We knew very little about the art space & resource center, CounterPULSE, before attending their Second Anniversary Show on Sunday night (yes, we mistakenly kept calling it "Compulse"). This is their second year in a new location at Mission between 9th and 10th. We might’ve missed the modest front, except for the large artsy crowd milling out front (trying to squeeze in off the long wait list).

Since we were nursing the remnants of both a hangover and a sunburn, we were a little weary about attending anything on a Sunday night. As a result, we showed up at CounterPULSE with our cynical-cranky pants decidedly on.

But oh how those cranky pants came off! Just one amazing performance into the Anniversary Show, we forgot our Sunday evening complaints – and were left wondering why we hadn't gone to anything at CounterPULSE sooner. Three words: anti-war trapeze artists.

After the jump, you can check out SFist Jessie's take on: belly dancers, political circus, a Bjork artist with an inflatable orca, and a guitarist flying on a maxipad with wings!