Following on the heels of The New York Times, the other national paper of record, USA Today, has been prowling the Mission. Can Reader's Digest be far behind? more ›

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Update!: We accidentally screwed up our contest-o-meter, so we're embarrassed to say we're going to have to run the contest again! Sorry, sorry, sorry, APAture. Reenter away, and we'll pick a winner by mid-day tomorrow. more ›

-- Goodbye Yellow Brick Road: A typical night at the cabaret this is not. The last time we saw Connie Champagne perform (during her stint at the Plush Room), tweakers were passing out in the audience, drunks wept into their vodka rocks, and Connie busted out a dead-on tribute as Judy Garland. Performing Garland's classics (like "San Francisco") as well as songs she might have crooned ("Bohemian Rhapsody" and "A Case of You"), Champagne shows us just why Garland should be remembered as the punk icon she is, not just a tragic figure of, ugh, camp. Curtain goes up at 8 p.m. (tonight and tomorrow night) at New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness; $28. more ›

a chance to help out Killing My Lobster? But of course! The Romane Event, the monthly music/film/comedy/spoken word event at the Make Out Room the last Wednesday of every month and hosted by Paco Romane, is a benefit for local comedy group Killing My Lobster, and will feature their sketches and movies tonight. Looks like fabulous fabulist Harmon Leon'll be there too! $7-15 sliding scale, 8 p.m., at the Make Out Room (3225 22nd, x Mission). more ›

with readings from the book, music, and a special Bloomsday feast at the Mechanics' Institute. 57 Post Street (x Market), $15, saloon opens 6:30, readings begin at 7:30. more ›

For a thorough sampling of the current Bay Area rock/indie/pop/folk scene, look no further than Penny Arcade, a monthly, semi-acoustic showcase hosted by one of the cities most likeable citizens, Raul Sanchez. For the past two years, Raul has regularly packed various venues, such as the Make-Out Room -- now the event's permanent home, Bottom of the Hill, and The Hotel Utah with bands and fans alike. Tonight, come celebrate Penny Arcade's Two-Year Anniversary at... more ›

Friend of SFist Charlie Anders reminds us that her nifty and unusual spoken-word group, Writers With Drinks, will be experiencing yet another stupendous explosion of literary greatness this Saturday, the 9th, from 7:30 to 9:30 at The Make Out Room. Presenters include: more ›

SFist interviews Get Mortified's Scott Lifton more ›

- free public lecture by Norwood Pratt (we don't know if he has a charming British accent, but with a name like that, he so should) hosted by the Book Club of California. Pratt talks tea history, literature and lore. He is currently compiling an Encyclopedia of Tea. Pratt's lecture is preceded by teatime from 5 to 7pm at 312 Sutter St., Suite 510 (at Bush). more ›

This week we give thanks for the amazing music coming out of the bay area, and the best venues in the nation to see it in. Listen up to the local music you can hear this week, and let's show our appreciation to these hardworking musicians by heading out to catch some shows. more ›

LitPAC's Progressive Reading Series is a monthly literary benefit to support progressive congressional candidates nationwide. Every second Monday of the month though the 2006 mid-terms, hit the Makeout Room (3225 22nd Street) at 7 p.m., to hear local and visiting authors read from past and recent works. more ›

Saturday: We're hitting the Pandora's Trunk art and fashion event. Come by 916 Natoma (at 10th Street) between 1-7 p.m. for "handmade fashion goods, art, homemade truffles, and a deluxe spa and massage corner." See the entire lineup of vendors for this free event here. more ›

One Wednesday you're in, and the next you're .... out. Tonight: Independent bookstores all over town are closing left and right. Help the one on the left stay open at a benefit for Modern Times tonight. Local musicians, artists, and performers like Solidad diCosta, Ghost Family, Bahiyyih Maroon, Seeley Quest, Grant Donnelly and Joolie Geldner are donating their time and talent. Plus -- food and drink! Valencia x 20th, 7-9 p.m. more ›

Sunday kicked off the 10th annual Mission Creek Music and Arts Festival featuring over 170 music acts, most of them local but some of them national (Vincent Gallo) and international (Ane Brun). The MCMAF offers a fantastic opportunity to get out into your neighborhood bars and clubs and see some bands on the rise. You can also get an earful of the uniquely adventurous and creative music coming out of the bay area. The film offerings range from panel discussions to music video screenings, including a premiere of the newest video for The Strokes, so be sure to check out the film schedule. more ›

Free to be.... you and Wednesday. Tonight: Cue poignant accordian music, read post in Gallic tones. The Alliance Française is screening L'Affaire Valérie, an award-winning documentary by François Caillat about the legend of a woman who killed a Canadian before disappearing into the Alps. This is the first part of a three-part French documentary series that the Alliance is putting on this spring. $6 ($3 for Alliance members), 7 p.m., 1345 Bush Street (at Larkin). [Thanks for the help in coding html accents, folks!] more ›

