8 Days a Week

Sept. 28-Oct. 5, 2005

IT WAS EMMA Goldman, the famous Lithuanian anarchist, feminist, and general rabble-rouser, who supposedly first proclaimed, "If I can't dance, I don't want to be part of your revolution." It's a worthy principle – despite the fact that it's appeared as a bumper sticker on one too many Volvos – and the crew putting together Leftist Lounge 3 is taking it to heart. But let's be clear: They ain't talkin' about a bunch of half-naked neo-hippies downing ecstasy, gyrating to techno, getting all touchy-feely, and calling it "love." The Leftist Lounge is a whole lot hipper and a lot more real than that. It centers around profoundly conscious, politically engaged activists who do the day-to-day work in our communities – the astonishingly savvy progeny of largely working-class civil rights and third world liberation movements of decades past who are now building on lessons learned and adapting their knowledge to current realities. The idea is to create a space where real community and solidarity can grow – across various progressive, ideological lines. In short, it's about real love ... and, of course, having fun. Billed as "the hottest left party on the left coast" and featuring two floors of hip-hop, reggaeton, salsa, and dancehall by Bay Area DJs and DJ crews Local 1200, Tim D, Willie Maze, Third World Liberation Music, and Rosa la Rumorosa, it's sure to be bumpin'. Proceeds benefit Just Cause, Left Turn magazine, and the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement. Fri/30, 8 p.m.-4 a.m., Oakland Noodle Factory, 1255 26th St., Oakl. $5-$10 donation (no one turned away for lack of funds). (510) 595-5526, bayarea@leftistlounge.com. (Camille T. Taiara)

Sept. 28

Wednesday

Breakin' too Can't get enough of that funky stuff? Then get on down to see Breakestra, the six-piece funk band from Los Angeles. Touring in support of its supertight new album, Hit the Floor (Ubiquity) – its first of all-original material after several years of covers – the gang, fronted by Miles Tackett and Mixmaster Wolf, is known for its raw shows and grooves so authentic you can practically smell the dust from the crates. LadyBug Mecca (Digable Planets), Sake One (Local 1200), Steve Spacek, and Mr. French As Steven also perform. 9 p.m., DNA Lounge, 375 11th St., SF. $18. (415) 626-1409, www.dnalounge.com. (Peter Nicholson)

Cacophony withdrawal You can't swing a two-by-four in the local post-punk scene without killing four people who are fans of the Chromatics. By now the band's debut, Chrome Rats vs. Basement Rutz (GSL), has practically been inducted into the hipster hall of fame as a record that successfully made morose art-snobs shake their asses. But on their latest release – appropriately titled Plaster Hounds (GSL) – the once-spastic experimentalists have shed two original members and appropriated a new style of minimalist lethargy that recalls the days when bands like Suicide ruled. While their earlier release layered turbulent, carnal arrangements with the vocal stylings of Blood Brothers crooner Johnny Whitney, the new album boasts a stark level of maturity. And while Plaster Hounds probably won't be jarring hips anytime soon, it will certainly draw an audience who will appreciate the cascading peaks and valleys. Clipped Beaks, Triangle, and the Bulbs also play. 9 p.m., Stork Club, 2330 Telegraph, Oakl. $5. (510) 444-6174, www.storkcluboakland.com. (Justin Yu)

Sept. 29

Thursday

Puppet love In shitty, sad times, it's good to get lots of help from your friends. And love. Erase Errata, Kid 606, XBXRX, Gravy Train!!!, Gris Gris, and Automagic will all be on hand at 12 Galaxies to benefit New Orleans musical provocateurs Quintron (he of the Drum Buddy, and the keeper of Ernie K-Doe's legacy) and Miss Pussycat (she of the Pussycat Caverns, puppets, and maracas). Funds raised go toward rebuilding the Spellcaster Lodge (their flooded home), replacing lost equipment, and keeping the Rhinestone Records show on the road. 9 p.m., 12 Galaxies, 2565 Mission, SF. $6-$20 donation. (415) 970-9777, www.12galaxies.com, www.quintronandmisspussycat.com. (Lydia Brawner)

Sept. 30

Friday

Brush with greatness It's possible you've already admired the art of Tanja Nixx without even realizing it – emblazoning the forearm of the heavily inked chap sitting next to you on the bus this morning, perhaps, or on the cover of the Bay Guardian's Best of the Bay issue. Nixx – owner of the famed Lyle Tuttle Tattoo – is also an actor; you might've seen her in the indie road movie Love Will Travel, a hit at the 2002 Film Arts Festival. Her paintings, 30 of which go on display tonight at her tattoo shop, reflect yet another of Nixx's talents, as well as her love for travel. While many of the works depict scenes of San Francisco (her self-proclaimed "favorite place on earth"), don't expect standard-issue postcard views – the artist is drawn to weathered buildings and deserted landscapes, where she culls beauty from the bleak via her colorful way with acrylics. Through Oct. 28. Reception tonight, 6:30-9:30 p.m. (shop hours, noon-9 p.m.), Lyle Tuttle Tattoo, 841 Columbus, SF. Free. www.tanjanixx.com. (Cheryl Eddy)

