Usually, we don't feature arena concerts, but Wednesday night's concert featuring Mute Math, Alanis Morissette and Matchbox Twenty, is well worth it and is something to talk about. First off, who ever decided that those three bands ever belonged together? Strange enough, we kinda think it works (in an extremely 90's kind of way). With the arena setting, hopefully Mute Math will finally get the extra push to become a household name. Their concerts are......

535 San Francisco Unified School District teachers will receive layoff notices this morning due to state cuts in education funding. Today's pink slip handouts stem from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's budget '09, which will see San Francisco schools losing around $40 million. According to CBS 5, Mayor Newsom is doing what he can, even if it's a Band-Aid solution to a longterm problem. Mayor Gavin Newsom has said he plans to ask the Board of......

We've had a couple of chances to catch Perfect Machines live over the past few months. What can we say, other than that they rock in that super-fun NOFX-meets-Misfits supercharged punk way. They're throwing a CD release party tomorrow at 111 Minna - copies of the album are free with the $10 cover, along with Jameson shots - and we decided to take the opportunity to ask them a few questions. Name Perfect Machines Sam......

This week we want to focus on the local music scene even though it seems that Portland natives' Blitzen Trapper and Stephen Malkmus have captured San Franciscan's hearts - Wednesday's show is sold out. (There aren't even any tickets available on Craigslist!) Friday night you'll want to head over to Slim's to catch six bands: Perfect Machines, Fyre Away, High Like Five, the Paper Sons, Punch Face and Bob Hill Band. We're most excited about......

SFist interviews Onion editor, Joe Randazzo...

As the winners of Live 105's Local Band competition, Maldroid will be opening for Modest Mouse, Jimmy Eat World, Angels & Airwaves, Spoon, and Paramore tomorrow night at the "Not So Silent Night" bash at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. Maldroid's sound is a mix between The Beatles and The Hives. They first became popular when their video, "He Said, She Said," won "The Youtube Underground" competition - Youtube's first ever music video competition. They......

Judging from the range of performers this week, there is something for everyone. Starting first, in our weekly recommendations, is New Zealand singer-songwriter, Brooke Fraser. Prior to this post, we knew nothing about this accomplished 19 year-old but a quick visit to her MySpace page and we were hooked. Tuesday, you can catch this gorgeous, pop-writing sensation at Cafe du Nord. If not, download her latest release, Albertine on iTunes. Wednesday, we are welcoming......

Earlier this month we mentioned that The Decemberists' five-night engagement at the Fillmore was canceled. It was going to be the highlight of our week, but we guess tofurkey will just have to do. This week, our picks are Travis who are playing with Maximo Park at the Fillmore tomorrow night. Friday night at the Fillmore, The Drones (listen to "Shark Fin Blues" here) are opening for Band of Horses, an indie-rock band based......

-- Comedy, Darling: Sleepover!: Mary Van Note hosts a new monthly underground talk and comedy show, where the stand-up is done in pajamas. Cute! Breaking the hymen of this monthly party is gangbang of hardcore comedic talent, featuring Brent Weinbach, Richard Kiss, Candy Churilla, Chris Garcia, and musical guest Jethro Jeremiah. The funny startsd at 8 p.m. at Edinburgh Castle; $8. -- M.I.A.: "Get crackin' get get crackin'/Get crackin' get get crackin'" [horny horns].......

It appears to be bomb day here at the ole 'Fist as we have yet another bomb story to relate to y'all. This one involves a die-hard (seriously die-hard) Giants fan who called in bomb threats at Turner Field in Atlanta. ...

Members of the exclusive Norteño gang in the Mission District got capped with a civil injunction today, barring them from hanging out each other in a 60-square-block area and from loitering after 10 p.m., according to a report in the Chronicle. Those who are subject to the preliminary injunction...can be arrested in the 60-square-block zone -- and face up to six months in jail -- if they engage in one of a number of......

Queer rights groups freaked out, threw a tizzy (understandably), and nixed their support for a workplace discrimination civil rights bill "after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco and Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., pulled transgender people from the legislation that would protect gays and lesbians from workplace discrimination." And since nothing says action like an angry missive or online petition, a letter signed by gay groups was sent to Congress yesterday demanding them to......

The Arcade Fire came through Mountain View's Shoreline Amphitheatre last Friday. We have the pictures to prove this. A suddenly-rather-popular independent rock band, it's surprising that this little-group-that-could is suddenly playing arena-size venues. And what does The Arcade Fire sound like? Figure that the group's music is like some sort of 10-person raucously ad-hoc mix-up of Neutral Milk Hotel, Slipknot, Springsteen's E Street Band, and The Coen Bros' Hudsucker Proxy shrieking songs of broken/renewed faith......

coarse language = a wee bit NSFW -- The Boys in the Band: Mart Crowley's work, which takes place one night during a birthday party, details what happens to the gays after leaving the 18- to 25-year-old demographic, with twink rage aging into fine bitterness. Really, it's the most accurate depiction of gay men, ever. Screens tonight at 7 p.m. at -- where else? -- the Castro Theatre, Castro & Market Streets; $6-$9. --......

