For those of a sociopolitical bent, Homes Not Jails ask that you join them for a rally, march, and "occupation" of the Civic Center Plaza in protest against the demolition of vacant residences in the Presidio. Get this: They think that the 466 units held by the National Park Service/Presidio Trust should be used for housing instead of, um, rubble. It's a far cry from requesting British-style squatter's rights, but it would be a step in the right direction -- and just imagine the wild community that might spring up so near the Marina's well-kept shores. Renowned MOVE organizer Ramona Africa will speak; Justice will supply musical inspiration; and big, colorful puppets will draw tourists. Folks should gather at Civic Center Plaza on Saturday, July 26, at 2 p.m. Call 282-5525.
If the do-gooder in you has not been fully sated (aka working off some horrible thing that you did last weekend), head over to Festa Tropical, a benefit for the newly refurbished Brazilian Cultural Academy. The BCA is an arm of Abada Capoeira, a nonprofit martial arts/dance group dedicated to recovering Brazilian cultural arts. Abada will demonstrate maculele, an Afro-Brazilian warrior dance that uses wooden sticks and steel machetes, while Grupo Fusao will perform samba, reggae, and afoxe music for your pelvic-wiggling pleasure. Festa Tropical will be held on the BCA's new dance floor on Saturday, July 26, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $7-15; call 284-6196.
The kiddies have their summer blockbusters -- Hercules and Batman & Robin -- but what about us adults who have already seen Face/Off, hate Disney musicals, and cannot abide a Valley Batgirl? Might I suggest a quirky spin on the theme: The Three Stooges Meet Hercules (and destroy his reputation), and the first installment of Columbia's 1949 Batman and Robin series in which some fiendish villain called the Wizard (ooh ... ahh) diabolically stops traffic (gasp). You wanted surrealism, you've got it for two weekends in a row at the Roxie on Saturday and Sunday, July 26-27 and Aug. 2-3. Call 863-1087.
I cannot think of one good reason to prevent all the freaks in San Francisco from donning cyberengineered dread wigs, getting naked, and smearing their bodies with fresh fruit (barring, of course, papaya-induced dermatitis). Crash Worship do that thing that they do with crazy lights, drums, and wanton nakedness at the Trocadero on Sunday, July 27, at 8 p.m. Duarte 6 open. Tickets are $10; call 437-4446.
Katell Keineg, a sweet-voiced, Dublin-based Welshwoman, grows on you after a while. That's if you completely ignore the singles off her second Elektra release, Jet, which are the label's shameless attempt to push those passing moments when Keineg sounds most like Natalie Merchant -- undoubtedly with the help of Merchant's engineer, John Holbrook. Moving past that, however, Jet offers songs that conjure, in turn, the Cowboy Junkies' Trinity Sessions, Sinead O'Connor's The Lion and the Cobra, Dead Can Dance's Toward the Within, and, Portishead's, well, there was only one. This may be largely the doing of Pere Ubu/Frank Black producer Eric Drew (a man who has played, incidentally, in both PJ Harvey's and Captain Beefheart's bands), but it is lovely nonetheless. Drew seemed to realize during the recording of Jet that Keineg is at her best at her least rock. This, of course, holds great promise for her live performance at the Great American Music Hall on Monday, July 28, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $9; call 885-0750.
-- Silke Tudor
