Music Fans: you have an embarrassment of riches in the local music department this weekend as not one, but two reasonably well-known local music blogs hosting their annual music events on Saturday night. more ›

We have some exciting news! We're offering two free tickets to Rilo Kiley's Thursday night performance at Concourse at SF Design Center. Now, here's some even more exciting news: Kanye West and Rihanna will be performing at the HP Pavilion on Saturday night. With Rihanna's summer blockbuster hit, "Umbrella," she finally created a "Hit Me Baby, One More Time." Instead of the standard sexy school-girl outfit, Rihanna dawned on two outfits: black leather and the contrasting white cotton. It's hot. It's fierce. It's damn sexy. She's even been called, "The next Britney Spears." (We're assuming that they're referring to Ms. Spears when she was actually a "pop princess" and not as she currently is: a hot mess.) It's fine with us. We just want to see if she can really deliver a performance where she actually sings and dances at the same time. more ›

We've got a really cool giveaway this week. Everyone knows who Rufus Wainwright is, right? Please, tell us that you do. He's still crooning luxuriously behind the piano, wearing fabulously tailored suits and hasn't aged a day since his auspicious self-titled debut nearly ten years ago. His brand new record, Release the Stars, is hot off the presses and he's coming to play a special show at Nob Hill Masonic Center with Sean Lennon and A Fine Frenzy on Friday, August 3rd. Tickets are on sale this Sunday, and we're giving away a pair of tickets to one lucky SFist reader. Enter to win below (Contest ends June 6th; winner will be notified via email.) more ›

It's another music giveaway bonanza this week! First up is a prize pack from Sea Wolf. They've been touring with Silversun Pickups (see a few SSPU members in the video for "You're A Wolf"), but they're a far more mellow outfit: Alex Church's vocals and melodies are gentle, strummy and soothing. Sea Wolf open for Devotchka on Friday night at the Grand Ballroom Bimbo's, and we have a pair of tickets for the winner plus a copy of their new EP Get To The River Before It Runs Too Low. Watch the video and download the mp3 for "You're A Wolf" and enter to win (Contest ends at 11am tomorrow! Winner will be notified via email.) more ›

Starting next Wednesday, we're wishing the Rickshaw Stop a very Happy 3rd Anniversary! In the last three years the venue has presented shows with everyone from Jonathan Richman to Silversun Pickups and has hosted all manner of wacky special events. Our favorite memory was an early show by Phosphorescent, and a pretty fun time on New Year's Eve in '05. They're celebrating their anniversary with a three day festival featuring a different style of music each night, from singer-songwriter folk to pop to clubby dance-rock-electro. more ›

Special running-to-catch-a-flight edition. more ›