By Jerucifer, Arts & Events Editor

Pride month is finally here! Time to celebrate what makes you YOU, and do it proudly! So many great places to show your PRIDE and this is just the beginning!! Here’s what I’m most excited about for the week of 5/30..

This Week’s Giveaway

We Wanna Send You to See Off With Their Heads at Bottom of the Hill on 6/16!

This Weeks’ Events

Tuesday, 5/30

Richard Mosse: “Broken Spectre”
5/30 | Minnesota Street Project Foundation | 1201 Minnesota St, SF | 8 pm | free

Broken Spectre (2022) is a dreamlike immersive video artwork that forms an extensive record of widespread yet unseen fronts of deforestation and industrialized ecocide in the Amazon, unveiled using a range of powerful scientific imaging technologies, at the tipping point of this crucial ecosystem’s erasure.

Babygirl
5/30 | Bottom of the Hill | 1233 17th St, SF | 8 pm | $15-18

The Toronto duo–comprised of Kiki Frances and Cameron Bright–is placing a refreshing spin on youth nostalgia with a contemporary edge, thanks to fuzzy guitar riffs and sincere lyrics. Their forthcoming EP Be Still My Heart, set for an April 14, 2023 release via Sandlot/AWAL, is a five-track collection that details love’s ebbs and flows.

3 Queens Tribute Show
5/30 | Yoshi’s | 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland | 7:30 pm | $35-75

Nathan Owens 3 Queens is a high energy tribute show featuring the legendary music of The Queen of Soul, ” Aretha Franklin, Queen of Rock, Tina Turner, and the Queen of Motown, Diana Ross.” This show is power packed with a live smoking band delivering the groove behind them and have been selling out venues all over Northern California. Be prepared to enjoy a night of Soul, R&B, Rock, and Motown with Samantha Alexes as (Aretha Franklin) Lea Sweet as (Tina Turner) and Stacy Carter as (Diana Ross). These Queens will leave it all on the stage delivering a high-powered vocal performance that will leave you screaming for more!!!

Arts Fishing Club
5/30 | Brick & Mortar | 1710 Mission St, SF | 7 pm | $18-22 

Arts Fishing Club deflate ego and arrogance with a fun folk-rock swagger in their new song “Icarus,” a soaring feelgood jam encouraging everyone to come together, rather than drift apart. Arts Fishing Club’s music is spreading across the globe. Their sound has been described as a mixture of the Kings of Leon and The Grateful Dead. Songs are rooted in lyricism and spread a gamut of rock, folk, and indie music.

Wednesday, 5/31

Redwood City PRIDE 2023
5/31 | Courthouse Square | 2200 Broadway St, Redwood City | 5:30 pm | free

Join us for an exciting event! There will be a Pride Flag raising ceremony, a showing of “Alex is a Queen” and “Kinky Boots.” Strike a pose and capture joyful moments at our Pride heart photo booth. Share your pride and spread love! Visit the resource table where you’ll find valuable information from the Pride Center, San Mateo County LGBTQ Commission, and the Library. Let’s come together as a community to celebrate diversity, inclusion, and love!Don’t miss this amazing event. See you there!

Jessica Sele
5/31 | Punch Line | 44 Battery St, SF | 8 pm | $21

Jessica Sele is a Los Angeles-based comedian, host, and purveyor of comedic relief for lovable weirdos. When she’s not touring the world’s stage, Jessica hosts Chatterbox Comedy Night – the best bar comedy show in L.A. – and hosts the Undooming podcast, where she talks with guests about overcoming feelings of fear and helplessness. A friend to all creatures, Jessica once developed a web series about a daily news blog run by cockroaches.

Rabbit!, Heat, Arts & Crafts, Fuckwolf
5/31 | Brick & Mortar | 1710 Mission St, SF | 7 pm | $10-15

Rabbit! 101: Is it raining candy? Are you sipping on sunshine? Then you must be listening to “Rabbit!”. Rabbit! takes a musical cue from the bubblegum scene of the late 1960’s and marrying it with a quirky combination of acoustic and electronic instruments, creating indie pop for the new millennium.

My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult
5/31 | Great American Music Hall | 859 O’Farrell St, SF | 7:30 pm | $30-35

Hailing from Chicago’s renowned Wax Trax! Records stable of recording artists, MY LIFE WITH THE THRILL KILL KULT have been conjuring up sonic tales of sex, blasphemy and kitschy horror since 1987. Along with label mates such as Front 242 and Ministry, TKK (as often abbreviated), helped develop the industrial music genre, yet have consistently evolved their sound, creating one of the most diverse repertoires in modern day music. They can be described as electronic rock, heavily influenced by both disco and punk, with the distinctive use of spoken-word samples lifted from B-movies laced throughout their songs.

