Nov. 10-17, 2004

DESPITE THE SUFFOCATING national political atmosphere, plenty of hopeful folks haven't given up the fight and will continue to throw their weight against the backward force careening treacherously toward the destruction of the environment, civil rights, and other "luxuries" we hold dear. The second annual We the Planet Music and Activism Festival – presented by Circle of Life and cohosted by its founder, activist and best-selling author Julia Butterfly Hill, and award-winning hip-hop poet and spoken word artist Aya de León – carries the theme "Pushing the Boundaries for a New World." "We all know we live in a world full of problems," Hill says. "We the Planet brings forth inspiring solutions and teaches people how to use these solutions in their daily lives." The event features workshops on music and arts as activism, independent media, post-election activism, and direct action. And what better way to release energy from the post-workshop brain overflow than by seeing the Roots? Others in the conscious concert lineup include the Coup, Michelle Shocked and the Waybacks, Third Eye Blind, Mickey Hart, and Joan Baez and friends. Sat/13, workshops 2-5:30 p.m., Laney College, 900 Fallon, Oakl.; concert 7 p.m., Henry J. Kaiser Center, 10 10th St., Oakl. $30 ($10 for workshops only). (510) 601-9790, ext. 7, www.wetheplanet.org. (Lori Musicer)

Nov. 10

Wednesday

He shoots, they score Rick Derby's undersung Rocks with Wings was a highlight of the American Indian Film Festival three years ago. Derby's decade-long labor of love told the underdog story of the Lady Chieftains, a Navajo girls' high school basketball team coached all the way to the New Mexico state championships two years in a row by African American coach Jerry Richardson. Clashes between coach and team resulted in the kind of suspense and emotion that are rare in a serious doc. Director Chris Eyre (Smoke Signals) obviously agreed, because he's helmed a dramatic version of Derby's movie, titled Edge of America. Having already screened new work such as the Vancouver-set urban Indian street tale On the Corner, this year's American Indian fest begins a second week that includes some Palace of Fine Arts events; today brings a noontime collection of short works and a 7 p.m. program featuring Eyre's film. See Rep Clock, in Film listings, for a complete schedule. Noon and 7 p.m., UA Galaxy, 1285 Sutter, S.F. Free-$7. (415) 554-0525, www.aifisf.com. (Johnny Ray Huston)

Bottled blues Pretty slo-core folk rock straight outta Crocodile Dundee country? It's not hard to imagine, considering the Go-Betweens, the Triffids, and Nick Cave also crawled from the outback. Long embraced by fellow Aussie indie rockers like Silverchair's Daniel Johns, Bluebottle Kiss like their poison soft and moody, bathing the whole affair with lightly abrasive guitar textures and a slow, syrupy pace on their fifth album, Come Across (In Music We Trust). Fields of Gaffney headline. 10 p.m., Hemlock Tavern, 1131 Polk, S.F. $6. (415) 923-0923. (Kimberly Chun)

Nov. 11

Thursday

Food brood Deborah Koons Garcia screens The Future of Food, her documentary detailing how GMOs got into our F-O-O-D, and offers advice on how to keep evil, multinational corporations away from your digestive tract. The film follows the plights of farmers and civic activists fighting against the political and market forces that have brought genetically modified edibles to American and European tables. Tonight she serves up an all-star cast from the culinary left wing, including famed chef, revolutionary, and vice president of Slow Food International Alice Waters; professor, New York Times writer, and Botany of Desire author Michael Pollan; and Ignacio Chapela, associate professor of ecosystem sciences at UC Berkeley. The evening also benefits Slow Food, an "eco-gastronomic" organization that supports sustainable food production and the pleasures of eating. Organic popcorn will be served. 7 p.m. (film only, also Fri/12, 7 and 9:15 p.m.), Castro Theatre, 429 Castro, S.F. $10. (415) 621-6120, www.ticketweb.com. (Karen Solomon)

Nov. 12

Friday

L.A. story In the closing sections of his mammoth, sometimes amazing documentary Los Angeles Plays Itself, Thom Andersen sings the praises of a few filmmakers who've stayed true to that city. Many of those whom Andersen names – including Charles Burnett and Haile Gerima – made great movies about Los Angeles while attending UCLA in the late '80s. More than 20 years later, Andrew Garza's Progress just might be the optimistic bridge to the present that Andersen's film lacked: a feature shot for less than $1,000 that has hit critic's top-10 lists and drawn comparisons to Burnett's brilliant Killer of Sheep. Check out a truly independent new talent. 7:30 p.m., Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission, S.F. $5-$8. (415) 978-2787, www.ybca.org. (Huston)

