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Well goddamn, y’all. We’ve just about made it through another pandemicky year. There’s just one last challenge before us. It’s the enemy we always expect, but which we never see coming –

THE HOLIDAZE.

Yes, it deserves all-caps. And yes, it does deserve to be spelled with a Z, and to have it’s own line in this paragraph. THE HOLIDAZE, that strange period of time between the first of December and the end of January…. It takes its toll on us every year, in so many ways. And yet, it doesn’t have to be all bad! There’s a lot of good times to be had during THE HOLIDAZE. No matter how bad it gets, we’ll be here for you, Dear Readers, with the tea – or shall I say, the Nog (as in eggnog, obvs… ho ho ho!) on all the best events and activities to get you through these trying times.

 

So without further ado, I am proud to present to you the first installment of:

 Your BAS Guide to THE HOLIDAZE; 

Or, What We’re Most Excited About for the Week of 11/30/21…

 

Our Partners’ Events

 

Industry Night

Thursday, 12/2 | 9:00 pm | Monarch, 101 6th Street | $0-15

We honor those who constantly work long hours to bring us the entertainment we enjoy on a weekly basis, our industry friends who work so hard, but who you don’t know much about. Without them the show wouldn’t go on. We create this night for you to come and have a good time with us! Network with those in the industry, enjoy some fun drink specials brought to you by some of the best mixologists in town, and have a moment to connect (or disconnect) and enjoy music without having to be “on.”

 

 

Wasted presents: Junkie Kid + Geo

Friday, 12/3 | 9:30 pm | DNA Lounge, 375 11th Street | $15-20

Junkie Kid is a DJ/producer (and all around nice guy) from Mexico who, after spending some years in Europe, has settled down in the artist’s paradise of LA. If you want puro hardstyle, Junkie Kid is the man for you. Beats are fast, sounds are hard and dark, and so is the attitude. See him tonight with the “king of hard trap,” Geo!

 

 

Best of SF Standup

Every Friday | 8:00 pm | Variety Theater, 582 Market Street, Suite 101 | $15

Every Saturday | 8:00 pm | Virtual Event | Free

Best of SF Stand-up Comedy is one of the longest running independent comedy shows in San Francisco. Looking for some virtual laughs? Get tickets to our FREE weekly Zoom shows, every Saturday at 8pm! More into the in-person experience? Get tickets to our LIVE weekly shows in downtown SF’s beautiful Variety Theater, every Friday at 8pm! (Use promo code HALFSIES for half-price tix!) All shows require proof of vaccination and masks.

 

 

Yoko0 + DJ M3

Saturday, 12/4 | 9:30 pm | The Great Northern, 119 Utah Street | $10-30

Like a mantra vibrating beat by beat, Yoko0’s music abides only the deepest meditative intuition and revolves around the creation of unbound free flowing states of creativity, echoing in stillness and a deep connection to nature, where every subtle detail counts for rich in artistic expression and depth. Sink into the luxurious sounds of Yoko0 tonight at The Great Northern!

 

This Week’s Giveaways

FLASH GIVEAWAY!!! We Wanna Send You to See Mastodon + Opeth @ The Fox!

Get a Free MONTH of Yoga Classes at HAUM!

We Wanna Send You to Jam with CloZee!

 

This Week’s Events

 

Tuesday, 11/30

 

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Live: “Once More, With Feeling!”

Tonight through 12/6 | Doors at 6:00 pm, show at 7:00 pm | Oasis, 298 11th Street | $25-50

Even if you’ve never seen a single episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, you can still enjoy the ridiculous season 6 musical episode “Once More With Feeling.” But you don’t even have to watch the episode to enjoy the show – hit up D’Arcy Drollinger’s drag parody of the supernatural soap opera instead! I guarantee you the musical talent will be better than the original show cast. (Who allowed Michelle Trachtenberg to sing? WHO? Come out, I just wanna talk….)

The Nog: When sitting around a fake fireplace listening to your parents squabble just doesn’t get you in the holiday spirit, there’s one thing to do: get thee to a drag show! The entertainment will always be on point, and the camaraderie of chosen family will warm the cockles of your childhood trauma.

 

Kid Congo Powers + Pink Monkeybirds

8:00 pm | The Ivy Room, 860 San Pablo Avenue | $15

Waking from a nap in the swamps of outer space, Kid Congo & The Pink Monkey Birds ride a geisterbahn into the hypnagogic, a place between sleep and consciousness also known as the “Haunted Head. See them live tonight at the Ivy Room with MAYYA and Ritchie White Orchestra.

