8 Days a Week

Feb. 25-March 3, 2004

AMONG THE BRIGHTER stars in the songbook of American musical comedy, 'Tschaikovsky (and Other Russians)' went supernova when it premiered in Moss Hart's 1941 Broadway hit, Lady in the Dark. With memorably un-memorizable lyrics by Ira Gershwin set to Kurt Weill's music, the notoriously tongue-tangling whirlwind countdown of 49 Russian composers became a signature song for an overnight sensation named Danny Kaye – and with good reason. Of the song's debut Brooks Atkinson wrote, "It could not be sung, but Kaye sang it." Remarkably, so will New York cabaret performer Mark Nadler; he cracks open the tenacious tune as the basis for his hilarious and devilishly entertaining 75-minute romp through American musical theater. The show offers up the lurid biographies of several dozen 19th-century Russian symphonists, a manic flaying of piano keys, surprising transitions, unexpected asides, and a smattering of self-analysis. Fools Russian where Nadler dares to tread. And in the luminous tradition of all-around entertainers like Kaye, Nadler's versatility and serious chops come with a charming piano-side manner. In short, this rare West Coast engagement, part of American Conservatory Theater's Evenings at the Geary series, promises to be anything but dull. Sun/29, Mon/1, March 7-8, and 14, 8 p.m., Geary Theater, 415 Geary, S.F. $14-$40. (415) 749-2228, www.act-sf.org. (Robert Avila)

Feb. 25

Wednesday

Legend Mystical links, wack love letters, cartoony graphics, props to baby peacocks and old narwhals, and at least six spellings of "Yewnikornz" load up at the Unicorn's Web site (www.theunicorns.com). Scattered, disheveled, and seriously addictive, the site is just the tip of the horn. The duo's latest album, Who Will Cut Our Hair... (Alien8), is full of jangling hooks and odd-timed grooves. It's music for a messy room, birthed in Campbell River, B.C. – the salmon capital of the world. Also on the bill at Great American Music Hall, and speaking of slippery fish, Why? (a member of Oakland's Anticon) has a few tricks up his sleeve. Arranging samples, moody guitars, and electro blips over minimal beats, he rhymes sometimes, sings other times, and always delivers straight nasal-toned wit. Fellow weird-hopper Restiform Bodies and Los Angeles indie pop rockers Irving round out the bill. 8:30 p.m., Great American Music Hall, 859 O'Farrell, S.F. $12. (415) 885-0750. (Ethan Goldwater)

Feb. 26

Thursday

Ctrl/Alt/Delete Reboot as local party crews :Code and Sister S.F. team up with Sacramento's Command Collective for Frequency Command, a night of live electronic exhibitionism. With this event – featuring experimental drum 'n' bass stylings from Fruitbat, circuit-bent constructions by Chachi Jones, and chilled grooves by Tycho – Command Collective reminds us that there's life beyond the bay. There's also eye candy courtesy of ISO50 (Scott Hansen, who does double duty as Tycho), an accomplished graphic designer moonlighting in live visuals. The home team represents with Melyss (Sister S.F.- Mayonnaise), Amber (:Code), and Samira (Just Say Agency). 9 p.m., DNA Lounge, 375 11th St., S.F. $5. (415) 626-1409. (Peter Nicholson)

Deco delights One of San Francisco's cinematic landmarks is 78 years old today – and it's looking mighty fine for its age, thank you very much. Most days the Balboa Theatre is the best place to catch double features of quality films you foolishly missed when they first played at the Embarcadero or the Kabuki. Tonight the clock rolls back to the 1920s, with a screening of the first film to win a Best Picture Oscar, silent World War I drama Wings (it also won an award for "Best Effects," thanks to the still-impressive dogfight sequences). Director William Wellman's son, Bill, introduces the film; live accompaniment is provided by composer Nik Phelps and pianist Larry Dunlap. The birthday bash (yep, there'll be cake) also features a shorts program with previews, George Melies's A Trip to the Moon, and a Felix the Cat cartoon; plus a live vaudeville-style show with magician James Hamilton, pianist Suzanne Ramsey (a.k.a. Kitten on the Keys), a San Francisco movie trivia quiz, and more. Cheers! 7 p.m., Balboa Theatre, 3630 Balboa, S.F. $10. (415) 221-8184, www.balboamovies.com. (additional screening of Wings, with recorded score, Sat/28, 10 a.m., $5). (Cheryl Eddy)

