Kids are back to school amidst massive changes. How are things like ICE raids, Muni service cuts, and SFUSD changes impacting city life? 

The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. It’s a saying I grew up hearing, but this year it keeps repeating in my head as I navigate preparing our household for Back to School Season. 

I’m the PTA president this year, but in this piece I’m writing as an editor with BrokeAssStuart.com. The views are my own, but what I’m observing is something anyone can see.

Parent support groups are full of angst. Reader, I must admit… I was kicked out of the main SF Parents Facebook group after being critical of the dark money ties and ineptitude last year. But I’m in a few others! 

In one, a teacher shares that more of her students unexpectedly don’t have WiFi at home this year. She asks if there’s any way to address it. Parents and teachers chime in that there’s a program called HotSpots, but instructions vary by school site. Usually you can fill out the form and turn it into the school librarian. 

Really? No Wi-Fi? It’s 2025. But the truth is, when parents are facing everything from food insecurity to eviction, internet access is low on the utilities list. When I was a kid, I remember watching my mom decide whether to prioritize keeping the lights on or having heat – it’s a terrible position to be in. 

Another issue we’re seeing? The buses are so full that some stops are getting skipped in the mornings. The Mayor’s billionaire budget cut services significantly this summer. That means commenters on Mayor Lurie’s Instagram, like @mari_sf_415, are getting left in the dust. The user says, “This past week, my daughter and I had to let 3 49 buses pass us due to the limited space. We left one hour early to get to school, just to be 15 minutes late!” 

And it’s impacting everyone, not just parents. User @tamivolker says, “It’s really hard getting on or off at stops in between SOTA [Ruth Asawa School of the Arts] and Lincoln High Schools. This morning my bus had to drive past 2 stops and leave kids there because the bus was too full. And I had to yell so I could worm my way out of the bus at my stop in West Portal… I feel bad for the kids who are late because the bus is too full to stop for them.” 

Could Waymo be a fix? After all, they just tripled the size of their fleet and were handed Market Street privileges. Might parents order them for individual or carpool rides? In Phoenix they’re letting 14 year olds ride without an adult. Could you imagine what trouble could happen in a private vehicle? At least on Muni there’s help if a fight breaks out, like what happened Wednesday afternoon when adults were able to intervene. 

The trouble with the Mayor’s plan to replace social services like buses with private corporations like Waymo is that there’s very little oversight (and it’s fucking insane to expect people to pay private corporations to send their kids to school safely and on time). Plus people fuck in Waymos. There’s nobody stopping that kind of behavior. “But don’t they have surveillance and monitoring?” you might ask. Well, I don’t want that for my kids either! 

Walking it is. Except the streets are more crowded now, too. Not only is school back in session, but the Mayor ordered his last 8000 to return to the office 4 days a week. All the extra (vehicular) activity is supposed to be a boon to the economy, but it’s coming at a time when SFMTA’s slashed budget means fewer crossing guards to keep kids safe. 

Downtown Dan’s budget is also prioritizing outsized salaries and overtime for the police (who have very little accountability and keep getting our city sued) over things like food. At my school (and please remember, these views are my own), the citywide budget cuts and the Mayor’s choice to pause all Dreamkeeper funding mean we don’t have our normal daytime classroom snacks. We’re hoping the nonprofit partner is still able to provide it when the pause is over. Do you know what hungry fifth graders are like? I mean, don’t tell them I said this but they’re kinda scary on a good day!

Hangry jokes aside, food insecurity is on the rise. Many families rely on the fact that SFUSD provides free breakfast and lunch. At least their kids will get steady nutrition for two meals a day with school back in session.

And another bright spot: according to SFUSD, the staffing crisis is mostly solved. Except for places like this school that primarily serves Spanish-speaking immigrants. And while there’s been a bit of comfort from Dr. Su about the terrifying impacts of ICE raids, the Mayor showed up last week on the first day of school and didn’t have a single thing to say about any of that. Kinda concerning if you ask me.

The Surgeon General warned in February that parental stress is on the rise and hurting everyone. There are resources out there, but those are drying up thanks to the People in Charge. There have been so many cuts across the board that everyone’s forced to do more with less, from principals to parents. Some are turning to ChatGPT for therapy. I don’t even want to get into that horrific case where the AI coached a kid into not telling his parents he was planning to kill himself. 

I used to love Back to School. The freshness, the pep, the return to a routine of comfort and learning. It’s still there, but everything’s so much heavier now. I visualize a future where we tax the shit out of billionaires and protect our kids. A mom can dream…

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On a Thursday afternoon on Mid-Market, The Good Time Collective spins hip-hop under the Warfield Theatre’s marquee, while San Franciscans sway to beats and sip wine and beer on the sunlit streets. Unstaged is having its last street party of the year in San Francisco’s newest ‘Entertainment Zone’, while a new arts and media hub is opening its doors for the first time, in the heart of San Francisco.

Just above the legendary Warfield Theater, a news, arts, and culture hub has just opened its doors. Local musicians, DJs, and journalists are all hanging out on the Warfield Commons’ 7th floor patio, just inside a live radio show is streaming out of one of the new sound studios, and good music permeates the building, inside and out.

I chat with Guillermo Goyri, the President of Psyched Radio San Francisco, a DIY radio station, record label, and concert production non-profit. “A lot of us are volunteers, people who are a part of the local scene, who live right over there in the Tenderloin,” Guillermo tells me, “we’re excited about the future collaborations we can do in this space, shows, and concerts with KALW and the DIY community.”

Hailed as the Warfield Commons, its first tenants are KALW 91.7 FM, who have been playing public radio in SF for over 80 years (including NPR, BBC, music, and a lot more). KALW have dubbed their new digs on the 8th floor, “The People’s Studio”, and they’ve got plenty of programming and mixing coming up in the future.

Just below on the 7th floor, now lives Psyched Radio SF, which, if you’re into the San Francisco music scene, indie and underground, they produce live concerts (check out Psyched! Fest in October) and have dozens of great local DJs streaming music on the Psyched site and mobile App.

The new office spaces above the Warfield are raw but splashy, with views of the city and Mid Market, complete with a patio space that overlooks the roof of the Warfield Theatre. These floors were formerly occupied by the likes of Spotify and Match.com, and they went through a $9 million renovation. But in recent years, the tech tenants left, and the historic building established in 1922, lay vacant, until CAST (Community Arts Stabilization Trust) stepped up and purchased the space for $7.3 million, and set the stage for a new arts & cultural hub to complement the entertainment zone on Mid Market.

CAST specializes in finance and real estate, with experts you’d normally expect to work for hedge funds or large corporate conglomerates, but the folks at CAST, like CEO Ken Ikeda, specialize in buying buildings for the purpose of providing affordable long-term leases and permanent homes for cherished arts organizations in the Bay Area.

CAST is a big reason why CounterPulse has an awesome theater, why The Luggage Store Gallery lives on, and why 447 Minna Street is flourishing. CAST is also currently working with SF Port to create the City’s largest combined artist studio and exhibition space in the 122,000 square-foot Pier 29 on the northern waterfront. The anchor tenant there will be Art and Water — a new organization formed by Dave Eggers’ Hawkins Project, along with artist, educator, and SF Arts Commission member, J.D. Beltran. More tenants and collaborations are expected for the opening in early 2026.

“These are the buildings that nonprofits lose out on for lack of finances, ready tenants, or complicated partnerships,” said CAST CEO Ken Ikeda. “We’ve experienced first-hand rejection even with proof of funds because nonprofits are seen as unsustainable. This simply isn’t true. KALW is 83 years old and has never been stronger. Journalism, storytelling, and the arts have been identified as threats because they are so vital to establishing cultural narratives and understanding. We must continue to lift them up.”

CAST’s commitment to the neighborhood dates back to its founding in 2013, when it identified Mid-Market as an area of focus following the acute displacement of artists and arts groups after the Twitter tax break in 2011.

“Just over a year after launching Market Street Arts, we’re seeing a real transformation take shape,” said Steve Gibson, Executive Director of the Mid-Market Foundation. “This investment by CAST and KALW creates a new center of gravity for our cultural ecosystem, and with independent journalists and creatives activating the space daily, it reinforces what we’ve long known: that arts and culture are not just part of this neighborhood’s history, but the key to its future.”

The Warfield Commons really is ‘a one-of-a-kind home for artists, culture keepers, journalists & storytellers’. Below-market-rate rents are currently available in the building, and they are looking for Bay Area media and cultural institutions to inquire and collaborate.

The Warfield Commons
988 Market Street, San Francisco

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Bimbo’s 365 Club is an iconic piece of San Francisco’s artistic history; since it first opened its doors in 1931, it’s been an integral part of the city’s nightlife. Within the realm of Bimbo’s 365 Club, with its velvet curtains, warm lighting, and plush carpets, exists Dolfina, the ‘Girl in the Fishbowl’. She greets you at the door and watches over the club from behind the bar. But who is the person behind Dolfina, the mysterious girl behind the glass, who has existed as long as the club itself? I sat down with Hanna Longwell, who is one of the club’s current Dolfinas, as well as the director for Openlight Films’ upcoming Girl in the Fishbowl documentary, in order to learn more about this elusive woman in the fishtank.   

Lucy: So my first question is: What about being a Girl in the Fishbowl at Bimbo’s drew you in? Why did it speak to you?

Hanna: The first time I lived in San Francisco, I had heard rumors that there might be some sort of mermaid at Bimbo’s 365 Club, which was super intriguing. And then I just stumbled into this opportunity. I met your dad [Elias] at Le Sandwich, and I was just chatting with him about his catering business. He mentioned he caters at Bimbo’s 365 Club, and I asked if it was true that there were mermaids there; he told me his friend was one of the mermaids. And I kind of jokingly asked, “Are they hiring?” and they were! So I ended up getting connected with Bimbo’s, and I think a few weeks later, I had my first Girl in the Fishbowl performance. 

L: And what about it drew you in? What spoke to you?  Why was it something that you wanted to do?

H: Honestly, when Elias mentioned it, the only word I needed to hear was mermaid. I’ve always loved The Little Mermaid and wanted to be a mermaid, so it was super intriguing. And then I was able to go see the club itself! I’ve always been really interested in anything vintage, so it was really cool to almost step back in time when I went there. I really just wanted to be a part of the club and its history.

L: You said you heard about rumors about there being mermaids upon moving to San Francisco- what had you heard? What were the whispers?

H: I just knew that there was some sort of optical illusion where it looked like a girl was swimming in a fish tank. Technically speaking, Dolfina, the Girl in the Fishbowl, isn’t a mermaid. She doesn’t have fins or a tail; but people tend to refer to her as such, probably due to her being a girl in a fishtank and the underwater symbolism associated with that. I thought there might be someone actually swimming in a big tank or maybe one of those martini-glass-type things. Once I met Elias, he explained how it’s an optical illusion created by light and mirrors. As soon as I heard that, I was super interested and wanted to learn more. 

