Best Bay Area Events 5/21-6/10
Jalisa Robinson is Queer, as in Funny – Safe Words Comedy Showcase
Jalisa Robinson is no stranger to the Safe Words stage, and she has blown away audiences every single time. With her distinct style—melding deadpan delivery with sparkling insights—Jalisa expertly dissects topics like race and the patriarchy, making her performances both thought-provoking and thoroughly entertaining. [ Safe Words is on a mission to accelerate the careers of queer comedians, creating very funny safe spaces for queer audiences]
I’m Going to Prom!
by Vanessa Gil, Arts & Events Editor
I am headed to Sunnydale for prom with a cross and stake in tow. The Buffy parody immersive experience opens this week and I am looking forward to it! I’ll let you know how it goes. Here’s what else I’m excited for the week of 5/21 and beyond.
Our Merch
The East Bay Beer Passport is Now Only $10!!!
Seeing as this thing expires on July 1st, we figured we’d make it as cheap as possible for you to get 27 two-for-one beer coupons at 27 of the finest locally owned bars, breweries, dives, diners and restaurants in the East Bay. Get your right here.
Listen to this Week’s Spotify Playlist!
This Week’s Events 5/21-5/27
Tuesday, 5/21
Outside Lands Job Fair 2024
5/21 | Bill Graham Civic Auditorium | 99 Grove St, SF | 4 p.m. | Free, 18+
Visit the Outside Lands Job Fair at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium and learn more about paid opportunities to get involved on-site at this year’s festival. Come prepared to learn about available positions such as festival set-up crew, security & event staff, premium experiences staff, and more. Links to a digital application will be provided.
Kathleen Hanna & Brontez Purnell
5/21 | Sydney Goldstein Theater | 275 Hayes St, SF | 7:30 p.m. | $49
Rock trailblazer Kathleen Hanna, front-woman of the bands Bikini Kill and Le Tigre, takes the stage alongside prolific Oakland-based literary bad-boy and performer Brontez Purnell for an electric night of conversation about their unapologetic new memoirs, their influential stripes of rebellious artistry, and the essence of punk.
Wednesday, 5/22
San Francisco Ballet School’s Spring Festival
5/22-5/24 | Blue Shield Theater at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts | 700 Howard St, SF | 6 p.m. | $29-$68 Performance only
Join San Francisco Ballet School as we welcome and celebrate School Director Grace Holmes, an alumna of SF Ballet School and company, at the SF Ballet School 2024 Spring Festival. Held at the Blue Shield Theater at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts this year’s event will include three evenings of SF Ballet School ON STAGE performances, and a fundraising dinner on Wednesday.
Gladiator Live—Film w/ Live Orchestra
5/22-5/23 | Davies Symphony Hall | 201 Van Ness Ave, SF | 7:30 p.m. | $69-$199
Relive this five-time Academy Award-winning epic on the big screen while the Symphony and Chorus performs Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard’s iconic score.
Thursday, 5/23
Sunnydale Prom: Buffy Parody Immersive Experience
5/23-6/9 | The San Francisco Mint | 88 5th St, SF | 6:30 p.m. | $75 GA, $150 VIP
The year is 1998, and guests are cordially invited to attend prom at Sunnydale High School. In this large-scale Buffy the Vampire Slayer parody immersive experience, the historic Mint building is transformed into Sunnydale, where guests can interact with the characters they know and love as they relive their favorite moments from the iconic TV series.
Whitney Cummings
5/23-5/25 | San Jose Improv | 62 S Second St, San Jose | 7:30 p.m. | $30-$95, 21+
Cummings has described her comedic influences beginning with Paul Reiser, who she said “made these hysterical, brilliant commentary about the most mundane things and open it up to a hysterical world”.
Jacob Collier, w/ special guest Kimbra
5/23 | Bill Graham Civic Auditorium | 99 Grove St, SF | 7 p.m. Doors | $49.50
Recognized by audiences, critics and fellow musicians alike as one of the most gifted young artists of modern times, 29-year-old Jacob Collier already boasts a seemingly endless list of achievements including five Grammy wins. His roster of collaborators is astoundingly varied and vibrant, recording and performing with UK music icons.