Flip mode For folks who think the good ol' US of A is the end-all and be-all of urban art, the United Kingdom's Mode 2 is in town to prove them wrong. Mode 2 brings his highly evolved work to the Future Primitive Sound Headquarters for his first solo U.S. show, having already graced streets and galleries in Australia, Ireland, France, and beyond. With a fluid style that deftly captures the vibrant personalities of his subjects, Mode 2 presents a series of prints and murals inspired by his recent trip to Tokyo. Through April 25. Reception tonight, 7 p.m. (gallery hours Mon.-Thurs., noon-6 p.m.; Fri.-Sun., 11 a.m.-7:30 p.m.), Future Primitive Sound Headquarters, 597 Haight, S.F. Free (RSVP to info@futureprimitivesound.com). (415) 551-2328, www.futureprimitivesound.com. (Nicholson)

Feb. 27

Friday

Blaze of glory The reckless, overpowering reverb blitzkrieg of the Echoplex tape-looping machine makes me want to go back to middle school, cut class, and steal from 7-Eleven. When Santa Cruz-San Francisco psychedelic space rockers Comets on Fire bring their riff assault, blame Noel Harmonson on the Echoplex for any sudden antisocial urges. On the group's latest release, Field Recordings from the Sun (BaDaBing!), vocalist-guitarist Ethan Miller's lyrics are typically oblique: "Human beings are like dolphins / Always looking beyond the family unit / Always reaching for the ultimate combination / For the most superb Gurdjieffian example of the dance." COF guitarist Ben Chasny's Six Organs of Admittance open the show with acoustic ballads that melt into psyched-out chaotic drones. Dead Meadow headline. 9 p.m., Cafe du Nord, 2170 Market, S.F. $10. (415) 861-5016. (Goldwater)

Dogville Clever yet practical thematic unity is one unique highlight of current Mission District-based art projects. Last month saw the Big Ballyhoo's enormous home-based group exhibition "Inside of Inside," and this week brings a 40-plus-artist show devoted to one canine: Bo, a patchy beauty often found in the company of local writer-bartender (and now curator) Jamie Berger. Though the show's star is as photogenic as she is friendly, you can rest assured 'Bo: Interpretations of a Soft Dog' won't be restricted to Wegman-like whimsy; rote definitions of "dog" are questioned, and unique ideas about community should emerge. Opening night includes music by Kirk Markopolous, Horse Thief Jack, Larry Gallagher, and a duo whose melodies can make anyone's inner hound howl – the Hallflowers. It all takes place at one of Bo's – and Frieze's and Artforum's – favorite places, Adobe Books. Shake a tail. Through April 9. Reception tonight, 7-11 p.m. (store and gallery hours: daily, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.), Adobe Books, 3166 16th St., S.F. Free. (415) 864-3936. (Johnny Ray Huston)

Soul deep Singer Cassandra Wilson's Blue Note albums – beginning with Blue Light 'til Dawn – have earned her praise as America's leading jazz chanteuse. Whether or not it's jazz she sings (or what jazz is in a present-day context) is beside the point; it's the familiar, bluesy inviting quality of her recent work that's put Wilson where she belongs: in the spotlight. Her latest album, Glamoured – her sixth with Blue Note – is equally divided between Wilson-penned numbers and her interpretations of songs like Bob Dylan's "Lay Lady Lady" and Abbey Lincoln's "Throw It Away." She's become a first-rate songwriter; at the same time she has few equals when it comes to slipping into a song and making it her own. The new album is one of her best. If this concert brings any new challenges, it's working in a hall as big as the Warfield. 8 p.m., Warfield, 982 Market, S.F. $26.50-$35. (415) 371-5500. (J.H. Tompkins)

Feb. 28

Saturday

Rap wise It's hard being a thinker in a bling-bling world. Just ask Sage Francis. The Providence, R.I., poet-MC won the prestigious Midwest MC battle Scribble Jam in 2000, but it wasn't until he showed up on indie hip-hop stars Atmosphere's Seven's Travels (Rhymesayers) that heads really took notice of his intricate, articulate wordplay and introspective lyrics. His credentials in the prog-hop scene run deep, however; his first album, Personal Journals, came out on left-field label Anticon, and his new project with Joe Beats, the Non-Prophets, brings the mid-'90s boom-bap golden age into the new millennium with moody, darkened beats and some rather conflicted, emotional subject matter. Francis's intelligence allows him a stylistic diversity rare in hip-hop: he's a self-deprecating clown, navel-gazing philosopher, seething misanthrope, hardened battle rhymer, and sensitive lover, all bound together by a self-conscious, shifty wit that's hard to deny. Noise Pop's only hip-hop show also features fellow Scribble Jam winner Mac Lethal, Pittsburgh rap jesters Grand Buffet, and Anticon's enigmatic Alias. 8:30 p.m., Slim's, 333 11th St., S.F. $14. (415) 255-0333. (Jonathan Zwickel)

