Dog Days of Summer
8/26 | The Crossing | 200 Folsom St, SF | 10am – 2pm | free

WATCH OR JOIN the doggy costume contest at 11:00am, where adorable pups will strut their stuff in fabulous summer themed outfits. Registration opens at 10:00am at the information booth.

INDULGE in delicious brunch specials and beverages from East Cut resident eateries and bar and rotating guest food trucks.

EXPLORE, SHOP & ADOPT from a range of pet-friendly products, services providers, and local animal shelters offering demonstrations, giveaways, and adoption opportunities.

DANCE with your dog at the disco featuring live DJs spinning classic disco, soul and funk jams from 12-2pm. Human and/or dog costumes are encouraged!

By Jerucifer, Arts & Events Editor

 This week is STACKED and I can’t believe I can’t be in multiple places at once, how disappointing! Catching as many of these rad events as I can though! Here’s what I’m most excited about for the week of 8/15…

Partners’ Events

DNA Lounge: Spectacular! Spectacular!
8/20 | DNA Lounge | 375 11th St, SF | 7 pm | $15-35

In August 2003, a madcap assembly of San Francisco nightlife denizens started a colossal, Diy, neo-vaudeville revue, packed with cabaret & variety acts, plastic tomatoes, rampaging gorillas, hard-working bumblebees, invisible elephants & shimmering showgirls galore! Join us as we celebrate the 20-year reunion of this major milestone with an eye-popping cavalcade of international superstars, special guests, and absolutely spectacular entertainment!

This Week’s Events

Tuesday, 8/15

Video Vision, Urban Heat, Creux Lies
8/15 | Bottom of the Hill | 1233 17th St, SF | 8 pm | $20-23

hidden within Vision Video’s catchy hooks and dancy beats is a nostalgic yet desperate message exploring the darker undertones of our existence. At its core, Inked In Red looks inward to understand the effects of war and the global pandemic. Dusty’s experiences in service have imparted an authentic gravitas to the music, revealing a cautionary tale of unhinged mental illness born of trauma. Sonically, this is reflected in every chord and melody through its enticingly gothic yet often upbeat nature.

Cat Burns
8/15 | Rickshaw Stop | 155 Fell St, SF | 7 pm | $22

Overflowing with positive affirmations, ‘live more & love more’ is an uplifting song filled with vibrant guitar melodies and a wonderful vocal performance from Cat. When speaking about her new single, Cat says, “It’s a very positive song about starting whatever it is you want to start and doing whatever it is you want to do in life because we only have one life, and we deserve to live it to the fullest!”

Who the Hell is La Chichi?
8/15 | Oasis | 298 11th St, SF | 7 pm | $20

La Chichi, the gender-bending bombshell from Colombia, makes a splashy Oasis debut in a cabaret act combining music, dance, comedy, and burlesque. Come pop the cork with La Chichi in the Oasis Champagne Room – and stay to celebrate at the after-party!

Mama Dee
8/15 | The Knockout | 3223 Mission St, SF | 8 pm | $10

MAMA DEE + TRASHLEY + JACK LILLIAN

Wednesday, 8/16

Film With Friends
8/16 | North Beach neighborhood | 5:30 pm | free

Get off your phones and out of your homes! Join us on Wednesday, August 16th for a night of films curated by award winning, avant garde filmmaker and professor, Dominic Angerame.

Films With Friends is a FREE event over several hours and at multiple venues in San Francisco’s vibrant North Beach neighborhood. Choose your own adventure!

Will you watch one film or will you watch five? The night is yours; we’ll see you there.

BAMBDFEST 2023 INTERNATIONAL: (un)belong(ed)
8/16 | BAM House | 1540 Broadway Ave, Oakland | 6 pm | $0-150, check schedule

BAMBD CDC is producing its 4th international festival, BAMBDFEST. This year’s festival theme is “(un)belong(ed).” The festival, which began in 2019, has become a biennial event after it wrapped in 2021. This festival has evolved into a hybrid happening with in-person, and virtual events. Most events are free but encourage donation. There are some amazing ticketed opportunities to support the festival and BAMBD CDC.

Clumsy Tungs + Yaantras
8/16 | El Rio | 3158 Mission St, SF | 6 pm | free

Join us on the outdoor stage at El Rio for an early evening summer time show!

Michelle Wolf
8/16 | Cobb’s Comedy Club | 915 Columbus Ave, SF | 7:30 pm | $41

Wolf has quickly become one of the most influential voices in the comedy landscape with the Village Voice calling her “the voice comedy needs right now” and The Daily Beast declaring, “Michelle Wolf is the future of stand-up comedy.” Her most recent Netflix special, MICHELLE WOLF: JOKE SHOW received high praise and her first hour-long stand-up special, “Michelle Wolf: Nice Lady”, which premiered on HBO in 2017, garnered rave reviews and a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing For A Variety Special.

