Happy Friday Everyone! You've worked hard all week, and now it's time to have fun! Getting out and enjoying the beautiful Bay Area, as well as enjoying the company of friends old and new, is great for your mental health. So check out some of our favorite events from around the Bay that you can attend this weekend!
Click on any of the event titles for a link to the event.
Friday, July 9th
The Independent, San Francisco
9 PM, Ages: 21+
$30
THE INDEPENDENT'S GRAND REOPENING
CON BRIO with Secret Sidewalk
There's a moment before each Con Brio show -- before the backflips, the guitar solos, the buoyant horn lines over bass, drum and synth -- when all seven band members come in for a huddle. It's a way to say grace; an acknowledgment of live music as a team sport; a moment of stillness before they explode.
"Let's work," they say, their heads bowed together. And then they do.
Named for an Italian musical direction meaning 'with spirit,' Con Brio is a San Francisco Bay Area band that plays soul, psych-rock and R&B as fresh and freethinking as the place they call home. With charismatic singer Ziek McCarter bringing "the dance moves, splits and all, of James Brown" (KQED) and a band that "comes across like a party punk version of Sly and the Family Stone" (Consequence of Sound), Con Brio is known to convert anyone who sees their electric live show.
Founded in 2013 by veteran players with vastly different musical backgrounds*, the band quickly became a favorite up and down the West Coast, then across the U.S., and then overseas in places like Japan and the Netherlands. In 2016, Con Brio's debut LP Paradise paired uplifting dance party-starters (and some psychotropic electric guitar work from Benjamin Andrews) with powerful lyrics about inequality and the Black Lives Matter movement, instantly putting the band on the map for their earnest, inspiring, and thoroughly American ethos.
Explorer, out on July 6th, both builds on the success of Paradise and serves as a travelogue of sorts -- a reflection on the two years of nearly nonstop touring that followed their first record's success. (The band, known in the industry for their tireless work ethic, has played high-profile sets at Outside Lands, Lollapalooza, Bumbershoot, Austin City Limits, Japan's Fuji Rock, the Montreal Jazz Festival, Australia's Bluesfest Byron Bay, and the Netherlands' North Sea Jazz Festival, to name just a few.)
Having proved themselves on an international stage, Con Brio breaks new ground on Explorer, expanding beyond raw energy and retro sounds toward a more contemporary, layered production style, all delivered with road-tested confidence.
On "I Wanna" -- a lusty, mischievous ode to the art of catching a stranger's eye across a crowded club -- McCarter pours his voice, richer than ever, over a thick, irresistibly danceable rhythm from Jonathan Kirchner (bass) and Andrew Laubacher (drums). "Body Language" slows that theme to a simmer, with a nimble, lyrical horn line from Marcus Stephens (saxophone) and Brendan Liu (trumpet) front and center.
Songs like "United State of Mind" and "Royal Rage," meanwhile, reflect on America's current political moment, urging strength and perspective in the face of cynicism and apathy. Over a cheerful guitar lick from Andrews, the former track sings the praises of travel, the ways it can make the world feel bigger and smaller all at once -- and how sometimes you have to leave home to see it with fresh eyes. "Rage" is a rally cry, a call to resistance, with Laubacher's kick drum leading the march: "Feeling the world pulling apart, where is the we in who we are?" asks McCarter. "When will it end, where do we start?'
Then there's Con Brio's tendency to upend expectations: they've never been afraid of a little genre-bending. "Heart Shaped Box" began as a fun cover the band arranged on a whim on a rare day off on tour; within weeks it became one of the most exciting moments in the band's live show. On the record, it's a playful yet potent tribute, served surprisingly well by horns and a smart, slinky synth line from Patrick Glynn.
Ultimately, Explorer is a leap for Con Brio in more ways than one. It's a big record, with plenty of joy, a few growing pains, and more questions than answers. What does it mean to be an American band traveling the world in the year 2018 with a message of hope and tolerance? The record sounds, unsurprisingly, like a band on the verge.
Wherever Explorer takes them, they go with open eyes. They're ready to huddle up, take the stage, and get to work -- where they've found that, night after night, the things that divide us don't stand a chance on the dance floor.
Ferry Building, San Francisco
3 PM, All Ages
Free
Join us for weekly live music from 3:00 - 6:00 PM on the Ferry Building's Back Plaza featuring Bay Area bands and DJs all summer long! Grab your favorite Ferry Building refreshments and enjoy our outdoor dining area with picture perfect bay views.
July Schedule:
July 9th - Lo Cura
July 16th - Bay Area Jazz Mobile's BAJM Quartet featuring Omar Aran
July 23rd - BFF.fm DJ Nino Msk
July 30th - Mariachi Estellar
Saturday, July 10th
Yerba Buena Gardens, San Francisco
1 PM, All Ages
Free
Yerba Buena Gardens Festival announces a special 2021 summer season that will kickoff on Saturday, June 26 at 1pm with a free concert from Bobi Céspedes, the Bay Area's matriarch of Cuban Music. In 2020, the Festival was poised to celebrate its 20th Anniversary and, now, in 2021, the organization can properly acknowledge this landmark year by honoring the Festival's historical legacy and cultural impact in the Bay Area and beyond.
