October 16, 2002

8 Days a Week

Jan. 8-15, 2003

ALTHOUGH BASED ON an event by the same name staged in Baltimore about six months ago, 'Sound/Shift Oakland' embodies the spirit of '60s "happenings" in a kind of loosely choreographed hootenanny for improvising musicians. More than 65 instrumentalists and vocalists from the Bay Area's creative music community play musical chairs in alignments ranging from duets to octets, with ensembles overlapping from one to the next in 20-minutes spurts over the course of 6 hours on Friday and 11 hours on Saturday. From A (Armageddon String Ensemble) to Z (Joseph Zitt), participants include such promulgators of free jazz, 20th-century composition, and electronic, ambient, and experimental noise as Ernesto Diaz-Infante, Thomas Dimuzio, Dina Emerson, Emily Hay, Dan Plonsey, Gino Robair, Rent Romus, and Moe! Staiano. This two-day event benefits 21 Grand; a complete schedule is available at www.paxrecordings.com/soundshiftoakland.html. Fri/10, 6 p.m.-midnight; Sat/11, noon-11 p.m., 21 Grand, 449B 23rd St., Oakl. $10 ($15 for both days). (510) 444-7263. (Derk Richardson)

Jan. 8

Wednesday

Young love Who can take a porn star, wrap him in a mournful howl, and make him into a rattling little backcountry ballad? Them Young People – vocalist-violinist Kate Eastburn, guitarist Jeff Rosenberg (late of Tarentel and Pink and Brown), and Jarrett Silberman (formerly of Get Hustle) – that's who. On their self-titled 5RC debut, the L.A. trio are as liable to burst into thrumming noise that skirts the edges of old-time drone and atmospheric jazz as they are to unfurl a Velvet curtain of feedback-damaged art rock – but that's to be expected. The wild card is Eastburn's plaintive wail, holding its own in the swampy, slow-moving oil slick of sound. Blevin Blechtum also performs, with help from Ryan Junell. 10 p.m., Hemlock Tavern, 1131 Polk, S.F. $5. (415) 923-0923. (Kimberly Chun)

Jan. 9

Thursday

Happy haunting Surrender your soul to 'Spookycon,' which unites some of today's most intriguing horror authors and film notables with multitudes of creatively black-clad admirers. Events include readings and "bull sessions" with guests literary (Poppy Z. Brite, Ramsey Campbell, Lucifer Fulci, David J. Schow, Bernie Wrightson, contributors to Morbid Curiosity magazine, and others) and cinematic (Phantasm parts one-four star Reggie Bannister and Evil Dead 2 cowriter Scott Spiegel). Also planned: a variety of film screenings, including indie horror auteur Mike Mendez with his film The Convent, and a special preview of the long-awaited House of 1000 Corpses with star Bill Moseley (a.k.a. Chop Top in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2); an appropriately scary-sounding "Zombie Beauty Pageant"; book signings; and a vendor room with tables representing Borderlands Books, Dark Garden Corsetry, and other suppliers of deliciously sinister goods. Through Sun/12. Thurs.-Sat., 12:30-9 p.m.; Sun. 12:30-4 p.m., Holiday Inn Chinatown, 750 Kearny, S.F. $20-$40. www.spookycon.com. (Book signing tonight, 7 p.m., Borderland Books, 866 Valencia, S.F. Free. 415-824-8203.) (Cheryl Eddy)

Growing pains Life in San Francisco is never dull, especially if you're a community arts space with loads of creative ideals, not much money, and ongoing permit woes. CELLspace knows all about that: much of its time and resources are currently going toward the process of complying with the city's permitting requirements. 'Save the CELL 7.0: Gettin' the Word Out' is part of an ongoing series of fundraisers; tonight's version gathers together local authors who have loaned their talents and their time to help keep the arts space on its feet. Featured readers include Dave Eggers (You Shall Know Our Velocity, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius), Michelle Tea (Valencia, The Chelsea Whistle), Beth Lisick (the Beth Lisick Ordeal, This Too Can Be Yours, Monkey Girl), and spoken word artist Matthue Roth (Yom Kippur a Go-Go). Further entertainment includes live funk karaoke courtesy of Funkeoke. 8:30-11 p.m., Intersection for the Arts, 446 Valencia, S.F. $15-$50 sliding scale. (415) 648-7562. (Lynn Rapoport)

Jan. 10

Friday

Lively arts It's great to see Oakland alto saxophonist Marco Eneidi playing in San Francisco again. Not counting a semirecent Sunday-morning show at the Oh So Little Cafe, he hasn't played here in what seems like forever (although a little more than a year is probably a better estimate). The underheralded free-jazz veteran appears with percussionist Peter Valsamis and bassist Lisle Ellis – who is now back in action after a sabbatical in the late 1990s – as the trio Sounds of Survival. The show takes place at the Hemlock, an ideal venue for getting an up-close view of the kind of physical, in-the-moment music these guys play. Oakland instrumental rock trio the Curtains headline, rounding a quality cross-genre bill reminiscent of the late, great Clit Stop's diverse bookings. 10 p.m., Hemlock Tavern, 1131 Polk, S.F. $5. (415) 923-0923. (Will York)

