Welcome to our calendar feature BIG WEEK, wherein our expert Arts & Culture writers recommend the best things in Arts, Music, Food & Drink, Stage, Film, Nightlife, and more. Big news of the week: We’re fretful over the news that punk-scooter-indie stalwart Thee Parkside’s building has been sold and its future hangs in the balance, while also stoked at the community-led revival of seminal North Beach punk club Mabuhay Gardens.
GENERAL ARTS
Marke B. guides you to some cool things. There’s tons more to do and support right here.
THU/28-WEDS/3: HEIRO DAY WEEKEND This annual, massive, both-sides-of-the-Bay celebration of local hip-hop kicks off with Souls of Mischief at the Cal Academy’s excellent Thursday weekly Nightlife party and concludes with an Oakland Ballers game on Wednesday—and includes tons off performances and activities in between. But the highlight will be the all-day street festival Mon/1 at SF’s Midway, with performances by tons of beloved rap and DJ acts, including Pete Rock, Nappy Nina, and of course the Hieroglyphics crew. More info here.
THROUGH MON/1: SF BLACK PRIDE The first annual SF Black Pride is “is a bold celebration of the full spectrum of Black life in San Francisco. We honor our roots, our resilience, and our joy—uplifting the beauty, brilliance, and boundless diversity of Black community.” The remaining events span from a huge all-Black DJ “Ball Out” on Thu/28 at 1015 Folsom to Soulful Sunday in the Castro, with plenty of Black Queer love in between. More info here.
FRI/29: OWEN QUINCY The fascinating Utah indie-folk artist is releasing Lyre Man, an album whose songs map onto composer Franz Schubert’s legendary Winterreise song-cycle, the “Winter Songs” drawing out delicate nature imagery to create a poetic spell whose sound falls “somewhere between Hozier and Vampire Weekend.” 7:30pm, Lost Church, SF. More info here.
SAT/30: FREE SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK Ely Sonny Orqueza directs The Two Gentlemen of Verona, transporting the action to California, a place “where dreams are made and shattered in equal measure. As the two friends venture westward form the Midwest, they confront their inner conflicts as they are seduced by the possibilities of love, success and reinvention. Grounded in the spirit of exploration, this adaptation captures the quintessential drive for self invention, while acknowledging the costs that often accompany it.” No advance ticket or Shakespeare experience required, as the SF Shakes troupe puts it. 2pm, McLaren Park, SF. More info here.
SAT/30: VHS HORROR MOVIE MARATHON The 4 Star Theater is possessed all day Saturday with three great classic cult horror films “presented on glorious VHS: Demons 2, the severely underrated sequel to the 80’s Lamberto Bava classic, followed by the spectral sci-fi horror From Beyond by directed by Stuart Gordon in his follow up to the classic Reanimator, and the evening will conclude with what arguably one of the greatest kung fu horror spectacles Riki-Oh: The Story of Riki. The event doubles as the official release party for new publication The Basement Tapes, a visual exploration of VHS covers and tapes and Adding to the atmosphere, Chicago-based experimental electronic artist Beau Wanzer [also see Nightlife, below] will perform a live set, bringing his signature unsettling, industrial-tinged sound.” 1pm-10pm, 4 Star Theater, SF. More info here.
SAT/30: ARTISTS UNITE FOR PALESTINE This fundraiser for mutual aid in Gaza features music from The Seashells, Los Rasquaches, Versoul, and Kiki King, plus family friendly activities, food, and an art sale. It comes from the group formerly known as SF Artists for Palestine (now Artists Unite for Palestine), which works toward directly aiding Palestinian families suffering through the genocide, and has formed a close bond with about 15 of them. 2pm-6pm, SF Mime Troupe Studio, 855 Treat Street, SF.
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SAT/30: CRASH AN INDIAN WEDDING PARTY There’s nothing like an Indian wedding in full Bollywood mode, with live musicians, whirling dancers, colorful outfits, and… well, maybe no elephants, but venerable nightlife mavens and night market heroes Non Stop Bhangra crew pull out all the stops to make sure you feel in the center of the exhilarating action, feeling the love. 8pm, Great American Music Hall, SF. More info here.
MUSIC
Hit up John-Paul Shiver’s Under the Stars column for great tunes and shows every week.
FRI/29+SAT/30: GROOVE A quick catch-up. GROOVE, San Francisco’s signature ’90s rave flick, used real DJs, promoters, dancers, and people who were experiencing the rave scene at the time in the film. That dude with the big glasses holding the discoball in the movie advertisement, who 48hills just interviewed this summer, is Dmitri SFC, producer of the San Francisco-based live house music duo Slope114 (also featuring Elise Gargalikis). He remains Bay Area music royalty and shall be treated as such. Period. Greg Harrison, writer and director of the film, will be on hand Friday for mingling and grooving, sharing a special intro to the film that reminds all DJs to never leave their records sitting out in the sun. 10pm, Vogue Thetaer, SF. More info here.
8/29: GUMBY’S JUNK Rock critics, snooty blog writers, and influencers from all points of the Internet just can’t quite pin down the self-described “nightmare cartoon” that Eli Streich, Emmalee Johnson-Kao, and Jas Stade have assembled. With production finesse handled by rock legend Greg Saunier of Deerhoof on the group’s upcoming sophomore album, Business & Pleasure, expect more confusion in describing it. But don’t despair, go see Gumby’s Junk yourself at their album release show, where they will be joined by the mind-bending Juicebumps. Porkbelly and Petra are performing in support as well. Trust your ears and eyes. 7pm, Great American Music Hall, SF. More info here.
FOOD & DRINK
Tamara Palmer’s weekly Good Taste column tells you where to stick your fork. Sign up for the new Good Taste newsletter here!
