Welcome to our calendar feature BIG WEEK. Each week, our expert Arts & Culture writers recommend the best things for you to do in the best city on earth: Arts, Music, Food & Drink, Stage, Film, Nightlife, and more.
ARTS
Tons more to do and support right here.
FRI/4-AUGUST 23: ANT FARM: STILL BURNING This exhibition at 500 Capp commemorates the 50th anniversary of radical art/architecture collective Ant Farm’s July 4, 1975 performance “Media Burn,” in which they drove a customized 1959 Cadillac Eldorado across the parking lot of the Cow Palace and into a pyramid of burning TV sets. The embers of the image still blaze in the collective memory, “jarring loose the tightening grip mainstream media had on a mesmerized public through an aggressive, hyperbolic, and satiric art gesture.” Opening party Fri/4, 5pm-8pm with artist remarks. 500 Capp Street, SF. More info here.
SAT/5 + SUN/6: FILLMORE JAZZ FEST The classic festival is back after some rough years (wouldn’t it be great if we simply taxed our millionaires enough to fund essential arts events, rather than rely on their mercurial largesse?)—and we at 48 Hills are wholeheartedly advocating heading over to show the Fillmore some love, and enjoy musical greats like Kim Nalley, Tammy Hall, Niecey Living Single, Los Boleros, Kenny Washington, and Fillmore Slim. Also on the menu? Damn good BBQ, of course. 10am-6pm, Fillmore, SF. More info here.
SUN/6: SF MIME TROUPE: ‘DISRUPTIONS’ The aptly named show, presented by the legendary troupe for its 66th season of commedia dell’arte theater in parks around the Bay, definitely reflects our times—and the troupe’s own circumstances. Like many arts orgs, its grants were yanked by Trump, and, unrelatedly, it also now has a new SF home in Yerba Buena Gardens, instead of the traditional Dolores Park. No sweat, the Mimes will always loudly bring the acid commentary and musical satire to the people, a cherished community event since the 1960s. 2pm-4pm, Yerba Buena Gardens, SF. More info here.
SUN/6: RITMOS LATINOS FIESTA “Get ready for a day of alternative Latin with Razteria fused with Cuban music band Guajirón together with DJ Ras Rican for a lively celebration, filled with infectious rhythms and vibrant melodies. Immerse yourself in the rich culture and soulful beats. Don’t miss out on this unforgettable event that will transport you throughout the Americas and the Caribbean.” We love it. 3pm-8pm, El Rio, SF. More info here.
MUSIC
Hit up John-Paul Shiver’s Under the Stars column for great musical picks every week.
SAT/5: GAMELAN SEKAR JAYA The local Balinese music and dance troupe is legendary throughout the world for being the hypnotically beautiful sound of the gamelan and other instruments to a wider audience.—they also helped spark a renaissance of the art back in Indonesia. Paired with the otherworldly costumes and choreo-stories of ancient legends with contemporary resonance, this free outdoor afternoon performance at Yerba Buena Gardens is sure to enchant. 2pm-3:30pm, Yerba Buena Gardens, SF. More info here.
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SUN/6: TROPICAL FUCK STORM This far-fetched Australian band, born out of the ashes of The Drones, doesn’t give a shit about cool points, cutesy trendy moves, or making Spotify bops for the populace at large. NO. Gareth Liddiard, Lauren Hammel, Fiona Kitschin, and Erica Dunn are freaky weird. They fashion lopsided avant-punk that doesn’t look where it shall land next. Yes, it feels like Talking Heads and the B-52’s had a 21st-century Australian shit-talking baby, and that sucker is forever on the loose—and we can’t help but be obsessed with it. They’re not called post-apocalyptic acid punk disco scuzzheads for nuthin.’ 7pm, The Chapel, SF. Tickets and more info here.
FOOD & DRINK
Tamara Palmer’s Good Taste Good Taste column tells you where to stick your fork every week.
BREADBELLY UNVEILS B12 LOCATION Six and a half years after debuting the first location on Clement Street in San Francisco’s Richmond District, Breadbelly has softly opened a second location that’s informally called Breadbelly B12 because it’s located in Building 12 on Pier 70 in Dogpatch. Unlike the diminutive OG, the new space includes windows into the kitchen, so you can see the production of elaborate treats. Current highlights in the case include a blueberry croissant tart that has an almond financier bottom, a chocolate miso entremet with dark chocolate ganache and miso creméux, and gyeranbbang, a Korean gochurgaru chili-spiked corn bread with a whole egg in the middle.Don’t overlook the beverage menu, which has gems like black sesame cappuccino, guava chocolate milk, carrot orange juice, blueberry lassi, and watermelon lychee iced tea, and grab a sandwich if they’re on the menu this weekend. Pier 70, Building 12, 1070 Maryland Street, San Francisco. Operating hours are Thursday-Sunday, 9am to 2pm.
