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.

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.

Guess what? You got it — it’s Festival Season. Yippee! Know what that means, dontcha? Loads and loads of grubbin’ food, thrivin’ throngs, and — most importantly — FREE LIVE MUSIC!

This weekend, it’s all about San Francisco’s own Little Italy and the 56th Annual North Beach Festival. Famous for the sidewalk chalk art, great food, and the annual Blessing of the Animals, this festival also boasts a wide variety of rich and soul-healing music, including performances by Buckaroo Bonet, Norman Bautista, the Amanda King Trio, the Loralee Christensen Band, and The Bingtones.

This is a great family-friendly event, and keep in mind, festivities go from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday, so it’s not a late-night kind of gig. But if you want to experience a true local slice-of-life event unique to the area, and hear some great performances from established local favorites, well…what can I say? Getcher ass down there! ‘Nough said.

So, just so you know, there’s a ton of music happening right now in the city! Tomorrow night (Tuesday) is the official opening night for Noise Pop 2010, which is, oh, I dunno — awesome! There are going to be so many bands in the area, it’s a live music lover’s wet dream. All of that being said, there’s plenty of non-festival shows to go around — trust me! So here’s a few for your listening pleasure:

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23rd:

LIVE:
Artist/Event: West Coast Songwriters Competition (S.F. Division)
Genre: Singer-Songwriter/Blues/Roots/Americana/Rock/Folk
Venue: Cafe Royale
Location: 800 PostStreet (between Hyde & Leavenworth Streets)
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Anything Else?: Every month, the West Coast Songwriters organization holds ten songwriting competitions up and down the West Coast. Performers pay $5, but audience members get in for free — what a deal!

Artist/Event: Graham Connah
Genre: Jazz
Venue: Revolution Cafe
Location: 3248 22nd Street (between Bartlett & Mission Streets)
Time: 8:45 p.m. — 11:30 p.m.
Anything Else?: Graham Connah is actually a pretty hugely accomplished artist, and it’s kind of amazing that he’s playing this free show. Go. See. This. Show.

DJ:
Artist/Event: “Brazilian Wax” (DJs Carioca & Fausto Sousa)
Genre: Bossa Nova/International/Latin/Samba
Venue: KoKo Cocktails
Location: 1060 Geary Street (between Polk Street & Van Ness Avenue)
Time: 9:00 p.m.
Anything Else?: $5 Sagatiba Cachaca specials all night!

NOT QUITE FREE:
Artist/Event: Benvenue, Audiodub, Hello Monster
Genre: Alternative/Metal/Pop/Reggae/Rock/Ska
Venue: Bottom of the Hill
Location: 1233 17th Street (between Texas & Missouri Streets)
Time: 9:00 p.m.
Anything Else?: Cover is $8, and there’s plenty of street parking in this area. Also, if you buy your tickets in advance online, you can pick them up at the will call window. (Doors open at 8:30 p.m.)

Well, gang, as previously promised, T-Licious Thursday is back, which means that The Scene gets another opportunity to review the incomparable Theresa Perez! Here are the details:

Who: Theresa Perez (T-Licious Thursday)

What: Latin Fusion, Funk, Soul, Jam Session

Where: Duboce Park Cafe, 2 Sanchez Street (at Duboce Avenue)

When: 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Anything Else?: For more information about Theresa Perez, the host of T-Licious Thursdays, check out this interview The Scene did with her last November. Also, if you are a musician at pretty much any level and love to jam, come along for the ride! This group of musicians and performers are hugely welcoming; there’s no better place to play!

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’…

UPDATED 12/05/2009:

Hey, gang! I’ve got some good news and some bad news. First, the bad, ’cause I’m a rip-off-the-Band-Aid kind of gal:

There will not be a December 12th T-Licious Thursday event.

But here’s the good news: the reason the event has been canceled — or, as I like to think of it, postponed until January — is because Theresa Perez has been asked to perform at the Nobel Prize ceremony in Oslo! How cool is that?

So, while we may justifiably be disappointed that we won’t get our monthly dose of feel-good, positive-vibin’, funky latin soul jam music this month, we may also be truly delighted that one of our city’s best is being offered this fantastic opportunity.

