First up: San Francisco popfest 2011, a celebration of international indie-pop music, featuring such bands as The Aberdeens, 14 Iced Bears, and Eternal Summers. Festival runs May 25th to May 29th at various venues throughout the City. Check out the Web site for more info!

Not so much into the indie scene? Like your music with what one may call a little more spice? Then check out San Francisco Carnaval! The festivities run May 28th and May 29th. And not only is there a full-blown, feather-boa’d parade both days, not to mention a ton of grubbin’ food and libations, but there is a bevy of luscious music, from the salsa of Avance, to the Afro-Latin beats of Sandy Perez — not to be missed!

So get out this weekend and get your free live music on! See you around town.

Well, folks, it’s the closing weekend for this annual fete, and despite the prohibitive weather, The Scene is officially encouraging you to get your dancin’, foot-stompin’ rain boots on and partake in the jubilation!

Alas, in the closing weekend, there are no truly free shows. (Alex Caton and Pete Winne are doing a gig at Bird & Beckett that has a “suggested donation” of $10 — all ages — on Sunday.) But Saturday night, there’s as awesome line-up at Cafe du Nord, featuring the Alt-Bluegrass likes of the Pine Box Boys, Kemo Sabe and Old Man Markley. Tickets are $13 in advance and $15 at the door — more than The Scene generally recommends us poor workin’ folk pay — but the venue’s awesome, and the show’s gonna be an auditory feast!

O.K., that’s it — that’s the official recommendation for this year’s SFBOT Festival! Also, check out their Web site for all kinds of cool info on various workshops this weekend and family-friendly fare.

Peace — and lots of free live music — to you!

Hello, all! Here it is, your Friday Night Guide to some awesome free live music in our fair city. Tonight, for your live music pleasure, The Scene has found out about the following couple o’ goodies:

Friday, November 5, 2010

Who:  Manicato
Genre:  Latin/Reggae/Rock
Where:  de Young Museum, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive
When:  6:30 p.m. — 8:30 p.m.
Anything else?:  The music performance is part of a larger event — the “Friday Nights at the de Young” series, running through November 26th. The theme for tonight’s event is “Mission Muralismo,” and focuses on the history of San Francisco’s Mission District and the contributions of the Mexican-Americans who live here. There will be gorgeous displays of mural artwork, engaging speakers, and all sorts of interesting speakers. Full event festivities begin at 5:00 p.m.

Not enough music for you for a Friday night? Then go check out:

Who:  The Fairmounts, The Lotus Moons
Genre:  Psychedelic/R&B/Pop/Rock/Soul
Where:  Burritt Room @ the Crescent Hotel, 417 Stockton Street
When:  9:00 p.m.
Anything else?:  This little city gem is So Very-Very, specializing in vintage cocktails and a cool, vintage hip vibe. Entry is free, but expect to spend a little dough on your libations.

Where to start?

Well, first of all, let’s talk Peace. And, more specifically, let’s talk Power to the Peaceful, the annual “Music, Art and Action” festival held in the heart of the City — a.k.a. Golden Gate Park. Annually, some 50,000 attendees join in the fun, which includes art displays, real-time graffiti creations, and — you guessed it! — a shit-ton of free live music. This year’s line-up includes local favorites Rupa & the April Fishes, Michael Franti + Spearhead, and American Idol runner-up Crystal Bowersox. (Sept. 10-12, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.)

Not feeling so peaceful? Perhaps the city might be able to entice you via the annual Ghirardelli Chocolate Festival — that’s right, you heard me! Two chocolate-filled days of silky, rich, creamy goodness — and, natch, plenty of free live music! Featured artists are the Magnolia Jazz Band and the jazz guitar stylings of Dave Costa. (Sept. 11 & 12, 12-5 p.m.)

Looking for something perhaps a little more exotic? Well, you’re definitely in the right city! And this Saturday — as on every Saturday through Oct. 9th — is the Chinatown Night Market Fair. This event has been on hiatus for a while, but is back in full swing. Chinatown’s Portsmouth Square gets transformed into a thriving Hong Kong-esque outdoor market, and as you’re strolling through the throng, feast your eyes and ears on a plethora of traditional Chinese music performed by local artists. (Sept. 11, 6-11 p.m.)

Finally, if you’re into the more classical side of things, this Sunday has two amazing offerings: the San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s Chamber Music Day, and San Francisco Opera’s Opera in the Park. Hit up the Conservatory to hear some of the world’s finest up-and-coming classical musicians in intimate chamber-music style. Or if you’re more in a vocalese kind of mood, head on over to Golden Gate Park for a selection of arias performed by the stars of the current season. Plus, there’ll be a chance to enter for a drawing for two tickets to see Madama Butterfly, complete with dinner for two at Absinthe! (Sept. 12: SF Conservatory 12-6 p.m.; SF Opera 1:30 p.m.)

