By Jerucifer, Arts & Events Editor

For anyone who wasn’t able to “go home” this year to the burn, you are sure to have a great time sticking around in the Bay! Lots of free events to give you a taste of the capitalism-free vibe of the Playa, right here at home! For everyone else, we’ve got the good shit on lock with a film festival, plus plenty of shows and art! Here’s what I’m most excited about for the week of 8/29…

Partners’ Events

10th Birthday Gala
8/31 | BFF.Fm Studios | Mission District, SF (exact location provided with ticket) | 8 pm | sliding scale donations, $25+

Ticket includes refreshments, including snacks, and a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Live music from special guests throughout the evening! Plus DJ Tin will be bringing the laid back party vibes until 10pm, then Lonald J. Bandz and Tom Marsi b2b bring the dance chunes until midnight…when we’ll be counting down to our big 1-0! BFF.fm – Best Frequencies Forever is a community radio station, broadcasting online from the heart of San Francisco’s Mission District.

The East Bay Beer Passport is Here!

Two-For-One Beers at 27 Awesome Locations

There’s no better way to explore the East Bay than to literally drink it in. The 2023-2024 East Bay Beer Passport contains 27 vouchers to buy one beer, get a second beer FREE at 27 of the finest locally owned breweries, dives, diners and restaurants in the East Bay. And the best part? It’s only $35.00!

Get Your Beer Passport right here!

This Week’s Events

Tuesday, 8/29

Blood & Popcorn Film Festival
8/29 | The New Parkway474 24th St, Oakland | 7 pm | $15

Blood & Popcorn Film Festival is a micro horror film festival that celebrates Bay Area Filmmakers and spotlights international talents. Enjoy the best curated collection of horror short films that offer spine chilling frights and gory delights.

Sampler Improv Class For Beginners
8/29 | All Out Comedy Theater | 2525 Telegraph Ave, Oakland | 7 pm | $10

Are you interested in improv but want a chance to dip your toe in the water before jumping all the way in? Take a drop in class. This is a great opportunity to preview an All Out Comedy class before the next session begins. The class will include improv exercises and games in a comfortable and fun environment. We will focus on active listening, getting out of our heads, and giggles with the guidance of a teacher.

Maeta 
8/29 | Cafe du Nord | 2174 Market St, SF | 8 pm | $22

Maeta knows what its like to find yourself drawn into a relationship you probably shouldnt stick with. She bristles at the word toxic when describing it but there are few other words to connote the messy back-and-forth shes had with the person who has inspired so much of her music. Like my music, it feeds me, she says of the rollercoaster romance she had with her ex. Its all I sing about.

Wednesday, 8/30

Good Burger
8/30 | Alamo Drafthouse Cinema | 2550 Mission St, SF | 6 pm | $24.43

Whether you’re a dude, a dude, or a dude, (aren’t we all?) our GOOD BURGER Movie Party is for you. We’re celebrating this essential ‘90s classic with plenty of interactive fun and themed props, including paper hats, hamburger stress relievers, plenty of Secret Sauce (aka orange slime), and much more.

Hitting screens faster than an order of Nickelodeon Magazine, GOOD BURGER embodies the workplace hangout vibes of the ‘70s and slobs vs. snobs ethos of ‘80s comedies into the most offbeat buddy comedy of the ‘90s. Ed works for Good Burger, whose cross-street rivals Mondo Burger are dead-set on taking them out of business; Dexter reluctantly takes a summer job to pay off a debt, turning Ed’s secret sauce into a path to success.

From Fire, Loud Life, Blackmoon, Wasted Years
8/30 | Brick & Mortar Music Hall | 1710 Mission St, SF | 7 pm | $7 w/ RSVP before 8 pm

INDIE WEDNESDAY

LOUD LIFE – WASTED YEARS – ANGELO TOMANDL & OMAIGATO – FROM FIRE

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

Just when you think Amy LaVere is at the top of her craft, it grows into something even more powerful. Her songs are both original and timeless, making her well known among songwriters and critics alike. NPR’s Robert Siegel says she “specializes in lyrics that are more barbed than her sweet soprano prepares you for.” Amos Perinne of No Depression has written of Amy saying “Her songs have a level of detail comparable to a photo. LaVere has a knack for documenting simple moments and making them riveting. “Her growing catalog of material and steady critical acclaim suggest a first-tier presence on the Americana and indie-folk circuits.

