Avoiding the masses storming the theaters for Transformers? Here are a few things to keep you busy until the 4th... If you haven't been yet, stop by Gallery Nineteen Eighty Eight to check out Back for Seconds, a diverse group show with 37 different artists. 1173 Sutter St, SF. Kick back with Castle Quiz at the Edinburgh Castle with seven rounds of questions about music, history and pop culture. Drink specials and cash prizes......

What do Broken Social Scene and Peaches both have in common? Leslie Feist! The Canadian singer-songwriter performs at the Fillmore tonight with Grizzly Bear. 1805 Geary St., SF. If you can't score tickets to the show, head over to Bottom of the Hill and check out NOMO, an Afro-beat band from Detroit for $10. 1233 17th St, SF. Calling all PSP fans! Head over to the Sony Playstation store at the Metreon to celebrate......

Tuesday Night Trivia Roundup ...

Here's a listing for tonight's events...

It's the first Thursday of the month, the official "wine and cheese chaser" day to descend on downtown art galleries and people watch. A couple of highlights of tonight's receptions: ARTworkSF (49 Geary St., 2nd Floor) presents (sub) text: coded and deconstructedlanguage, curated by Matt McKinley and featuring three Bay Area artists, Maggie Malloy, Eric Bohr,and Judith Miller. In paintings and mixed media works, the artists demonstrate how each non-verbally communicates both message and meaning--the......

First, the swanky: The MoAD Vanguard presents Preview at the Clift Hotel, (495 Geary St. at Jones) an evening of art, music and dance for a cause - the cause being MoAD and the arts of the African Diaspora. From the PR: groove to the global sounds of DJ Cecil (Relevant Sound, Bembe) while taking in the artwork of Amanda Williams, April Banks, Rah Crawford, Rosalind McGary, Emmanuel Pratt and Sydney James. Preview is......

ARTworkSF (49 Geary St., Suite 215 Best of Show” Union Square Gallery Opening July 6-22, Tuesdays-Saturdays noon-5:30, opening reception July 6 5:30-7:30 To celebrate its 14th year in business, ARTworkSF will move into a premiere gallery space in the heart of Union Square. The first opening will take place during San Francisco’s famous “First Thursdays”. Juried by the public, this exhibit will showcase the most popular works of Bay Area artists from past ARTworkSF......

We told you about the Hammer auditions at Film Arts last week, but it wasn't until today, when friend of SFist Katie tipped us off, that we knew the true insanity of the situation. She sent us to this craigslist entry, which contains identical verbiage to the one we posted earlier, except that it lists an additional audition venue: Monday November 21st between 7 -9 Round Table pizza res't, 3567 Geary St., SF, 94118......

So you like standing around in quiet, crowded galleries, knowingly staring at some square of art while nodding and murmuring, "ah...yes...how profound." Frankly, you sound pretty pretentious to us. But if you're resigned to that sort of thing, you might as well surround yourself with some really truly beautiful images at The Stephen Wirtz Gallery (to whom we refuse to link, due to their site's appalling use of frames). Now through January 15th, they're hosting......