Eat your Wheaties It's been the slogan for a popular cereal, a title of a Kurt Vonnegut novel, and the name of a famous San Francisco New Year's breakbeat party. Now Lee Coombs has appropriated Breakfast of Champions as the title of his new full-length on Finger Lickin' Records. The globe-trotting U.K. DJ-producer hops into 1015 Folsom to lay down funky, chunky big-room breaks from his new album. The tracks are already receiving extensive play in clubs across the world and on the BBC's Radio 1. The Space Cowboys – who throw the Breakfast of Champions after-hours party – host this record-release party. Felix the Dog, Benchun, Adam Ohana, and Kid Beyond are also on the bill. 10 p.m.-6 a.m., 1015 Folsom, S.F. $20. (415) 431-1200. (Paul Smith)

Nov. 13

Saturday

Boogie to the beat Turntable master, bandleader, radio host, ladies' man – no matter which hat he's wearing, J-Boogie always has style to spare. The Om Records artist and cohost of KUSF-FM's Beatsauce (the Bay Area's longest-running hip-hop radio show) takes to the stage with his Dubtronic Science crew, celebrating the release of their brand-spanking-new album, Live!, a smooth blend of dub, hip-hop, and funk. Also performing tonight are SoCal's 12-member Breakestra, DJ Zeph, Ren the Vinyl Archaeologist, Proof, pantyROBber, and D-Reel, so definitely wear your dancing shoes. 9 p.m., Mighty, 119 Utah, S.F. $15. (415) 626-7001. (Peter Nicholson)

Nov. 14

Sunday

Art, close and personal Acrobats, puppets, ballet: a few un-museumlike surprises await at the Asian Art Museum's biannual Fall Family Festival. In addition to interactive gallery tours featuring traditional Asian art and dance, themed tours take place all day, including "Monkey Madness," for the preschool set, and "Jewels!," for older teens. The art jumps off the walls with performances by China's Red Panda Acrobats and the Jataka Puppet Theatre, presenting stories originally taught by the Tibetan Sakya Buddhist order. Former San Francisco Ballet prima ballerina Evelyn Cisneros-Legate rounds out the afternoon's festivities with two dance workshops. Bookending a performance by SFB students, the workshops offer preregistered attendees free tickets to the world-renowned company's Nutcracker. 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Asian Art Museum, 200 Larkin, S.F. Free with museum admission ($6-$10, free for 11 and under). (415) 581-3500, www.asianart.org (to preregister for workshops, call 415-581-3666 or e-mail familyprograms@asianart.org). (Leah Freeman)

Shalom, MF It sounds like a bad, grade school ethnic joke: what do you get when you cross a pair of Israeli hard rockers with MC5 bassist Mike Davis? No, not John Sinclair pulling weeds at the kibbutz – instead, you have Mother's Anger, a twosome who sound like a foursome (or at the very least a threesome), and a measure of rock 'n' roll chaos, with a dab o' Hebrew, to do ya. The Dionysus recording artists oughtta be made honorary Americans (though god knows who'd want that after the recent presidential election) – their rock combines a soupçon of Amphetamine Reptile, a dash of Homestead Records, and a tad early Sub Pop. They're reaching out to you with an all-English self-titled debut – the least you could do is return the favor. 9 p.m., Hush Hush Lounge, 496 14th St., S.F. $5. (415) 241-9944. Also Mon/15, 9:30 p.m., Cherry Bar and Lounge, 917 Folsom, S.F. Call for price. (415) 974-1585; Wed/17, 9 p.m., Parkside, 1600 17th St., S.F. Call for price. (415) 503-0393. (Chun)

