Concerts, food festivals, art exhibits and more of the best things to do in San Francisco this weekend.
ArtLaunch 2017: SF Open Studios Exhibition Opening Reception
Celebrate artistic exploration at a single soirée, as ArtSpan prepares to launch its annual SF Open Studios tours. How to prepare for five consecutive weekends of exploring different neighborhoods’ local creative spaces? An open bar, light appetizers and dancing with DJ Tyrone Cornelius should do the trick. And you’ll have your chance to shine, as creative cocktail attire is encouraged.
Literary organization the Moth pits winners of its StorySLAM series against one another to duke it out for the title of GrandSLAM Story Champion. There can only be one victor on stage, but the audience is a different story: everyone will feel like a winner after hearing these super talented tellers unwind their tales.
A Tribute to Tom Waits: Down By Law + Big Time
Spoke Gallery and the Roxie are teaming up to pay homage to Tom Waits, the gravelly-voiced icon whose film resume is just slightly overshadowed by his sad-boy anthems. The double feature kicks off with Jim Jarmusch’s requisite dry comedy, Down By Law (Waits’ opening scene with Ellen Barkin is worth the price of admission alone) and winds down with a very rare screening of Big Time, a live concert doc directed by Chris Blum, who will appear in person.
Sixth Street cleans up nice for this annual art festival. Seventy-five artists will take over the gritty SOMA street between Market and Howard for an evening to remember, with inspiring exhibits and performances in non-traditional venues — think coffee shops, stores and even a laundromat. The night’s crowning event is the unveiling of a new large-scale light projection on the 16-story rear facade of 995 Market Street.
Ocean Beach Music + Art Festival
Follow the sun to Noriega Street (between 45th and 47th Avenues) this weekend and be rewarded with two stages of live music, kid-friendly activities, food trucks, two beer gardens and even a pumpkin patch. You can thank the Outer Noriega Merchants and your neighbors for hosting this welcome to fall, in between sets by the likes of Reisender, Soul Ska and The Mermen, among many more.
Photograph: Courtesy SOMA StrEat Food Park
Don’t take your lederhosen to the dry cleaner just yet, because the last Oktoberfest party of the season is going down at SOMA StrEat Food Park and they are taking their role very seriously by doing it bottomless. Just $35 gets you unlimited pours of German beers, access to a rotating assortment of food trucks, and one last chance to jam to that sweet, sweet polka. Prost!
Six unbearably cool Parisians proffer incredibly catchy, lo-fi surf-pop layered with subtly sweet female vocals. La Femme’s debut album Psycho Tropical Berlin was one of the freaky highlights of 2013, even if you didn’t understand the words. Their latest album, Mystère is out now — if you really hammer DuoLingo till Saturday’s show, you might just be able to follow along.
Grand National Livestock, Horse Show and Rodeo
Calling all urban cowboys down to the appropriately named Cow Palace for a weekend of ropin’, wranglin’ and everything else that happens at rodeos. Sidle into the bleachers to watch classic country diversions, like equestrian drills, bareback riding, steer wrestling and the exciting barrel races. When you need a break from the action, shop the western-themed marketplace, chow down on BBQ, and meet and greet the livestock that make it all possible.
CUESA's 15th Annual Sunday Supper: A Farm to City Feast
The Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture is bringing another pop-up to the Ferry Building this week, and this one’s even fancier than usual. This lavish gala celebrates all the bounty of Northern California’s harvest. Dress up and come hungry (and thirsty) as 35 of the region’s finest chefs, bartenders, farmers, fishers and cheesemongers descend on the scene to show off their stuff by getting you stuffed. There’s a live auction and proceeds help benefit CUESA’s programs to bolster sustainable food systems — bon appetit!
Haunting melancholia rules the evening as the National, led by Matt Berninger’s beautiful baritone voice, headlines a show in support of the new album, Sleep Well Beast. The group’s songcraft lingers in the realm of urban ennui, and the new disc might be its most cohesive statement yet, expanding its world of interior reflection with dense, gorgeously textured production.