Young, energized and politically conscious, The Jamming Nachos are a hard-charging rock ‘n’ roll band straight outta Oakland. Launched as a family combo in 2011 by the siblings Rioz (vocals/guitar), Messiah (guitar/keyboards) and Rey Aceves (bass), the group took shape when they added powerhouse lead vocalist Elena Ruiz and drummer Jeremiah Cobbs. The band put […]
This children’s program repeats at 12:15–12:45pm. What’s in that box, you ask? In the hands of Ka-Hon, a gentle spring shower, a flamenco troupe, a galloping stallion and a rumba circle. Drawing on a pan-American array of rhythms, the high-energy ensemble displays the astounding versatility of the humble cajón, a simple wooden box usually played […]
This program repeats at 2:30–3:45pm and is also a repeat of the 7/2/17 program. Occupy A site-specific journey through an urban garden Directed and Choreographed by Stephan Koplowitz Original score by Pamela Z Performed by AXIS Dance Company with an integrated cast of 20 dancers Occupy is a site-specific journey inspired by the history, design […]
This program repeats at 2:30–3:45pm and twice again on 7/1/17. Occupy A site-specific journey through an urban garden Directed and Choreographed by Stephan Koplowitz Original score by Pamela Z Performed by AXIS Dance Company with an integrated cast of 20 dancers Occupy is a site-specific journey inspired by the history, design and architecture of Yerba […]
Possessing a sumptuous voice and supple sense of rhythm, Santa Cruz-reared, Brooklyn-based Eva Salina is a groundbreaking interpreter of Balkan Romani songs. Mentored by some of the greatest living Balkan musicians, she’s attained a deeply informed and passionately felt repertoire of Romani tunes and vintage Balkan pop songs. Last year she released the breakthrough Lema […]
This children’s program repeats at 12:15–12:45pm. Using finger snaps, tight slaps, chest thumps, foot drags, hand rubs and percussive dance steps, Crosspulse performances are designed to enchant children with an international array of rhythms, instruments and obscure musical practices. With five extraordinary artists versed in body percussion and a diverse array of traditions, the ensemble […]
This performance repeats on 7/8/17 and on 7/9/17. Theatre Rhinoceros may be the world’s longest running professional queer theater company. Lear! is Shakespeare’s King Lear within the various locales in the park serving as the playing area. Shakespeare’s play is reduced to ninety minutes and traverses the plains of Yerba Buena Gardens as it tells […]
This performance repeats on 7/7/17 and on 7/9/17. Theatre Rhinoceros may be the world’s longest running professional queer theater company. Lear! is Shakespeare’s King Lear within the various locales in the park serving as the playing area. Shakespeare’s play is reduced to ninety minutes and traverses the plains of Yerba Buena Gardens as it tells […]
This performance repeats on 7/7/17 and on 7/8/17. Theatre Rhinoceros may be the world’s longest running professional queer theater company. Lear! is Shakespeare’s King Lear within the various locales in the park serving as the playing area. Shakespeare’s play is reduced to ninety minutes and traverses the plains of Yerba Buena Gardens as it tells […]
Lines and lyrics from Litquake Nation! Enjoy line breaks during your lunch break, as some of the Bay Area’s best poets and musicians share their work in the great outdoors. BRIAN KOMEI DEMPSTER’s debut book of poetry, Topaz (Four Way Books, 2013), received the 15 Bytes 2014 Book Award in Poetry. Dempster is editor of From Our […]
Vocalist Arwen Lawrence and guitarist Jorge Liceaga founded Cascada de Flores in San Francisco in 1999, and spent their early years gathering songs around Mexico, honing a verdant body of rancheras, boleros, sones and guarachas that embody Mexico’s embrace of sounds from Cuba, Puerto Rico and Colombia. Lawrence fell in love with Mexican music as […]
This children’s program repeats at 12:15–12:45pm. Joe Leon’s Caterpillar Puppets don’t just entertain kids and parents. His eccentric menagerie draws audiences of all ages into seemingly familiar stories that take unexpected turns. Like his version of the Big Bad Wolf and the Three Little Bla-bla-blas, or the shy artist mouse Amadeus who needs encouragement from […]
Oakland-based hip-hop orchestra Ensemble Mik Nawooj premieres its new immersive hip-hop oratorio, Death Become Life. Portraying a story about loss and transformation through the lens of composer/pianist JooWan Kim's magnetic score, MCs Do D.A.T. and Sandman's riveting rhymes backed by a chamber orchestra, graffiti-inspired artwork by Ernest Doty and interpretative dance by TURFinc., this is […]
The Artists Guild of San Francisco is the oldest outdoor art collective in the country. Guild artists speak directly with the public about their artwork, explaining technical details, creative decisions, and other aspects of producing a painting or sculpture.
