4th of July Dockside Fireworks Viewing

Watch the San Francisco fireworks show from the deck of the historic WWII ship the S.S. Jeremiah O’Brien

Friday, July 4th 8:30pm - $10 door

The historic World War II Liberty ship the S.S. Jeremiah O’Brien hosts a dockside 2008 fireworks display. Get one of the best viewing angles and watch the 4th of July 2008 SF Fireworks from the deck for $10 per person (includes complimentary hot chocolate, coffee and tea) This ship is docked just behind Fisherman’s Wharf and will probably be one of the best places to view the fireworks show. Tickets are not available in advance and can be purchased only at the S.S. Jeremiah O’Brien box office on July 4 on a first come first served basis.

S.S. Jeremiah O’Brien - Pier 45 - Fisherman’s Wharf

(Muni: Cable Car, F, 9x, 10, 30, 45, 47, 49) - The latest Muni re-routes and updates for 4th of July

Mechanicrawl 2008

A “pub crawl” of museums and mechanical wonders along San Francisco’s northern shore

Saturday, July 12th 3p-8p - $15 adv / door, Students $11

Spend a summer day exploring the mechanical marvels along San Francisco’s northern shore (i.e. Fisherman’s Wharf to the Marina District) . See giant running steam engines, turn of the century automata, mechanical computers, an 8 foot high mechanical planetarium and more. You’ll be able to map your own route for the event and spend as much time at each location as you’d like and see several amazing machines that are usually not available to the public.

See the giant running steam engine aboard the SS Jeremiah O’Brien, one of the most complex mechanical computers ever built, The Torpedo Data Computer aboard the USS Pampanito Submarine, turn-of-the-century automata, over 200 coin operated machines and video games at the Musee Mecanique, the Orrey, Solar Synchronizer and new Walking Bearing at The Long Now Museum and Store, special films and exhibits at the Exploratorium and more.

The hope is to re-tie Bay Area residents to some of the coolest stuff that we have here in SF that they generally never see because it is in or around Fisherman’s Wharf.

The Long Now Museum - Fort Mason Center, Bldg A

(Muni: 10, 22, 28, 30, 47, 49, 82x)

MAKE Magazine - Volume 14 : Optics

Over 190 pages of step-by-step DIY tips for tweaking and hacking anything you own

Subscribe: Four Quarterly Issues: 42% off cover price - $34.95

MAKE Magazine brings the do-it-yourself mindset to all the technology in your life. MAKE is loaded with exciting projects that help you make the most of your technology at home and away from home. We celebrate your right to tweak, hack, and bend any technology to your own will.

The most recent edition, Volume 14, has a special section on optics. You’ll learn how to make an inexpensive but powerful digital microscope that will allow you to display bacteria colonies on a video monitor, a vintage-looking opaque projector that can display artwork from books onto a wall, a model of a crazy-angled room that makes things appear to change size, and a cool kaleidoscope. Also in the issue, we’ll show you how to build the following: a mesmerizing taffy pulling machine, a remote control dune buggy with a built in video camera, a dollar-store parabolic microphone, and many more fun and fascinating projects.

“Now we’ve got geek DIY (do it yourself) porn” - Newsweek

Matcha: Sound of the Sages

Asian Art Museum evening opening with unique ancient Chinese musical performance

Thursday, July 3rd, 5p-9p - $5

The “guqin” is the most revered of Chinese instruments and China’s oldest stringed instrument, with a history of some 3000 years. It became part of a tradition cultivated by the Chinese scholars and literati, and an instrument associated with philosophers, sages, and emperors. Renowned guqin performer and scholar Wang Fei guides us on a special musical journey, introducing Chinese culture and bringing to life the sound of the sages. Performing guqin masterpieces from different dynasties, she will also share the legends and folktales behind the music and intimate her own commentary and insights to bring these ancient works to present day.

Elsewhere in the museum, try your hand at brush painting, chat with a docent about the museum’s special exhibition Power & Glory: Court Arts of China’s Ming Dynasty, explore the scholarly arts of China in the galleries, or simply enjoy a drink with friends.
About Matcha: The first Thursday of every month from June through November brings discounted evening admission to the Asian Art Museum, along with a unique artists and performances, prizes & raffles and a cash bar.

