Get your funk on for free

San Francisco night life isn't necessarily super-expensive, but it's still a treat to find quality DJs for absolutely nothing — as promised with "Free Funk Friday." DJs B-Cause and Vinnie Esparza spin at plenty of paid events around town; their deep record collections and shared ability to connect the dots between genres (ranging from rare Latin grooves to underground hip hop) alone are worth plunking down the cash for the pleasure of a performance. Catch 'em for zilch on Friday, March 9, at Elbo Room at 10 p.m. Admission is free; call 552-7788 or visit www.elbo.com for more info. — Tamara Palmer

You'd be hard-pressed to pigeonhole the sound of Bronx-born DJ Logic. Raised on hip hop, Logic ventured into downtown jazz clubs at an early age, catching the ears of Medeski, Martin and Wood and becoming their unofficial fourth member. He eventually formed his own group, Project Logic, and later a side project with Vernon Reid called the Yohimbe Brothers. Last year saw the release of Logic's Zen of Logic produced by Scotty Hard (Wu-Tang, Prince Paul), featuring guest appearances by John Medeski, Antibalas, and Charlie Hunter seamlessly blended into his groovy Afro-dub/new-jazz sound. Add in a memorable appearance onstage with Bob Weir's Ratdog for a couple Grateful Dead covers, and you can see the guy doesn't stay in one place too long. DJ Logic appears at Tribal Summit 6 along with the Dan Lebowitz Group and Motion Potion on Saturday, March 10, at Mighty. Call 762-0151 or visit www.mighty119.com for more info. — Toph One

After years of interpersonal turbulence, legendary New York hip-hop duo Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith (aka EPMD, which stands for "Erick and Parrish Making Dollars") are back together. Rapping about the nefarious "Gold Digger" years before Kanye West, EPMD also set an early sonic template with its highly recognizable sampled funk loops. Just because there's no new album slated for release doesn't mean EPMD won't have fresh material to unleash when Sermon and Parrish perform live on Saturday, March 10, at the Fillmore at 9 p.m. Admission is $30; call 346-6000 or visit www.thefillmore.com for more info. — T.P.

DJ/rupture's Mudd Up! blog displays that popular viral gif of Bjork and Diddy talking gibberish about "violent pizza" and "backdoor paperclip soup" on the phone. Such an odd mash-up is part of /rupture's artistic métier, but his music is never one of simple juxtapose. Instead, the Harvard soundclasher purées Missy, bhangra, crunk, obscure electroacoustic, West Africa Jeep rattlers, and gnarly-grime white labels on his three-turntable system. It's a deft juggling act captured in years previous on mixes like Goldteeth Thief and Special Gunpowder. No doubt all the genres spun tonight will conspire to free your ass so that your mind might follow. DJ/rupture performs on Saturday, March 10, at Rickshaw Stop at 9 p.m. Admission is $8 before 10 p.m., $10 after; call 861-2011 or visit www.rickshawstop.com for more info. — Andy Beta