Thursday, 6/1

Lower Polk and Tenderloin First Thursday Art Walk
6/1 | Tenderloin/Lower Polk, SF | 6-10 pm | free

A community-led monthly event hosted by the gallery owners and artists’ studios in the Lower Polk and Tenderloin neighborhoods of San Francisco and the Lower Polk Community Benefit District. The Art Walk is every first Thursday of the month from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Each gallery or studio hosts a unique selection of art spanning multiple mediums and styles

22nd SF Documentary Film Festival (SF DocFest)
6/1 | Roxie Theater | 3117 16th St, SF | showtimes vary | prices vary

The 22nd San Francisco Documentary Film Festival (SF DocFest) will be held June 1 – 11, 2023. SF DocFest will screen 39 features and 47 shorts. The festival will once again be presented as a hybrid of virtual screenings and live presentations. There are 35 films that will screen at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco. The majority of the in-person screenings held at the Roxie Theater will also include live Q&A sessions. For those who are unable to attend in person, the festival may be attended virtually through on-demand screenings and pre-recorded Q&A sessions. A selection of 83 films will be available virtually during the festival

An Evening w/ Jane Fonda
6/1 | Castro Theatre | 429 Castro St, SF | 6:30 pm | $18-52

Jane Fonda is on a mission. She knows, as we all know, that we are at an inflection point with so much at stake. From the climate crisis to the attack on women and the LGBTQ” community, we are seeing our democracy and way of life actively challenged. Join us at the iconic Castro Theater with Jane Fonda as she discusses what needs to be done to fight for a better future. The time to act is now and she wants you to join her in this fight and have fun while doing it!

The Exploited & Total Chaos
6/1 | Cornerstone | 2367 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley | 7 pm | $22

The Exploited are a loud, proud, and rabble-rousing Scottish punk outfit who became one of the longest-running acts on the U.K. scene.

DocFest: Fantastic Negrito: Have You Lost Your Mind Yet?
6/1 | Roxie Theater | 3117 16th St, SF | 8:45 pm | $17

Beyond the bombastic stage persona of Fantastic Negrito lies a 51-year-old survivor, hustler, and self- described ‘recovering narcissist’ named Xavier Dphrepaulezz. After his improbable midlife transformation from busking bluesman to back-to-back Grammy winner, Xavier is now ready to face his demons. Follow Xavier in his Oakland studio as he creates his newest album, laying bare his extraordinary journey and the many “hallucinations” he has experienced along the way.

Madaraka Festival: Sauti Sol
6/1 | UC Theatre | 2036 University Ave, Berkeley | 8 pm | $47+

The 2023 festival is uniquely curated to empower cultural diversity and inclusion across the African diaspora in Seattle and across the United States with an aim of reaching more than 30 million people online. Madaraka Festival has deepened the relationship between African and African American communities, and fostered partnerships with other global communities while shifting narratives and honoring cultural dynamics.

Friday, 6/2

Prismatic
6/2 | Roccapulco | 3140 Mission St, SF | 10 pm | $25-45

Category is: Prismatic. It’s all about embracing the colors of the rainbow and being part of a vibrant kaleidoscope of queer joy on the dance floor. We invite you to choose your favorite color and wear it from head to toe, whether it’s bold and bright or a more subtle, sophisticated shade.

Club 2000’s
6/2 | Eve Nightclub | 1535 Folsom St, SF | 10 pm | free w/ RSVP before 11 pm

Taking you down memory lane with LIVE Video Mixing, Y2K anthems on 2 massive screens and a Jumbotron!

Austin Millz
6/2 | Rickshaw Stop | 155 Fell St, SF | 8 pm | $18

Birthed in a city ripe with culture, Austin Millz takes inspiration from Harlem’s hip-hop and soul to create music that blurs the lines between hip-hop, r&b, and dance music. The artist is dominating this new generation of sound with his bigger and bolder visions for hip hop and dance production. Applauded by Complex for his “fusion of hip-hop and electronic music,” Millz has carved out a “special niche between the two realms within his unique vision.” Millz has also garnered attention for his larger than life stage presence, which has captured both local and national audiences.

The Compton’s Cafeteria Riot
6/2 | The Castro Theatre | 429 Castro St, SF | 6:30 pm | $0-20, donation based

Tenderloin Museum is honored to present highlights from The Compton’s Cafeteria Riot play written by Donna Personna, Colette LeGrande, and Mark Nassar as part of the SF Pride 2023 Kick-Off: A Night of Queer Entertainment at the historic Castro Theatre. This June 2nd opening event for Pride month is a fundraiser for the organization that makes Pride come to life each year in San Francisco; attend to support SF Pride, celebrate intergenerational liberation, as well as to hear a special announcement about the future of the play! That’s right, you’ll hear it first at the Castro!