Asian Art Museum - 200 Larkin St. (btwn Fulton & McAllister) - Civic Center

(BART & Metro: Civic Center) (Muni: 5, 6, 7, 19, 21, 47, 49, 66, 71)

The Jim Campilongo Electric Trio

Innovative guitar instrumentalist with great reviews by Billboard, USA Today and Guitar Player Magazine

Monday, July 7th, 8p - $15 adv / door

With seven albums of original material and guest appearances on dozens of recordings; from the Bammie-winner’s contribution on Cake’s million-selling “Prolonging the Magic” to (most recently) doing lead guitar duties with Martha Wainwright and Teddy Thompson and The Little Willies, his band with Norah Jones, Jim Campilongo’s virtuosity and originality has inspired a generation of guitar players. His songwriting uses a palette of the best in Blues, Country, Jazz and Rock with a sensitivity and wit that has also earned him the broad fan base most instrumental guitarist never enjoy. Tonight he’ll be performing as a trio with Stephan Crump and Tony Mason. [myspace]

“An American treasure” - Billboard Magazine

Also: The Scott Amendola Band featuring Nels Cline (Wilco) and Jeff Parker (Tortoise)

Cafe Du Nord - 2170 Market (btwn Church and Sanchez) - Upper Market / Castro

(Metro: F, J, K, L, M, N - Church St. Station) (Muni: 22, 24, 37)

The W. Kamau Bell Curve: Ending Racism in About an Hour

SF Weekly’s Best Comedian; solo comedy show by 1/2 of Live 105s “Siskel & Negro”.

Thursday, July 3rd, 8pm - $25 adv/door

The W. Kamau Bell Curve is a one-man show which has played to sold out houses in SF and Berkeley trying to made a concerted effort to end racism (in about an hour) The show combines W. Kamau Bell’s (Comedy Central, Live 105’s “Siskel and Negro”) personal anecdotes from Bell’s childhood and wry observations and puts them into focus. Bell was recently named Best Comedian by the SF Weekly Bring a friend that’s a different race than you and get 2 for 1 tickets.

“Smart, stylish, and very much in the mold of politically outspoken comedians like Dave Chappelle and Margaret Cho.” - SF Weekly
Shelton Theater - 533 Sutter (near Powell) - Union Square

(Muni: Cable Car, 1, 2, 3, 4, 9x, 30, 31, 45, 38, 76)

American Joe

Touching solo performance of a woman whose brother is being shipped to Afghanistan

Thursday July 3rd, Saturday July 5th, 8pm - $15-$22 adv/door Discount: use discount code “boots” to get $10 tickets

Come and celebrate the troops the San Francisco way with a show that is wrenching, funny, endearing, maddening, and deeply moving. Liza Raynal tells the story of her brother “American Joe.” Sister. Brother. She’s older. He always wanted to be first. She wears ballet flats. He wears steel-toed boots. They’re both exercising their rights. His Second Amendment. Her First. She’s an English teacher. He’s an Army recon sniper. Joe’s heading to Afghanistan. Liza’s coming to the Marsh to tell her side of the story.
The Marsh Theater - 1062 Valencia Street (btwn 21st and 22nd) - Mission District

(BART: 24th Street) (Muni: 14, 26, 49, 67)

Bad Movie Night: Godzilla

The crappy American remake from 1998, skewed by three unrelenting comedians with microphones.

Sunday, July 6th, 8pm - $5 door

Normally you go to the movies to see a great, flick right? Turn that on it’s head, throw in a couple of wisecracking hosts and some free popcorn and you’ve got the Dark Room’s “Bad Movie Night.” Every Sunday, the Dark Room picks an awful film and has three comedians with microphones pointing out just how terrible the film is… in the tradition of Mystery Science Theater 3000, except you can’t tell which ones are the robots.

July 6th features the terrible American remake from 1998 of Godzilla staring Matthew Broderick, a giant mutant lizard and lots and lots of rain. One of the biggest flops of the ’90s.

The Dark Room - 2263 Mission Street (@ 19th Street btwn the pawn shop & the laundromat) - Mission District

(BART: 16th St.) (Muni: 14, 22, 26, 33, 49)