L: You wanted to explore the mystique.

H: Yes. It was very mysterious. And from what I understand, it is one of the few surviving live illusions from San Francisco’s nightclub “golden era,” so to speak. I just wanted the opportunity to check that out. 

L: Absolutely. So, what have been some of the highlights throughout your time being a Girl in the Fishbowl so far? What experiences have really stood out to you? 

H: My very first night was definitely a highlight. I remember it vividly. I had no clue what I was stepping into. I remember getting down there and lying on the velvet turntable and then flipping the switches, turning the lights on, and starting the rotation. And I remember, as I’m about to start my first shift, just hearing all these whispers and people chatting above me from the bar asking, “What’s going on?” and “Is the Girl in the Fishbowl here?” So that was super cool- before I even started my performance- just hearing all the excitement around it. Another night that sticks out was when I performed during a private birthday party, and I heard that there was going to be a really big special guest there that night. I didn’t know who it was, but I ended up getting a text asking if I wanted to come up and check out the performer. And it was Diana Ross!

L: That’s amazing.

H: I got to be like 10 feet away from her. She was right there! But yeah, it’s super cool because whenever I do perform, I’m able to come up either between rotations or at the beginning or end and check out what’s going on. It’s just so fun to be a part of the action in that way, too, especially walking around afterwards. It’s just such a crazy experience, because no one knows you’re the Girl in the Fishbowl. So it’s this secret thing; I almost feel like a superhero.

L: You’re walking around, and you know but no one else knows. 

So in addition to being one of the mermaids, you’re also directing a documentary on the Girl in the Fishbowl and the history of Dolfina at the club. I was wondering, as you’ve been researching, how you’ve found the Girl in the Fishbowl to speak to the fabric of Bimbo’s, North Beach’s, and finally, San Francisco’s culture and history? I think there are different levels, you know– the club itself, but then also North Beach as a neighborhood and its history as an artistic hub and place of performance. Essentially, I’m wondering, how do you think the Girl in the Fishbowl speaks to that history, as it is such a long held tradition?

H: Yeah, it’s been really interesting as we’ve been diving in and doing more research into the documentary, because the Girl in the Fishbowl is such a timeless thing. It has barely changed since it first started back in 1931; essentially, it’s this untouched piece of San Francisco history. And I feel Bimbo’s is similar in that sense — when you walk in, you really are just teleported back in time. There are so many vintage pictures and mementos that anchor you in its history, even as the city around it has changed so dramatically over the decades.

The Girl in the Fishbowl really embodies that continuity. It represents the elegance and artistry that Bimbo’s has always been known for — which is why you see her everywhere in the club, from the logo to the front doors to the statue when you first walk in.

L: It’s a sort of like motif…

H: I think Bimbo’s is such an iconic part of North Beach and of San Francisco. So you asked how the Girl in the Fishbowl speaks the fabric of Bimbo’s- I would say it’s a motif, and part of Bimbo’s’ DNA. It’s also so reminiscent of San Francisco from the 30s onwards. And you know, San Francisco definitely has these really deep roots in art, music, performance and nightlife. I think that the Girl in the Fishbowl is representative of that in a way. One thing that was interesting to hear came from a Girl in the Fishbowl who performed in the 90s, who remembered  all of the dot-com era patrons coming in and it was like they stumbled in on a San Francisco secret that they weren’t supposed to know. 

L: Yeah, it feels like a very local thing.

H: It’s almost like a secret. And people have either seen the Girl in the Fishbowl and maybe don’t quite understand what it is or have never heard about it. 

L: So the Girl in the Fishbowl, as you said, is a long-held tradition at Bimbo’s. How has it felt to step into and be a part of such a long-held legacy?

H: It’s been such an honor. Throughout my work on this documentary, I’ve found nineteen total Girls in the Fishbowl, and I’ve met with six so far. It has meant the world to me that they’ve been open to sharing their stories and giving me guidance. When I first began performing, I got instructions basically saying: you lay down, you put your knees to the side, and then you just do slow, swimming motions for five minutes on, ten minutes off. But that’s about all I knew. And it’s super interesting, because you have no idea what you look like upstairs when you’re in the fishbowl. So I had a lot of questions, and I always want to do the very best job I can. I was always asking, “Can I do this better?” But there wasn’t a previous Girl in the Fishbowl there to show me how it’s done or give me her tips. Because of that, it’s been really special being able to connect with the previous Girls in the Fishbowl and to see how everyone has made it theirs. Holly puts glitter all over her face and body, for example, and some of them put seashells in their hair. Some wear wigs. They’ve just really made it their own. And it means a lot that they’ve shared their experiences with me.

Another really interesting observation has been how much I have in common with a lot of the previous girls. One of them’s a redhead, one is a vegetarian; I’m both of those things. Some have also been very interested in vintage from previous decades. And then I think aside from that, aside from those little commonalities, we just have a shared life experience in a lot of ways. The Girl in the Fishbowl is something that’s been really empowering for me personally, but I know that previous Girls in the Fishbowl have also been really proud to have held that title. They’ve pointed back to it as one of the things that they’re most proud of in their lives. I feel the same way.

It’s just been so cool to get connected with these women who have such different experiences, but also similar ones, and build a sense of community. With each of the women that I’ve interviewed, what I’ve really respected and loved is that they’ve all lived life on their own terms. For example, one of the previous Girls in the Fishbowl, Anna, is in her nineties and now lives in Austin, Texas. But when she was performing in the 50s, she was married to a Pentecostal preacher, and was secretly performing. She had a number of different gigs she would do that I’m pretty sure her husband wasn’t aware of. I think they [the Girls in the Fishbowl] have all been risk takers in a way, and stepped out of the norm. That’s something that is definitely very vulnerable.

I have a lot of respect for all the women that I’ve connected with, who have been the Girl in the Fishbowl. It’s been really cool to see this sense of community form, with them all wanting to meet each other. A lot of Girls in the Fishbowl haven’t met any other ones. I’m hoping to do some sort of event with the documentary where we have a reunion for them. There are all these vintage pin-up posters and old playing cards on the walls, and one of them had a note from Darla Tucker that said something like, “Goodbye from Darla after three years of performing as Dolfina,” and it had her address. I remember my very first night, being so intrigued by who Darla was, what her story was, and feeling close to her just by being down in that basement. I wanted to hear her story. 

L: That experience actually speaks to my next question. So you’ve been heading this project, as the director of the Girl in the Fishbowl documentary; What inspired you to begin exploring this history and do a deep dive? What was the story that made you want to get into the weeds of everything? 

H: I would say Darla’s note was definitely the catalyst. I really wanted to meet who the other Girls in the Fishbowl were. I remember asking, “Can we do a mermaid meetup? Do you have the contact info for the other mermaids?” Just really wanting to connect with anyone else who had been in the role, and beyond that, just wanting to hear some of the stories about the previous Dolfinas. One of them, Donna Powers, was a Richmond City District Councilwoman in the 90s.

I understand her opponent tried to orchestrate a coup in order to get her out of office because she was also performing as the Girl in the Fishbowl at the time. They have ministers come out to say “she was a bad influence on girls”, and it actually ended up helping her keep her seat due to the publicity! She even went on to win a second term. I just thought it was so badass. So just starting to hear some of these really interesting stories and wondering how many other women have held that role- I think that was definitely what kicked everything off. 

Darla’s thank-you note, left on the wall of Dolfina’s dressing room

L: Okay, this is kind of a fun question! What has been your favorite niche fact or experience that you’ve uncovered while researching? What’s a fun little something about San Francisco, or specifically about Dolfina, or about Bimbo’s, that has stood out to you?

H: Oh, where to begin. I’m uncovering a lot, but a few things do kind of stick out. One fun fact: there was a Man in the Fishbowl, also known as Chris Isaak. So for one of Chris Isaak’s birthdays- I’ve heard firsthand accounts of this- he got in the fishbowl, and did some rotations!

L: Oh my god. 

H: Here’s another fun one- Nedra, one of the previous Girls in the Fishbowl, was performing, and Wayne Coyne, from The Flaming Lips, came downstairs and was videotaping, and chatted with her while she was performing as Dolfina. We found a video of that, which is just the coolest thing ever. That was really fun to come across. Let’s see. Another fun experience from researching the documentary was when I met up with Holly at Savoy Tivoli. She was the first mermaid I met. She showed me how she does her moves in the fishbowl. She actually got up on the pool table at Savoy! It was the first time I’d seen anyone else perform! It was honestly really helpful. She gave me a lot of tips and I really appreciated that! I found out about Peachy’s Puffs; they’d go around to different events with these candy trays, almost retro, like from the 50s. It used to be a cigarette and candy girl service.

L: Oh fun!

H: One of the Girls in the Fishbowl, Darla, was actually a Peachy’s Puff too. I thought that was super cool. She also performed at the Lusty Lady, which I found out was one of the only women-run strip clubs in San Francisco, which is awesome. She was also a roller derby doll in San Diego. Those are some of the things I’ve found while researching that initially stand out.

L: Finally, what do you want people to walk away with upon viewing the Girl in the Fishbowl documentary- after learning about her, her story, and the story of all the different Dolfina’s and this legacy, what is the takeaway? I know you’re in process so it’s obviously still always changing and shifting. But as of right now, what is the thing that you most want people to walk away with?

H: I really want to honor all the women who have kept the tradition alive over the years and celebrate them. Just celebrate them as an art form. I really want to preserve this and capture their stories and this unique piece of San Francisco history. One of the big themes that I’ve been seeing is a sense of empowerment through being the Girl in the Fishbowl. It’s something I’ve personally felt and also something that I’ve heard reverberate in those stories from the previous girls as well. The only other thing I would mention is something I really liked that Darla said: she likened the role of the Girl in the Fishbowl to a secret society of women across decades. I just love that idea, and I think that’s really cool. I mean, just overall, that sentiment, and I’m so honored to be part of that tradition.

For more, visit:

Bimbo’s 365 Club
1025 COLUMBUS AVENUE
SAN FRANCISCO, CA

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Cervantes grew up in Dallas in a creative household where her parents ran a nursery and her grandmother painted ceramics. “When you’re around that kind of creative activity, you feel that it’s part of who you are,” she says. At 16, she arrived in San Francisco with big dreams and a scholarship to the California School of Fine Arts, one of only two art degree programs in the country.

The youngest in her class and one of only a few women, she immersed herself in painting. “I turned my room into a studio and started painting in oils, Cervantes recalls. I was painting almost every day — sometimes a canvas a day. I felt like I had so much freedom, and I just jumped right in. “Painting was my passion.”

Even then, Susan was drawn to painting on a large scale. One day, she spotted the Diego Rivera mural, The Making of a Fresco Showing the Building of a City (1931) on a wall at the Institute, partially hidden beneath a cloth because her professor “thought it wasn’t contemporary enough.” While she admired Rivera, Cervantes says she was more inspired by her experiences and instincts than his work and the abstract expressionism that was dominant at the school at the time.

