Sometimes, we need a little bit more than just poetry and music. Sometimes we have the urge to witness a wild-eyed man with one sweater sleeve missing shove pieces of paper into a coconut and then set it on fire - all while someone yells about why bird porn is a serious issue. The 16th &... More >>

Armed with stringed instruments and intense training from the likes of Juilliard and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Classical Revolution is on a mission to change the way classical music is perceived and performed in this city. Conceived in late 2006, the collective's intent has been... More >>

For a metal band, Gojira sports a name so fantastic that it's shocking no one snapped it up earlier. The Bayonne, France-based outfit nods to Godzilla's original Japanese moniker (before legal complications, the group called itself Godzilla), even though the four-piece's sonic traits don't... More >>

It's been over a decade since The Walkmen's debut full-length, and after last year's unusually joyous album Heaven, it's fair to say the band is a different animal these days. There's still no one on Earth who can go from a croon to a wail quite like Hamilton Leithauser, but the dapper indie... More >>

Ordinarily, a London-based soul chanteuse has zero reason to beef with a hulking 1990s rapper from the Bronx — but that's not the case for Jessie Ware and the late Big Pun. The ultra-chic up-and-comer and producer Julio Bashmore sampled a line from Pun's "Dream Shatterer" ("I'm carvin' my... More >>

It's been over a decade since The Walkmen's debut full-length, and after last year's unusually joyous album Heaven, it's fair to say the band is a different animal these days. There's still no one on Earth who can go from a croon to a wail quite like Hamilton Leithauser, but the dapper indie... More >>

For a portion of the population, “church and organ” are synonymous with “church and God.” The Lord didn’t compose His entrance on the kazoo, did He? Now consider, for a moment, what powerhouse emotions might be summoned if the instrument and the space were devoted... More >>

There's a moon-goddess mysticism in the electro-pop of Niki and The Dove, something that brings a primal warmth to the icy pop sensibilities they share with similar Nordic acts (The Knife, Robyn). Their underrated 2012 release, Instinct, harnesses these humanizing influences: Prince, Kate Bush,... More >>

For lovers of laughter, the next few weeks (Jan. 24-Feb. 10) will be an orgy of hilarity filling every crevice of this city, from prestigious museums to dingy video store basements. Inventive and inspired, the 12th annual Sketchfest offers everything from competitive erotic fan fiction to... More >>

Most of what we know about Poetry at the 33 is that Kim Addonizio either used to hang out there or still does. That may sound like it isn't very much to go on, but Addonizio is one of the city's most underrated talents. She's a fucking genius, if you want to know the truth. If there's any... More >>

Icee Hot has come a long way since it first began as a monthly workout in the cramped basement at 222 Hyde. Yet even though it now regularly hosts huge parties in the city's larger venues, one thing has remained the same: its consistently cutting-edge bookings. This month marks the party's... More >>

Randall Kline founded SFJAZZ 30 years ago, so he's had lots of time to consider how the perfect space for the organization would look. This week, with SFJAZZ opening the first standalone center for jazz on the West Coast, Kline's vision has become a reality that anyone can see into. Wearing... More >>

Wayne McGregor, commander of the Order of the British Empire and resident choreographer for the Royal Ballet, is known for physically demanding work that draws on surprising and wide-ranging collaborators, from architects to neuroscientists. Thanks to S.F. Ballet, two of his pieces have reached... More >>

The Outer Sunset is typically known for only a few things: surfing and fog. But recently the neighborhood has experienced a small revitalization in the form of local hotspots like Trouble Coffee, General Store, and Outerlands. This isn't to say that the area's long-established locales are going... More >>

Weekends are for amateurs — the really good stuff happens during the week. Well, that might be a little hyperbolic, but it's certainly true in the case of High Fantasy. Going on for over two years now, the weekly Tuesday night party at Aunt Charlie's is your midweek destination for a dose... More >>

If it's dancing girls you want, or if it's a dancing girl you are, Baxtalo Drom is your jam. Deep, deep in the steampunk jungle, this belly-dance-flavored club is rife with old-timey aesthetics, exposed tattooage, and feathers in hairdos. The evening is organized by the very pretty women of... More >>

At this point in time, Hard French might as well be a local institution. Now into its third season, the Motown-heavy queer day party presents itself as a viable alternative to the usual Saturday hangover damage control. Head down to the El Rio and you'll be able to catch six hours of "hard... More >>

Buried deep down in the very core of our hearts is the passion to perform. We secretly want to dress in 1960s get-up, strap on a ukulele, and do Tiny Tim covers. No? Maybe that's just us. However, we can all agree on the burning desire to perform and create art. The hard part (besides mustering... More >>

Few things can match the sheer exuberance of a packed house at Oldies Night. The long-standing Mission staple is one of the best places in the city to lose yourself and sweat it out dancing to soul 45s. DJs Primo and Daniel serve up a broad selection of cuts (both common and rare) to a crowd of... More >>

Hedwig, of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, doesn’t typically place others’ whims above her own, even if those others are her audience. But last summer’s sold-out Boxcar Theatre production of the glam rock musical forced the petulant but witheringly witty diva to hear the cries of... More >>

Dying to dance, brood, or peel the yellow wallpaper off the wall? Well, so are these fun freaks. Join them at Death Guild, won't you? Every Monday night at DNA Lounge, gaggles of 18-and-over moody bastards come to show off their blackest attire and eyeliner while pouting to goth, industrial,... More >>

While most '60s soul parties are dedicated to uptempo bangers, Lost & Found takes a different tack. Thrown Tuesday nights at the Make-Out Room, it's an evening dedicated to the slower side of soul with a playlist that sounds tailor-made for some hip '60s prom. Veteran DJs Lucky and Primo... More >>

We're just dreaming, but here is our dream: to see dive-bar dancers whose attention to detail matches the obsession of Bay Area vintage-music DJs. For example, at Lonely Teardrops' doo-wop night about a year ago, we lost our composure and requested a Claudine Clark song. "I have one," the DJ... More >>

Like hunger, the urge to dance can strike at rather inopportune moments. When you get that midweek itch, Housepitality is something you can turn to for relief. Put on by Miguel Solari and PillowTalk's Michael Tello, it's a weekly affair dedicated to the deeper strains of dance music. Swing by... More >>

The term "gaucho" commonly refers to nomadic South American cowboys, which is pretty indicative of how the San Francisco band Gaucho plays its version of Gypsy jazz: in Gaucho's hands, le jazz manouche is left playfully unchained to the genre's European historical foundations, allowing the... More >>