8 Days a Week

July 31-Aug. 7, 2002

TO A GREAT extent, too many jazz festivals have slipped away from booking all jazz or representing the homegrown environment. How refreshing and musically rewarding it is, then, to be able to count on the North Beach Jazz Festival to offer up a thoroughly San Francisco experience. The eighth annual edition might feel a bit scaled back from recent incarnations, but it nonetheless provides indoor and outdoor showcases for superb resident talent of many musical hues, while nurturing a vital connection to one of the city's most fabled musical neighborhoods. On Wed/7 "Jazz on Grant" opens the five-day event with a huge block party at more than 25 locations, featuring the sounds of the Marcus Shelby Jazz Orchestra, the Michael Bluestein Quartet, Sonando, Mushroom, the Calvin Keys Trio, and others. "Latin Jazz" (Thurs/8) presents the Richard Howell Quartet and Cuba's Oriente Lopez at Broadway Studios; the "Taste of New Orleans" (Fri/9), also at Broadway Studios, features Juice, the Critical Brass Band, and the Brotherhood of Groove; and "Jazz and Heritage in the Park" (Sat/10-Sun/11) is an all-day family affair at Washington Square Park with Bitches Brew, Sovoso, Mingus Amungus, Ledisi with Anibade, Josh Jones, and others. Wed/7-Sun/11, various times and venues, North Beach, S.F. Free-$18. (415) 771-2061, www.nbjazzfest.org. See Web site for a complete schedule. (Derk Richardson)

July 31

Wednesday

Naked truth Dubbed "the literary equivalent of thong panties" by the New York Times, sex memoirs are a raunchy new brand of realism that's grabbing the book world by its haunches. They've been around almost as long as tricks have been turned, and, not surprisingly, readers have always shown an avid, under-the-table interest, from the 11th-century Tales of Genji to the 1970s Happy Hooker. The current spate of books by strippers, prostitutes, and the like have brought this age-old form of literature into the mainstream. At tonight's 'Sex Worker Literati' event, some of the genre's finest will be doing solo performances and readings. Expect to see Good Vibrations' Dr. Carol Queen, author of Real Live Nude Girl; Midori, a "kink teacher" who wrote The Seductive Art of Japanese Bondage; activist, author, and videomaker Scarlot Harlot, whose works include Die Yuppie Scum and Outlaw Poverty, Not Prostitutes; and Chicken: Self-Portrait of a Young Man for Rent author David Henry Sterry. 8 p.m., the Marsh, 1062 Valencia, S.F. $10-$15 sliding scale. (415) 826-5750. (Angie Edwards)

Burn this disco out Resounding testament to the vitality of the Bay Area music scene: $55 million from Sony and the support of Al Sharpton having failed to resuscitate Michael Jackson's career, the rescue mission for the King of Pop now falls to local experimental group the Married Couple. The Oakland quartet, along with Good for Cows, Blowout, and the Mitch Marcus Quintet, stage an evisceration of Jackson's masterpiece album Thriller tonight called 'THRILLERinsideOUT.' Using punk-tinged hard bop, rangy experimental jazz, and textural explorations with horns and bowed bass, the four improv ensembles join forces to destroy and resurrect the 1982 pop juggernaut. Expect nostalgic renditions, bald-faced mockery, and the funniest Jacko phoenix act since that Pepsi mishap. 8 p.m., Blue Room Gallery, 2331 Mission, S.F. $7. (415) 951-0305. (Elizabeth Lobsenz)

Aug. 1

Thursday

Life lessons For disadvantaged middle school students, just completing high school can seem impossible, let alone art education or college. The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater offers these kids a chance to excel with AileyCamp, six scholarship-funded weeks of summer training in dance, theater, personal development, and creative self-expression. Besides learning new art forms, campers benefit from positive adult role models and gain life-changing discipline, self-esteem, and leadership skills that can help them successfully navigate high school – and aim far beyond. The 75 students at Berkeley/Oakland's AileyCamp, the first on the West Coast, conclude their hard work with tonight's "Putting It Together," a final performance including ballet, jazz, modern, and African dance; spoken word and drama performances; and an exhibition of campers' writing and artwork. 7 p.m., Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley, Bancroft at Telegraph, Berk. Free. (510) 642-9988. (Lobsenz)

