September 4, 2002

8 Days a Week

Sept. 4-11, 2002

IF THERE'S ANYONE around town who doesn't know who Michael Franti is, here's betting that's a situation that won't last. A lifelong musician and activist, Franti – from his days in the Beatnigs and Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy to the current incarnation of his Spearhead posse – has been an intelligent, outspoken advocate for social change. In today's highly charged, dangerous atmosphere, his voice has assumed an unparalleled importance. This week marks the fourth year of his 911 Power to the Peaceful Festival. If last year's event had an immediacy in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks and American mobilization for war, this year's comes during a period in which activists and progressives are digging in for long-term resistance. The festival – with the express intent of unifying the peace community – features, among others, Franti and Spearhead, KRS-One, Jello Biafra, Mystic, Los Mocosos, Medicine Drum, New Soul Singers, Krist Novoselic, a host of activists and spoken word artists, and a DJ tent. The event is about entertainment and much more, and it comes at a time when we need it. Sat/7, noon-6 p.m., Speedway Meadow, Golden Gate Park, S.F. Free. (415) 865-2170. (J.H. Tompkins)

Sept. 4

Wednesday

Curtain call If hordes of actors burnt out on stale performances of Hamlet and hemorrhoid commercials banded together and performed only the works they wanted to see, it might look something like the 11th annual San Francisco Fringe Festival. While some festivals might take the "zaniness" quotient to dangerous levels, the Fringe Festival has been known to deliver performances capable of engaging even the most improbable theatergoer with its decidedly offbeat selections: The American Appetite: Tales of Dirty Young Boys and Spry Old Men explores the "American male and his voracious appetites" from puberty to death; the horny puppets of Folly's Fables' Zucchini: The Forbidden Dance! are downright raunchy; and Me Laugh You Long Time, explosive sketch comedy performed by OPM, an all-Asian American troupe, has been called both "profane" and "thought-provoking." One hundred percent of ticket sales go to performers. Through Sept. 15. Shows Mon.-Fri., 7, 8:30, and 10 p.m. (also Fri., 11:30 p.m.); Sat., 1-11:30 p.m.; Sun., 11:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m.), Exit Theatre and Exit Stage Left, 156 Eddy; Exit on Taylor, 277 Taylor; and various other S.F. venues. All shows $8 and under. (415) 673-3847, www.sffringe.org. (Carly Earnshaw)

Sept. 5

Thursday

Tribute Cellist Jacques Morelenbaum, singer Paula Morelenbaum, and pianist Ryuichi Sakamoto, known collectively as Morelenbaum2/Sakamoto, used the home studio of legendary Brazilian composer Antonio Carlos Jobim to record a collection of his music. The result was Casa (Sony Classical), simply a wonderful work. From all reports, the live performances of the pieces have been equally stunning. Through Fri/6. 9 p.m., Bimbo's 365 Club, 1025 Columbus, S.F. $32. (415) 474-0365. (J.H. Tompkins)

Ghoul girls cry Washington, D.C.-based Quix*o*tic bring a wealth of influences to their weirdly muscular rock, layering goth gloom, surf twang, and '60s soul vocals atop lead-footed, bare-bones garage. But the power of their music lies in their use of restraint: the vocals are husky but deadpan, the pacing slower than you'd expect, and the dreariness tempered by the sly humor with which they often cross the line between Bauhaus and the Monster Mash. The effect of all this coyness is a refreshingly odd music as tenacious as it is sneaky. Supporting their second album, Mortal Mirror (Kill Rock Stars), Quix*o*tic play with San Francisco's Deerhoof and Oakland's Good for Cows. 9:30 p.m., Bottom of the Hill, 1233 17th St., S.F. $7. (415) 621-4455. (Elizabeth Lobsenz)

Sept. 6

Friday

New apostles For the past three years San Francisco's Balazo/Mission Badlands Gallery has been working with the renowned Italian social center Leoncavallo, a 27-year-old performance space and anarchist resource center in Milan. The product of this collaboration is on view tonight at the gallery, as participants in the Milan protest community present 'Nati per essere veloci,' an exhibit of materials documenting the history of punk and hardcore in that city during the 1980s and 1990s. Art, posters, photographs, show flyers, and record sleeves capture the vitality of the anarchist and punk movements in Italy and the continuing urgency of these activists' mission. The evening also features performances by La Plebe, a Latin ska-punk group from the Mission District, and the Grabbies, a San Francisco-based Italian punk band. 8 p.m., Balazo/Mission Badlands Gallery, 2811 Mission, S.F. $3-$5. (415) 920-0896, balazogallery@yahoo.com. (Lobsenz)

Sept. 7

Saturday

Mummers the word Get ready for an out-of-body, ethereal experience when Los Angeles's Mummers play tonight. With a myriad of gadgets – including amplified doll parts, bowed wire, and various electronic instruments, including synthesizers – they create throbbing, atmospheric soundscapes that would be perfect for an earthworm ballet. Also on the bill are San Francisco's best-kept sexy secret, Shadowglove. This all-girl, Tuxedomoon-inspired new-wave outfit gets the juices flowing with electronics, violin, and silhoutte dancing. And finally, the Sightings will jolt your cerebellum with a vicious assault of metallic percussion, bleating processed guitar, and whirly, grinding electronic noise. 9 p.m. Kimo's, 1351 Polk, S.F. $5. (415) 885-4535. (Angie Edwards)

