Are you sick of spending your Saturday nights with your head in the toilet of your local dive bar? As the school year comes to a close, the inclination for many of us is to spend our free time in the company of Jack, Jim or Captain Morgan might be tempting. But check out these fun and cultured alternatives to pickling your liver. And never fear my dears, while these events pack in the fun, most of them still include everyone’s favorite inhibition inhibitor.
Film
Film Night in the Park
Held over scattered Saturdays through out the warmer months (April though October), Film Night in the Park is a free outdoor film presentation held in Dolores Park, Washington Square, and Union Square. Bring your dog, bring your kids, bring a brown bag, bring your dinner—unless you go to the Dolores Park showings that is, then you can count on the Tamale Lady to fill your belly.
www.sfneighborhoodtheater.org
Landmark Theatre
A theatre chain dedicated strictly to art and independent film, and with five San Francisco theatres, there’s always something interesting to see. Keep up on the listings and check out the newest buzz flicks before your hipster-poseur friends have a chance to pretend they’ve seen it. The Clay Theater features a midnight showing of cult favorites every Friday and Saturday night.
www.landmarktheatres.com
Midnight Mass with Peaches Christ
In its tenth season of debauchery, the infamous Peaches Christ emcees a weekly summer series of notoriously campy movies, complete with Ms. Christ’s high-jinks and special guests. This year, the web site hints at “the ultimate” guest star, a certain pencil mustachioed film-maker—camp out for that one.
www.peacheschrist.com
Performance Art
Little Minsky’s Burlesque at Club Delux
Here’s your once a month chance to put your hair in pin curls and strut around in a sequined bra. This jam-packed event, likely the most popular burlesque show in the city, features old fashioned girls with modern day attitude. With dancing, singing, strip teasing, and tons of retro eye candy.
www.myspace.com/little_minskys
Trannyshack at the Stud
It’s like you died and went to drag queen heaven. Featuring the most decadent costumes, pounds of caked on make-up, and thousands of microphone spit guards. Trannyshack boasts a weekly round of the city’s most extravagant entertainment via themed lip-synch drag shows.
www.trannyshack.com
Victoria Theatre
The oldest operating theatre in San Francisco continues to pack-in the fun after nearly 100 years with local film festivals, plays and music. This theatre is within stumbling distance of everyone’s favorite Mission District dives.
www.victoriatheatre.org
Music
Amnesia
Illuminated in a shroud of shady red light, Amnesia hosts weekly bluegrass, karaoke, and even a gypsy jazz night, but you can come here any night to get your swank on.
www.amnesiathebar.com
Make-Out Room
The epicenter of the city’s brightest talent and the newest acts from around the country. The Make-Out Room is where it all starts for local bands. Each night a new indie outfit takes the stage in a place that looks like it’s decorated for a high school prom, complete with red velvet curtains and gigantic discoball.
www.makeoutroom.com
12 Galaxies
Another Mission District haunt featuring nightly showcases of music, film and fun. This summer, 12 Galaxies is one of six San Francisco venues for the nation-wide Emergenza Fest, a competition for unsigned bands featuring eight bands a night at venues all across San Francisco.
www.12galaxies.com
Art Galleries
111 Minna
A San Francisco art standard that hosts parties, concerts and activities, surrounded by the finest in Bay Area art. A good place to come to rub elbows and network with artsy, but not overly pretentious types.
www.111minnagallery.com
Gray Area Gallery
Each month, Gray Area commissions a guest curator to revamp this SOMA gallery for a themed art show. This gallery/artist studio space hosts movie nights, knitting circles and after hours dance parties all in the confides of spacious, second floor renovated former office building.
www.grayareagallery.com
Giant Robot
Your go-to for the best and brightest in urban art talent. This itsy bitsy gallery and store packs in the art hungry crowds, satiating the needs of the deranged minimalist in us all. Check out their magazine, showcasing the “cools aspects of Asian and Asian-American pop culture”—ugly doll not included.
www.giantrobot.com
SIDEBAR:
Keep up to speed on the haps with these online guides to all things Bay Area.
Guides
Flavorpill
With editorial content hand-selected by the fine folks at Flavorpill, you’re sure to find the hottest events with this weekly e-mail newsletter.
www.flavorpill.net
Laughing Squid
Is it book readings that you want? Bike clubs you say? A beer pong-a-thon?! Laughing Squid has something for everyone.
www.laughingsquid.com/squidlist
Fecal Face
As one might gather from the title, Fecal Face is not a fetish site, but simply the best local art calendar and blog around.
www.fecalface.com
Upcoming
Forget about your friend’s crappy MySpace club flyers! Upcoming utilizes social-networking to seek user-submitted happenings.
www.upcoming.org
SIDE BAR (space permitting):
Local museums and art schools are seething with innovative public and education programming—many are free or offer a generous student discount. Check out artist lectures, poetry readings, film screenings and a variety of other inspirations.
Art Institute
www.sfai.edu
CCA
www.cca.edu
de Young & Legion of Honor
www.thinker.org
SFMOMA
www.sfmoma.org
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
www.yerbabuenaarts.com