Congratulations, Theresa!

——————————————

So, I know that I had T-Licious Thursdays listed as a “Coming Up” event back in November, and that I never actually posted the review, but there’s a good reason for that: Due to a scheduling conflict, I missed Theresa Perez’s solo set. So, while I could tell you quite a bit about T-Licious Thursdays itself — and believe me, it’s worth knowing! — I still want to hold to my commitment to specifically give you a review of Ms. Perez’s music and her performance. Therefore, I am once again happily going to be at T-Licious Thursdays for December! And if you like a feel-good sing-along time, or music with a positive vibe that makes you wanna move, you’ll be there, too!

The Lowdown

Who: Sang Matiz
When: November 11, 2009
Where: The Union Room at Biscuit and Blues
Hidden Costs: As a little reminder, this was November’s “Not Quite Free” show, so there was a cover ($5). More importantly, though, you should know that this place ain’t no dive bar! Drinks were a bit on the pricey side for my tastes ($7 for a pint of Prohibition beer, $9 or $10 for most mixed drinks), and the cost of food’s about average for the Union Square area (ranging from $4 for a side o’ slaw to $24 for the Firey Shrimp dinner).

The Take-Away

Venue: Awesome space, with a very hip and trendy ambience, a good sound system, super friendly staff, genial crowd, and unique and delicious food. There’s a wide variety of seating (not all entirely comfortable, though), and you can get up close and personal with the performers, creating almost a house party feel.

Artists: These down-to-earth, lifelong musicians bring a musical style that’s not only upbeat but gets in your bones and makes you dance in your seat. All of the songs are in Spanish, and the musicianship is sublime. The performers are fun, but without any superfluous frills, and obviously love the music they’re playing. If you like to dance, especially if you’re into salsa, these are your peeps!

The Review

So, the first thing you need to know about The Union Room is that it’s in the heart of the Union Square area, which means street parking’s a bitch. Fortunately, The Union Room is also in the heart of the Union Square area. 

Erm, my bad; I said that already.

O.K., but there’s a reason I’m saying it twice:

There’s LOTS of public transportation around! You gotcher MUNI, your BART, your SamTrans, your Golden Gate Transit, and your AC Transit. In other words, F**K parking! You don’t need it. (But, y’know, in case you do, there’s also a lot of parking garages around the area, and the very nice Cover Fee Collecting Lady at the venue will give you a little ticket for something like $5 off of your parking fees if you go to the O’Farrell/Mason Parking Garage.)

Second, there is only one entrance for the two venues here. Biscuit and Blues is located down the stairs once you enter the main door. The Union Room is located at the top of the stairs. Know now, however, that in order to see a show upstairs in the Union Room you must first go slightly Downstairs to the ticket counter and pay your cover fee and get your wrist stamped (a lovely little ivy vine on this particular night; classy, girly — just my kind of club stamp).

For the Sang Matiz show, I actually had my best friend come along with me, just to get a second pair of eyes and ears. Having paid our respective $5 covers, we headed upstairs.

At first blush, the place was cozy and inviting. The ceilings were high-ish, but not cathedral or anything like that, and the lighting was sparse, mostly in low-watt warm tones, and supported by tea candles in clear glass votive holders on every table. The ambience was simple and metropolitan in flavor, and while my cohort and I only interacted with one staff member, he was funny and attentive and ably guided us through the process of choosing what to order.

Which brings me to the menu. For the ‘hood, the food is very reasonably priced. The Union Room offers a full menu, from appetizers to salads to full entrees to desserts. Prices range from about $4 for a side of cole slaw to $24 for the Firey (misspelling intentional) Shrimp.  The kitchen stays open ’til 9 p.m. on weekdays and ’til 10:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and the bar’s open ’til 11 p.m. on weekdays and ’til 11:45 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

My biggest money-related complaint, though, was about the drinks. A pint of Speakeasy’s Prohibition Ale was $7, and most of the mixed drinks were somewhere between $9 and $10. Don’t get me wrong; the drinks were seriously yummy! And, again, for the area, these are reasonable rates. But it only underscores the fact that this isn’t exactly a dive bar, if you catch my drift; expect to shell out some coin.