Sept. 8

Sunday

Power and grace In the West, the Republic of Georgia may be best known for its two most famous sons: Balanchine and Stalin. But the area also produces dark, sumptuous wines and passionately nationalistic poets. Ah yes – and extraordinary dancers, as evidenced by the Georgian State Dance Company. The group's virtuosity embraces idealized concepts of maleness and femaleness that may strike us as archaic but whose beauty is spellbinding. The men, domineering in skirts and over-the-knee boots, perform on the knuckles of their toes, not only walking and running but also landing on them after breathtaking leaps and turns. Demure and erect, the women glide through their paces so smoothly that they create the illusion of the ground moving beneath them. Folk traditions like to exaggerate differences between men and women. Few of them, however, do it as strongly and convincingly as this extraordinary troupe does. 3 p.m., Marin Center, 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael. $18-$30. (415) 472-3500. (Rita Felciano)

Can't balk 'em Fans of genre-bending, border-blurring saxophonist-guitarist-bassist-singer Amy Denio won't be surprised to find her in Kultur Shock, Seattle's most acclaimed Balkan folk-funk ensemble (and, yes, that city allegedly boasts many). Fronted by lead vocalist and percussionist Gino Yevdjevich (a.k.a. Gino Banana), a Sarajevo native, the band lives up to its name with a theatrical and aggressive amalgam of ethnic folk idioms, blues, punk, and jazz. In addition to Yevdjevich and Detroit native Denio, Kultur Shock features Bulgarian guitarist Valeriy Kiossovski, Bosnia-Herzegovinian guitarist and bouzouki player Mario Butkovich, Tokyo-born bassist Masashi Kobayashi, and Pittsburgh, Pa., drummer Chris Stromquist. 9 p.m., Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo, Berk. $8. (510) 525-5054. (Also Mon/9, 9 p.m., Bottom of the Hill, 1233 17th St, S.F. $7. 415-621-4455). (Derk Richardson)

Sept. 9

Monday

Cheers! Boston, which claims the largest contemporary folk scene in the country, offers up another singing-songwriting gem in Kris Delmhorst, a Brooklyn native who emerged as a Cambridge coffeehouse favorite. Her second CD, last year's emotionally engrossing Five Stories (Signature Sounds), seamlessly weaves her eclectic musicality – she's classically trained on cello and accomplished on piano, organ, guitar, and fiddle – into a rocking folk sound (it was produced by Morphine drummer Billy Conway). Crafting intimate love songs with plenty of traditional touchstones (including a stomping version of "Cluck Old Hen"), Delmhorst joins troubadours Chris Smither, Mary Gauthier, Catie Curtis, Ellis Paul, and Jennifer Kimball as a welcome New England ambassador. Noe Venable opens. 8 p.m., Freight and Salvage Coffee House, 1111 Addison, Berk. $16.50. (510) 548-1761. (Richardson)

Sept. 10

Tuesday

Balls out George W. Bush, Osama bin Laden, and Saddam Hussein: all powerful leaders, all war-crazed, all ... men. Ponder, then head out to 'Women Against War: A Vision for Peace,' an evening jam-packed with high-caliber entertainment from the likes of musicians Holly Near and Ferron, poet Janice Mirikitani, spoken word artists Sini Anderson and Elise Baldwin, host organization Dance Brigade, and others. Each performance will flow into the next, pausing on occasion for brief messages from politicos including San Francisco supervisor Sophie Maxwell and speakers from the offices of Rep. Barbara Lee and state assemblymember Carole Migden, plus activist groups including the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan. The event's planners aim to spotlight powerful, positive female voices and to inspire and motivate attendees (both male and female) to take action and get involved in the cause. 7:30 p.m., Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness, S.F. $20-$25. (415) 273-4633 or (415) 392-4400. (Eddy)

Believe it Europe-based Brazilian dance music band Zuco 103 comes to town, hefting an international rep and battling ennui generated by the avalanche of add-water dance music made by uninspired DJs and producers. Zuco 103, believe it or not, is worth checking out. The six-piece is led by Lilian Vieira (vocals), Stefan Schmid (keyboards and programming), and Stefan Kruger (drums and programming) and is known for putting on terrific shows. I'd tell you about the noise the group has made around the world, but no hype's the best hype of all these days. Just go to the show, OK? 8 p.m., Bimbo's 365 Club, 1025 Columbus, S.F. $15. (415) 474-0365. (Tompkins)

Sept. 11

Wednesday

Peace it together Today, skip the endless television specials and pro-violence government propaganda and head to 'Our Grief Is Not a Cry for War,' a full day of activities planned by Bay Area United for Peace to honor the Sept. 11 victims and promote peace. The morning begins with a Buddhist prayer service timed to mark the moments the planes hit the World Trade Center. Throughout the day art exhibits centered on the themes of war and peace will be on display. The main event starts at 5:30 p.m., with live music by Michael Franti, Holly Near, Goapale, the New Soul Singers, and others; a multicultural slate of speakers who will discuss how violence has affected their communities; and presentations by Ram Dass, Van Jones, Medea Benjamin, Sat Santokh Khalasa, and others. 5:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m., Justin Herman Plaza, Embarcadero at Market, S.F. Free. (415) 255-7296, peace@globalexchange.org. (Eddy)