Send in the clowns Looking for a chance to help victims of Hurricane Katrina? Cafe con Comedy is a serious option. Led by local comic and impresario Lisa Geduldig (of Kung Pao Kosher Comedy fame), a diverse body of Bay Area-based comedians rallies in a one-night benefit to provide comic and monetary relief in Katrina's toxic wake. Laugh and pass the hat with Yayne Abeba, Alana Devich, Ray Ferrer, Doug Holsclaw, Nick Leonard, Gretchen Rootes, and Ross Turner – 100 percent of proceeds go to the food bank network America's Second Harvest. Which just goes to show, when the historic destruction wrought by a pissed-off low-pressure system comes multiplied by the flagrant negligence of a government of energy execs, having a sense of humor sure helps. 8 p.m., Dolores Park Cafe, 510 Dolores, SF. $6-$100 donation. (415) 522-3737, www.koshercomedy.com. (Robert Avila)

Creek dipper Although she's had her fair share of misses over the past few years, Victoria Williams's songbook remains one of the strongest within the vaguely drawn borders of Americana. She had a brief fling with mainstream success in the mid-'90s, when a few noteworthy fans – including Lou Reed, Lucinda Williams, and, uh, Soul Asylum – offered loyal renditions of her songs for an album whose proceeds helped cover the expenses resulting from her multiple sclerosis. That album's afterglow didn't do much for Williams's career, but no matter; albums like Musings of a Creek Dipper continued to show her flourishing as a tender author of porch songs. Perhaps the creaky voices of recent faves like Joanna Newsom and Vashti Bunyan signal a world ready to fall for Williams's own crackling pipes, but in the meantime, she's ours to enjoy. Carolyn Mark and Bermuda Triangle Service also perform. 9 p.m., 12 Galaxies, 2565 Mission, SF. $15. (415) 970-9777, www.12galaxies.com. (Also Sat/1, 9:30 p.m., Starry Plough, 3101 Shattuck, Berk. $12. 510-841-2082.) (Max Goldberg)

Oct. 1

Saturday

The kids are alright Forget MTV's insipid reality programs – My Super Sweet Sixteen is hardly representative of how today's younger generation views the world (at least, let's hope so). Hear straight talk from talented teens at the fifth annual Living Word Festival, presented by the venerable Youth Speaks. This year's theme is "Dystopia," a topic that will be addressed over a week of multimedia performances, including two world premieres: Dante's Divine Comedy, written by Youth Speaks poets, and Fear of a Brown Planet, by the Chicano Messengers of Spoken Word. There'll also be a work-in-progress solo performance by hip-hop dancer Rennie Harris, Prince ScareKrow's Road to the Emerald City. Another dance performance, Cause, matches Youth Speaks writers with Robert Moses' Kin dance company. In between, aspiring poets can find their voices at a variety of free workshops. Tonight's kickoff performance, Generations, features members of Youth Speaks along with Carl Hancock Rux, Beth Lisick, Robert Mailer Anderson, and literary luminaries. Through Oct. 9. Opens tonight, 7:30 p.m., Project Artaud Theater, 450 Florida, SF. $5-$15. (415) 626-4370, www.artaud.org/theater. For a complete schedule, go to www.youthspeaks.org. (Eddy)

Oct. 2

Sunday

Band aid Hurricane Katrina has devastated much of the Gulf Coast and has left many homeless. Among the devastation is the heartbreaking temporary loss of a legendary music scene. Bay Area jazz and funk lovers collaborate to bring the Gulf Coast Relief Benefit concert to SF and help speed the recovery. Singer-songwriter Papa Mali – one of the greasiest slide guitarists breaking it down – and modern brass band pioneers Kirk Joseph's Backyard Groove join members of hometown Latin funk stars Vinyl in a show of love from the Bay to the Big Easy. San Mateo native and New Orleans funkster Eric Lindell bridges the distance between cities and adds his smoldering vocals to the stage. Local favorite horn player Cecil "P'nut" Daniels and high-energy hip-hop and funk band Shotgun Wedding Quintet also represent to support Tipitina's Foundation and the New Orleans Musicians Clinic. Andy J. Forest and Roger Rocha and the Blue Swamis also perform. 6 p.m., Independent, 628 Divisadero, SF. $25-$100 donation. (415) 771-1421, www.theindependentsf.com. (Jana Rogers)

