Friday, November 30, 2012
Weekender: This Weekend's Top Five Events
Fri, Nov 30, 2012 at 9:45 AM
Sure it's raining, sure that sucks, but think of it as a way to have more life moments like these:
(Sources say "inclement weather turns people on"—I say run with it!) In any case, here are five things you can do with yourself this weekend, frisky and otherwise:
Get Freaky
Fans of digital-heavy electronic music — often classified as "glitch" for its beats laden with error noises such as skipping, scratching, and hissing — should head to Get Freaky to hear Canadian duo Knight Riderz and local favorites the DirtyBird crew. Knight Riderz mixes glitch with instrumental hip-hop in mid-tempo tracks that build with kick drums and wobbly, low-frequently bass. Expect a diverse set of remixes — Knight Riderz has given the low-end treatment to everyone from hip-hop duo King Fantastic to Radiohead. San Francisco-based label DirtyBird fills its own room with its DJs Christian Martin, Worthy, Ardalan, and Nick Monaco, regulars at the infamous DirtyBird barbecues in Golden Gate Park that have been going strong for a decade. DirtyBird's sound takes the minimal techno that originated in Detroit and the UK and bumps up the booty-shaking with thumping bass lines, bounce, and breakbeat; unlike dubstep's trance builds and big drops, these beats stay consistent and danceable. Ambient, sonically cinematic producer Bluetech headlines Get Freaky at 1015 Folsom on Friday, Nov. 30. 10 p.m., $15, $20. — Whitney Phaneuf
- Allesandra Mello
The White Snake
Mary Zimmerman’s The White Snake is a visually stunning adaptation of an ancient Chinese fable. In this world premiere Berkeley Rep production, the visionary director once again demonstrates the magic of low-tech. The play uses artful puppetry and minimalist impressionistic design flourishes to tell the tale of a snake from the spirit world who transforms herself into a woman to join the mortals on Earth and seduce a trusting man. Zimmerman has made a career of revamping classics, reinventing myths and fables in surprising ways that remind us of their relevance. The White Snake reconsiders the specter of a snake as a symbol of sorcery and temptation and of the battle between good and evil. The play may not be as narratively engaging as Zimmerman’s other works (Metamorphosis Argonautika or The Arabian Nights), but it a striking spectacle of stage design and performance art. Through December 23 at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. $35-$93. —Erika Milvy
Thirty Years Under the Influence
Jörg Rupf at St. George Spirits has changed the way we all drink. Coming to America during the "white wine spritzer world" of the 1980s, Rupf started St. George with one goal in mind — to make spirits that actually tasted like what they came from. Now, thirty years later, his craft distillery has not only expanded to produce single malt whiskeys, gins, and absinthe, it's also sparked a thriving industry of artisinal spirits. This Friday, come celebrate St. George's thirty year anniversary with a night of cocktails at their famous World War II-era airplane hanger in Alameda, and make sure to stare, glassy-eyed, at their giant shark statue. 7—10 p.m., $75. Ages 21 and up. St. George Spirits/Hangar One Vodka. StGeorges30th.EventBrite.com— Azeen Ghorayshi
XXX: Peculiar Stag Films 1935-1979
As it turns out, sex has been sexy for all of time. On Saturday, Dec. 1, take a trip through the modern age of erotic art at Studio Quercus, which is opening its vault of historic films to the public to show selected snippets of erotica made between 1935 and 1979. The movie night will complement the studio’s current art exhibit, “The Nude 2012”, and will feature characteristic films from each decade — teasing black-and-whites from the Thirties and Forties, instructive footage for mechanical auto-erotic apparatus from the Fifties, and flashy Seventies classics. All will be revealed, so the event is not for the faint of heart. Ages eighteen and up. 8 p.m., $10. — A.G.
Oakland Children's Holiday Parade
Take a kid’s baseline level of excitement about parades, jack it up another notch, and you’ve got the America’s Children’s Holiday Parade, happening this Saturday, Dec. 1 in Downtown Oakland. The parade will feature a veritable who’s who of cartoon and storybook favorites — from Clifford to Wild Thing to Strawberry Shortcake — as well as giant balloons of timeless holiday stars — including Rudolph, the Gingerbread Man, and Magnificent the Snowman. Musical accompaniment for all that walking includes an impressive list of local high school marching bands, as well as performances by Radio Disney star Amber Lily, pop singer Emme, and the Bieber-esque Jeremy Thurber. Come early — according to the Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, over 100,000 people are expected to attend. 2 p.m., free. Americas-Holiday-Parade.com — A.G.
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