San Francisco Music Blog

​Photographer Hanna Quevedo hit the Dia De Los Muertos party in the Mission--where, she writes, "sugar skulls and candles meet bike-powered carriages and shadow puppetry in a mash-up of the traditional and the new."

See the full slideshow here.

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To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the groundgreaking sixties concert out east, Golden Gate Park traveled back in time last weekend to host our own Woodstook, West Fest.

Forty-two bands on three stages payed homage to the era's music, while tie-dye clad crowds tuned in, turned off and dropped out.

SF Weekly hit the park with a camera: check out our slideshow of all the new and old school hippies who hit the green for the afternoon.

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Click through to our (very NSFW) slideshow for lingerie, fetish, and leather.

The 30th Annual Exotic Erotic Ball came back home to the Cow Palace last Saturday.  After last year's disappointing Treasure Island outing replete with bus issues and too few bathroom facilities it was a welcome return, taking in an estimated 9000 party goers.

The main stage area offered plenty of seating and much room, allowing attendees to get a close hand look at the main attractions offered and featuring fantastic shows by Super Geek League, Impotent Sea Snakes, and Missing Persons as well an appearance by Tila Tequila. The intermission shows were especially entertaining as Paul Nathan took stage to become the ring leader for some steamy burlesque and other fetish oddities.  Honestly, we didn't know that tongues could do the various things showcased.

At the decidedly more intimate Bling Bling stage, hosted by Enrique of Surreal SF, we were treated to hot exclusive acts that sometimes overshadowed the bigger fare of the main stage.  It featured an all star DJ lineup, the Surreal Devil Girls, and a stand out performance by CR Gruve. This little stage that could, actually produced the single most show stopping event of the night in the form of a stellar performance by Coolio. 

A stones throw away, the VIP area seemed like a rehash of last year's fare which, while entertaining (sexy Zombie strip tease anyone) seemed ill managed at the entrance.  We caught quite a few people who didn't pay the extra money for VIP access having full reign of the area.  That being said the smaller main stage did make for some pretty cool happenings.  Of note there was the excellent power duo performance by DJ Meikee Magnetic and live drummer Mateo-G.   

In the more subdued and tightly packed expo area, the vendors were out in full force offering everything under the fetish sun.  A virtual market of the sexy, kinky and grotesque.  This was the only thing that suffered in the move back from Treasure Island which was much more robust and airy than the cramped area at the Cow Palace.  It seemed that it didn't allow you to take in much of what was being offered and stalls were a little packed due to foot traffic.

So what was the sum total? The same as year's past sprinkled with some highlight moments. We were slightly disappointed with not having a "must see" act that would have made everyone converge on the main stage, but there was enough on the fringes to make it worth it.  All in all the Cow Palace is a much better place to hold this event. 

EKAphotography copyright 2009. all rights reserved

Michael Franti and Spearhead

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The 11th Annual Power to the Peaceful Festival began with a thunderclap and ended with an affirmation of love. The season's first storm hit in the wee hours, bringing warm, tropical showers - but no lightning. Most of the rain had passed over Golden Gate Park by the time the music started, at noon, although sprinkles permeated the morning yoga jam--featuring hundreds of downward dog-leaning folks--a ritualistic blessing symbolizing the purification of the earth by the heavens. That was it for the actual rain, but a fine mist lingered in the air for the rest of the day.

EKAphotography copyright 2009. all rights reserved

Sly Dunbar of Sly + Robbie

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This year's lineup was one of the best-ever, talent-wise. After short sets by conscious rappers Sellassie and Truth Universal, Malian guitarist Vieux Farka Toure continued the tribal theme with an electric take on traditional African blues. But things really got going with an extended set of live dub reggae by the legendary Jamaican duo Sly + Robbie, who brought on vocalist Cherine Anderson to sing two Bob Marley songs near the end of their performance.

