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......

Saturday night we had the pleasure to watch one of Noise Pop's most intriguing local acts: Wallpaper. We interviewed Eric Frederic - the man behind it all - earlier in the week and had even listened to his new EP, T REX on his MySpace page but we had no idea it was going to be that much fun. We were on such a high from Wallpaper's set that we didn't want to ruin it......

We volunteered to meet and greet sell Noise Pop merchandise to festival attendees who often ended up spending all their money on band merch (as if) and/or beer (or more specifically in Cafe Du Nord's case -- Fernet Branca and Poppy Jaspers). It was quite a fun experience though, and we highly recommend it. Contact them about volunteering at next year's event! Tuesday: Our first Noise Pop night was on Opening Night at the Rickshaw......

Popscene and Live 105 proudly present SXSF : A South By San Francisco Music Fest with Persephone's Bees (Oakland), The Duke Spirit (UK), Ting Tings (UK) and Hottub (Oakland). We all know (at least you should) that Persephone's Bees puts out some awesome Russian-influenced pop music but this particular show we are most excited about The Duke Spirit. They are hitting the West Coast for a run of dates through LA, Seattle and San......

Wallpaper, a sweet/sleazy duo from Oakland will be serenading the head-bopping Noise Pop fans at Rickshaw Stop on Saturday night. They will be opening for the hipster-loving band, Panther. Wallpaper's infectious electronic sound can be heard on their new EP, T REX that will be digitally released in late April. You might file their EP between Prince and MSTRKRFT - quite an adventure. We touched base with the lead singer who answered (quite humorously) our......

*MUSIC: We've got two tastes for you tonight. First, aging rockers Queensrÿche perform at the Fillmore. They use an umlaut in their name, so you know they're hardcore. Too much? Then, how about award winning R&B songstress Veronica Klaus over at Enrico's? She's blusey and cabaret-y -- a stellar combo. FILM: Richard Kelly's disastrous follow up to college campus favorite Donnie Darko, Southland Tales -- a sprawling SoCal tale set over the course of......

Shit. It's Valentine's Day this Thursday and by the looks of it most of you have already planned your perfect date. Three shows are already completely sold-out: The Kills at Rickshaw Stop, Slightly Stoopid at The Independent and Common at Mezzanine. While there are still several shows you can chance Thursday night, it might be wise to stay home and wait till the weekend to take your crush out. We are. Friday, the local music......

Lucas (1986), Say Anything (1989), My Bloody Valentine (1981): The first film has socially-retarded Corey Haim falling head over heels in love with a sensitive football player, Charlie Sheen, or something like that; Cameron Crowe's tale of teenage love and angst has John Cusack causing egregious noise pollution when he holds up a ghettoblaster pumping out a Peter Gabriel ballad; and the final film has a murderer in a small coal mining town killing......

Rainbow Skate: As if rollerskating couldn't get any gayer, Redwood Roller Rink has made Wednesday nights exclusive queer. So tonight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and even a smattering of straight folks come together to whirl around the rink. Starts at 8 p.m.; $7 covers both admission and skate rental.Benefit for the Metropolitan Arts and Technology's Drama Program: Help the kids won't you? Metropolitan High -- you know, that large school on Treat Street, targeting......

It's time again for another Love on Wheels event...

Rocket, Wisely, and the Fits: It's an all-pop night, kids. Rocket, an LA-based band that mixes sexy '60s barely-legal innocence with "'70s decibel-damaging boulevard beat, combined with '80s glam wham swagger," headlines tonight. Who else? Well, Wisely, no relation to Sean's abusive stepmother, performs their special brand of "equivocal pop." And finally, the Fits whose sound, according to Aquarius Records, is an "endearing folksy pop gem with vocals that reminded us of J Mascis."......

We were in Seattle this weekend, and came across this Volvo in Wallingford. While we may not be hip enough to know what the kids at the Rickshaw Stop are going to be wearing this weekend, we do know that none of them have a car that embodies this amount of anti-hipster hipster cool. Wow.......

Beatropolis: Oh joy! Beatropolis has returned! (Not that they really went anywhere, but it always feels like forever when they're not around.) Anyway, Beatropolis' special brand of dance rock, live drum 'n' bass, and futuristic space pop will have you up until the wee hours of the morning. The Toy Soldiers (a heady nu-electrorawk mix of Flaming Lips, Justin Timberlake, and Hot Chip) and the Buttercream Gang (a local indie/post-punk/afro-beat band) also perform starting......

Wow, one show on Monday and twelve on Friday. This week we definitely start off a bit slow, but by the end of the week, we have a ton of choices. Wednesday, there is the sold-out Ingrid Michaelson show that had to be moved from Cafe du Nord to Slim's because apparently everyone is into "librarian chic" right now. Though it's sold-out, you can still find tickets on craigslist; the prices aren't too inflated, yet.......

Paul Auster: Sure, metafictionist Auster wrote the screenplays to Smoke, Blue in the Face, and The Brooklyn Follies, but he also penned the phenomenal collection of PoMo detective-fiction tales, The New York Trilogy, his best work to date. Auster appears live with San Francisco International Film Festival Director Graham Leggat after a screening of his latest film, The Inner Life of Martin Frost. Witness him in action at 7 p.m. at the Jewish Community......

Class and Power in Queer San Francisco: Come hear poets Meliza Bañales and Solidad de Costa, circus performer Keith Hennessy, and writer Michelle Tea push forth the homosexual agenda. Mwa ha ha. They will also touch upon the "schisms between different classes" among the queer community. That is to say, being poor and gay, like, really sucks. Starts at 7:30 p.m. at CounterPULSE; free. Secret Sunshine (2007): South Korea's official Oscar entry is a......

