8 Days a Week

Feb. 18-25, 2004

DURING THE MID -1990s, when the Bay Area was home to a rich, inventive solo performance scene, San Francisco's Anne Galjour was one of three or four standout writer-performers whose work merited national attention and a place in the memories of those who saw it. Her plays, born in memories of her native Cajun Louisiana, brought to life an eccentric, thoroughly human menagerie of characters who ached, hoped, struggled, and dreamed while battling themselves, each other, and elements (hurricanes, rising rivers, alligators, and insects) that seemed as real and alive as any person. Solo work like Hurricane and The Krewe of Neptune – with Galjour effortlessly slipping between characters – brought fresh air to Bay Area theater. Her new play, Okra: A Dark Comedy, is about a domineering Cajun matriarch, her daughters, and a visiting French cousin who catalyzes forces of class, culture, and race that threaten the old woman's world. Though Okra shares its roots with Galjour's earlier work, what's different – and as far as I'm concerned, this is a big difference – is the playwright hasn't written herself into the script. While I'll miss her acting – she's a remarkable performer – I can't wait to see what she's come up with. Solo performance as it evolved in these parts often had autobiographical elements, making the physical presence of the performer a powerful element; it was difficult to conceive of the play apart from the performer. Okra marks a significant break from the past, and I wouldn't miss it for anything. Galjour is also remembered for serving postshow red beans and rice, and Okra's opening night is no exception. In fact, after Saturday's performance the audience is invited to a Mardi Gras party featuring Cajun food, libations, and music by longtime Bay Area favorites Eric Thompson and Suzy Thompson. Through March 14. Previews Wed/18-Fri/20, 8 p.m. Opens Sat/21, 8 p.m. Runs Wed.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m., Brava Theater Center, 2789 24th St., S.F. $18-$28. (415) 647-2822, www.brava.org. (J.H. Tompkins)

Feb. 18

Wednesday

Granola punk express Dance too close to Sunfire Pleasure and you might get burned. That's because the young San Francisco five-piece are rising through the stratosphere so fast they're giving off sparks. But theirs is the kind of burn the kids love: dense guitars, neck-snapping drums, punky bass, buoyant flute, and sultry vocals courtesy of sly chanteuse Emily Pitcher. It's a divergent mix – effortlessly combining elements of heavy jam rock, electronic meanderings, and a playfully sinister indie ethos – and its energy is infectious. In the past couple of months the band have blazed up and down the West Coast, stunning jaded audiences and garnering significant word-of-mouth buzz and critical praise for their heart-stopping shows. The old saying claims there's nothing new under the sun; if you actually travel there, you'll find there's a new fire freshly lit and its pleasure is burning bright. Echoset and Buchanan also play. 8 p.m., Red Devil Lounge, 1695 Polk, S.F. $5. (415) 921-1695. (Jonathan Zwickel)

Feb. 19

Thursday

Technicolor dreamthroat If the sky, the mountain, the meadow, and the river got together and formed a band, they'd sound something like Huun-Huur-Tu. The acoustic quartet's music is deeply, hauntingly natural, distant but personal, mysterious but familiar, ancient but surreal. Huun-Huur-Tu (Tuvan for sun propeller, the vertical bands of light refracted across the sky during sunrise and sunset) are masters of overtone singing, able to simultaneously produce up to three different sounds with their mouth, nose, and throat – like whistling, singing, and humming all at once. This is no novelty, but rather a thousand-year-old art form they bring from the steppes of Tuva, a tiny country in the very center of Asia. They add traditional instrumentation like twangy mouth harp, droning lute, and thundering percussion to their seemingly impossible vocal harmonics, resulting in one of the most mesmerizing musical voyages you'll ever experience. 8 p.m., Great American Music Hall, 859 O'Farrell, S.F. $22. (415) 885-0750. (Zwickel)

The right stuff August Wilson has written eight installments of his decade-by-decade chronicle of 20th-century African Americans; it's as rich, important, and entertaining a body of work as you'll find anywhere. Wilson's plays are uniformly excellent, and this production of his latest, King Hedley 11, features L. Peter Callendar and Rhodessa Jones, two of the Bay Area's most experienced, versatile actors. The pairing of these two makes this play – set in 1985 Pittsburgh and focusing on a family struggling to survive as the misery spawned by Reaganomics trickles down into the black community – something to look forward to. Through March 14. Runs Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m., Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, 620 Sutter, S.F. $25-$32. (415) 474-8800, www.ticketweb.com. (J.H. Tompkins)