EKAphotography copyright 2009. all rights reserved

Alanis Morissette

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By then, the crowd had swelled to about 70,000 folks, who extended from the Speedway Meadow stage all the way back to the DJ stage at the festival entrance. After all the heat generated by Sly + Robbie's classic riddims, Alanis Morissette cooled things down a bit with an acoustic set which featured chilled renditions of her hits "Thank You" and "You Oughtta Know." After yet another blessing, by Tibetan lama Namkha Rinpoche (who told the crowd there was a possibility of bringing the Dalai Lama to the event in 2010), headliners Michael Franti and Spearhead appeared almost immediately afterwards. Franti's set was upbeat, highlighted by collaborations with both Sly + Robbie and Cherine Anderson and joyous renditions of "Yell Fire" and "Say Hey (I Love You)". After it was all said and done, it seemed the show's organizers packed a week's worth of activity into one day. The sun never quite made it out that day, yet there was plenty of sunshine in the hearts of festival-goers, as they gradually trudged out of the meadow. Indeed, a peaceful yet rockin' time was had by all.

EKAphotography

Michael Franti at 2008's PTTP

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Watch out, Outside Lands and TIMF! Power to the Peaceful--Michael Franti's annual free party in Golden Gate Park--has announced the lineup for this year's throwdown, which is expected to bring between 50 and 75 thousand people. The featured artists this year are not only one of the strongest PttP bills to date, but stack up well against the big-time acts at the other, non-free, music festivals happening later this fall in San Francisco.

In addition to headliners Franti and Spearhead, confirmed artists for the Sept. 12 event include Alanis Morissette, Sly & Robbie (!) with Cherine Anderson, and Vieux Farka Toure. The opening slot was snagged by SF conscious MC Sellassie, and in addition to the main stage, there is a morning yoga practice, "1,000 Yogis for Peace"; a keynote speech by Tibetan Buddhist Namkha Rimpoche, and a DJ tent with Miguel Migs, Ren the Vinyl Archaeologist, and others. More info is here.

Franti has also announced an after-party at the Fillmore, featuring the "Rocking Heads," an ensemble of artists performing at PttP, playing Talking Heads covers. That show, unfortunately, is not free, but sounds like it might be worth the ducats.

​ Image Source: Juliale on Flickr

I have been trying to get someone from Sightglass Coffee (270 Seventh Street @ Folsom) to talk to me for well over a month now - to no avail. Who does a person have to touch inappropriately to get in contact with these guys? 

Sightglass, according to Twitter, appears to be the darling of the SOMA/web 2.0 set  - frequented by the likes of Kevin Rose, Jack Dorsey, and Alex Payne. My guess is the owners are friends of these internet superstars. They even have their own Flickr group (Sightglass be all cloud computing and s**t)! I haven't had a chance to get down to the space in person because I'm a tech blogger and I don't get out of my pajamas for less than 6,000,000 hits a day, but from the pics it looks great with marbled cement floors, shiny expensive machinery, and the requisite exposed brick of all 2.0 ventures. It appears to be everything a Twitter/Digg clientele would want in a schmancy coffee shop. Unfortunately, they must have placed some sort of Kiala Kazebee embargo on the place because, as I stated before, no one will get back to me. Therefore, in lieu of a proper interview, I've created a list of possible reasons the Sightglass people continue to shun me.

Hypnotic & Harmelodic: Ornette Coleman

SFJAZZ has announced its 27th season, which kicks off October 10 with a Thelonious Monk birthday party and ends November 21 with a "Double-Barreled Blues Bash" featuring Keb' Mo and Solomon Burke.

Highlights include October 22's show, "Afro-Cuban Keystones," with the Omar Sosa Quintet and the John Santos Sextet; October 28's "Meeting of the Minds" with Bela Fleck, Zakir Hussain, and Edgar Meyer; Dee Dee Bridgewater's "Tribute to Lady Day" on October 30; and November 8's "the Essence of Expression" with Ornette Coleman. For a complete list of performers click here or here.

Rebirth Brass Band

Citing economic difficulties due to increased costs, Sunset Promotions, the organizers of the North Beach Jazz Festival have announced this year's event--scheduled to be the fifteenth annual--has been postponed until 2010.

