Welcome to our calendar feature BIG WEEK, wherein our expert Arts & Culture writers recommend the best things to do. Don’t forget International Women’s Day is on Sunday—do something useful to thank the queens in your life.
GENERAL ARTS
Caitlin Donohue is keeping an eye on the situation.
WED/4: MICHAEL POLLAN He’s shifted your thoughts on eating meat, drinking coffee, and the interior lives of plants—and now in his new book, this UC Berkeley professor takes on the notion of consciousness itself. Pollan discusses his latest, A World Appears, with psychologist Dacher Keltner in what is sure to be a heady evening. 7:30pm. City Arts and Lectures, SF. More info here.
THU/5: FAMILY TIES A textile and ceramic show for which artist Mikas Mogo delved into the lives of a fictional San Francisco family she calls the Humms. Looking to see our lives stitched out between tradition and modernity? Here’s your show. Opening reception: Thu/5, 6-9pm. SWIM Gallery, SF. More info here.
FRI/6: THE MUSIC CRITIC Violinist Aleksey Igudesman masterminded this turn by John Malkovich himself, who, the Symphony tells us, “tears apart music inspired by the likes of Beethoven, Debussy, and Brahms. In addition, he hates Dvořák, Rachmaninoff, and the much disputed, yet beloved, Boléro by Ravel.” 7:30pm. Davies Symphony Hall, SF. More info here.
FRI/6 THROUGH MARCH 14: THE ACHE Might you need an evening with a singing and dancing high heel? This production written by Maeve Seashore and directed Rotimi Agbabiaka, may not be as lighthearted as that premise would imply, but the animate footwear does perform her way through isolation, transmisogyny, and other malaise. KN-95 masks required—they’ll have them for you at the theater if you need. Z Below, SF. More info here.
FRI/6 THROUGH MAY 16: A FEARLESS EYE: THE PHOTOGRAPHY OF BARBARA RAMOS At this celebration of an iconic 1906s and beyond SF photographer’s new book of images, “what emerges is a document of California in flux—not mythologized landscapes but in-between spaces, overlooked communities, ordinary moments charged with subtle tension or unexpected beauty,” holds the exhibition announcement. There will be an artist talk at 2pm on March 21 for the real Ramos heads. Opening reception: Fri/6, 6-8pm. Harvey Milk Photo Center, SF. More info here.
FRI/6 + SAT/7: DREAM FEED Flying Rabbit Circus commemorates two years since the founding of Artists Unite For Palestine with this program of dance, circus, spoken word and more. Proceeds will, of course, go to families in Gaza still surviving genocide. 8pm. SF Mime Troupe Studio Theatre. More info here.
SAT/7: CHINESE NEW YEAR PARADE Catch an illuminated tribute to the year of the Fire Horse in a yearly tradition that SF has been observing since shortly after the Gold Rush. Miss Chinatown USA, dragons, community groups, impressive floats, and so much more will be on hand. If you’re looking to drop some cash on being a bit more comfy, tickets for bleacher seats are also available. 5:15pm. Starts at Second and Market Streets, SF. More info here.
SUN/8: INTERNATIONAL WORKING WOMEN’S DAY RALLY AND MARCH Convened by Mujeres Unidas y Activas, GABRIELA Oakland Palestinian Feminist Collective, Alliance of South Asians Taking Action, Black LGBTQIA+ Migrant Project, Black Rose Anarchist Federation, CA Coalition for Women Prisoners, Nodutdol Philippine Solidarity Task Force, and the Sogorea Te’ Land Trust, this one-mile march on flat terrain is an apt place to channel all the frustration and hope of recent days, in community. 11am-3pm. Lake Merritt Pergola, Oakland. More info here.
SUN/8: SHE DARED TO DREAM: AYANNA PRESSLEY Massachusetts’ first woman of color is spending her International Women’s Day in Oakland for this screening of a documentary on her rise, and policy work as part of The Squad. Ayanna Pressley will be joined in a post-screening discussion by Oakland Mayor Barbara Less, member of Congress Lateefah Simon, with moderation by comedian W. Kamau Bell. 3pm. Grand Lake Theatre, Oakland. More info here.
MUSIC
Hit up John-Paul Shiver’s Under the Stars column for great tunes and shows every week.
THU/5: BFF.FM SUPER SCHMACKDOWN This is required listening: post-Seablite synthpop stylings of Rhymies, a frazzled solo set from Tony Jay, and Oakland’s own refined pop champions The Goods. Coming off Noise Pop, it’s a testament to local flair that a show like this rises up and still lets folks know, The Bay is still full of underground moves. Doors at 8pm. The Knockout, SF. More info here.
SUN/8: CHIME SCHOOL We are terribly sad that we missed Chime School at Noise Pop last week, but ever so overjoyed at the opportunity to catch them at The Makeout Room with Danny Ayala, bass and keys from The Lemon Twigs, and with Slumberland labelmate Tony Jay. With DJs Jimmy & No spinning 45s, this is an early Sunday function that will have you functioning in prime condition on Monday morning. 7pm. The Makeout Room, 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.