Pride Pop- Up Art Show Opening Reception
6/2 | Heron Arts | 7 Heron St, SF | 6-9 pm | free

Heron Arts, in collaboration with The LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District and Oasis Arts is pleased to announce the group exhibition Pride Pop- Up Show. The exhibition will be a salon style show featuring artwork by local LGBTQ+ artists and will be both a celebration of the beginning of Pride month, as well as a celebration of the cultural heritage of the LGBTQ+ community in the SoMa neighborhood where Heron Arts is located. The exhibition will be on view at Heron Arts from June 2nd until June 14th, 2023. The opening reception for Pride Pop- Up Show will feature drag performances presented by Oasis Arts and is on Friday June 2nd, 2023, from 6-9 pm and is free and open to the public.

Re:SET Concert Series
6/2 | Frost Ampitheatre | 351 Lasuen St, Stanford | 12 pm | $99.50+

Re:SET, a fresh take on the multi-artist outdoor concert, is coming to the Bay Area at the Frost Amphitheater at Stanford on June 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, featuring headliners LCD Soundsystem, Steve Lacy, and boygenius. The innovative concert series creates a unique, localized music experience for fans, with each headliner curating the lineup for their respective day.

Saturday, 6/3

Embodying Utopia
6/3 | Sunshine Art House | 4338 California St, SF | 5-8 pm | free

Embodying Utopia is a project created to give queer people the space to imagine what an ideal world would look like for them. Crystal Vielula selected four incredible queer Bay Area dancer/choreographers to imagine a place where they would feel joyful and safe. 

Boys Don’t Cry
6/3 | The Cut | 250 Main St, SF | 8 pm | $14-27

A young man named Brandon Teena navigates love, life, and being transgender in rural Nebraska.

Be Gay Do Crime
6/3 | Oasis | 298 11th St, SF | 7 pm | $20-35

Put down your flags and brandish your torches! Pride starts early this year as we present ‘Be Gay Do Crime!’ If you do not have a functioning criminal class in your art scene, you have academia. And while academia is a valid reflection of the art world, it will never be the art world” – Penny Arcade

We’ll be turning our outrage into action, queering our politics and banding together to shift the paradigm. Join the Palace of Trash as pioneers, forerunners, trailblazers and brickthrowers in the savage creation of the future we all deserve.

Bootie Mashup: Lgbt
6/3 | Cat Club | 1190 Folsom St, SF | 9 pm | $10

BOOTIE MASHUP: LGBT (Lady Gaga Beyonce Tribute)

We couldn’t resist a good acronym for Pride Month, so Bootie Mashup is kicking it off in style with a Lady Gaga / Beyoncé tribute, mashing up these two iconic queens with anybody and everything! And it wouldn’t be complete without some Gaga and Bey drag and burlesque numbers from The Monster Show. We LOVE having two rooms at Cat Club, so you can get some hip-hop in the mix with Ya Mamma’s Basement. You won’t wanna talk anymore, because you’ll have your head and your heart on the dance floor!

Queer Prom 2023
6/3 | The Chapel | 777 Valencia St, SF | 8 pm | free

Impulse SF invites you to Queer Prom 2023, a majestic evening full of drag and surprise performances, hosted by principal Peaches Christ! This year we are kicking off Pride month with a Queer Prom night for the ages! Come dressed in whatever makes you feel fabulous and be ready to dance and kiki the night away!

Drag Story Hour with Per Sia
6/3 | de Young | 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr, SF | 11 am | free

Drag Story Hour captures the imagination and play of the gender fluidity of childhood and gives kids glamorous, positive, and unabashedly queer role models. In spaces like this, kids are able to see people who defy rigid gender restrictions and imagine a world where everyone can be their authentic selves.

Prince’s Birthday Sing-A-Long Party
6/3 | Roxie Theater | 3117 16th St, SF | 9:30 pm | $15

Dearly Beloved, We Are Gathered Here to celebrate The Purple One’s birthday. Join us for a program of 25 years of Prince and Prince-Authored music videos, supplied with lyrics for your sing-a-long enjoyment.

All Day I Dream Of Golden Days
6/3 | Golden Gate Park | 12-7 pm | free

All Day I Dream’s long awaited return to Golden Gate Park with Lee Burridge + friends all day long! There’s definitely no better place to spend an afternoon with friends and beautiful strangers, dancing in the sunshine and blissing out to the magical, melodious musical soundtrack. See you soon fellow dreamers, lovers, artists, creatives, burners, and friends. All Day I Dream parties began on a baking Brooklyn rooftop back in 2011 and have since become an international sensation, spurred on by Lee Burridge’s signature technicolor emotionalism, the sort that’s all too rare in the current electronic music scene.