F8 x TallDoor Records x Housology present Ricky Bobi
8/30 | F8SF | 1192 Folsom St, SF | 9 pm | $10

Ricky Bobi’s ‘El Tren’ EP Release Party

with
Jazzy UK
LexMeUp
Sabi

Thursday, 8/31

Egg
8/31 | Thee Stork Club | 2330 Telegraph Ave, Oakland | 8:30 pm | free

CONE SHAPE TOP PRESENTS EGG!

Stand-Up Comedy
8/31 | Milk Bar | 1840 Haight St, SF | 7:30 pm | free

Looking for a night out with some drinks and some laughs? Want to hang out with the crew and have a fun evening in the city? Welcome to our comedy shows. Every showcase will feature six of the best comedians from the Bay Area and Beyond! Come check out Haight Street or Fillmore St that comes along with it. From shops and food to sights and history.

THE BUDS: Toe Tappin Garden Rock Music You Love
8/31 | El Rio | 3158 Mission St, SF | 6 pm | free

Bay Area favorites The Buds rock the patio with songs you can sing and dance along to. Join us for some garden rock and organic tuneage!

Baloney Game Show Night!
8/31 | Oasis | 298 11th St, SF | 7 pm | $35-45

Back by overwhelming gay demand… it’s BALONEY GAME SHOW NIGHT!

Get ready for an entire evening of massively popular audience-participation games brought to you by BALONEY, San Francisco’s Gay All-Male Revue! Step into the Gay Battledome of Oasis and test your luck with a slew of ridiculous & sexy games. All you need is a ticket, your competitive spirit, and a drink or three! Grab a table with friends and be ready for anything

Friday, 9/1

The WoW Festival
9/1 | Plaza de Cezar Chavez | 170 S Market St, SF | 12 pm | $45-180

Join Outside Live September 1st – 3rd for an electrifying weekend of pure magic and nostalgia at Weekend of Wonder (WoW) in San Jose. This extraordinary event is a celebration of art, music, and culture, designed to captivate your senses and leave you awestruck. Get ready to be transported to a world where legends come to life and memories are made.

At WoW, we are thrilled to present an exceptional lineup of iconic musical acts that have stood the test of time. Prepare to be serenaded by the soulful melodies and harmonies of Cameo, The Temptations, The Chi-Lites, and more. These legendary performers will take the stage and transport you back to the golden era of music, where every note resonates with passion and every lyric tells a story.

Mean Girls
9/1 | The Cut Outdoor Cinema | 250 Main St, SF | 7:30 pm | $14-27

Cady Heron is a hit with The Plastics, the A-list girl clique at her new school, until she makes the mistake of falling for Aaron Samuels.

The Limousines
9/1 | Rickshaw Stop | 155 Fell St, SF | 9 pm | $18

Today’s bizarro version of The Limousines is two grown ass dudes, still in love, just like, doing life stuff. Eric’s a fat dad working behind a desk in a high-rise filing cabinet in the sky. Gio is an inter dimensional cowboy in the desert.

Space Yacht: Gentlemens Club
9/1 | The Midway | 900 Marin St, SF | 9 pm | $22-36

UK trio Gentlemens Club is at the forefront of the worldwide bass music scene, leading the next wave of low end sounds with their genre blurring style & groundbreaking live sets. The group incorporates an expansive sound that explores every shade of bass. Armed with an endless stockpile of bass bombs, Gentlemens Club have cemented themselves as one of the fastest rising acts in electronic music, certified by their international following, global tours & rapidly growing discography that already counts +50 million collective streams. Gentlemens Club sound pushes the limits of bass music: On any given track, they can flex hard edged subs & electrified rhythms atop intricate melodies and sophisticated sound design. It’s a boundary breaking approach that has solidified the all around bass act as one of the fiercest breakout newcomers in dance music of this decade.