Feb. 20

Friday

Paging Big Bird You might be surprised to find Cookie Monster is now a rock star fronting his own heavy metal-style Sesame Street cover band, Cookie Mongoloid. The new rock 'n' roll Cookie comes decked out in leather, is backed by his own crew of gothic go-go dancers, and spits soggy cookie chunks at unsuspecting audience members. Cookie wants to rock, but his main goal is still teaching, playing twisted speed metal, and punk rock versions of old Sesame Street favorites like "C Is for Cookie" and "Wash Yourself," with its indispensable advice "everybody wash everything." This will be the most enlightening and bizarrely entertaining show you'll find tonight. Hate Breeders, Mongoloid, and Midnight Bombers also play. 10 p.m., Parkside, 1600 17th St., S.F. $7. (415) 503-0393. (Helen Christophi)

Spinning the globe Big Noise's Fourth World War may be the anti-globalization movement's Koyaanisqatsi. The media collective has edited together outraged humanity from all points to build a case not just against globalization but also for mass action on every continent where bottles can be thrown and police cars firebombed. Michael Franti helps narrate, and Ozomatli and Manu Chao help give the revolution (from Chiapas to Genoa) a soundtrack. Meet the filmmakers for a question-and-answer session, followed by Rebel DJ T at this benefit for Media Alliance and Clamor magazine. The Fourth World War runs through Feb. 26; benefit screenings tonight and Sat/21, 7 and 9 p.m., Victoria Theatre, 2861 16th St., S.F. $10. (415) 546-6334, ext. 300, www.media-alliance.org or www.bignoisefilms.com/events.htm. (Susan Gerhard)

Two-headed monsters Two heads are better than one, and three's a crowd. Those statements may not be absolutes, but who doesn't want to experience the power of two every now and again? For the time being, Kristy Geschwandtner (Lil' Pocketknife) and Steve Touchstone (XBXRX) have eloped from KIT, a noisy, free-form tribute to Friends Forever, and paired up for a project called Warbler. Together the disco-noise team, which combine powerful beats with motivational cheers, take on life's great obstacles and knock 'em down flat. It's fun, it's almost free, and you can check out these other awesome duos: Hospitals, Aerobics King, and Eats Tapes. Token trio Experimental Dental School join them. 7 p.m., Fort Mason Youth Hostel, Building 240, Fort Mason Center, Marina at Laguna, S.F. $3-$5. (415) 771-7277. (Also Sat/21 with Nels Cline Singers and Polar Goldie Cats, 9:30 p.m., Bottom of the Hill, 1233 17th St., S.F. $8. 415-626-4455.) (Deborah Giattina)

Cause celebs Question: what do the Muppets, the Carpenters, Phantom of the Paradise, and Bugsy Malone have in common? Answer: ridiculously prolific songwriter Paul Williams ("We've Only Just Begun," "Just an Old-Fashioned Love Song," "Rainy Days and Mondays," "The Rainbow Connection," "Evergreen," etc., etc.). Williams sings songs and shares tales from his long career in showbiz at the seventh annual North Beach Reunion, a fundraiser organized by comedian-character actor Ronnie Schell to benefit the San Francisco State University Athletic Endowment Fund. Other stars on the bill include veteran comedians Harvey Korman and Tim Conway (The Carol Burnette Show), singer-actor Connie Stevens, political satirist Will Durst, comedian (and longtime 49ers field announcer) Bob Sarlatte, and the Andrew Speight Jazz Ensemble. Through Sat/21. 8 p.m., San Francisco State University, McKenna Theatre, 1600 Holloway, S.F. $30-$60 (tonight, postshow reception with performers, $50). (415) 338-1193 or (415) 405-0556, athletics.sfsu.edu. (Cheryl Eddy)

Feb. 21

Saturday

Best dressed Attention all women who've done bridesmaid duty: time to clear your closet of taffeta and chiffon for a good cause. You wore that formal once, and face it, you won't wear it again – but it'd make a mighty nice prom outfit for a local high school girl who otherwise might not be able to afford a dress. Starting today, the Princess Project sets up donation centers around the Bay Area for just that purpose. So gather up your gowns (formal or fancy party frocks only – and they've gotta be stylish, so no trying to unload that '80s-style pouffy, glittery thing you wore on Halloween) and make sure they've been dry-cleaned and are on hangers. Also in demand are purses, jewelry, evening wraps, and other big-night accessories. In addition, the Princess Project seeks volunteers to help with the drive, as well as with the two dress giveaways later this spring. Through March 21 (dress giveaways March 27 and April 3). Go to www.princessproject.org for dress drop sites and information on volunteering. (Eddy)

