July 28-Aug. 4, 2004

UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S only one – not 1,001 – nights that Suhaila Salimpour and her 20-member dance ensemble will transform the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts into a Middle Eastern dreamscape. Originally from the Bay Area, Salimpour took to belly dancing in the Richmond neighborhood studio where her mother, Jamila Salimpour, started the craze in the 1960s. Salimpour has been practicing and performing this ancient art of improvisational dance ever since, performing in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. Based on the famed Arabian Nights character, Sheherezade is her first big local show in quite some time. The performance features traditional and contemporary belly dance, the latter flavored with jazz, hip-hop, flamenco, and Indian dance. The score includes prerecorded songs written by Salimpour and her husband, Andre Khoury, as well as live accompaniment by composer-violinist Fathi Al Jarrah. Sat/31, 8 p.m., Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission, S.F. $28-$35. (415) 978-2787, www.ybca.org. (Rita Felciano)

July 28

Wednesday

Big guns Brooklyn's Ratatat might've produced this year's most ambitious urban symphony – an amazing feat coming from two guys working with guitar, bass, keyboard, and drum machine. Their self-titled debut on XL is a slice of minimalist maximization – layering clean-toned guitar chords over fuzzy keyboard fugues and sparse, crispy beats. Sounds like a simple formula, but guitarist Evan Mast and drum programmer-keyboardist Mike Stroud arrange it all into some rather epic tension-release crescendos while giving a clever nod to prog-rock melodrama, hip-hop bounce, and IDM mystique. Somehow deeply stirring despite its cold-brewed construction, Ratatat's unique concoction is a tonic for jaded indie kids, burned-out ravers, and crusty rock 'n' rollers. Laptop arena rock at Bottom of the Hill – it just might be the wave of the future. Caesura and Evening open. 9 p.m., Bottom of the Hill, 1233 17th St., S.F. $10. (415) 621-4455. (Jonathan Zwickel)

Banding together The 2003 International Day of Action held by Bands Against Bush Bay Area was such a success that the organization is scheduling two in 2004, leading up to the election. This week's events include tonight's Red Devil Lounge bash with the dark and dig-able Grave Brothers Deluxe, rising indie-poppers Ebb and Flow, and the hot-rodding and hot-rocking Killer's Kiss. Then blow out the week in style at an outdoor show at Potrero del Sol Park with Friends Forever, Curse of the Birthmark, 7 Year Rabbit Cycle, Yellow Swans, the Cold War, Caesura, Foot Village, and the Mae Shi. Don't bothering knocking Friends Forever's van when it's rockin' at the event's close, but be sure to look out for Los Angeles's Mae Shi. The foursome just can't stop screaming along to the distortion-wracked beats on their new 5RC album, Terrorbird, punctuating their songs with squeaks, squawks, cricket noises, and spasms of freaked-out noise. Grave Brothers Deluxe, Ebb and Flow, and Killer's Kiss perform Fri/23, 8 p.m., Red Devil Lounge, 1695 Polk, S.F. $5. (415) 921-1695. Friends Forever and others perform Sat/24, 1-8 p.m., Potrero del Sol Park, 25th and Potrero Sts., S.F. www.bandsagainstbush.org/bayarea/. (Kimberly Chun)

July 29

Thursday

Femme power Two years ago a series of all-female performers took center stage at various Bay Area venues. 'Women's Performance Night No. 18' is the latest lineup. The evening's hodgepodge of show-and-tell begins with modern belly dancing set to fast breaks and drum solos performed by duo Frederique and Christina. Suzanne Ramsey's Kitten on the Keys creates music on toy piano, accordion, or ukulele; she also steps up the sex factor by romping around in stilts, wearing edible panties, and wielding whips and feather ticklers. Most of the night, however, is an intimate affair with straightforward acoustic rock performed by Priscilla Ederle, Southern ballads sung by Cathy Rivers, angst-pop by Dear Nora (Katy Davidson), and hard-edged tunes wrapped in a sweet veneer by former Breeders member Carrie Bradley. 8 p.m., Hemlock Tavern, 1131 Polk, S.F. $6. (415) 923-0923. (Stephanie Laemoa)

Blow your mind Back during the John Walker Lindh fiasco, Shelby Steele wrote an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal blaming California liberalism and "subversive, winking, countercultural hipness" for Lindh's entry into the Taliban. Come on. We all know that subversive, winking, countercultural hipness doesn't make you a militant Islamic fundamentalist; it makes you want to put on that all-denim outfit, revel in relativism, and shake it with three of San Francisco's finest bands. The Monolith (dreamy harmonies, dangerous sunshine), Henry Miller Sextet (reverb, classic rock love), and Vue (power, heart, next big thing?) testify to the greatness of this state's libertine heyday. Don't we deserve it? All three care deeply about rock and would love to share it with you. 8 p.m., Great American Music Hall, 859 O'Farrell, S.F. $8. (415) 885-0750. (Katje Richstatter)