SATISFACTION: 2010-2017 EDM Throwbacks
9/1 | Public Works | 161 Erie St, SF | 9:30 pm | $0-20

We are back! Get ready to transport yourself back to the glory days of EDM with SATISFACTION! Playing the biggest and most iconic bangers from 2010-2017, from artists like Calvin Harris, David Guetta, Afrojack, Avicii, and more. You’ll dance the night away to unforgettable hits like “Levels,” “Titanium,” “Don’t You Worry Child,” and “Summer”! This is the party you won’t want to miss, so grab your tickets now and get ready to relive the unforgettable moments of EDM’s golden era!

Megan Lowe Dances 10th Anniversary Season
9/1-9/9 | ODC Theater | 3153 17th St, SF | 7:30 pm | free

Sept. 1, 2, 8 and 9, 7:30pm – Megan Lowe Dances (MLD) celebrates their 10th Anniversary Season with the world premiere of “Gathering Pieces of Peace,” a dance theater work exploring mixed-race Asian American experiences, with an artistic team composed of folks who identify in this way. Through thoughtful text, soulful song, and dynamic dancing, Artistic Director Megan Lowe and collaborators Clarissa Rivera Dyas, Malia Hatico-Byrne, and Melissa Lewis Wong share stories of fractured selves and longings to belong, and co-create a supportive environment for connection that radiates out into their communities. As part of the 10th Anniversary Celebration, admission is free, with suggested donations.

Saturday, 9/2

SF Gaymers LGBTQIA+ Game Night at the barcade!
9/2 | The Detour | 2200 Market St, SF | 7-11 pm | free

SF Gaymers is a community for all identities of people who want to connect, game, and play – online or across the Bay Area.

Burning a Man in SF
9/2 | Ocean Beach | Fulton St Fire pits | 5-9 pm | free

Putting a stake into the ground. Who wants to burn a Man? If you have never been to Burning Man, or you have been and want to experience that pure consciousness of the burn again, come. Feel free to bring art, music and musical instruments, friends & community spirit.

Salon de Refuses Closing Reception
9/2 | Four Chicken Gallery | 432 Cortland Ave, SF | 4-6 pm | free

For more than 200 years, the Paris Salon was the only exhibition that mattered in the Western world. Then in 1863, a group of Salon rejects—including future masters such as Édouard Manet, Paul Cézanne and Camille Pissarro—revolted. The result was a show called the “Salon des Refusés,” or “exhibition of rejects,” that challenged the standards of the day and changed the course of contemporary art.

San Francisco artists and galleries are embracing this rebellious tradition by mounting their own Salons des Refusés in response to the de Young Museum’s rejection of some 6,000 artworks from its 2023 open-call exhibition, the “de Young Open.” Of 7,766 submissions, fewer than 900 were selected this year to hang at the de Young Open starting in September. After rejection letters went out last Monday, local artists took to social media to vent their disappointment or proudly proclaim their status as rejects.

Scorsese: More Than A Gangster
9/2-9/24 | 4-Star Theater | 2200 Clement St, SF | 5 pm | $12.50-20

Martin Scorsese once again shows us that even after seven decades of making movies, he can still surprise us with what he’ll do next. In anticipation of his latest film, CinemaSF’s 4-Star Theater is proud to spend this September showcasing the exciting limitlessness of his career with our series “Scorsese: More Than a Gangster.”

The Autumn Films at BAMPFA
9/2-2/1 | Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive | 2155 Center St, Berkeley | times vary, check schedule | $12+

BAMPFA, the UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, is the visual arts center of the University of California, Berkeley. Our mission is to inspire the imagination and ignite critical dialogue through art and film. Join us for our Autumn films!