Step right up! Step right up! The Gavin Newsom San Francisco carnival is coming to town! SEE .... the horrors that abound in the San Francisco Housing Authority! GAWK..... at the desperate lives of people trying to get by in the sub-standard apartment units provided by the city! GASP..... at the pitiful amounts of money residents try to live on! And then.... open your wallets! Won't you help.... for the children? We're not even really......

A photo of the soon-to-be-terminiated Panhandle Bandshell...

-- Litz Plummer, the Opera Lady: Wow. This should be an interesting combo: Coming to the Eagle this evening is the opera lady. You know? The one who sings on Maiden Lane, near the Hermes store. (Where you buy all of your blue separates, just like us?) She's part of tonight's "Thursday Night Live" along with All My Pretty Ones and Carletta Sue Kay. 10 p.m., the Eagle Tavern, 12th St. & Harrison; $5.......

-- The A’s: Oakland play at home against the Baltimore Orioles. Game starts at 7:05 p.m. at McAfee Coliseum; $9-$44. -- "Blow-Up": DJ Jefrodisiac and Emily Betty’s "indie-pop-disco-noir" (noir?) monthly dance club brings out hipsters of every ilk. But that doesn’t mean that you still can’t have a good time. Vin Sol & Morse Code, the Lovemakers (DJ set), Codebreaker, and Disco Nat make special guest appearances, and resident DJ Richie Panic and MC......

SFist reviews Band of Horses at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco...

Hey, SFist Krissy already told you about this, but we're going to remind! Go to the Benefit to Save Internet Radio at the Bottom of the Hill tonight. Bagel Radio Ted and SoMa FM Elise from SoMa FM are picking the tunes, and a bunch of favorite local bands will play too. 1233 17th St (x Connecticut), 6 p.m., and $3 (but give more). Other events: --The Fillmore Jazz Festival continues all day today (10-6)......

What with Paris Hilton's release earlier this week and the upcoming celebration of American Independence (sorry, Londonist!), we've been thinking a lot about freedom. Freedom to vote, freedom to choose, and most importantly, freedom to blog. Here are a few things we're happy we've been free to blog about this week. Being the nation's capital, DCist felt especially proud to let freedom ring this week by exposing the really important issues, like how sad they......

It's that time of the year again for San Francisco magazine's Best of the Bay party. The annual bash features lots of eats, drinks and chances to win prizes. Be prepared to fork over nearly a bill for your ticket here -- but as an added bonus it will also get you into the afterparty at Slide. San Francisco Concourse Exhibition Center, 635 8th St. Come watch contenders for the Air Guitar championship title......

There is nothing on Earth that makes us sigh with satisfaction as much as a bunch of Muppets running around in the 1970s. Though their post-Jim work is uncomfortable and stilted, the classics will endure pretty much forever. So we're bowled over by YBCA's Muppets, Music & Magic event -- days and days of vintage Muppet mayhem, some of it rather obscure indeed. The excitement begins on June 21 with "Muppets 101," a sort......

Los Gatos-based NetFlix has one of the greatest products around, and we give them a lot of leeway despite the company's annoying, ever-present pop-up ads. The company just announced a summer concert series that attempts to mesh movies with music. We originally thought, "how cheesy." But then we decided we liked the idea -- more or less because it's so cheesy. Also, they're all free to the public. Unfortunately, none of the concerts are......

Good God, it was cold out last night. On our trek up to the Greek Theater in Berkeley to see Arcade Fire in the first of their two gigs in the area, we ended up having to stop by the American Apparel store on Bancroft and Telegraph to buy a scarf. Who knew they even sold scarves at the daringly-bare no-sweatshop emporium? We are now officially so old, we didn't even bother looking for......

Last week's winner, as picked by SFist Sara L, the East Bay Express! A very deep Dream Cartoon about George Bush getting eaten by a shark. The Oakland military school is not military enough. Inspirational stories of East Bay kids getting scholarships. Cover: A sweet Oakland family stuck in a nightmare bureaucratic lawsuit hell over a mudslide that destroyed their house. Tripe soup in Fruitvale. A soulless book about 90s punk, and more debate about......

Monday nights are the Contemporary Jazz Orchestra Big Band nights at North Beach mainstay Jazz at Pearl's. They play the classic jazz orchestra works (Ellington, Mingus) and also some hard bop. Two shows (one at 8, one at 10), $15 + 2-drink minimum, 256 Columbus (x Pacific). Other events: --Salsa and swing dance lessons at Julie's Supper Club, with burlesque performers on the hour. 8-11 p.m., $6 after 8 p.m. (half hour lesson), $10 by......

SFist Jenna's rocked so hard, we've made her a full-fledged staff writer as of this post! Congratulations, SFist Jenna! We're excited to have you on board (like we're a ship or something). It's going to be freezing, but what else is new? Might as well make the most of it -- be sure to pack plenty of blankets and head over to a screening of the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory tonight, in......

We go to this screening of Asian and Asian-American music videos every year! We are now the people in the audience who shout, "Chi-hui!!!!" when the SFIAAFF festival director and music video programmer Chi-hui Yang comes to the front of the theater and says we're in for a "real treat." We don't even know Chi-hui and we almost said hi to him when we saw him on the street the other day. We're stalking......

Looks like the Stanford Men's Basketball team (and the women too) will have some support out there in Tourney land as the Stanford band were cleared of allegations for breaking all sorts of conduct codes when they trashed their band HQ, otherwise known as "Band Shak." ...