“I was really different,” she told me. “My thing was that to do something original, it had to come from inside of me. So everything I did was from my imagination.”

Her first step toward murals came in 1965, when she painted a restaurant wall at 22nd and Valencia in exchange for food. “I never expected to paint murals—it wasn’t even something we studied,” she says. “But I always liked painting really big.” At the time, murals were largely unheard of in San Francisco.

By the early 1970s, however, the Mujeres Muralistas—the first all-female muralist collective in the U.S.—were changing that. Cervantes was inspired by watching Patricia Rodriguez, Graciela Carrillo, Consuelo Mendez, and Irene Perez create Latinoamérica on the Mission Hiring Hall. “I used to watch them paint every day, bring them refreshments, and document their work,” she remembers. “Seeing women on scaffolding, getting paid, doing monumental work—it was inspiring.” Soon after, they handed her a brush and asked her to help them paint their mural at Paco’s Tacos on 24th Street. That moment, paired with their encouragement, convinced her to bring the same collaborative energy to the Precita Valley Community Center, where she had been teaching art classes as a volunteer.

“I remember Patricia Rodriguez, who just passed away recently, coming over to me saying, ‘We can help you get something started over there’.” And so they hooked me up with a program that donated paint. We did everything on plywood panels that would fit along the front façade. We put a workshop flyer out, and about 17 people came to participate in designing, planning, and painting the mural.”

The result was Masks of God, Soul of Man, later displayed at the Bernal Heights Library. It was the first multicultural mural Cervantes directed, created by a diverse group of people across ages, backgrounds, and experiences. That project set the precedent for Precita Eyes.

In 1977, Cervantes and her husband Luis formally established Precita Eyes Muralists Association, one of only a handful of community mural centers in the country. Their early works—Masks of God, Soul of Man, Every Child Is Born to Be a Flower, Family Life and Spirit of Mankind—all carried forward the Mujeres Muralistas’ ethos of collaborative design, cultural pride, and grassroots empowerment.

That model is the foundation for Precita Eyes’ projects across San Francisco and beyond. In 1994, Cervantes joined six women artists to create MaestraPeace, the six-story mural on the Women’s Building that celebrates women’s contributions across centuries and cultures. Later works include Soul Journey (2008), a mosaic honoring African American history in Bayview, and The Bay (2019), a 42-foot mosaic on the Chase Center celebrating the people, places, and landmarks of the region. Her reach extended internationally as well: in 1997, she and her family led workshops in Moscow, painting two 70-foot murals with students and parents at a Jewish day school, and later taught the collaborative mural process in China.

It’s the Precita Eyes Way. “You work with the community you’re serving,” Cervantes explains. “They’re first and foremost, because they are your inspiration. We’re basically facilitating the process so they can feel like they’re designing and planning their own mural and maybe even have the opportunity to paint with us.”

Today, Precita Eyes is more than a muralist collective. It’s a cultural hub offering toddler and youth programs, adult workshops, mural tours, a community store where they sell their custom mural paint colors, and mentorships where volunteers work alongside lead artists before directing projects of their own.

“A lot of the people in the communities we serve are not artists,” Cervantes says. “But once they experience that kind of collaboration, they start to see themselves differently. They bond with each other, and with their environment, in a way that can be transformative.” For her, that’s the power of murals. “Any time you can claim a space and express yourself in it, no matter what the image or issues might be, is claiming the space for the people. That act alone is an activist or a social change action,” she says.

Precita Eyes Muralists Association
2981 24th St., San Francisco, CA 94110

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If you think the fastest land mammal on Earth is the cheetah, you’d be wrong. That title belongs to the Mexican free-tailed bat, capable of straight, level, powered flight at nearly 100 mph. These tiny speedsters might not seem like much, but each summer, a colony of roughly 250,000 of them fills the skies just outside Sacramento, and the public is invited to watch the show.

Welcome to the Yolo Causeway, home to the largest known urban bat colony in California. On summer and fall evenings, spectators gather beneath the overpass that connects Davis to West Sacramento, part of the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area, to witness the bats’ nightly emergence. The Yolo Basin Foundation offers weekend “Bat Talk and Walk” tours, where visitors not only witness the spectacle but also learn about the ecological role bats play and meet a few up close.

That’s how we found ourselves under the causeway on a scorching August evening. Marshlands line the trails leading in, bursting with American wild sunflowers. Waiting at the parking area outside of the overpass, Charlie Russell, bat handler, educator, and volunteer with NorCal Bats, greets us with a quiet smile and a soft-spoken enthusiasm.

From a small black carrier, Charlie gently pulls out a Mexican free-tailed bat. It blinks up at us with large, intelligent, berry-bright eyes. The golden light of sunset catches the delicate ridges of its ears. Just before we succumb to the overwhelming cuteness, it opens its tiny mouth to reveal a set of sharp fangs and promptly sinks them into Charlie’s gloved hand.

“These guys bite,” Charlie says calmly. “That’s why we’re all vaccinated for rabies, and always use gloves.” If you see a bat in the wild, it is best to not touch them.

Not all rescue bats are releasable. Some, injured by cats or birds of prey, can no longer fly and become “ambassador bats” for education and outreach. But the goal for any rescue is always release.

“We treat babies and adults the same,” Charlie explains. “If we can get them flying and able to care for themselves, they’re released, ideally back near where they were found. Only the ones who can’t fly well enough to survive stay with us.”

NorCal Bats, the nonprofit that handles these rescues, has seen some strange cases. One particularly odd rescue involved a business replacing a sign. When workers found bats overwintering inside it, they dumped them, still half-hibernating, into a trash can. Some flew off, some were rescued and rehabilitated, and some, sadly, didn’t survive.

“I’ve handled bats knocked out of the sky by Peregrine falcons,” Charlie adds, “Every rescue is different.”

In the documentary The Invisible Mammal, directed by Kristin Tieche and screened last spring at San Rafael’s Doclands Festival, we see this rescue work in action. Baby bats are bottle-fed, weighed, and monitored until they’re ready to return to the wild. The film also addresses the threat of white-nose syndrome, a deadly fungal disease decimating hibernating bat populations in North America. In this documentary we meet Corky Quirk who is the Founder of NorCal bats and works with the Yolo Basin Foundation. Sadly she was not available on the night we went as she was giving a bat talk at Olompali. It was Corky who arranged for us to meet Charlie. Most Saturday nights she is out giving educational talks at the causeway. Her depth of knowledge and love for these tiny mammals makes her talks worth the trip. 

The importance of bats to ecosystems and agriculture is often overlooked. Mexican free-tailed bats, for example, consume their weight in insects every night, including moths and beetles that would otherwise wreak havoc on crops.

“They reduce the need for pesticides,” Charlie says. “And yes, they eat some mosquitoes too, which everyone appreciates.”

Here are six favorite facts about Mexican free-tailed bats:

1. They’re the fastest mammal in the world, clocked at over 98 mph.
2. Scientists discovered that hairs on their hind feet are fluoresce under black light. No one knows why.
3. They can reach altitudes of two miles to feed on migrating moths.
4. Bracken Cave in Texas holds the world’s largest aggregation of a single mammal species, over 20 million Mexican free-tailed bats.
5. Lactating females must eat their body weight in insects nightly to produce milk.
6. A newborn pup weighs about one-third of the mother’s body weight, the human equivalent of giving birth to a toddler.

Most bat species in California have just one pup a year, though a few species occasionally have two or more. That low birth rate makes conservation and rehabilitation efforts even more critical.

The Yolo Causeway colony is especially unique for its size but also for its accessibility. Other bridge colonies often require river access by canoe. This one is just off I-80, minutes from Sacramento, and viewable from a flat walking trail. It’s become a hub for families, nature lovers, and bat enthusiasts alike.

As the sun dips below the horizon, a hush falls over the gathered crowd. Rustling and high-pitched squeaks echo from under the overpass. It is the sound of a quarter million bats preparing for a night of hunting. They begin to fly back and forth under the causeway as if gaining speed. Then, suddenly, long ribbons of bats pour from under the bridge, spiraling into the deepening sky. They head off toward nearby orchards, a quarter million strong.

Gasps ripple through the group of spectators. Children cheer. Couples hold hands and smile. The talks will continue through September, so be sure to book a spot before it’s too late.

If you can’t make the trip to Sacramento, The Invisible Mammal which won for audience favorite at DocLands will be shown again at The San Rafael Film Center on September 4^th. To get tickets visit their website here https://rafaelfilm.cafilm.org/invisible-mammal/

If you want to help keep your local bat population healthy here’s how you can help:

• Install a bat house: NorCal Bats has recommendations at norcalbats.org/bat-houses
• Keep cats indoors: A leading cause of bat injuries is domestic cat attacks
• Donate or sponsor: NorCal Bats relies heavily on public donations and volunteers. They also maintain an Amazon wish list at norcalbats.org/how-we-are-funded
• Book an educational talk: NorCal Bats offers presentations in classrooms, libraries, and community events for a modest fee. Info at norcalbats.org/bats-in-the-classroom

The post Where to See a Quarter Million Bats Take Flight Near Sacramento appeared first on Broke-Ass Stuart's Website.

By ANA B. IBARRA AND KRISTEN HWANG

This story was originally published by CalMatters

Federal immigration agents are more routinely showing up at California medical facilities as the Trump administration ramps up deportations.

They may come to the emergency room, bringing in someone who’s suffering a medical crisis while being detained. They may wait in the lobby, as agents did for two weeks at an L.A.-area hospital waiting for a woman to be discharged. Or they may even chase people inside, as federal agents did at a Southern California surgical center. 

The sight of these agents — often armed and with covered faces — makes many wary and may keep people from seeking care.

Existing hospital policies guide operations when law enforcement brings in a person under arrest, hospital officials say. 

“This is nothing new to hospitals,” said Lois Richardson, vice president and counsel at the California Hospital Association. “We get inmates, detainees, arrestees all the time, whether it’s police, sheriff, highway patrol, ICE, whatever it is.” The job for hospital workers remains to provide care, she added, and not to get involved in disputes over why a person is in custody. 

Yet immigration attorneys, advocates and health workers have expressed concerns over the handling of some of these cases, both by immigration officers and by some administrators at medical facilities. 

Specifically, they’re worried about the application of protocols like visitation rules, about threats to patients’ legal and privacy rights, and about risks to hospital workers themselves.  

“We have a level of privacy that we owe to patients and their families, and that has just been completely demolished with all of the involvement of ICE coming into hospitals,” said Kate Mobeen, an ICU nurse at John Muir Medical Center in Concord. “It creates just a huge sense of fear, not only in our patient population, but in our employee population and our nurses.”

Patients’ rights, policies face new tests

Sometimes when ICE has shown up at medical facilities with a detained patient, the result has been conflicting messaging about the rules.

