When the ancient Polynesians invented surfing, they often used a paddle to help them navigate. Fast-forward a few millennia, and Stand-Up Paddleboarding, or SUP, finds itself trendy again. Part of its increasing popularity is that standing upright allows surfers to spot waves more easily and thus catch more of them, multiplying the fun factor. Paddling back to the wave becomes less of a strain as well. The ability to cruise along on flat inland water, surveying the sights, is another advantage. Finally, it’s a good core workout. If you’re sold on the idea, schedule an intro SUP lesson, free with board and paddle rental, and you may find yourself riding the waves like a Polynesian king.More
Many of us remember coming home from our elementary schools with freshly glazed pinchpots, cups, or whatever else our young imaginations could conjure up. Saturday mornings at the Randall Museum can bring that memory back, or create a new one for the youngsters. Ceramics make great gifts — especially on Mothers' and Fathers' Day. Hop on board for the Randall's once-weekly class, and for $6 and two weeks to have your work fired and glazed, you'll have all the materials you need.More
December is almost over - the New Year is coming up and everyone is busy drying off from the rain or holiday shopping. Let's take a look at what's happened this month.
There's no secret to helping you focus better — unless you count Adderall — but studies have shown that listening to music before or while performing a task can improve attention, memory, and even your ability to perform mental math.
So you don't have a ticket to Outside Lands and you feel kind of bummed because seemingly all of your friends do and they can't stop gabbing about how stoked they are to see Radiohead and J.Cole. You're a bit jealous, but hey, don't worry, braddah. There are so many other shows going on this weekend that you can go to and then brag about to your friends later.
Sure, you might not get a cool festival wristband, but there are a ton of other perks to NOT going to Outside Lands; for instance: no grass stains on your pants, no freezing cold temperatures to deal with because you're not standing for hours outside, no extensive bag checks (so you can bring your vape pen/pipe/joint without a problem), and, perhaps the biggest perk of all, you won't have to shell out a few hundo to get into the show.
Check out our roundup of shows on Friday to Sunday because you, too, can have an awesome weekend even if you aren't going to Outside Lands.
Friday, August 5:
Hip-Hop: Antwon
Bay Area hipster rapper Antwon emerged on the scene in 2011, but it was his 2012 release, End of the World, that really caught our attention. (SF Weekly named it one of the best hip-hop records of the year.) Check out "Living Every Dream," which pairs the rapper's laidback, retro bars with the instrumentals from Suzanne Vega's "Tom's Diner." Antwon plays at 7 p.m. at Eli's Mile High Club in Oakland. $10; elismilehigh.com Metal: Trinity Fallen
Trinity Fallen is a new San Francisco-based heavy metal band that features members of Testament, Scorched Earth Policy, and Nuclear Rabbit. The quartet is playing their debut show, so catch the band live for their first performance ever! Trinity Fallen plays at 9 p.m. at Slim's. $13; slimspresents.com.
Indie-Pop: Ra Ra Riot
This New York quintet has made a name for itself crafting fun, synth-driven tracks, that even occasionally include a bit of violin. Ra Ra Riot play at 9 p.m at Rickshaw Stop. $22-$25; rickshawstop.com Electronic: Branchez
A New York City producer known for making clever, jazzy, dance-inducing tracks, Branchez has produced official remixes for a number of big-name artists from a variety of genres, like Casey Veggies, Rockie Fresh, Tokimonsta, and Wet. Branchez plays at 9 p.m. at Mezzanine. $20-$30; mezzaninesf.com. Blues-Rock: The Sheepdogs
Canadian sextet The Sheepdogs has earned comparisons to Crosby, Stills, and Nash for their sonic harmonies and folkish melodies and Led Zeppelin, thanks to their explosive guitar riffs. They've only been in the game for a while, but they're already making waves and landed the cover of Rolling Stone in 2011. The Sheepdogs play at 9 p.m. at The Chapel. $15; thechapelsf.com. Hip-Hop: Vic Mensa
Twenty-three-year-old Chicago native Vic Mensa makes eclectic hip-hop with an electronic bent. He's toured with J. Cole and Wale, and collaborated with Kanye West on a number of tracks, most recently "Wolves" from The Life of Pablo. Vic Mensa plays at 11 p.m. at Social Hall. $29.50-$35; socialhallsf.com.
Saturday, August 6:
Electronic: Jauz
Jauz is a Los Angeles-based producer who makes buzzy, synthesizer-filled music that sounds like it would fit best in a video game. The 21-year-old, who performed at Ultra this year, has already collaborated with Skrillex and remixed everything from Riff Raff's "Tip Toe Wing In My Jawwdinz" to OT Genasis' "Coco." Jauz plays at 10 p.m. at The Independent. $35; theindependentsf.com. Indie-Pop: Haelos
This trio from London has been all over this last year. They've played a number of festivals, like Coachella, and this will be their second visit to San Francisco in the span of six months. They dropped their debut album, Full Circle, in March, which is full of electronic-tinged, inventive pop ditties. Haelos plays at 9:30 p.m., at Rickshaw Stop. $20; rickshawstop.com. Electronic: Snakehips
It's hard to believe that Snakehips has only been around for about 18 months. Already the duo has remixed songs for Banks, The Weeknd, Bondax, and Wild Belle, and racked up millions of plays on Spotify for their inventive, catchy musical pairings. Snakehips plays at 9:30 p.m. at Mezzanine. $25; mezzaninesf.com.
Sunday, August 7:
Electronic: GRiZ
Hailing from Michigan, GRiZ makes funky, jazz and soul inspired jams that are perfect for getting the party started. He's played a ton of festivals, from Electric Forest and Hard to Lollapalooza and this weekend's Outside Lands, and makes sure that all of his albums are available for free download, which is pretty cool. GRiZ plays at 9:30 p.m. at The Independent. $35; theindependentsf.com. House: Thomas Jack
An Australian DJ and producer known for creating lush, tropical house tracks, Thomas Jack, who describes himself as "homeless" because of how frequently he tours, is a fun act to see live. Not to mention his tracks sometimes have samples of speeches of them, like Charlie Chaplin's closing speech from The Great Dictator. Thomas Jack plays at 9:30 p.m. at Mezzanine. $25; mezzaninesf.com. Electronic: Yeyey
Comprised of both New York and San Francisco musicians, Yeyey makes strange and adventurous tunes that both shimmer and pulsate. Expect fuzzed out vocals and wailing harmonies. Yeyey plays at 9 p.m. at Bottom of The Hill. $8; bottomofthehill.com.
Sub Pop recording artists 'clipping.' brought their brand of noise-driven experimental hip hop to the closing night of 2016's San Francisco Electronic Music Fest this past Sunday. The packed Brava Theater hosted an initially seated crowd that ended the night jumping and dancing against the front of the stage. The trio performed a set focused on their recently released Sci-Fi Horror concept album, 'Splendor & Misery', then delved into their dancier and more aggressive back catalogue, and recent single 'Wriggle'.
Opening performances included local experimental electronic duo 'Tujurikkuja' and computer music artist 'Madalyn Merkey.'"