"This is gonna be a big deal for a lot of people," said Sunset's Robbie Kowal. Though he would have been happy to break even, last year's festival lost money, he said, and this year, the prognosis looked even grimmer. Sunset had hoped that corporate sponsors would come to the rescue, and city officials did everything they could to match up NBJF with a willing suitor but, alas, there was no knight in a shiny three-piece Brioni willing to take the plunge in this current economic downturn. "There is no Getty batphone," Kowal admits. The bottom line, he says, is, "we couldn't afford it."

In a statement scheduled to be released to the press later today, Sunset's John Miles said, "We looked at this from every angle and met with all stakeholders, including the Mayor's office, Supervisor Chiu's office, the SFPD and the Rec. and Park Department... Despite everyone's good-faith efforts, the numbers simply didn't add up. We need to go back to the drawing board."

EKAphotography

Supa Sistas: Les Nubians

Yesterday was definitely a day to be outdoors. With thermostats pointing north, inside was the last place anyone would want to be. And why would you want to, anyway? It was nice outside. Hot damn, summer in the city. And, unlike many a summery San Francisco day, Mr. Marine Layer stayed far away. Double hot damn. While many, I'm sure, headed to the beach, the most chill place to be yesterday may have been Sigmund Stern Grove.

Every summer for the past 71 years, Stern Grove has been the site of free concerts. Last Sunday's featured Les Nubians, the French sister act who have become emissaries of Afro-Euro soul. It may be just a coincidence that les soeurs Faussart, whose second album was called Temperature Rising, appeared on one of the hottest days of the year.

www.AndreNickatina.com

Still Smoking: Andre Nickatina

In what's being billed as his "only SF performance this year," indie-rap pimplord Andre Nickatina has announced a July 10 date at DNA Lounge.

Nickatina--once known as Dre Dog--has carved out a unique niche with his atypical approach toward oft-cliched hustlerisms, which have earned him a loyal fan base that has crossed over from gangsta and turf rap aficionados to indie-rock fans. He's currently getting some national shine, thanks to being featured on the Jacka's red-hot single "Glamorous Lifestyle," so it could be just a matter of time before the entire world knows what the Bay Area has long since accepted as gospel: Nickatina's uncut dope.

Back in the days, San Francisco's premier hip-hop party was indisputably Cream of Beat. Beginning in 1996, this offshoot of the legendary Informal Nation became quite fabled in its own right, establishing its hosts the Pirate DJs as the 'Sco's go-to wax spinners (back when DJs actually played vinyl) as well as bolstering the reputations of affiliated crews like Local 1200 and the Original DJs.

If you miss those days now that you're all grown up, mark down July 3rd on your calendar and polish up your Shelltoes, cause the Cream is back, baby!!!

Billed as a "4-Round World Heavyweight DJ Battle," the CoB reunion at Mighty matches the Pirate DJs (Mind Motion, Ivan, and Dark Money), Local 1200 (Fuze, Namane, and Sake 1), Triple Threat (Apollo and Shortkut) and the Original DJs (Pos Red and Supreme), spinning classic hip-hop from 1996 'til infinity. Another room features soul and house classics from Dedan and Consuelo (two more crafty veterans with many a rocked party under their belt). This is more than just an old-school-themed event, this is the old school, revisited. For info, email here and for tickets, click here.

Jim Marshall

Country Joe at Woodstock, 1969

Who owns the name Woodstock? That's the central issue in the brouhaha between the promoters of San Francisco's Free Woodstock 40th Anniversary concert and New York-based Woodstock Ventures.

Today at 1 pm at John's Grill, a group of Summer of Love survivors, er, veterans, including former Maritime Hall honcho Boots Houghston, former SF DA Terrence Hallinan, legendary acid-folksters Country Joe McDonald and Barry Melton, Lester Chambers of The Chambers Brothers and Super Lotto Winner Dennis "Mr. Lucky" Sanfilippo will announce they do not plan to comply with a cease and desist order from Michael Lang of Woodstock Ventures intended to put the kibosh on a free 40th anniversary concert scheduled for October 25 in San Francisco.

EKAphotography

Here's the scenario: You've been partying at SF Carnaval for hours, and, after a short break for food (or a quick power nap) you want to keep the bacchanal going until the early morning hours. No sweat; ASD has your after-party recommendations all lined up.