*phew!*

O.K., that’s it from The Scene today. Get out there and hear some music, yo!

Peace.

Extra! Extra! Extra! Tonight, the de Young Museum and Alliance Franςais are hosting one of a series of Friday Night Soirées, in partnership with the French American Cultural Society — and it’s FREE! Tonight’s installment is entitled “Fête de la Musique,” and features music performances by International School of the Peninsula Children’s Choir and troubadour Eric John Kaiser. Plus, there will be a strolling accordion player — how cool is that! Highly, highly recommend this one, kiddies! Festivities begin at 5:00 p.m. and go until 8:45 p.m.

Oh, and did I mention that you’ll get to participate in hands-on art projects? Seriously. Don’t walk — run to this event!

Tuesday, June 8th, unwind from a stressful mid-term Election Day with some rockin’ local bands at Cafe Royale. Here’s the skinny:

Artist/Event:  Songwriters’ Circle
Venue:  Cafe Royale, 800 Post Street (@ Leavenworth)
Genre:  Acoustic/Americana/Folk/Pop/Rock/Singer-Songwriter
Time:  8:00 p.m.
Anything Else?:  The featured artists are David Luning, KC Turner, Wish Inflicted, and Jeff Campbell. If you’re a fan of singer/songwriter music, complete with catchy guitar riffs and pop-flavored lyrics, this is your show!  Plus, check out these artists’ pages; there’s some serious eye candy action goin’ on here! And, if you’re lucky, Jeff Campbell will sing “Thank You” — his awesome acoustic cover of Led Zeppelin’s gorgeous, soulful tune that I just can’t get enough of these days! True, the venue doesn’t exactly have great parking anywhere nearby, so public transportation is highly recommended, and no fewer than five Muni bus lines stop within two blocks of the place (altho’ BART is — yikes! — eight blocks away). This’ll be a great, foot-stompin’, American beer-swillin’ kind of night. Who knows? You might run into The Scene while you’re there! (You never know; it could happen.) One more nice thing to note: the venue is a bar AND a cafe, so all ages are welcome!

O.K., kiddies, need to blow off some steam in preparation for next week’s festivities? Dreading the proposition of spending several hours with — gasp! — your family and need a little palate cleanser beforehand? Then here are some live music shows that will be sure to pump you up and put you in the party mood:

Friday, December 18th

Who: The Younger Lovers, The Butts, Fast Love
Where: BrainWash Cafe & Laundromat
When: 8 p.m. — ?
What: Rock/Garage/Indie/Punk/Power Pop
Anything Else?: Note that this is an all-ages show.

Who: KFJC 50th Anniversary Party
Where: Cafe du Nord
When: 7 p.m. — ?
What: Rock/Indie/Psychedelic/Freestyle/Progressive/Experimental/Punk
Anything Else?: Bands slated to perform include Al Qaeda, Pink Mountain, T.I.T.S., and Arrington de Dionyso, among others.

Who: Bayonics
Where: Rockit Room
When: 9 p.m. — ?
What: Hip-Hop/Funk/Latin
Anything Else?: This is a big-ass group of musicians, with a live horn section and all!

Saturday, December 19th

Who: Maniacal Rejects, Bullet 66, United Defiance
Where: Thee Parkside
When: 3 p.m. — 8 p.m.
What: Rock
Anything Else?: Please note that this is a happy hour concert, and is all-ages. Also, the venue’s Web site says that United Defiance is playing, but the event flyer says that War of Aggression is playing. Guess we’ll find out!

Who: EpiscoDisco
Where: Grace Cathedral
When: 7 p.m. — ?
What: Gothic/Americana/Folk
Anything Else?: This is a sort of art/cultural event featuring a multi-media installation and a performance by Pale Hoarse.

Who: Doni Harvey
Where: Skip’s Tavern
When: 9:30 p.m. — 1 a.m.
What: Blues
Anything Else?: Nope!

Sunday, December 20th

Who: Sunday Sessions w/Wil Blades
Where: Madrone Lounge
When: 6 p.m. — 12 a.m.
What: Jazz/Jam Session
Anything Else?: The first set is a performance by the band, and then the second set opens up as a jazz jam session for all levels of musicians. Note that you must be 21 or older!

Who: Twang Sunday w/The Poontones
Where: Thee Parkside
When: 4 p.m. — ?
What: Acoustic/Americana
Anything Else?: This is an all-ages benefit show with proceeds going to breast cancer charities; there’s a $5 BBQ.

Who: Singin’ Sundays w/Roger Niner Karaoke Extravaganza
Where: Butter
When: 9 p.m. — ?
What: Karaoke
Anything Else?: I know, I know — karaoke! Still, sometimes a person just needs to get sloshed and stand in front of a few dozen strangers and belt out “I Will Survive” before heading home for the holidays. Just sayin’…