PROWL FOR A CHEETAH CROISSANT AT ONE65 PATISSERIE The case at One65 Patisserie & Boutique always contains a lot of eye-catching items, but the newest to steal the spotlight is the Cheetah Croissant, which has a cheeky (and crunchy) animal print on top. There’s a little bit of dark chocolate and candied orange peel hiding in the bottom as well. Despite its flashiness, it’s sophisticated and not too sweet, which was a lovely surprise. Based on two recent weekday visits where customers speaking French were present, these seem to sell out before noon. 165 O’Farrell Street, San Francisco. Operating hours are Tuesday-Saturday 8am to 8pm and 8am to 6pm Sunday-Monday.
STAGE
Charles Lewis III hits up theaters and performance spaces every week for his Drama Masks column.
THROUGH JULY 13: AZTLÁN The eponymous protagonist of Luis Alfaro’s latest play at Magic Theatre is a now-adult juvenile ex-con, recently “freed,” but still trapped in a system that can’t even be bothered to hear his pleas. In fact, everyone seems to want him to shut up. No wonder he’s angry. His daily life begins to merge with the Aztec legends of old, creating a magical reality of tribal dances and call of offerings. Will the old ways offer a path out? Magic Theatre in the Fort Mason Center, SF. More info here.
THROUGH JULY 27: ‘THE LAST GOAT’ Overprotective Melina knows the evil outside of their isolated ancient Greek island. As such, one can’t really blame her for hoping her grand-daughter Kori will find contentment there on the island. But Kori isn’t dumb: She knows that there’s a world out there to explore, and she knows that their once-plentiful island’s resources are dwindling: What was once a large herd of livestock is down to one last goat. Complicating things further is the arrival of shipwrecked soldier Nikolis. He claims to be the son of a wealthy man from Mykonos, and his tales of the bustling metropolis are music to Kori’s ears. Of course, Melina won’t let Kori go without a fight in this enthralling Central Works premiere. Berkeley City Club. More info here.
FILM
Dennis Harvey’s long-running Screen Grabs has tons more flicks to recommend.
JURASSIC WORLD REBIRTH Even the first movie was as much theme park as narrative, and this is more of the same. There isn’t room for much of a story, and the brief, rote attempts at emotional depth are laughable; I won’t care if these characters are never seen again. Rebirth is hemmed in from having any deeper resonance, any poetry, or even much humor by the demands of being a ride. As such, though, it’s pretty good. Once the preliminaries are dispensed with, Edwards does well maintaining a sense of emergency. The nearly back-to-back action setpieces, with of course great creature FX, are almost tense enough to make you overlook the illogic of so many giant carnivorous beasts constantly being outrun by tiny panicked humans. In Bay Area theaters.
OPENING SAT/5: ART FOR EVERYBODY Thomas Kinkade was by some measures the most commercially successful artist of all time. But as gallery art, the “painter of light”‘s garishly colorful, idyllic landscapes earned scorn from the establishment art world. Not that he seemed to care. Miranda Yousef’s magnetic documentary finds him justifying his career path as early as age 16, when he opined “A person has to eat. I don’t want to end up like Van Gogh.” But as beloved as his mass-produced work was by the masses, Kinkade had “dark sides”—he hid from public view a substantial body of art made in styles very different from his saccharine popular one. His life eventually unraveled in an alcoholic mess that saw him dead at 54. Roxie, SF. More info here.
NIGHTLIFE
Marke B. usually knows what’s up.
FRI/4: DERRICK CARTER The Chicago house DJ has been going strong since the early ’90s—yet curiously never looks older than 35! That’s what good music will do to you, and this classic purveyor of boogie-influenced, deeper sounds always packs the floor. This party by the Hard Reset crew adds tons of local talent to the mix. 9pm-4am, F8, SF. More info here.
SAT/5: LTJ BUKEM The UK atmospheric drum and bass trailblazer has also been going strong for decades—a recent re-rewind through his flawless series of 1990s-2000s “Progression Sessions” CDs with MC Conrad (RIP) proved the music they made together is timeless. He’ll be bringing his “mild mannered energy flash of panoramic musical vision” to Public Works for a night flight, presented by the invaluable Stamina party crew. 9pm-2am, Public Works, SF. More info here.