Star quality Creative types commanding enough to claim the spotlight on their own (as well as share it with their peers) comprise the line-up of the annual AfroSolo Arts Festival. Now in its ninth year, the festival salutes emerging African American artists with a month's worth of events, including a visual arts exhibit that opens today. Also on tap are a free jazz concert at Yerba Buena Gardens (featuring the talented likes of saxophonist Idris Ackamoor and singer Lady Mem'fis); a "comedy explosion" hosted by Donald E. Lacy Jr.; a series of theater, spoken word, and dance performances; and a community forum on AIDS that includes "Slamming AIDS: Young African American Artists and Their Friends Against AIDS," a hip-hop flavored performance brought to life by youths age 14 to 24. Through Aug. 31. Gallery reception tonight 3-6 p.m., Sargent Johnson Gallery, African American Art and Culture Complex, 762 Fulton, S.F. Free. (415) 771-AFRO, www.afrosolo.org. See the Web site for complete schedule. (Cheryl Eddy)

Aug. 2

Friday

Wheel life The whole coming-of-age plot is way tired nowadays – there better not be an American Pie 3 in the works – but 1979's Breaking Away, one of the genre's finest examples and an Oscar winner for best screenplay, remains essential viewing. Four recent high school grads (Dennis Christopher, as the Italian-obsessed cyclist Dave, is the main character, and the group also includes a young Dennis Quaid) are caught in that Spearsian space between being boys and being men, being dependent on their parents and wanting to live their own lives. As working-class kids in an Indiana college town, they're also constantly bumping up against snooty students, and the climactic bike race delivers the ultimate satisfying "us vs. them" finale. Breaking Away is presented as part of the North Bay's outdoor "Film Night in the Park" series, so grab a blanket and pack a picnic for the full experience. 8:30 p.m., Creek Park, 400 block of Sir Francis Drake Blvd., San Anselmo. $2-$5. (415) 453-4333. (Eddy)

Aug. 3

Saturday

Main squeeze Legend has it that all accordion players are either tweaked-out geeks or bow-tied old men with tufts of hair growing out of their ears. Well, the second annual Smythe's Accordion Festival is ready to crush that stereotype by presenting some of the wackiest, most exotic pump-box plums the Bay Area has to offer. The line-up offers an assortment of genres, from klezmer to punk rock and most points in between. Seattle's Jason Webley sings sea chanteys. Bunnyphonic brings her rabid rabbit form of experimental accordion noise, which is scathingly cute. Big Lou cranks out rock 'n' roll polka and some French café tunes. And the Lemon Lime Lights play humorously macabre junkyard cabaret. Amaldecor, Bass Line Dada, Aaron Seeman, and others also perform. Suspenders not required. 7 p.m., 21 Grand, 449B 23rd St., Oakl. $5-$10 sliding scale. (510) 444-7263. (Edwards)

Galileo! It's always a reason to celebrate when a new arts entity bursts forth, and the Experimental Performance Institute, set to debut this fall at the New College of California, looks to be an excellent addition to the San Francisco scene. Students will have opportunities to explore theater, dance, performance poetry, music, songwriting, and other fields, with an emphasis on multicultural learning, social awareness, and of course, experimentation. TEPI hosts tonight's "Bohemian Rhapsody," a festive benefit gala that kicks off with a reception and also includes roving performers, music, and a dance party. Proceeds help fund the school's general and scholarship funds. Reception 6 p.m.; performance and party 7:30 p.m., New College of California, 777 Valencia, S.F. $20-$50. (415) 437-3487, www.epiarts.org. (Eddy)

To good health There are few people in San Francisco's clubland more respected than local promoter Candida Martinez. Widely admired for her graciousness, she often lights up a room with a smile while displaying an impressive knowledge of genres as disparate as New Orleans jazz, backpacker hip-hop, and Afrobeat. Sadly, she's been hospitalized for the past two months with a rare and potentially life-threatening disease, Peutz-Jeghers syndrome. Hopefully, Martinez will be strong enough to appear at a benefit concert featuring Kayatrip, Sisterz of the Underground, and DJ Digital Ladybug; it's the second of two shows being organized to pay her mounting hospital bills. Come out for a great afternoon show and support one of the behind-the-scenes players who make San Francisco nightlife so exciting and great. 4-8:30 p.m., El Rio, 3158 Mission, S.F. $7-$10. (415) 282-3325. (Mosi Reeves)

Aug. 4

Sunday

Accidents happen Summer music festivals have a tendency to harp on "community," with their safe spaces, free condoms, speakouts, and whatnot. Especially welcome, then, is the oddball reprieve offered by Oops! The Tour, which comes across as a busload of demented Boredoms protégés touring the country with Steve Albini. San Diego's the Locust, Providence, R.I.'s Lightning Bolt, and Connecticut's Arab on Radar – the core Oops! acts – share a noisy, tortuous, and salutary approach to punk and hardcore, attacking the strictures of rock with noise, synth blasts, and weird falsetto vocals. The show comes to 924 Gilman tonight, with the addition of Sacramento's fitful drums-bass duo Hella, 5 p.m., 924 Gilman, Berk. $5. (510) 525-9926. (Also Mon/5, 8 p.m., Slim's, 333 11th St., S.F. $12. 415-522-0333). (Lobsenz)

