Ron Funches knows there’s something wrong with America. His proof? English reality television.
“If a competitor on The Great British Baking Show finishes early, do you know what they do?” he asks the crowd during his 2019 Comedy Centra Stand-Up special. “They go and help… the other competitors.”
The comedian—who performs at Cobb’s this Sunday—notes that on the American spinoff, contestants do things a bit differently. “You gotta set somebody on fire.”
Funches’ set is just one of many live performances in San Francisco and the East Bay this weekend. Keep reading to learn more about Planet Booty’s Oakland residency at The Elbo Room; SFDanceworks’ season five debut, Xiu Xiu’s concert at The Chapel and The Shin’s headlining stop at The Warfield.
Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Save The Date
Thursday, July 7
The Elbo Room, Jack London Square, Oakland
8 p.m. | $15 - $50
San Francisco’s ambitiously instrumental and flamboyantly funky glam pop band Planet Booty have been a concert thrill for over a decade in the Bay Area. It’s hard to believe they’re only now embarking on their first venue residency.
Beginning this Thursday, they’ll be bringing a healthy dose of ass, brass and sass to Oakland’s Elbo Room in Jack London Square. Released last year, Planet Booty’s fourth album, YES, is yet another celebration of body positivity. The same goes for the upcoming residency, appropriately dubbed “Booty Camp.”
Each week promises a different and diverse supporting performance. The residency begins with a Planet Rump DJ set this week. Next week’s special guest is Chaki The Funk Wizard. That’s followed by Secret Sidewalk. And the whole thing culminates in a “drag king” show on Thursday, July 28. (AS)
Great American Music Hall, 859 O'Farrell St.
8 p.m. | $27
After getting off to a promising start in 1992 with their debut album, Comfort, Los Angeles rock trio Failure only seemed to improve with each release. The post-grunge band arguably peaked with their third album, 1996’s Fantastic Planet. Unfortunately, Failure fell apart right as the album finally hit shelves. More than 15 years passed before the group—now clean and sober—got back together. Looking toward a more prolific and creative future, Failure released four EPs in 2018, followed by 2021’s well-received full-length, Wild Type Droid. (BK)
Friday, July 8
Union Square, 333 Post St.
6:30 p.m. | Free
It’s the 23rd century and humanity is, once again, in deep trouble. An alien probe is poised to destroy the entire human race. Our only hope? The long-extinct humpback whale. Sundown Cinema invites you to take a trip back in time with Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986). Starring William Shatner (Captain James Kirk) and directed by co-star Leonard Nimoy (Spock), this movie follows the fugitive crew of the USS Enterprise as they respond to a distress call from this very city, San Francisco. This free screening begins just after sunset—at about 8:30 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. (XL)
3153 17th St.
Various Times | $24+
For SFDanceworks fifth season, this “local treasure” of a dance troupe assembles a robust lineup of internationally-renowned choreographers and world-class dancers while also reviving an original Martha Graham solo from the master of American modern dance’s archives. Bay Area audiences are in for a taste of Eastern Europe and Scandinavia with the West Coast debut of a selection of dance works by Slovenia-based choreographer Edward Clug for Nederland Dans Theater. Choreographer and founder of YY Dance Company Yin Yue’s fusion of Chinese folk and contemporary dance will be highlighted in the West Coast premiere of Just Above the Surface. And dance history aficionados may enjoy SFDanceworks’ revival of Martha Graham’s 1937 solo Deep Song, a response to the Spanish Civil War with piano music by composer Henry Cowell. The program runs through July 10. (CJC)
Saturday, July 9
Heron Arts, 7 Heron St.
4 p.m. | Free
Heron Arts has always pushed the envelope by showcasing avant garde creators working in unique disciplines and experimenting with various technologies. The SoMa space’s upcoming exhibit, “Paper Show,” features 14 artists, all of whom work exclusively with paper. Through the use of laser cuts, mobiles and even pińatas, this group aims to build visual narratives about how we consume and create. Saturday’s opening night reception is free to the public. To make a viewing appointment and read more about the individual artists in the show, visit the Heron Arts website. (AS)
Joy Gallery, 4921 3rd St.
1 p.m. | Free
From hip-hop to punk, rock & roll to R&B, this show explores the Bay Area’s live music scene through the lenses of 16 photographers. “Show! Two: A Modern Exhibit of Bay Area Live Music Photography” covers the Joy Gallery, floor-to-ceiling with candid shots of Kiss, Flavor Flav, Sid Vicious, Patti Smith, The Misfits, Machine Gun Kelly and Lizzo—to name a bunch—and there will be a lot more. Joy Gallery is a pop-up thrift store run by local fashionista Heather Rosner with assistance from her friend, Allen Schlung. It also houses a stunning art gallery and regularly hosts entertaining barbeque parties, known as "Sunday Garden Juke Joints." (MM)
The Chapel, 777 Valencia St.