A three-string lute plucked and strummed with a plectrum, the shamisen has played an important role in Japanese culture for some five centuries. Santa Cruz’s Kyle Abbott became obsessed with the banjo-like instrument about 13 years ago, and created Bachido, an international organization that champions the shamisen via a website, classes and annual gatherings in […]
Led by Peruvian-born vocalist and percussion master Braulio Barrera, who earned a Grammy Award for his work with the Pacific Mambo Orchestra, Somos el Son is a relatively new addition to the Bay Area Latin music scene. Launched four years ago, the potent 10-piece combo plays a dance-inducing repertoire of classic salsa and finely wrought […]
Updated 7/12/17 This day's performance location has been changed to the Esplanade at Yerba Buena Gardens, near the MLK, Jr. waterfall. This children’s program repeats at 12:15–12:45pm. Silliness is very serious business for the Pi Clowns. A company dedicated to knock-about physical comedy, these performers don’t tell jokes. They embody them with robust and […]
Global Is Local: Witness The World is a FREE event featuring some of the most amazing youth voices representing the Bay and cities from across the world. Performances include a set by Ghanaian artist Jojo Abot, Oakland's own Bells Atlas, MC Olympics Finals and a specially curated Global Is Local showcase. Global Is Local is […]
Fasten your seatbelts for another wild yet thought-provoking ride with the world-renowned San Francisco Mime Troupe. Experts at finding the absurdity in contemporary culture, the SFMT has been on the progressive frontlines since the heyday of the civil rights movement in the early 1960s. Prepare for laughter, tragedy, snappy dialogue and vivid live music. WALLS […]
Fronted by the incandescent Berkeley-raised vocalist Kimiko Joy, RUBaDUB Posse is a testament to reggae’s enduring power, celebrating songs of love, liberation, unity and justice that have inspired people across the globe. Encompassing classic tunes from the rocksteady, roots and dub eras all the way to dancehall and contemporary reggae, the RUBaDUB’z repertoire ranges from […]
Updated 7/12/17 This day's performance location has been changed to the Esplanade at Yerba Buena Gardens, near the MLK, Jr. waterfall. This children’s program repeats at 12:15–12:45pm. A beloved Bay Area institution, the Unique Derique is a prince among clowns, an internationally esteemed performer who has honed a singular blend of physical comedy and […]
The ukulele is truly the people’s instrument, and SF Uke Jam is the Bay Area’s leading force bringing fans of the diminutive instrument together. Whether you play or just enjoy hearing the ukulele being strummed by knowing fingers, come join the SFUJ community for an afternoon uke-splosion in the summer sun with a program showcasing […]
Founded by Jon Reed Sims in 1978 in response to Anita Bryant‘s anti-gay campaign in the late 1970s, the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Marching Band and Twirling Corps was the first openly-gay musical group in the world. Sims went on to create the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, the Lesbian/Gay Chorus of San Francisco, […]
Hailing from the colorful and gritty La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires, the Blue Tango Project is a groundbreaking investigation into the treacherous emotional and musical crossroads where tango and the blues embrace. A collaboration between Argentine-born Latin Grammy-nominee María Volonté and California harmonica player Kevin Carrel Footer, the duo celebrates the deep emotional kinship […]
Updated 8/2/17 This day's performance location has been changed to the Esplanade at Yerba Buena Gardens, near the MLK, Jr. waterfall. This children’s program repeats at 12:15–12:45pm. Joe Leon’s Caterpillar Puppets don’t just entertain kids and parents. His eccentric menagerie draws audiences of all ages into seemingly familiar stories that take unexpected turns. Like […]
In collaboration with Yerba Buena Gardens Festival, AfroSolo Arts Festival presents its 17th annual free concert in Yerba Buena Gardens: Lovin’ the Horns Charles Hamilton is an internationally known jazz trombonist, composer, and innovator of jazz education, one of only two jazz educators ever to receive the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts’ […]