Thursday, 8/17

Summer Ferry Fest
8/17 | Ferry Building | 1 Ferry Mktplc, SF | 5-7:30 pm | $30

Celebrate the San Francisco Ferry Building turning 125 at the first ever Summer Ferry Fest! Join the Ferry Building, Napa Valley Vintners, and Foodwise for wine, beer, bites, and music while enjoying the magic of the Ferry Building marketplace at night. Play with your food by creating edible material art with SF Etsy, and dance the night away to live music from La Gente SF.

What time is it anyway? While the clock tower is covered during restoration, we’ve lost track of the time… dress in your favorite outfit from any decade since 1898 and enter our costume contest to win a Ferry Building shopping spree!

Union Square in Bloom Happy Hour + Concert
8/17 | Union Square, SF | 4:30-7:30 pm | free

Cardboard People is the Bay Area’s hottest alt-indie-soul-artpop band, fronted by the powerhouse vocals of Yunoka Berry and produced by Jim Greer and Domino from Hieroglyphics. Starting out as a duo and expanding to a four-piece band with an all female rhythm section, Yunoka & Jim started creating buzz around their dynamic and eclectic sound: from laid-back indie-soul to hyped-up 80’s-tinged bangers and gospel-inspired tracks. Articles in KQED, East Bay Express, and a string of bookings have followed, putting the band at the forefront of the music scene in the Bay Area.

Fresh Prince of Bel-Air LIVE!
8/17 | Oasis | 298 11th St, SF | 7 pm | $30-60

Now this is a story all about how my life got flipped turned upside down! Fresh Prince LIVE is a drag send-up of the beloved 90s TV show. The series starred Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart teenager born and raised in West Philadelphia who is sent to move in with his wealthy uncle and aunt in Bel-Air, where his lifestyle often clashes with that of his upper-class relatives. We’re taking this hilarious sitcom and making it DRAG! Featuring beloved performers from our community, enjoy a hilarious stage production with a few surprises you’ll only find at OASIS.

Preservation Hall Jazz Band
8/17 | SF Jazz Center | 201 Franklin St, SF | 7:30 pm | $55+

“The past and promise of American music” (Rolling Stone), Preservation Hall Jazz Band is a true New Orleans institution that defines the tradition of Crescent City music. They return to their West Coast home, accompanied by special guests.

Founded in 1961 by tuba player Allan Jaffe, the PHJB was formed to preserve the city’s priceless musical heritage and give their veteran musicians a place to play, and it instantly attracted players linked to the glory days of the 1920s. Now run by Jaffe’s son, tuba player Ben Jaffe, the group features a wealth of New Orleans talent.

Friday, 8/18

Sundown Cinema: Mamma Mia! (Sing-Along)
8/18 | Dolores Park | 18th-20th St & Dolores St, SF

Free film screening & Sing-a-Long in Dolores Park, plus free ice cream scoops from Jack & Remi (while supplies last.)

Madeline Kenney
8/18 | The Independent | 628 Divisadero St, SF | 9 pm | $18-20

At the end of the day, Oakland-based Madeline Kenney just wants to be surprised. An artist with a rare openness to exploration and an appetite for the novel, her pursuit of music wasn’t always a foregone conclusion, though she’s played piano her whole life. Hers is a path peppered with diversions, in the sense that she lets herself be amused. She’s studied neuroscience, been a dancer, a baker, a visual artist, and yes, a musician, but even that role comes with nearly too many hyphenates to count. But rather than existing as offshoot paths, her many selves are always entangled, encouraging one another. All of it shows up in the songs.

Lost Miracle Showcase
8/18 | The Great Northern | 119 Utah St, SF | 10 pm | $30-40

Konnekted + Safra + All Day All Night present a Lost Miracle Showcase at The Great Northern on 8/18 featuring Sébastien Léger and Roy Rosenfeld with local support by Leyl Master Black. This is a rare opportunity to see Sébastien Léger LIVE with his modular setup in San Francisco. Come see why he’s one of the most talented artists on the planet in this very special setting.

The Great Gatsby
8/18 | The Cut Outdoor Cinema | 250 Main St, SF | 7:30 pm | $14-27

A writer and wall street trader, Nick, finds himself drawn to the past and lifestyle of his millionaire neighbor, Jay Gatsby.

Fleet Foxes + My Morning Jacket
8/18 | Greek Theater | 2001 Gayley Rd, Berkeley | 5:30 pm | $70

Widely ranked among the greatest live bands of their generation, My Morning Jacket have long maintained their status as one of the most vital forces in American rock-and-roll. With their thrillingly expansive and eclectic sound, the Louisville-bred band has influenced an entire era of musicians, largely by staying one step ahead of mainstream pop culture and following their instincts to endless innovation.

Fleet Foxes is an American indie folk band from Seattle, WA. Led by lead singer-songwriter Robin Pecknold, the band released their fourth critically acclaimed album Shore in the fall of 2020.

Saturday, 8/19

Sean Hayes
8/19 | The Chapel | 777 Valencia St, SF | 8:30 pm | $25-28

Sean Hayes is a Bay Area singer-songwriter who makes music to dance to or cry to, or maybe both simultaneously. He was born in New York City, raised in North Carolina, and honed his earliest musical chops in a band playing Irish and old-time tunes — but his unique style of deeply felt, R&B-inflected folk really matured during his two decades singing and playing in cafes, bars, and night clubs of San Francisco. His voice layers wonder and heartache upon grit and gravel, sex and soul. His lyrics carry an unpretentious wisdom.

