San Francisco’s Fall Chocolate Festival

Fall 2010 Luxury Chocolate Salon

Sample from over 30 chocolatiers, confectioners, wineries and other culinary artisans

Sunday, November 14 – 10am-5pm ($20)

Chocolate aficionados, fanatics, lovers and addicts can taste & experience the finest in artisan, gourmet & premium chocolate in one of the world’s great culinary regions. The Fall Luxury Chocolate Salon participants include over 30 chocolatiers, confectioners, wineries and other culinary artisans. An intimate setting, the Fall Chocolate Salon is the perfect place to find the perfect gift, while tasting and savoring the chocolate lovers experience

Salon highlights include chocolate tasting, chef & author talks, wine tasting and ongoing interviews by TasteTV’s Chocolate Television program. (Salon Entry includes all chocolate & confection tastings, demos, etc.).

Fort Mason Center – 38 Fort Mason, San Francisco, CA 94123

Litquake’s Mark Twain Ball

First-ever celebration of America’s best-loved humorist

Thursday, November 4 – 7pm ($20)

Litquake, Bancroft Library, UC Press, and California Historical Society join forces to present the first-ever Mark Twain Ball, a celebration of the publication of the brand-new Autobiography of Mark Twain. Forbidden-to-be-published until 100 years after his death.

Features and Highlights of the Ball
– Actors from A.C.T. reading from Twain’s autobiography as Twain himself
– Period music and entertainment with Joshua Raoul Brody and Zaccho Dance Theatre
– Specialty “period” cocktails featuring Blue Angel Vodka
– Costumes and mustaches encouraged
– “Tweet-like-Twain” contest

Herbst Theatre – 401 Van Ness Ave SF
Metro Civic Center Station/Downtn (0.3 mi) F, J, K, L, M, N, S, T… 6, 9

Remembering Kazuo Ohno: Beauty & Strength

Butoh film night at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts

Thursday, November 4 – 7:30pm ($8)

This comprehensive overview of legendary butoh performer Kazuo Ohno’s career is a good place to begin. It includes performances, film excerpts and interviews, examples of his drawings and writings, and biographical information. It allows us to discover many things not seen on stage – original footage of old performances and behind–the–scene looks into workshops and rehearsals.

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts – 701 Mission Street (@ 3rd Street), San Francisco – SOMA
(BART: Montgomery Street)

Holly’s Comedy Club: Grand Opening with David Crowe

Opening weekend of a new late-night comedy club next to the Van Ness 1000

Friday, November 5 – 8pm ($20)

San Francisco gets a brand new comedy club as “Holly’s” opens in the historic Done Lee building at 1000 Van Ness A comedy club, bar and restaurant that will be open six nights a week for laughter in all forms, Holly’s is the long-time manifestation of former actress and proprietor Holly Horn.

Internationally-known comedian David Crowe is Holly’s first headlining performer, taking to the stage Thursday (8 p.m.), Friday and Saturday nights (8 and 10:30 p.m.), November 4, 5 and 6. Win a pair of tickets to Friday night’s 8pm showing. Like most comedy clubs there is a two item minimum (even for our winners)

Holly’s – 1000 Van Ness Ave. SF

The Rumpus

Author Stephen Elliot gathers his favorite authors & musicians for a night of literature and music

Monday, November 8 – 7pm ($10)

Stephen Elliott, author of seven books, including the memoir The Adderall Diaries, hosts his dirty and eclectic monthly literature night “The Rumpus” at The Make Out Room. Readers and musings from Andrew Winer, M.G. Martin, Pam Houston, Chris Colin, and Kristen Tracy, Comedy by Emily Heller! , Music by Boy in the Bubble and Chris Von Sneidern, Food from The Girl From Empanada. Also chances to win great prizes in the monthly porn raffle!

Make-Out Room – 3225 22nd Street (@ Mission St.) – Mission District
(BART: 24th St.) (Muni: 12, 14, 27, 49)

KUSF Presents: Tim Kasher (of Cursive)

Debut solo tour with moody orchestral pop

Tuesday, November 9 – 9:30pm ($12 adv/ $14 door 21+)

Late last fall Tim Kasher went north for the winter after nearly a year of touring in support of Cursive’s 2009 release Mama, I’m Swollen. Leaving sunny Los Angeles, it was in the frosty valley of Whitefish, MT – nestled next to Big Mountain and Glacier National Park – that he set about writing and recording his debut solo album, The Game Of Monogamy. The theatrical arrangements and lush instrumentation of the album’s moody orchestral pop evoke a 1950s, pre-sexual revolution atmosphere, and set the stage for a dilemma that remains thoroughly modern.

Café 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)

Lennypalooza: 9 Bands for $10

The retro rock of The Bye Bye Blackbirds, The Parties and more at this important benefit concert

Sunday, November 7 – 2pm to 8pm ($10-$20 donation)

As a benefit to help pay for the medical bills of Bye Bye Blackbirds drummer Lenny Gill (who battled both Hodgkin’s Disease and MRSA), come attend “Lennypalooza” – a full afternoon concert of several of our favorite local bands. This all day bash (2:30p to 7:30p) features nine live acts including the jangle pop of The Bye Bye Blackbirds, the retro 60s rock of The Parties, and the tender pop noodlings of Pancho-san featuring Patrick Avernethy formerly of Beulah and Rogue Wave. A worthy lineup for $10 on any day, but as a benefit this is all the more urgent

>> Full lineup and event details here

The Starry Plough – 3101 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, CA
BART: Ashby

RubberSideDown

CD Release party by Gibson-wielding classic rockers

Sunday, November 7 – 8pm ($10, 21+)

San Francisco’s RubberSideDown releases their 5th album, Candy & Knives. They have had many songs on primetime network TV shows and film soundtracks, including The Unit, Reaper, CSI:NY, Pineapple Express, Jericho, Beautiful People, Dawson’s Creek, Joan of Arcadia, Roswell, & Felicity. RubberSideDown’s sound is ’70s hard rock, most often compared to Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones and Velvet Revolver.

Also playing: Dead Neck and Burn River Burn

Café 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)

Marilyn Pittman’s “It’s All The Rage”

Comp tickets to opening weekend of a brand new play

Saturday or Sunday, November 6th or 7th ($20)

The Marsh offers complimentary tickets to funcheap readers for the first weekend of Marilyn Pittman’s “It’s All The Rage”, premiering at The Marsh San Francisco on November 6, 2010.

A limited number of comps are available for the shows on Sat, 11/6 at 8:30pm and on Sun, 11/7 at 7pm. Email kinga@themarsh.org with your name, number of people in your party and your preferred date.

“It’s All The Rage”, at once murder mystery and survival tale through the lens of a stand-up comic, is both uproariously funny and heartbreakingly sad. Marilyn Pittman was one of the first openly gay comics in the city during the AIDS crisis, winning a G.L.A.A.D. Media Award for her courage.

The Marsh Theater – 1062 Valencia Street (btwn 21st and 22nd) – Mission Dist.
(BART: 24th Street