On July 29, ICE agents took a man to John Muir Medical Center in Concord because he suffered an unspecified medical emergency while being detained outside the Concord immigration court, according to Ali Saidi, an attorney and the director of Stand Together Contra Costa, a local rapid response and legal services organization. 

When Saidi arrived at the hospital as part of the response network, he said hospital staff told him that he was not allowed to see the detained patient, but that the man’s family would be allowed. Then, when the man’s wife arrived, “The rules had somehow changed, and they said no family visit,” Saidi said. 

In a statement shared by the Contra Costa Immigrants Rights Alliance, the detained man’s wife, who asked to be identified only by her middle name, Maria, said that when she later talked to her husband, he told her that he was so terrified that he passed out.

“My family and I went to the emergency room and we asked to see him and talk to him to make sure he was okay,” Maria said, in the statement. “The hospital staff would not let us see him and they would not give us any information about what was happening to him. They wouldn’t even answer my questions.”

John Muir officials would not comment on the incident, citing privacy laws. But in an email, Ben Drew, a spokesperson for the hospital, said general policy is that “If a law enforcement agency indicates that visitation presents a safety or security concern, [the hospital] may limit or deny visitation to protect our patients, staff, and visitors.” 

Saidi said that when the wife insisted on getting information about the man’s condition, hospital security called the police. 

“We understand that emotions are high whenever a family member or friend is in the emergency department or hospital,” said Drew. “The hospital only involves local police in circumstances when a patient or visitor’s behavior becomes abusive, disruptive, or threatening, and cannot be resolved through our own security team.”

Saidi denied that the family was being disruptive, saying that conversations with hospital staff and administration were respectful and no voices were raised.

“The atmosphere in that emergency bay was something like I’ve never seen before in my career,” Saidi said. “There was a chilling effect. Everyone was averting their eyes. You could tell the staff felt bad.”

Multiple emergency department nurses told Mobeen, a local California Nurses Association leader at John Muir, that ICE officers were “very aggressive with staff” and staff were afterwards “emotionally and physically upset” by what happened, she said.

“It’s horrifying to not be able to tell patients’ family members how they are, what their status is,” Mobeen said.

Part of the issue, Mobeen added, is training. Staff were not given adequate training on how to respond to any kind of immigration enforcement action that may occur at the hospital, she said. 

Drew, the spokesman for John Muir, countered that the hospital has given guidance on its longstanding law enforcement policy and answered multiple questions since January about what to do if ICE agents show up at their facilities. 

Limits for ICE access, sometimes murky

Last month, immigration agents occupied the lobby of Dignity Health’s Glendale Memorial Hospital, even standing behind reception desks, as photos that circulated online showed.Protestors gathered outside the hospital hosting rallies and press conferences.

They were all there because agents had previously brought in Milagro Solis-Portillo, an immigrant from El Salvador, for medical care following her detention. They spent 15 days in the hospital waiting for Solis-Portillo’s discharge before transferring her to another hospital and then taking her into custody, according to local news reports.

In a statement, officials from Dignity Memorial Hospital said they could not legally prohibit law enforcement from being in public areas.

That’s true, say legal experts: Waiting rooms and lobbies are considered public spaces in hospitals. But agents cannot move through hospitals without limits. Law enforcement officials are not allowed to search for people in exam rooms or other private spaces without a federal court warrant. 

When agents bring in someone who is in their custody and needs medical care, the application of the law can be more murky. 

According to Richardson at the hospital association, how far an agent can go into treatment areas with a detained patient may be decided on a case by case basis. In cases where a detained patient is struggling or resisting, that patient may need guarding, she explained. 

And if law enforcement officers do go inside exam rooms, they may hear medical information while on guard. But that isn’t necessarily a privacy violation, according to federal rules. The HIPPA Privacy Rule, the law that sets privacy standards for medical information, has a provision that allows for “incidental disclosures” of information as long as “reasonable safeguards” are applied. 

“The hospital will, and the doctor will make reasonable attempts to protect the patient’s privacy.” “What is reasonable is going to depend, again, on what’s wrong with the patient, how the patient is behaving, the nature of the circumstances,” Richardson said.

HIPAA protects the disclosure of medical records, which include names, addresses and social security numbers along with health conditions. State law also requires health facilities to protect this information. According to guidance from the attorney general’s office, health facilities should consider a patient’s immigration status confidential.

At the same time, some disclosures are required if law enforcement can prove lawful custody or show an appropriate warrant. A federal court warrant signed by a judge grants law enforcement immediate access to information or to search a particular area, while an ICE administrative warrant does not require immediate compliance. 

Health workers in ‘precarious’ situations 

Health facilities generally direct frontline workers not to engage with immigration agents, but rather to immediately contact security or management. 

One particular incident at a Southern California surgery center stands out, in conversation with health workers. 

On July 8, federal agents targeted three landscapers who had parked outside of the Ontario Advanced Surgical Center. They chased one of the men inside on foot, according to a felony criminal complaint filed against two health care workers in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

In videos of the incident posted online, a masked agent wearing a vest labeled “POLICE ICE” on the back holds a weeping man by the shoulder inside the center while several workers in scrubs stand by. At multiple points in the video workers ask the officer for identification; one worker says, “this is a private business.”

Two workers, Danielle Davila and Jose Ortega, tell the officer to leave. Davila moves between the officer and the man, saying “Get your hands off of him. You don’t even have a warrant.”

Ortega puts an arm between Davila and the officer and says “You have no proper identification.”

The officer says to both workers “You touched a federal agent.” Then Davila responds, “I’m not touching you.” 

Davila and Ortega were later charged with two felony counts of assaulting a federal officer and conspiring to prevent a federal officer from performing their duties.

Last week the felony charges were dismissed and both Davila and Ortega pleaded not guilty to a subsequent misdemeanor assault charge. A spokesperson for the U.S. attorney’s office declined to comment on the charges.

Davila’s defense attorney Oliver Cleary said his client believed she was doing the right thing by asking for credentials and a warrant.

“You can’t just come in where people are getting medical care and whisk them away,” Cleary said. “She didn’t know who these people were. They didn’t tell her who they were, and as far as she knew this was a patient of the clinic.”

Carlos Juárez, Ortega’s defense attorney, said arresting and charging health workers with crimes for asking to see a warrant and identification puts them in a “precarious” and “dangerous situation.”

“They did what they needed to do and what they had a right to do,” Juárez said. “What I hope is it doesn’t have a chilling effect on other health care workers.”

Workers say additional training can help

Around the state, health workers say they’d like to see management provide additional guidance on how to respond to such scenarios if they were to play out in their workplace. Some workers are providing training themselves.

Adriana Rugeles-Ortiz, a licensed vocational nurse at Kaiser Permanente Modesto Medical Center, has been leading “Know Your Rights” sessions at her hospital and in her community as part of her union, SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West. She said some of her coworkers have expressed anxiety over some of the situations they’ve seen play out in other hospitals.

“Because of my involvement with all the training that we have done to the workers and to the community, personally, I do feel prepared. I am not that confident that we have been able to reach the entire workforce within Kaiser to get them to the level of confidence to deal with it,” Rugeles-Ortiz said.

Dr. Douglas Yoshida, an emergency room physician at Stanford Health Tri-Valley in Alameda County, said additional guidance and training for workers at medical facilities could be of great value. 

“I think as health care providers, we need to deliver good health care to these patients, just like any other patient, and we need to protect their rights,” Yoshida said. “I mean, personally, if someone comes in in ICE custody, within the limits of the law, I want to do everything I can to help [patients.]” 

The hospital in Pleasanton that Yoshida works in is located near the county’s Santa Rita Jail; staff, he said, have been used to a law enforcement presence. But the recent incident at John Muir Medical Center, about 30 miles north, as well as the criminal charges filed against the southern California surgery center workers have set people on edge, Yoshida said.

“Normally, health care workers have no reason to fear law enforcement,” he added, “but we’re in uncharted territory.”

The post ICE is Showing up in California Hospitals. Workers Don’t Know What to Do. appeared first on Broke-Ass Stuart's Website.

By Levi Jacobs

Raphael Bob-Waksberg’s new Netflix show features the Bay Area in its storytelling, and has been getting rave reviews. The Bojack Horseman creator has absolutely brought his incredible storytelling ability to the forefront in his new project, Long Story Short, but something is missing. 

As a Jewish person from the Bay Area, and a massive fan of Bojack Horseman, I really wanted to like this show. The lens that Raphael was able to focus on addiction, mental illness, and family relationships in Bojack Horseman, made me bright eyed for what he may have to say about the Jewish experience in America, in 2025. 

When I say this, I mean it, there is no way that he missed Palestine on accident. The show talks a lot about the holocaust. The old one. The one we said we would never let happen to anyone again. Many things have hit Palestine in recent days, notably bombs. They seem to have been missed by two things: food, and this show. 

I don’t want to spoil the show, because it is actually very well written and made, something that portends to its absolute omission of the genocide occurring in Palestine. The show does seem to go out its way to pay lip service to everything “left wing” it can, while completely omitting what is happening. 

There is a mixed race lesbian couple who lives in Oakland and met at Trader Joe’s. There is a familial struggle with parents to acknowledge the trauma they instill in their offspring. There is discussion of sperm donors, discussion of atheism, discussion of the destruction of art in the failing state of America. Somehow, not once, in the most Jewish thing I have seen on television since Larry David, is there a single mention of Israel and Palestine. 

In many ways, to me, the show almost reads as an apologetic story that never says what it is apologizing for. It’s very much “here is why we hurt” and never gets to “hurt people hurt people”. Jewish art doesn’t have to comment on Israel forever in perpetuity, but it absolutely must right now. It is wildly tone deaf to make a show, in America, about how the holocaust is inherited trauma, while the state of Israel murders children with American weaponry. It can’t be an accident. 

In different times, the show would not need to address a genocide. In different times, an artist would not have to explain why they made a show about the American Jew and didn’t discuss Palestine. These are unfortunately not different times. 

Spoiler alert: the show utilizes time travel as a narrative device. It is a show unstuck in time. That device leaves so many options open to discuss Palestine. Do it in 1972 during the olympics, do it in 1948 as Israel becomes an ethno-state, replacing mandatory Palestine. Do it in ‘96 as Netanyahu comes to power. Do it in the ‘70s when Zionism was cute. Just? You know, DO IT. It’s heartbreaking to watch such a talented artist ignore something so essential to the story. 

It behooves me to reiterate that I am Jewish, and an artist, and a writer. I simply cannot imagine creating a project in 2025 that talks so much about a genocide that happened 80 years ago (as the show does in several episodes), and refuses to acknowledge the genocide currently happening. I was taken aback immediately, and compelled to write about it. 

Without too many spoilers, there is a joke in the second episode that I think actually gets it right. One of the main characters is accused of being a “self hating Jew”, a term I heard echoed by my grandparents. He responds, “I’m not a self hating Jew, it’s all the other Jews I hate.”

Even a stopped clock is right twice a day. 