-- The 2007 'Stache Bash: The regular world now knows what bears have known for a long time: mustaches are kinda cool. This even will show you just how cool they, in fact, are. Burlesque troupe Kitty Kitty Bang Bang and DJ Ross Hogg's hip hop, dancehall, roots reggae, and dub sounds intertwine with a night of 'stache championing. Tonight's bash will feature a mustache pageant, a beer foam retention test, a mustache haiku......

-- Red Meat: God bless the Rickshaw Stop. And if (s)he existed, he totally would. Why? For many reasons. Take, for example, the fact that they often have extraordinary talent gracing the stage on Monday nights. (Mondays are, after all, the new Fridays.) Red Meat blends honky-tonk, bluegrass, country, and western swing with hints of gospel harmony. Mmm. Eilen Jewell (read more about her here), Axton Kincaid, and DJ Lenny & Squiggy (hee) also......

-- The Misfits: a little post-Halloween chillingness -- sexy, bare-chested, punk chillingness, that is -- for you tonight. Behold: the Misfits play a few ditties along with the Hellbillys and the Memphis Murder Men tonight at 8 p.m. at DNA Lounge; $20. -- Dodo for President: Written by Mark Eisman (LA Weekly's Best Playwright 2006, two-time [daytime] Emmy nominee) returns with this politcomedy. It's a "funny, quirky and touching look at friendships, presidential campaigns......

SFist interviews local band Social Studies. They rock. ...

Minipop, a San Francisco-based band, is releasing their much anticipated debut album, A New Hope next Tuesday. Lucky for all of us we'll be able to get their new CD this Saturday, a few days early, at their CD Release party at Rickshaw Stop. Minipop is a favorite of LIVE 105, which has played their single “Like I Do” in heavy rotation since its release in late 2006 and said they were "a band......

-- Laura Gibson: We'd hate to genre-ize her lovely sounds, but neo-folk songstress Gibson -- who uses such tools as trumpet, viola, and musical saw in addition to her sublime vocal cords-- sings delicate siren songs that will have you crashing at her feet. She performs along with Musee Mechanique (Portland) and Snowblink starting at 8 p.m. at Rickshaw Stop; $8. -- Lawrence Ferlinghetti: You know the man, the legend, the poet, the beret......

-- The Breasts of Sherry Glaser: The protest-y Miss Glaser's comedy and peace activism show runs the gamut from her unsheathed mammary glands to an interpretation of 9/11 and the Twin Towers falling down. Oh my. (Warning: audience participation will occur!) Starts at 7:30 p.m. at The Marsh; $10-15. -- The Velvet Teen: The Velvet Teen rocks. Hard and with perfection. Because that's what they do in Santa Rosa. Be sure to see them......

-- Shadow Circus Vaudeville Theatre: (In)famous night of underground "circus arts, burlesque, music, and puppetry" begins at 9 p.m. at Fat City; $10. -- Rogue Wave: Oakland indie-rock band performs with Port O'Brien at 9 p.m. at Bimbo's; $15. -- Oslo, A Modern Machine, Desole: LA-based Oslo has got serous buzz right now. Which means the place will get crowded with hungry hungry hipsters, so get there early. Music starts at 8:30 p.m. at......

-- Tease-O-Rama Meet 'N' Greet: Before the sluts of the weekend-long burlesque convention Tease-O-Rama have you sporting erections via cheeky performances, come meet them for an intimate night of, um, conversation. Also, '60s, '70s, and '80s will flood the dance floor care of the California Kid. Starts at 9 p.m. at Rickshaw Stop; $5. -- St .Francis Day Animal Blessing: Yeah, this sounds like the best thing, ever. Come get your dog or cat......

-- Evil Dead 2 (1987): Sam Raimi's exquisite sequel to the equally-exquisite Evil Dead, minus any tree-rape. Screens at 7:15p.m., 9:15 at The Red Vic, 1727 Haight (at Cole). -- Opium's Literary Death Match: The last Opium's Literary Death Match got ugly, in a good way. (Read about it here.) Judges Anika Streitfeld (Random House), Jesse McKinley (New York Times), and Eric Spitnagel (Fast Forwards) have literary series Writers With Drinks (Carol Queen), Porchlight......

-- Jonathan Coulton: "Code Monkey" has gained a heavy, cult-of-nerd following. Yay! Join the club tonight at 9 p.m. at Great American Music Hall, 859 O'Farrell; $18. -- The Legend of Billie Jean (1985): And with the power of conviction? There is no sacrifice. The situation? It's a do or die. No one knew that better than Billie Jean Davy. Screens at midnight at the Castro Theatre, Castro and Market Streets; $10. -- Craig......

We'll confess to having never really listened to Wolf Parade; maybe we got them confused with Mice Parade, and we've always though Wolfmother sounded pretty derivative, so they just fell through the cracks for us. But one of the two lead songwriters in Wolf Parade, Dan Boeckner, has a band with his wife Alexei Perry called Handsome Furs which we're really liking. It's a little dark and dire while still being melodic and engaging; we......

-- Madcat Women's International Film Festival -- Frame by Frame: Experimental film festival's night focusing on animation, claymation, and digital shorts all directed by women. Starts at 8:30 p.m. at El Rio, 3158 Mission; $7-$20. -- "Fashion Rewind: Play It. Make It. Wear It.": Art Institute of California-San Francisco students create original fashions with the two themes in mind: recycled materials and music icons. So...we have no idea what to expect. But you will......

Never having been huge fans of instrumental music, we were taken by surprise when we listened to Maserati's latest record Inventions For The New Season. Their own entertaining bio describes the music as a "post-psychedelic orgy of hooks molesting the tired cliche of math-prog" and/or "a post-disco drone machine bristling with the buzz-saw sound of 1,000 angry square waves nestled on a California king size bed of shoegaze swirl." We like to think of the......