Sunday, 6/4

River Fest 2023
6/4 | Marina Green | Marina Blvd & Fillmore St, SF | 12-4 pm | $40+

The Tuolumne River Trust invites you to join the one-of-a-kind River Fest. This year’s celebration and fundraiser will feature music by local bands, educational exhibits, eco-friendly vendor booths, food, and more. By attending River Fest, you’ll not only have a great time, but you’ll also be supporting the Tuolumne River Trust’s efforts to protect and restore the Tuolumne River and the greater Yosemite ecosystem, which provides clean drinking water to 2.7 million Bay Area residents and is home to a diverse array of plant and animal species.

Pride Mass 2023
6/4 | Grace Cathedral | 1100 California St, SF | 6 pm | free

Mark your calendar, prepare your best and brightest, and kick off Pride at Grace Cathedral.

This year’s event is all about celebrating community, as we gather and celebrate with our friends and neighbors. The celebration begins with LGBTQ+ organizations from across the Bay in a joyful procession up the cathedral’s rainbow steps.

Queer Dance Film Festival
6/4 | The New Parkway | 474 24th St, Oakland | 2-4 pm | $15-20

Get ready to be blown away by the power of queer and trans dance performances from around the world at the upcoming Queer Dance Film Festival! This groundbreaking event, both online and in-person in Oakland, CA, will showcase the incredible talent of LGBTQ+ dancers from all over the world.

Die Frau ohne Schatten
6/4 | War Memorial Opera House | 301 Van Ness Ave, SF | 2 pm | $26+

Half-spirit and half-mortal, the Empress lives in fear of a curse: If she doesn’t acquire a human shadow in three days’ time, the spirit world will reclaim her—and turn her husband to stone.

Strauss’ rarely performed masterpiece returns for the first time in over 30 years in a vibrant production designed by acclaimed artist David Hockney. Former San Francisco Opera Music Director Sir Donald Runnicles conducts.

Monday, 6/5

In the Heights
6/5 | Lesher Center | 1601 Civic Dr, Walnut Creek | 5 pm | $45+

Composer Lin-Manuel Miranda has become an international star over the last few years thanks to his seminal musical Hamilton. The Tony Award-winning In the Heights, with a book by Quiara Alegría Hudes has become one of the most cherished musicals of the 21st century. The music takes its cues from the diverse Latin community it represents in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York using hip-hop, salsa, merengue and soul music into the score and with lyrics about love, life, community and the American dream.

Hopeless Jack & Psycadeltics
6/5 | Ivy Room | 860 San Pablo Ave, Albany | 8 pm | $12

A raucous and raw element of rock & roll grounded in the roots of soul and blues. Hailing from The Rose City (Portland Oregon), this three piece band grabs life by the thorns, delivering a uniquely explosive sound they call PsycaDelta Blues. The band’s high energy stage show paired with real and heartfelt lyrics pulls audiences out of apathetic cell phone staring and brings them along for the ride.

Alan Carr
6/5 | Cobb’s Comedy Club | 915 Columbus Ave, SF | 7 pm | $35-50

Bafta winning star of Ru Paul’s Drag Race, Alan Carr: Chatty Man, and Interior Design Master – Alan Carr embarks on his first ever American tour, stopping at legendary venue – Cobb’s Comedy Club. From the exhilarating high of his star-studded wedding day to the low of lockdown stuck on a farm, a lot has changed since Alan was last on the road four years ago, including Alan. Nowadays, it’s all about finding happiness and joy in the small things.

Ondara
6/5 | The Independent | 628 Divisidero St, SF | 8 pm | $25

Ondara grew up in Nairobi, Kenya listening to American alt-rock. At an early age he fell in love with the music of Bob Dylan and moved to Minneapolis in 2013 to pursue a career as a singer and songwriter. He began making his way in the local music scene, continually writing songs about what he saw, felt and experienced in a place far different from home. Since then, he has toured extensively including sold out European performances, a completely sold out headlining U.S. tour, appearances at festivals nationwide including Newport Folk Festival, and opened for the likes of The Lumineers, First Aid Kit, Neil Young, The Head & The Heart, and more.

Rad Upcoming Events 

6/7-6/10 | Punch Line | Caitlin Peluffo
6/9 | Amado’s | Glamour Grunge
6/12 | Baggy’s by the Lake | Eclectic Nonsense Art Show

Don’t forget to check out our Big Bad List of Rad Ongoing Events right here!

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