So many moons ago, we wrote a post about Other Magazine. We were still young, unknown punks on this here locally scribbler scene. Nearly a year and a half later, we're still young punks at least (though we'll just be punks before long), mostly by virtue of being accepted by actual literary luminaries like Charlie Anders and Annalee Newitz. Granted, they're not hard to find, with Charlie MCing Writers With Drinks at the Makeout Room every month. more ›

SFist interviews Paco Romane more ›

My Wednesday brings all the boys to the yard.... Tonight: The Make Out Room is dedicating tonight's PYT dance party to the memory of Sarah Tucker, who founded the monthly club event and was tragically killed in a hit-and-run bike accident two weeks ago. All proceeds will go to Uncommon Legacies, a group Tucker supported. Thursday: Take a private tour of the Contemporary Jewish Museum in support of its exhibition "Intersections: Reading the Space," an exploration of three women artists on faith, patriarchy, and collaboration. The centerpiece of the exhibition is a piece of cloth that the three artists, located around the globe, each worked on and passed along to the next. The museum's at 121 Steuart Street, call 415-292-1233 to register or for more information. and Friday: Stargazing! Bring binoculars and a red-colored flashlight (to preserve your night vision) to the SF Botanical Gardens tonight. Sunset is at 5:28 p.m., and the gazing begins at 6. They promise you that guide Bing Quock of the Morrison Planetarium will be able to point out sights like Saturn, Mars, and the Taurus constellation tonight, but we gotta say, the only one we can ever find is Orion. $8 members, $12 non, reservations appreciated at (415) 661-1316, meet at 5:45 outside the main gate. Picture of Sarah Tucker more ›

Nobody puts Wednesday in a corner -- nobody! Today: Stumble on down 22nd Street and check out the Bay Guardian-awarded Best Comedian Paco Romane's Romane Event at the Make Out Room. Romane will duel it out with the SF Weekly's best comedian Will Franken, along with another comedic troupe, the Hurley Brothers (no doubt soon to become the EBX's best comedy troupe). They'll also be screening a movie by cartoonist Lev. $7, 8-10 p.m. Thursday: Lush romanticism and plush seats! Local classical cult leader Michael Tilson Thomas conducts the Brahms violin and cello concerto at 2 p.m. in Symphony Hall. Also, a flashy Liszt piece (is there any other kind?), nominally about Faust. Dedicated slackers, if you get there early, you can line up for the 40 tickets in the Center Terrace (behind second base, as it were), which go on sale 2 hours in advance for $15-20. After you get your ticket, go check out the free pre-show talk at 1 p.m. too. Friday: Support the developmentally disabled artists of Creativity Explored at their annual holiday art exhibition and sale. Opening reception goes from 6-9 at their store, on 16th Street right off Guerrero (right by Otsu). Picture of Paco Romane and Robin Williams from Free Dirt Media website more ›

Our concert picks for the week of 9/22-9/28. more ›

Our concert picks for the week of 8/25 - 8/31. more ›

Actually, rather a lot to choose from this week. Our picks: more ›

Our concert picks for the week of 7/21-7/27. more ›

Our concert picks for the week of 6/30 - 7/6. more ›

Our concert picks for the week of 6/16 - 6/22. more ›

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Music-loving good samaritans, this is your lucky week. If you like to enjoy a little partying and live performance in exchange for your charitable contributions, you have no less than six different tsunami relief benefits to choose from. On Friday, The Independent is having their second benefit, featuring members of New Monsoon, ALO, Samantha and the Ritual for a donation of $10-50. Great American's benefit that night with indie kings Gibbard, Kozelek, Richman and Bachman is sold out, but buying a ticket from a scalper would be even more wrong than usual. Bottom of the Hill's "Wave of Relief" benefit is on Sunday, with Blind Justice, The MoFonics, OM&M, et al. Monday night Erase Errata, Murder Murder, Curse of the Birthmark and So So Many White White Tigers rock the Elbo Room. Wednesday night brings another benefit at Bottom of the Hill, with Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, Jason Quever from the Papercuts and several others, for $7 and up. Also that night is a benefit presented by A Show of Hands at Rickshaw Stop with comedy, film, dance, theatre and music from the likes of Hard Nox and Killing My Lobster, for a donation of $5-20. Look at you, San Francisco, doin' so good! For those about to rock for a good cause, we salute you. more ›

Reach a hand across the blogger/print media divide and get your weekly buzz on at the Indie Mag All-Star party this Saturday from 8-10. Locally-published magazines Kitchen Sink, Bitch Magazine, Other Magazine, LiP, and Ohio's Clamor throw a reading party at the Make Out Room, in conjunction with the independent press convention this weekend. Admission is free, drinks are on you (or whichever cute indie writer/editor you can get to buy). The current issues of the magazines feature writings on borders (Clamor), home and travel (Bitch), winners of the fiction contest (Kitchen Sink), current issues in left-wing politics (LiP), and utopia/dystopia (Other), so there should be food for thought accompanying your $2 PBR. ($2 happy hour PBR! So good it should be illegal!). Pic from Kitchen Sink. Obligatory disclosure: this correspondent's affiliated with Bitch; come by and say hi on Saturday to the person in the special SFist-designed Mrs. Chris Daly t-shirt! more ›

Local producer Count interviews with EssEffist. more ›