The Nog: In addition to legendary guitar stylist Kid Congo Powers (The Gun Club, The Cramps, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds), the Pink Monkeybirds is made up of bassist Kiki Solis (Knife In The Water), drummer Ron Miller (Up The Academy), and guitarist Mark Cisneros (Deathfix). You’re guaranteed to feel like you’ve found the band you’ve loved your whole life, but never met before.

 

Wednesday, 12/1

 

Winter Lights in Golden Gate Park

Tonight through Tuesday, 2/1/22 | Sundown until 10:00 pm | Golden Gate Park | Free

Stroll through a magical land of fairy lights every night this season! Every evening from sundown until 10:00 pm, Golden Gate Park will be transformed into glittering landscape of illuminations.

The Nog: An hour or two wandering this sparkling lightscape makes a cheap and romantic Tinder date, a fun holiday memory for groups of friends, an awesome photo-op, and a fantastic adventure for the kids!

 

Panto for the Holidays World Premiere: The Magic Lamp

7:30 pm | Presidio Theatre, 99 Moraga Avenue | $10-75

Panto is a traditional British holiday entertainment that combines slapstick humor, one-line zingers, outrageous characters and send-ups of current events. The Magic Lamp‘s creative team and cast bring high-octane credentials to this new and original take on the traditional tale of Aladdin, with magnificent costumes, musical parodies, dance, magic and over-the-top silliness.

The Nog: Are your usual go-to traditions just not getting you in the mood this year? Spice things up with a new-to-you holiday tradition and a new-to-everybody holiday show!

 

Thursday, 12/2

 

“Entwined” Light Forest Installation Re-Opening

Tonight through 2/28/22 (possible extension until 6/1/22) | Peacock Meadow, Golden Gate Park | Free 

There’s even more stuff lighting up in Golden Gate Park this week – in addition to the Winter Lights, the reopening of artist Charles Gadeken’s illuminated art installment “Entwined” will cast a glow over park-goers. Interact with the artist’s imagining of a “post-nature tree of life” in this immersive installation.

The Nog: It’s a great way to end your evening stroll through the park’s Winter Lights display, of course – but for those of us who love the magic of seeing things lit up in the dark, but really aren’t digging anything that stinks of Xmas cheer, this is a very special alternative. 

 

Pink Martini

Tonight through Sunday, 12/5 | 7:30 pm | SF Jazz Center, 201 Franklin Street | $65-175

Pound for pound, no other band does what Pink Martini does. With the combined power of a dozen musicians, the self-described “little orchestra” performs a rollicking cross-genre mix of classical, jazz, and old-fashioned pop. Hurry and get your tickets – as of the time of this writing, they’re almost sold out!

The Nog: You’ve heard them before whether you know it or not, and you probably couldn’t tell whether it was a new song or something from 60 years ago. Hit this concert up in your best outfit, and plan to splurge on a fancy cocktail after the show – you’ll be feeling fancy after this encounter with such an upscale sound! 

 

Industry Night

9:00 pm | Monarch, 101 6th Street | $0-15

We honor those who constantly work long hours to bring us the entertainment we enjoy on a weekly basis, our industry friends who work so hard, but who you don’t know much about. Without them the show wouldn’t go on. We create this night for you to come and have a good time with us! Network with those in the industry, enjoy some fun drink specials brought to you by some of the best mixologists in town, and have a moment to connect (or disconnect) and enjoy music without having to be “on.”

The Nog: This is where those of us who make parties happen go to party, so I’m basically sharing an insider secret with you. Enjoy it 😉

 

Friday, 12/3

 

Best of SF Standup

8:00 pm | Variety Theater, 582 Market Street, Suite 101 | $15

Best of SF Stand-up Comedy is one of the longest running independent comedy shows in San Francisco. Looking for some virtual laughs? Get tickets to our FREE weekly Zoom shows, every Saturday at 8pm! More into the in-person experience? Get tickets to our LIVE weekly shows in downtown SF’s beautiful Variety Theater, every Friday at 8pm! (Use promo code HALFSIES for half-price tix!) All shows require proof of vaccination and masks.

The Nog: In my opinion, the Zoom Standup Show is the most successful performance transition I’ve seen during the pandemic, and one of the most consistently entertaining and engaging. Brighten up your chilly winter evenings with some laughter while you’re cozied up at home!

