Marin Marin County Fairgrounds, Civic Center, San Rafael. www.ecofairmarin.org. 10am-6pm, $5. Green jobs guru Van Jones headlines Marin’s second annual celebration of sustainability. Eat locally made bites, learn how to make butter and raise chickens, and browse the wares of enviro-retailers from pet shops to biodegradable casket makers.

SEPTEMBER 12-15

Ceramics Annual of America Fort Mason Festival Pavilion, SF. www.ceramicsannual.com. Various times; $10 one-day pass, $20 two-day. Sculpt your mind with the vast, globally sourced panorama of ceramics art at this fest. Artist demos abound if you’d like to throw your own pot in the ring next year.

SEPTEMBER 15

Comedy Day Sharon Meadow, Golden Gate Park, SF. www.comedyday.org. Noon-5pm, free. Yucks galore at this outdoor stand-up fest. Take in a Will Durst solo show, open mics, and local showcases.

SEPTEMBER 13-15

Armenian Food Festival St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Apostolic Church, 825 Brotherhood Way, SF. facebook.com/annual-armenian-food-festival-bazaar. Check website for times, free. Sarma, sou-beoreg, spices – this homey community fest is great for kids, Armenian culture addicts, and hungry people.

SEPTEMBER 14-15

Ghirardelli Chocolate Festival Ghirardelli Square, 900 North Point, SF. www.ghirardelli.com. Noon-5pm, $20-125. Your tasting tickets to this fest go towards Project Open Hand. That should add to the glow you’ll cull from sampling fine chocolates and wine, and watching local chefs demo their concoction skills.

SEPTEMBER 20-21

Taste of Greece Annunciation Cathedral, 245 Valencia, SF. www.annunciation.org. Spit-grilled meat, fetching circular dances – SF’s only Greek food festival is a great place for a day of cultural meal-planning.

SEPTEMBER 21

Super Hero Street Fair Islais Creek Promenade, Cesar Chavez and Indiana, SF. www.superherosf.com. 2pm-midnight, $10-20. It’s your time Diana Prince – whip out that golden lasso and head to this goofy celebration of Lycra and defeating evil. It all culminates in a street side dance party for the costumed and plain clothes alike.

SEPTEMBER 21-22

Polk Street Blues Festival Polk between Pacific and Union, SF. www.polkstreetbluesfestival.com. 10am-6pm, free. Laze with the fam listening to this fest’s two stages of music, complimented nicely by an array of tasty street foods.

SEPTEMBER 27-29

Eat Real Fest Jack London Square, Oakl. www.eatrealfest.com. Sept. 27, 1-9pm; Sept. 28, 10:30am-9pm; Sept. 29, 10:30am-5pm, free. One of our favorite food fests puts the emphasis on local foodcraft, wine, and beer. Three days of live entertainment and classes in DIY foodieism 4 U.

SEPTEMBER 29 Redwood City Salsa Festival Redwood City Courthouse Square. www.redwoodcity.org. Noon-8pm, free. Yes, the tomato-based spicy flavor agent. And yes, the hip-swiveling hot beats. Both, and more, at this small town’s downtown celebration.

Folsom Street Fair Folsom between Seventh and 12th Sts., SF. www.folsomstreetfair.com. 11am-6pm, $10 suggested donation. Its impressive donations to local charities makes this fetish and leather fair – the largest in the world – a community favorite and global center of BDSM culture with demos and sidewalk runways like you wouldn’t believe.

Young, creative people who work hard

Zelda Bronstein

May 21, 2013

173

I almost don’t know what to say, except: Finally, someone admits it.

Rebecca Pederson, writing in The Bold Italic, explains why she actually likes the idea that San Francisco is becoming so expensive that thousands of longtime residents are being forced out; see, if it’s more expensive to live here, then young, creative people will work harder:

People who want to make a living here from their creative work should have to hustle; it makes the successes much more meaningful.

Ah, yes. “Hustle.” So all the older people who are, say, not trained in the tech field, or might be disabled and unable to “hustle,” or the single parents who “hustle” all the goddam day just to keep the family together, or all the “creative” people who work for nonprofits or (gasp) are artists — and trust me, they “hustle” as much as any tech worker … they don’t get to live here any more. Because

We can’t afford to walk barefoot around Golden Gate Park and write half-sonnets about trees. This city’s too expensive now.

I don’t know anyone who thinks we still live in the Beat era. I don’t know anyone who has ever written a half-sonnet about trees, and nobody with any sense of public health walks barefoot in Golden Gate Park. Get a clue.

But I do know a whole lot of people, including some who work for websites, who are seeing their lives and their community destroyed by rising prices — which are due primarily to greed in the real-estate industry.

I don’t think all tech workers are anywhere near as dumb as Rebecca Pederson, but I do see a lot of her attitude around: We are young and have money, and you are old and in the way. That’s capitalism.

The “older people are losers” attitude was the worst part of the Sixties ethos (although disdain for labor — often reciprocated by conservative unions — was pretty bad, too.) This is a big city, with a diverse population. Not everyone is healthy and able to “hustle.” Not everyone is young and carefree. Please, my friends: Have respect for the community you recently dropped into.

Yes, I was a San Francisco immigrant, too, in a different era, and I know things will always change, but I don’t remember my young friends believing that they were by nature better and smarter than the people who already lived here. It’s called respect.

Stage listings

Andrew Lam

May 14, 2013

Stage listings are compiled by Guardian staff. Performance times may change; call venues to confirm. Reviewers are Robert Avila, Rita Felciano, and Nicole Gluckstern. Submit items for the listings at listings@sfbg.com.

THEATER

OPENING

Arcadia ACT’s Geary Theater, 415 Geary, SF; www.act-sf.org. $20-95. Previews Thu/16-Sat/18, 8pm (also Sat/18, 2pm); Sun/19, 2pm. Opens Wed/22, 8pm. Runs Tue-Sat, 8pm (also Wed and Sat, 2pm; May 28 show at 7pm); Sun, 2pm (additional show May 26, 8pm). Through June 9. American Conservatory Theater performs Tom Stoppard’s literary romance.

Birds of a Feather New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness, SF; www.nctcsf.org. $25-45. Previews Fri/17-Sat/18, 8pm (also Sat/18, 2pm); Sun/19, 2pm. Opens Fri/24, 8pm. Runs Fri-Sat, 8pm (also Sat, 2pm); Sun, 2pm. Through June 29. New Conservatory Theatre Center performs the San Francisco premiere of Marc Acito’s tale inspired by two gay penguins at the Central Park Zoo.

Burqavaganza Brava Theater Center, 2781 24th St, SF; www.brava.org. $20. Opens Thu/16, 8pm. Runs Thu-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 3pm. Through June 2. Brava! For Women in the Arts and RasaNova Theatre present Shahid Nadeem’s Bollywood-style “love story in the time of jihad.”

Krispy Kritters in the Scarlett Night Exit on Taylor, 277 Taylor, SF; www.cuttingball.com. $10-50. Previews Fri/17-Sat/18, 8pm; Sun/19, 5pm. Opens May 23, 7:30pm. Runs Thu, 7:30pm; Fri-Sat, 8pm (also Sat, 2pm; no shows June 8); Sun, 5pm. Through June 16. Cutting Ball Theater performs Andrew Saito’s Howl-inspired portrait of San Francisco.

ONGOING

Acid Test: The Many Incarnations of Ram Dass Marsh San Francisco, 1062 Valencia, SF; www.themarsh.org. $15-50. Fri/17, 8pm; Sat/18, 5pm. Playwright Lynne Kaufman invites you to take a trip with Richard Alpert, a.k.a. Ram Dass (Warren David Keith), as he recounts times high and low in this thoughtful, funny, and sometimes unexpected biographical rumination on the quest for truth and meaning in a seemingly random life by one of the big wigs of the psychedelic revolution and (with his classic book, Be Here Now) contemporary Eastern-looking spirituality. Directed by Joel Mullennix, the narrative begins with Ram Dass today, in his Hawaiian home and partly paralyzed from a stroke, but Keith (one of the Bay Area’s best stage actors, who is predictably sure and engagingly multilayered in the role) soon shakes off the stiff arm and strained speech and springs to his feet to continue the narrative as the ideal self perhaps only transcendental consciousness and theater allow. Nevertheless, Kaufman’s fun-loving and extroverted Alpert is no saint and no model of perfection, which is the refreshing truth explored in the play, but rather a seeker still, ever imperfect and ever trying for greater perfection or at least the wisdom of acceptance. As the privileged queer child of a wealthy Jewish lawyer and industrialist, Alpert was both insider and outsider from the get-go, and that tension and ambiguity makes for an interesting angle on his life as well as the complexities of his relationships with a homophobic Leary, for instance, and his conservative but ultimately loving father. Perfection aside, the beauty in the subject and the play is the subtle, shrewd cherishing of what remains unfinished. (Avila)

Black Watch Drill Court, Armory Community Center, 333 14th St, SF; www.act-sf.org. $100. Tue-Sat, 8pm (also Wed and Sat, 2pm); Sun, 2pm. Through June 16. American Conservatory Theater presents the National Theatre of Scotland’s internationally acclaimed performance about Scottish soldiers serving in Iraq.

Boomeraging: From LSD to OMG Marsh San Francisco, 1062 Valencia, SF; www.themarsh.org. $15-50. Tue, 8pm. Through May 28. Comedian Will Durst performs his brand-new solo show.

Dirty Dancing: Live! Dark Room, 2263 Mission, SF; dirtydancinglive-fbe.eventbrite.com. $20. Fri-Sat, 8pm. Through May 25. Watermelons will be carried, lifts will be attempted, eyes will be hungry, and nobody better put Baby in a corner.

Foodies! The Musical Shelton Theater, 533 Sutter, SF; www.foodiesthemusical.com. $30-34. Fri-Sat, 8pm. Open-ended. AWAT Productions presents Morris Bobrow’s musical comedy revue all about food.

Last Love Mojo Theatre, 2940 16th St, SF; www.mojotheatre.com. $17-30. Thu/16-Sun/19, 8pm. Will the apocalypse save us from ourselves? Mojo Theater again raises that question as it presents the second installment in director-playwright Peter Papadopoulos’ Love-Gone-Wrong-at-the-End-of-the-World trilogy, the follow-up to last season’s fertile and funny Lost Love. The story centers on a George and Martha-esque couple, Charles (Jonathan Bender) and Lucida (Kimberly Lester), who on the eve of their fifth wedding anniversary declare all-out war, lobbing younger lovers at each other only to find their new partners (played by an increasingly endearing Michael Saenz and an unexpectedly powerful Gloria McDonald) have a past together and unresolved issues of their own. The grimly romantic comedy returns to, without greatly elaborating on, a familiar fantasy: blowing away the haze of our fractious, insecure, and muddled love lives in the clarifying immediacy of disaster. That this may be more than pure fantasy — that the seemingly discrete realms of personal and political trauma may be in some subtle and profound way connected — is an animating dimension of the trilogy, but here in a more superficial and perfunctory fashion than in Lost Love. The strength of the production lies less in its premise than in the penetrating humor and emotional veracity in Papadopoulos’ sure, heightened dialogue, which is played generally well by the cast and exceptionally so by a vibrantly intelligent Lester, Mojo’s co–artistic director. The staging also benefits, albeit inconsistently, from a stylized approach that revels in self-conscious artifice (including a trio of stage managers from “Command Center Communications,” a video-backdrop by Micah Stieglitz, and some light choreography by Lester). These strengths lend a restless, occasionally inspired production a slow-burning charm, but leave one wondering what might be left when all the dust settles. (Avila)

Little Me Eureka Theatre, 215 Jackson, SF; www.42ndstreetmoon.org. $25-75. Wed/15, 7pm; Thu/16-Fri/17, 8pm; Sat/18, 6pm; Sun/19, 3pm. 42nd Street Moon performs Neil Simon’s outrageous musical.

The Lost Folio: Shakespeare’s Musicals Un-Scripted Theater, 533 Sutter, Second Flr, SF; www.un-scripted.com. $10-20. Thu/16-Sat/18, 8pm. Un-Scripted Theater Company performs a fully-improvised, full-length musical inspired by Shakespeare.

The Merry Wives of Windsor Buriel Clay Theater, African American Art and Culture Complex, 762 Fulton, SF; www.african-americanshakes.org. $10-35. Sat, 8pm; Sun, 3pm. Through May 26. They might be two of the town’s most respectable matrons, but Mistresses Page (Safiya Fredericks) and Ford (Leontyne Mbele-Mbong), the titular Merry Wives of Windsor, at the African-American Shakespeare Company, are nobody’s fools. When the bawdy, ne’er-do-well Falstaff (a cross-dressing Beli Sullivan) tries to woo the two at the same time (as much for money as lust), they easily turn the tables on his plotting, and further dampen his ardor by having him tossed in a ditch. Their husbands, in particular the suspicious yet constantly flummoxed Master Ford (Armond Edward Dorsey), fare not much better against the wonder-twin powers of their BFF wives, and for anyone keeping score, the entire female population of Windsor generally makes out better than their slow-on-the-uptake menfolk, and they do it in style thanks to Linda Tucker’s astute, 50s-era costume design. Under Becky Kemper’s direction, the attitude skews sassy, and each character — from the befuddled town elite to the simplest servant — is a broadly-painted stroke of buffoonery, one part Desperate Housewives melodrama and one part Marx Brother’s farce. Kemper calls her rowdy take on this battle-of-the-sexes comedy “a guilty pleasure,” reminding us that however hallowed the name of Shakespeare might remain in posher circles, a good portion of his canon was written not for the austere glory of posterity, but for the base enjoyment of the general populace. (Gluckstern)

“PlayGround Festival of New Works” Various venues, SF and Berk; www.playground-sf.org. $15-40. Through May 26. The long-running short-play contest and development lab marks its 17th season with an evening showcasing the best of the previous year. The six plays come from six (familiar and new) playwrights out of a pool of 36 new short plays developed by PlayGround since October (and those were drawn from over 190 new original scripts created). The best of the best receives a rotating cast of strong Bay Area actors under six accomplished directors (including PlayGround founder Jim Kleinmann) but is a mixed affair, nevertheless. Katie May’s The Spherical Loneliness of Beverly Onion is a sometimes funny but generally tepid short story about a lonely mortician’s assistant (Carla Pantoja) who confronts her handlers, the natural forces of Fate (Jomar Tagatac) and Luck (Anne Darragh). Simple and Elegant, by Evelyn Jean Pine, is an ocean-side fairytale whose themes don’t sound too deeply, about the titular pair of sisters (Rebecca Pingree and Pantoja) who have a near-fatal falling out over a gold coin salvaged from the belly of a fish (Dao) who may be a handsome prince for one of them or just a nice hideaway bed. In Ruben Grijalva’s Value over Replacement, a major league player (Tagatac) confronts a career-jeopardizing accusation from a journalist-guest (Delzell) on his talk radio show in a somewhat prosaic but dramatically compact, carefully written and well-acted piece. Significant People, by Amy Sass, follows two docents (Darragh and Delzell) through the preserved home of two significant others who seem to be the same people. It’s a quirky conceit that doesn’t quite produce the necessary dramatic tension, the stakes feeling too low. In My Better Half, by Jonathan Spector, quirkiness goes full-bore as a wife (Pingree) with a justifiable complaint against her obliviously self-centered, what-me husband (Dao) looks to have him rubbed out by a reluctant hit man (Tagatac) and his couples-therapist colleague (Darragh). Finally, Symmetrical Smack-Down is William Bivins’ funny and nicely orchestrated foursome, in which the dynamic between two antagonists in the wrestling ring (Tagatac and Delzell) overlaps (literally and dramatically) with that between a long-term lesbian couple (Pingree and Pantoja) on the brink of a break-up and/or rumble. (Avila)

Sex and the City: LIVE! Rebel, 1760 Market, SF; trannyshack.com/sexandthecity. $25. Wed, 7 and 9pm. Open-ended. It seems a no-brainer. Not just the HBO series itself — that’s definitely missing some gray matter — but putting it onstage as a drag show. Mais naturellement! Why was Sex and the City not conceived of as a drag show in the first place? Making the sordid not exactly palatable but somehow, I don’t know, friendlier (and the canned a little cannier), Velvet Rage Productions mounts two verbatim episodes from the widely adored cable show, with Trannyshack’s Heklina in a smashing portrayal of SJP’s Carrie; D’Arcy Drollinger stealing much of the show as ever-randy Samantha (already more or less a gay man trapped in a woman’s body); Lady Bear as an endearingly out-to-lunch Miranda; and ever assured, quick-witted Trixxie Carr as pent-up Charlotte. There’s also a solid and enjoyable supporting cast courtesy of Cookie Dough, Jordan Wheeler, and Leigh Crow (as Mr. Big). That’s some heavyweight talent trodding the straining boards of bar Rebel’s tiny stage. The show’s still two-dimensional, even in 3D, but noticeably bigger than your 50″ plasma flat panel. (Avila)

Steve Seabrook: Better Than You Marsh San Francisco, 1062 Valencia, SF; www.themarsh.org. $15-50. Thu/16, 8pm; Sat/18, 8:30pm. Self-awareness, self-actualization, self-aggrandizement — for these things we turn to the professionals: the self-empowerment coaches, the self-help authors and motivational speakers. What’s the good of having a “self” unless someone shows you how to use it? Writer-performer Kurt Bodden’s Steve Seabrook wants to sell you on a better you, but his “Better Than You” weekend seminar (and tie-in book series, assorted CDs, and other paraphernalia) belies a certain divided loyalty in its own self-flattering title. The bitter fruit of the personal growth industry may sound overly ripe for the picking, but Bodden’s deftly executed “seminar” and its behind-the-scenes reveals, directed by Mark Kenward, explore the terrain with panache, cool wit, and shrewd characterization. As both writer and performer, Bodden keeps his Steve Seabrook just this side of overly sensational or maudlin, a believable figure, finally, whose all-too-ordinary life ends up something of a modest model of its own. (Avila)

Talk Radio Actors Theatre of San Francisco, 855 Bush, SF; www.actorstheatresf.org. $26-38. Wed-Sat, 8pm. Through June 15. Actors Theatre of San Francisco performs Eric Bogosian’s breakthrough 1987 drama.

