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.
GENERAL ARTS
Marke B. is in the arts hot seat.
THU/4-JANUARY 3: ‘1000 WHISPERS FROM OUR FUTURE‘ The amazing Audium and its 176 spatial surround-sound speakers presents a new show that pulls from Pat Mesiti-Miller’s near-decade of work inside California prisons, and features the sounds of the physical structures of incarceration, the people living within them, and the power of our collective imagination and spirit. Central to the piece is a collection of whispers recorded during a series of community visioning events where participants were asked to share their visions of a new world. The whispers become guides as they float over gritty textures, materialize, and expand before returning to the echoic ether. Audium, SF. More info here.
THU/4: DRAG ON ICE The title says it all, and we love it. An annual family tradition! 6:30pm-8:30pm, Union Square Holiday ice Rink, SF. More info here.
FRI/5: ‘THE LAST 7 DAYS OF OBSIDIENNE OBSURD’ Drag artist extraordinaire and Kronos Quartet’s Paul Wiancko join forces for this “multidisciplinary experimental performance that aims to queer classical concert conventions as well as elevate Drag performance out of the realm of nightlife and onto a large-scale symphonic stage. It tells OBSIDIENNE’s personal story of gender transition alongside the migration story of their Chinese ancestors to America.” 7pm, Calvin Simmons Theatre, Oakland. More info here.
FRI/5: ‘EMORY DOUGLAS: IN OUR LIFETIME’ OPENING RECEPTION The African American Art & Complex is hosting a two-part retrospective of the work of artist and former Minister of Culture for the Black Panther Party Emory Douglas, framed around his 12-point Political Artist Manifesto. This free reception for the first part features his more recent work, while part two in February will expand to include his classic designs and indelible messaging. 5pm-8pm, African American Art & Culture Complex, SF. More info here.
SAT/6: CELEBRATION OF THE LIFE OF MISS MAJOR The trans icon and social justice pioneer passed away October 13; this incredible celebration of her incredible life includes Dr. Angela Davis, Mayor Barbara Lee, Congresswoman Lateefah Simon, Rev. Marvin K White, and Bishop Dr. Yvette Flunder, alongside artists, organizers, and community members whose lives were shaped by Miss Major’s five decades of activism. 3pm-5pm, Glide Memorial, SF. More info here.
SAT/6-DECEMBER 21: ‘GOLDEN GIRLS LIVE: THE CHRISTMAS EPISODES‘ We are certainly filling the holidays with drag in this town, and why not? The beloved Miami foursome-by-way-of-SF return to celebrate “20 Years of Love, Laughter, and Cheesecake” with beloved cast D’Arcy Drollinger, Holotta Tymes, Coco Peru, and Matthew Martin slipping into those shoulderpads once again. Curran Theater, SF. More info here.
SAT/6: ONE THING FOLLOWS ANOTHER BOOK LAUNCH A dance-poetry crossover that sounds awesome: “In the 1950s, Yvonne Rainer, Simone Forti, and a handful of other young artists based in New York’s Greenwich Village set out to challenge the practices and principles of professionalized dance. Inspired by the groundbreaking work of choreographers Anna Halprin, Robert Dunn, and Merce Cunningham, as well as composer John Cage, they were determined to change what dance is and can be. In One Thing Follows Another, a boundary-crossing collection of ten experimental-poetic essays, poets Valerie Witte and Sarah Rosenthal explore the work of dancer-choreographers Rainer and Forti, both at various inflection points throughout their careers and in this particular moment.” 5pm, Et Al Gallery, SF. More info here.
SAT/6-DECEMBER 28: ‘PETER PAN’ I adore this annual show in the great British pantomime tradition, bringing hilarious and often interactive fun for the whole family. Do not miss the wonderful actor Rotimi Agbabiaka as Captain Hook. Presidio Theater, SF. More info here.
SAT/6: YERBA BUENA GARDEN TREE LIGHTING “We’re lighting a giant Coastal Redwood again! Come enjoy with cocoa, activities, and prizes. Watch as the magnificent holiday tree, a living coastal redwood on our Great Lawn, lights up the night sky, bringing joy and warmth to all who attend. This in-person event is perfect for families, friends, and anyone looking to get into the holiday spirit.” 4pm-9pm, Yerba Buena Gardens, SF. More info here.
MUSIC
Hit up John-Paul Shiver’s Under the Stars column for great tunes and shows every week.
FRI/5: SEABLITE calls it quits! Our fave “4 piece odd pop janglers” are banging it out with a massive hang. “We’re really looking forward to our friendfest on December 5 with The Brollies, April Magazine, and our Cool as Fuck DJ pals. The Make-Out Room is such a special place for us—we’ve played countless shows there, and each of us has hosted DJ nights through the years. It’s going to be a truly special evening, so make sure to wear your dancing shoes. We’ll be spinning some rad dance classics after the band sets!” 7pm, Make-Out Room, SF. More info here.
FRI/5: GUMBY’S JUNK Rock critics, snooty blog writers, and influencers from all points of the Internet just can’t quite pin down the Oakland-based art rock band—a self-described “nightmare cartoon” assembled by Eli Streich, Emmalee Johnson-Kao, and Jas Stade. With production finesse handled by rock legend Greg Saunier of Deerhoof on the group’s sophomore album, Business & Pleasure, expect “musical surrealism pushed to its limits with outrageous harmonies, circus-fast riffs, and a genre-defying mishmash. Or, just another ho-hum night in The Mission. 7pm, Kilowatt, 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.
