8 Days a Week

Aug. 13-20, 2003

THE U.S. government can't comprehend it, but some folks do hope for a day when different cultures can learn to live together in peace. This optimistic message is at the center of The Guests, a new play by East Bay writer Shahrnush Parsipur that's based in part on an Iranian folk tale. Presented by Opera Piccola, The Guests incorporates traditional Persian and contemporary jazz music, dance, and song into a "fusion opera" that follows a woman at two stages in her life: first, as a girl who marries against her parents' wishes and is ostracized by her village even after her husband abandons her (a dilemma drawn from people Parsipur knew in Iran); then later, as an old woman living alone who is suddenly visited by the titular strangers. Opera Piccola is known for their traveling repertory company, which performs short plays in local schools and other nontraditional arts spaces – but for the premiere of The Guests, the group aims for the grown-up theater crowd, with a full-length show featuring a cast composed mainly of Farsi speakers (the script was written in Farsi, though the play is performed in English), a four-piece band featuring The Guests' musical director Scott Hill and multi-instrumentalist Mohammed Nejad, and choreography by Shahrzad Khorsandi and Danny Nguyen. Author Parsipur – who was jailed in Iran for writing a story that dared to include women talking about their virginity – speaks at a preshow reception on opening night. Sat/16, reception 7 p.m., performance 8 p.m.; Sun/17, 2 p.m., Alice Arts Center, 1428 Alice, Oakl. (also Aug. 21, 7:30 p.m., Julia Morgan Theatre, 2640 College, Berk.) $8-$15. (510) 658-0967. (Cheryl Eddy)

Aug. 13

Wednesday

Gold standard What with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Larry Flynt, Angelyne, Gary Coleman, and the occasional actual politician leaping into the gubernatorial election frenzy, it's clear California is not at its most shining moment, ruler-wise. It's too bad a certain mythical figure from the state's history – Queen Califia, who was said to command "the island called California," home to an all-female society that dressed in gold armor – can't rise up and kick everyone's butt back in line. Get to know the formidable leader at the San Francisco African American Historical and Cultural Society's new exhibit 'Queen Califia: Artists' Depictions of California Black Heritage.' The display, which focuses on the role of African Americans in California's past 500 years, includes rarely seen paintings by Maynard Dixon, Frank von Sloun (who, with Dixon, created the Califia mural at the Mark Hopkins Inter-Continental Hotel), Charles Alston, Hale Woodruff, and Lucille Lloyd. Through Oct. 5. Gallery hours Wed.-Sun., noon-5 p.m.; reception Aug. 20, 5 p.m., San Francisco African American Historical and Cultural Society, Fort Mason Center, Bldg. C-165, Marina at Laguna, S.F. $1-$3 (reception free). (415) 441-0640. (Cheryl Eddy)

Aug. 14

Thursday

Good night Any time a band pops up and is instantly greeted with smooches from all around, one can either run with that hype, buy the record, and forfeit all decision making to general consensus, or approach the band cautiously and form a self-contained set of opinions. Of course, you could always go yet another route: clam up and dismiss it as crap – without even listening to it. Whichever course you are prone to take, you have probably already heard of Evening and are now in the process of selecting camps. Recently they have earned gushing reviews for their moody, new wave-tinged post rock, and, depending on what you make of it, might just be poised for bigger things. 24 Karat Gold and Paybacksabitch also play. 9:30 p.m., Bottom of the Hill, 1233 17th St., S.F. $7. (415) 621-4455. (Anup Pradhan)

Aug. 15

Friday

Czech off This week's bill in the PFA Theater's 'Czech Horror and Fantasy on Film' series is a handy reminder that Kafka was a Prague boy. A festival sensation and art-house success, Zbynek Brynych's 1965 The Fifth Horseman Is Fear is an expressionist nightmare in which a doctor searches the city for morphine during the Nazi occupation. That fruitless quest renders him an appalled spectator to hallucinatory sights, with blasé violence and politely ignored death everywhere. The bold, deep-focus black-and-white imagery heightens a sense of humanity suppressed within a breath of existence. On the other hand, Karel Kachyna's The Ear had to wait two decades to win awards and find an audience. Its portrait of a governmental-functionary couple disintegrating under pressure (his superiors have abruptly been arrested; their house is almost certainly under surveillance) was way too clear a critique of totalitarianism in 1969, when the Russians ruthlessly clamped down on the liberalizing Czechs. Claustrophobic, astringent, and choked with paranoia, The Ear remains a memorable exercise in psychological terror. The Fifth Horseman Is Fear, 7:30 p.m., The Ear, 9:30 p.m., PFA Theater, 2575 Bancroft, Berk. $4-$8. (510) 642-1412. (Dennis Harvey)

Aug. 16

Saturday

Do it yourself People say Jeremy Jacobson is a direct descendent of a famous organ-grinding monkey. Personally, I believe them. This Chicagoan plays drums, organ, harmonica, saxophone, and guitar all at the same time, sometimes while singing and tap-dancing. And like his famous organ-grinding forefathers, Jacobson labors alone. Under the pseudonym the Lonesome Organist, he has released a series of totally bizarre albums on the Chicago label Thrill Jockey. His new album, Forms and Follies, is part rock, part jazz, and part Ringling Bros. More than anything, Jacobson's music begs to be experienced live, in its full, sweaty, freakish glory. He performs tonight with Mark Growden, Loop Station, and Jes. Ca. Hoop. 9 p.m., Bottom of the Hill, 1233 17th St., S.F. $8. (415) 621-4455. (Phil Herrick)