Project One hosts three nights of "Carnival Fever"--which actually kicks off Friday evening (jeepers, that's tonight)--featuring loads of DJs (including an all-female night Sunday), a couple of live bands, and the Loco Bloco drum ensemble. For more info, click here.

Club Six will be poppin' Sunday night, for Angel Magik's Carnival Fete, which offers 3 rooms of rhythmic insanity with Bayonics, Native Elements, J-Boogie's Dubtronic Science, Los Rakas, Loco Bloco, DJs Santero, Walt Diggz, Apollo, D- Sharp, Ren the Vinyl Archaeologist, Jah Warrior Shelter, Serg, Stepwise, and many more. Get there early (7pm) for an open vodka bar sponsored by Blue Angel. $10 presales can be had here.

EKAphotography

This weekend, tens of thousands of revelers will hit San Francisco in force, many clad in nothing but skimpy, shiny, feathered costumes. That's right, it's Carnaval time. As usual with this annual event, there's much more going on than just a parade. There's plenty of live music, DJs, and dance troupes, to keep your feet moving. One stage which bears checking out both Saturday and Sunday is Island Vibes, which has a mice mix of live music and DJs playing dancehall, reggaeton, Latin, and hip-hop. The Saturday lineup includes DJ Mr. E, Alma the Dreamer, Bodirock Dancers, Oakland Soul Dance Crew, Company of Prophets, Isis G & Do D.A.T., DJ Fuze, Jah Warrior Shelter, Duniya Dance & Drum Company, DJ Smoke-One and DJ Mpenzi. Sunday's Island Vibes party should be just as hot, with DJ Serg, Ini Vibration, Secure Dem, DJ Sake One, Polo Mo'Qz, Green B & Daneekah, and more. More info is here and here.

Spring has sprung, and unlike most of the country, San Francisco's weather isn't the best indicator of the fairest season's arrival. Instead, we have to look a little closer to find differences between now and a 70 degree day in January.

1. It's Crazy Costume Season!
The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence Easter Celebration in Dolores Park marked the beginning of what I like to call "costume season." Other signs of this most colorful time of year include the How Weird Street Faire, the Cinco de Mayo festival, and, of course, Bay to Breakers.

EKAphotography

Seun Kuti performs at Stern Grove, 2008

The 72nd annual series of free summer concerts at Sigmund Stern Grove--one of San Francisco's best traditions--has been announced. As always, the lineup of artists spans a diverse range of genres and styles. Performers include Roberta Flack and Davell Crawford, Les Nubians and Asa, the San Francisco Symphony and Inouye Jazz, Joan Baez and Blame Sally, Sergent Garcia and Curumin, The Lyrics Born Revue, Kailash Kher's Kailasa and Delhi 2 Dublin, Totó La Momposina y Sus Tambores and Nation Beat, the San Francisco Ballet, and the San Francisco Opera. Truly a little something for everyone.

Stern Grove concerts are great for summer picnics with a bunch of folks - just make sure you get there early as the seats fill up by noon, or even sooner -- arrive tardy and you might have to hear the show from the meadow adjacent to the concert bowl. The dates we're circling on our calendars are July 19, when Garcia, "the French king of salsa-reggae," pairs with Brazilian funkster Curumin; July 26, when alt.hop superstar Lyrics Born showcases his Revue, which includes the Mighty Underdogs and, we presume, his wife Joyo Velarde; and August 9, when Colombian diva La Momposina plays along with Nation Beat's bizarre-seeming mix of country rock and Brazilian maracatu rhythms. For more info, click here.

EKAphotography

All That Jazz: Black Thought of the Roots

Spring has sprung, and with all the excitement over upcoming shows, music festivals and new releases, ASD almost forgot to tell you about one of the more interesting local concerts this season: The Roots at Davies Symphony Hall on May 30th. We'll be the first to say that when we saw this show announced on SFJAZZ' Spring 2009 lineup, we thought it was a typo. After all, who in their right mind would invite a bunch of hip-hop and soul-heads from the mean streets of Philadelphia (gasp!) to play at the same venue which normally features opera, ballet, and classical music? Oh, the horror.