Sorry For Party Rocking
8/19 | The Great Northern | 119 Utah St, SF | 9:30 pm | free before 10:30 w/ RSVP, $20 after

Take it back to a simpler time, where pop and dance music went hand in hand at every party. The only party in SF where you can get down to these iconic club bangers and fist bump all night long like it’s still 2012!

Good vibes only! Fun / neon attire is encouraged. Song requests are welcome on Instagram!

This is the End
8/19 | The Cut Outdoor Cinema | 250 Main St, SF | 8 pm | $14-27

Six Los Angeles celebrities are stuck in James Franco’s house after a series of devastating events just destroyed the city.

Jazz is Dead: Arthur Verocai
8/19 | The UC Theatre | 2036 University Ave, Berkeley | 8 pm | $48+

ArtDontSleep and The UC Theatre present Jazz Está Morto to celebrate the genius of Arthur Verocai with a 30 piece orchestra and Special Guests at The UC Theatre in Berkeley. Bringing to life his self titled, 1973, debut album. This album has been sampled by MF Doom, Ludacris & Common, Little Brother, Action Bronson, Curren$y and countless others and is a staple amongst hip hop producers from every era.

Sunday, 8/20

Nothing Compares 2 U: A Sinead Tribute
8/20 | Oasis | 298 11th St, SF | 8pm | $20-30

Join an epic cast of San Francisco drag queens as we gather for a night of beauty, emotion, and community to honor this legendary performer’s cathartic and inspirational creations. Her music can bring one to tears as quickly as it can make one dance, and many times it makes one do both at the same time! Her moving, unique, and timeless music needs to be celebrated and lifted up – and who better than drag artists to do it justice?

Boy George & Culture Club
8/20 | Concord Pavilion | 2000 Kirker Pass Rd, Concord | 8 pm | $20+

The LETTING IT GO Show – BOY GEORGE & CULTURE CLUB WITH SPECIAL GUESTS HOWARD JONES AND BERLIN

Belinda Carlisle
8/20 | August Hall | 420 Mason St, SF | 8 pm | $50

Rock stars come and rock stars go. In an everchanging landscape of shifting musical trends, few artists stand the test of time. Belinda Carlisle is one of those rare talents who continues to remain relevant after nearly four decades in the business. Amidst changing tastes, the gifted and glamorous singer-songwriter has indelibly touched the hearts of pop fans around the world with her unique blend of gutsy vocals, emotively charged melodies and picturesque lyrics.

Tab Benoit
8/20 | Great American Music Hall | 859 O’Farrell St, SF | 8 pm | $37-39

Born and raised on the Louisiana bayou, this self-proclaimed “new kid from the old school” has been the standard bearer for a new generation of Cajun blues musicians – a traditionalist and an innovator at the same time, grafting elements of rock and soul to the indigenous sounds of the bayou. And if dedicating his life to his musical roots weren’t enough, Benoit has also been a tireless crusader in recent years – prior to the devastation of hurricane Katrina but even more so since – for the preservation of the rapidly vanishing wetlands of his native region.
 

Werd.
8/20 | Monarch | 101 6th St, SF | 9 pm | $5

WERD continues to evolve, creating intimate moments in the San Francisco House and Techno community. WERD.’s focus continues to provide fresh experiences, through forward-thinking music and unique guest appearances in a safe space. Come as you are.

We do not tolerate any displays of homophobia, transphobia, racism, misogny, or discrimination of ANY kind. You will be asked to leave if you do not respect our boundaries. ALL ARE WELCOME.

Monday, 8/21

Kink & BDSM for Beginners with Jamie Joy
8/21 | Good Vibrations | 1620 Polk St, SF | 6-7:30 pm | $25

Join certified sex educator Jamie Joy for an interactive class on kink and BDSM!

Whether you are just beginning to dabble or ready to live the lifestyle, this space is for you. Topics will include finding your kinky persona, consent & negotiation, impact play, bondage & restraint, sensation play, and more! This class is open to folks of all genders, sexualities, and experience levels.

**This workshop will emphasize safety, techniques, and how to establish clear communication through live demonstration**

Devon Kay & The Solutions
8/21 | Thee Parkside | 1600 17th St, SF | 8 pm | $15

Devon Kay & The Solutions are a Chicago band who merge pop-punk enthusiasm with expanded instrumentation.

APE MACHINE + VANNON + BLACK MOON
8/21 | Kilowatt Bar | 3160 16th St, SF | 8 pm | free

The name APE MACHINE is a nod to the days of reel-to-reel magnetic tape audio recording; a fitting moniker for the heavy- hitting quartet as the band plays through vintage tube amplifiers and lays down its songs using exclusively throwback quality studio equipment.

Rad Upcoming Events 

8/24 | Happy Landings | Bottom of the Hill
8/26 | Augustfest | 21st Amendment Brewery
8/31 | 10th Birthday Gala | BFF.Fm Studios

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