San Francisco Reader

On Sunday, July 25, SF Weekly hosted the first-ever All Shook Down music festival, and judging by the success, it should be safe to expect it back next year. Even with rapper Forrest Day passing out mid-song, the vibes were good all around. Besides introducing various Bay Area artists like Day, Birds & Batteries, and Ghosts on Tape, the event also spotlighted ten of the best SF bars and clubs.

• Amante: A hidden North Beach gem with cheap but delicious small-plate options and cocktails. Watch live music from their plush bar stools. (more…)

The San Francisco Fringe Festival celebrates the latest and greatest in alternative and non-mainstream theater. SF’s version is modeled after the Edinburgh, Scotland original, which began in 1947. SF Fringe is also the second-longest-running in the United States, and this year marks its 19^th anniversary. Running from September 8-19, visitors can choose from over 250 performances of 43 different pieces.One of the frontrunners to check out is Paper Angels, which focuses on Chinese immigration to San Francisco in the early 1900s. The performance will mark the 100^th anniversary of the immigration station on Angel Island. Another show by sketch troupe OPM (Opening People’s Minds), called Green Tea Party, takes a more humorous look at modern multicultural politics, but still with a good deal of bite. (more…)