Aug. 5

Monday

Truth movement It used to be that the word "documentary" would conjure up images of humdrum nature programs or educational videos about the fascinating world of the thoracic cavity. Thankfully HBO, an ongoing force in the production of new and risky documentary fare, is continuing to break apart those stereotypes with the weeklong 'Frame by Frame: An HBO Documentary Film Series,' which kicks off today at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. A showcase for both veteran and up-and-coming filmmakers, the series features works like No Dumb Questions, the story of three young sisters whose Uncle Bill turns himself into Aunt Barbara; and Devil's Playground, a chronicle of four Amish teens who are set loose into the "English" world of partying, drugs, and mischief. Local filmmakers Jay Rosenblatt and Caveh Zahedi also screen their shorts compilation "Underground Zero: Independent Filmmakers Respond to 9/11." All 8 p.m. screenings are followed by a meet-and-greet with the filmmakers. Proceeds benefit the Film Arts Foundation; see Rep Clock, in Film listings, for this week's schedule. Through Mon/12. Today 3 p.m., Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission, S.F. $5. (888) 684-0385, www.hbo.com/framebyframe. (Adam Wadenius)

On key But for a half-decade residence in New York City during the late 1980s, pianist Larry Vuckovich has been one of the sturdiest linchpins of San Francisco jazz. From the bebop era of the 1950s to the hybrid scene of today, the Montenegro native has generously sought and shared stages (such as the Ramada Inn's Bistro 333 these days) to gain exposure for the music more than for himself. Even celebrating the release of Blue Balkan (which adds four new tracks to his 1981 LP of the same name) tonight, he will no doubt shine the light on the members of his sterling Blue Balkan Ensemble – violinist-violist Eric Golub, marimba player Tommy Kesecker, percussionist Vince Delgado, bassist Jeff Chambers, and drummer Eddie Marshall – as he infuses Serbian Gypsy moods into his blues-based and modally structured jazz. 8 and 10 p.m., Yoshi's, 510 Embarcadero West, Jack London Square, Oakl. $10. (510) 238-9200. (Derk Richardson)

Aug. 6

Tuesday

Kill, baby, kill At first glance, the girls that populate manga artist Junko Mizuno's work look typically Sailor Moon-cute, with big, heavily lashed eyes peeping out from under massive waves of swirly hair. But look a little closer, and there's usually something sinister or vaguely disturbing going on in the background – a kid puking here, a zombie there, and way more gore and guts than you'd expect in a world that looks like it ought to be home to My Little Pony. Mizuno's distinctive style has brought her massive acclaim in Japan, and her assault on America begins this summer with her full-length English-language debut, Junko Mizuno's Cinderalla, a fractured, psychedelic take on the fairy tale with enough black humor to make even Emily Strange feel out of sorts. Tonight, fresh from San Diego's Comic-Con International, Mizuno signs copies of her work in her only local appearance. 7 p.m., Virgin Megastore, 2 Stockton, S.F. Free. (415) 397-4525, www.pulp-mag.com/junko. (Eddy)

Aug 7

Wednesday

Willie, Waylon, and meat Spending your last dime on what will undoubtedly be far from your last drink is not so bad if you walk home with a giant box of meat. And you could do just that tonight at the Make-Out Room when the sponsors of Paycheck raffle off meat, and lots of it. What is Paycheck? Only the Coors-friendliest, rowdiest, outlawin'-est party in town. Cowboy hat-wearing geeks wrangle rare groove and raw country records, while you pour beer on your friends' heads and hoot as if you didn't grow up in the Northeast. It looks to be a goddamn 10-gallon good time. Purchase a couple raffle tickets and you could win a box of 40 steaks, gouged with a knife from the body cavity of a matured cow, or another meaty prize. 8:30 p.m., Make-Out Room, 3225 22nd St., S.F. Free. (415) 647-2888. (Mike McGuirk)

The Bay Guardian listings deadline is two weeks prior to our Wednesday publication date. To submit an item for consideration, please include the title of the event, date and time, venue name, street address (listing cross streets only is not sufficient), city, telephone number readers can call for more information, telephone number for media, admission costs, and a brief description of the event.