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This weekend: NBA Finals come to SF, women of hip-hop and a silent disco at Ocean Beach

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images/Leo Cooperband

It’s all come down to this. After a crushing loss to the Raptors in 2019 and two lackluster pandemic seasons, the Warriors are once again on the precipice of another championship. This time around they have the home court advantage, as the series kicks off at the brand-spanking-new Chase Center. But Game 1 of the NBA finals is just the beginning of this weekend’s festivities.

Also on deck: The unveiling of a massive new mural outside of SF Oasis, the SF Public Library hosts an author talk centered on women in hip-hop, an eclectic band from Brooklyn comes to Brick & Mortar, and an award-winning Venezuelan flamenco star performs at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

Thursday, June 2

Warriors vs. Celtics

Chase Center, 1 Warriors Way
6 p.m. | Free+

Tickets in the nosebleeds are going for over $600, but you can join the party outside in Thrive City for free. Just make sure to register first. If you don’t feel like heading out to Mission Bay, the game is playing on ESPN and the NBA network, so you can catch it from the comfort of home or head to a local watering hole. Don’t know much about the Dubs? No problem. We’ve got you covered with this bandwagon-jumper’s starter pack and this recent episode of Hella News (above). The party starts at 4:30 p.m. at Thrive City. The game kicks off at 6 p.m. The festivities for Game 2, also at Chase Center, begin at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 5. (NV)

Daniil Trifonov Plays Mason Bates with the SF Symphony

Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave.
Thursday & Sunday, 2 p.m., Friday & Saturday, 7:30 p.m. | $20+

We're lucky to be able to claim Mason Bates as a Bay Area resident. Bates, a Burlingame native who won a Grammy for Best Opera in 2019 for his The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, can be found teaching composition at San Francisco Conservatory during the day and spinning genre-defying sets at local clubs as DJ Masonic after the sun goes down. A San Francisco Symphony co-commission, Bates' piano concerto will have its West Coast premiere on Thursday at Davies Symphony Hall under the baton of young conductor Ruth Reinhardt and with Daniil Trifonov, for whom Bates wrote the piece, as soloist. And Dvořák fanatics can rejoice: While the late Czech composer's seventh, eighth and especially ninth "New World" symphonies are regularly programmed by orchestras internationally, his first six (which he himself once deemed too derivative) are rarely performed. His Symphony No. 5 in F Major from 1875 closes the program. (YK)

SF Oasis Mural Unveiling 

Oasis, 298 11th St. 
2:30 p.m. | Free

Just in time for Pride Month, a massive mural by Sege Gay Jr., J. Manuel Carmona, Elliott C. Nathan, Simon Malvaez and Christopher McCutcheon is set to make its official debut. You may have noticed the piece, which wraps the building that houses Oasis, at the corner of 11th Street and Burns Place (between Folsom and Howard). It has been in progress for months. Titled “SHOWTIME,” the mural is a love letter to SF's queer community. It depicts key local LGBTQ+ figures, such as Jose Sarria, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and Drollinger, and is painted in hues of blush red, burgundy and pink. The Oasis, of course, has a long and stories history as a hotspot for drag shows. State Senator Scott Weiner and Mayor London Breed are scheduled to make an appearance at the mural’s unveiling. An after-party honoring all the artists who participated kicks off at 9 p.m. (MM)

Friday, June 3

Solomon Georgio | Courtesy Photo

Solomon Georgio

Cobb’s Comedy Club, 915 Columbus Ave.
Friday-Saturday, June 3-4, 7:30 and 9:45 p.m. | $25+

Comedian Solomon Georgio flips the script on anti-gay bullies in his July 2020 Comedy Central Stand-Up special. Homophobes, he quips, are “the homeliest group of haters to come into fruition,” before adding that our 45th president looks like “lactose intolerance turned into a person.” Barbed social commentary is something of a specialty for Georgio, who, in a 2015 appearance on Conan explained how a North African—Georgio is Ethiopian—ended up with an Italian last name. “It’s a lot like a fairy tale,” he explains. “Except in this fairy tale there happens to be an Italian army occupation, a brutal civil war, a few decades of famine and no happy endings.” But he isn’t only concerned with putting bigots in their place and poking holes blinkered, Euro-centric worldviews. He also seeks to set the record straight when it comes to East Coast snobbery. “Here’s the thing,” he told the crowd during his 2019 set on HBO’s 2 Dope Queens. Nobody in L.A. makes fun of anyone in New York… because we’re too busy enjoying our lives.” (NV)

Clover Hope | Courtesy Photo

Motherlode: 100+ Women Who Made Hip-Hop 

San Francisco Public Library, Virtual
1 p.m. | Free

Lil Kim, M.C. Lyte, Queen Latifah, Salt-N-Pepa: These are just a few of the female hip-hop artists who paved the way for the likes of Nicki Minaj, Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B, among others. Clover Hope, a Brooklyn native, will speak via livestream about her book, The Motherlode: 100+ Women Who Made Hip-Hop, in honor of Black Music Appreciation Month. Hope, who works as a contributing editor for Pitchfork.com, has also contributed to publications such as Vibe, Essence, and Billboard, and serves as a New York University professor. Hope's book includes illustrated images by artist Rachelle Baker and historical profiles of female emcees. (MM)