The post Why Won’t The Most Jewish Show on TV Talk About Palestine? appeared first on Broke-Ass Stuart's Website.

Tell Me When to Go
by Vanessa Gil, Arts & Events Editor

Once again, the post-apocalyptic, Mad Max crowd has deserted The City for Black Rock City. There’s still plenty to do for those of us that have been left behind. Whoever said SF is dead is seriously mistaken. Here’s some proof-of-life for the week of 8/26 and beyond.

Our Merch

FOGust is finally here! So don’t get caught without your official SF Summer gear! We’ve got a number of different designs. Check them all out right here.

Our Giveaways

Win Tix to see BATS GPT: The Improvised AI Experiment!

Welcome to BATS GPT, a one-of-a-kind long form improv experience where LIVE creativity meets AI! Each performance begins with ChatGPT setting the opening scene inspired by audience suggestions. The cast then dives headfirst into a fully improvised world where the AI continues to add twists, characters, or revelations that challenge and inspire the improvisers in real time. Will the AI be fun to play with, a mysterious oracle, or a mischievous wildcard? Two full stories each night. One unpredictable machine. Infinite possibilities.

You can purchase tickets here or enter here for a chance to win a pair! Winner will be notified on Tuesday, September 2nd.

Our Partners’ Events

Mamajowali Live at The Freight in Berkeley

8/27 | The Freight | 2020 Addison St, Berkeley | 6:30 p.m. Doors | $40

Join us for a powerful night of music and meaning as Mamajowali takes the stage—an electrifying trio blending the deep musical roots of West Africa with Americana soul and improvisational brilliance. This special performance is not only a benefit concert for The Sonder Project, but also a celebration of the organization’s 10-year anniversary, transforming lives in sub-Saharan Africa through clean water, education, and sustainable agriculture. The dance floor will be open, so come ready to move and celebrate!

This Week’s Events 8/26-9/1

Tuesday 8/26

Yuno
8/26 | Popscene @ Brick & Mortar Music Hall | 1710 Mission St, SF | 7 p.m. Doors | $29.59

Imbued with elements of dream-pop, rock, trap, and psychedelia, Yuno’s eclectic songs serve as bids for love and connection, which especially in the fractured era of social media, have resonated with many listeners who find solace in his vulnerability.

Janeane Garofalo
8/26 & 8/27 | Cobb’s Comedy Club | 915 Columbus Ave, SF | 7:30 p.m. | $38.20+ , 18+

Alternative comedy pioneer, actor, political activist, and influential voice in 90s alt comedy scene.

Valencia Street Small Business Stroll
8/26 | Mission Branch Temporary Site | 1234 Valencia St, SF | 5 p.m. | Free

Enjoy an evening of community, connection and commerce at the Valencia Street Small Business Stroll. This guided walk will spotlight 5 locally owned businesses, each offering a unique look into their story, products and services.


Wednesday 8/27

Kyle Dion
8/27 | The Independent | 628 Divisadero St, SF | 7:30 p.m. Doors | $32.47, 18+

Kyle Dion is a boisterous rising star with a bright falsetto and golden pen. The proudly independent artist possesses a soul from another era and creates a sound refreshing to any generation. Dion’s new album, SASSY,s a bold and bright sonic landscape that promises an unfiltered sound while flaunting a no rules mission statement. It’s a joyous and exclamatory soundtrack to better times.

Tribal Seeds & The Movement
8/27 | The Mountain Winery | 14831 Pierce Rd, Saratoga | 7 p.m. | $47.18+

Based in San Diego, rock-reggae band TRIBAL SEEDS come at their music from a different angle, more influenced by bands like Steel Pulse and Aswad than the common touchstone of Sublime.

Chess Lecture at the Bernal Library
8/27 | Bernal Heights Branch Library | 500 Cortland Ave, SF | 6 p.m. | Free

Join us for a short chess presentation about a beautiful game from chess history, followed by time for casual combat for those who want to play. All levels and ages are welcome. Bring a chess set if you have one.

Thursday 8/28

French 79
8/28 | Bimbo’s 365 Club | 1025 Columbus Ave, SF | 8 p.m. | $38.12, 21+

While the exploitation and touring of the TEENAGERS album came to an end in December 2024, and the artist began production of his fourth album, he felt the need to return for a few club dates in 2025.  A call to return to the roots of an unadorned live set, in order to prioritize proximity with audiences, return to places he particularly loves, glean a few ever-precious encounters and feed his inspiration for this next album.

Pixies
8/28 | Greek Theatre | 2001 Gayley Rd, Berkeley | 5 p.m. Doors | $60.10+

The Pixies are an American alternative rock band formed in 1986 in Boston, Massachusetts. They are often credited as a major influencer of the 90s sound that would soon be marketed as “grunge rock”. 

SF Black Pride presents Ball Out
8/28 | 1015 Folsom | 1015 Folsom St, SF | 9 p.m. | $12.89+, 21+

SF Black Pride presents Ball Out, a high-energy dance party celebrating Black queer excellence through music, fashion, and liberation. Featuring top DJs, bold performances, and immersive visuals, this night will be a joyful, unapologetic takeover of one of SF’s most iconic venues. Come dressed to impress and ready to sweat—this is the official SF Black Pride dance floor moment.

The Worst Film Festival
8/28 | Mama Dog Studios | 700 26th St, Oakland | 6 p.m. | $17.85

TWFF is the usual film festival turned upside down – We showcase filmmakers’ self-submitted “worst work” and use the event to celebrate creative risk-taking to learn from each other’s experiences. Trying and failing is how we get better – let’s make it fun!

Profs & Pints San Francisco: Thinking in Comics
8/28 | Bartlett Hall | 242 O’ Farrell St, SF | 6 p.m. | $14.75+

Profs and Pints San Francisco presents: “Thinking in Comics,” a revolutionary discussion of the importance of visual thinking and the limitations of the written word, with Nick Sousanis, award-winning comics author, associate professor of interdisciplinary studies, and founder of the Comic Studies program at San Francisco State University.

JURASSIQ PARQ – A Musiqal Parody
8/28-8/30 | OASIS | 298 11th St, SF | 6:30 p.m. | $57.33-$82.95

Join Dr. Laura Dern, Jeff Ian Malcolm Goldblum and the rest of the gang as they venture to a mysterious island where dinosaurs are alive… and singing chart-topping hits of the 90s, 2000s and today. Featuring outrageous drag, fierce dance, over-the-top puppets, dino divas, and soaring pop vocals, Jurassiq Parq is the immersive campy queer sci-fi nostalgia of a millennial’s wet dreams. Audiences are encouraged to dress up and sing along in this original take on the 1993 film that shaped a generation.

Friday 8/29

Discovery Meadow w/ DJ Snake, RL Grime, Troyboi, Dr. Fresch + more
8/29-8/30 | Downtown San Jose | 180 Woz Way, San Jose | 3 p.m. | $86.72+

Join us for your end of Summer celebration at Discovery Meadow! Two days of music, food, vendors and more take over downtown San Jose for the inaugural year of the festival.

Friday Nights at OMCA with NOODLES
8/29 | Oakland Museum of California | 1000 Oak St, Oakland | 5 p.m. | Free

Choose your vibe with two live DJ sets that bring intention and serious rhythm to the night. On the Garden Stage, NOODLES delivers a DJ set featuring a genre-bending mix of hip-hop, R&B, electronic, and global sounds.In the Amphitheater, DJ Sucia lights up the space with a high-energy fusion of Latin beats, house, EDM, and today’s hip-hop hits.

Jerry Garcia In The Lower Mission: A Dead Origin Story
8/29 & 8/30 | Fort Mason Center | 2 Marina Blvd, SF | 8 p.m. | $50

Magic Theatre presents the first performances of Jerry Garcia In The Lower Mission by Richard Montoya. Join author and performer Montoya with live music by J. Raoul Brody and David Gans, and performances by Dena Martinez, Aidaa Peerzada, and Brian Rivera for this tribute play and origin story of the legendary San Francisco band, the Grateful Dead.

SF Industrial Ball ’25
8/29 | Cat Club | 1190 Folsom St, SF | 9 p.m. | $10, 21+

Come walk The Black Carpet for a wonderful night of dancing to the world of Industrial music.

Riff Rumble!
8/29 | 1769 15th St, SF | 6:45 p.m. | $10.38-$28.52

Riff Rumble is a hilarious combination of the Bay Area’s best comedians riffing and ranting about their (and your) fun ideas. There are 4 more comedians onstage and they each have their own microphone. Throughout the whole show they’re going to be tagging jokes, roasting the comic onstage and talking to the audience. With five comics onstage at the same time this is one of the most fast paced and hilarious shows in the Bay Area.

Paranormal Cirque II
8/29-9/1 | Oakland Arena | I-880 at Zhone Way, Oakland | 7:30 p.m. | $40.87+

Immerse yourself in a world of thrills, chills and suspense, as you experience a Paranormal journey like no other.

Saturday 8/30

Sunset Night Market
8/30 | Sunset District | Irving St between 19th & 26th, SF | 5 p.m. | Free

The long-awaited return of the Sunset Night Market has arrived, with two new Friday dates this summer and fall and an expanded footprint to bring more AAPI food, vendors, makers, community fun, and local merchant highlights to the Irving Street corridor.

Non Stop Bhangra: Crash An Indian Wedding Party
8/30 | Great American Music Hall | 859 O’Farrell St, SF | 8 p.m. Doors | $31.96

Step into a vibrant world of swirling colors, joyful music, beautiful dancing, and contagious energy—reminiscent of the magic and mayhem of an Indian wedding celebration. From the moment doors open, you’re part of the family. Enjoy a mix of all the colorful festivities that make Indian wedding parties so unforgettable—from sangeet-style moments with live singing and instruments to delicious Indian snacks and sweets, henna art, vibrant visuals, photo booths, and more.

HUSSY: A Queer Day Party
8/30 | El Rio | 3158 Mission St, SF | 3 p.m. | $14.64, 21+

Meet us outside. HUSSY is taking over El Rio’s patio for a shamelessly sexy daytime dance party, serving house, techno, and filthy beats for you and the fam.

159th Scottish Highland Gathering & Games
8/30-8/31 | Alameda County Fairgrounds & Event Center | 2005 Valley Avenue, Gate 8 or 12, Pleasanton | $44.80

Witness world-class competitions, from the awe-inspiring feats of Scottish heavy athletes to the electrifying energy of Scottish dancing, piping, and musical performances. Immerse yourself in Scotland’s rich culture with traditional music, delicious food, and breathtaking performances that bring the spirit of the Scottish Highlands to life!

REGGAETON RAVE
8/30 | Phoenix Hotel | 601 Eddy St, SF | 1 p.m. | $21.99+, 21+

Reggaeton Rave is an electrifying fusion of pulsating rhythms, vibrant energy, and an immersive sensory journey where Latinx and Electronic music collide in an unforgettable dance celebration.