Friday, 5/24
Madness, Save Ferris
5/24 | Fox Theater | 1807 Telegraph Ave, Oakland | 7 p.m. Doors | $55-$75
According to keyboard-wrangler Mike ‘Barso’ Barson, the title track to Madness’s lucky thirteenth full-length C’est La Vie is “about these crazy times we’re living in, and how I just want to stay on my boat and not be a part of all this madness. But of course, I’m a member of a group called Madness. Perhaps we should have called ourselves ‘Sanity’…”
Jay Pharoah
5/24-5/26 | Cobb’s Comedy Club | 915 Columbus Ave, SF | 7:30 p.m. | $32.25-$47.25
Actor and comedian Jay Pharoah is one of the industry’s most highly-anticipated leading men. Best known for his his spot-on impressions, Pharoah spent six seasons as a cast member on NBC’s SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE.
BottleRock Napa Valley 2024
5/24-5/26 | Napa Valley Expo | 575 3rd St, Napa | 12 p.m. | $233-$243
This year’s music festival includes Meg Thee Stallion, Stevie Nicks, Pear Jam, and so many more!
Saturday, 5/25
Gogol Bordello w/ Forrest Day
5/25 | The UC Theate | 2036 University Ave, Berkeley | 8 p.m. | $42.50, All ages
Gogol Bordello is an American punk rock band from the Lower East Side of Manhattan, formed in 1999 by musicians from all over the world and known for theatrical stage shows and persistent touring. Based out of Oakland, Forrest Day is a 5 piece band that’s been performing concerts around the country for almost a decade.
West Coast Craft Market Late Spring 2024
5/25 | Fort Mason Center | 2 Marina Blvd, SF | 10 a.m.| Free, All ages
More than 100 vendors participate with a variety of hand-crafted items for sale, including textiles, bags, accessories, wood crafts, furniture, clothing, housewares, body care, ceramics, glass art, jewelry, and much more.
BONG-O BINGO in STONER-VISION
5/25 | Mission Cannabis Club | 2441 Mission St, SF | 6 p.m. | $15, 21+
BONG-O BINGO is so much fun that people are hypnotized aka stoned to bejuses by the time they leave! It’s the power of cannabis and drag cannabis bingo that compels them. It’s a guaranteed stoney good time with your hosts Brandelicious, Thee Pristine Condition and DJ Dank. Mocktails by Manzanita Naturals and smokey treats by Ooka.
Steve Aoki
5/25 | The Midway | 900 Marin St, SF | 2 p.m. | $45-$199, 21+
Catch Steve Aoki and Lil Jon live in the Heavenly Hell Tour!
Sunday, 5/26
WEEDEATER w/ Special Guest REBELMATIC
5/26 | Cornerstone | 2367 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley | 8 p.m. | $23-$27
Weedeater is an American stoner metal and sludge metal band formed in Wilmington, North Carolina in 1998. The group’s most recent album, Goliathan, was released in 2015.
25th Anniversary Stone Soul Concert
5/26 | Toyota Pavilion at Concord | 2000 Kirker Pass Rd, Concord | 12 p.m. | $59.75-$199.75
A night of all the soul from Charlie Wilson to Keith Sweat, El DeBarge to Montell Jordan, and don’t forget Big Daddy Kane!
Monday, 5/27
Shit Kickin’ Memorial Day
5/27 | El Rio | 3158 Mission St, SF | 2 p.m. | $15-$25
Headlining the event is the incomparable Mitch Polzak & The Royal Deuces, bringing their high-octane brand of Country Roots and unparalleled showmanship to the El Rio stage. Joined by special guest Margaret Belton!
Memorial Day @ The USS Hornet
5/27 | USS Hornet | 707 W Hornet Ave, Alameda | 11 a.m. | Free for Veterans, $20
Commemorate Memorial Day on the USS Hornet.
Week of 5/28-6/3
Tuesday 5/28
Avril Lavigne
5/28 | Shoreline Ampitheatre | 2940 N Shoreline Blvd, Mountain View | 7 p.m. | $39.50-$149.50
Hey! Hey! You! You! Avril’s coming to town to play her greatest hits.