Folk art Now that Jewel's turned dance diva and the folk world has gotten the Christopher Guest treatment, what are a trio of guitar-slinging acoustic types to do? If you're Northwesterners Laura Kemp, Tony Kaltenberg, and Mare Wakefield, you pool your substantial talents and hit the road. On this tour, the artists take turns playing solo songs, then join together as a band, incorporating guitar, harmonica, mandolin, dobro, and percussion (as well as unspecified "kitchen utensils") to round out their sound. The combination of Wakefield's stirring vocals, Kaltenberg's much praised percussive guitar work, and performer extraordinaire Kemp's ability to make an audience chuckle, tear up, and feel an instant connection with her lyrics – all in the course of one song – should make for a memorable evening. 8 p.m., Nameless, 3910 MLK Jr. Way, Oakl. $10. (510) 547-8318, www.thenameless.org. (Eddy)

Aug. 17

Sunday

Noise in the park For years, a neglected patch of industrial wasteland known as Toxic Beach thrived as the perfect place to put on a free outdoor punk, electronic, or noise show. Now thanks to Erich Fendler, who started organizing the T.B. events four years ago and now leads electronic musique concrete band Filthmilk, the DIY atmosphere continues at Potrero del Sol Park in the Mission District. Fendler's successful series of shows, loftily titled 'Alarming Misuse of Electronic Gadgetry,' cater to the kids who are hard of hearing and give bands a chance to injure everyone's eardrums without annoying noise ordinances or interference by sleepy neighbors. Along with Filthmilk, today's performers include Flower5hop, Commode Minstrels in Bullface, Tarantism, Curse of the Birthmark, Skozey Fetish, DeathxDeath, and Scott Arford. 2 p.m., Potrero del Sol Park amphitheater, Potrero at 25th St., S.F. Free. (415) 724-1477. (Filthmilk also plays with Manquins and Invisible Enemies, 9 p.m., Kimo's, 1351 Polk, S.F. $5. 415-885-4535.) (Michelle Valdez)

Little big man If San Francisco has a prince, it's Remy Charlip. The same adjectives that describe Charlip's choreography – charming, uplifting, inventive, and frisky – apply to his picture books. It's no wonder he's mastered the fun task of creating children's lit: his spirit grows younger and his wisdom more quick-witted with each new project. Appropriately dedicated to the memory of the late, great Lou Harrison, Charlip's newest story, Little Old Big Beard and Big Young Little Beard, follows two lonesome cowboys – well, they do have each other – as they search for their lost cow and find some amazing grace; the pastel illustrations fit each mischievous description and plot twist like a tailored suit on a dapper dandy. Make your day: see Charlip read from and sign the book. 2 p.m., Booksmith, 1644 Haight, S.F. Free. (415) 863-8688. (Johnny Ray Huston)

Aug. 18

Monday

Gardens party Summer – even in San Francisco – tempts us to spend more time outdoors, doing things like having lunch on the lawn at Yerba Buena Gardens. This week will be a particularly good time to do so, thanks to the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival's 'Ten Bay Area Choreographers' series: two groups are on each bill, with a variety of styles represented (modern, ballet, postmodern, and dance theater). The performances will make use of the space in unique ways – don't be surprised to see dancers appearing alongside the waterfall. Oakland's Rebecca Pappas (performing Aug. 20) plans to use the balcony of the Metreon Theater and the talents of 250 volunteers to create a giant, presumably more graceful version of "the wave" (to participate, contact her at pappas@mail2dancers.com). And if you can't make time for it during the work week, come back to the festival Aug. 24 for more free outdoor dance, when Smuin Ballet/S.F. presents crowd pleasers To the Beatles and Carmina Burana. See Stage Listings for a day-by-day schedule. Aug. 18-22, 12:30 p.m. (Smuin Ballet/S.F., Aug. 24, 2 p.m.), Yerba Buena Gardens, Mission between Third and Fourth Sts., S.F. Free. (415) 543-1718. (Rita Felciano)

Aug. 19

Tuesday

Black magic You hear a band wants to combine their two favorite things – the science fiction-fantasy section at the local public library and their Jimi Hendrix records – and you scoff. Primogenitor, chain mail, and the blues? Yeah, right. But then you think about all of the narcotics those gnomes and dwarfs were ingesting and you think, "OK, maybe this might work." Strangely enough, it takes three guys from the Washington, D.C., punk scene to pull it off. Instead of taking their cues from Gang of Four, Jason Shimon, Steve Kille, and Mark Laughlin of Dead Meadow reach way back, dusting off their Pink Floyd and Black Sabbath albums and their, um, Lord of the Rings paperbacks to concoct their own mutant psychedelia. Singer-guitarist Simon's reverb-drenched fretwork fits the part, straying occasionally into pedal-assisted blues solos. He's got the vocals, too, a high-pitched Legolas croon. Their new LP, Shivering King and Others (Matador), is rife with meaty expansive jams, which only grow in proportion during their live shows. Nebula and the BellRays open. 9:30 p.m., Bottom of the Hill, 1233 17th St., S.F. $10. (415) 621-4455. (Herrick)

Aug. 20

Wednesday

'70s voodoo Avoid the urban matrix of electro, punk, garage, and pop tonight – instead, go see the band Fred at the Voodoo Lounge. Fred takes us back to the 1970s with piano-driven melodies reminiscent of David Bowie and Todd Rundgren. Singer-songwriter Freddie Lemke, the band's mastermind, pairs glitter and glam with lyrics as deep as Dylan's. Drummer Michael Carrico and bassist Blake Engeldorf don't destroy their instruments, but they definitely rip shit up. For those who long for Carter in the age of Bush, and Styx in the time of Spears, this band is sure to change the colors on your mood ring. Fred is the new pet rock that really rocks. Married Couple also performs. 9 p.m., Voodoo Lounge, 2937 Mission, S.F. $5. (415) 285-3369, www.voodoolounge-sf.com. (Melissa Broder)