 

Wasted presents: Junkie Kid + Geo

9:30 pm | DNA Lounge, 375 11th Street | $15-20

Junkie Kid is a DJ/producer (and all around nice guy) from Mexico who, after spending some years in Europe, has settled down in the artist’s paradise of LA. If you want puro hardstyle, Junkie Kid is the man for you. Beats are fast, sounds are hard and dark, and so is the attitude. See him tonight with the king of hard trap, Geo!

The Nog: This is how you recover from an entire retail shift punctuated three times an hour by “All I Want For Christmas (Is You).”

 

Saturday, 12/4

 

Mark Foehringer’s Nutcracker Sweets

12/4 and 12/5 at 11:00 am & 1:30 pm; 12/11-12 and 12/18-19 at 11:00 am, 1:30 pm, and 4:00 pm | Cowell Theatre, 2 Marina Boulevard | $22.50-44.50

Mark Foehringer’s Nutcracker Sweets is a unique 50-minute version of the Nutcracker specifically designed for families with young children. The production features a live 9-piece chamber orchestra, with a score re-orchestrated by the late Maestro Michael Morgan of Oakland Symphony Orchestra.

The Nog: I told y’all before, The Nutcracker in all its iterations = the holidays to me and mine, and this sweet daytime show is a great way to introduce your littlest ones (or your own short attention span) to the magic of the ballet.

 

3rd Annual Krampus Pageant

3:00 pm | El Rio, 3158 Mission Street | Free

Join San Francisco Krampus and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence as they pay homage to the sinister and scary side of Christmas at their 3rd Annual Krampus Pageant. The naughtiest creatures of San Francisco will strut for a panel of steely judges and compete for a chance to be crowned the Krampus of 2021.

The Nog: Just like the Sisters’ Easter-time Sexy Jesus/Foxy Mary Contests, the Krampus Pageant is a glorious way to flip the bird at your not-so-internalized religious-holiday-trauma. Let out your inner monster, and maybe you’ll be lucky enough that Krampus will give you a whack with his whip! 😉

 

Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir’s 36th Annual Holiday Concert: SING JOY!

4:00 pm | Jack London Square, Oakland | Free

The Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir is excited to present its first in-person event in almost 2 years! This free outdoor concert will feature all three Oakland Interfaith Choirs and guest artists, including crowd favorites ASL interpreters Sherry Hicks and Michael Velez of Half-N-Half. A ticketed Jingle Mingle VIP event is also available, and includes indoor seating, food, drinks, fun gifts, and other surprises!

The Nog: Okay, so some of us actually do still enjoy the inspirational, spiritual trappings of the holidays. This free concert is guaranteed to leave you feeling joyful and full of good cheer, whatever you believe in!

 

Yoko0 + DJ M3

Saturday, 12/4 | 9:30 pm | The Great Northern, 119 Utah Street | $10-30

Like a mantra vibrating beat by beat, Yoko0’s music abides only the deepest meditative intuition and revolves around the creation of unbound free flowing states of creativity, echoing in stillness and a deep connection to nature, where every subtle detail counts for rich in artistic expression and depth. Sink into the luxurious sounds of Yoko0 tonight at The Great Northern!

The Nog: Forget the holidays. Forget that you still haven’t gotten Nana a Hannukkah gift. Forget your worries and your cares, forget your own name, forget it all… All but the beat… the beat…. the beat… beat….

 

Sunday, 12/5

 

True Love Waits: An Evening of Tom Waits Songs with The MegaFlame Band

7:00 pm | Amado’s, 998 Valencia Street | $20-25

Let yourself be enveloped in a strange and beautiful evening of Tom Waits songs and quotes selected from Rain Dogs, Blue Valentine, Alice, and The Heart of Saturday Night. This evening of enchantment will be completed by atmospheric film projections and the dark, velvety vocal stylings of Angela LaFlamme, accompanied by members of MegaFlame. Be ready to be beguiled…

The Nog: Once Auntie Mabel’s Extra-Rummy Rum-Raisin Ice Cream gets you and the folks feeling sentimental, it’s time to grab your masks, hop in a taxi, and catch this intimate cocktail-hour concert together.

 

Mark Your Calendar

Thursday, 12/11 and Friday, 12/2 – East Bay Alternative Book and Zine Festival

Thursday, 12/11 and Friday, 12/2 – Patchwork Show San Francisco: Modern Makers Market

 

Rad Ongoing Events

Every Tuesday through 12/28 – American Stories with Ash K.

Virtually every Saturday and in-person every Friday – Best of SF Standup

 

And don’t forget to check out our Big Bad List of Rad ongoing events right here!