SFJAZZ may be insane, but they're not crazy. The organization has been widening the boundaries of what jazz is for a while now (hint: it's no longer just some old guy in a porkpie hat), and the Roots--the house band for Jimmy Fallon's new talk show and "one of the twenty greatest live bands in the world," according to Rolling Stone--are the perfect band to take hip-hop to a symphonic level. Tickets, which range from an affordable $25 to a patron-level $60, are available here.

Thomas Blake Jr.

Point Break Live!
Cellspace
April 10, 2009
Better than: Plays that don't require protective clothing.

Inflating the sheer absurdity of the 1991 Keanu Reeves/Patrick Swayze bank - robbing - surfer - action - homoerotic - extreme - sports - thriller - American classic Point Break seems like an impossible task. You might as well try to make tomatoes taste more like tomatoes. How does one make a parody of something that is already such a perfect parody of itself? Why would you even try? Maybe it's because you knew the result would be Point Break Live!, brainchild of Jamie Keeling.

Upon entering the theater, every attendee of PBL! is supplied with a plastic baggy that contains a cheap plastic poncho and some fake dollar bills. The poncho is provided to protect audience members from what promises to be a very wet show. The rain garments all have little pointed plastic hoods, which had the strange effect of making attendees look like tiny, outdoors oriented members of the KKK. The sound of beers being cracked open and excited murmuring was accompanied by the white noise of plastic crinkling. The stage was decorated with nothing but a poorly constructed island sprouting an inflatable palm tree. More promising sets have been produced at Summer Camps. But you don't go to PBL! for the frills.

Jazzmafia.com

Shotgun Wedding Quintet

SFJAZZ has announced "Brass, Bows, and Beats," a one-night-only special event featuring the Jazz Mafia Symphony--an amalgamation of the Jazz Mafia, the Realistic Orchestra, and the Shotgun Wedding Quintet--with special guest emcee Lyrics Born. The concert, which happens April 18 at the Palace of Fine Arts, will mark the world premiere of a suite especially commissioned for the show, composed by Jazz Mafia boss Adam Theis, which blends modern jazz, hip-hop, and electronica.

On paper, at least, this looks like a must-see concert, one that brings together the Bay Area's best musical talent under one roof. It's hard to think of someone more appropriate to handle emceeing duties than Lyrics Born, who's not only been a poster boy for independent innovation his entire career, but has the versatility and musical chops to hang with a symphony. Ticket info is here.

In yesterday's follow-up  to Tuesday's story in the Chron on proposed new legislation aimed at regulating problem clubs, writer C.W. Nevius drops quite a bombshell: Terrance Alan, a member of the SF Entertainment Commission, is also the landlord of Pink Diamonds, a Tenderloin strip club which has been designated a public nuisance by the City Attorney's office.

Let's consider the irony, shall we? The SFEC wants more power to enforce suspensions on "problem" clubs. If their request is approved, Alan could be put in the uncomfortable position of deciding whether to impose fines, sanctions, or suspensions on his own property, which has had several shootings outside its premises in recent months.

But here's the rub: if the club is such bad news, why hasn't the SFEC already imposed a 30-day suspension--which it has the power to do under current regulations--against Pink Diamonds?  Which makes one wonder if the fact that the club's landlord is an an Entertainment Commissioner the reason why the club (which does not serve alcohol) has remained open, despite the violence and noise it apparently attracts. Which also makes one wonder why new laws are needed, if the old ones aren't being enforced to the fullest? Which also raises the issue of how any club which appears to be a gunfire magnet can stay open despite being on the radar of city officials and the SFPD.

EKAphotography

As reported yesterday in the Chronicle, the SF Entertainment Commission is seeking greater authority to regulate nightclubs. New legislation, written by the commission and introduced by Mayor Gavin Newsom and Supervisor Sophie Maxwell, proposes doubling the area outside a venue the club is legally responsible for, from 50 to 100 feet. It would also give the SFEC the power to close a club temporarily for a three-day period, and impose fines for violating noise limits.

