Map of current culture in sf
Bloc Party w/ Broken Social Scene, Two Gallants, and Mew
Hearst San Francisco, CA 94112
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Yeah, Bloc Party got major airplay on alt-rock radio, but don't dismiss them as another empty-headed '80s revivalist outfit. Unlike their pointy-haircut, lipstick-wearing peers, this London-based group imparts its tunes with a genuine urgency, longing, and romantic panic. And you can't go wrong with an opener like Canada's Broken Social Scene, whose dozen or so members are known for creating a breathtakingly beautiful wall of sound. Danish psychedelic prog-poppers Mew and San Francisco's blues-country power duo Two Gallants fill out this most excellent lineup.
The Warriors (1979)
1727 Haight St San Francisco, CA 94117-2807
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West Side Story it ain't, but this out-of-nowhere tale about the clashes between New York City gangs has left just as much of an impression on pop culture — and ultimately a more prescient one. Though understandably seen today as an intermittently campy product of the late '70s, Walter Hill's film opted for a gritty realist approach to gang violence that apparently resulted in gang fights during early screenings. Shooting on location in New York's subways and alleys and at Coney Island, Hill crafted a movie that transcends its trashy no-budget roots: crisply photographed, entertaining, and iconic.
Magnolia Electric Company
1233 17th St San Francisco, CA 94107-2407
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After more than a decade eeking out indie-folk as Songs: Ohia, Jason Molina gathered five other rascals to cut tried-and-true rootsy rock as Magnolia Electric Company. The band churns out rough-and-ready songs of weary love and redemption, set to suitably twangy electric and pedal steel guitars. Molina's trademark nasal croon is buttressed by Scout Niblett's ethereal howl and Jennie Benford's country holler for a fuller sound. While the Neil Young comparisons have become rather shopworn, the resemblance is there — and you could do a whole lot worse for an excuse to be out on the weekend.
US National Rubik's Cube Championship
3601 Lyon St San Francisco, CA 94123-1019
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- RT
When Kids Rock feat. $lot Ma¢hine w/ Total Annihilation and Hellakraptor
155 Fell St San Francisco, CA 94102-5106
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Ever since Hanson got too old for the teeny-bopper niche, the juicebox set has been hurtin' for some peace, love, rock 'n roll, and shows that end before bedtime. With a vocalist who sounds like the unholy love child of Joan Jett and the Chipmunks, $lot Ma¢hine boasts an average age of 11, and they're probably too short for the monster coaster at Great America, too. But that doesn't mean these pre-pubescent punksters aren't familiar with the joys of the three-chord song, eschewing Midwestern pop in favor of proto-Green Day headbangers and winning the hearts of the hippest grade schoolers.
R.H.Y. Yau w/ Toxic Loincloth, Privy Seals, Kevin Shields, Sex Jesus, Rubber O Cement, Tralphaz, and Tern Ternity
916 Grant Ave San Francisco, CA 94108-1302
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Buzzing flies, distorted screams, the scrape of metal on metal — these are the ingredients longtime Bay Area noise artist R.H.Y. Yau uses to create his grim and harsh audio blasts. Avoiding the cheese factor of more rhythmic "industrial" music by foregrounding the visceral qualities of his source material, Yau's output makes for uneasy listening. On a more confusing note, Rubber O Cement brings some humor to noise performance with his ridiculous Barney-meets-Gwar costume/set ensemble. Toxic Loincloth, Privy Seals, Kevin Shields (not the ex-shoegazer), Tern Ternity, and Sex Jesus also do their part to burst eardrums.
EGGS feat. DJ Godfather w/ Sean Na Na and Safety Scissors
119 Utah St San Francisco, CA 94103-4804
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The Mighty continues to stretch its already eclectic offerings with a wide-ranging, entertaining lineup. The glitchy, intellectual techno of Plug Research artist Safety Scissors starts off the evening, which somehow meanders its way through to the bouncy indie pop of Sean Na Na, the alternate incarnation of tongue-in-cheek R&B crooner Har Mar Superstar. But the true booty shakin' doesn't begin until the arrival of DJ Godfather, a progenitor of the guilty dance pleasure known as ghettotech, which effectively mashes up Miami bass, electro, and house with a Detroit seal of approval reserved for only the best dance floors.
Rock the Bells feat. Wu-Tang, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, and De La Soul
2000 Kirker Pass Rd Concord, CA 94521-1642
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Siren, Lollapalooza, Pitchfork — what's with all the summertime rockism? Even the lone hip-hop festival has "rock" in its name. But with Wu-Tang Clan, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Redman, and De La Soul headlining, Rock the Bells IV proves that you don't need guitars to pack an arena. The lineup isn't about breaking new ground — just as Ozzfest is more about "nü" than "new" metal — it's simply a celebration of some of the most infuential players in the hip-hop game, and as such, the entire event is a tribute to Russell Tyrone Jones himself, the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. Plus, if Mos Def plays "Rock N Roll," you got your rock too, or at least something like it.
The Landscape of War: Transformation of the Familiar
944 Fort Barry Sausalito, CA 94965-2608
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Let's face it, as much as we try to bury our heads in the sands of pop culture, war is on our minds more than ever these days. Rather than simply highlighting the devastation of warfare, tonight's panelists focus on its hidden nuances. Kenneth Helphand looks at gardens planted by soldiers, concentration camp inmates, and displaced people as they grasp for normalcy. Antonia Juhasz examines the Bush Administration's corporate globalization policy and how its most important component is military action. Trevor Paglen discusses secret military sites in Nevada and CIA "torture flights." Though we are still far from the battlefields, tonight's discussion reminds us that every single bomb dropped carries repercussions.
Peaches and Herms w/ Eagles of Death Metal
1805 Geary Blvd San Francisco, CA 94115-3519
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- CH
Tricky
628 Divisadero St San Francisco, CA 94117-1502
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Thought a lost trip-hop relic, Tricky has emerged from the attic where your mom keeps your high school CDs. His latest record, Vulnerable, featuring Italian singer Costanza Francavilla, is less dark than his earlier offerings. Of course, for Tricky, "less dark" is more like a moonlit night than an afternoon of rainbows and sunshine. In fact, it hits just like a moonbeam streaking through the blinds in a movie where two morally ambiguous characters have an illicit love affair. You can bask in that '90s sleekness when Tricky makes a two-night comeback to San Francisco.
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