One of my favorite times of the year sees both ArtSpan’s citywide Open Studios and the Hunters Point Shipyard Open Studios (11am-6pm, Sat/19 and Sun/20) throwing open artists’ workshop doors wide to show the stunning variety and vitality of our scene. ArtSpan’s monthlong event ended last weekend, and now it’s the historic Shipyard Artists‘ turn, with more than 130 artists showing, plus food, a beer garden, and live music. And, get this, in honor of the event’s 40th anniversary they are illuminating the enormous Shipyard crane at night for extra kicks.
I mean, yes, yes, the Bay Bridge gets lit up (for a pretty penny) and yes, yes, that creepy rainbow laser that shoots up Market Street at Pride—but this is a giant disused industrial crane, people. Believe me when I say that I have been to huge underground queer techno festivals in old German strip mines, and the atmosphere an illuminated crane can bring to any event is outlandish.
There’s a special illuminated crane viewing party Sat/19 at 7pm (RSVP here), which will see lighting and video artists Ian Winters and Elaine Buckholtz improvising alongside a musical quartet, using “next generation moving searchlights capable of more complicated choreographic maneuvers and color in tandem with video.” Composer Evelyn Ficarra provides the electronic soundscapes with live musicians David Boyce, Chris Evans, and PC Muñoz bringing everything to life. Look up!
MORE EVENTS OF NOTE
ONGOING THROUGH OCTOBER 26: LITQUAKE There’s still dozens of awesome events happening at the West Coast’s largest literary festival—like the Poetry World Series on Sat/19! (If playoff season has you down, this is a perfect remedy.) See all the 48 Hills’ hosted events here—and use the discount code 48LQ25 for our hosted events that aren’t free! There’s a lot of free events, though!
FRI/18: MYKAL ROSE Mykal Rose, formerly of Black Uhuru (they won the first reggae Grammy Award in 1984!), got his start opening for Roberta Flack and became a reggae force to be reckoned with. Catch him at this rare Bay Area appearance with the great DJ Sep opening up. 7pm, Sweetwater Music Hall, Mill Valley. More info here.
FRI/18: CASTRO NIGHT MARKET The Night Market craze continues, now hitting another neighborhood in need of a little push, the Castro. Don’t miss local food vendors, merchants and live entertainment—my only gripe is that it’s a “non-alcoholic” event, luckily there are plenty of bars to hit up, like the newly remodeled Beaux and my faves Last Call and Twin Peaks Tavern. (OK, my other gripe is that it’s sponsored by the creepy Civic Joy Fund, more about that later, but I want to see what this is like.) 5pm-9pm, Castro and 18th Street, SF. More info here.
FRI/18-SUN/20: SHARP & FINE: A DETECTIVE STORY “A Detective Story is Sharp & Fine’s newest ‘play for dance,’ bringing together visually stunning storytelling, exuberant choreography, and live music to turn the classic formula of the detective genre inside out. Reveling in the well-worn tropes of mystery stories—trench coats, confessions, typewriters, red herrings—plus a dose of playful audience instruction, A Detective Story follows a detective as her investigation of a missing person turns into a surreal and deeply human examination of the choices we make for the people and things we love.” ZSpace, SF. More info here.
SAT/19: GATHERING OF THE GOTHS HALLOWEEN FESTIVAL ‘Tis the season for goths and ghouls to gather with nearly a thousand kindred black souls aboard the USS Hornet, grooving to bands Ashes Fallen, Octavian Winters, and Dildox, while perusing the Halloween bazaar and goth marketplace. 5pm-1am, USS Hornet, SF. More info here.
SAT/19: FREE TECHNO AT GOLDEN GATE PARK I love, love how many great free dance events have been happening at the Golden Gate Park Bandshell lately—and this one I’m particularly stoked about. Join the excellent Direct To Earth crew for DJs Max Gardner, Adra, Dhyan Møller, and Zachary Noel—plus like 400 other dancers—and show the world out local techno spirit int he daytime! Noon-6pm, Golden Gate Park Bandshell, SF. More info here.
SAT/19: BEARRISON STREET FAIR Festival season isn’t over until the portly gays wrestle! And dance, and drink, and lift weights, and generally carouse Harrison Street, for this large annual event. You don’t have to be a big boy to jump in! Noon-6pm, 11th Street and Harrison, SF. More info here.
SAT/19: SAFADA HALLOWEEN Get your ghoul on early this year, and make it hot: The Bay’s brilliant Brazilian dance party, Safada, stirs baile funk, Rio rhythms, and techno-pop into a bewitching brew of bunda-shaking beats for all kinds of dancers. 10pm-late, Great Northern, SF. More info here.
SUN/20: DAYTIME REALNESS The drag is alive! And taking place in broad daylight on the patio of El Rio, as mistress Honey Mahogany and the Daytime Realness crew close out San Franciso’s late summer with DJs, dancing, and daring performances. 2pm-8pm, El Rio, SF. More info here.
SUN/20: FOODWISE SUNDAY SUPPER One of harvest season’s most anticipated events, the Sunday Supper from nonprofit food advocacy org Foodwise fills the Ferry Building with a grand four-course feast, with dishes from 30 restaurants to support its year-round mission. 4:30pm-10pm, Ferry Building, SF. More info here.
WED/23: ESCAPING THE MEMORY HOLE The Internet Archive has made great strides in preserving 40 years of Internet history, from defunct entertainment sites to early web video journalism. This annual celebration stresses the vital role of the archival institution. 5pm-10pm, Internet Archive, SF. More info here.