Tinsel Tarts in a Hot Coma: The Next Cockettes Musical Hypnodrome, 575 10th St, SF; www.thrillpeddlers.com. $30-35. Thu-Sat, 8pm. Extended through June 29. Thrillpeddlers and director Russell Blackwood continue their Theatre of the Ridiculous series with this 1971 musical from San Francisco’s famed glitter-bearded acid queens, the Cockettes, revamped with a slew of new musical material by original member Scrumbly Koldewyn, and a freshly re-minted book co-written by Koldewyn and “Sweet Pam” Tent — both of whom join the large rotating cast of Thrillpeddler favorites alongside a third original Cockette, Rumi Missabu (playing diner waitress Brenda Breakfast like a deliciously unhinged scramble of Lucille Ball and Bette Davis). This is Thrillpeddlers’ third Cockettes revival, a winning streak that started with Pearls Over Shanghai. While not quite as frisky or imaginative as the production of Pearls, it easily charms with its fine songs, nifty routines, exquisite costumes, steady flashes of wit, less consistent flashes of flesh, and de rigueur irreverence. The plot may not be very easy to follow, but then, except perhaps for the bubbly accounting of the notorious New York flop of the same show 42 years ago by Tent (as poisoned-pen gossip columnist Vedda Viper), it hardly matters. (Avila)

The Waiting Period Marsh San Francisco, 1062 Valencia, SF; www.themarsh.org. $25-50. Fri/17, 8pm; Sat/18, 5pm. Brian Copeland (comedian, TV and radio personality, and creator-performer of the long-running solo play Not a Genuine Black Man) returns to the Marsh with a new solo, this one based on more recent and messier events` in Copeland’s life. The play concerns an episode of severe depression in which he considered suicide, going so far as to purchase a handgun — the title coming from the legally mandatory 10-day period between purchasing and picking up the weapon, which leaves time for reflections and circumstances that ultimately prevent Copeland from pulling the trigger. A grim subject, but Copeland (with co-developer and director David Ford) ensures there’s plenty of humor as well as frank sentiment along the way. The actor peoples the opening scene in the gun store with a comically if somewhat stereotypically rugged representative of the Second Amendment, for instance, as well as an equally familiar “doood” dude at the service counter. Afterward, we follow Copeland, a just barely coping dad, home to the house recently abandoned by his wife, and through the ordinary routines that become unbearable to the clinically depressed. Copeland also recreates interviews he’s made with other survivors of suicidal depression. Telling someone about such things is vital to preventing their worst outcomes, says Copeland, and telling his own story is meant to encourage others. It’s a worthy aim but only a fitfully engaging piece, since as drama it remains thin, standing at perhaps too respectful a distance from the convoluted torment and alienation at its center. Note: review from an earlier run of the same production. (Avila)

Vital Signs: The Pulse of an American Nurse Marsh San Francisco, 1062 Valencia, SF; www.themarsh.org. $15-50. Sun, 7pm. Through June 16. Registered nurse Alison Whittaker returns to the Marsh with her behind-the-scenes show about working in a hospital.

The World’s Funniest Bubble Show Marsh San Francisco, 1062 Valencia, SF; www.themarsh.org. $8-50. Sun, 11am. Through July 21. Louis “The Amazing Bubble Man” Pearl returns after a month-long hiatus with his popular, kid-friendly bubble show.

BAY AREA

The Dead Girl Avant Garde, 1328 Fourth St, San Rafael; www.altertheater.org. $25. Wed/15, 7:30pm; Fri/17-Sat/18, 8pm; Sun/19, 3pm. AlterTheater performs 90-year-old playwright Ann Brebner’s new family drama.

A Killer Story Marsh Berkeley, 2120 Allston, Berk; www.themarsh.org. $20-50. Thu/16-Sat/18, 8pm (pre-show cabaret at 7:15pm). Dan Harder’s film noir-inspired detective tale premieres at the Marsh Berkeley.

Pericles, Prince of Tyre Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2025 Addison, Berk; www.berkeleyrep.org. $29-77. Tue, Thu-Sat, 8pm (also Sat and May 23, 2pm; no show May 24); Wed and Sun, 7pm (also Sun, 2). Through May 26. Mark Wing-Davey directs Berkeley Rep’s take on the Bard.

PERFORMANCE/DANCE

ACT Master of Fine Arts Program performances ACT’s Hastings Studio Theater, 77 Geary, SF, and ACT’s Costume Shop Theater, 1117 Market, SF; www.act-sf.org. $30 (two shows for $40; three shows for $50). American Conservatory Theater’s acclaimed grad program presents Caryl Churchill’s Cloud 9 (Wed/15 and Fri/17, 7:30pm; Sat/18, 2pm); Bertolt Brecht’s Galileo (Thu/16-Sat/18, 7:30pm); and August Wilson’s Seven Guitars (Thu/16 and Sat/18, 7:30pm; Sun/19, 2pm) in repertory.

Ananta Project Z Space, 450 Florida, SF; www.theanantaproject.org. Fri/17-Sat/18, 8pm. $20. The dance company presents its spring season performances, including two world premieres: The Hush Hush Chronicles and Kittleslip.

“Asia on Stage” SOMArts Cultural Center, 934 Brannan, SF; gapashow@yahoo.com. Sat/18, 7pm. $20. Performance program featuring LIKHA Pilipino Folk Ensemble’s Pilgrim, a dance theater work about gay Asian immigrants.

Sandra Bernhard Bimbo’s 365 Club, 1025 Columbus, SF; www.bimbos365club.com. Thu/16-Fri/17, 8pm. $45. The comedian performs her latest show, I Love Being Me, Don’t You?

Caroline Lugo and Carolé Acuña’s Ballet Flamenco Peña Pachamama, 1630 Powell, SF; www.carolinalugo.com. Sat/18, 6:15pm. $15-19. Flamenco performance by the mother-daughter dance company, featuring live musicians.

“Cirque de l’Arc” Arc San Francisco, 1500 Howard, SF; cirque2013.eventbrite.com. Thu/16, 6-9pm. $100. Help raise money for the Arc San Francisco, serving adults with developmental disabilities, at this circus-themed party featuring an all-star drag performance and the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus.

“The Fantasticks” Mission Dolores Academy Auditorium, 3371 16th St, SF; www.16thstreetplayers.org. Sat/18, 7:30pm; Sun/19, 3pm. Free. The 16th Street Players perform the classic musical.

“The Gospel of Mary Magdalene” Kanbar Hall, JCCSF, 3200 California, SF; www.jccsf.org. Sun/19, 7pm. $25. Live musical excerpts from a San Francisco Opera world premiere by Mark Adamo.

“Improvised Murder Mystery” Bayfront Theater, B350 Fort Mason Center, SF; www.improv.org. Sat/18 and May 25, 8pm. $20. BATS Improv performs one of its most popular shows.

“Kunst-Stoff Arts Fest 2013” Kunst-Stoff Arts, One Grove, SF; www.kunst-stoff.org. May 15-June 7. Most events $10-15. Morning classes, afternoon workshops, and evening performances are the focus of this festival of dance, film, music, and more.

Lenora Lee Koret Auditorium, de Young Museum, Golden Gate Park, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr, SF; www.deyoungmuseum.org. Fri/17, 7pm. Museum admission $6-10.The multi-disciplinary dance artist and de Young Artist fellow presents a live performance by composer Frances Wong (Miyoshi Sketches) and an excerpt from her own The Escape.

Liss Fain Dance Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission, SF; www.lissfaindance.org. Thu/16-Sat/18, 8pm; Sun/19, 5pm. $15-30. The company presents an encore showing of The Water is Clear and Still, a performance installation that combines dance, music, and spoken text from stories by Jamaica Kincaid.

Ross Matthews Regency Ballroom, 1300 Van Ness, SF; www.theregencyballroom.com. Thu/16, 8pm. $32.50. The TV personality performs stand-up and celebrates the launch of his new book, Man Up! Tales of My Delusional Self-Confidence.

“Mission Position Live” Cinecave, 1034 Valencia, SF; www.missionpositionlive.com. Thu, 8pm. Ongoing. $10. Stand-up comedy with rotating performers.

“Mutant Creatures and Unlikely Teachers: Short Plays by Short People” Brava Theater Center, 2781 24th St, SF; www.stagewright.org. Thu/16, 6:30pm, $10; and Fri/17, 7pm, $50 (fundraiser for StageWright program). StageWright presents plays by fifth graders at Starr King Elementary School, performed by professional actors and museums.

Red Hots Burlesque El Rio, 3158 Mission, SF; www.redhotsburlesque.com. Wed, 7:30-9pm. Ongoing. $5-10. Come for the burlesque show, stay for OMG! Karaoke starting at 8pm (no cover for karaoke).

“San Francisco Magic Parlor” Chancellor Hotel Union Square, 433 Powell, SF; www.sfmagicparlor.com. Thu-Sat, 8pm. Ongoing. $40. Magic vignettes with conjurer and storyteller Walt Anthony.

Smuin Ballet Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission, SF; www.smuinballet.org. Thu/16-Sat/18, 8pm (also Sat/18, 2pm); Sun/19, 2pm. $24-65. Also May 22-25, 8pm (also May 25, 2pm); May 26, 2pm. $52-68. Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro, Mtn View. Also May 31-June 1, 8pm (also June 1, 2pm). $54-70. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic, Walnut Creek. The company presents the West Coast premiere of Helen Pickett’s Petal and Darrell Grand Moultrie’s JAZZIN’, among other works.

“Union Square Live” Union Square, between Post, Geary, Powell, and Stockton, SF; www.unionsquarelive.org. Through Oct 9. Free. Music, dance, circus arts, film, and more; dates and times vary, so check website for the latest.

“Yerba Buena Gardens Festival” Yerba Buena Gardens, Mission between 3rd and 4th Sts, SF; www.ybgfestival.org. Through Oct 15. Free. This week: “Let’s Go Salsa@Jessie” with Anthony Blea y su Charanga (Thu/16, 6-7:30pm); Gamelan Sekar Jaya (Sat/18, 1-2pm).

BAY AREA

“Swearing in English: Tall Tales at Shotgun” Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby, Berk; www.shotgunplayers.org. June 3 and 17, 8pm. $15. Shotgun Cabaret presents John Mercer in a series of three stranger-than-fiction dramatic readings.

Commission approves soccer project but pushes the city to restore habitat

Sasha Cuttler

May 9, 2013

Commission approves soccer project but pushes the city to restore habitat

The California Coastal Commission today upheld San Francisco’s plan to replace the Beach Chalet grass soccer fields at the west end of Golden Gate Park with artificial turf and high stadium lights after an emotional five-hour hearing, but not before voicing concerns about the loss of natural terrain and urging the city to do wildlife habitat restoration work on adjacent land.

The soccer project has been repeatedly approved by city agencies despite strong opposition from some neighbors and environmentalists, who say it conflicts with a Local Coastal Plan that calls for it to be a “naturalistic” setting. Their appeal to the commission — which enforces the California Coastal Act of 1976 and regulates development in the coastal zone statewide — was supported by commission staff, giving hope to opponents.

But the dearth of playing fields in the city and bad conditions on this often soggy, gopher-ridden site drove the local approvals of the project, and advocates for soccer and youth dominated public testimony at today’s hearing, which was held in San Rafael. Supportive speakers made arguments ranging from the exodus of families from the city to the need to combat youth obesity and diabetes to concerns that the woods surrounding the field is now “a fornication playground for gay men, it’s a shooting gallery for drug users, and it’s a toilet for the homeless,” all ills they say the turf and lights will help dispel.

“I urge you to reject the appeal and allow San Francisco to manage our park system,” Sup. Scott Wiener testified to the commission, adding, “San Francisco has a crisis in that we are losing our families and losing our children.”

Former Sup. Aaron Peskin took the opposite position, calling the commission’s staff report “well-reasoned” and telling commissioners they have an obligation to protect coastal areas on behalf of all Californians: “It is the role of the commission not to succumb to political pressure.”

After public testimony and before a lunch break when he needed to leave, Commissioner Steve Blank made a motion to adopt staff recommendations and deny the city’s project, rejecting the various arguments made by supporters as irrelevant to whether this project complied with the Coastal Act and should be built so close to the ocean.

“Our review is based on the needs of 38 million Californians. One of the reasons our coastline looks the way is does is because of this commission,” Blank said, later adding, “This project looks like an industrial sports facility which is the antithesis of a naturalistic setting.”

He acknowledged arguments that the site has been soccer fields for more than 60 years and that many San Franciscans want them there. But he analogized it to the city’s one-time embrace of the Embarcadero Freeway before decades later realizing it wasn’t an appropriate waterfront use and tearing it down.

After a lunch break, the commissioner who seconded his motion, Esther Sanchez, continued Blank’s arguments against the project. “Our purview is different than the city and county of San Francisco,” she said. The commission’s role is ensuring compliance with the Coastal Act and LCP — which was developed by the city and approved by the commission decades ago — and its call to “emphasize naturalistic land use qualities of the western part of the park for visitor use,” saying the city should use other parks if it wants artificial turf fields.

But Commissioner Steven Kinsey called for the commission to defer to the city process and argued that turf and lights don’t necessarily violate the vague language in the LCP. “Grass alone does not make the site naturalistic,” Kinsey said, making a motion to approve the city’s project.

Commissioner Martha McClure then strongly sided sided with Kinsey and the city, and Commissioners Robert Garcia and Wendy Mitchell followed suit, saying how they personally liked turf more than grass. “It’s great for the environment, it’s water reducing, it stays green,” Mitchell said, noting that she’s replacing the lawn at her Southern California home with turf, calling the staff report “arrogant,” and saying, “I’m disappointed that we’re hearing this item.”

Garcia said the project will improve the public’s access to the coastal zone, which is something the Coastal Act also encourages.

“Artificial turf has become a savior for us, we can keep all our fields in play,” Commissioner Carole Groom, a member of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, later said, making her the fifth solid vote for the city’s project.

That left four swing votes on this 11-member commission who all said this was a difficult decision. They were inclined to let the project go through, but they were bothered by converting seven acres of real grass to artificial turf and wanted to mitigate that loss of wildlife habitat.

Chair Mary Shallenberger took issue with Mitchell’s comments. “I think they is absolutely properly before us,” she said. “This is how the process is supposed to work. Staff ended their presentation by saying this is a judgment call,” commending project opponents for filing the appeal.

“This was a very hard one for me,” Commissioner Dayna Bochco said, raising doubts that “seven acres of plastic would be a natural and healtful condition.”

Commissioner Jana Zimmer shared the concern and seized on a comment that SF Recreation and Parks Director Phil Ginsburg made earlier expressing a desire to restore as a naturalistic setting a long-neglected four-acre site next to Beach Chalet that used to be the city’s old wastewater treatment plant, noting that $6.5 million in the city’s last parks bond was set aside for habitat restoration in Golden Gate Park.

“I’d like to find a way to link the finding here to that requirement,” Zimmer said, asking Ginsburg whether he could make that commitment.

Ginsburg said that would be the top staff recommendation for the bond money, but that a public process and environmental review would be needed and he couldn’t make the commitment.

“I do believe mitigation is required here,” Bochco said. “We’re taking away seven acres of habitat and I want it replaced with something.”

A majority of commissioners, those for and against the project, strongly urged Ginsburg to follow-through on his pledge to pursue habitat restoration on the adjacent site. But with concerns expressed about tying the two projects together — which raised both legal and local control issues — the motion to do so failed on a 5-6 vote.

With Ginsburg’s pledge and the writing on the wall, the commission then voted unanimously to approve the project, clearing the way for the city to break ground as early as this summer.

Coastal Commission to rule on Beach Chalet soccer project

Sasha Cuttler

May 8, 2013

Coastal Commission to rule on Beach Chalet soccer project

The California Coastal Commission will decide tomorrow (Thu/9) whether San Francisco and its Recreation and Parks Department violated the Coastal Act in approving a renovation of Golden Gate Park’s Beach Chalet soccer fields that uses artificial turf and stadium lights and seating. [UPDATE 3pm: The commission just approved the project. Full story coming soon.]

SF Ocean Edge, a group comprised mostly of environmentalists and neighbors of the site where the park meets the ocean, has been fighting the project since its inception. They got a big boost recently when the Coastal Commission staff recommended rejection of the project, finding that it violated requirements that coastal areas should remain in a naturalistic state and be open to the general public.

“Going into any hearing, you never know what’s going to happen, but the staff report was excellent,” group spokesperson Kathy Howard told the Guardian. “They have a lot of good idea for renovations to the area which would allow more than just organized sports teams to use the area.”

Spokespersons for the Recreation and Park Department didn’t return Guardian calls for comment. The hearing is being held in San Rafael, with this item expected to be heard starting at 9:30-10am, Howard said. Check in here later in the day for a full report.

Stage listings

Andrew Lam

May 7, 2013

THEATER

OPENING

Black Watch Drill Court, Armory Community Center, 333 14th St, SF; www.act-sf.org. $100. Previews Thu/9-Sat/11, 8pm. Opens Sun/12, 7pm. Runs Tue-Sat, 8pm (Tue/14, show at 7pm; also Wed and Sat, 2pm); Sun, 2pm. Through June 16. American Conservatory Theater presents the National Theatre of Scotland’s internationally acclaimed performance about Scottish soldiers serving in Iraq.

Vital Signs: The Pulse of an American Nurse Marsh San Francisco, 1062 Valencia, SF; www.themarsh.org. $15-50. Opens Sun/12, 7pm. Runs Sun, 7pm. Through June 16. Registered nurse Alison Whittaker returns to the Marsh with her behind-the-scenes show about working in a hospital.

ONGOING

Acid Test: The Many Incarnations of Ram Dass Marsh San Francisco, 1062 Valencia, SF; www.themarsh.org. $15-50. Fri, 8pm; Sat, 5pm (Sat/11, show at 8pm). Through May 18. Playwright Lynne Kaufman invites you to take a trip with Richard Alpert, a.k.a. Ram Dass (Warren David Keith), as he recounts times high and low in this thoughtful, funny, and sometimes unexpected biographical rumination on the quest for truth and meaning in a seemingly random life by one of the big wigs of the psychedelic revolution and (with his classic book, Be Here Now) contemporary Eastern-looking spirituality. Directed by Joel Mullennix, the narrative begins with Ram Dass today, in his Hawaiian home and partly paralyzed from a stroke, but Keith (one of the Bay Area’s best stage actors, who is predictably sure and engagingly multilayered in the role) soon shakes off the stiff arm and strained speech and springs to his feet to continue the narrative as the ideal self perhaps only transcendental consciousness and theater allow. Nevertheless, Kaufman’s fun-loving and extroverted Alpert is no saint and no model of perfection, which is the refreshing truth explored in the play, but rather a seeker still, ever imperfect and ever trying for greater perfection or at least the wisdom of acceptance. As the privileged queer child of a wealthy Jewish lawyer and industrialist, Alpert was both insider and outsider from the get-go, and that tension and ambiguity makes for an interesting angle on his life as well as the complexities of his relationships with a homophobic Leary, for instance, and his conservative but ultimately loving father. Perfection aside, the beauty in the subject and the play is the subtle, shrewd cherishing of what remains unfinished. (Avila)

Boomeraging: From LSD to OMG Marsh San Francisco, 1062 Valencia, SF; www.themarsh.org. $15-50. Tue, 8pm. Through May 28. Comedian Will Durst performs his brand-new solo show.