Yet while residents of problem areas like North Beach and the Mission--where 2 a.m. closing time often leads to fights, public urination, projectile vomiting, or littering-- might welcome any attempt to reign in so-called "problem" nightspots, it's unclear that the new legislation would amount to much more than lip service. For one thing, the SFEC website already lists a "Good Neighbor Policy" which outlines guidelines "to insure that management and/or patrons of the establishments maintain the quiet, safety, and cleanliness of the premises and the vicinity of the use."

Neil Girling, www.theblight.net

Too Lewd for SF? Flame Cynders performing at the DNA's Hubba Hubba Revue

As first reported by SFist, on February 13th, the DNA Lounge's Jamie Zawinski revealed on the club's website that the venue is currently embroiled in a battle with the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC), who are "trying to permanently revoke our liquor license," according to Zawinski.

ABC's charges? ""lewdness", "discrimination", and "running a disorderly house injurious to the public welfare and morals" - a shocking accusation in San Francisco, to say the least. The citation arose out of two former monthly events, the gay-themed "Cream" and the lesbian-themed "Escandido," both of which were staked out by undercover ABC agents searching for illegal activities of moral turpitude.

Louis Martin via Yelp

As the Chron's Seth Rosenfield blogged yesterday, the already-violence-prone North Beach nightclub scene---aka "Drunken Brawl Central"--took another ding on its sullied rep Monday morning when an underage San Franciscan shot a 21 year-old Oaklander in the abdomen outside L'Amour nightclub. Both the SF Entertainment Commission and the SFPD are looking into the fracas, including whether the juvenile gunman was allowed entry to the club before the shooting, which took place at 1:30 a.m.

The news of yet another North Beach dust-up shouldn't come as a shock to anyone. Other than thug-lifers, tourists, and first-time strip club visitors, most reputable hipsters wouldn't be caught dead there. What is amusing, however, are L'Amour's Yelp reviews, which suggest that getting shot in the abdomen is about what you should expect from a club alternately described as "the best Karaoke whore house I've ever been to" and an "undergound dank bar in Chinatown....filled with dirty couches, cheap, shitty beer and booze, hookers, cigarette smoke, and old Asian men singing Celine Dion songs..." Interestingly, while situated at Jackson and Columbus Sts., which technically abuts both North Beach and Chinatown, Yelp lists the club as being in the Financial District. Now that the heat's on for this formerly-incognito grotto of sleazy sin, what it's really in is hot water.

EKAphotography

The Yokes on Us team converges on a clue

Chinese New Year Treasure Hunt
Chinatown and beyond
Better Than: The Streets of San Francisco on DVD

How well do you know the City? Even if you were born and raised here, it's unlikely you're familiar with every back alley, side street, commemorative plaque, historical landmark, or reference point. You might be surprised to find there's much more to San Francisco than meets the eye.

Created by private detective Jayson Wechter, the Chinese New Year Treasure Hunt is part tour, part mystery, part social experiment. Held annually on the day of the Chinese New Year's Day Parade, it's billed as a treasure hunt, but it's really a great way to enrich your knowledge of San Francisco. The setup is simple: You traipse through Chinatown, North Beach, and Union Square with a map and a series of cryptic clues directing you to, as the event's PR puts it, "obscure landmarks, architectural delights, and vestiges of San Francisco's colorful past."

The devil, as is often the case, is in the details.

(Click here for a full slideshow by Gretchen Robinette)

The Ninth Annual Edwardian Ball
January 24, 2009
The Regency Center
Review and Photos by Sam Prestianni
Better Than: Being run through with an awl or trampled flat in a brawl.