All events are free.
For over two decades, the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival has presented free outdoor music, theater, circus, dance, poetry, and children's programs with artists from the Bay Area and around the world. Yerba Buena Gardens is located between Mission Street and Howard Street and Third and Fourth Streets in downtown San Francisco. For more information, visit https://ybgfestival.org/ .
"I could not be more thrilled to announce this special Festival season of free performances and concerts this summer," says Festival Executive/Artistic Director Linda Lucero. "On behalf of the Festival staff and board, I am so excited to welcome everyone back to the beautiful Gardens to experience our region's rich cultural diversity and the immense fortitude of our local artists and performers. After a long period of isolation for many of us, Yerba Buena Gardens Festival remains a space for art and joy, welcoming people from all walks of life. There's nothing that gladdens the heart and spirit more than celebrating the performing arts together under open skies."
Additional events for September and October will be announced.
South San Francisco Conferance Center, South San Francisco
10 AM, All Ages
$5
Hype Con is a convention dedicated to the hottest items on the market under one roof! Cards, Funko Pops, Pokemon, Sneakers, Streetwear!
About this event
Come join us at Hype Con Bay Area!
Bringing all of today's hypest items under one roof! Whether you are a Hypebeast, a card collector, toy collector or a Funko collector, we got you! Buy, Sell, Trade, and Wheel and Deal. Come and hunt for your grails! Meet and network with local collectors!
Need to get cashed out on your sneakers or streetwear? No problem! We will have buyers at booths who will make an offer and cash you out. No wagons or carts are allowed on the floor. You can only bring in what you can carry.
The official Hype Con booth will be bringing you some deals and giveaways. Nothing like that feeling of coming out with a W!
It's an event you do not want to miss! See you there!
ALL SALES ARE FINAL. NO REFUNDS.
**BONUS**
Come in WINNING!
All tickets purchased through Eventbrite will receive an entry in raffle giveaways. Winners will be announced on Facebook and Instagram. Winners will be notified via email (the one you gave Eventbrite) and prize MUST be redeemed at the official Hype Con booth. ID will be required.
Prizes:
- 10 Inch Michael Jordan Funko Pop
- Panini 20-21 Certified NBA Tmall Exclusive Box
- Medicom BE@RBRICK My Hero Academia 400%/100% All Might
- (2) San Francisco 49ers Tickets (Opening Day vs. Packers)
Saturday July 10, 2021
10AM-11AM - VIP's only
11AM-6PM - General Admission
Follow us on our social media for up to date news:
FB: /HypeConCo
IG: @hypeconco
Sunday, July 11th
Stern Grove, San Francisco
2 PM, All Ages
Free
At 2pm exactly 12 days prior to each event, an online portal will be opened through https://www.sterngrove.org to offer free passes on a first-come, first-served basis.
Full lineup for Stern Grove 2021!
June 20: Ledisi, The Seshen, La Doña, LadyRyan
June 27: Perfume Genius, Madame Gandhi, Honey Mahogany, LadyRyan
July 4: San Francisco Symphony
July 11: Thievery Corporation, Dessa, DJ Shortkut
July 18: St. Paul & The Broken Bones, The Dip, DJ Omar
July 25: X, The Avengers, DJ Omar
August 1: Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
August 8: Thundercat, Cassowary, DJ Shortkut
August 15: Fitz & The Tantrums, Devon Gilfillian, DJ Omar
August 29: The Big Picnic featuring Tower of Power, Too $hort, DJ Shortkut
* Advance Reservations Required for All Concerts
* General Admission reservations can be made for up to 4 people per reservation
* Senior benches can be reserved for up to 2 people per reservation
* ADA seating can be reserved for up to 2 people per reservation
* All members of your group must be present to enter
* Reservation holder must present a current photo ID to enter
* California residents only, unless you are a fully vaccinated visitor
* Eating/Drinking is allowed without a mask
* Mask requirements are subject to current SF Department of Public Health guidelines
Ortega and Quintara, San Francisco
All Day, All Ages
Free
Come and explore our weekly Outer Sunset Farmers Market & Mercantile 9 am-3 pm every Sunday, year-round rain or shine on 37th Avenue between Ortega and Quintara in The Outer Sunset, SF. Our festive family-friendly outdoor market features local farmers, ranchers, producers, food artisans, food trucks, amazing chefs, makers, merchants, artists, causes, live music, and children's activities...all well spread out over two long blocks to allow for safe distancing. Face coverings and frequent hand-sanitizing/washing a must. Join us in January and February as we celebrate MLK Day, Chinese New Year, Valentine's Day, and Black History Month.
Follow us @sunsetmercantile on IG/FB or https://www.sunsetmercantilesf.com for more details. Be sure to take time to explore all of the incredible shops and eateries of The Sunset District! Follow @sunset_strong or go to https://sunsetstrong.com/
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