Foodies! The Musical Shelton Theater, 533 Sutter, SF; www.foodiesthemusical.com. $30-34. Fri-Sat, 8pm. Open-ended. AWAT Productions presents Morris Bobrow’s musical comedy revue all about food.

Last Love Mojo Theatre, 2940 16th St, SF; www.mojotheatre.com. $17-30. Thu-Sun, 8pm. Through May 19. Will the apocalypse save us from ourselves? Mojo Theater again raises that question as it presents the second installment in director-playwright Peter Papadopoulos’ Love-Gone-Wrong-at-the-End-of-the-World trilogy, the follow-up to last season’s fertile and funny Lost Love. The story centers on a George and Martha-esque couple, Charles (Jonathan Bender) and Lucida (Kimberly Lester), who on the eve of their fifth wedding anniversary declare all-out war, lobbing younger lovers at each other only to find their new partners (played by an increasingly endearing Michael Saenz and an unexpectedly powerful Gloria McDonald) have a past together and unresolved issues of their own. The grimly romantic comedy returns to, without greatly elaborating on, a familiar fantasy: blowing away the haze of our fractious, insecure, and muddled love lives in the clarifying immediacy of disaster. That this may be more than pure fantasy — that the seemingly discrete realms of personal and political trauma may be in some subtle and profound way connected — is an animating dimension of the trilogy, but here in a more superficial and perfunctory fashion than in Lost Love. The strength of the production lies less in its premise than in the penetrating humor and emotional veracity in Papadopoulos’ sure, heightened dialogue, which is played generally well by the cast and exceptionally so by a vibrantly intelligent Lester, Mojo’s co–artistic director. The staging also benefits, albeit inconsistently, from a stylized approach that revels in self-conscious artifice (including a trio of stage managers from “Command Center Communications,” a video-backdrop by Micah Stieglitz, and some light choreography by Lester). These strengths lend a restless, occasionally inspired production a slow-burning charm, but leave one wondering what might be left when all the dust settles. (Avila)

Little Me Eureka Theatre, 215 Jackson, SF; www.42ndstreetmoon.org. $25-75. Wed, 7pm; Thu-Fri, 8pm; Sat, 6pm. Through May 19. 42nd Street Moon performs Neil Simon’s outrageous musical.

The Lost Folio: Shakespeare’s Musicals Un-Scripted Theater, 533 Sutter, Second Flr, SF; www.un-scripted.com. $10-20. Thu-Sat, 8pm. Through May 18. Un-Scripted Theater Company performs a fully-improvised, full-length musical inspired by Shakespeare.

“PlayGround Festival of New Works” Various venues, SF and Berk; www.playground-sf.org. $15-40. Through May 26. The 17th fest presented by “San Francisco’s incubator for a new generation of playwrights” includes the PlayGround Film Festival, staged readings of four new full-length plays, a fully-produced program of six short plays, panel discussions, and more.

reasons to be pretty San Francisco Playhouse, 450 Post, Second Flr, SF; www.sfplayhouse.org. $30-100. Wed/8-Thu/9, 7pm; Fri/10-Sat/11, 8pm (also Sat/11, 3pm). Completing a trilogy of plays about body awareness and self-image (along with The Shape of Things and Fat Pig), Neil LaBute’s reasons to be pretty begins with a misconstrued remark that quickly gathers enough weight and momentum to tear three sets of relationships apart in the span of a two-hour play. The SF Playhouse production begins with a bang, or rather an awesomely knock-down, blow-out breakup fight between a righteously pissed-off Steph (Lauren English) and her awkwardly passive boyfriend Greg (Craig Marker), who has inadvertently referred to her as “regular” in a conversation with his jerkish buddy Kent (Patrick Russell), which she takes to mean he finds her ugly. English’s Steph is at turns ferocious and fragile, and her comic timing as she eviscerates Greg’s looks in a mall food court zings, while the hyperkinetic Russell elevates the condition of noxiously irredeemable douchebag to an art form. But terrific acting and polished design can only make up so much for a script that feels not only flawed, barely scratching the surface of the whys and wherefores each character has internalized an unrealistic view of the importance of conventional beauty standards, but also already dated, with its circa-2008 pop culture references. Ultimately it gives the impression of being a rerun of a Lifetime television drama that wraps itself up into a too-neat package just in time for the final credits to roll to its admittedly kickass soundtrack (provided by Billie Cox). (Gluckstern)

Sam I Am: A Processional of Short Plays and Prose About Samuel Beckett Bindlestiff Studio, 185 Sixth St, SF; www.pustheatre.com. $10-20. Fri/10-Sat/11, 8pm. Performers Under Stress remounts and revamps its series of short plays and pieces by Samuel Beckett, this time staging it throughout the basement quarters of Bindlestiff Studio, where audiences are led around an economical maze of performance spaces. Opening weekend consisted of too much text and too little in way of staging ideas, especially with several spoken selections of Beckett prose (which have reportedly since been dropped from the program). The best of what remains (in a program of six short plays total) includes Valerie Fachman’s respectable performance as the disembodied “mouth” of the brilliant Not I; and James Udom and Geo Epsilany’s duet in Rough for Theatre I, in which a wheelchair-bound food-hoarder (a softly eccentric Epsilany) strikes up a doomed friendship with a blind beggar (a solid Udom) amid a colorless and barren landscape. The bucket of Beckett dreary gets less satisfying from there, though director Scott Baker’s wordless performance as the titular Joe in Eh Joe proves poised and the doubled voices in his head (by Melissa Clason and Allison Hunter Blackwell) both haunting and intriguing. (Avila)

Steve Seabrook: Better Than You Marsh San Francisco, 1062 Valencia, SF; www.themarsh.org. $15-50. Thu, 8pm; Sat, 8:30pm. Extended through May 18. Self-awareness, self-actualization, self-aggrandizement — for these things we turn to the professionals: the self-empowerment coaches, the self-help authors and motivational speakers. What’s the good of having a “self” unless someone shows you how to use it? Writer-performer Kurt Bodden’s Steve Seabrook wants to sell you on a better you, but his “Better Than You” weekend seminar (and tie-in book series, assorted CDs, and other paraphernalia) belies a certain divided loyalty in its own self-flattering title. The bitter fruit of the personal growth industry may sound overly ripe for the picking, but Bodden’s deftly executed “seminar” and its behind-the-scenes reveals, directed by Mark Kenward, explore the terrain with panache, cool wit, and shrewd characterization. As both writer and performer, Bodden keeps his Steve Seabrook just this side of overly sensational or maudlin, a believable figure, finally, whose all-too-ordinary life ends up something of a modest model of its own. (Avila)

Tinsel Tarts in a Hot Coma: The Next Cockettes Musical Hypnodrome, 575 10th St, SF; www.thrillpeddlers.com. $30-35. Thu-Sat, 8pm. Through June 1. Thrillpeddlers and director Russell Blackwood continue their Theatre of the Ridiculous series with this 1971 musical from San Francisco’s famed glitter-bearded acid queens, the Cockettes, revamped with a slew of new musical material by original member Scrumbly Koldewyn, and a freshly re-minted book co-written by Koldewyn and “Sweet Pam” Tent — both of whom join the large rotating cast of Thrillpeddler favorites alongside a third original Cockette, Rumi Missabu (playing diner waitress Brenda Breakfast like a deliciously unhinged scramble of Lucille Ball and Bette Davis). This is Thrillpeddlers’ third Cockettes revival, a winning streak that started with Pearls Over Shanghai. While not quite as frisky or imaginative as the production of Pearls, it easily charms with its fine songs, nifty routines, exquisite costumes, steady flashes of wit, less consistent flashes of flesh, and de rigueur irreverence. The plot may not be very easy to follow, but then, except perhaps for the bubbly accounting of the notorious New York flop of the same show 42 years ago by Tent (as poisoned-pen gossip columnist Vedda Viper), it hardly matters. (Avila)

The Waiting Period Marsh San Francisco, 1062 Valencia, SF; www.themarsh.org. $25-50. Fri, 8pm; Sat, 5pm. Through May 18. Brian Copeland (comedian, TV and radio personality, and creator-performer of the long-running solo play Not a Genuine Black Man) returns to the Marsh with a new solo, this one based on more recent and messier events` in Copeland’s life. The play concerns an episode of severe depression in which he considered suicide, going so far as to purchase a handgun — the title coming from the legally mandatory 10-day period between purchasing and picking up the weapon, which leaves time for reflections and circumstances that ultimately prevent Copeland from pulling the trigger. A grim subject, but Copeland (with co-developer and director David Ford) ensures there’s plenty of humor as well as frank sentiment along the way. The actor peoples the opening scene in the gun store with a comically if somewhat stereotypically rugged representative of the Second Amendment, for instance, as well as an equally familiar “doood” dude at the service counter. Afterward, we follow Copeland, a just barely coping dad, home to the house recently abandoned by his wife, and through the ordinary routines that become unbearable to the clinically depressed. Copeland also recreates interviews he’s made with other survivors of suicidal depression. Telling someone about such things is vital to preventing their worst outcomes, says Copeland, and telling his own story is meant to encourage others. It’s a worthy aim but only a fitfully engaging piece, since as drama it remains thin, standing at perhaps too respectful a distance from the convoluted torment and alienation at its center. Note: review from an earlier run of the same production. (Avila)

BAY AREA

The Arsonists Aurora Theatre, 2081 Addison, Berk; www.auroratheatre.org. $35-60. Wed/8-Sat/11, 8pm; Sun/12, 2 and 7pm. There’s a lot of humor to be found in Alistair Beaton’s crackling translation of Max Frisch’s The Arsonists, playing now at the Aurora Theatre, but much of the laughter it elicits is of the nervous variety, as the play’s mostly protagonist, the effete, bourgeois Herr Biedermann (Dan Hiatt) inadvertently signs off on his own destruction when he invites an uncouth arsonist to come and stay in his attic (Michael Ray Wisely). “If we assume everyone is an arsonist, where does that get us?” becomes his standard deflection, as one arsonist becomes two (adding in the unctuous, nihilistic Tim Kniffin), and the empty attic a repository for giant drums of gasoline, a detonator, and fuse wire — arousing the suspicions of a chorus of firefighters (Kevin Clarke, Tristan Cunningham, Michael Uy Kelly), who act as the conscience and guardians of the township. Although on the surface the scenario is patently absurd, the message that passivity in the face of evil is like helping to measure out the fuse wire that will eventually claim your life, is relatively clear. “Not every fire is determined by fate,” point out the firefighters right in the first act. Hiatt, as Biedermann, strikes an admirable balance between loathsome and powerless, while Gwen Loeb shines as his socialite wife, Babette, as does Dina Percia as his agitated housemaid, Anna. (Gluckstern)

The Dead Girl Avant Garde, 1328 Fourth St, San Rafael; www.altertheater.org. $25. Wed, 7:30pm; Fri-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 3pm. Through May 19. AlterTheater performs 90-year-old playwright Ann Brebner’s new family drama.

A Killer Story Marsh Berkeley, 2120 Allston, Berk; www.themarsh.org. $20-50. Thu-Sat, 8pm (pre-show cabaret at 7:15pm). Through May 18. Dan Harder’s film noir-inspired detective tale premieres at the Marsh Berkeley.

PERFORMANCE/DANCE

“Bailout! Or can you picture this prophecy? The temperatures are too hot for me.” Dance Mission Theater, 3316 24th St, SF; www.brownpapertickets.com. Fri/10-Sun/12, 8pm. Pay what you can. Navarrete x Kajiyama Dance Theater perform a site-specific multidisciplinary performance inspired by environmental disasters.

“Bitch and Tell: A Real, Funny Show” Garage, 715 Bryant, SF; www.ftloose.org. Sat/11, 8pm. $8-10. Comedy with Tracy Shapiro, Carolé Acuña, Allison Mick, and more.

“Bob’s Burgers Live!” Nob Hill Masonic Auditorium, 1111 California, SF; http://bit.ly/bobssanfrancisco. Sat/11, 8pm. $32.50. The cast of the animated series performs.

“Bound for Glory” Marsh San Francisco, 1062 Valencia, SF; www.themarsh.org. Fri/10, 7:30pm; Sat/11, 2pm. $8-50. Marsh Youth Theater’s MainStage Performance Ensemble presents a musical (written by the ensemble with director Lisa Quoresimo) about a Dust Bowl-era family.

Caroline Lugo and Carolé Acuña’s Ballet Flamenco Peña Pachamama, 1630 Powell, SF; www.carolinalugo.com. Sun/12, 3 and 6:15pm. $29.95-49.95 (includes meal). Flamenco performance by the mother-daughter dance company, featuring live musicians.

“Comedy Returns to El Rio” El Rio, 3158 Mission, SF; www.elriosf.com. Mon/13, 8pm. $7-20. Fourth anniversary show with Frankie Quiñones, Dan St. Paul, Aundre the Wonderwoman, and more.

“The Fantasticks” Mission Dolores Academy Auditorium, 3371 16th St, SF; www.16thstreetplayers.org. Fri/10 and Sat, 7:30pm (also Sat/11, 3pm); Sun, 3pm. Through May 19. Free. The 16th Street Players perform the classic musical.

“I Am a Lie that Always Tells the Truth” Garage, 715 Bryant, SF; www.kingdomofnot.com. Fri/10, 8pm. $10-20. The Kingdom of Not (Dan Carbone and Andrew Goldfarb) perform “music, monologues, and emergency dispatches.”

“ImmigraNation” Punchline Comedy Club, 444 Battery, SF; www.punchlinecomedyclub.com. Tue/14, 8pm. $15. Comedy about the immigrant experience with Dhaya Lakshminarayanan, Samson Koletkar, and more.

“Mission Position Live” Cinecave, 1034 Valencia, SF; www.missionpositionlive.com. Thu, 8pm. Ongoing. $10. Stand-up comedy with rotating performers.

“Mortified” DNA Lounge, 373 11th St, SF; www.getmortified.com. Fri/10, 7:30pm. $21. Also Sat/11, 7:30pm, $20. Uptown, 1928 Telegraph, Oakl. The storytelling series, which specializes in all things embarassing, ups the ante with a Mother’s Day theme this month.

“Mutant Creatures and Unlikely Teachers: Short Plays by Short People” Koret Auditorium, De Young Museum, Golden Gate Park, SF; www.stagewright.org. Tue/14, 11am. Free (advance reservations required). Also May 16, 6:30pm ($10) and May 17, 7pm ($50; fundraiser for StageWright program), Brava Theater Center, 2781 24th St, SF; www.stagewright.org. StageWright presents plays by fifth graders at Starr King Elementary School, performed by professional actors and museums.

“Once in Love with Loesser” Eureka Theatre, 215 Jackson, SF; www.42ndstreetmoon.org. Mon/13-Tue/14, 7pm. $45-70. 42nd Street Moon presents Tony nominee Emily Skinner performing songs by Frank Loesser.

Red Hots Burlesque El Rio, 3158 Mission, SF; www.redhotsburlesque.com. Wed, 7:30-9pm. Ongoing. $5-10. Come for the burlesque show, stay for OMG! Karaoke starting at 8pm (no cover for karaoke).

San Francisco Ballet War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness, SF; www.sfballet.org. Wed/8, 7:30pm; Thu/9-Sat/11, 8pm (also Sat/11, 2pm); Sun/12, 2pm. $45-250. Performing the US premiere of Christopher Wheeldon’s Cinderella.

“San Francisco Magic Parlor” Chancellor Hotel Union Square, 433 Powell, SF; www.sfmagicparlor.com. Thu-Sat, 8pm. Ongoing. $40. Magic vignettes with conjurer and storyteller Walt Anthony.

Smuin Ballet Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission, SF; www.smuinballet.org. Fri-Sat and May 16, 8pm (also Sat, 2pm); Sun, 2pm. Through May 19. $24-65. Also May 22-25, 8pm (also May 25, 2pm); May 26, 2pm. $52-68. Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro, Mtn View. Also May 31-June 1, 8pm (also June 1, 2pm). $54-70. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic, Walnut Creek. The company presents the West Coast premiere of Helen Pickett’s Petal and Darrell Grand Moultrie’s JAZZIN’, among other works.

“A Spaghetti Western” Stage Werx Theatre, 446 Valencia, SF; www.clownsnotbombs.com. Fri/10-Sat/11, 8pm (also Sat/11, 2pm). $15-20. ClownSnotBombs performs a circus adventure about pasta and the Wild West.

“Stretchmarks” Creativity Theater, Children’s Creativity Museum, 221 Fourth St, SF; www.themommadrama.com. Fri/10-Sat/11, 8pm. $25. The Momma Drama presents this play as part of a mom-centric event on Mother’s Day.

“Yerba Buena Gardens Festival” Yerba Buena Gardens, Mission between 3rd and 4th Sts, SF; www.ybgfestival.org. Through Oct 15. Free. This week: “Asian Improv aRts: 25th Anniversary: Traditions in Transformation,” Sat/11, 1-3pm; “Taiwan in the Gardens,” Sun/12, 1-2:30pm.

BAY AREA

Company C Contemporary Ballet Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic, Walnut Creek; www.lesherartscenter.org. Thu/9-Sat/11, 8pm; Sun/12, 1pm. $23-45. The company’s spring program features Natoma, a world premiere by Company C dancer David von Ligon.

Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg Zellerbach Hall, Bancroft at Telegraph, UC Berkeley, Berk; www.calperformances.org. Fri/10-Sat/11, 8pm; Sun/12, 3pm. $30-92. The company performs the Bay Area premiere of its latest ballet, Rodin.

“A History of the Body” Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 Ninth St, #290, Oakl; historyofbody.eventbrite.com. Sat/11, 7:30pm. $15-25. Work-in-progress performance of Aimee Suzara’s new play.

Oakland Ballet Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts, 1428 Alice, Oakl; www.oaklandballet.org. Fri/10-Sat/11, 8pm (also Sat, 2pm). $20-35. The company performs its spring season program, “Diaghilev Imagery.”

“The Shout: Life’s True Stories” Grand Lake Coffee House, 440 Grand, Oakl; www.theshoutstorytelling.com. Mon/13, 7:30pm. $5-20. Ten-minute tales from a variety of storytellers.

On the Cheap listings

Andrew Lam

May 7, 2013

For information on how to submit events for listing consideration, see the guidelines in Selector.

THURSDAY 9

Bike to work day Various SF locations. www.sfbike.org. 5:30am-7pm, free. Trade in a cramped morning Muni commute for an open-air bike ride today in honor of bike to work day. The SF Bicycle Coalition knows biking the hills of SF is not always an easy task, which is why it has set up 26 "energizer stations" all around the city to serve free snacks, beverages, and reusable, goodie-filled tote bags to use on your to-and-froms. Check the Coalition’s site to find a station along your regular route.