The actual decor of the place is contemporary, like something you’d find in a loft apartment, with a variety of seating and tables. There are high-backed stools surrounding tall cocktail tables, two-top square cafe tables, one long family-style table smack dab in the center of the room, and off to one side was a more loungey seating area, complete with leather-covered ottoman-looking cube seats and a low glass table. Plus, there was a small L-shaped bar in the back with plenty of bar stools lining it for those who may want to stay close to the liquor. The colors were mostly warm reds and dark blues, with some caramel-colored wood tones — as I said, very loft-esque, very cozy, very trendy.

The staff at the venue was friendly and witty, cracking jokes, helping me and my friend decide what to drink or eat. And beyond being charming, they were attentive without being obnoxious. As for the audience members, well, the place wasn’t exactly packed (other than us, there were two other tables with people at them, and then a constant rotation of about ten or twelve jovial imbibers at the bar). Still, I think it was a good crowd for a Wednesday night in the heart of downtown San Francisco. I mean, let’s be honest: most folks who find themselves in that area at that time of night are usually on their way to see a play, or are lawyers or traders who are running out the door to get home after putting in a sixteen hour day of work. So, a dozen or so live music fans is a good draw, especially for a latin fusion band in a place known for blues music.

But enough about the venue. Let’s talk about the show!

Here’s the thing you ought to know about Sang Matiz: these people are Musicians, with a captial “M”!  I swear to God, when Yuri — the band’s primary songwriter, lead vocalist, and rhythm guitarist — is strummin’ her electric acoustic, her hands are moving in a way that defies the laws of physics. I mean, they’re a freakin’ blur! And then you add to the mix Eddie on lead guitar — and keep in mind, this guy’s only been playing flamenco for about three years, now — and you’ve got not just latin fusion, but latin magic! 

Yuri and Cata, the other only female member of the band who also plays a little hand-held percussion and provides backing vocals, have perfected the art of matching timbre and tone. I know, I know, some of you singers out there may be saying to yourselves that those are kind of the same thing, but trust me, in this instance, they’re two distinct elements. These women match each other vowel for vowel, mouth shape for mouth shape, resonating chamber for resonating chamber. It’s like listening to identical twin sisters who’ve been singing together since before they could speak in full sentences.

Add to the mix a bassist who is literally moved by the music, a conga player who looks and plays like he’s a character straight out of the dancing streets of Havana, and a drummer who somehow manages to play a fully set-up kit practically on top of the other musicians without overpowering them, and you can see why the owners of this fledgeling venue are so enthusiastic about having Sang Matiz in the house.

The band is a well-oiled machine with a small but enthusiastic and vocal following! And these musicians are having so much fun with each other, dancing around, feet non-stop tapping to the rhythms, cradling their instruments to them like niños preciosos, heads nodding enthusiastically. It’s a family affair; it’s a neighborhood block party; it’s an impromptu jam session; it’s a barn dance. My one very minor complaint is that they played virtually no ballads, and with these women’s voices, they’re just begging for one!

Bottom line is this: if you love latin rhythms and music, and you love to dance and just let everything bad wash away before the rich harmonies and intricate finger picking styles of a beautiful flamenco guitar, then you have got to see these guys play! There’s so much more I could write, so many more notes I took over the course of the evening, but honestly, this is all you really need to know.

Sang Matiz will be playing again at The Union Room on Friday, November 20, 2009. The cover will still be only $5 — go see them!

Next Thursday (November 12th), I will be going to the T-Licious show at Duboce Park Cafe to review Theresa Perez. Plus, Ms. Perez has been gracious enough to agree to do an interview a couple of days beforehand. Got any questions for her? Send an e-mail to info@hearfreelivemusic.com by 5 p.m. on Sunday, November 8, 2009.

Peace, lovelies!

After the performance, I will be sitting down to do an interview with the band. Y’got questions? Send ‘em my way via e-mail at info@hearfreelivemusic.com (deadline is 5 p.m. on Monday, November 9, 2009).

Thanks, kiddies!