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[Never] Say Die
A Jeff Buckley documentary with rare concert footage, a poetry workshop, a mission district mural tour, and Japanese shaved ice
High school rebellion wasn’t my strong suit: when I snuck out of the house, it was to buy coffee so I could study late in my caffeine-free home. Concerts, however, brought out my wild(-ish) side. My friends Pierina and Jocelyn and I lied our way from the nosebleed seats into the pit for an Our Lady Peace / Three Doors Down concert; and I got an exchange student in trouble for breaking curfew when I refused to leave a Spoon show. When it comes to irreplaceable live performances, my rule-following brain flips a switch. And I figure that I have enough karma credit to take the risk.
Watch rare concert footage of Jeff Buckley alongside his mother, write poetry in the park, and walk the streets of the Mission a historical mural tour.
Film Screening | It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley
Category: Film
Date: Friday, August 8th @ 6pm (Add to Google Calendar)
Location: Roxie Theatre (SF)
Price Range: $16 (At Rush)
Why I Care: Jeff Buckley passed away nearly three decades ago, but his angelic voice remains. It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley documents the life and aura of the musician who continues to influence countless artists despite completing only one studio album before his heartbreaking death at age thirty. The film includes interviews with Buckley’s mother, former romantic partners, and bandmates, none previously released from his archives. All screenings will include remastered footage from one of Buckley’s 1994 solo concerts, which will only be shown in cinemas and cannot be found online.
Buckley’s mother will attend this premiere screening, making it particularly poignant and sending tickets into rush status. If you’re not willing to roll the rush line dice, catch another screening before the 15th.
Poetry Workshop with Nia Pearl
Category: Literary
Date: Saturday, August 16th @ 12pm (Add to Google Calendar)
Location: Yerba Buena Gardens (SF)
Price Range: Free
Why I Care: Yerba Buena Gardens Festival and the Museum of the African Diaspora present a hands-on workshop with award-winning poet Nia Pearl. The event will be held outdoors in Yerba Buena Gardens and draw inspiration from this downtown oasis. Beyond her artistry as a poet, Pearl is an environmental activist who creates spaces for public engagement. Stay after the workshop for a free jazz performance by the Marcus Shelby Orchestra.
Opening Reception | LIGHT WORK
Category: Art
Date: Friday, August 8th @ 6pm (Add to Google Calendar)
Location: Park Life (Gallery Space) (SF)
Price Range: Free
Why I Care: As both a retail store and gallery, Park Life serves creativity across multiple mediums and price points. The Richmond District space has operated for almost twenty years with founders Jamie Alexander and Derek Song curating a selection of prints, design objects, fashion, books, and any other artistic endeavors they find fitting. We also have Park Life to thank for co-founding the San Francisco Art Book Fair. Pop by on Friday for the opening reception of LIGHT WORK, an exhibition featuring (surprise!) light work by artist Rico Dueñas.
Concert | Men I Trust
Category: Music
Date: Sunday, August 17th @ 6:30pm (Add to Google Calendar)
Location: Frost Amphitheater (South Bay)
Price Range: $59
Why I Care: Men I Trust is a Canadian dreampop band; not to be confused with whatever mental list you may have. High schoolers Dragos Chiriac and Jessy Caron started the band just over a decade ago to produce songs influenced by French and Italian disco. “Show Me How” is a personal favorite, and with over 600 million Spotify streams, I’m far from the only one.
The concert is part of the Stanford Live series, so be sure to bring a blanket for this outdoor venue.
Film Screening | The Great Dictator
Category: Film
Date: Sunday, August 10th @ 6pm (Add to Google Calendar)
Location: Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum (East Bay)
Price Range: Free (see RSVP instructions below)
Why I Care: “To those who can hear me, I say - do not despair. The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed - the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress. The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish.” These are words from the final speech of The Great Dictator (1940), which the Niles Film Museum will be screening for free this weekend. It’s been years since I first watched the film, but its prescience and relevance remain unparalleled.
RSVP with both NAME and SHOWING (Fri. or Sun.) to moebuggy@comcast.net as soon as possible due to limited seats per screening.
Mission District Mural History Tour
Category: Art
Date: Saturday, August 16th @ 11:30am (Add to Google Calendar)
Location: Precita Park Studio (SF)
Price Range: $25
Why I Care: Take a moment to pause for the murals of the Mission. The Precita Eyes Muralists Association was founded in the 1970s to foster community-based mural art through its nonprofit work. The nonprofit provides arts education for both youth and adults while also sponsoring murals in the Bay and beyond. This history tour will be led by Mission-resident Patricia Rose, who has been a Precita Eyes Muralist for forty-five years. Rose will provide a colorful narration of the stories and lore behind the murals, bringing her lived history to life on the tour.
Lucky 13 Matsuri
Category: Music & Culinary
Date: Saturday, August 9th @ 12pm (Add to Google Calendar)
Location: Umami Mart (East Bay)
Price Range: Free to attend
Why I Care: Turning thirteen takes me back to bat mitzvahs, braces, and peak social awkwardness. Luckily, Umami Mart is aging with grace as it celebrates its thirteenth birthday with taiko drums, okonomiyaki, and (very unlike my teenage years) alcohol galore. Oakland Taiko is the headline performer, with Umami Mart providing sakes, highballs, and beer alongside food vendors such as Casa de Kei and Kuramoto Shavery. Think of it as a chance to override memories of the bat mitzvah dance floor with strawberry custard pie shaved ice.
Next Drop: Monday, August 18th