Thirsty Thursday Toga Party Atmosphere, 447 Broadway, SF. www.a3atmosphere.com. 9:30pm, free. RSVP required. Revive your Animal House-esque days with a toga party. Travelers, locals, au pairs, and international students will be decked out in the finest bed sheets around. Show up before 10pm and score a free bingo card with a $3 shot offered every time you check off a square.

Britweek Design Series San Francisco Design Center, 2 Henry Adams, SF. www.babcsf.org. 4:30-10pm, $20-25 advance. The British-American Business Council hosts this design-driven evening. The event will kick off with a panel of British and American architects and interior designers, followed by a second international panel of innovators working in product design and technology, finishing up with an after party at Project One Gallery, just down the street from the design center.

FRIDAY 10

Spirit: A Century of Queer Asian Activism Mission Cultural Center, 2868 Mission, SF. www.queerrebels.com. 8pm, $12-20. Queer Rebels’ organization for queer artists of color brings movers and shakers of the community together to celebrate 100 years of queer Asian activism. The two-day event begins tonight with performances by Eli-Coppola award winning poet Ryka Aoki, performance artist Genevieve Erin O’Brien, and more. The festivities will continue tomorrow night with a panel discussion and film screenings.

SATURDAY 11

Pet Week kick-off Little Marina Green, Marina and Baker, SF. www.marinatimes.com. 11am-3pm, free. Soak up some sun and get your puppy fix today at Pet Week’s kick-off event. Bring your favorite four-legged friend for free microchipping, watch police K-9s show off their detective skills, pick up some free goodies for Fido, and maybe even adopt a new friend. Pet adoption will be available from eight organizations including Pets Unlimited, Muttville, and Rocket Dog Rescue.

Bluegrass Pickin’ Picnic Dahlia Picnic Area, Golden Gate Park, SF. www.countryroundupsf.com. Noon-6pm, free. If you’re a fan of Golden Gate Park and bluegrass but the giant mobs of the Hardly Strictly festival bruise your gentle nerves, here is your second chance. Sponsored by the California Bluegrass Association, this afternoon is an open jam session for all who play or just like listening to bluegrass. Set up your picnic blanket early and score some free hamburgers and hot dogs while supplies last.

SUNDAY 12

Wanderlust Festival Marina Green. sf.wanderlustfestival.com. 12-5pm, free. Register online. If the daily grind of city life is taking its toll, head over to the Marina for a stress-relieving day of yoga and music. The day will begin with yoga sessions led by Pradeep Teotia and Susan Hauser, Lululemon 2012 ambassador. The evening will conclude with musical performances by DJ Drez and the fittingly named MC Yogi.

TUESDAY 14

Cakespy book signing Book Passage, 1 Ferry Building, SF. www.bookpassage.com. 6pm, free. Ever been stuffing your face with a red velvet cupcake or Girl Scout cookie and wondered where the recipe originated? Self proclaimed "dessert detective" Jessie Oleson Moore has these answers and more in her new book The Secret Lives of Baked Goods: Sweet Stories & Recipes from America’s Favorite Desserts. Head over to the Ferry Building to meet Moore and get a signed copy of this sweet literary treat.

"Ask a Scientist: Origins of the Universe" SoMa StrEat Food Park, 428 11th St., SF. www.askascientistsf.com. In this lecture hosted by UC Berkeley Professor Eliot Quataert science fanatics will learn how the universe evolved from its smooth beginnings to its current state. Quataert will focus on how gravity reigns supreme and builds up the planets, stars, and galaxies required for biological evolution. If digesting all this scientific chatter works up an appetite, fuel up at one of the ten gourmet food trucks at SoMa StrEat Food Park.

Secret San Francisco: Adventures in History Balboa Theatre, 3630 Balboa, SF. www.cinemasf.com/balboa. 6:30pm, $10. The history of the downtown neighborhoods of San Francisco are well photographed and documented, but head further west and things tend to get a bit foggy. That’s where the Western Neighborhood Projects comes in. The nonprofit has been documenting all things west of Stanyan Street since 1999. Head to the Balboa Theatre tonight for a dose of SF history — west and east — short films, archival TV footage, and other historic surprises.

Captain Greg Corrales saves the Haight from Demon Weed

Zelda Bronstein

April 26, 2013

Captain Greg Corrales saves the Haight from Demon Weed

I’m glad to see the Ex now has the data to show what we all knew was happening: The old Drug Warrior at Park Precint, Captain Greg Corrales, is trying to save the Haight from pot smokers.

Hate to have to tell you, Cap, but you lost that battle a loooong time ago.

And here’s the thing: Arresting people is expensive. It takes the time of police officers (who, let’s remember, often make $100,000 a year or more), it takes the time of the District Attorney’s Office, and, since none of the people Corrales arrests can afford private counsel, it takes the time of the Public Defender’s Office, which is already so short of money that it might have to stop taking cases.

And meanwhile, San Francisco has a terrible record closing homicide cases.

So now we’re spending hundreds of thousands of dollars (yes, that’s what it will add up to) busting small-time pot dealers in Golden Gate Park.

Remember, the statistics are clear: The “buy-bust” arrests are not nabbing crack or meth or heroin dealers. It’s all about the Demon Weed.

It’s also part of the quiet transformation of law enforcement and city policy in the Haight, which has become all about “quality-of-life” cases. A guy named Giuliani made that a big deal in New York way back when. Now we have sit-lie, and we have the eviction of the Haight Ashbury Neighborhood Council Recycling Center, and we have buy-bust. It’s really about trying to turn the Haight into a sanitized, movie-set version of itself.

Which, by the way, has never seemed to work.

Red-eyed trends: 420 fashion at Dolores Park

Andrew Lam

April 23, 2013

Red-eyed trends: 420 fashion at Dolores Park

For the really sloppy, you had to go to Hippie Hill. All in all, Dolores Park last Saturday looked pretty much the same as any other gloriously warm Saturday in San Francisco. Course, we love a theme.

“Rasta colors” made their appearance in smatterings, as did green pot leaves on tank tops and hella tie-dye. My favorite trend this year? Blankets covered with trays of cheesy bread and chimichangas.

>>FOR MORE MARIJUANA MUSINGS, READ THIS WEEK’S STREET SEEN COLUMN

Betchu though, the Dolo kids didn’t leave the same amount of trash as the multitudes out in Golden Gate Park (to be fair, I wouldn’t spend too much cleaning up either if there had been a guitar-swinging brawl going down.)

You have to appreciate the coordinating stripes on these four. Props to goofy glasses for demonstrating that stoner pride need not entail ill-advised homage to another religious faith

Blogger Broke Ass Stuart probably wasn’t even stoned — he’s just trying to hype his costume closet

Cute couple #1

Best of the Bay-winning entrepreneur Crista Hill of Hey Cookie! had the only un-medicated baked goods on the block

She gives me hope.

At this point things get a little unfocused. Here’s roaming foodie Rocky Yazzie (front) with his friend inna funny hat

“You gotta scream when you take a photo”

Simply majestic.

I got sprung on these ladies’ snacks, then I noticed they looked amazing…

… but really, their snacks.

Cute couple #2, the best.

Selector: April 24-30, 2013

Andrew Lam

April 23, 2013

FRIDAY 26

Robot Chicken

Marking the end of the special exhibit Between Frames: The Magic Behind Stop Motion Animation, the comedic geniuses behind the hit Adult Swim TV show Robot Chicken — Stoopid Buddy Stoodios — are coming to the city this weekend for several special events celebrating their craft. Join Seth Green, Matthew Senreich, John Harvatine IV, Eric Towner, and Alex Kamer on Friday night for an after-hours museum party featuring food, drinks, an audience Q&A, and screenings of behind-the-scenes footage. Then on Saturday there’s a special animation workshop followed by a panel discussion taking a closer look at the hilarious TV show. (Sean McCourt)

Fri/26, 7pm; Sat/27, 10am and 2pm, $8–$60

Walt Disney Family Museum

104 Montgomery, SF

(415) 345-6800

www.waltdisney.org

San Francisco Global Vietnamese Film Festival

A three-day celebration of films from Vietnam (as well as Cambodia, Canada, France, Japan, the Czech Republic, and the United States), the San Francisco Global Vietnamese Film Festival offers up both narratives and documentaries, as well as experimental works. Highlights include screenings of Oscar nominee Tran Angh Hung’s dreamy 2010 adaptation of Haruki Murakami’s novel Norwegian Wood — as well as Duc Nguyen’s brand-new doc about Vietnamese refugees, Stateless, and a shorts program comprised of Yxine Film Festival standouts. (Cheryl Eddy)

Opening gala tonight, 7:30pm, $10

Artists’ Television Access

992 Valencia, SF

Festival screenings Sat/27-Sun/28, 2:30pm-midnight, $10

Roxie Theater

3117 16th St., SF

sfgvff.wordpress.com

“SF Choral Society and Volti present battle hymns”

Making Love may be a more common theme for dance than Making War. This did not stop Philadelphia-based choreographer Leah Stein, whose small company dances big and not just on stage, and collaborating composer David Lang. Stein has created a reputation for site-specific, improv-inspired choreography combined with an uncommonly sophisticated musicality. Lang based his choral work, Battle Hymn, on texts from the Civil War. Together they have created a meditation on a topic that, unfortunately, is as timely a ever. Stein’s dancers and 150 singers — including SF music group Volti, San Francisco Choral Society vocalists, and the Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir — will perform along with the percussion score conducted by Robert Geary. (Rita Felciano)

Fri/26, 8pm; Sat/27, 3 and 8pm; Sun/28, 3pm, $30–$50

Kezar Pavilion

755 Stanyon, SF

(415) 392-4400

www.cityboxoffice.com

SATURDAY 27

“Fortuna Paper Moon”

In art, process can be everything. In the case of Jovi Schnell, the colorful and lively works that seem to borrow from folk art, celestial imagery, and mechanical ideas speak for themselves, but the story of their creation embeds them with particular meaning — or rather, an intriguing lack of meaning. In paintings such as Honeycomb Hideaway, repeated rolling of dice determined the order of colors and the pattern that comprises the piece (which is no pattern at all). Schnell has invented a language in paint, collage, and sculpture that is whimsical, energetic, and overall, fascinating. The “Fortuna Paper Moon” exhibition is on view at Gregory Lind Gallery until June 1. (Laura Kerry)

Through June 1

4pm, free

Gregory Lind Gallery

49 Geary, SF

(415) 296-9661

www.gregorylindgallery.com

Queen’s Day

You love excessive drinking in the street and the color orange, right? (Don’t lie SF, I’ve seen many a fake tan Bay to Breakdown.) A celebration for the Queen of the Netherlands’ birthday in SF goes down in the park this year and will feature Dutch cheese and DJs, a beer garden, and family activities, sponsored by the Consulate General of the Netherlands. Head up the road to the de Young afterward for even more Dutch madness: more DJs and a 7pm lecture on the country’s royal family that you won’t remember the next day if you’re celebrating in the traditional manner. (Caitlin Donohue)

Noon-5pm, free

Murphy Windmill

Lincoln Way and Great Highway, Golden Gate Park, SF

www.sfdutch.com

“Night Light: Multimedia Garden Party”

Disco dancing about diasporas, an opera in shadow, moving crystals, nude hula hooping, a slowed down wave, and a technological cocoon: these are not club names mentioned by Stefon in Saturday Night Live, but some of the art pieces that will be on display at SOMArts’ Multimedia Garden Party. With more than 50 artists displaying their music, dance, video installations, sculptures, and art in various other mediums, the night promises to be overwhelmingly spectacular. While art is often confined to the quiet and clean spaces of museums and galleries, tonight it participates in a party. SOMArts offers a chance to participate with it. (Kerry)

8pm, $12

SOMArts

934 Brannan, SF

(415) 863-1414

www.somarts.org

Men in Suits

Long before computer graphics became all the rage in Hollywood, a special breed of actors and special effects magicians worked together to bring a vast array of wild monsters, creatures, beasts and more to life on the big screen, entertaining (and scaring) generations of movie-goers. Take a look back at that golden age of film making tonight at a screening of Men In Suits, a new documentary about the people who played monsters in the movies, ranging from the Creature From The Black Lagoon to Predator. Writer-director Frank Woodward will be on hand for a discussion, along with special displays, prizes, and a second flick, 1955’s Revenge of the Creature. (McCourt)

7pm, $12–$15

Historic Bal Theater

14808 East 14th St., San Leandro

www.bayareafilmevents.com

SUNDAY 28

How Weird

Do we love New Orleans so because it reflects a more diverse, wilder, woolier, earlier version of our fair city? Play out your Nola dreams with lunch at the gorgeous SF Jazz Center’s Big Easy-inspired restaurant South, and then head to the 14th year of the How Weird street fair in your best freak flag. Per usual, a sizable portion of SoMa will be blocked off and filled with wacky vendors, art, and 10 stages of music — mainly EDM, but with this year’s “Weirdi Gras” theme, five marching bands will be strutting the streets to syncopate your Sunday. (Donohue)

Noon-8pm, $10 suggested donation

Howard and Second St., SF

www.howweird.org

SUNDAY 28

Cave Singers

At first listen, the Cave Singers’ music inhabits a place directly related to rotting porches on the edges of mountainous forests. They play folk. Spend a little more time with them, though, and it starts to make sense that their favorite bands are the Replacements, the Pixies, and Fleetwood Mac. Pete Quirk’s singing, a bit raspy and raw, recalls other genres that typically involve more yelping and distortion (he was previously a part of a Seattle post-punk band); the compositions have a little too much edge to be played from a porch in the mountains. Yes, it’s folk that they’ll play at Great American Music Hall, but it’s the Cave Singers’ version of it. (Kerry)

With Bleeding Rainbow

8pm, $16

Great American Music Hall

859 O’Farrell, SF

(415) 885-0750

www.slimspresents.com

Marnie Stern

On the cover of Marnie Stern’s new album, Chronicles of Marnia, the artist walks on the beach in a summer dress, silhouetted by a setting sun. This would suggest that inside, one would find some sweet, vulnerable melodies in a singer-songwriter style. And that is not completely wrong — her soul-bearing songwriting comes up in some very positive reviews of her four albums — but what Stern does particularly well, is shred on the electric guitar; her finger tapping post-punk experimental rock sound earned her a spot on many greatest guitarist lists. Stern is the real deal, and you can see her bear shred (and bear her soul) at the Rickshaw Stop tonight. (Kerry)

With SISU, E V Kain

8pm, $12

Rickshaw Stop

155 Fell, SF

(415) 861-2011

www.rickshawstop.com

MONDAY 29

La Mar Cebicheria pisco dinner

Sure, when Peru’s Gaston Acurio opened up his first US restaurant here on our waterfront we knew we weren’t going to be regulars — that sustainable seafood doesn’t come cheap, babe. That being said, there’s something about shellfooding out on a special occasion. So we wanted to let you know about this: a four-course dinner, each course paired with a dram of pisco, or a cocktail based off that Peruvian liquor that’s been beloved in SF since the days of the Gold Rush. Before the heavy plates come in, check out the 6pm pisco seminar taught by Manuel Ainzuain, Alfonso Rouillon, and La Mar bar manager Joselino Solis. (Donohue)

Reservations required

Open 5:30-9:30pm, $75/person

La Mar Cebichería Peruana

Pier 1½, SF

(415) 397-8880

www.lamarsf.com

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420 trip(tych)

Andrew Lam

April 22, 2013

caitlin@sfbg.com

STREET SEEN Snoop wore rhinestone-dripping dichotomy to his 420 concert at the Fillmore. Trust, I was stoned enough to come up with theories based around it.

This year’s preposterous stoner holiday weekend in San Francisco featured a Haight Street-Hippie Hill clusterfuck that snarled traffic lanes for those hoping to flee the THC clouds for lands with slightly more manageable level of good vibes. Down South in Santa Cruz, cops confiscated a two-pound joint stuffed with an estimated $6,000 worth of Cali green from the traditional festivities in the hinterlands of the town’s UC campus.

I stayed far from such daytime fray, though we did manage to snap some photos of Hill-bound bridge-and-tunnelers seeking the 71 bus in their UNIF “Weed Be Good Together” tank tops (available, of course, at Urban Outfitters for some astronomical sum.) They seemed nice enough. I hope they weren’t the ones who left Golden Gate Park trashed with 10,000 pounds of garbage. Yes, that’s an actual park worker estimate.

Not mad at tasteful stoner styling. All park photos by Caitlin Donohue

My camera and I opted for the slightly more local version of 420 at Dolores Park, where neon Spring Breakers fashion trumped pot leaves and the gentleman proudly sporting a Rastafarian flag as a cape was the exception, rather than the bleary eyed rule to the sunburning throngs. Capturing flicks of various, impressively large picnic buffets, I was proud of my fellow stoners for the most part. Has weed culture progressed to the point where we need not don fake dreadlocks or shiny plastic leaf necklaces to proclaim our affinity to legalization? Down.

Cool cape, breh.

So many snacks. Ladies came prepared. For more DP style, click

KNUCKLE PIECE

Later that evening, after clearing the multi-layered gauntlet of security at the Fillmore (I don’t remember there being metal detectors the last time I came through for a hip-hop show, granted that was for Macklemore) and waiting for his hour-late, $75-ticket appearance, Snoop Dogg put on a predictably fun show. “Classic smash hits” were performed, as promised by the show’s promotional materials. Nate Dogg was piped in for choruses, back from the dead. The crowd sang along to each song, unchallenged by the repertoire of a man as familiar to the world’s hip-hop fans as the MTV logo. He covered “Jump Around,” but even this seemingly unnecessary riff seemed in keeping with much of the first half of the show’s reliance on material from eras gone by.

All Snoop photos by Matthew Reamer

But pacifist, Bunny Wailer-blessed Snoop Lion and his Major Lazer-produced album Reincarnated was entirely absent. Perhaps I was the only one harboring hopes of a surprise appearance by tween daughter Cori B. — whose turn on the hook for “No Guns Allowed” I like to imagine as payback from Daddy for the time those cops found firearms in the family home.

You could see it in his bling, this lack of commitment to his new persona. Though a rhinestone lion swung from Snoop’s slim neck, far more apparent was the garish fist-covering knuckle “Snoop Dogg” piece, which partially obscured his microphone. One wonders if the Lion persona will stick around long enough for Snoop to compile an impressive, be-maned collection of accessories. Maybe not — much of the shtick seems redundant for a rapper already famous for smoking more weed than federal agent bonfires in Humboldt County.

