Conversation
Isabel Allende
Chilean-American author (and local) Isabel Allende takes the hot seat at the Jewish Community Center to talk about her latest novel, Ripper, about a serial killer in San Francisco.
When: 7 p.m., Wed. 2/5
Where: Jewish Community Center, 3200 California St.
Comedy
Sketchfest: Ask Me Another + Princess
This Wednesday, NPR hosts its mashup of Jeopardy + SNL for an hour of puzzles, word games, and trivia starring Community's Danny Pudi, Mythbusters' Adam Savage, and NYT tech columnist Farhad Manjoo. On Sunday, Maya Rudolph and Gretchen Lieberum go under the cover of Princess for a whole night of Prince covers. This hot ticket is sold-out, but check Craigslist feverishly for cancellations. 7x7's full low-down on Sketchfest events is here.
When: 8 p.m., Wed. 2/5 and 8 p.m., Sun. 2/9
Where: Castro Theatre, 429 Castro St. and Mezzanine, 444 Jessie St.
Art
"Code Switch"
Artist Simone Leigh's work—which explores black female subjectivity via sculpture, video, and installation—has been featured in The New Yorker, Ebony, and The New York Times. And it's conceptual pieces like her South Side—an eerily ornamented bust of terra-cotta, porcelain, gold, India ink, epoxy, and steel—that keep turning heads. See her at Gallery Wendi Norris now before her first solo exhibition at the Atlanta Contemporary Arts Center opens later this year.
When: Thurs. 2/6–Sat. 3/29
Where: Gallery Wendi Norris, 161 Jessie St.
Drink
SF Beer Week
Let this year's festivities begin. For the low-down on what not to miss, check out our blog here. And for those of you who couldn't possibly do it all in one week, Magnolia will be serving up strong beer all month. Cheers!
When: Fri. 2/7–Sun. 2/16
Where: Various venues
Workshop
Slow by Design: Fashion
The Headlands' series of weekend workshops continues, this time with a focus on fashion. The context is artisanal, sustainable design, with a focus on up-cycling and "farm to boutique." Learn about native dyeing techniques with Sasha Duerr of Permacouture, attend and offsite visit with Small Trade Company's Matt Dick, and hear about technology's impact on slow design with Little Paper Plane's Kelly Lynn.
When: Fri. 2/7–Sun. 2/9
Where: Headlands Center for the Arts, 944 Simmonds Rd., Sausalito
Music
Lucius
Brooklyn indie pop quintet Lucius has been racking up the praise (Rolling Stone, NPR, The New York Times) since their electric performance at Wilco's Sold Sound Festival in the Berkshires in June 2013. Their album, Wildewoman, dropped this past fall. Here's your chance to see what the fuss is about.
When: 9 p.m., Fri. 2/7
Where: The Independent, 628 Divisadero St.
Dance
Awáa
San Francisco Performances introduces Aszure Barton & Artists to the Bay Area with a performance of Awáa. Canadian-born choreographer Aszure Barton may not be a household name just yet, but she's got quite the pedigree, having worked with Mikhail Baryshnikov, the Bolshoi Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Martha Graham Dance Company, and more. This high-energy work for seven dancers combines live performance with video and original musical score. .
When: 7:30 p.m., Fri. 2/7–Sat. 2/8
Where: YBCA's Lam Research Center, 700 Howard St.
Performance
RuPaul's Drag Race: Battle of the Seasons
The drag wagon rolls into SF on Sunday with superstars and contestants from five years of the hit show RuPaul's Drag Race. Look for Alaska, Carmen Carrera, Detox, Ivy Winters, and more.
When: 9 p.m., Sun. 2/9
Where: The Regency Ballroom, 1290 Sutter St.