July 30

Friday

Rabble-rousin' Brooklyn-based Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra might put on one of the best live shows around, instigating monstrous amounts of dancing and a political rally at the same time. This 14-member collective burns through jazz, funk, dub, and traditional West African drumming with massive, lush horns, funky breaks, and fearsome lyrics. Inspired by Nigerian activist and singer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Antibalas ("anti-bullets" in Spanish) continue Kuti's political and musical legacy by inviting audience members to indict their least favorite politicians while the band jams out wickedly good music that moves and grooves the booty and soul. Bay Area Afro-Latin hip-hop group O-Maya and DJ Soulsalaam open. 9 p.m., Bimbo's 365 Club, 1025 Columbus, S.F. $20. (415) 474-0365. (Kristina Rizga)

Vision quest The title for Mary Armentrout's evening of solo work just about says it all: "Solo Musings on Complicated Topics in a Surreal World," subtitled "An Evening of Solos Dealing with Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Happiness in a World Seemingly Spinning out of Control." Armentrout looks at the universe through cracked glasses that allow her to see relationships and physical forces in a way that throws logic out a speeding car's window – but lets in the dust, detritus, and leftover flavors of human nuttiness and fallibility. And she does it in a manner that's completely her own and entertaining, if you just listen and look carefully enough. Through Aug. 7. Fri.-Sat., 8:30 p.m., 848 Community Space, 848 Divisadero, S.F. $10-$15 (no one turned away for lack of funds). (510) 845-8604. (Rita Felciano)

Boo! Straight outta Ann Arbor, Mich., comes the Ghostly International Fifth Anniversary Tour. Ghostly has released a steady stream of innovative records, including the pop-leaning techno of Matthew Dear's Leave Luck to Heaven, and has some sweet new offerings, like the dirty dose of acid on James Cotton's The Dancing Box. Tonight Ghostly artists go live with techno transformations by Dear, hip-hop hijacking by Dabrye, and rousing electro-rock from Midwest Product, promising something for everyone who doesn't like their genre boundaries set in stone. 9 p.m., Mezzanine, 444 Jessie, S.F. $20. (415) 820-9669. (Peter Nicholson)

July 31

Saturday

Say what? The North Beach Jazz Festival continues tonight with the first San Francisco appearance by 60-member hip-hop group Dakah Hip Hop Orchestra. The beloved Los Angeles symphony boasts a full-blown horn section, percussion, strings, DJs, and MCs. Founded by composer-baritone sax player Geoff "Double G" Gallegos in 1999, Dakah takes the essential funkiness, breaks, and phrasing of hip-hop and merges it into a symphonic anomaly of epic proportions. With musical influences including Charles Mingus, P-Funk, and the Roots, Dakah is sure to get any crowd into a head-nodding, ass-moving frenzy. S.F.'s legendary DJ Zeph and upcoming star DJ Jerry Ross lay down the funkiest beats for an after party. 8 p.m., Palace of Fine Arts, 3301 Lyon, S.F. $15-$35. (415) 563-6504. (Rizga)

The real thing You haven't heard anything until you hear Sugar Pie deSanto sing "Soulful Dress," her hit from way back – when she was an R&B queen and when that sound ruled the land. She's still a queen, she's still as soulful as hell, and someone's been looking out for her because she's still got what it takes to raise the roof. I don't know who she's got in her band, nor do I know what they'll be playing, but that's never mattered before. Through Sun/1. 10 p.m., Ivy Room, 858 San Pablo, Albany. Call for price. (510) 524-9220. (J.H. Tompkins)

Aug. 1

Sunday

Solo symphonies Now in its 11th year, the AfroSolo Arts Festival kicks off this week with a massive photo exhibit that spans two venues, "One Black Day 2: Pride, Dignity, and Hope." Six African American artists contribute to the display, which aims to capture the life and culture of African American people both in and beyond San Francisco. The fest, which continues into the fall, also features a free outdoor jazz concert; solo performances by San Francisco poet laureate devorah major, humorist Sia Amma, an array of erotica writers, and many others; a panel discussion on how to develop solo works; and a comedy night featuring local favorite W. Kamau Bell, among others. Through Oct. 15. Gallery hours Tues.-Sat., noon-5 p.m. (reception Aug. 5, 6-7 p.m.), Center for African and African American Art and Culture Complex, Sargent Johnson Gallery, 762 Fulton, S.F.; gallery hours Sun., noon-5 p.m.; Mon. and Sat., 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Tues.-Thurs., 9 a.m.-8 p.m; Fri., noon-6 p.m. (reception Sept. 18, 1-3 p.m.), San Francisco Main Library, 100 Larkin, S.F. Free. (415) 771-AFRO, www.afrosolo.org. (Cheryl Eddy)