But old school the entirety of the set was not. Singles by Katy Perry and Bruno Mars in which Snoop guest-raps each made the hip-hop purists in the crowd spit. Despite the overwhelming scorn around me, I bopped to Perry’s “California Girls” — but even I couldn’t stomach the aging rapper juxtaposed with the chorus of Mars’ “Young, Wild, and Free”. I wondered if he could be convinced that “No Guns Allowed” ventures far closer to “classic good hit” arena than pop prince crossovers ever will.

MILE HIGH

Uhhhh, like, what else happened? Oh right, there was a shooting at Denver’s massive 420 celebration, the first since Colorado legalized the stuff for recreational use. The news would have been a bummer, had I not gotten to catch up with my girl Coral Reefer, who was a speaker on the Cannabis Cup’s first panel discussion about social media and weed.

“It has been amazing,” said the chipper Reefer, who runs a near 24/7 train of political information and nug glamour shots on her various social networks and Stoney Sunday YouTube potcasts. “Colorado’s been so hospitable and generous.”

News of the shooting — which left two attendees at Denver’s Civic Center Park with non-life-threatening injuries and several with injuries sustained while being trampled during the ensuing chaos amid the estimated 80,000 crowd — didn’t reach attendees at the Cup until a few hours later, Reefer said.

“It was complete sadness. Everyone I spoke to was so disappointed that we had experienced such a great day of community and positive vibrations, and a few miles away something so terrible had happened.”

But at the Cup itself, peace reigned, with the possible exception of the grumblers stuck in the at-times hours-long wait to get in. Reefer says the sophistication of marijuana concentrates continues to improve at these mega-events, and the variety of pot accoutrements — like local brands of vape pens — is impressive. “There’s so much issue with crossing state lines with cannabis products, it seems like each state has developed their own economy when it comes to cannabis goods.”

For Reefer, even the chaotic Civic Center scene signified a growing interest in marijuana she sees as positive. “We need to understand there are millions of people on our side and we need to be prepared when they come to us,” she said.

She also wanted to reinforce that this is one party the Golden State wants in on. “More and more people are celebrating cannabis in Colorado. California needs to step up and legalize, because it’s getting really fun out here.”

Perhaps — a la Snoop’s schizophrenic accessories — someday no one will feel the urge to don crocheted red-yellow-and-green beanies, or make a reggae album, merely to proclaim allegiance to marijuana. Dear government, if we drop the culturally derivative stoner trappings, will you accept that weed has been a part of us all along?

Goats, unicorns, Snoop Dogg: What to do in SF for 4/20 2013

Andrew Lam

April 16, 2013

Goats, unicorns, Snoop Dogg: What to do in SF for 4/20 2013

Hey stoner stereotypes, see ya at Hippie Hill! I jk — you can do way better on International Stoner Day this year in the Bay. Instead of watching wobbly teenagers inhale from “joints” the size of their lacrosse stick in Golden Gate Park (also avoid Haight Street today like the plague), steer your buzzed bumblings towards these carefully curated events that are sure to be safe, amaaaazing spaces for mature marijuana users.

It’s a great day to hit up your fave dispensary, too — many are offering deals and free joints to patients [e.g., the Castro’s Apothecarium, where the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence will be holding court all day.] Other year-round best bets for the blazed: the Audium, the brand-new Exploratorium, or your couch.

Goat Fest

Watching (over) you.

You are setting yourself up for glory if you manage to get out of bed, roll a joint, and bring it to the waterfront Saturday morning. Your fuzzy ramblings will bring you face-to-face with the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market’s homage to billygoats. Yuss, you can pet the goats — a petting stable will be set up by the Sur La Table entrance to the Ferry Building that has high nuzzle potential. Achadinha Cheese Company, Andante Dairy, and Yerba Santa Goat Cheese will be teaching about goat industries in the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture (CUESA) classroom, and this: 10-11am, “goat gab” from experts about why they like working with billies. 11am and noon, there will be sustainable goat cooking demos by celeb chefs — a sure-fire buzzkill for softy vegetarians who just got done snuggling kids, you’ve been warned.

10am-1pm, free. Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, Embarcadero and Market, SF. www.cuesa.org

Yoga Flow studio opening

Care to commune with your breath in a one-time Masonic lodge? Lookatit:

The new yoga studio, Yoga Flow, opening up off of Ocean Avenue is unrolling the welcome mat for 4/20, and will offer three sessions of different levels of yoga classes for newbs. Have you ever done yoga stoned? It is not for everyone, but for those for whom it is for, it is for them. After the classes conclude, a person named DJ Solar will beat-track a refreshment-mingle session from 7:30-10pm. Like, meet your community man. Find the day’s class schedule on the Eventbrite page.

4-10pm, free. Yoga Flow, 385 Ashton, SF. www.yogaflowsf.com, yogaflowsf.eventbrite.com

Cesar Chavez parade and street fair

I don’t know, does social justice stimulate your stoned synapses? Dolores Park is going to be a big, sloppy mess, but it’ll be worth braving to check out all the community groups and amazing people who will be marching in the parade celebrating California’s preminent working class hero. Or conversely, post up closer to 24th Street so you can cruise the street fair celebrating the guy after the procession. Pro tip: swing by Galeria de la Raza and get an army jacket (pillowcase?) printed with a kid-designed image of Chavez for just a $5 donation.

Parade: 11am, free. Route goes from 19th St. and Guerrero to 24th St. and Mission, SF. Street fair: noon-5pm, free. 24th St. between Treat and Bryant, SF. www.cesarchavezday.org

Aryz: “Style is the Limit”

Whoa, dude. Aryz collaboration with Os Gemeos in Lodz, Poland (Aryz did the cig-craving skeleton lady)

Ignore the head-scratching rhetoric behind the title of this exhibition of Barcelona street artist Aryz‘s studio work (ditto the wha-huh? promotional video) and just space out on the work of one of the world’s most original modern-day muralists in a Lower Haight gallery. The world was introduced to Aryz by his album cover for Aesop Rock, and since then, we’ve gotten a chance to peep his work on mega-walls in both hemispheres (I got a chance to see him do the thing in person last fall in Puerto Rico.) Creepy + thought-provoking + epically precise lines = perfect fodder for marijuana-fueled musings. Should you need more to ponder: Aryz is originally from Palo Alto, weirrrrrd.

Open on Sat/20 noon-6pm, free. Opening reception Fri/19, 7pm, free. Fifty24SF gallery, 218 Fillmore, SF. www.fifty24sf.com

Mishap Psychic Fair

Nothing will make sense on 4/20 anyway, but surely the Mishap Psychic Fair is in the running for the least-sense-making honorific this Saturday. The (is it?) satirical set-up will feature tongue-in-cheek booths where you can align your crystals via rock opera, attune to your inner “sexy anger,” and temper it all with cocktails if you’re not too bleary-eyed from the traditional mode of celebration on this international holiday. Buy tix to the fair in advance and you’ll snag a complimentary photo of your aura, a so-called magic elixir, or henna tattoo. Heal thyself, hippie.

8pm, $10. Geoffrey’s Inner Circle, 410 14th St., Oakl. www.mishapproductions.com, Facebook event

The Last Unicorn birthday celebration screening

Meep! I’ll let film editor Cheryl Eddy explain this one:

And now for something completely magical: Peter S. Beagle, author of beloved 1968 fantasy novel The Last Unicorn (among dozens of other works), turns 74 today, and he’ll journey from his home in Oakland for a pair of birthday- and unicorn-themed San Francisco events. (Hooves up if you ever had a unicorn-themed birthday party! I know I did … maybe more than once.) First is a screening of the 1982 animated film adapted from the book, with voices by Mia Farrow, Jeff Bridges, and Alan Arkin; Beagle will be on hand to answer questions and sign books. Diehards can continue the festivities at the Cartoon Art Museum, which hosts a reading and further signings by the author, plus an auction of some mighty nifty original artwork to benefit the museum and Beagle’s imminent multi-city tour. Costumes are encouraged, obvi.

Screening, noon-3pm, $8.50. Castro Theatre, 429 Castro, SF; VIP reception, 6-8pm, $25. Cartoon Art Museum, 655 Mission, SF. www.cartoonart.org

Maria Minerva

A concert for which I will h/t to music writer Ryan Prendiville for explanating because terms like “hypnagogic pop” addle me (admittedly, not a hard thing to do):

Minerva was the Roman goddess of wisdom. That’s what I’ve found out on Wikipedia. What I’ve found out about Estonian lo-fi electronic chanteuse Maria Minerva is that she’s an art school graduate/critic/glossolalia expert/comedy student. But, all I really know is that her Bless EP on 100% Silk is excellent. “Soulsearchin’,” focuses on the anxiety of options, built around George Carlin’s “Modern Man,” but it’s the laid-back guitar, slightly off-kilter percussion, and circling vocals on “Symbol of My Pleasure” that stay with me.

With Butterclock (live), Marco De La Vega, and more. 9pm, $10 presale. Public Works, 161 Erie, SF. (415) 932-0955, www.publicsf.com, Facebook event

Dark Room

Whoa. The cwazy goth drag that will rule the night at the second installation of this creep show party will be fabulously morose end to a long day of baking in the sun. At 11:30pm the Secret Society of the Sonic Six takes the stage to teleport you to another realm. Featuring the dark and stormy sartorial skills of host Lady Bear and her minions: Phatima, Vain Hein, Mica Sigourney, and more.

9:30pm-2am, $5 before 10pm, $8 after. Cafe Du Nord, 2174 Market, SF. Facebook event

Snoop Lion

Well this is obviously the place to be if you have $75 to spend on becoming a total stoner stereotype. I am on the record as a fan of Snoop Doggy Dogg’s transformation into the reggae-fied, Bunny Wailer-approved, anti-gun Snoop Lion. Like the single says (music video below, featuring Snoop’s recording artist daughter Cori B. and, somehow, Drake): “I need to hear my thoughts/turn the music up LOUD.” Cop tix now because this is obvs the spot for any self-respecting pothead on this day of days. Cross your fingers Cori B. braves the clouds of smoke to attend!

Less buzz-harshing violence available in Snoop Lion’s other goddamn amazing video:

9pm, $75. The Fillmore, 1805 Geary, SF. www.thefillmore.com

Follow @caitlindonohue

On the Cheap listings

Andrew Lam

March 19, 2013

Submit items for the listings at listings@sfbg.com. For further information on how to submit items for the listings, see Picks.

WEDNESDAY 20

1960’s Go-Go Groove Make-out Room, 3225 22nd St., SF. www.1960sgo-go.com. 7pm, free. Bust out those white go-go boots and learn some standard ’60s dance moves like the twist, jerk, pony, watusi, hully gully — even the tighten up! If you’re in need of some liquid courage before you shake it, head over to the Make-out Room at 6pm for some sweet happy hour deals.

THURSDAY 21

“Bold Local NightLife” California Academy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse, SF. www.calacademy.org. 6-10pm, $12. Art and science converge as the Bold Italic website takes over this week’s Nightlife at the Academy of Sciences. Meet the local merchants, designers, artists, and producers from the ‘hoods we know and love. Folks from Misdirections Magic Shop, bakery co-op Arizmendi, wine delivery service Rewinery, and more will all have tables alongside the alligators, jellyfish, and penguins.

“Growing Pains, The Business of Cannabis in San Francisco” San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association, 654 Mission, second floor, SF. www.visityerbabuena.org/events 6:30-7:30pm, free. RSVP suggested. SF Appeal editor Eve Batey and writers Heather Donahue and Chris Roberts will explore the state of marijuana in SF, and possible impacts of proposed cannabis legislative reforms. If you have a specific topic or question you would like addressed, email growingpains@sfappeal.com before tonight’s talk.

FRIDAY 22

“Dance Anywhere” Various locations throughout the Bay Area. www.danceanywhere.org. Noon, free. Why wait until tonight to get your groove on? In this global event — offshoots are taking place in major cities around the globe — participants are encouraged to stop whatever they’re doing when the clock strikes 12, and bust a move. Performances by professional dancers will take place at the SFMOMA, City Hall, and Yerba Buena Center.

“PhotographsPlus” Dogpatch Café and Art Gallery, 2295 Third St., SF. www.dogpatchcafe.com. Through May 10. Opening reception 6-8pm, free. This exhibit features local artist Shawn Ray Harris includes three distinct series of works created over the last 15 years. Endowed with a whimsical charm, Harris’ work offers a look into urban landscapes and the creatures that inhabit them.

“Game On” 1AM Gallery, 1000 Howard, SF. www.1amsf.com. Through April 20. Opening reception: 6:30-9:30pm, free. We need not remind you that nerds are the new cool kids. Instead, we’ll let the new show at street art-centric 1AM Gallery lend more evidence to prove the point. Its new group show highlights videogame characters rendered in vinyl doll and canvas by graf artists like Vogue TDK, Estria, and Mike “Bam” Tyau.

SATURDAY 23

Easter egg hunt for dogs Golden Gate Park, Marx Meadow, SF. www.waghotels.com. Noon-2pm, $15. Purchase tickets online. Help your pup sniff out some of the 2,000-plus plastic eggs containing treats and prizes at dog and cat resort, Wag Hotel’s fourth annual fundraiser benefiting local animal rescue organizations. Attendees will also enjoy complimentary hor d’oeuvres and beverages, have a chance to see how their doggie bud feels about the Easter Bunny.

Art Explosion spring open studio Art Explosion Studios, 2425 17th St., SF. www.artexplosionstudios.com. 7-11pm, free. Also Sun/24, noon-5pm. One of San Francisco’s largest art collectives will be holding its 13th annual spring open studio this weekend. Check out work from over 140 artist, painters, photographers, fashion designers, jewelers, and textile designers from around the city.

SUNDAY 24

Backyard Foraging book signing Omnivore Books, 3885A Cesar Chavez, SF. www.omnivorebooks.com. 3-4pm, free. You don’t need to trek into the forest to forage edible plants. Ideal for first-time foragers, Backyard Foraging: 65 Familiar Plants You Didn’t Know You Could Eat by Ellen Zachos features 70 edible weeds, flowers, mushrooms, and ornamental plants typically found in urban or suburban neighborhoods. Head over to Omnivore Books today to meet Zachos, listen to her speak about her book, and get a signed copy.

SF Mixtape Society exchange The Make-Out Room, 3225 22nd St., SF. www.sfmixtapesociety.com. 4-6pm, free. The San Francisco Mixtape Society is dedicated to the art of making and exchanging music mixes. Attendees are invited to assemble a mix according to the theme (this month is “anchors and sails”) in cassette, CD, or USB form. Come ready for newness: a magically random raffle will send you home with someone else’s mix at the end of the night. Record yours in cassette form and score yourself a free drink.

MONDAY 25

Izzies Awards Ceremony Z Space, 450 Florida, SF. www.zspace.org. 6-8pm, free. The Oscars may be over but award season has not come to a close just yet. The 27th Annual Izzies awards will take place tonight, honoring outstanding achievements in dance across the Bay Area. Hosting the ceremony is AileyCamp director David McCauley, and CounterPULSE executive and artistic director Jessica Robinson. After the ceremony, mingle with some dance big shots over dessert and coffee.

TUESDAY 26

French cinema class Alliance Française, 1345 Bush, SF. alliance-francaise-sf.weebly.com. 6:45pm, $5. To help non-French speakers discover French cinema, the Alliance Française of San Francisco is offering this weekly Tuesday night class, which includes a French film screening followed by a discussion. The class will take place in the Alliance Française’s intimate theatre where free wine, refreshments, popcorn (and English subtitles) will be provided.

“Remnants of San Francisco: Pieces of the Bygone City” St. Philip’s Catholic Church, 725 Diamond, SF. www.sanfranciscohistory.org. 7:30pm, $5. San Francisco’s architecture is decorative, meticulous, and often begs the question of passers-by: “what is the story here?” Get that tale tonight as historian Christopher Pollock will present before and after photos of significant architecture around the city, explaining the buildings’ significance and why they were built the way they were.

Spring into arts

Andrew Lam

March 19, 2013

It’s true that San Francisco doesn’t really have seasons, per se. We don’t have a snow thaw, or a sudden riot of cherry blossoms, or even a perceptible change in the weather to mark calendar shifts. So grab that lightweight jacket you’ve been wearing since October, and use our selective guide to what music shows to see (dude … Sparks is coming!), gallery and museum shows to hit up, films to catch, and can’t-miss theater and dance performances — including, yep, a fresh take on The Rite of Spring.