Free Creatures
8/30 | Brick & Mortar Music Hall | 1710 Mission St, SF | 8 p.m. Doors | $23.10

The Pacific Northwest brings us yet another new musical flavor in the alt hip hop power fusion trio, Free Creatures. The trio was born from emcee & producer Marv Ellis remixing original beats on an MPC live while rapping and freestyling in his beloved and charismatic style. This foundation provides the perfect pedestal for featuring the smooth, sweet swagger of upright bassist and singer Emily Turner, and the expansive effects of electric guitar layers and solos from upside-down leftie shredder Skyler Squglio.

Free Shakespeare in the Park Presents: The Two Gentlemen of Verona
8/30 | McLaren Park – Jerry Garcia Amphitheater | 40 John F Shelley Dr, SF | 2 p.m. | Free

Our 43rd season of Free Shakespeare in the Park brings you The Two Gentlemen of Verona, directed by Ely Sonny Orquiza.  Since 1983, as part of SF Shakes’ mission to make Shakespeare accessible to all, we’ve brought our Free Shakes production to audiences around the SF Bay Area; no tickets or Shakespeare experience required.

Artists Unite for Palestine
8/30 | San Francisco Mime Troupe | 855 Treat Ave, SF | 2 p.m. | Donation

Join us for a daytime art extravaganza with live music, art for sale, communal art activities, and more. All proceeds benefit families surviving genocide in Gaza. Family friendly! Featuring live music by The Sea Shells, Los Rasquaches, and special guests.

Sunday 8/31

R&B and Ribs Block Party
8/31 | The Midway | 900 Marin St, SF | 2 p.m. | $80.34, 21+

A day party with good food & dope djs. We’re bringing an extra special Block Party Labor Day Sunday to the Midway! With performances by Ashanti & Trey Songz plus all your favorite RIBS resident DJs.

Sunday Night Soul Roll
8/31 | Church of 8 Wheels | 554 Fillmore St, SF | 8 p.m. | $23.08

This is how you we spread rolligion!!! Come spend a Sunday night skating to some sweet soul music!!!

Crucial Reggae Sundays
8/31 | Golden Gate Bandshell | 75 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr, SF | 4:20 p.m. | Free

Crucial Reggae Sundays: free, family-friendly reggae music in Golden Gate Parkhosted by Irie Dole, Guidance, and DJ Sep and featuring special guest Irie Rockerz.

Monday 9/1

Labor Day Kick Back
9/1 | Oeste – Bar | 722 Clay St, Oakland | 2 p.m. | $0-$65.87

Oakland Essence x Tropic Soul Summer is here. We’re bringing amazing vibes to great Venues in the SF/Bay Area.

Monday Night Trivia
9/1 | Magnolia SF – Haight | 1398 Haight St, SF | 7:30 p.m. | Free

Ready for a night of challenge and connection? Come ready to conquer with your team OR if you are on your own, opt for “Trivia Team Up” where we invite solo players to come and be matched with teammates for an unforgettable experience of meeting new people.

Hiero Day 2025 Street Festival
9/1 | Downtown Oakland | 1900 Telegraph Ave, Oakland | 12 p.m. | $16.93+

A dope celebration of music, art, and community in the heart of the TOWN! Featuring Hieroglyphics!

The Week of 9/2-9/8

Tuesday 9/2

Fall 2025 Creative Karaoke League
9/2 | Parliament Event Venue | 811 Washington St, Oakland | 7 p.m. | $40

Join the karaoke league where folks go hardcore and there’s glitter on the floor. If you want to go big, this is your league.

“SABOR” Taco Tuesdays | Latin Music Night
9/2 | ZOË Cocktail Bar & Bites | 579 Howard St, SF | 7 p.m. | Free w/ RSVP

Join us Every Tuesday Night at ZOË Cocktail Bar for a sizzling evening of Latin beats, mouthwatering tacos, and nonstop vibes. We’re turning up the volume with live DJ sets spinning the best in Top Latin Hits, Salsa, Bachata, Reggaeton, Hip Hop y mas! Paired with authentic tacos and killer cocktails, this is your midweek or weekend escape into Latin flavor and rhythm.

Wednesday 9/3

Mid-Week Mercado
9/3 | Salesforce Plaza | 100 Fremont St, SF | 11 a.m. | Free

Join us every Wednesday through September 24, for a vibrant, large-scale lunch market featuring 14 rotating pop-up food creators. This cultural marketplace offers downtown professionals, residents, and Salesforce Tower guests a chance to discover new flavors and build community connections.

Fat Dog
9/3 | Popscene @ Rickshaw Stop | 155 Fell St, SF | 7 p.m. | $27

Fat Dog are one of London’s most exciting new bands, conjuring the sort of frenzied and wild live shows not seen in the capital for years. Their debut album WOOF. is a brilliant and mind-bending blend of electro-punk, rock’n’roll snarling, techno soundscapes, industrial-pop and rave euphoria, music for letting go to or, in the words of frontman Joe Love, “screaming-into-a-pillow music”.

Tommy Guerrero
9/3 | The Chapel | 777 Valencia St, SF | 8 p.m. | $34.64

Born in San Francisco, Guerrero joined the skate company Powell Peralta in 1984 and became one of the original members of the legendary “Bones Brigade” team. TG has been playing music since the late ’70s with his brother Tony, both raised on a steady diet of DIY punk music/ethos and skateboarding-which informed and shaped the person he is today. Since then, Guerrero has become an accomplished bassist and guitarist with influences as diverse as John Coltrane, Bad Brains, Joy Division, Gabor Szabo and on and on… 

Thursday 9/4

Marvel Studios’ Infinity Saga Concert Experience
9/4-9/6 | Davies Symphony Hall | 201 Van Ness Ave, SF | 7:30 p.m. | $75+

Marvel Studios’ The Infinity Saga Concert Experience is a new film concert that takes fans on an epic onscreen cinematic journey covering 23 films in one momentous concert event.

Science is a Piece of Cake: Marine Biology
9/4 | The Commons at KQED | 2601 Mariposa St, SF | 7 p.m. | $24.38

Learn all about ocean creatures via … cake! KQED’s Check, Please! Bay Area producer Cecilia Phillips is hosting a cake bake-off where marine biology will serve as our visual prompt. Each cake will be inspired by the marine life featured in the California Academy of Sciences’ aquariums. Enter the competition as a beginner, intermediate or advanced baker or join the audience to learn about who is living in our beautiful waters — while eating delicious cake!

American Patchwork Quartet
9/4 | Botanical Garden at Berkeley | 200 Centennial Dr, Berkeley | 5 p.m. Doors | $60

American Patchwork Quartet is an American musical group that reinterprets traditional folk songs with multicultural influences.

Jackie Clementine + Quattro + My Evergreen Soul
9/4 | Ivy Room | 860 San Pablo Ave, Albany | 7:30 p.m. | $14.73, All ages

Jackie Clementine is an indie garage rock band from Concord, CA.

Goo Goo Dolls, Dashboard Confessional
9/4 | Greek Theatre | 2001 Gayley Rd, Berkeley | 5:30 p.m. Doors | $66.75+

Goo Goo Dolls have quietly broken records, contributed a string of staples to the American songbook, connected to millions of fans, and indelibly impacted popular music for three-plus decades. Initially founded as an acoustic solo project by singer-songwriter/guitarist Chris Carrabba, Dashboard Confessional stands tall at the vanguard of an entire musical scene, adored for its groundbreaking sound and respected for its unwavering candor.

Friday 9/5

Superman Movie Night
9/5 | Oracle Park | 24 Willie Mays Plaza | 6 p.m. Doors | $28-$85

This summer’s biggest super hero is headed to the largest screen in San Francisco for one night only. Join us at Oracle Park on Friday, September 5 for a special screening of the DC Studios and Warner Bros. film SUPERMAN (2025).

Lil Wayne
9/5 | Shoreline Amphitheatre | 1 Amphitheatre Pkwy, Mountain View | 7 p.m. | $40.50+

Five-time Grammy award-winning rap icon Lil Wayne brings his ‘Tha Carter VI’ tour to the Bay Area, celebrating over 20 years of his iconic Tha Carter album series.

The Day the Sky Turned Orange
9/5-10/5 | Z Space’s Steindler Stage | 450 Florida St, SF | 7:30 p.m. | $25+

This R&B and hip-hop musical from Julius Ernesto Rea, Olivia Kuper Harris, and David Michael Ott is a testament to living through the trials of 2020 as well as a compassionate reminder of the importance of caring for our planet, our communities, and ourselves.

Fort Mason Night Market 2025
9/5 | Fort Mason | 2 Marina Blvd, SF | 4 p.m. | Free, All ages

This outdoor market transforms the historic Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture into a dynamic showcase of local artisans, cuisine, and entertainment. This free public event combines the San Francisco Bay Area’s premier craft vendors with outstanding food offerings against a backdrop of stunning waterfront views.

Good VBZ Presents: Oakland Pride Kickoff Party ft. Jus10
9/5 | Fluid510 | 1544 Broadway, Oakland | 10 p.m. | $23.18+

Oakland… y’all ready? Pride weekend is about to go OFF and we’re starting it with the official kickoff party you’ve been waiting for. We’re bringing the one and only JUS10 — fresh off a feature in Revolt, blending hip hop grit with ballroom magic to create a performance that’s bold, unapologetic, and unforgettable. Jus10 lives where the beat drops meet the ballroom floor, giving power to the people and energy to the night.

Saturday 9/6

Artists and Makers Fair at The Box SF
9/6-9/7 | The Box SF | 1069 Howard St, SF | 11 a.m. | Free

Our beautiful SOMA venue will once again be opening up to an amazing group of local vendors who will be selling and showcasing their beautiful work. We are thrilled to invite you to join us for our multi-day public weekend events held each month at our historic building located in the heart of San Francisco!
These FREE monthly fairs span two days: Saturday (11am-5pm) & Sunday (11am-4pm). Reservations are NOT required!

Honey Dijon
9/6 | Gold Bar Distillery Treasure Island | 1 Avenue Of the Palms, SF | 2 p.m. | $44.94+

Buckle up… HONEY DIJON plays her biggest San Francisco headline ever on Saturday, September 6th at Gold Bar Treasure Island! Join us for an incredible sunset party with one of the most iconic artists on the globe.

X Ambassadors
9/6 | The Fillmore | 1805 Geary Blvd, SF | 8 p.m. | $52.50+

X Ambassadors is an American pop rock band from Ithaca, New York, that consists of lead vocalist Sam Harris, keyboardist Casey Harris, and drummer Adam Levin. Russ Flynn is a touring member who plays guitar and bass. Their most notable songs include “Jungle”, “Renegades”, and “Unsteady”.