SAT/6: A MARIAH CAREY-CODED DRAG BRUNCH Top Chef Season 4 winner Stephanie Izard opened her first Bay Area restaurant in March. Since then, Valley Goat (so named as a nod to her original Chicago restaurant Girl & The Goat) has been hosting some fun-sounding special events, like this weekend’s “Mariah Carey-coded” Holiday Drag Brunch. Hosted by Amoura Teese and backed by DJ No Silence, stars Dee Dee Marie Holliday and Comfort Sweet Mo’Telle will have diners feeling emotions. Tickets are $65 plus tax and gratuity. 11am- 12:30pm at Valley Goat, 1100 N. Mathilda Ave., Sunnyvale.
FRI/5 THROUGH SUN/7: CLAWS OF MANTIS AT ONSEN One of my personal favorite food pop-ups is Claws of Mantis, purveyor of super imaginative and heartfelt Vietnamese-Bay Area cooking. Their special deliveries helped me get through the first pandemic year for sure. According to an Instagram post from Kevin Tang of Claws of Mantis, there is likely still “plenty of bar seating for dinner only,” and possibly a few remaining slots for the bathhouse plus dinner experience happening at the newly-reopened Onsen on Friday through Sunday. Also, he thinks it’s his best menu yet, which is really saying something. Four courses for $65; book a reservation with a $35 deposit. Onsen, 466 Eddy Street, SF.
STAGE
Charles Lewis III checks out theaters and performance spaces every week for his Drama Masks column.
THROUGH DECEMBER 21: MOTHER OF EXILES Jessica Huang’s world premiere consists of two exhilarating acts sandwiched around a baffling sitcom-like middle one, but that’s no reason to skip this time-traveling, timely work. The first act finds us on Angel Island circa 1898. Pregnant Chinese immigrant “Eddie” travelled across the world in male drag in order to find work in this supposed “land of plenty.” She’s being quarantined before she’s shipped back to mainland China, so she leaves her new child in the land that she hopes will offer better opportunities. By 1999, her half-Latine descendant Braulio makes his living as, of all things, a border agent on the Miami Coast. When the story jumps ahead to 2063, Braulio’s own descendants are forced to flee what’s left of Florida due to climate devastation. Berkeley Rep. More info here.
THROUGH DECEMBER 14: CABARET OTP’s production may be—and I never thought I’d ever say this—too punk for its own good. That may be odd, considering how it remixes Kander & Ebb’s soundtrack through an EDM lens. But the leather-heavy, super-queer aesthetic leaves little doubt as to what genre inspired it. Working in the show’s favor is Sarah Phykitt’s angled set, the seamless transplantation into a contemporary setting while retaining the original dialogue, the jaw-dropping pipes of Sharon Shao as Sally Bowles, and the cold flexibility of Megan Trout as antagonist Ernst. Even incorporating audience members has a natural flow to it. It’s loud, though. FLAX art & design, Oakland. More info here.
FILM
Dennis Harvey’s long-running Screen Grabs has tons more flicks to recommend.
OPENING FRI/5: CUTTING THROUGH ROCKS Sara Shahverdi is a divorcee in a remote Iranian village whose father, anticipating a boy, largely raised her like one. As a result, her own assertive refusal to conform to gender stereotype is grudgingly accepted by neighbors. But when she becomes the first female to win a seat on the local council (by a landslide of women’s votes), there is angry resistance among local men. They consider her spreading ideas “against tradition” to other women and girls as an existential threat. It’s an intriguing, singular character study that opens at the Roxie Fri/5 and plays Marin’s Smith Rafael Film Center on Tues/9.
OPENING FRI/5: KILL BILL: THE WHOLE BLOODY AFFAIR Quentin Tarantino apparently always intended his female-driven action revenge epic Kill Bill to be seen as a single entity, but instead it was broken into two separate features released in 2003 and 2004. This Fri/5 sees his dream realized in the form of Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair, which puts hitwoman turned avenging bride Uma Thurman through her paces—involving lethal standoffs with characters played by Lucy Liu, Vivica A. Fox, Michael Madsen, Daryl Hannah, Gordon Liu, Michael Parks and David Carradine—over 275 uninterrupted minutes. (Well, there will be an intermission.) It’s “uncut, unrated” and with previously unseen footage added. Some theaters, including SF’s Alamo Drafthouse New Mission, will be showing it in 70mm.
NIGHTLIFE
Marke B. usually knows what’s up. Check out his club The Stud for more great parties.
FRI/5: GLITTERBOX While it can sometimes err on the poppier side for me, legendary dance label Defected Records’ longtime traveling party Glitterbox promises a whammy of a party this Friday, with Lil Louis Vega, my baby from Detroit DJ Holographic, and Yasmin. 9:30pm-3am, Great Northern, SF. More info here.
THROUGH SAT/6: RECOMBINANT FESTIVAL Incredible local experimental electronic and techno crews are taking over Gray Area in this festival of out-there sounds, including Surface Tension, KATABATIK, and Recombinant Media Labs. The plethora of noises will be replete. Gray Area, SF. More info here.
SUN/7: DARK ENTRIES SHOP THREE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY Josh Cheon’s supercool Tenderloin shop pops a bottle with in-store DJs Bergsonist, Greg Z, Solar, and C.L.A.W.S. it will vibe a real cute scene. 5pm-9pm, Dark Entries, SF. More info here.