MUSIC: SOUL, SPARKS, AND SEVENTIES LEGENDS

“Soul Clap and Dance-Off” (March 30, Rickshaw Stop, SF) After a freak accident in late 2011 (a car plowed into his hotel room), revered New York Night Train DJ Jonathan Toubin is back with his feverish ’60s soul freak out party. The winner of the dance-off gets 100 bones, the guest selector is DJ Primo, and full disclosure, I’m one of the contest judges this time around. www.rickshawstop.com

“Rock See! A Benefit Concert for the Roxie Theater” (April 5, Verdi Club, SF) Support the Roxie by taking in a fundraiser show that’s bursting with local talent, including live sets by John Dwyer’s garage rock superstars Thee Oh Sees, Sonny and the Sunsets, Future Twin, and Assateauge, along with video projections by Barry Jenkins, Jim Granato, and more. www.roxie.com

Sparks (April 9-10, The Chapel, SF) Influential new wave-glam pop duo Sparks hits SF the weekend before Coachella for two intimate concerts, pulling experimental cuts from its 20-plus back catalog of music insider-worshiped albums. www.thechapelsf.com

“CubaCaribe Festival” (April 12-14, Dance Mission Theater, SF; April 19, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, SF; April 26-28, Laney College Theater, Oakl.) The ninth CubaCaribe Festival offers music and dance performances, lectures, and master classes all based in rich Caribbean traditions. Check out Afro-Cuban modern dance company Teatro de la Danza del Caribe’s first US appearance, Brazilian inspired music and dance company Sambaxé, a lecture by popular local percussionist John Santos, and plenty more. www.cubacaribe.org

Lou Reed (April 14, Warfield, SF) Legendary Velvet Underground songwriter and pioneering solo artist in his own right, Lou “Walk on the Wild Side” Reed pays SF a visit, with memories of his contentious collaboration with Metallica on the Lulu (2011) album (thankfully) fading into the past. www.thewarfieldtheatre.com

Savages (April 18, Independent, SF) When all-female British post-punk group Savages hit the East Coast last year for the annual CMJ conference, the word spread quickly to the West: this blistering quartet is one to watch. All these anxious months later, this headlining show will be Savages’ first SF appearance. www.theindependentsf.com

Big Boi (May 16, Mezzanine, SF) After a disastrous non-set at Outside Lands a few years back (DJ technical issues), rapper-producer Big Boi, a.k.a. one-half of Outkast, returned triumphantly in 2012 with an explosive, quick-tongued performance. Now’s your chance to catch him in a far smaller space in 2013. www.mezzaninesf.com

Fleetwood Mac (May 22, HP Pavilion, San Jose) It’s been 35 years since the release of Rumours. Sure, you can go your own way, but never forget how you got there: after years of touring as solo artists, that classic Fleetwood Mac dynamic (everyone but Christine McVie) is back together, or at least, on tour this spring. (Emily Savage)

VISUAL ART: MUSEUMS

“Lebbeus Woods, Architect” and “Garry Winogrand” (Both through June 2 at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art) Both are getting lots of attention. Postmodern architect Woods, who just passed away, gets the full retrospective treatment; documentary-style photographer Winograd hasn’t had a retrospective in a couple decades. www.sfmoma.org

“Revisiting the South: Richard Misrach’s Cancer Alley” (March 27-June 16 at the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University) Misrach is known for his pristine photographs of blasted and abused environments. The juxtaposition is usually pretty jarring, and I’m a big fan. museum.stanford.edu

“Richard Diebenkorn” (June 22-Sept. 29 at the de Young Museum) New show focusing on abstract paintings from his Berkeley period. deyoung.famsf.org (Matt Fisher)

VISUAL ART: GALLERIES

“Teo González: Recent Paintings” (Through April 20 at Brian Gross) González makes intricate, fastidious paintings, which isn’t such a novelty anymore, except that his match process with subject matter better than most. The show at Brian Gross promises to feature González’s night sky paintings, applying his signature miniscule brushwork to themes of transcendence and chaos. www.briangrossfineart.com

“Evan Nesbit: Light Farming/Heavy Gardening” (March 23-April 26 at Ever Gold) I’m recommending this one based on the overall strength of Ever Gold’s program, which I think it one of the most adventurous in the city — and the fact that Nesbit as an alum of the Yale painting program, which is almost certainly the best in the country. His paintings incorporate real-world woven knits (reminiscent of seat covers, crocheted things, those puffy drawer linings) as the substrate for abstract paintings that manage to combine grid painting, color field painting, and a soft kind of blunt expressionism. www.evergoldgallery.com

“John Millei: Recent Paintings” (March 28-May 11 at George Lawson) Millei is one of Los Angeles’ most virtuosic abstract painters; he usually composes heroic-scaled paintings and projects. His most recent body of work shown at LA’s ACE was from a decade-long project of 200-plus small paintings based on Giotto and Giorgio Morandi. When Millei does historical references, it’s not in the appropriative way that many do, copping motifs and moody lighting effects — it’s in methodically and microscopically breaking down both image and process to reestablish both the image’s dynamic and the role of the artist. For George Lawson, he’s making new works for the tiny Tenderloin space. For my money, Millei is one of the most romantic of living abstractionists. www.georgelawsongallery.com (Fisher)

DANCE: PREMIERES WITH MUSIC, PREMIERES WITH PLANTS

Mago (April 12-14, CounterPULSE) Dohee Lee is that rare creature steeped by inclination and training in a traditional culture — but who is also a completely contemporary artist. She is a singer, a dancer, and a Korean-style Taiko drummer. But she also knows how to weave these abilities into storytelling and ritualized theatrical creations. For Mago, her exploration of the Korean goddess associated with the creation and care of the earth, she adds animation and custom-made instruments to her skills box; it’s a work that integrates her theatrical practice with ritual and Korean shamanism. www.counterpulse.org

Failure of the Sign is the Sign (May 3-5, ODC Theater) The sixth season of Hope Mohr Dance continues what Mohr does so very well: presenting her own very smart choreography but also, through her Bridge Project, bringing in colleagues whose work she admires. This year, it’s Alpert Awards winner Susan Rethorst with the West Coast premiere of her intricate and much-praised Behold Bold Sam Dog. Mohr’s own new work, Failure of the Sign is the Sign, is an installation around the connection between acquiring language and a sense of self. www.odcdance.org

“Ojai North 2013” (June 12-15, Hertz Hall, UC Berkeley) The world premiere of Mark Morris’ Rite of Spring just might be the season’s hottest ticket. In many ways it’s an outrageous idea to rework one of the most famous 20th century scores for piano, bass, drums. Bu that’s exactly what the three jazz musicians of the Bad Plus did. Never mind that 100 years ago at its world premiere, Stravinsky had an orchestra of 110 musicians — not including strings — at his disposal. Morris, a musically sophisticated choreographer, apparently loved it, and is setting it on his Mark Morris Dance Group. He’s been choreographing for over 30 years, and he still manages to surprise us. calperfs.berkeley.edu

Botany’s Breath (July 10-13, Conservatory of Flowers, Golden Gate Park) For Botany’s Breath, Kim Epifano works with nine professional dancers as well as a dozen community performers. The piece honors the natural world in dance, music, song, and video and pays tribute to the historically significant Conservatory of Flowers. Collaborating with her are instrument builder Peter Whitehead, musician Norman Rutherford, and videographer Ellen Bromberg. You can expect the show to spill out of the quaint Victorian structure into the surrounding environment. www.epiphanydance.org (Rita Felciano)

FILM: FESTIVALS, REP HOUSES … AND A GIANT-ROBOT FLICK

With Hollywood committed to an array of sequels, prequels, and do-overs (like, how many hangovers, Spocks, fast/furious drivers, Supermen, Iron Men, Wolverines, and Gatsbys do we need, really?), your best bet is to focus on film festivals and rep houses this summer. (Maybe take time out for Guillermo del Toro’s aliens vs. giant robots epic Pacific Rim, due July 12 — now that seems worthy of massive popcorn consumption.)

San Francisco’s spring-summer film fest season includes heavy-hitters like the San Francisco International Film Festival (April 5-May 29; www.sffs.org); the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival (June 20-30, www.frameline.org); the San Francisco Silent Film Festival (July 18-21; www.silentfilm.org); and the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival (July 25-Aug. 12; www.sfjff.org).

Elsewhere, the Pacific Film Archive unspools “The Spanish Mirth: The Comedic Films of Luis García Berlanga” (March 29-April 17; bampfa.berkeley.edu); the Vortex Room’s latest weekly double-feature extravaganza, “Assault on Vortex 13,” chock full o’ 1970s and ’80s action flicks, kicks off April 4 (Facebook: The Vortex Room); the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts scores with “Thai Dreams: The Films of Pen-ek Ratanaruang,” with an in-person visit from the groundbreaking artist (April 4-21; www.ybca.org); cult-movie series Thrillville celebrates its 16th anniversary with an April 14 screening of This Island Earth (www.thenewparkway.com); and the best documentary about movie obsession ever, Room 237, opens April 19 at the Roxie (www.roxie.com).

Plus! Contribute at least $40 to the San Francisco Cinematheque’s Kickstarter campaign in support of the group’s experimental and avant-garde Crossroads Film Festival (April 5-7; www.sfcinematheque.org), and get a tote bag featuring naughty ‘n’ nice artwork by the late, great George Kuchar — guaranteed to never go out of style. (Cheryl Eddy)

THEATER: VINTAGE COCKETTES, NEW KUSHNER

Tinsel Tarts in a Hot Coma (March 28-June 1, Hypnodrome, SF) Making good on a promising trend that began gloriously in 2009 with smash hit Pearls over Shanghai, Thrillpeddlers continues its Theatre of the Ridiculous Revival series with more musical-comedy mayhem from the Cockettes, San Francisco’s own tripping glitter-bearded drag queens of legend. With the full-length restored version of 1971’s Tinsel Tarts in a Hot Coma, the company really pulls out the stops — while stuffing in 14 new songs and roping in, as collaborators and cast members, three original Cockettes: Scrumbly Koldewyn, Rumi Missabu, and “Sweet Pam” Tent. www.thrillpeddlers.com

The Bereaved (April 4-27, Thick House, SF) For several years now my friend John and I have been simultaneously enjoying Thomas Bradshaw’s devilishly smart plays (Purity; Dawn; Strom Thurmond Is Not a Racist; etc.) and wondering when someone in the Bay Area would get around to mounting one. In a West Coast premiere, Crowded Fire essays Bradshaw’s scathingly all-American comedy about a family of fevered New York go-getters — gleefully “inappropriate” enough in its wanton send-up of what passes for normal life to be considered a refreshing provocation amid the usual theater fare. www.crowdedfire.org

Storm and Titania (April 7, Noh Space, SF) This one-night-only engagement, co-presented by foolsFURY, offers the Bay Area its first-ever look at the work of Moon Fool, an innovative physical theater ensemble led by UK-based director-actor-musician Anna-Helena McLean, herself a former lead actor with famous Polish experimental theater company Gardzienice. The evening includes Titania, a widely lauded adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream constructed as a solo cabaret; and a work-in-progress showing of Storm, a new immersive, site-specific spectacle based on The Tempest. www.foolsfury.org

The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures (May 16-July 7, Roda Theatre, Berk.) It sounded from its initial reviews like something of a hot mess, but it’s apparently been trimmed and fine-tuned, and anyway there’s no missing the West Coast premiere of a new Tony Kushner play — especially one whose title invokes the decidedly odd coupling of George Bernard Shaw and Mary Baker Eddy. Set in Brooklyn amid the extended family of a lefty Italian American longshoreman, The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide promises a fulgurant night of political-philosophical conversation from the stage, bound to stimulate a lot more conversation afterward. www.berkeleyrep.org (Robert Avila)

Hectic days in SFPD’s officer-involved shooting unit

Sasha Cuttler And Mary Magee

March 19, 2013

Hectic days in SFPD’s officer-involved shooting unit

Apparently, the one San Francisco Police Department sergeant tasked with investigating officer-involved shootings has been busy. Yesterday morning, the Guardian received an email from SFPD Media Relations officer Albie Esparza, who apologized for taking almost a month to respond to a Guardian request for information.

“It’s simply been very busy with the multiple officer involved shootings we’ve been having in SF recently,” Esparza explained. “The ONE Sergeant who works in the Internal Affairs Officer Involved Shooting unit is aware of your questions and is trying to research that, as well as investigate the three OIS incidents we’ve had recently.”

Reached by phone, Esparza said he actually meant to say there were four officer-involved shooting investigations; one involves a Daly City officer who fired upon a person in San Francisco city limits in early March. And whoops, as of yesterday, make that five – an officer shot and killed a pit-bull yesterday in Golden Gate Park.

The three shootings Esparza initally referred to include a March 15 officer-involved shooting in the Richmond District; another one on March 5 in Bayview Hunters Point, and a third one on Feb. 15 in the Tenderloin. Only the March 5 shooting resulted in an individual being struck; he wasn’t killed. Police later held a town hall meeting about that incident, which transpired after a high-speed chase that ended in a cul-de-sac. The suspect drove into two police cars and hit an officer, according to the police department’s account, before officers shot at him. Esparza said he did not have information about whether the incident involving the Daly City officer resulted in a fatal gunshot wound.

The Guardian’s original questions, meanwhile, remain unanswered. We submitted a query regarding a fatal officer-involved shooting that killed Pralith Pralourng last July. The 32-year-old Oakland resident had a history of mental illness, and was killed outside a chocolate factory in San Francisco after brandishing a box cutter. Police Chief Greg Suhr has pointed to this case as a prime example for why police ought to be equipped with Tasers. But the SFPD launched a specialized crisis intervention training (CIT) program over the last several years specifically to help officers better respond to calls involving mentally ill individuals. Local advocates weighing in at recent public hearings convened by SFPD said they feared the department could lose sight of CIT de-escalation tactics if the Tasers plan moves forward.

The Guardian submitted questions to SFPD in late February asking whether the officer who shot and killed Pralourng had been trained under CIT; if any CIT officers were dispatched to the scene, since the call involved a mentally ill individual; and whether CIT de-escalation techniques were attempted prior to the shooting.

After nearly a month, Esparza finally sent a response from SFPD internal affairs. “We were told that because it’s open and active, the file is exempt from disclosure,” he said. Basically, we hit a dead end and were told to try again later. When things aren’t so busy.

Ex-Girls singer Christopher Owens on the real Lysandre, and being ‘a bit of a loner’

Tony Robles

March 19, 2013

Last year was a momentous one for San Francisco band Girls. Still riding the high from their critically fawned-over and publicly adored sophomore full-length album Father, Son, Holy Ghost, the duo was at the height of its career, playing sold-out shows and reveling in buzz-band glory. Then in July, frontperson Christopher Owens announced via Twitter that he was leaving the band, leaving press and fans alike slack-jawed with surprise.

Owens wasted no time moving into his new career as a solo artist – putting to bed any hopes that Girls’ disbandment was a temporary misstep. This January he released Lysandre, a tight-knight album of autobiographical material from his first tour with a band. It’s a story full of first loves: girls, boys, fellow musicians, and far-off places. He’ll perform songs off the album this Sat/23 at the Palace of Fine Arts.

Lyrically, the material is very similar to Girls’ music — it’s hyper personal, extremely relatable, and endearingly vulnerable. The band’s retro-pop vibe is also still intact, but with a twist. Lysandre is a mixed bag of genres, jumping from lounge jazz to ‘60s folk to renaissance-style flute, but the album sounds like one unified piece, with each song blending into the next, all in the same key.

I caught up with Owens to ask him a few questions about life, love, and San Francisco:

San Francisco Bay Guardian You’ve said that the autobiographical story on this album benefited from a retrospective viewpoint. Has the experience of writing and touring with this story forced you to spend time rehashing old memories? Has it helped you gain closure?

Christopher Owens It’s not really something I needed closure on, closure was something I had already found. It’s just a story that I enjoy telling because it was a very meaningful time for me. I learned a lot about myself and a lot about life during [that first] tour. I think maybe just listening to [Lysandre] would give all the insight one would need.

SFBG As you’ve gained more experience as a musician and as a performer, have the feelings of excitement and fear — which you articulate beautifully in Lysandre — faded at all?

CO Those are feelings that don’t really ever go away, at least for me. Of course I’ve gained a little more confidence…But with each new thing I release I try to give a little more of myself, so I continue to put myself in a open place and that keeps it fresh and interesting for both me and the listener. I don’t really want to find myself in a place where the music is boring or old news. I like the fact that I’m talking about things in my songs that make me feel a little exposed. I think it just means I’m giving something of value.

SFBG Are you still in contact with Lysandre? Has she heard the album?

CO Yes, and yes. We’ve always been friends and she heard the album before anyone else… besides those of us that recorded it. I believe it’s something special to her.

SFBG Not only is ‘Lysandre’ one interconnected narrative, in a way it’s also one big song that never deviates from the key of A. Did you find this freeing or limiting? Do you think that in your future work you’ll do more concept albums?

CO It was just a structure for me musically; it certainly wasn’t limiting. There is a lot of variety within the music… It just ties the songs together a bit. I haven’t written anything else like this so I think it’s a pretty unique project for me. I obviously don’t know what the future holds. I enjoyed making this album a lot, so it’s possible I could do other conceptual albums, but as of now I don’t have any plans for any others.

SFBG ‘Lysandre’ is a love story about many things. Obviously it’s about a girl, but it’s also about places. How much does your relationship with San Francisco influence your music and your style as an artist?

CO I don’t know, people have been asking me that for years. It’s no secret that I love San Francisco and feel very at home here, but, music is inspired by other music, and by very personal feelings and things that happen in my life. I don’t know if it would sound any different if I lived some place else. I just know that I’m happy here, so, I’m sure that helps.

SFBG What does it feel like to be a part of such a vibrant music scene? Is there a sense of camaraderie with other San Francisco musicians?

CO My work is something I do alone. I do have a lot of friends here who are in great bands, but we all play very different types of music. There’s not much getting together to play songs or record or talk about music…I would like that, but it’s just not something that’s happened much lately. I think we all love and support each other, but it feels like music is something that we work on very separately, and even privately. Hanging out is more of a time to just have fun and talk to each other about other things. That could also be different for others…I’m a bit of a loner, to be honest.

SFBG What are some of your favorite SF hangouts? Where do you take visitors to give them a sense of the city?

CO I honestly never have visitors, ha! My family doesn’t come here and my friends are mostly from here. I love the parks though— Golden Gate Park is my favorite. I spend a lot of time walking around aimlessly. I love North Beach and the Castro, I love to just walk around alone, to think, look at this beautiful city and enjoy it. I lived in Glen Park for a year when I first moved here and I love to go back there. I love it all. This is my favorite place in the world, and it’s just my home, that’s all. I feel at home here, at peace.

Christopher Owens
With Melted Toys
Sat/23, 8pm, $25
Palace of Fine Arts
3301 Lyon, SF
(415) 567-6642
www.apeconcerts.com

From the Rocketship to Bay Lights, “temporary” is the key that unlocked public art in SF

Sasha Cuttler

March 11, 2013

From the Rocketship to Bay Lights, “temporary” is the key that unlocked public art in SF

In the wake of The Bay Lights coming on to rave reviews and mesmerized gazes last week, next weekend the Raygun Gothic Rocketship will be taken down from the Pier 14 launch pad it’s occupied since 2010, the latest transitions in San Francisco’s trend of using temporary public art placements to bypass the protracted, emotional, and expensive battles that once defined the siting of sculptures on public lands in San Francisco.

By partnering with private arts organizations and calling the pieces “temporary” – even though almost all of them have been extended past their initial removal deadlines, sometimes by years – the San Francisco Arts Commission, the Port of San Francisco, and other local entities have allowed public art to flourish in the City.

The commission’s longtime public art director Jill Manton told us that temporary public art placements go back to the early ’90s, usually involving smaller pieces while big, years-long controversies continued to rage on over bigger pieces such as “the foot” that never went in on the Embarcadero, the Cupid’s Span piece that Don Fisher did finally place on the waterfront (and which many critics wish had been only a temporary placement), and a big, ill-fated peace sign in Golden Gate Park.

“It’s not as threatening to the public, not as imposing, so it doesn’t seem like a life-or-death decision,” Manton said of the trend toward temporary placements.

But the real turning point came in 2005 when then-Mayor Gavin Newsom, Manton, and other city officials began to embrace the Burning Man art world by bringing a David Best temple into Patricia Green in Hayes Valley, Michael Christian’s Flock into Civic Center Plaza, and Passage by Karen Cusolito and Dan Das Mann onto Pier 14 (a transition point that I chronicle in my book, The Tribes of Burning Man).

Each piece was well-received and had its initial removal deadlines extended. Since then, temporary placements of both original art and pieces that returned from the playa – including Cusolito’s dandelion in UN Plaza, the rocketship, Kate Raudenbush’s Future’s Past in Hayes Valley, and Marco Cochrane’s Bliss Dance on Treasure Island, which is now undergoing a renovation to better protect it against the elements during its longer-than-expected and now open-ended run – have enlivened The City.

“They get to rotate art and people get excited about what’s next,” said Tomas McCabe, director of the Black Rock Arts Foundation, a Burning Man offshoot organization that has helped with fundraising and logistics for most of the burner-built placements.