Feb. 29

Sunday

The envelope, please There are a number of Academy Awards soirees going on tonight – but the most raucously ridiculous shindig around is no doubt Roxie Cinema's annual Up the Oscars! viewing party. Mock Nicole "No Nomination" Kidman! Drool openly over Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Toro! Cringe (and giggle in spite of yourself) at host Billy Crystal's lame jokes! Cheer your favorites during the "people who died" montage! Squeal for Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara (slated to perform their Best Song-nominated duet from A Mighty Wind)! To further enhance the chaos, the Roxie supplies noisemakers (of course, feel free to bring that homemade Horn of Gondor to trumpet The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King's many expected victories); you're also allowed to bring in your own food (but no throwing it at the screen – no matter how many times they cut away to another Jack Nicholson reaction shot). Proceeds benefit the Roxie's "Wall Fund." As you can imagine, this is an insanely popular event, so advance tickets (currently available at the theater's box office) are recommended. 5 p.m., (doors open at 4 p.m.), Roxie Cinema, 3117 16th St., S.F. $18. (415) 863-1087. (Eddy)

March 1

Monday

Hobbit-forming For those of you who have harbored concerns that rap music hasn't gotten white enough, behold Lords of the Rhymes: hobbit rappers who hail from hoary Middle-Earth and drop mad rhymes like Tolkien. It's unclear as to how LOTR MCs Quickbeam and Bombadil came about, but the furry-footed act is already rolling with the Hollywood crowd, playing the official Lord of the Rings Oscar-night fan party, getting nominated "band least likely to get laid" by Esquire magazine, receiving disses from Time Out New York, and so on. Perhaps it was Quickbeam's involvement with the documentary Scratch and Bombadil's forays as a Brooklyn-based DJ and producer that garnered them cred in hip-hop circles. Certainly Gollum's hissing beatbox skills are enough to make any fantasy head in prosthetic pointy ears drop the 20-sided die and get totally ill. P. Diddy better get his game on before these b-boyz of the shire take over. 9 p.m., Elbo Room, 647 Valencia, S.F. $7. (415) 552-7788, www.sunsettickets.com. (Deborah Giattina)

March 2

Tuesday

Dairy keen Playing with your food was never quite like this. In honor of the Tibetan New Year celebration, Losar, Mongolian artist Lam Purevbat demonstrates butter sculpting at the Asian Art Museum. Lest you think the activity involves a dull knife and a tub of Country Crock, consider that the art form is centuries old; the use of butter symbolizes the Buddhist tenant of impermanence. The colorful sculptures are actually offerings called torma, coaxed into figures of deities as well as flowers and animals. And there's no churning involved – the molding material is more the consistency of Crisco than the oily stuff you had on this morning's toast. Still, witnessing such inventiveness in action should prove greatly satisfying for anyone who thought ice sculpting was the most unusual of the ephemeral arts. Today and March 6, noon-4 p.m., Asian Art Museum, North Court, 200 Larkin, S.F. Free with museum admission ($6-$10). (415) 581-3500, www.asianart.org. (Eddy)

March 3

Wednesday

Pop pastoral From the unlikely drive-through town of Modesto come Grandaddy, cool-nerd minstrels of the sunburned indie popscape and the Central Valley's smirking answer to Radiohead. Boasting a more serene and syrupy sound then their cousins across the pond, Grandaddy have been making waves since '97's Under the Western Freeway (V2), but their most coherent expression emerged on last year's gorgeous tragedy Sumday (V2). Former pro skater Jason Lytle's oblique songwriting echoes with vacant lots, damaged girlfriends, and teenage drinking, while his band churns out Casiotone symphonies of lushly layered guitar, melting electronica, and kick-started beats. In the end their music embodies a bubbling, swooning battle between human heart and silicon embellishment with no discernable winner; Grandaddy seem more interested in asking open-ended questions than making definitive statements. Saves the Day, the Fire Theft, and Dios open. 7 p.m., Warfield, 982 Market, S.F. $25. (415) 775-7722. (Zwickel)