Drama Talk & Drinks: Cirque Du Soleil’s Volta – “I was mesmerized”

I haven’t seen a Cirque Du Soleil show in about 9 years and Garrett had never seen one. So this year I knew we needed to check out Volta. So off we went to the parking lot of AT&T Park to see what was going on underneath that huge tent.

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Katie: Having only seen a Cirque Du Soleil show about insects, I enjoyed the heartfelt, darker tone and mood of Volta’s storyline. I also liked that they explored themes of how technology can be a negative distraction and it can keep us from each other.

Garrett: Having never seen a Cirque du soleil show before, I was thoroughly impressed and entertained. I was mesmerized with what was going on. I liked some of the themes they explored but there were times where the story was hard to follow and didn’t really match was was happening in a scene.

K: Yeah, agreed, but overall I thought it was beautiful. The music, lighting and costumes were so great. The show feels like a concert, but also a dance show and also an exciting athletic event with acrobats and gymnasts.

G: Yeah, the vibe was really cool. The relationship between the performers and the audience is very unique, and different from anything I’ve seen. Everyone’s very encouraging because you understand that what they are parc aquatique gonflable doing is dangerous so there is applause when someone does something cool or when someone messes up they get love from the audience. Having driven past those tents hundreds of times over the years, it’s incredible to finally see what’s going on inside, and I like it. They create such a unique environment…you forget you’re in a freaking parking lot!

 The Verdict: Cirque Du Soliel shows are all about spectacle and Volta doesn’t disappoint. Bring a date, bring the fam, this show is for everyone.

The Drama Talk: Wow. How do they do it? You forget how difficult these things are because they make it seem so easy. Tricks off trampolines, with bikes and jump ropes, through hoops and in the air, there were like 100 athletic achievements being done and it was all pieced together with a story of a young man who has lost touch with himself because he’s different. The storyline has some cool, beautiful moments, but overall it didn’t quite feel cohesive. However, the incredible performers, music, and lighting make up for it.

The Drinks: There was free champagne at this performance as well as a bar so we decided not to venture, but if we did we were going to go to the Atwater Tavern since it’s pretty much in the same parking lot.

Volta plays through February 3rd under the Big Top at AT&T Park. Tickets range from $68-$290 and can be purchased on their website. Right now there are discounted tickets available on Goldstar.

 

Drama Talk & Drinks: Shout-out

As big fans of Crowded Fire Theater we were really excited to hear about their collaboration with AXIS Dance Company, Star Finch, and Ensemble Mik Nawooj to create a new immersive multidisciplinary experience that merges “hip-hop, contemporary dance, and theater into a boundary-pushing work featuring a 12-person orchestra”. Sounds intriguing right?!

Unfortunately there are only 3 performances over parc gonflable 2 days, which means we won’t be reviewing it, but we felt strongly that a show as unique as this needed a shout-out. We definitely recommend checking it out. We will be.

Photo by Ian Davis.

Photo by Ian Davis.

WHAT:

DEATH BECOME LIFE: BANISH DARKNESS - a future vision by Crowded Fire Theater, AXIS Dance Company, Star Finch, and Ensemble Mik Nawooj

WHERE:

Bayview Opera House Ruth Williams Memorial Theatre, 4705 3rd Street, San Francisco

WHEN:

November 16, 8:00pm

November 17, 3:00pm and 8:00pm

Tickets $25: Visit www.crowdedfire.org/dbl-banish-darkness for more information and to purchase tickets.

 

What’s happening for Halloween???

1.) First there’s happy hour:

CountryReggae

STAND BY YOUR MON!
Classic Country & Classic Reggae
w/ your selectors structure gonflable DJ Dukes + DJ Nutzeffekt
ALL vinyl, ALL irie, ALL my exes live in Texas

“Jah bless America!”

RSVP and invite your friends!

2.) Then there’s cover bands:

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Everyone Is Doorsy (as The Doors)
Down Dirty Shake (as The Spice Girls)
Mayya & The Revolutionary Hell Yeah! (as Iggy Pop)
Blue Lotus and the Lagoons (premier showing)
+ DJ Neil Martinson

RSVP and invite your friends!

4.) And of course, more cover bands:

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Lucifudge
as DANZIG 12:15
Stereorehab
as STEREOLAB 11:30
Stephen & Kristin & Michael & Candice & Peter & Nicholas & Elizabeth
as BELLE & SEBASTIAN. 10:45
We have Joy
as KILLING JOKE 10:00
The Heelies
as THE FEELIEs 9:15
Bitcharge
as DISCHARGE 8:30

RSVP and invite your friends!

5.) Or you could always go to Weird Wednesday!

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This week is Polyester!

6.) Or you could see Suspiria Classic at the Roxie right before New Suspiria premieres everywhere else the following day:

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Tickets here!

What’s it gonna beeeeeee??????

Edward Snowden LIVE in the Mission!