Jan. 11

Saturday

Nine time Remember a couple of years ago, when it seemed like performance venues and art spaces were shutting down by the dozens? But then the economy went to shit, and the madness seemed to stop? Well, don't get too cocky there, San Francisco arts supporter: valuable, women-centric space Venue 9 – in its SoMa home since 1996 – recently learned that its building is earmarked for demolition to make way for offices. Fortunately, it's got a chunk of time (more than a year) to find a new spot to host popular, Footloose-produced events like the Women on the Way Festival – but as nothing comes cheap in this town, the fundraising efforts have already begun. Tonight, more than 25 artists (Kitten on the Keys, the Cantankerous Lollies, comedian Blinky the Rock God, the Rococo Risqué Cabaret, and many, many others) pool their talents at El Rio for a night of nonstop performing and dancing. 9 p.m.-2 a.m., El Rio, 3158 Mission, S.F. $9-$99 sliding scale. (415) 289-2000, www.venue9.com. (Eddy)

Jan. 12

Sunday

Small wonders Scary, macho, attack-prone animals – crocodiles, pit bulls, sharks, computer-generated dinosaurs – get a lot of media coverage. Less exciting, perhaps, but way gentler and cuter are miniature horses, which will be the star attraction at an event held in conjunction with the Exploratorium's "Traits of Life" exhibit. Maxing out at 34 inches at the top of the shoulder, miniature horses first arrived in the United States in the 1880s and were used in coal mines. Now these pocket-size equines are popular show and driving animals – and, of course, pets. Owners, trainers, and horses (don't call them ponies!) converge on the museum today for a meet-and-greet. 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Exploratorium, 3601 Lyon, S.F. $6-$10. (415) EXP-LORE, www.exploratorium.com. (Eddy)

Jan. 13

Monday

Hail to the chief Back in the mid to late 1800s, San Francisco provided the stomping ground for America's first and only "emperor," the eccentric and possibly completely insane Emperor Norton. You've heard the stories – the wacky proclamations, the self-made currency, the funeral that attracted some 20,000 admirers; now see the esteemed ruler come back to life onstage in Norton I (The Fall and Rise of the Emperor of the United States), a new play written by and starring Theatre of Yugen's co-artistic director Lluis Valls. Also on the bill: RunEscapeEmbrace, a solo work by Stephen Siegel. Through Tues/14. 8 p.m., Noh Space, 2840 Mariposa, S.F. $10-$15. (415) 621-7978. (Eddy)

Jan. 14

Tuesday

Keyed up While trumpeters (such as Wynton Marsalis, Roy Hargrove, Nicholas Payton, and Terence Blanchard) seem to have figured more prominently in the renewal of mainstream jazz during the past two decades, the piano has been in good hands, as well. The 37-year-old, Berlin-born, Paris-raised, New York-based Jacky Terrasson has been at the head of the class since making his Blue Note debut in 1994. Having spread himself around in collaborations with Dianne Reeves, Jimmy Scott, Cassandra Wilson, Stefon Harris, and others, Terrasson returns to his masterful piano-trio style (crafted from a full range of bop and post-bop influences) on his forthcoming CD, Smile. On the album, touring mates Sean Smith (bass) and Eric Harland (drums) provide resilient support for imaginative forays through a varied repertoire that includes "Parisian Thoroughfare," "Nardis," "Autumn Leaves," "My Funny Valentine," and "Isn't She Lovely." In concert Terrasson often cuts loose with boggling melodic flurries. Through Jan. 16. 8 and 10 p.m., Yoshi's, 510 Embarcadero West, Jack London Square, Oakl. $10-$20. (510) 238-9200. (Derk Richardson)

Jan. 15

Wednesday

Hit man Currently enjoying a full-fledged resurgence, game show guru Chuck Barris is everywhere you look these days: on the big screen, portrayed by San Rockwell, in the excellent film version of his "unauthorized autobiography," Confessions of a Dangerous Mind; starring in the E! True Hollywood Story about his most notorious creation, The Gong Show; and now, live and in person, signing copies of the now back-in-print Confessions, which asserts Barris was both a television icon and a CIA assassin and shows him to be a hilariously self-deprecating author. Read the book, track down a copy of The Gong Show Movie (Le Video has it – you won't be sorry), make plans to see the Confessions movie (it opens Jan. 24), polish up your Gene Gene the Dancing Machine-style moves, and you'll be fully prepared to meet the man tonight at the Booksmith. 7 p.m., Park Branch Library, 1833 Page, S.F. Free. (415) 863-8688, www.booksmith.com. (Eddy)