Sunday, 9/3

Yaeji
9/3 | 1015 Folsom | 1015 Folsom St, SF | 9 pm | $25-30

Yaeji’s music is an invitation into an intimate, healing, world exploring cultural identity and self-reflection through dreamlike house productions that morph from whispery confessionals to dancefloor burners. Born in Queens, NY to South Korean parents, Yaeji repatriated to Seoul shortly after, where she spent her formative years attending school, learning Korean and English side-by-side.

The Quitters
9/3 | Livermore Civic Center Public Library | 1188 S Livermore Ave, Livermore | 2-3:30 pm | free

The Quitters consist of a right-side up finger picker (Stevie Coyle), an upside down flat picker (Glenn Houston Pomianek), and an upright bassist (Chris Kee). They were three original members of The Waybacks quintet, and Chris Kee and Glenn Houston were the long-time bassist and lead guitarist for Houston Jones. Now they play together on their own, hence the name The Quitters. They deliver a memorable performance spiced with humor and serendipity.

Catharsis: I Do Not Dream Of Labor Day Show
9/3 | Oasis | 298 11th St, SF | 7 pm| $15

CATHARSIS is a drag rock rumble to release the most tender of rage. People of the acronym and allies alike: get ready to free the beast. Bask in the glory of other pissed off femmes, themmes, and masculine dreamboats. We sing and we dance through our very own gaze!

Acid Rain: Labor Daze
9/3 | DNA Lounge | 375 11th St, SF | 8 pm | $10-30

Prepare your minds for an immersive, sensory deluge into psychedelic dance event culture. Enter this multi-stage wonderland for a night of real psychedelic raving, featuring a range of hypnotizing and complex psychedelic music to make for a truly transcendent night. Come celebrate Labor Day in a Daze of psychedelic style!

Monday, 9/4

Hiero Day 2023
9/4 | Frank H. Ogawa Plaza | 14th St @ Broadway, Oakland | 11 am-7 pm | free w/ RSVP

Hiero Day is back for its 11th annual celebration this Labor Day in Oakland, California. The Hip – Hop music block party that brings people from all over the Bay area together for one day of celebration is back and the best yet! Hiero Day Music Block Party is an all-day, all-ages music event showcasing over 30 live performances on 3 stages by the best legendary, underground, and undiscovered artists in genres such as hip-hop, R&B, and more. 2012 marked the first year of what now has become an annual celebration showcasing a plethora of culture, talent, and a variety of the best local food and crafts available in the greater Bay Area. Hiero Day plays an integral role in the Oakland music festival culture which exists in the city today. It is recognized for fostering a unifying atmosphere while maintaining a commitment to groundbreaking music and community development.

Hiero Day 2023 Afterparty!
9/4 | Crybaby | 1928 Telegraph Ave, Oakland | 9 pm | $19.93

Hiero Day 2023 Official Afterparty with BLKTEK. – GRAND NATIONXL, OXYGEN ETERNAL and special guests.

The 20th Annual Cowgirl Palooza
9/4 | El Rio | 3158 Mission St, SF | 3 pm | $10-20 sliding scale

Dust off your finest fringe, shine up your boots and scoot on over to El Rio for the 20th annual Labor Day extravaganza!

Party Next Door
9/4 | 7 Stars Holistic Healing | 3219 Pierce St, Richmond | 12-4:20 pm | free

Join us this Labor Day at 7 Stars for Party Next Door! Come to 7 Stars, pick up your purchase, then head next door for an unforgettable party! We’re celebrating the best brands in the East Bay and beyond with a fantastic event packed with food, music, goodies, and fun. We are happy to honor the brands that won recent awards, including the 7 Stars team that won the title of Best Dispensary in the East Bay.

Enjoy goodie bags, awesome music, mouthwatering free food, on-site vendors, and so much more. Don’t miss out on the festivities! Mark your calendars and come celebrate with us!

Rad Upcoming Events 

9/10 | DNA Lounge | Hubba Hubba Revue 17TH ANNIVERSARY
9/13 | Brava Theater | Documentary Screening + Panel Discussion
9/15 | The SF Mint | Mercury Soul

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