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It’s going down at the New Mission and also features Uma and Ethan:

When former intelligence officer Edward Snowden revealed in 2013 that the NSA was seizing the private records of billions of people, he helped spark the most significant reforms to U.S. surveillance policy since 1978—and his story aire de jeux gonflable read like a science fiction novel. In a special virtual conversation, Snowden will join former WIRED editor-in-chief Katrina Heron for a discussion about technology and its potentially dystopian future.

And then everybody watches Gattaca together! Get your tix here (there’s still a lotta good seats left).

The weekend is almost here, what should we do?

Friday: Rodriguez at the Warfield

The legend returns to SF! Perhaps he’ll have a helpful take on the shitshow the world has become of late. Let’s rock out to this song and buy tickets.

Saturday: 20th Street Block Party

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The annual tradition continues! Lots of bands, food and activities — and the above handy map gives you a quick idea of the scale of this year’s party. Read on for the full lineup.

Sunday: Brunch at Foxsister

We gushed about it at length last month, but basically all you need to know is benedict benedict benedict benedict AND the best new burger in town.

Combat ICE raids, by dancing and singing tonight at El Rio

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The party is called ICE Breaker, here’s the deal:

Astounding Soul Music by Paul Costuros and Ashleyanne Krigbaum. Crowd Karaoke. Mix with Cool People Who Give a Frick, Socialize like crazy OR enjoy yourself in our Introvert Corner of Dreams. Snap the ICE raid busting info.

$5 at the door goes to SFILEN – San Francisco Immigrant Legal and Education Network who kicks ICE raid butts.

RSVP and invite your friends!

Longtime SF concertgoer remembers SF’s long lost concert venues

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Our pal Dan Strachota, longtime big cheese at Rickshaw Stop, tonight gives a talk about the rich history of SF’s bygone concert venues:

“Bring the Noise, Bring Defunct: A Personal History of SF’s Deceased Music Venues” by Dan Strachota

You’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a million times: The San Francisco hüpfburg music scene is dead! All the cool venues are getting shut down! Everything used to be so much better here! Is it all really true? Dan will attempt to answer these questions by taking a walk down memory lane, uncovering the amazing and wild music venues of the past—and finding out just what happened to them.

Dan has written about music for SF Weekly, San Francisco magazine, SPIN.com, and the East Bay Express. He’s also the talent buyer at Rickshaw Stop and Phono Del Sol.

I think he’s on on the early side, so don’t be tardy! RSVP and invite your friends!

And now, a couple personal remembrances of long lost concert venues, to whet your whistle:

BFF.fm’s New Year’s POPpin’ Eve

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This New Year’s Eve is popping off in the mission at Pops Bar, thanks to BFF.fm and pula pula inflavel Partida Tequila. We will have a giant piñata shaped like 2017 to beat with sticks as we celebrate the grand finale of this dumpster fire of a year PLUS the final day of BFF.fm’s end of year fundraiser.

DJs:

  • Mario Muse of TQID – A Smiths Night and Hotline: indie dance
  • DJ Gideon: house, techno, and disco, mixed with a healthy dose of classic cuts, deep tracks, and exotic sounds from way out.
  • Cosmic Amanda: disco, funk, and other danceable delights
  • JustStella from Radio Shoe

Hot dogs! (to fuel a night of dancing and drinking)

Shots at midnight!

Donate to BFF.fm today!

Check out this week’s full entertainment line up at Pops Bar:

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Mission Mission 10th Anniversary Party!!!!!!!!!!

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Here’s the official invite:

Can u even believe it’s been 10 years????

MISSION MISSION 10th ANNIVERSARY PARTY!!!
• It’s at Rock Bar mostly because 90% of our former editors and contributors live in Bernal now!
• Special guest DJ Jay Beaman!
• Bartender Nicky Tulipz!
• Some chicken buckets from across the street?
• Cool SURPRISES!!!
• No cover!

“Even if you’re like us and don’t read blogs anymore, it might still be fun to party on a Tuesday night with old friends” -Abraham Lincoln

RSVP and invite your friends!

Pops 80th Anniversary Bash!

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Turning 80 has never felt so good! Join us as we celebrate Pops Bar legacy in San Francisco from 1937-2017! Pops scandalous history in San Francisco begins with Carl Joseph Saxsenmeier AKA: POPS who is rumored to have been a bootlegger operating a comprar castillo hinchable baratos “clubhouse” during prohibition. The clubhouse would later become the basis for the bar when the 21st Amendment was repealed. While the bar has changed hands and locations over the years, its legacy as “Pops” in San Francisco for the past 80 years is solid. This Wednesday, Pops resident DJs celebrate all night from 6pm-2am with drink specials, bbq, Pops T-Shirts and a raffle to benefit Napa Valley Community Disaster Relief Fund. Join us, we’re looking damn fine at 80!

Check out this week’s full entertainment line up at Pops Bar:

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