Aug. 2

Monday

SOS success I had a dream like this once but awoke certain it could never happen in real life. I was so wrong. Not only is Xena the Warrior Princess there, but also L.A. Law's Jill Eikenberry and Michael Tucker, Cagney and Lacey's Tyne Daly, Lucie Arnaz, even Florence Henderson – all singing Broadway show tunes and performing with about two dozen other leading and legendary lights of stage, screen, TV, and music. And it's all really happening tonight, at the Richmond/Ermet AIDS Foundation's annual black-tie gala, 'Help Is On the Way X: Broadway ... and All That Jazz.' Established by best friends Barbara Richmond and Peggy Ermet in memory of their only sons, the popular charitable event is a major source of funding for many local AIDS services. The 10th-anniversary extravaganza includes an extensive silent auction, as well as a big postshow mingle with the stars. Gala reception and silent auction 5:30-7:30 p.m., performance 8 p.m., Palace of Fine Arts, 3301 Lyon, S.F. $75-$150. (415) 273-1620, www.helpisontheway.org. (Robert Avila)

Going 'Public' Alto sax player Greg Osby doffs his "St. Louis shoes" (also the name of his acclaimed 2003 album) and comes out to play on Public (Blue Note), his first live album since his determinedly lo-fi, minidisc-recorded Banned in New York (1998). Here, he simmers on a low fire with his new group, the Greg Osby 5, which includes pianist Megumi Yonezawa, trumpeter Nicholas Payton, drummer Rodney Green, and bassist Robert Hurst, as well as, on "Lover Man," Joan Osborne. Though Osby put in time playing with the Dead last year, you can't tell it from Public as it takes a more classic bebop route, delving into standards like "Summertime" and "Shaw Nuff" and coming closer to Parker than Prince – and Osby's funkier M-Base Collective experiments. Nonetheless, there's plenty for the saxophonist to play with when it comes to numbers like the impressionistic "Visitation" and the elastic "Bernie's Tune." In the Bay Area, Osby makes it a foursome with Yonezawa, bassist Matt Brewer, and drummer Eric McPherson. 8 and 10 p.m., Yoshi's, 510 Embarcadero West, Jack London Square, Oakl. $10-$16. (510) 238-9200. (Chun)

Aug. 3

Tuesday

Red all over Consider the noble tomato: it adds luscious flavor to pizza sauce, makes bacon taste good with lettuce, sparks heated debates (fruit versus vegetable? toe-MAY-toe versus toe-MAH-toe?), and has even launched (in killer form) an unbridled attack on civilization as we know it. Celebrate the "love apple" when the Berkeley Farmers Market – worth a visit anyway, for its outstanding selection of locally produced healthy eats – hosts its annual tomato tasting, a smorgasbord of more than 35 varieties. On parade will be such exotically named selections as Marvel Stripe, Green Zebra, Celebrity, Beefsteak, Shady Lady, and Golden Jubilee. 2-7 p.m., Berkeley Farmers Market, Derby at MLK Jr. Way, Berk. Free. (510) 548-3333, www.ecologycenter.org. (Eddy)

Aug. 4

Wednesday

Bruisin' fusion Shizuoka, Japan-born and Berklee College of Music-educated Hiromi shows she's about as versatile, disciplined, and irreverent as her inspirations, Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, on her latest Telarc album, Brain. The opening track, "Kung-Fu World Champion," finds the 25-year-old pitching headlong into virtuoso-speed piano and pitted against bassist Tony Grey, whereas "Keytalk" captures Hiromi running her keyboard through a guitar talk box and tugging against the traditional sonic textures of her instrument. Meanwhile, there's no denying her pop instincts are intact: "Wind Song" 's melody line just might stay on your mind. Mentored by giants such as Oscar Peterson and Ahmad Jamal, Hiromi seems ready to take another step forward, giving a maiden performance at Yoshi's with her trio. 8 and 10 p.m., Yoshi's, 510 Embarcadero West, Jack London Square, Oakl. $10-$14. (510) 238-9200. (Chun)

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