9 p.m. | $22
Originally formed in San Jose, this Los Angeles experimental outfit explores the sonic spectrum—from abrasive, atonal textures to inviting and almost (but not quite) pop. The core duo of Jamie Stewart and Angela Seo work with a revolving-door cast of collaborators while drawing from avant garde, world and mainstream sources for inspiration. The results rarely sound like anyone else. Equal parts challenging and emotionally resonant, Xiu Xiu is always intriguing. Evicshen opens the show. (BK)
El Rio SF, 3185 Mission St.
3 p.m. | $20
From the 8-track to the CD, the mini-disc to the iPod, SiriusXM to Apple CarPlay: Terrestrial radio has had gone head-to-head with many formidable opponents. Though it has survived, today’s mainstream FM stations may just be their own worst enemies. Weighed down by ads and playing the same, predictable playlist on shuffle, radio has lost the spontaneity it used to have back when real live humans curated the listening experience.
Psyched! Radio is going against the grain by reviving this lost art form. The “truly diverse” nonprofit internet radio station has gained a following by uplifting a diverse selection of local artists. Now they are celebrating their first anniversary at El Rio on Saturday.
The party will feature performances from Telepathic Children and Trash Vampires as well as appearances by local drag artists, including La Chucha and PerSia. Psyched! Radio invites you to hang out on the El Rio outdoor patio and take some pictures with friends in the photobooth in celebration of one year of “truly diverse radio.” (XL)
Sunday, July 10
Marina Theater, 2149 Chestnut St.
2 p.m. | $15
Revered across the industry for his devotion to traditional hashmaking techniques, Frenchy Cannoli’s name will forever be synonymous with his signature temple ball hash. That achievement was part of a larger legacy—one tragically cut short when Cannoli died at the age of 64 last year. To celebrate her late husband’s life, Kimberly Hooks has produced a documentary, Frenchy Dreams of Hashish, that profiles Cannoli’s devotion to hashmaking. It also details her late husband’s fervent belief in the need to create cannabis appellation (ala wine country) to protect small farmers. To that end, the film’s premiere will double as a benefit to support the newly established Frenchy Cannoli Foundation, with 20% of proceeds from all screenings going to the Origins Council: “a nonprofit advocacy association that serves 900 licensed small and independent cannabis businesses in six legacy-producing counties throughout California.” Stick around for a post-screening Q&A with Hooks and a few of the farmers featured in the film. (ZR)
Incline Gallery, 766 Valencia St.
Free
Adrian Clutario’s upcoming gallery show “Dahil Sa Iyo” uses color and texture to vivify real-life experience. As a queer Filipino-American (Fil-Am) growing up Catholic in the San Fernando Valley, Clutario has a uniquely visual story to tell. A silvery outline of Jesus Christ appears seated and shimmering at “The Last Supper” before a crackling background of burning pinks, inky blacks and sparkling greens. Much like the borrowed religious iconography, the title of the gallery show is inherited from a classic Filipino love song. Written in the 1930s, “Dahil Sa Iyo” translates to “Because of You” and captures the transitory elegance and intergenerational dynamics at work in Clutario’s latest project. (BF)
Cobb's Comedy Club, 915 Columbus Ave.
7:30 p.m. | $35.00
One of the first things you notice about comedian Ron Funches is his voice. There’s a comfortable warmth and an easy familiarity in the way he speaks, which was surely a selling point to the casting directors of Trolls animated film franchise and streaming series (he voices Cooper). You can also hear him in Harley Quinn (King Shark) and Adventure Time (The Fool)—and landed a number of live action roles, too. You can find him in Get Hard, The Goldbergs and Apple TV+'s Loot. But the stage is his natural home, and the sharp insight he brings to his personal brand of observational humor has a delightful way of sneaking up on you. (YK)
Save The Date: The Week Ahead
The Warfield, 982 Market St.
Tuesday, July 12, 8 p.m. | $60
Since the group’s beginnings as a side-project to Flake Music, The Shins have always reflected the artistic vision and sensibility of James Mercer. In fact, since its 1996 founding—across five studio albums—guitarist, singer and songwriter Mercer has been The Shins’ only constant member. The group entered its most stable period prior to the release of 2017’s Heartworms; the then-new lineup that made that widely-acclaimed album remains intact to this day. Heartworms showcases the depth and breadth of the nominally indie-rock band, effortlessly moving in multiple directions all at once. (BK)