Still Corners

The Great Northern, 119 Utah St.
Friday, June 3, 10 p.m. | $16

Still Corners is the atmospheric and alluring duo of Tessa Murray and Greg Hughes. The duo – one from Texas, the other from England – makes dreamy, cinematic music. Debuting on record in 2011, they broke through with their 2013 track “The Trip” from Strange Pleasures; a seamless melding of subtlety and space-rock elements, it feels like Cowboy Junkies crossed with Massive Attack. Since then, the duo has continued to explore various sonic landscapes, often juxtaposing organic and acoustic textures with electronic and synthetic elements. But amid the variety is a consistency: Still Corners commands attention with a whisper, not a shout. (BK)

Fray: Hip-Hop Dance Show

The Midway, 900 Marin St. 
Friday-Saturday, June 3-4, 7 p.m | $25+
 

Through an inventive blend of game design visuals, an original music composition, and a fusion of hip-hop and ballet, this live performance will bring the video game universe to life. FRAY forays into uncharted territory by incorporating video games into the DNA of a live dance performance and transferring the show's characters and storylines to a playable game. For gamers and non-gamers alike, the combination of live show and game creates a unique and layered discovery experience. Attendees can play the FRAY stand-alone video game, which puts parts of the show in the audience's control to explore before and after the performance.  

The show/game explores the story of two brothers—Tullio and Ziya—who have a strong bond and a love for video games. The siblings enter a contest to make their own video game, which is based on their own lives. As they face bullies and inner demons in real life, it's clear that they have the same superpower. But real life isn't a game, and dark forces are trying to pull them apart. (MM)

Saturday, June 4

Juice

Brick & Mortar, 1710 Mission St.
8 p.m. | $18

Strokes-y guitar-driven power pop. Frank Ocean-esque PBR&B. Alternative hip-hop vibes a la Twenty One Pilots. It’s not a Spotify playlist. East Coast sextet Juice combine all these elements—plus electric violin—into a somehow-cohesive, singular package. The Brooklyn-based band is currently touring behind Boy Story, their 2021 self-released LP. Los Angeles electronic duo PRXZM and Columbus, Ohio, indie pop outfit Clubhouse open the show. (NV)

HUSHfest Ocean Beach: A Ukraine Benefit

Kelly's Cove, Ocean Beach, Great Highway @ Balboa
12 p.m. | $38.50

The original creators of the Bay Area Silent Disco, HUSH Concerts have put on their signature events in the past at Outside Lands, BottleRock and their uniquely spirited minifest on Ocean Beach. After Covid and seasonal wildfires cancel previous years, HUSHFest returns in conjunction with the emergency relief efforts of MriyaAid.org. Inspired by the ethos of benefit concerts like LIVE Aid and USA For Africa, Saturday’s lineup features Oakland’s funky electronic polymorph The Polish Ambassador, leisure suit disco vibes from Luxxury, SF staple DJ Dials and more. 100% of the event's profit after expenses will be donated to direct nonlethal aid to Ukrainians. 

Dance to three different channels of music on HUSH’s brand new hi-fi “HUSHGlow” headphones, as performers spin up sets from an art car stage on the beach. There will be food trucks and dogs are welcome—as are coolers, blankets, umbrellas, and of course, dancing shoes. Kids 12 and under are free. The party runs until 7 p.m. (AS)

Black Food at Booker T. with Chef Bryant Terry

Booker T. Washington Community Service Center, 800 Presidio Ave. 
Saturday, June 4, 5:30 p.m - 8:30 p.m | Free

Shakirah Simley, Executive Director of the Booker T. Washington Community Service Center, has teamed up with Chef Bryant Terry and other local Black chefs, farmers and producers for an evening of Black joy and justice. The evening event—one of many Juneteenth-oriented activities in the city this month—begins with a rooftop reception, followed by a panel discussion moderated by Simley, and featuring special guests Rahanna Bisseret Martinez, a Top Chef Junior finalist and prodigy, and Pastor Joseph Bryant of Calvary Hill Community Church. (MM)

Sunday, June 5

Flamenco Intimo

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission St.
6 p.m. | $55+

The award-winning Venezuelan flamenco star Siudy Garrido returns to the Bay Area with her company to present “Flamenco Intimo,” the dancer/choreographer’s first California show since performing at the Hollywood Bowl in 2019 with Gustavo Dudamel. In addition to Garrido’s five dancers, “Flamenco Intimo” features three powerhouse vocalists (Ismael Fernandez, David el Galli, and Manuel Gago), flutist Juan Parrilla, percussionist Adolfo Herrera, and guitarist Jose Luis de La Paz. De La Paz is also a renowned Spanish composer, and he wrote the score for the evening-length flamenco suite, which combines Garrido’s love of traditional flamenco forms with her abiding interest in torso-centric modern dance. (AG)

Save The Date: The Week Ahead

Awaken: An Evening with the Curtis Family

The Standard Salon, 2505 Mariposa
Thursday, June 9, 6 p.m. | Free

It’s been one year since the Bayview District’s own Curtis Family C-Notes performed on America’s Got Talent, gaining national recognition. Now, they’re celebrating in a major way with the official release of their new album, Awaken. The Curtises celebrate their milestone at next Thursday’s Standard Salon. Join us for a free evening of music, art and community. We’ll have food, drinks, a silent art auction, and, of course, a live performance by the C-Notes. Proceeds go toward expenses for their upcoming tour. (MM)

Yoshi Kato, Adrian Spinelli, Meaghan Mitchell, Andrew Gilbert, Nick Veronin and Bill Kopp contributed additional reporting for this story.