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There is a lot of great stuff going on this summer as usual. Here is some of what we are most interested in, but please let us know what you recommend! As always, if you want to join us for anything below--let us know (and NO, we don't make it to everything on here, but we wish we could!)!! July 8: We are seeing the passionate Dar Williams at the tiny Palms Playhouse in Davis (9:00 show). After 25 years, the wonderful Palms Playhouse is closing this Labor Day--so if you want to say goodbye to a one of a kind venue, check the schedule and get there this summer! Dar Williams is also performing at Villa Montalvo in Saratoga on 7/7, Rio Theater in Santa Cruz on 7/9, and Bimbo's in SF on 7/10. July 11-14: We wish we could fly to New York when ever we felt like it--like NOW--but if you are there, please tell us all about the Jane Siberry performances! (Our favorite Dar Williams song happens to be the same name as our favorite Jane Siberry album--there is a PRIZE for the first person who emails us with this title!) July 14: Hawaiian chanter and singer Keali'i Reichel is performing with a halau at the beautiful Stern Grove Festival. We'll be there bright and early with many of our Maui trip students--performance starts at 2:00. Keali'i Reichel will also be at the Community Music Center at 544 Capp Street, San Francisco at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, July 12 to discuss the native arts and culture of the Islands. July 16: As Madeline's belated birthday present, we're going to Great America in Santa Clara, where hopefully the lines won't be too long on a Tuesday and the thrills will be plentiful. We have two for one coupons if you want to join us! July 17: HEART OF THE SEA: KAPOLIOKÁ EHUKAI, "a portrait of Rell Sunn, a pioneer of women's professional surfing and a high-profile community activist" from Hawaii, screens at 7:30 p.m. at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in SF. July 19: We are ushering for and seeing Russell Simmons' Def Poetry Jam at Theater on The Square. We have a reservation for two more ushers if you want to join us (must be there BY 5:45 for a 7:00 show with black/navy bottom, white top, and small flashlight), email if interested. Otherwise, it plays through July 28th, and they are still looking for ushers (415.433.2114) if you want to see the show the economical (FREE) way. July 20: We are seeing the songwriter's dream pairing of Kris Kristofferson and Paul Williams (who I hope will play The Rainbow Connection for us!) at the 479-seat Gershwin Theater at the University of San Francisco. July 21: We'll be at this intimate Walnut Creek venue for the final show of the current impressive Playhouse West season. Tickets on sale now for season number eight! July 24-28: Ladyfest Bay Area explodes with heater, film, music, workshops, and more! There is a lot that looks great here, but we can specifically recommend one of our favorite documentaries of the past year (and yes we have seen more than a few): you don't know what i got which "focuses on the convictions, perseverance, and empowering stories of five American women ranging from Santa Fe artist Myrtle Stedman, singer/songwriter Ani DiFranco and Chattanooga Guru Jimmie Woodruff." It plays Friday at 3:00 at the Victoria Theater on 16th Street (very near BART) in SF. July 25-7: If you want to learn salsa or show off your moves, or just
hear a great band, check out Danilo y su Orquesta Universal on Thursday,
Friday, or Saturday from 10:00 p.m.-1:00 a.m. at Club
Miami at 177 W. Santa Clara in San Jose (408.279.3670). July 26-8: The Walnut Creek Film Festival will be screening Blue Velvet at 7:30pm on Friday, a collection of short films at 7:30pm on Saturday, and the inspiration Svetlana Village at 2:30pm on Sunday. All July screenings are at the Del Valle Theater on 1963 Tice Valley Road in Walnut Creek. Tickets are available at www.dlrca.org or at the door for a bargain of $5!!! Keep checking the film fest site for details, and hold November 7, 8, 9, 10 free on your calendar for the official first annual Walnut Creek Film Festival!!! July 26-7: Carolina Lugo's Brisas de España Flamenco Dance Company Presents Entrádas with special guest Jesus Montoya ("the Pavarotti of Flamenco") at the Walnut Creek Regional Center for the Arts. They will also perform (without Montoya) at the Eureka Theater in SF 7/11-21. July 27: Some of the finest poets alive (Lucille Clifton, Galway Kinnell, Yusef Komunyakaa, Li-Young Lee, and Sharon Olds) will be reading from their work this at 7:00 p.m. at the Presentation Theater (2350 Turk @ Masonic) as a benefit for the Squaw Valley Community of Writers. Later this night (Saturday, 7/27) if you want to hear a fine band featuring my bruda Jon Fuezy on lead guitar and backing vocals, check out Uncle Boyd's Sawmill at 9:00 pm at Behan's Irish Bar at 1327 Broadway in Burlingame (650.344.0265). August 3, 5-6: The exceptional vocal talents of Nora Jones will be on display at Villa Montalvo in Saratoga on 8/3 and Bimbo's in SF on 8/5-6.
August 10: This year's Afro Solo Theater Festival kicks off with a jazz concert from 1:00-4:00 p.m. at the Esplanade Gardens of Yerba Buena Gardens. August 13: Great Big Sea ("a really aggressive folk band that marries traditional Celtic music with modern rhythms") are coming back to San Francisco and we strongly recommend trying to help this Newfoundland outfit fill up The Fillmore. August 17: 1 Giant Leap is a new multimedia project featuring a compelling kaleidoscope of rhythms, sounds, visuals, and interviews and performances with Michael Stipe, Asha Bohsle, Stewart Copeland, Mahotella Queens, Speech (from Arrested Development), Michael Franti, Dennis Hopper, Baaba Maal, Brian Eno, and many others. It screens under the stars at Yerba Buena Gardens in downtown San Francisco at 8:00 p.m. "Bring a blanket and experience a marvelous musical and visual journey around the world!" August 18: We are still debating going either to Stern Grove to see the newly re-formed group Arrested Development with South Africa's famed Mahotella Queens OR go to see if the free Comedy Celebration Day in Sharon Meadow of Golden Gate Park can regain any of its past glory. Since Robin Williams has been actively touring as a comedian, we can only hope he'll be back for the first time in a while as a finale!
ONGOING Events of Interest There continue to be many interesting screenings from SFIndieFest at Jezebel's Joint on 510 Larkin at Turk. Josh Kornbluth and The San Francisco Mime Troupe have collaborated on Mr. Smith Goes to Obskuristan and we are not going to miss it! We have not picked a date, but be sure to see them at one of the Bay Area parks before summer is over!! Thirteen Conversations About One Thing is still playing in the San Francisco Bay Area and may be your last chance to see a Stephen Mirrione edited film until Christmas time--when you should watch for Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, George Clooney's directorial debut of the peculiar Chuck Barris autobiography, where Barris claims to have been a CIA assassin while fronting as the hosts for The Gong Show and The Dating Game. There are only a few sins left to check at Venue 9's comedy series The Sevens Sins. Let us know your favorite and perhaps will join you there one Sunday soon. Margaret Cho's new concert film, Notorious C.H.O.--though not for the sexually squeamish--is hysterical and impressive all at once. See it while you can! Even though they are struggling, we want to support women's basketball and see a Sacramento Monarchs game in person before the season is over. We are currently leaning towards games of either 7/28, 7/30, or 8/1--but let us know if you are interested in joining us. OK, that's it for now, but be sure to send us your recommendations and let us know when you just want to hang out for some fun or come dip your feet in our underutilized luscious pool! |