Nov. 15

Monday

Boom! When did melody become a dirty word in hardcore? Oh, probably the early '90s – but that's a whole other story. Meanwhile the Explosion continue on their merry way, busting out short, sharp little blasts of punk pop that throw some nice emo-riffic key changes and harmonies in among Dave Prentice and Sam Cave's buzzsaw guitars and Million Dollar Matt Hock's hollered vocals when they can. So the Boston group made the jump from Jade Tree to Virgin with Black Tape – that doesn't mean this power foursome are the worst band in this lineup. In fact, they're just the opposite. Social Distortion, Tiger Army, and 8mm Overdrive also play. Also Tues/16. 8 p.m., Warfield, 982 Market, S.F. $25. (415) 775-7722. (Chun)

Nov. 16

Tuesday

Do what you know The three-year-old UnderSkatement Film Festival is an international touring event with deep San Francisco roots. Produced by David Franklin and Andreas Troff and edited by Travis Kopach, this year's roster has something for every skater or skater lover: documentaries, experimental films, artist profiles, and some skate flicks. Each short is no longer than seven minutes and is skater-created. Yes, there are some serious bro-downs, such as Preston Maigetter's doc on the Carbondale Run, featuring beer-fueled muddy scraps, skating, and bloody wounds. More important, there are flicks that really capture the spirit and innovation of skaters when they're not skating, such as D. Bendall's arty robot fantasies and Kopach's gritty film about Isaac McKay Randozzi and his despicable day job. This year's program also debuts animation by Lori D. and Kirk Christiansen, and there's a profile on Girl graphic designer Andy Mueller and his trickless, gorgeous, urban panoramic skate photos. UnderSkatement shows the juicy bits between sessions. Don't miss it! 7 and 9:15 p.m., Castro Theatre, 429 Castro, S.F. $8.50. (415) 621-6120, www.castrotheatre.com or www.underskatement.com. (Lori Spears)

Can I get a witness? Four more years ... hoo boy! If there were ever a time for faith and unity, it's now. When the thunder clouds a-gather, what better time to sing? Emmit Powell and the Gospel Elites, the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus, and the University of San Francisco Gospel Choir perform at a 'Celebration of Diversity and Unity in Faith.' According to the press release, this event is "for people of all religious or spiritual backgrounds to have fun and celebrate together." If you think there's not much to celebrate, you've got to dig deeper and reach for that cathartic moment. From my angle, this show is just the thing to bring a little spiritual relief. Powell is the founder of Powell's Place, home of the best fried chicken in the world, so don't tell me the man doesn't know what's good for your soul. Donations benefit the Yvette A. Flunder Foundation, which works with charities in southern Africa to provide care for children orphaned by the AIDS epidemic. 7:30 p.m., University of San Francisco, Presentation Theater, 2350 Turk, S.F. Free. (415) 422-2434. (Duncan Scott Davidson)

Ooh la la Mama's got a new bag. Actually, it's a venerable old bag, by Hermès, but banish the words when blithe spirit Jane Birkin is in the château. The lady known as "L'Anglaise" is so notorious – first for her nude threesome scene in Blow Up, then for her orgasmic vocal turn with onetime paramour Serge Gainsbourg on the 1969 international hit "Je t'aime moi non plus" – that her later achievements, with Gainsbourg and solo, can get overlooked. These days, in addition to mothering actors Charlotte Gainsbourg and Lou Doillon, she continues to tangle with the oeuvre of her brilliant partner, paying homage to his work and putting an "oriental" spin on his music – including songs such as "Elisa" and "Comment te dire adieu" – with violinist Djamel Benyelles on Arabesque (Capitol). Bag? Bah, humbug. 8 p.m., Great American Music Hall, 859 O'Farrell, S.F. $35. (415) 885-0750. (Chun)

Nov. 17

Wednesday

Spin doctors So. We're stuck with Dubya for four more years, and his little crusade rages on indefinitely in the Middle East. But that doesn't mean the rest of us can't get together and share a night of culture with the Whirling Dervishes of Damascus. Since the 13th century, dervishes have whirled their way to religious ecstasy through meditative song and dance. The Al-Kindî Ensemble backs the dervishes with classical Arab music on the traditional lute, tambourine, and flute. Led by French-born zither player Julien Jalal Eddine Weiss and Great Mosque choirmaster Sheikh Hamza Shakkûr, members of the group hail from Syria, Egypt, and Iraq. 8 p.m., Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley, Bancroft at Telegraph, Berk. $22-$42. (510) 642-9988, www.calperfs.berkeley.edu. (Freeman)

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