Music & Dance Climate VoteFest
5/28 | Freight & Salvage | 2020 Addison St, Berkeley | 7 p.m. | $20/advance, $25/door
Local artists and East Bay activists are coming together to host a Music & Dance Climate VoteFest. We will use the emotion and power of performance to get more people engaged. Local organizations will be sharing ways to get involved to make a difference for environmental justice and getting out the vote for the upcoming 2024 election!
Miranda July
5/28 | Sydney Goldstein Theater | 275 Hayes St, SF | 7:30 p.m. | $49
Author and creator Miranda July isn’t bound by medium nor by expectations. From films like Me and You and Everyone We Know and Kajillionaire, to books like No One Belongs Here More Than You and The First Bad Man, to an iPhone app that reroutes text messages to strangers, July’s powers of creativity and observation are wise, surprising, and always delightful.
Wednesday 5/29
Maren Morris: RSVP Redux Tour
5/29 | The Masonic | 1111 California St, SF | 8 p.m. | $36.50-$96.50
Rooted in the country genre, Maren Morris’ music blends elements of pop, R&B, and hip hop.
The Cancelled Podcast Tour w/ Tana Mongeau & Brooke Schofield
5/29 | San Jose Improv | 62 S Second St, SJ | 8 p.m. | $40-$150, 21+
Acting as a natural evolution of her acclaimed “storytime” videos, The Cancelled Podcast Tour with Tana Mongeau and Brooke Schofield offers an intimate look at Mongeau, her meteoric rise to superstardom, and the unavoidable moments of vulnerability that make this cyber-personality all the more human.
Thursday 5/30
“Your Food, My Work, Our Land” Mural Unveiling
5/30 | Fort Mason Center | 2 Marina Blvd, SF | 5 p.m. | Free
The often-invisible faces of the agricultural workers who feed America are center stage in Your Food, My Work, Our Land, a new outdoor mural series by artist Oscar Lopez to be unveiled during a campuswide art walk on May 30, 2024. The art walk, free and open to the public with registration, features a variety of exhibitions, performances, and artmaking activities presented by FMCAC and its resident organizations.
The Magic Flute
5/30-6/30 | War Memorial Opera House | 301 Van Ness Ave, SF | 7:30p.m. | $26+
Infiltrate the castle. Rescue the princess. Bring her home. That’s the mission that unites two unlikely allies: a dashing young prince and a bumbling bird-catcher, armed only with a set of magical musical instruments. Their journey into a world of sorcerers and serpents, spirits and secrets, takes an unexpected turn in The Magic Flute, a fairy-tale quest for love and wisdom.
Tyler Henry—The Hollywood Medium
5/30 | Luther Burbank Center for the Arts | 50 Mark West Springs Rd, Santa Rosa | 7:30 p.m. | $149
Entertainment’s mega hit television show Hollywood Medium with Tyler Henry, continues his sold-out national tour, An Evening of Hope and Healing,” in which Tyler explains how he communicates with the other side, gives live audience readings, and answers audience questions. Tyler’s accurate personal readings of audience members often bring others to tears, giving them proof, hope and understanding that “our loved ones never really leave us.”
Maria Bamford
5/30 | San Jose Improv | 62 S Second St, SJ | 8 p.m. | $25-$85, 21+
Maria Bamford’s stand-up work often uses self-deprecating and dark topics, including her dysfunctional family, depression, anxiety, suicide, and mental illness.
Fort Mason Center For Arts & Culture Art Walk Spring 2024
5/30 | Fort Mason Center | 2 Marina Blvd, SF | 5 p.m. | Free
The Art Walk features pop-up artist and curator talks across campus; a new exhibition, an opening reception, a live performance, and an art workshop in Landmark Building C; an outdoor painting commission in the public art corridor between Landmark Buildings B and C; and a public art commission at Landmark Building B, the Gateway Pavilion at Pier 2, and the Festival Pavilion at Pier 3.
Friday 5/31
Distant Worlds: Music From Final Fantasy
5/31-6/1 | Davies Symphony Hall | 201 Van Ness Ave, SF | 7:30 p.m. | $87-$186
The SF Symphony and Chorus perform the music of FINAL FANTASY led by Grammy Award-winner Arnie Roth. HD video projected onto giant screens combined with the unforgettable scores from FINAL FANTASY XIV, FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE, and all 35+ years of games make this concert a multimedia event not to be missed.
