Hello dear friends from London, where it’s absolutely thrilling to be somewhere the public transportation is abundant, available, and—if not free, which it should be—at least easily tap-innable with one’s credit card. I’m here for one of my jobs that pays the bills, and of course I’m taking the opportunity to hit up the problematic treasures of the British Museum and the fabulous Zanele Mulholi retrospective at the enormous Tate Modern, the continued renaissance of British cookery at St. John and Gunpowder, and the brilliant late-night queer clubs Dalston Superstore and Horse Meat Disco. I even somehow found myself eating for free in London’s enormous Google HQ cafeteria in St. Pancras. Cheers, suckers!
Like every other big city in the world, there are visibly unhoused people and dispiriting, hyper-gentrified 2020s stretches. (Remind me to tell you about the plastic-protected Banksy’s Monkeys in the once-underground enclave of Shoreditch near the slightly disappointingly Oasis-drenched Rough Trade record store). There’s also a mayor who doesn’t get off on harassing the poor to please the right wing, and actually pledges to dedicate more money toward fighting the crisis. Can you just imagine?
I’ll be back in SF this weekend with a fake British accent and all the latest “Love Island” updates. Here are some cute bits I hope to catch:
EVENTS OF NOTE
THU/5-SAT/7: BERNAL HEIGHTS OUTDOOR CINEMA Three great nights of film, music, and celebration that bring the community together and refute negative doom loop whispering. As the organizers say: It’s time to show that the Bernal Heights corner of the city is creative, inventive and absolutely alive. More info here.
THU/5-SAT/7: REYES DANCE PRESENTS ‘DIOS’ I’m totally intrigued by this humorous dance piece about “breaking up” with Catholicism by choreographer Jocelyn Reyes to find a spiritual path of her own. “Set during Holy Week, the days leading up to Easter, and following the structure of the Catholic Mass, DIOS traces choreographer Jocelyn Reyes’ path from being an altar server during her childhood, to the first stirrings of skepticism during her time as a student at U.C.L.A., to a health crisis and eventual recovery in her early adult years.” ODC, SF. More info here.
FRI/6: 2024 ARCHITECTURE + THE CITY FESTIVAL SOIRRÉE Design geeks meet the super-chic at a fun and not-too-fancy kickoff for the monthlong 21st annual, jam-packed Architecture and The City festival, with beats from The Selecter DJ Kirk, and treats from Outta Site Pizza and Buenos Diaz Bakeshop. 6pm, Center for Architecture + Design, SF. More info here.
FRI/6: OAKLAND PRIDE PRE-PARTY: GORGEOUS Oakland Pride (all day on Sun/8) is the vibrant, homey complement to SF’s huge and occasionally overwhelming celebration. This rev-up dance party highlights homegrown talent Tygapaw and DJ Jasmine Infiniti—whom I love dearly and who will bang it all out with some fierce Black femme techno power. Gorgeous! 10pm-3am, New Parish, Oakland. More info here.
FRI/6-OCTOBER 5: “OUROBOROS” The Audium is a true San Francisco treasure, presenting dazzling sound sculptures for several decades to devoted audiences. If you haven’t been there yet, this is a perfect chance to check it out: Artists Sally Decker and Brendan Glasson are presenting a new multichannel sound composition in the 176-speaker space, using acoustic feedback as a primary source and central guiding principle, sonically symbolizing the ouroboros (snake eating its own tail). Expect “crystalline tones. Autoharps, guitars, and singing that create eerie, ethereal landscapes that will leave you vibrating long after the show.” Let’s go. The Audium, SF. More info here.
FRI/6: LET IT HAPPEN: A TAME IMPALA DANCE PARTY Dive into indie nostalgia bliss at a party dedicated to one of the scene’s most revered festival acts, also playing dreamy post-2000s bangers from the likes of Toro y Moi, MGMT, Glass Animals, and Mac Demarco. 9pm-2am, Cat Club, SF. More info here.
SAT/7: 5TH AFRICAN ARTS FESTIVAL A fantastic free, family-friendly celebration of African culture, music, and dance, featuring traditional African food and goods, seven local ensembles representing the thrilling diversity of African regions and the diaspora, a special preview of innovative Afro-Cuban collaboration “Raices et Résistance,” and so much more. Presented by Duniya Dance and Drum Company and the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival and Yerba Buena Gardens Conservancy. 11am-4pm, Yerba Buena Gardens, SF. More info here.
SAT/7: OAKLAND PRIDE PRE-PARTY: WE RUN THIS This Saturday for the ever-awesome Oakland Pride, the wild and community-minded queens of Oaklash are giving us SHOWS, henny, with a full Saturday outdoor evening of drag, music, art, and vendors queering it up. You can see the jam-packed lineup above, and make sure you are fresh for that Oakland Pride celebration the next day. 5pm-10pm, 15th and Franklin Streets, Oakland. More info here.
SAT/7—SEPTEMBER 28: GINA M. CONTRERAS: AMOR SECRETO Don’t keep it just between us. “Exploring the complexity of secrecy, San Francisco-based artist Gina M. Contreras delves into the emotional turmoil of being a hidden lover in her solo exhibition Amor Secreto at Hashimoto Contemporary. Through lush, velvety colors and intricate patterns, Contreras unveils a new series of self-portraits that poignantly capture the loneliness of secrecy. These works reveal the layered nuances of intimate relationships, underscoring the complexity of what it means to be kept in the shadows.” Opening party Sat/7, 5pm-7pm. Hashimoto Contemporary Gallery, SF. More info here.
SUN/8: 28TH ANNUAL SF DRAG KING CONTEST After Oakland Pride, why not pop over the bridge for this annual SF tradition? “The fierce and fun-fueled competition is guaranteed to be filled with head-to-head, two-fisted tomfoolery complete with dazzling makeup and costumes, larger than life pulsating pelvises, crowns, gowns, clowns, and hounds. Join us as we pulverize the patriarchy!” Hosted by Fudgie Frottage and Sister Roma. 7pm, Oasis SF. More info here.