We spoke by phone on the afternoon of March 8 as he was working with Christian to install The Bike Bridge – a sculpture using recycled bicycle parts that local at-risk teens helped Christian build thanks to a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts – at the intersection of Telegraph and 19^th in Oakland as a temporary placement.

The Bike Bridge will officially be unveiled on April 5 during the increasingly popular monthly Art Murmur, and the party will get extra pep from a conference of Burning Man regional representatives that is being held just down the block that day.

McCabe said the connection between Burning Man and the temporary art trend doesn’t just derive from the fact that Bay Area warehouses are filled with cool artwork built for the playa that is now just sitting in storage. It’s also about an artistic style and sensibility that burners have helped to foster.

“We try to help the art pieces have a life after Burning Man, but it’s more the style of community-based art that we promote,” McCabe said, noting that BRAF also helps with fundraising and other tasks needed to support these local art collectives. “We like to see the artists get paid for their work, we’re funny like that.”

Manton said there are currently discussions underway with San Francisco Grants for the Arts (which is funded by the city’s hotel tax) and other parties to put several large pieces built for Burning Man on display in either UN Plaza or Civic Center Plaza, a proposal Manton called UN Playa. “We bring the best of Burning Man to the city,” she said.

Most of the art placements in San Francisco have been labors of love more than anything, and a chance to win over new audiences. When the Five-Ton Crane crew and other artists placed the Raygun Gothic Rocketship on the waterfront in 2010, they had permission from the Port to be there for a year. Then it got extended for another year, and then another six months, and it will finally come down this weekend.

There will be final reception for the Rocketship this Friday evening (with music from the fellow burners in the Space Cowboys’ Unimog) and then the crane will come up on Sunday morning to remove it, in case any Earthlings want to come say hello-goodbye.

“The Rocketship and its crew have had a fantastic 2.5 years on display at Pier 14. Maintenance days were always a pleasure, giving us a chance to talk to people – and see the smiles and joy people got from the installation,” one of its artists, David Shulman, told us. “We’ve had tremendous support from, and would like to thank, the people of San Francisco, the Port of San Francisco, and the Black Rock Arts Foundation. But Pier 14 is intended for rotating displays, and we’re excited to see what comes next.”

Dan Hodapp, a senior waterfront planner for the Port district, said they don’t currently have plans for the site, although he said it will include more temporary art in the future. “The Port Commission and the public are supportive of public art at that location,” Hodapp told us. “But right now, we’re just reveling in the new Bay Lights and we’re not in a hurry to replace the Rocketship.”

Manton said The Bay Lights – the Bay Bridge light sculpture by art Leo Villareal that began what is supposed to be a two-year run (but which Mayor Ed Lee is already publicly talking about extending) on March 5 – has already received overwhelming international media attention and is expected to draw 55 million visitors and $97 million of additional revenue to the city annually.

“It is public art as spectacle. It’s amazing,” Manton said of the piece, which the commission and BRAF played only a small roles in bringing about. “It’s so good for the field of public art.”

She that the success of recent temporary art placements and the role that private foundations have played in funding them have not only caused San Franciscans to finally, truly embrace public art, but it has ended the divisive old debates about whether particular artworks were worth the tradeoff with other city needs and expenditures. And it has allowed the Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association and other neighborhood organizations to curate the art in their public parks.

Meanwhile, even as the Port gives Pier 14 a rest, Hodapp said another temporary artwork will be going up this fall at Pier 92, where old grain silos will be transformed into visual artworks, and that Pier 27 will be turned into a spot for a rotating series of temporary artworks once the Port regains possession of the spot from the America’s Cup in November.

As he told us, “The public really enjoys art on the waterfront, and they’re most supportive when we do temporary art, so there’s a freshness to it.”

On the Cheap Listings

Andrew Lam

February 26, 2013

WEDNESDAY 27

On the Cheap listings compiled by Cortney Clift. Submit items at listings@sfbg.com. For further information on how to submit items for listings, see Picks.

After Hours at the Conservatory of Flowers Golden Gate Park, 100 John F. Kennedy, SF. www.conservatoryofflowers.org. 6-10pm, $13. The Conservatory is romantic during the day, but add drinks, an award-winning violinist, and special access to its old Victorian greenhouse, and it’s downright swoon-worthy. Jill Tracy will be playing violins from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries and talking about the natural materials used to make them. A musical séance is also set to take place, channeling compositions from beloved treasures that you, the audience, will supply.

THURSDAY 28

Tears of Gaza screening Berkeley City College, 2050 Center, Berk. www.mecaforpeace.org. 7-9:30pm, $10. A documentary recording the effects of the 2008-’09 three-week bombing of Gaza by Israeli military (backed by US-made weapons). In this emotional film, Norwegian director Vibeke Lokkeberg and Palestinian cameramen show us the devastating effects of war on civilians. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion including a Palestinian refugee, a former resident of Gaza, and Barbara Lubin, an aid worker who was in Gaza during the assault.

FRIDAY 1

Gay Men’s Sketch art show Magnet, 4122 18th St., SF. www.markichester.com. Opening reception: 8-10pm, free. To celebrate 25 years of weekly meetings and sketch sessions that celebrated the male form, Gay Men’s Sketch wanted to put together a best-of showing of its work. 21 artists were responsible for these pieces, rendered in pencil, pastel, ink, watercolor, and even with an iPad. If you’re in the mood for something a little saucier there will also be work from Hot Draw! a subgroup of Gay Men’s Sketch that focuses on erotic, explicit poses.

Tall ship sailings at Jack London Square Jack London Square, Oakl. www.jacklondonsquare.com. 4-5pm, $3 donation requested. Grab your sea legs and hop on board two historic seafarers. The Lady Washington is a replica of one of the first US ships to explore North America’s west coast. The Hawaiian Chieftain is a steel-hulled replica of a typical 19th century coastal trader. The vessels are set to sail into town on Thu/28 and stay through Feb. 6. For just $3, you can take a tour of the tall ships and speak with the crew.

“Titti Trifecta” MOCO, 371 17th St., Oakl. mocoart.tumblr.com. Opening reception 6-10pm. In celebration of Women’s History Month, head to this all-female show and enjoy art, free wine, hors d’oeuvres, and live music. Later this month the exhibit will host a DIY sex toy workshop, an artist talk entitled “Slut, Cunt, Bitch, Whore,” and a feminist film night.

“UNPLUG SF: Device-Free Drinks” Inner Mission, 2050 Bryant, SF. www.unplugsf.com. 7pm-midnight, free. Feel like a screen-free night out? UNPLUG SF wants to help. Check your phone at the Digital Detox cell phone check-in station and receive a reboot cell phone sleeping bag. While your phone takes a break grab a non-Instagrammed cocktail and step into the analog zone of typewriters and board games. Enjoy community art, live music and vinyl DJs spinning soul, Motown, and oldies.

SATURDAY 2

“Free Your Mind” black literary festival San Francisco Main Library, 100 Larkin, SF. www.sfpl.org. 11am-5pm, free. An eclectic day-long program for families at the library. Check out a performance by author Kirk Waller and a presentation on African American genealogy, meet revolutionary authors, and take in a keynote talk by Oba T’Shaka, a civil rights leader who spent 38 years as a SF State professor.

“Muni Diaries Live” Elbo Room, 647 Valencia, SF. munidiarieslive9.eventbrite.com. Doors open at 6pm. Show starts at 7pm, $12. Advance ticket purchase suggested. Even if you’ve ridden the Muni just once chances are you probably saw something weird. With usual sightings of crazy cat ladies and men with no pants, a trip on the Muni is anything but boring. Join fellow bus goers (and even a BART operator) as they share their wackiest stories. The evening will also include the second Muni Haiku Battle where writer James Nestor will fight to keep his crown as champion.

Babylon Salon spring reading Cantina SF, 580 Sutter, SF. www.cantinasf.com. Doors open at 7pm, show starts at 7:30pm, free. Hugo Award-winning science fiction author Terry Bisson and Tamin Ansary, scribe of West of Kabul, East of New York will perform readings from their acclaimed works. Transmedia artist and Lady Gaga blogger Kate Durbin, author of The Plume Hunter Renee Thompson, and short story author Rashaan Alexis Meneses will also be reading.

SUNDAY 3

Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon Marina Green, 500 Marina, SF. www.escapefromalcatraztriathlon.com. Race starts at 7:30am, fitness expo 6:30am-2:30pm. If your New Year’s resolution has long since given way to take-out and TV-filled evenings, pre-register for (or just set up a folding chair and cooler to watch) the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon for some serious motivation. 2,000 triathletes will complete a 1.5-mile swim from Alcatraz to the San Francisco shoreline, an 18-mile bike ride around the Presidio and an eight-mile run in Golden Park, finishing back at the Marina Green. There will also be a fitness expo throughout the weekend featuring dozens of vendors, products, demos, and more.

TUESDAY 5

Bay Bridge Grand Lighting Ceremony Embarcadero, 4 Embarcadero Center, SF. facebook.com/thebaylights. 8pm, free. Designed by artist Leo Villareal, the Bay Lights is a light sculpture set to sparkle everyday from dusk to midnight for two years on the San Francisco Bay Bridge’s west span. 25,000 white individually programmed LED lights will create intricate algorithms and patterns. Head over to the waterfront this evening to be one of the first to take in this monumental moment.

Our 50 favorite San Francisco bars — all on one page!

February 26, 2013

From splashy dives to upscale classics (and everything in between) — our favorite spots to grab a drink

This week’s cover story in the paper highlights 50 great bars we love (along with 30 honorable mentions and 10 East Bay favorites). That’s a lot of pages on the Internet! here it all is on one handy page — grab a drink and scroll with us to watering hole bliss. (You can also flip through the digital edition of the paper here.)

PS For this list we concentrated specifically on bars (including those at restaurants and hotels), leaving you to judge the cocktails at music venues and dance clubs on their own merits.

PRICE RANGE KEY:

$ (cocktails generally under $10)

$$ (cocktails generally $10-14)

$$$ (cocktails generally $15 and above)

NOTABLE KEY:

Cocktail Destination: Noteworthy cocktails

Spirits Selection: Extensive or well-curated spirits selection

Memorable Atmosphere: Worth drinking here for the atmosphere

Wine Sanctuary: Exceptional wine list

Beer Haven: Exceptional beer list

Gourmet Bites: Notable food

Dive: Classic, standout dive bar

Classic: An SF staple, standard-setter

Mellow: Particularly laid back, good for conversation

Music: Live music destination

15 ROMOLO

North Beach, $–$$

Cocktail Destination, Gourmet Bites, Spirits Selection

Consistently one of SF’s best cocktail bars, 15 Romolo commands an uphill alley in North Beach with some of the most balanced and inventive drinks in town. The laidback, dim space (with fab jukebox), reflects pre-Prohibition spirit but isn’t obnoxiously theme-y. Many of our city’s top bartenders started here, going on to launch other bars. Romolo’s brunch — boozy waffle shots! — and food menu rank among the most satisfying bar food in existence. Hello, peanut butter bacon burgers!

15 Romolo, SF. (415) 398-1359, www.15romolo.com

ALEMBIC

Upper Haight, $–$$

Cocktail Destination, Gourmet Bites, Spirits Selection

As Alembic currently faces significant changes (bar manager Daniel Hyatt’s exit after nearly seven years, expansion into the Red Vic space next door), time will tell if it remains the iconic bar it has been for the past 7 years. Still serving impeccable New Orleans classic cocktails, Hyatt’s unique, forward-thinking cocktails, and underrated, gourmet food, Alembic’s spirits collection, particularly American whiskey, has been one of its key strengths since day one.

1725 Haight, SF. (415) 666-0822, www.alembicbar.com

AQ

SoMa, $$

Cocktail Destination, Gourmet Bites, Spirits Selection, Memorable Atmosphere, Wine Sanctuary

AQ’s lovely brick-walled, high ceiling restaurant evolves its decor with the season, while the bar changes vintage glassware and bar top: burnt copper for fall, marble in winter. Seasonal cocktail classics are infused with subtle twists while original cocktails are incredibly creative, unusual. The wine list is extensive, heavy on the Loire Valley but offering an international range.

1085 Mission, SF. (415) 341-9000, www.aq-sf.com

AUB ZAM ZAM

Upper Haight, $

Classic, Dive

Faded 1930s Arabian Nights theme and legendarily grumpy bartenders have set this boozy cocktail den apart for decades. This piece of cocktail history birthed countless stories of now deceased Bruno, who would kick people out for ordering a vodka martini — or for any reason that suited him. It’s friendlier now, thank goodness. And there’s been no upgrades to decor, the jukebox still belts out Tony Bennett and Tom Waits, drinks remain stiff, and there’s almost always a seat waiting for you. It’s nice knowing just a few places remain averse to change.

1633 Haight, SF. (415) 861-2545

AUNT CHARLIE’S LOUNGE

Tenderloin, $

Classic, Dive, Memorable Atmosphere

Everything you thought about gay bars was wrong — or else exactly right. This wonderfully worn-in, carpeted little cave in the Tenderloin is bursting with character and crazy seasonal decor. Grittily glamorous Hotboxxx Girls drag shows on Friday and Saturday evenings are a must for the too-hip and the just-visiting alike.

133 Turk, SF. (415) 441-2922, www.auntcharlieslounge.com

BAR AGRICOLE

SoMa, $$

Cocktail Destination, Gourmet Bites, Memorable Atmosphere

Good luck getting a bar seat in this ultra-cool, eco-chic bar-restaurant, minimalist yet dramatic under shimmering light installations, serving forward-thinking food. Reserve a table in the front garden, arrive early, or just wait your turn at the bar and you’ll be blessed with impeccable rum and rhum agricole cocktails alongside a range of pristinely-executed classics from Thad Vogler and crew.

355 11th St., SF. (415) 355-9400, www.baragricole.com

BENDER’S

Mission, $

Beer Haven, Dive

A stalwart favorite of fixie riders, rock mavens, and those weary of fighting for space a Zeitgeist — or hey, folks just looking for a good, stiff drink in a mercifully concept-free atmosphere with room to sit down. Bender’s stands out with a tasty beer selection and tater tots and tacos to die for.

806 Van Ness, SF. (415) 824-1800, www.bendersbar.com

BIG

TenderNob, $$$

Cocktail Destination, Memorable Atmosphere

Truly tiny under red velvet-draped ceiling, the ironically named Big fills up quickly, but overcrowding is somehow kept at bay, making it, at times, an intimate spot for a cocktail. Though pricey, the menu-less bar is about seeing what house syrups have been made that day (mirepoix, corn?), what spirit you might be in the mood for, and what two talented bartenders can craft on the spot.

761 Post, SF.

THE BIG 4

Nob Hill, $$$

Classic, Gourmet Bites, Memorable Atmosphere, Mellow, Musical

May rumors of the Huntington Hotel’s new owners doing away with this fantastic, historic bar — the jewel of Nob Hill — be untrue. For decades, the Big 4, named for the Central Pacific Railroad’s “big fiour” tycoons, has been the archetypal old school bar in a restaurant. Its dark wood setting and fireplace evoking an ur-capitalist gentleman’s club and martini lounge set to the nightly, live piano strains of Michael Parsons (Sundays it’s Steve Klawiter).

1075 California, SF. (415) 771-1140, www.big4restaurant.com

BIX

Financial District, $$

Classic, Cocktail Destination, Musical

One of the more dazzling dining rooms in town. You enter thick curtains off a downtown alley into Bix’s dramatic space — like walking into a Thin Man movie. Live jazz and beautiful Negronis confirm you’ve entered another, jazzier era, one Bix has faithfully preserved since 1988. Here’s to many more decades.

56 Gold, SF. (415) 433-6300, www.bixrestaurant.com

BLACKBIRD

Castro, $–$$

Cocktail Destination

The Castro is one of the most social neighborhoods in SF, rife with numerous watering holes and gathering places. But not until Blackbird was there a cocktailian’s haven, serving elegant drinks — with a well-curated wine ist to match — utilizing house made pistachio orgeat, hibiscus-infused brandy, and other handcrafter ingredients.

2124 Market, SF. (415) 503-0630, www.blackbirdbar.com

BOURBON AND BRANCH

Tenderloin, $$

Cocktail Destination, Memorable Atmosphere, Mellow, Spirits Selection,

Love or hate the new speakeasy bars, Bourbon and Branch, now eight years old, was one of the earliest progenitors of the theme outside of NYC. And despite owner Future Bars’ notable other bars (Tradition, Local Edition), B&B remains the best. Rarely is a bar this transporting: ring a doorbell next to an unmarked door and enter the 1920s. This reservations-only hideaway guarantees a seat, a romantic escape for conversation and quality drink. Its bar-within-a-bar, Wilson and Wilson, is likewise one of SF’s best, digging even deeper into housemade ingredients and unusual combinations. Consider it the impressive place to take out-of-towners for a drink.

501 Jones, SF. (415) 346-1735, www.bourbonandbranch.com

BROKEN RECORD

Excelsior, $

Spirits Selection, Dive, Gourmet Bites

This dive in the outer reaches of SF draws whiskey fans from afar. With every chef who sets up shop in Broken Record’s back room, kick-ass bar food (Southern BBQ, elevated burgers) results. From pool table to patio, it’s everything you want in a dive bar and more, including laid back bartenders, a genuine vibe, and more than 250 whiskies at reasonable prices.

1166 Geneva, SF. (415) 963-1713, www.facebook.com/brokenrecordsf

CANTINA

Union Square, $–$$

Cocktail Destination

Pioneering South and Central American cocktails, Cantina has been keeping it real for years with refreshing drinks highlighting tequila, mezcal, cachaca, and pisco (owner Duggan McDonnell is also one of the creators of Campo Encanto Pisco). Cantina’s basement hosts all kinds of events, a community gathering place.

580 Sutter, SF. (415) 398-0193, www.cantinasf.com

CHURCH KEY

North Beach, $–$$

Beer Haven, Mellow

Church Key is a breath of fresh air amid the party bars, classic dives, strip clubs, and cocktail spots of North Beach. With cozy upstairs mezzanine, it’s a beer lovers dream of revolving drafts and bottles in an unpretentious setting where one can actually talk with friends.

1402 Grant, SF. (415) 963-1713

CLUB DELUXE

Upper Haight, $

Music, Gourmet Bites

Blonde wood walls, black and white tile, red booths, dim lighting — an environment virtually unchanged for decades. These are reasons to love Club Deluxe but supreme is multiple nightly sets of some of the best live jazz in SF, from bossa nova to bepop and blues. You don’t come here for the drinks but recent addition of Chef Thomas Martinez offers fantastic food. One can comfortably linger over a shot of whiskey, jazz, and gourmet plates.