Carnival Takeover & Alameda County Community Food Bank Spring Event
5/31 | Oakland Museum of California | 1000 Oak St, Oakland | 5 p.m. | Free
In celebration of the vibrant cultures of the Bay Area, the night starts at the Garden Stage with a Soca Meets Samba Dance Workshop, a fun, all-levels, all-ages dance class highlighting some of the most popular moves from each genre.
Towards Opulence, the Opera
5/31-6/2 | Dance Mission Theater | 3316 24th St, SF | 8 p.m. | $20-$100
Towards Opulence, the Opera is part of an ongoing act of creative resistance and imaginative reclamation. Skywatchers believe that Tenderloin residents — and other marginalized people — are the truth tellers of our society, akin to the mythical Cassandras. By breathing life into often overlooked or discredited truths, we remember our interdependence and expose the roots of power and oppression. Towards Opulence invites us to conjure and claim our most audacious and glorious selves and step into a future where we truly belong to each other.
Saturday 6/1
SF Italian Festival
6/1-6/2 | Stockton St between Union & Filbert, SF | 11 a.m. | Free, All ages
San Francisco’s only Italian street festival and 103rd Statuto footrace. The festival and race have all things Italian: accordions (the official instrument of SF), a Columbus salami arch #runningforsalami, marionettes and Italian tattoos for the kids (temporary of course) and Tony Gemignani spinning and tossing pizzas to the delight of thousands.
La Onda Festival
6/1-6/2 | Napa Valley Expo | 575 3rd St, Napa | 12 p.m. | $209+
La Onda by BottleRock lands in the heart of Napa Valley for its inaugural year on June 1-2, 2024. Don’t miss out on the largest Latin festival in Northern California featuring incredible performances by Maná, Fuerza Regida, Alejandro Fernández, Junior H + more!
Heels for Hope: A Variety Show Fundraiser for Maitri
6/1 | Marines’ Memorial Theatre | 609 Sutter St, SF | 5 p.m. | $50-$100
Kick off Pride Month with Maitri for a Variety Show to raise funds for compassionate care for people living with HIV/AIDS and those recovering from gender-affirming surgeries! Hosted by former Miss Gay SF and the 30th elected Empress of SF, SF living legend Donna Sachet, this will be a night of amazing talent featuring Allison Hooker, Caleb Sasser, and Fou Fou Ha!
Taking Back Sunday w/ Citizen
6/1 | The Warfield | 982 Market St, SF | 8 p.m. | $49.95-$89.95
They’ve been making music together as a band for more than 20 years, have sold millions of albums—and along the way, amassed a devoted, international fan base. This unrelenting pursuit of greatness lies at the heart of 152, Taking Back Sunday’s long awaited, thrilling eighth studio album. Written and refined over the course of several years, it’s a passionate, melody-infused confessional from a band forever known for its honesty and vulnerability.
Pride Pour 2024
6/1 | Terra Gallery | 511 Harrison St, SF | 4 p.m. | $175-$50,000, 21+
Join LYRIC for an intentional celebration of queer joy, resilience, and the power of community all while enjoying delicious wines from some of the top wineries in Napa and Sonoma. Attendees can look forward to wine tastings, including non-alcoholic options, from a cornucopia of wineries and enjoy delectable heavy hors d’oeuvres all while raising money to invest in LGTBQQ+ youth in the Bay Area.
46th Union Street Festival, Kicking-off Summer in the City
6/1-6/2 | Union Street | Union Street from Gough to Steiner, SF | 11 a.m. | Free, All ages
Get ready to kick-start your summer in the heart of the city with two days of feel-good vibes and unforgettable attractions. Discover handcrafted arts and crafts from West Coast’s top designers, indulge on the Bay Area’s best food trucks and vendors, and sip while you stroll enjoying handcrafted cocktails and top shelf beer, wine, spiked seltzer and non-alcholic drinks including Watermelon Mint Cooler.
Sunday 6/2
Lynne Kaufman’s Extreme Acts
6/2 | The Marsh – San Francisco | 1062 Valencia St, SF | 5 p.m. | $28-$103
EXTREME ACTS is comprised of 2 one-act plays. I AM HERE dramatizes the path of a performance artist as she challenges the limits of endurance in life and love. I WITNESS examines the aftermath of an assault that forever alters the lives of both the accuser and the accused. Both plays explore encounters with the unknown.