THROUGH SAT/7: INDIAN RESTAURANT WEEK In the second edition of Indian Restaurant Week in San Francisco, founding Chefs Ashish Tiwari (ROOH), Srijith Gopinath (Copra), Pujan Sarkar (Tiya), Shibiraj Saha (Amber India), Ranjan Dey (New Delhi Restaurant), and Thomas George (Bombay Brasserie) have each created different Holi-inspired prix fixe menus inspired by their home regions to serve at their respective establishments. Each chef chooses his own price point, but all are of significant value compared to what one of their non-holiday menus might be. Get up on it before it disappears until Diwali. More info here.
STAGE
Charles Lewis III checks out theaters and performance spaces every week in the Drama Masks column.
THROUGH MARCH 27: PARANORMAL ACTIVITY This stage play based on the found-footage horror film series employs crafty sleight-of-hand to bring the supernatural to life: objects fly; blankets unravel; bodies vanish before your very eyes. These tricks have been used on stage for more a hundred years, yet the crew behind Fly Davis’ intricate dollhouse set make them feel fresh. ACT’s Toni Rembe Theater, SF. More info here.
THROUGH MARCH 29: ALL MY SONS Arthur Miller is so canonized as the “quintessential American playwright” that some forget how anti-establishment his work was. Look no further than this play, which begins so deceptively milquetoast that Anna Louizos’ gorgeous set seems to have grown from its own synthetic lawn. Local Elissa Beth Stebbins shines as impatient neighbor Sue and Regina Morones as Lydia. The latter, in particular, makes “Laughy’s” defining trait genuinely hilarious and heart-breaking. Berkeley Rep. More info here.
THROUGH MARCH 29: LOOKING FOR JUSTICE A mostly fascinating reminiscence about the old Bay Area and a tangled criminal justice system. Its meta ending is a bit too saccharine, but what precedes it is a fine portrait of where everyone fits in our broken system. The Marsh, Berkeley. More info here.
FILM
Dennis Harvey’s long-running Screen Grabs has tons more flicks to recommend.
OPENS FRI/6: DAYS AND NIGHTS IN THE FOREST The Roxie has a notable revival on tap in the form of a 4K restoration of Satyajit Ray’s 1970 film, a special favorite for Wes Anderson (who’s shot a personal introduction for it). Based on a novel by Bengali poet Sunil Gangopadhyay, it’s a light-stepping comedy of manners in which four quarrelsome, jaded upper-class men drive for a restorative weekend in the country. Roxie Theater, SF. More info here.
SAT/7 THROUGH APRIL 23: IRANIAN CINEMA: FROM AESTHETICS TO POLITICS With eerie relevance, this week marks the start of a series that imparts an opportunity to familiarize yourself with the inconveniently human side of the nation we’re now bombing to smithereens. Of course, movies from Iran have had a significant presence on the international festival and arthouse scenes for about 30 years now. Their acclaim is invariably couched in political terms: directors managing to sneak motifs of resistance and criticism into narratives that by cautious necessity became opaque, or eluding censors by focusing on the seemingly apolitical terrain of child protagonists. The series avoids familiar titles from such figures already well-known abroad. Instead it focuses on three newly-restored classics not widely seen in the West, plus several works from director and scenarist Rakshan Banietemad, who’s expected to be present for their screenings in late April. BAMPFA, Berkeley. More info here.
SUN/8 THROUGH MAY 9: AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL BAMPFA is commencing its annual two-month survey of mostly recent work from across the African continent and its diaspora. This year there are contributions from Kenya (Damien Hauser’s After the Long Rains, which opens the series this Sun/8), Democratic Republic of the Congto (Sammy Baloji’s The Tree of Authenticity), Mali (Fatou Cisse’s Furu), Ethiopia (Jessica Beshir’s Faya dayi, also part of the previously-reported “Psychedelia & Cinema” series), French Guiana (Maxime Jean-Bapiste’s Koute vwa), Nigeria (Afolabi Olalekan’s Freedom Way), and Morocco (Orian Barki & Meriem Bennani’s documentary-animation hybrid Bouchra). BAMPFA, Berkeley. More info here.
NIGHTLIFE
Marke B. usually knows what’s up.
SAT/7: PEGGY GOU AT CLUB DARC This isn’t so much a recommendation, as a curiosity: Will GoldenVoice’s ambitious Club Darc series of huge warehouse parties recover from last week’s sound disaster? Thousands of attendees were unable to hear the headliners in the gargantuan space. Promoters have employed some hopeful remedies, and something tells me that international playgirl Peggy Gou will suffer no nonsense. 10pm-3am, Pier 48 Shed A, SF. More info here.
SUN/8: DJ BLACKSTONE GRANT FUNDRAISER T-DANCE The legendary local DJ (and dear friend) left us too soon, but his impish spirit and generosity on the decks lives on through this community-funded grant that assists local dance music-makers in need. Join David Harness, Juanita More, DAD SF, DJ Kinki, and Miguelitooo for an afternoon twirl for a terrific cause. 2pm-7pm, The Stud, SF. More info here.
SUN/8: I CAN’T KICK THIS FEELING Meanwhile on the other side of the Bay, house heads will gather for BBQ and a bracing dose of classic Detroit house, as the ambitious Unabridged party series concludes with Moodymann and Marcellus Pitmann hitting the decks with stank funk energy. 3-10pm, 7th West, SF. More info here.