Plaza Palooza Festival
9/6 | Soft Park – Levi’s Plaza | 1200 Battery St, SF | 11 a.m. | Free

Step into the rhythm of Plaza Palooza, where music, culture, and community come together. This year’s lineup features the powerful sounds of Oakland’s own Fantastic Negrito, a three-time Grammy winner known for his soulful fusion of blues, rock, and social storytelling. Also performing are Shadow Work, delivering genre-blending soul that defies expectations, and ASTU, whose powerful R&B-jazz-soul sound brings both intimacy and impact.

Views of Democracy – Opening Reception
9/6-10/25 | Rhythmix Cultural Works | 2513 Blanding Ave, Alameda | 3 p.m. | Free w/ RSVP

Views of Democracy is the culmination of more than a year of work to identify and curate a visual art exhibition that celebrates democracy. In Views of Democracy, you will see a wide range of media and technique, from video to sculpture and from painting to photography, textile art and mixed media. Some of the works are representational, others are fantastical; some are abstract, others include narrative. Several pieces in the show reference traditional symbols of America, some honor public institutions and some focus specifically on joy. Joy and art can be acts of resistance.

La Misa Negra
9/6 | The Independent | 628 Divisadero St, SF | 9 p.m. | $32.47, 21+

La Misa Negra is a 7-piece band from Oakland, California, known for their unique blend of cumbia and high-energy, Afro-Latin music. On stage, they deliver an electrifying performance that explodes with infectious dance grooves and punk rock energy, powered by horn and accordion-driven riffs, a fierce rhythm section, and a vintage-inspired sound.

FairyProud Pride Night
9/6 | Children’s Fairyland | 699 Bellevue Ave, Oakland | 6 p.m. | $35-$40, 21+

What if your favorite gay bar turned into an amusement park? Poof! Fairy Proud!!Once a year, Fairyland is transformed into a live-out-loud PRIDE celebration bursting with queer joy and fierce fantasy. Ride the Jolly Trolly, dance under the Fairyland stars with three live DJs, savor local flavors in the Fairy food court, dive into delicious libations, and catch jaw-dropping, spectacular DRAG shows curated exclusively for Fairy Proud by the Bay Area’s premiere DRAG collectives. Three stages. Three DJs.

Sunday 9/7

HOLE: a new show by the SF Neo-Futurists
9/7 | TBA | SF | 2 p.m. | $28.52-$55.20

HOLE is an experimental theater piece by Amy Langer and Bahaar Taj in collaboration with the SF Neo-Futurists. Set outdoors at the beach, HOLE is a site-specific play that revolves around the act of literally digging a large hole in the ground, moving through themes of obsession, identity, community, kindness, and the strange persistence of compulsive digging in pop culture. A play without a fourth wall (or, in fact, any walls), HOLE asks the audience: What needs to be done for you to take up the shovel?

Oakland Pride Parade & Festival
9/7 | Oakland | Broadway & Thomas L Berkley Way, Oakland | 11 a.m. | Free, All ages

WE are STRONGER together than divided. Let’s do what we know BEST and STAND TOGETHER because IN UNITY, WE THRIVE!

San Francisco Symphony Free Community Performance
9/7 | San Francisco Public Library, Eureka Valley Branch | 1 Jose Sarria Ct, SF | 3 p.m. | Free

We’re proud to bring small ensembles to community spaces across San Francisco. These free concerts are an opportunity to get to know SF Symphony musicians and see them perform in an intimate setting.

Poolside’s Daytime Disco
9/7 | Union Square | 333 Post St, SF | 2 p.m. | Free w/ RSVP

Poolside is the recording project of producer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jeffrey Paradise. The launch of the first ever Daytime Disco event in San Francisco’s Union Square is special by design. San Francisco is such an important part of Poolside’s history, a city Jeffrey Paradise had called home for years; first as a SFSU alumnus, and later as a DJ and Promoter of the famed Blow Up SF Parties.

The Flaming Lips + Modest Mouse
9/7 | Greek Theatre | 2001 Gayley Rd, Berkeley | 5 p.m. Doors | $83.75+

The Flaming Lips have since become one of the most iconic, influential, unpredictable, and vital forces in American alternative rock music, while Modest Mouse continues to prove themselves to be one of the most consistent live acts today.

Opera in the Park
9/7 | Robin Williams Meadow in Golden Gate Park | 320 Bowling Green Dr, SF | 1:30 p.m. | Free

Join us to celebrate the 50th anniversary of this beloved Bay Area tradition. Music Director Eun Sun Kim leads the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and stars from San Francisco Opera’s 2025–26 Season in an afternoon of glorious music.

Monday 9/8

Raphael Saadiq
9/8 | Davies Symphony Hall | 201 Van Ness Ave, SF | 8 p.m. | $66.75+

From D’Angelo’s iconic Voodoo to Solange’s A Seat at the Table, Saadiq has shaped some of the most influential albums of the 21st century. His own critically lauded Jimmy Lee (2019) further solidified his reputation as a boundary-pushing artist. His recent contributions to Beyoncé’s iconic albums, Renaissance and Cowboy Carter have earned him 8 more Grammy nominations. As he enters the fifth decade of his illustrious career, Raphael Saadiq remains an indispensable force, continuing to shape and redefine the sound of contemporary pop and soul.

The Week of 9/9-9/15

Tuesday 9/9

Cursive
9/9 | Bottom of the Hill | 1233 17th St, SF | 8 p.m. Doors | $35

Cursive is an American indie rock band from Omaha, Nebraska. Stylistically described as emo and post-hardcore. Over the past two decades, Cursive has become known for writing smart, tightly woven concept albums where frontman Tim Kasher turns his unflinching gaze on specific, oftentimes challenging themes, and examines them with an incisively brutal honesty. 

WIRED’s Uncanny Valley Live
9/9 | The Commons at KQED | 2601 Mariposa St, SF | 7 p.m. | $24.38

KQED Live presents a special live show with Uncanny Valley — the technology podcast from WIRED that gives us an insider look at the people, power and influence of Silicon Valley — hosted by Katie Drummond, Lauren Goode, and Michael Calore.

Wednesday 9/10

Sierra Hull
9/10 | The Independent | 628 Divisadero St, SF | 7:30 p.m. Doors | $32.47, 21+

A two-time Grammy Nominated artist and songwriter, recognized for both her most recent projects, 25 Trips (2020) and Weighted Mind (2016), she is also the 6x recipient of IBMA’s Mandolin Player of the Year, the first woman to ever receive this distinction. Her unique sound is rooted in bluegrass, and she is widely considered one of acoustic music’s most inventive artists.

Chinatown After Dark
9/10 | Lion’s Den Lounge and Bar | 57 Wentworth Place, SF | 8 p.m. | Free RSVP with a $5 suggested donation

Chinatown After Dark is back, and we’re turning up the heat w/ Yuka Yu, Nicky V on drums and more at the legendary Lion’s Den!

Dan Pelosi & Juanita MORE! – Let’s Party
9/10 | Jewish Community Center SF | 3200 California St, SF | 7 p.m. | $47 (Includes Book)

Bestselling cookbook author and internet favorite Dan Pelosi – aka @GrossyPelosi – brings his big-hearted, no-fuss approach to cooking and entertaining to the JCCSF. He’s joined by San Francisco’s own Juanita MORE! for a lively evening of stories, laughs, and tips on how to throw a great gathering, whether it’s a big holiday dinner or just Tuesday night with friends.

Pile
9/10 | Rickshaw Stop | 155 Fell St, SF | 8 p.m. | $20-$25, All ages

On its newest record, Pile weaves a Sisyphean fable concerned with labor and living. Pile presents this parable with jagged guitars, sputtering drum bombast, eerie synths and aqueous strings, with panoramic production and loud-quiet dynamism matching the emotionality of the band’s thunderous performances.

Thursday 9/11

One Show To Rule Them All
9/11 | Endgames Improv Theater | 2965 Mission St, SF | 7 p.m. | $17.35

Improvised Classics is a monthly improv comedy show where your favorite movies get totally reimagined—live, unscripted, and inspired by the audience.

ArtAuction25: Housing Heals 25th Annual Art Auction Fundraiser
9/11 | SOMArts Cultural Center | 934 Brannan St, SF | 5:30 p.m. | $35+

All proceeds from ArtAuction25 support the continued publication of Street Sheet and proceeds will fund our Human Rights and Housing Justice Organizing programs so we can continue advocating with and for the unhoused, ensuring that humane, empathetic, solution-based policies to end homelessness are prioritized over political theatrics that do nothing but waste money and harms unhoused San Franciscans.

NightLife: Claude’s Big 3-0
9/11 | California Academy of Sciences | 55 Music Concourse Dr, SF | 6 p.m. | $25, 21+

Claude’s turning 30—and we’re throwing the ultimate birthday bash fit for an alligator king. Think giveaways, crafts, music, and drinks, all capped off with a swamp-side celebration.

Mission Rock Movie Nights – Best In Show
9/11 | China Basin Park | 1 China Basin Park, SF | 7 p.m. | Free

Hey there movie lovers – Join us for movies at China Basin Park with your friends and family. Don’t forget to bring your blankets for a cozy evening. Movie starts at dusk.

Friday 9/12

Kat Robichaud’s Misfit Cabaret Till Death Do Us Part

9/12 | Great American Music Hall | 859 O’Farrell St, SF | 7 p.m. Doors | $92.80+

After 10 decadent years of music, madness, macabre and mayhem at Misfit Cabaret, we decided it was time to tie the knot. We’ve summoned original Misfits and bold new ones to take part in our latest revelry:  “Till Death Do Us Part”. Obviously, because this is Misfit Cabaret, this is not your garden-variety wedding…this is a fever dream of decadence, bawdiness, and damsels not in distress. Expect raucous chaos, devilish drag queens, nightmarish puppets, bedazzled burlesque babes, storytelling that is woven through original music, and a spectacle of love that lurches between sublime and spine-chilling.

Flower Piano 10th Anniversary Opening Night
9/12-9/21 | San Francisco Botanical Garden Golden Gate Park | 1199 9th Ave, SF | 4 p.m. | $75

Celebrate 10 years of Flower Piano and join us for a special opening night event in the Lounge on Friday, September 12. Includes general admission to Flower Piano.

The Warm Up: Kaytranada & Justice Tribute
9/12 | DNA Lounge | 375 11th St, SF | 9:30 p.m. | $12.50+, 18+

We’re throwing it down for two iconic acts who changed the way we dance, Kaytranada & Justice. From Kaytra’s smooth, soulful bounce to Justice’s gritty, electrified chaos, their sounds redefined modern nightlife. This party is a tribute to their influence.

Fall Teacher Night
9/12 | Oakland Museum of California | 1000 Oak St, Oakland | 4:30 p.m. | Free

TGIF! Here at OMCA, we recognize and want to celebrate the hard work that goes into the start of the school year. Bring your team! This event is free for teachers—RSVP is only required for those attending the journaling workshop. The first 100 arrivals receive Off The Grid food truck and drink tickets.