Monday 6/3
Kings Kaleidoscope
6/3 | Great American Music Hall | 859 O’Farrell St, SF | 8 p.m. | $35-$45
Kings Kaleidoscope’s music features an eclectic range of electronic, woodwind, string and brass instruments, with a musical style described as indie rock meets hip hop production with a sprinkle of Disney.
The Week of 6/4-6/10
Tuesday 6/4
Arj Barker: Live Album Recording
6/4 | Punch Line SF | 444 Battery St, SF | 7:30 p.m. | $23.25-$31.25
Arj Barker started his stand-up career in SF in 1990, quickly becoming a favorite in the Bay Area before branching out to perform on innumerable stages in countries across the world. Now he returns to the very city he started in to record his brand new live comedy album. Talk about full circle huh? So come on down and be part of history!
The Novel Carnival Fun-Draiser
6/4 | El Rio | 3158 Mission St, SF | 6 p.m. | $35-$100, 21+
This year, 826 Valencia’s Associate Board is excited to invite you to our third annual free-book fundraiser, The Novel Carnival! All proceeds support the programming of 826 Valencia, a nonprofit organization in San Francisco dedicated to supporting under-resourced students ages 6-18 with their creative and expository writing skills.
Wednesday 6/5
41st Annual San Francisco Jazz Festival
6/5-6/16 | SFJAZZ Center | 201 Franklin St, SF | 7 p.m. | Prices vary by show
SFJAZZ is excited to announce Summer at SFJAZZ 2024, featuring over 90 concerts across both the 41st Annual San Francisco Jazz Festival, June 5 – 16.
Thursday 6/6
Echo & The Bunnymen
6/6 | The Warfield | 982 Market St, SF | 8 p.m. | $39.50-$49.50
Echo & the Bunnymen are a legendary English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1978.
Pauly Shore
6/6 | Cobb’s Comedy Club | 915 Columbus Ave, SF | 7 p.m. | $30.25-$45.25, 18+
Pauly Shore tasted super-stardom in 1990 when his precedent-setting MTV show “Totally Pauly” hit the airwaves to major fan approval. Most recently, Pauly released “Pauly Shore Stands Alone,” a true-life road documentary that follows him as he performs in obscure towns throughout Wisconsin while dealing with his personal life back home.
Friday 6/7
Ryan Adams
6/7-6/8 | The Guild Theatre | 949 El Camino Real, Menlo Park | 8 p.m. | $91-$223, All ages
Ryan Adams is an alt-country and rock and roll singer-songwriter from Jacksonville, NC who has released sixteen solo studio albums.
“Reclamation of a Stolen Heart” Fundraiser
6/7 | Martinez Campbell Theater | 636 Ward St, Martinez | 6 p.m. | $20 Donation
Help the Strength in Numbers Collective raise money for their Burning Man installation. The fundraiser will feature live music, a raffle, silent auction, and an artist talk with Bronze Holbein!
Saturday 6/8
Swing Dance Party at the USS Hornet!
6/8 | USS Hornet Museum | 707 W Hornet Ave, Alameda | 7 pm. | $40
Grab a partner and come down to the USS Hornet and dance to the tunes of Death and Taxes Swing Band! There will have a full dance floor, snacks and beverages to purchase and the amazing backdrop of this historical ship built during the 1940s! If you are so inclined, wear your best 1940s styles and dance the night away!
Sunday 6/9
San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus
6/9 | Freight & Salvage | 2020 Addison St, Berkeley | 2 p.m. | $40/advance, $45/door
The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus‘ two ensembles, The Lollipop Guild and HomoPhonics, are thrilled to be back at Freight & Salvage to sing some of their favorite songs! This show will take you on a journey of some of our of favorite songs and artists. SFGMC promises an evening of TLC – tears, laughs and chill bumps!
Monday 6/10
Camera Obscura
6/10 | The Fillmore | 1805 Geary Blvd, SF | 8 p.m. | $34.50
The latest from these Glaswegian indie-poppers blends 1950s beach music, country, and bubbly orch-pop to complement their alternately romantic and cynical lyrics.
Don’t forget to check out our Big Bad List of Rad Ongoing Events right here!
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