THURS/28 YORK STREET COLLECTIVE OPENS The former Lucca Ravioli space is now HQ for the Corner Store series, which was launched by Square and is supported by SF New Deal. Following Jimmy Butler’s popular BIGFACE coffee pop-up, there’s a new resident called York Street Collective from Anand Upender, one of SF New Deal’s Vacant to Vibrant program recipients (as York Street Café). The business first started as a weekly garage pop-up in 2021. This iteration is both a non-alcoholic cocktail bar and tea house, with snacks and beverages like a Curry Leaf Ginger Limeade and a Black Sesame Vanilla Steamer. Art exhibits, community events, and more coffee pop-ups will also be part of the mix from now through the end of the year. Regular hours will be 3pm-9pm, Wednesday through Sunday, but Thursday’s public opening will be from 5pm-10pm. 1100 Valencia Street, SF.
SAT/30: EVERYBODY EATS FESTIVAL IN ALAMEDA A celebration of bringing all kinds of real people together through food and music, the fourth annual Everybody Eats Festival offers a more approachable ethos than some of the Bay Area’s bougier-facing food events. Live performances include singer Thuy and rapper Grand-O (aka food influencer the Snack Sensei) alongside food vendors such as Señor Sisig, Ube Bay Area, Mac’s by Icky, World Famous Hotboys, Mama’s Papas, and Marley’s Treats, to name a few. Tickets start at $55.20, with additional VIP options. 12-6 p.m. 2151 Ferry Point, Alameda.
STAGE
Charles Lewis III hits up theaters and performance spaces every week for his Drama Masks column.
THROUGH AUGUST 31: ARE YOU OKAY? A recurring vignette in Joe Goode Performance Group’s latest provocative work features two performers fishing, with one repeatedly asking the other if they’re OK. “OK with what?” they reply. “Your life? The world? This?!” The one being asked doesn’t know how to reply, especially since they’re still coming to terms with feelings they have about their friend. It’s somehow funny and sad without letting you decide which is which. Even before we get to that point, the setting of the performance is an object lesson in contradictions: The Rincon Center’s famous Art Deco design seems triumphantly anachronistic, in the same way the dated lobby murals of Native Americans are cringe-inducing. One has to wonder if the building was chosen because of this dichotomy of success vs. heartbreak. 8pm, Rincon Center, SF. More info here.
FILM
Dennis Harvey’s long-running Screen Grabs has tons more flicks to recommend.
STARTING THU/28: SIGN O’ THE TIMES IN IMAX Prince’s 1987 cinematic release is pretty much a concert film, even if primarily shot at Paisley Park Studios with extras applauding the lip-synching performers, after footage at actual shows in Rotterdam and Antwerp turned out to be unusable (though their audio was apparently retained). You also get somewhat inscrutable, unnecessary skit sequences, and a more conspicuously music-video-like “U Got the Look” with Sheena Easton that’s credited to a different director (Barb Wire’s David Hogan, rather than Prince himself). The whole thing duly looks like it was done on a soundstage, with all the hot colors, sexy silhouettes, and neon you’d expect from the artist’s aesthetic at this juncture. Theaters and showtimes here.
OPENING FRI/29: LURKER In writer-director Alex Russell’s consistently intriguing first feature, Matthew (Theodore Pellerin) is a seemingly ordinary twentysomething working at a clothing store when in walks rising pop star Oliver (Archie Madekwe) and his entourage. Matt feigns ignorance, but in fact knows enough about Oliver to stealthily ingratiate himself within a few minutes’ span. That gets him invited backstage at a show later on, then tentatively welcomed into the singer’s inner circle. Somehow it’s not obvious to his new best friends—though it is to the viewer—that this slightly awkward, overeager addition to their world is a fiercely competitive schemer and manipulator who’ll do anything to remain in the milieu he’s wormed his way into. Lurker opens Fri/29 at SF’s Alamo Drafthouse New Mission and AMC Kabuki 8.
NIGHTLIFE
Marke B. usually knows what’s up. Check out his club The Stud for more great parties.
FRI/29: SBTRKT The British savant came in hard (actually quite soft and wobbly) with his self-titled 2011 album, sweeping the floors when clubbers were still throwing shapes. He’s gone through some slight transformations since then, but his sound remains unique, a joyride for abstract r&b-meets-two-step fiends. 10pm-2:30am, 1015 Folsom, SF. More info here.
FRI/29: FREAKY FRIDAY Parties at Club Waziema on Divisadero are real deals, bring the Lower Haight and Western Addition heads out for some delicious Ethiopian food, strong drinks, and more than a bit of dancing. DJs Street Chilli, Agrapol, Nick Mora, Zan, and more promise “house, Jersey, techno, and dance music all night.” 9pm-2am, Club Waziema, SF. More info here.
SAT/30: HUSSY This all-day queer party at El Rio features a stacked lineup of talent: Total babes Five and Charles Hawthorne bring strong house vibes, with the Baptist as techno wrecking ball and Jen DM rounding things out. 3pm-8pm, El Rio, SF. More info here.
SAT/30: BEAU WANZER The Chicago DJ’s bio simply states “I like music.” Well, alright. And his experimental sounds can veer from horror soundtrack to post-punk ambient in mere seconds. 9pm-1:30am, Bar Part Time, SF. More info here.
SUN/31: DISCO DADDY It’s a long weekend, time to tie one on at DJ Bus Station John’s wildly popular, seven-hour, incredibly affordable disco extravaganza, filling the Eagle with old-school cruising energy, tunes to life the rafters, and hot tricks of all provenance. 7pm-2am, Eagle, SF. More info here.