Feb. 22

Sunday

Jurassic rock It's been almost two years since Atlanta's Mastodon have played in San Francisco, when they opened for High on Fire at the Justice League in the spring of 2002. Their debut album, Remission (Relapse), had just come out, and at the time I made the mistake of writing that Brann Dailor's drumming was the best part of the album. The drumming is amazing, but that's not why I still listen to the CD hundreds of metal promos later. They write modern metal mini-epics that are both heavy and limber, much like their ancient namesake. And yet they also have a clear reverence for the "dinosaurs" of heavy metal's past, as proven by their cover of Thin Lizzy's "The Emerald" on last year's deluxe Remission reissue. Uphill Battle, Red Tape, and Gargantula also play. 8:30 p.m., Bottom of the Hill, 1233 17th St., S.F. $8. (415) 621-4455. (Will York)

Feb. 23

Monday

All jazzed up My friends and I began searching clubs and bars for jazz musicians who play high-voltage improv, not the sterile stuff Grandma likes, and by our (unscientific) estimates, the city offers few, if any, more explosive drummers and guitarists than Daryl Green and Khalil Doak-Anthony, respectively. Green plays in a tough bebop language, switching things up dramatically, while Doak-Anthony shifts tempos with a spidery touch that uses tension-release dynamics and creates sheets of sound. At this open mic jazz session, they're joined by organist Wil Blades, who usually operates the Hammond B3 at Johnny Foley's, but at the Beat Lounge transposes his intensity to the Korg CX3. 9 p.m., Beat Lounge, 501 Broadway, S.F. Free. (415) 982-5299. (Daniel King)

Feb. 24

Tuesday

Bad blood It must be a source of endless frustration for the starving artists of the noise and free-improvisation scenes, who often have trouble moving a few hundred units of their latest proud creation, to see an all-star side project like John Zorn, Mike Patton, and Ikue Mori's Hemophiliac effortlessly sell out a few thousand copies of an Internet-only CD – priced at 45 bucks no less. The real knee-slapper is this overpriced CD (self-titled, and released in 2002 through Zorn's label, Tzadik) isn't even any good – it sounds like something you'd yawn and fidget through on improv night at the local art-gallery storefront. So why would anyone recommend seeing this trio live? Morbid curiosity? A celebrities-at-their-worst-style fascination with public failure? Or the slim hope these talented cult icons reach beyond the Knitting Factory improv clichés and smarmy laptop computer gimmicks that characterize so much of the CD? Cross your fingers. 8 p.m., Slim's, 333 Folsom, S.F. $20. (415) 255-0333. (York)

True krewe Here's the recipe for a fabulous Fat Tuesday extravaganza: take America's biggest booze-soaked blowout and mix it with the most outrageous pageant of sensuality on earth. Shake it up with costumed dancers, tons of drums, and a deluge of cocktails. Garnish liberally with heedless abandon and serve concentrated and frothy. When Mardi Gras meets Carnaval in San Francisco, you get the best of what Nawlins and Rio have to offer. Members of the Bay Area's greatest Brazilian combos – including Vivendo de Pao, Nobody from Ipanema, Bat Makumba, and Superbacana – provide the music, dance-and-drum troupe Bateria bring the boom, the Elbo Room staff sling the Hurricanes, and you're the willing victim of all the debauchery. A thousand miles away, the French Quarter is the most raging spot on the planet. Tonight the Mission comes in a close second. 9 p.m., Elbo Room, 647 Valencia, S.F. $8. (415) 552-7788. (Zwickel)

Feb. 25

Wednesday

Coast wars This is a bill that's been waiting years to happen: the Dillinger Escape Plan, the East Coast's leading spaz metal virtuoso squad, facing off against the Locust, the West Coast's slightly artier equivalent. The look may be different – clean-cut Gap fashions on one hand versus hot pants and bug costumes on the other – but it's really the same sort of music, give or take a Moog here or a Mahavishnu Orchestra riff there. Both bands have issued seemingly fluke one-off releases on Epitaph subsidiary Anti-, and both promise to put the noise in "Noise Pop" like few other festival invitees have done. Show up early to see Wrangler Brutes, which features ex-members of Skull Kontrol, Born Against, and Men's Recovery Project. Catching the Brutes live is your only chance to hear them if you don't have a cassette deck, because the band only release tapes (take that, iPod fetishists). 7:30 p.m., Slim's, 333 Folsom, S.F. $14. (415) 255-0333. (York)