Mental Health Comedy Hour
9/12 | All Out Comedy Theater | 2550 Telegraph Ave, Oakland | 8 p.m. | $15+

Guided by the Mantra “We’re Not Okay, And That’s Okay”, Mental Health Comedy Hour is a show where comedians tell jokes before settling into more serious discussions about mental health. Part late night talk show part stand up comedy this show was co-founded by comedians Kristee Ono and Wonder Dave, we aim to destigmatize mental illness through genuine conversations and, of course, laughter.


Saturday 9/13

Sound Summit
9/13 | Mountain Theater | East Ridgecrest Blvd. in Mount Tamalpais State Park, Mill Valley | 11 a.m. | $70+

Sound Summit celebrates its 10th anniversary on Saturday, September 13, as CAKE returns to the historic Mountain Theater to headline the daylong festival atop Mount Tamalpais that has brought both exceptional music and benefit to the mountain and Bay Area community alike over the past decade.

EMPIRE 15: Shaboozey, Fireboy DML, Red Leather + more
9/13 | Civic Center Plaza | 355 Mcallister St, SF | 3 p.m. | Free w/ RSVP

Celebrate 15 years of EMPIRE in San Francisco with a FREE show in Civic Center Plaza on Saturday, September 13 from 3-7PM! Featuring performances from Shaboozey, Fireboy DML, Red Leather, and more to be announced, plus vendors, food trucks, and giveaways!

MacArthur Maze, Fresh Daily, Vese
9/13 | Brick and Mortar Music Hall | 1710 Mission St, SF | 8 p.m. Doors | $22.89, 21+

Independent hip-hop ensemble and crew, Macarthur Maze, combine only the most organic Bay Area ingredients to create a uniquely familiar powerhouse. Fresh Daily is a Brooklyn-born, Oakland-based rapper, graphic designer, and illustrator known for his sharp lyricism, jazzy boom-bap sound, and art-forward approach.

Castro Comedy Cabaret
9/13 | Beaux | 2344 Market St, SF | 6 p.m. | VIP & Pay What You Can Tickets: $1 – $650

Castro Comedy Cabaret is a bold, curated night of queer performance — blending stand-up, burlesque, storytelling, and surprise acts at one of San Francisco’s most iconic nightlife venues. Glamorous, community-rooted, and politically charged in all the right ways, each show brings together performers from across the Bay (and beyond) to light up the stage with laughter, sparkle, and substance.

Havoc Fest
9/13 | Ivy Room | 860 San Pablo Ave, Albany | 7 p.m. Doors | $17.82

Havoc Fest features Infirmities, Plan 9, Violent Coercion, & my neighbor’s band… Can’t!

Summer Tour of the Dell
9/13 | Dahlia Dell Golden Gate Park | Stanyan St, SF | 10 a.m. | Free

See the Dahlia Dell in all its glory and find out more about this amazing flower. Tours every 30 minutes from 10AM to 11:30AM. Led by experts in the Society. No tickets necessary. Bring the kids (dogs on leash okay) and your cameras!

Sunday 9/14

Billy Idol with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
9/14 | Greek Theatre | 2001 Gayley Rd, Berkeley | 5:30 p.m. Doors | $64.75+

46 years into his recording career, Billy Idol is still the ever-moving myth, the intellectual/feral internet-age bookworm/caveman of our dreams, finding modern language for the fiery, Eddie Cochran-meets-Ziggy Stardust rip’n’roar that he’s been making since he first stepped on stage.

B Legit W/ Live Band
9/14 | Yoshi’s Oakland | 510 Embarcadero W, Oakland | 7 p.m. & 9 p.m. | $80.10

His journey from Vallejo to the global stage, marked by trials and triumphs, is a testament to his resilience and creativity. B-Legit is more than an artist; he is a movement. Each beat, lyric, and performance reflects his story—a story rooted in hustle, heart, and the indomitable spirit of Hip Hop.

SUPER FLIP Film Screening & Fireside Chat w/ Director Celine Parreñas Shimiz
9/14 | Yerba Buena Center for the Arts | 701 Mission St, SF | 2 p.m. | Free w/ RSVP

SUPERFLIP is a monumental short film by Celine Parreñas Shimizu, Dean of UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television, filmed in the summer of 1995. The 30-minute film explores the life, love and labor of a Filipino immigrant couple and was shot in iconic SOMA locations such as the original Carmen’s Restaurant, Blanche’s Garden, Rigo’s Inner City/ Home mural and 330 Ritch/Victory Hall.

Button Brooches and Levi’s Love: A Workshop with Beau McCall
9/14 | Museum of Craft and Design | 2569 3rd St, SF | 1 p.m. | $10

Beau McCall returns to the Museum of Craft and Design on the closing day of Beau McCall: Buttons On! to lead a hands-on, drop-in workshop where you’ll transform Levi’s denim into eye-catching, button-forward brooches and pins. Come by for a few minutes or stay the whole time—there’s no formal agenda, just creative freedom. Join us at the end of the workshop for an informal runway show featuring participant-made pieces!

Monday 9/15

Litquake Presents: Songs for Other People’s Weddings: David Levithan and Jens Lekman
9/15 | Cafe du Nord | 2174 Market St, SF | 6:30 p.m. Doors | $26.24, 21+

Join Jens and David, along with emcee Andrew Sean Greer, for an unforgettable evening of story and song: part concert, part conversation, part celebration of shared creativity and the bittersweet nature of romantic love.

Noah Cyrus
9/15 | The Regency Ballroom | 1300 Van Ness Ave, SF | 8 p.m. | $51.32+

Noah Cyrus may have grown up in one of music’s most high-profile families, but after years in and around the spotlight, she emerges as her own woman and a fully realized artist. On her new album I Want My Loved Ones to Go With Me, Noah makes clear her independent voice and vision — while still recognizing those who shaped her. The album’s 11 tracks are all inspired by people Noah loves or has loved.

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Does Redbull give you wings? I’m not really sure, but it certainly appears to give certain people wing-like abilities. San Francisco woke up Saturday morning expecting fog, overpriced lattes, and maybe a naked guy on a unicycle. Instead, the Bay Bridge got skated like a giant Tony Hawk ramp from the sky.

Red Bull skydiving athlete Sean MacCormac, 50 years young and apparently allergic to hobbies like golf, became the first man to skysurf onto a bridge and grind it. Yes, grind it. As in, like a skater kid at an abandoned strip mall, except the “ledge” was the western span of the Bay Bridge. Normal people go to brunch; this man fell from a helicopter at 5,000 feet with a snowboard strapped to his feet.

For the uninitiated, skysurfing is skydiving’s cooler, dumber cousin. It’s like snowboarding, except the snow is air, the trees are suspension cables, and your mom is still worried about your life choices.

MacCormac has logged 22,000 skydives in his career, taught Navy SEALs how to fall out of planes, and still called this his “wildest project ever.” That’s saying something, because Navy SEAL training usually involves things like “jumping into shark-infested waters” and “getting yelled at by Mark Wahlberg in a movie adaptation.”

When asked about the cost, Red Bull politely declined to say. But considering the fee covers CHP, Caltrans, film permits, and possibly hazard pay for every pigeon on the bridge, the budget likely resembled the GDP of a small island nation.

MacCormac’s summary? Relief. Our summary? Only in San Francisco would traffic get delayed not by an accident, not by a protest, but because a middle-aged man decided to skateboard the Bay Bridge from outer space.

Next week: Red Bull helps someone ollie the Golden Gate. I know this sounds like I’m promoting Redbull. I’m not, I have nothing against Redbull or Monster or Rockstar or anything energy drink. But this shit is legitimately cool. I honestly wish every company advertised like this. I don’t need any more commercials unless they are like this. You want to sell me car insurance? Jump over a car with a monster truck as it explodes, and just have the logo of your company on the side of the monster truck. Don’t even bother telling me what your company does. I don’t care. Do cool shit and people will become customers. It doesn’t matter what you’re selling.

Red Bull, it may not give you wings, but it will surely pay 40 year old men to act like it. And honestly, that’s close enough.

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The post Man ‘Skysurfs’ on Bay Bridge Because Red Bull Told Him To. appeared first on Broke-Ass Stuart's Website.

Article By James Conrad
Edited by Jake Warren

In this latest assault on the immigrant population, Trump’s regime plans to re-evaluate the visas of over 55 million people. An announcement came on August 21, 2025. Immigrants with valid work or study visas may nonetheless be screened for deportation-worthy violations. The real violation is the implied accusation of immigrants who’ve done nothing wrong. 

Trump issues bans to those who oppose him

No foreigner is safe from Trump’s extreme xenophobia. In fact the Trump administration deports people visiting from abroad, primarily those who openly criticize Trump. In March 2025, both the bassist and the drummer from British punk band U.K. Subs were denied entry to the U.S. Lead singer Charlie Harper met the band’s contractual obligation to perform at the LA Punk Invasion festival, without his bandmates. Donald Trump speaking at CPAC 2011 in Washington, D.C. Creative commons.

The Fourteenth Amendment guarantees the First Amendment right to free speech to everyone, regardless of their citizenship status. It also extends one the Fourth Amendment right to privacy and the Fifth Amendment right to avoid self-incrimination. This is what promises foreigners a fair trial. Despite this, bassist Alvin Gibbs suspected that his bandmates’ denied entry resulted from their open criticism of Trump. 

Hateful rhetoric with real-life consequences

The Guardian reported that the TSA denied entry to a French scientist visiting the United States for research purposes. In Houston, Texas on assignment from Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, the scientist faced unconstitutional search and seizure. Border officials confiscated his belongings, his personal cell phone among them. The offending crime: a negative opinion of Donald Trump, shared via text message.

On the day of Trump’s announcement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio voiced his opinion about work visas for truck drivers on Twitter. “The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on U.S. roads is endangering American lives, undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers.” Rubio then suspended the issuance of trucker permits to foreign applicants. 

It is easy to surmise that the Trump regime is hunting for opportunities to deport people for any old infraction. Immigrants make up just 15.4% of the US population according to data from June 2025. In 2024, the Bureau of Labor Statistics concluded that 19.2% of the United States civilian labor force was foreign-born. What’s worse, countless U.S.-born children of immigrants also fall victim to anti-immigration legislation. 

Is it the fault of immigrants who qualify for positions they apply for that American-born applicants get passed up? When consideration boils down to nationality, you are no longer looking at a fair competition. Racism and xenophobia confer opportunities for simple-minded bampots to blame someone else for their shortcomings. People like this accept no responsibility, passing up every chance to learn from their mistakes. 

Burning up the fabric of America’s identity

The United States is and has always been a country built and maintained by immigrants. Barring earnest immigrants from contributing to a terribly understaffed industry is plain foolish. Keeping them out of the trucking industry would reduce its performance by an additional 20%. This would certainly aggravate an already strained relationship between American supply and demand. Beleaguered businesses, especially small businesses, are struggling to navigate exorbitant and unnecessary tariffs on imported goods and raw materials. Surely San Francisco will be no exception. 

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