The annual Edwardian Ball once again staged a fitting, San Francisco-style homage to the cartoon-Gothic writer and illustrator Edward Gorey with a riveting multimedia extravaganza of music, dance, video, art installations, and aerial acrobatics. Hosted by the postmodern cabaret combo Rosin Coven --a virtuosic orchestra of string slingers, horn players, percussionists, and singers-- the quasi-Victorian dance party brought out hundreds of the city's finest freaks and geeks, whose passion for Gorey's urbane sense of the macabre matched their own child-like fancy for dress-up and play. As if competing with the acts under the spotlight, including the Bay Area's world-class theatrical dance troupe Vau de Vire Society and L.A.'s high flyers Cirque Berzerk, many of the attendees showed off ingenious homespun costumes, inspired by the verses of "The Gashlycrumb Tinies," the dearly departed guest of honor's A-B-C book of whimsical ways to die. What follows is a tribute to both Gorey and the dynamic cultural institution his twisted vision made possible.

Say what?!! Theatre Rhinoceros (a.k.a. the "oldest queer theater in America") is so disappointed in the way California voted on Prop. 8 that its mainstage is seceding from the state. And you're all invited to the freebie secession party tomorrow night. Executive Director John Fisher writes:

For thirty-one years our Mainstage has been a space of hallowed ground for Same-sex couples and it cannot continue as such if it does not recognize Same-sex Marriage. In recognition of the thousands of queer lives portrayed on our stage and the thousands upon thousands of queer people who have inspired, witnessed and been inspired by those lives, our Mainstage must secede from the State of California. The Board of Theatre Rhinoceros and I therefore declare our Mainstage seceded ground and proclaim our theatre an extraterritorial state that recognizes, encourages and condones Same-sex marriage. A "plaque of secession and proclamation" will be unveiled on Friday, November 21, 2008 at 1000 PM, immediately following the performance of 100 Years of Queer Theatre. Come and raise a glass in recognition of this event and the eventual triumph of same-sex marriage over the forces of repression, exclusion and intolerance. Admission is free and open to the public.

More details beneath the fold. Thanks to Calendar Editor Michael Leaverton for the heads-up. --Janine Kahn

As residents of the Gaia-blessed Crystal City, USA, Planet Earth, we're used to hearing a lot of starry-eyed-and-rainbow-brite New Age chatter on a daily basis. But even in the dance club scene -- a place where transcendence is often claimed to be just a few house beats away -- this event tonight at Temple ranks among the most cosmically out-there:

"You are invited to take a journey into Hyperspace on Wednesday, November 12th, for the Grand Opening of the new "Stargate-Portal Room" at Temple Nightclub, created by renowned visionary artist XAVI. Massive in its scale and detail, the Stargate Portal is the first multimedia art installation of its kind on the west coast, and features an enchanting array of glowing alien sculptures, murals, and other electrifying surprises woven together in XAVI's unmistakable style, to immerse viewers in a unique fantasy environment!

(Photos by Mekuria Getinet. Many many more beneath the fold!)

Some events can only take place in San Francisco. They're just too bizarre, awkward, nude and colorful to occur anywhere else. This is certainly true of San Francisco LoveFest, which went down Saturday at the Civic Center. The mild irritation due to the rerouting of all downtown buses quickly subsided in the face of fascination at the ridiculousness of the event.

For those who haven't been, it's an enormous rave. Parade floats stacked with DJ gear and dancers park on the streets surrounding the lawn and mix some techno for everyone to dance to. The very well attended event draws an astounding variety of people in the finest rave gear. There are 12-year-olds in American Apparel onesies, 20-somethings in bunny suits and naked old men. It surely brings out of the best of the best. With beers galore and plenty of drugs circulating, people certainly get their freak on.

For many people, this is the best and most liberating San Francisco event of the year. However, if you're easily uncomfortable, techno is not your thing or you would rather not be humped by a man on E wearing goggles and a bodysuit, it's a good thing you missed it. --Melissa Baron

OK, so you don't have to be like this top-hat weirdo here and actually make art with your man-parts — but if you create erotic art of any sort and would like to display it during this year's Exotic Erotic Ball and Expo, the expo will pay between $500-$1,000 to subsidize your costs. "In addition," the press release goes on to note, "there are no application and processing fees, and no sharing of commissions — all artists retain 100% of all their sales." So whether you snap nude photos, fire ceramic dildos in a kiln, or merely do something kinky with Elmer's glue and craft supplies from Michael's, interested artists should click here for more info. — J. Graham