On the dark side Over the course of the past 25-plus years, Glenn Danzig has become somewhat of a living legend in underground rock, spawning a cult following with his dark and brooding voice, and the sinister, seductive imagery of his lyrics. From his early days fronting horror punk icons the Misfits, to metal-infused Samhain, and finally to Danzig, with whom he achieved mainstream success with hits such as "Mother" and "Dirty Black Summer," he has taken haunting and macabre themes, blasted them with an obsessive sheen, and come up with some of the most memorable songs this side of hell. For this ghoul's night out, Danzig will not only be performing with his namesake group in its latest incarnation, but he will also be joined by special guest Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein – the guitarist for the Misfits – for a highly anticipated set running through some of the band's classic catalog. Legions of devoted 'Fits fiends out there, take note: Danzig has said that this is the closest there will be to a reunion (with him on vocals). With Chimaira, Behemoth, Himsa, Mortiis, and the Agony Scene. 5:30 p.m., Pound-SF, 100 Cargo Way, Pier 96, SF. $30. (415) 826-5009, www.poundsf.com. (Sean McCourt)

We are family San Francisco chanteuse Veronica Klaus brings back her sweet, sexy, so San Francisco show, Family Jewels, for a limited four-night engagement to benefit friend, cowriter, and director Jeffrey Hartgraves, recently diagnosed with multiple myaloma (bone cancer) and currently undergoing a long and difficult treatment regimen. Hartgraves, a deeply valued veteran of Bay Area theater as a playwright, director, and actor, has among his many talents an enviable instinct for finding humor in the human condition, often with a flawless mixture of zaniness and wry understatement. It's a recognizable strength of Klaus's autobiographical solo show, which details in song and story her fascinating transformation from naive Midwestern lad to tuneful West Coast lady. All money raised from this must-see event (copresented by Stein Beck Presents, Theatre Rhinoceros, and Klaus) goes directly to the Jeffrey Hartgraves Cancer Fund. Tonight, 7 p.m.; Mon/3-Tues/4, 8 p.m., Theatre Rhinoceros, 2926 16th St., SF. $25 donation. (415) 861-5079, www.therhino.org. (Avila)

Oct. 3

Monday

Bleep bop British laptop wrangler Four Tet (a.k.a. Kieran Hebden) is widely acclaimed in Europe as an experimental electronica artist. His free jazz samples shiver and rattle like folk orchestras, and sidestep out of authentic acoustic sounds into computerized and video-gamey bleeps and snaps. Collaborating with acts from almost every record store bin imaginable (including MF Doom, Hella, Bloc Party, and Beth Orton), the genre-smashing Four Tet breaks down traditions and cannibalizes them for parts. Tonight Four Tet resynthesizes them into dance-floor fuel; Jamie Lidell and Koushik open. 9 p.m., Independent, 628 Divisadero, SF. $15. (415) 771-1421, www.independentsf.com. (Sean Maylone)

Oct. 4

Tuesday

Flush with beats Crunchy, crispy, and with gargantuan hooks worthy of the slickest pop, the music of T. Raumschmiere is not your typical Teutonic techno. Hot on the heels of his most recent album, Blitzkrieg Pop (Mute), the head of the charmingly named Shitkatapult Records is in town to stir some sonic poop. He'll be backed by a full band, which, when paired with Mezzanine's rather large sound system, should make for a night of heavy business. Bring the earplugs. 8 p.m., Mezzanine, 444 Jessie, SF. $15. (415) 625-8880, www.blasthaus.com. (Nicholson)

Oct. 5

Wednesday

Come on Feel the noise: Chad Stockdale and Kevin Corcoran (of Klondike and York, and Antennas Erupt, respectively) put out one of the harshest, fastest slabs of free rocking in 2004, a self-titled 7-inch consisting of distorted sax and frenetic drums. Sacramento-based Stockdale's Weird Forest Records has also been a prime documenter of emergent sounds of the West, including his own projects and such bastard splinters as My Whole Hand Was Wet and the moan-tastic Living Breathing Music. Oaxacan features one member of Living Breathing Music, along with alumni of Compromicro-Dexall and Chum Frink. Their MySpace page has tracks of delicate guitar plucks, atmospheric rubbery scrapings, and Konono-esque jammers. The Valley Nis also perform. 9 p.m., Stork Club, 2330 Telegraph, Oakl. $5. (510) 444-6174. (George Chen)

The Bay Guardian listings deadline is two weeks prior to our Wednesday publication date. To submit an item for consideration, please include the title of the event, a brief description of the event, date and time, venue name, street address (listing cross streets only isn't sufficient), city, telephone number readers can call for more information, telephone number for media, and admission costs. Send information to Listings, the Bay Guardian Building, 135 Mississippi St., SF, CA 94107; fax to (415) 487-2506; or e-mail (paste press release into e-mail body – no text attachments, please) to listings@sfbg.com. We cannot guarantee the return of photos, but enclosing an SASE helps. Digital photos may be submitted in jpeg format; the image must be at least 240 dpi and four inches by six inches in size. We regret we cannot accept listings over the phone.