1511 Haight, SF. (415) 552-6949, www.sfclubdeluxe.com

COMSTOCK SALOON

North Beach, $–$$

Cocktail Destination, Gourmet Bites, Memorable Atmosphere, Spirits Selection

Showcasing SF’s Barbary Coast era with vintage ceiling fans, Victorian couch sidling up to a pot belly stove, and the original trough (ahem, to piss in back in the day) lining a dramatic wood bar, “Saloon Keepers” Jeff Hollinger and Jonny Raglin honor the history of Comstock’s gorgeous, two-room, 1907 space. It’s a memorable a date night and a casual, neighborhood hangout. Whether cozy in a bar booth or at a table in the wainscoted dining room, food from Chef Carlos Espina is as thoughtful as the classic cocktails.

155 Columbus, SF. (415) 617-0071, www.comstocksaloon.com

DOSA

Mission, Fillmore, $–$$

Cocktail Destination, Gourmet Bites, Memorable Atmosphere

Besides serving some of the best upscale South Indian food anywhere, Dosa’s two locations also craft a unique cocktail menu unlike any, heavy on Indian spices and flavor profiles, including its own house gin produced by local distiller Old World Spirits: cardamom-rich Blade Gin.

Dosa on Fillmore: 1700 Fillmore, SF. (415) 441-3672

Dosa on Valencia: 995 Valencia, SF. (415) 642-3672, www.dosasf.com

EDINBURGH CASTLE

Tenderloin, $

Classic, Dive

This quintessential SF dive bar has been around for years, akin to classic British pubs, occasionally rowdy, generally low key, ever-ready with a pint. In that spirit, its serves fish and chips in newspaper and facilitates offbeat community with readings, ’60s dance club nights, and legendary trivia quizzes.

950 Geary, SF. (415) 885-4074, www.castlenews.com

ELIXIR

Mission, $–$$

Cocktail Destination

When partying or sports-loving crowds descend, the already small bar gets cramped, in a space dating back to 1858. Boasting an impressive whiskey collection, Elixir is run by cocktail pioneer H. Joseph Ehrmann, and talented bar managing duo Shea Shawnson and Nick DesEnfants. The cocktail menu is a mix of 1800s saloon classics, Elixir favorites like H.’s Celery Cup No. 1, and rotating seasonal drinks.

3200 16th St., SF. (415) 552-1633, www.elixirsf.com

FAT ANGEL

Fillmore, $–$$

Beer Haven, Wine Sanctuary, Gourmet Bites

Part romantic European café, part comfortable neighborhood pub, Fat Angel manages to be dream neighborhood beer and wine bar in one. Above average bar bites, friendly staff, and changing draft beers and wines listed on a large chalkboard under dramatic chandelier ensure you’ll want to linger for hours.

1740 O’Farrell, SF. (415) 525-3013 www.fatangelsf.com

GITANE

Financial District, $$

Cocktail Destination, Gourmet Bites, Memorable Atmosphere

Just about the sexiest bar and setting in the city, Gitane has been strong on spirits collection, wine list, and cocktails from day one, with upscale regional Spanish cuisine making it a real date night. 6 Claude Lane, SF. (415) 788-6686, www.gitanerestaurant.com

HEAVEN’S DOG

SoMa, $–$$

Cocktail Destination, Gourmet Bites, Spirits Selection

Undergoing a significant overhaul, Heaven’s Dog showcases the cocktail expertise of one of our great barmen, Erik Adkins. The bar at Asian-influenced Heaven’s Dog restaurant has been tended by some of SF’s top bartenders, most recently supervised by Ethan Terry (of AQ, 15 Romolo, Comstock). One of the best places for classic Charles H. Baker cocktails anywhere, its latest incarnation will focus on original creations alongside Charles Phan’s cuisine (of Slanted Door fame).

1148 Mission, SF. (415) 863-6008, www.heavensdog.com

THE HIDEOUT

Mission, $

Cocktail Destination

Through longtime Mission favorite Dalva is a hidden back room, The Hideout, a getaway for cocktail geeks who disdain pretension. With guest bartending appearances by local and visiting drink masters, bar staff display an adept hand at elegant but never fussy cocktails, shaken or stirred to loud, classic tunes of the ’70s and ’80s.

3121 16th St., SF. (415) 252-7740

HI TOPS

Castro, $–$$

Memorable Atmosphere, Gourmet Bites

It’s a new gay sports bar — a recent shot in Sports Illustrated featuring two men in 49ers jerseys kissing toppled barriers. But why stop there? The vintage ’60s gym decor, eclectic atmosphere, and twists on game night bites have upped the sports bar game. And yes, there’s a cocktail with Muscle Milk as base.

2247 Market, SF. (415) 551-2500, www.hitopssf.com

HOG & ROCKS

Mission, $$

Cocktail Destination, Gourmet Bites

Hog & Rocks has been a popular watering hole for American whiskey and unfussy cocktails lovers, happy over platters of oysters and ham. Once the bar was commandeered by Michael Lazar consulting with Scott Beattie, it became a special place for bracing cask strength Old Fashioneds, or tall rocks refreshers accented by garden fresh and preserved fruits and herbs. Lazar and Beattie (who also put together the drink menu at the new Hi Lo across the street) have made it a casual yet festive cocktail destination.

3431 19th St., SF. (415) 550-8627, www.hogandrocks.com

HOTEL BIRON

Hayes Valley, $–$$

Wine Sanctuary, Mellow

Hotel Biron is an intimate, romantic wine bar drawing people to a nondescript alley near busy Market Street for years, featuring monthly rotating local artists in a candlelit, narrow space. Grab a couch or bistro chair with friends in this late night sanctuary for French and Californian wines.

45 Rose, SF. (415) 703-0403, www.hotelbiron.com

JASPER’S CORNER TAP

Union Square, $–$$

Cocktail Destination, Gourmet Bites

Need a meet-up location with friends or colleagues near Union Square? One open all day, that’ll please the beer geek, the wine lover, the cocktail aficionado? Oh, and that serves reasonably priced, tasty gastropub food? Not too tall an order, since Jasper’s came along. Thanks to bar manager Kevin Diedrich, one of our city’s great bartenders, some of the most thoughtful, fun cocktails in the city are here.

401 Taylor, SF. (415) 775-7979, www.jasperscornertap.com

LITTLE SHAMROCK

Inner Sunset, $

Dive, Pub, Classic, Mellow

Though there’s no shortage of Irish pubs in town, Little Shamrock stands out, going strong since 1894. Just off Golden Gate Park, this is garage sale, eclectic comfort expressed in a hodgepodge of couches, chairs, tables, inviting one to linger over Guinness on tap, board games, backgammon, warm fireplace, and free popcorn.

807 Lincoln Way, SF. (415) 661-0060

MAGNOLIA BREWERY

Upper Haight, $–$$

Beer Haven, Gourmet Bites

Operating as a busy gastropub, Magnolia arguably crafts the best local SF beer (not bottled) since 1997. Beermaster and restaurateur, Dave McLean, who also owns Alembic and an upcoming Dogpatch brewery, is behind the world-class brews. Serving cask-conditioned ales long before it was trendy, experimenting in a range of styles and categories, he makes sure there’s a beer for everyone. McLean is a key figure in furthering SF and California beers from his roles in the SF Brewers Guild and Outside Lands’ Beer Lands.

1398 Haight, SF. (415) 1398 Haight, SF. www.magnoliapub.com

MARTUNI’S

Soma, $$

Classic, Memorable Atmosphere, Music

Who doesn’t love a piano bar? Characters belt out showtunes in the back of this velvet-draped classic, while spiffy bartenders shake or stir some killer martinis upfront. It’s a little bit classy, a little bit seedy, and all San Francisco.

4 Valencia, SF. (415) 241-0205, martunis.ypguides.net

MAVEN

Lower Haight, $–$$

Cocktail Destination, Gourmet Bites

Kate Bolton brought a deft hand with cocktails (formed at fine dinging bars like Michael Mina) when she became bar manager at Maven, Lower Haight’s best new cocktail outpost. Elegant yet unfussy drinks and an equally strong food menu — with helpful, adventurous beer pairings — make it a winning, all-around stop.

598 Haight, SF. (415) 829-7982. www.maven-sf.com

MONK’S KETTLE, ABBOT’S CELLAR

Mission, $–$$

Beer Haven, Gourmet Bites, Memorable Atmosphere

Opened by the same team, these temples to beer feature proper glassware, storing temperatures, and impeccable selections (bottle and draft) of rare beers from around the globe. Both are strong restaurants, whether the always-crowded, gastropub-like Monk’s, which has been one of our city’s best beer bars for years, or the newer, more upscale Abbot’s Cellar.

Monk’s: 3141 16th St., SF. (415) 865-9523, www.monkskettle.com

Abbot’s: 742 Valencia, SF. (415) 626-8700, www.abbotscellar.com

MOSTO

Mission, $–$$

Cocktail Destination, Spirits Selection

An agave spirits collection of more than 300 bottles is reason enough to visit Mosto. A generous list of tequila and mezcal cocktails, neighboring Tacolicious restaurant’s guac and queso and laid back, urban cantina feel confirm it’s a top tequila bar.

741 Valencia, SF. www.mostosf.com

OCCIDENTAL CIGAR BAR

Financial District, $–$$

Classic, Mellow

Since 2001, cozy Occidental is a rare smoking bar and our pick for top cigar bar. Besides a strong spirits list heavy on the whiskies, its historical connection goes back to the 1860s in the space’s former incarnation as the Occidental Hotel, where Professor Jerry Thomas, who helped established bartending as a craft, is purported to have once bartended. Woodcut etchings of his groundbreaking Bon Vivants Companion cocktail book line smoke-tinged walls of the bar where you can bring in your own cigars or choose from the humidor collection.

471 Pine, SF. (415) 834-0485, www.occidentalcigarclub.com

PRESS CLUB

Downtown, $$

Wine Sanctuary, Memorable Atmosphere

Press Club’s subterranean setting right off Market Street downtown is an unusual one. With a vast space in which to find a quiet corner or celebrate with a crowd, consider it the chic lounge of wine bars, serving a changing list of international wines, flights (like “Italy vs. USA”), beers, and bites, featuring monthly vintners and brewers with focused tastings. It’s a central, notable place to meet up with out-of-towners and colleagues.

20 Yerba Buena Lane, SF. (415) 744-5000, www.pressclubsf.com

RANGE

Mission, $–$$

Cocktail Destination, Gourmet Bites

A drink and dining stalwart from the early days when Brooke Arthur ran the small bar, to current manager Jeff Lyon’s touch, which has kept the intimate bar in Range’s restaurant on the drink lover’s map. Spirit-heavy or seasonal drinks (like an Ojo del Tigre with blood orange and tequila) are delicious and impeccably crafted.

842 Valencia, SF. (415) 282-8283

RICH TABLE

Hayes Valley, $$

Cocktail Destination, Gourmet Bites, Memorable Atmosphere

Besides being one of the top new restaurants in the city (and country), Rich Table opened with a short but sharp cocktail list showcasing herbs and spirits. Once Jason “Buffalo” LoGrasso was brought on as bar manager, the cocktail list, including unforgettable dessert cocktails, grew, becoming a special drink outpost… if you can snag a seat at the bar.

199 Gough, SF. (415) 355-9085, www.richtablesf.com

RIO GRANDE

Tenderloin, $–$$

Cocktail Destination, Memorable Atmosphere

From the Bon Vivants, this urban cantina-meets-roadhouse pours cheap, canned beers and skillful cocktails, heavy on tequila and whiskey, under glistening walls and stripper poles. A live music stage and cowhide confirm the roadhouse vibe, while the bar livens up a seedy stretch of Market Street.

1108 Market, SF.

ROYAL CUCKOO

Outer Mission, $–$$

Memorable Atmosphere, Music

Dimly lit, sexy Royal Cuckoo is a hodgepodge of mid-century thrift store lamps, paintings, and furniture accented with shades of red. A strong small batch spirits selection and in-house Hammond organ star in a space reminiscent of great New Orleans bars: no cover for excellent live music (all centered around the Hammond). All for the cost of a stiff drink… and there always seems to be a seat.

3202 Mission, SF. (415) 550-8667, www.royalcuckoo.com

RYE

Tenderloin, $

Cocktail Destination

With smoking “cage” patio out front and center-of-Tenderloin locale, Rye has been churning out quality cocktails — and some of the city’s best bartenders — long before many current upstarts were even in planning stages. Masterminds Jon Gasparini and Greg Lindgren (who also opened 15 Romolo, Rye on the Road, Rosewood) ensure Rye remains an unpretentious neighborhood hangout serving drinkable cocktails, like that ever-popular basil gimlet.

688 Geary, SF. (415) 474-4448, www.ryesf.com

SMUGGLER’S COVE

Hayes Valley, $–$$

Cocktail Destination, Memorable Atmosphere, Spirits Selection

This tri-level tropical escape, from owner Martin Cate, launched many a copycat. Smuggler’s Cove upped the game for Tiki bars, with playful reverence to Tiki history and, yes, kitschy décor. The extensive cocktail menu covers everything from pre-Castro Havana to original Don the Beachcomber creations. We’ve traveled to rum bars in other cities who tell us they were inspired to curate their rum collection based on Smuggler’s incredible, 200+ rums in every style and category.

650 Gough, SF. (415) 869-1900, www.smugglerscovesf.com

SPECS TWELVE ADLER MUSEUM

North Beach, $

Classic, Dive, Mellow

An ode to SF history filled with colorful locals and eye-popping knickknacks, this dive is an institution tucked away off busy Columbus Ave. For decades, Specs encourages conversation and community with cheap drinks and a warm welcome, treating everyone like regulars.

12 Saroyan Pl., SF. (415) 421-4112

TOMMY’S

Outer Richmond, $–$$

Dive, Classic, Spirits Selection

Since 1965, Tommy’s has stocked the most extensive collection of 100% agave tequila outside of Mexico. Julio Bermejo, like his father Tommy and mother Elmy before him, stays true to the familial roots of this old school Mexican restaurant, virtually unchanged since the ’60s. Tommy’s famed classic margarita, dusty, rare bottles of tequila stacked under the bar, Tommy’s Tequila Masters club, a divey-perfect back bar… all explain why Tommy’s is an SF institution. Watch for the release of Julio’s own long-anticipated tequila. There’s only one Tommy’s.

5929 Geary Blvd, SF. (415) 387-4747, www.tommystequila.com

TORONADO

Lower Haight, $

Beer Haven, Classic, Dive, Gourmet Bites

One of SF’s best beer bars since it opened more than 20 years ago, Toronado has stayed true to its dive-y roots. Sometimes-gruff bartenders can be overlooked for an ever-impressive selection of dozens of beers on tap from around the globe. Toronado launched a rarity: a Barleywine Festival, featuring over 50 draft barleywines every February. Paired with Rosamunde’s sausages from next door, the killer duo is an SF institution.

547 Haight, SF. (415) 863-2267, www.toronado.com

TOSCA

North Beach, $

Classic, Memorable Atmosphere

What would North Beach be without Tosca? Surviving Prohibition with its “house cappuccinos” (brandy and hot chocolate), Tosca’s Italian-only jukebox and elegantly faded decor have worn the better part of a century with grace. Saved from tragically closing, it will be given new life at the hands of NY chef April Bloomfield. Here’s praying Tosca’s one-of-a-kind space, sacred celebrity back room, and espresso machine remain as is, though food and new-and-improved cocktail menu are predicted to be part of Bloomfield’s take-over.

242 Columbus, SF. (415) 986-9651, www.toscacafesf.com

TRICK DOG

Mission, $$

Cocktail Destination, Gourmet Bites, Memorable Atmosphere

The new kid on the Mission block feels like it has been around awhile, both from the years anticipating its opening and the crew behind it: SF’s great barmen, The Bon Vivants. Fan through a Pantone color swatch menu of original cocktails, impeccably made, and chow on Chester Watson’s winning food (Peruvian popcorn or Fernet ice cream?) Just get there at early if you want to avoid the crowds.

3010 20th St., SF. (415) 471-2999, www.trickdogbar.com

TWO SISTERS BAR & BOOKS

Hayes Valley, $–$$

Cocktail Destination, Gourmet Bites, Mellow

Like the ultimate European neighborhood bar, two actual sisters modeled this spot after all day café-bars from their European travels. Closet-sized and lined with books, there’s always jazz playing on the stereo and a warm greeting. Affordable, homey food is as lovely as the cocktails featuring local and small batch spirits.

579 Hayes, SF. (415) 863-3655, www.2sistersbarandbooks.com

VESUVIO

North Beach, $

Classic, Dive, Memorable Atmosphere

Beat poet hangout, eclectic mishmash of creaky wood booths, nooks, knick-knacks and colorful personalities, Vesuvio is not so much about the drinks as the character. Just like Tosca and Specs across the street (three completely different vibes), Vesuvio has been around for decades, drawing longtimers and tourists alike. It maintains a bar personality all its own, a historical landmark that remains alive and vibrant today.

255 Columbus, SF. (415) 362-3370 www.vesuvio.com

ZEITGEIST

Mission, $

Beer Haven, Dive

Service can be downright gruff. Lines can snake down the block. Just to enter a biker-friendly dive mobbed with bike messengers, black-clad rockers, and scruffy hipsters? Hell, yes. The punk-spirited biergarten out back is one of SF’s legendary gathering places where locals and visitors alike assemble around communal picnic tables over Bloody Marys, basic burgers, brats, and beers.

199 Valencia, SF. (415) 255-7505, www.zeitgeistsf.com

HONORABLE MENTIONS

83 Proof, SoMa

Bar 888, SoMa

Barrel Room, Union Square

Barrique, Financial District

Beretta, Mission

Casanova, Mission

City Beer Store, SoMa

Connecticut Yankee, Potrero Hill

Green’s Sports Bar, Russian Hill

Harry Denton’s, Union Square

Hidden Vine, Financial District

Horseshoe Tavern, Marina

Iron & Gold, Bernal Heights

La Mar, Embarcadero

La Trappe, North Beach

Li Po, Chinatown

Napper Tandy, Mission

Noc Noc, Lower Haight

Nopa, Western Addition

Pause Wine Bar, Hayes Valley

Pisco Latin Lounge, Mission

Riptide, Outer Sunset

Rock Bar, Outer Mission

Quince, Financial District

Slanted Door, Embarcadero

St. Vincent, Mission

The Page, Lower Haight

Tony Nik’s, North Beach

Upcider, Polk Gulch

Yield Wine Bar, Dogpatch

EAST BAY TOP 10

Forbidden Island

Honor Kitchen & Cocktails

Prizefighter

New Easy

Bar Three Fifty-Five

Heinold’s First & Last Chance Saloon

The Trappist

Beer Revolution

Hotsty Totsy

Flora

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