Happy Monday, Berkeley.
It’s just starting to feel like summer. To celebrate the good weather, take a long lunch on Monday afternoon and go picnicking. Any spot of grass will do, but for a truly spectacular view, hop on the bus or take a Gig car and head on up into the Berkeley Hills. Spread out your picnic blanket at Tilden Regional Park, or if you’re feeling more adventurous, park at one of the spots along Grizzly Peak Boulevard — you can enjoy your salami sandwiches with sweeping views of San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge and more.
While you’re up there, put on the nifty picnic playlist you made (and downloaded — the reception is abysmal up there) back at home. I’d opt for some Beach Boys, but if you’re not in a retro boy band sort of mood, you can catch up on last week’s new releases — listen to the new Kanye West, some Father John Misty or maybe even Ben Howard.
Consider pairing your dessert with your music — Kanye would go well with doughnuts from King Pin Donuts. Father John Misty would be perfect with cream cheese-frosted cinnamon rolls from Cinnaholic. Ben Howard could only be paired with soft serve (ideally topped with cookie dough) from Yogurt Park. Obviously the Beach Boys and Popsicles go hand in hand (you can get those anywhere).
After an afternoon of eating, head home and take a nap.
On Tuesday, there is the kickoff celebration for the 36th annual San Francisco Jazz Festival. Starting at 5 p.m., plenty of hours before sundown, Bay Area artists Howard Wiley & Extra Nappy and Beso Negro will be performing at Proxy at the corner of Octavia and Hayes streets. There will also be films playing — Proxy is an outdoor movie theater.
Refreshments-wise, there will be beer available (for those of you 21 and older) and food trucks (for those of all ages). While the event is free, unfortunately, the food and beverages are not.
What could go better with jazz than poetry? On Wednesday, pop over to The Great Northern. At 8 p.m., a cast of poets, each with a carefully crafted character, will present its works in a variety of ways. The event is named “The Poetry Brothel,” so I’ll let you deduce how some of these poems might be read. That all said — or, rather, implied — attendees can also enjoy public readings and performances, perhaps while themselves clad in evening wear, though formal dress is not required. You must be 21 or older to attend this event.
After an evening of intellectual scandal, and maybe just some plain scandal, you might want to sleep in Thursday morning. Alas, San Francisco Design Week kicks off at 9 a.m.
From 9 a.m. to 9:45 a.m., Gantri founder Ian Yang will talk with industrial designer Chris Granneberg about where the design industry is going and how Gantri uses 3D printing. Gantri and Granneberg have also created a limited-edition light that will be raffled off. All proceeds will go to AIGA.
Then, from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., CEO of LookyLoo Chia-Lin Simmons will lead “The Future of Apparel and Cosmetics Retail Powered by AI.” So if 3D-printed lighting didn’t spark your interest and convince you to get out to San Francisco by 9 a.m., perhaps you’ll set your alarm and get up in time for a talk on robots and makeup.
As the day progresses, more talks and events will run their course. And at 6:30 p.m. on Pier 27, a few thousand guests will be admitted to the opening night party on the waterfront. There will be an Airbnb design interactive experience unveiling, a Stanford d.school environmental exhibit and a voucher for a free Fort Point beer for each 21-plus guest, among other activities.
And finally, we arrive at Friday. I can’t think of a better cap to your week than comedy. At 7 p.m. at Milk Bar in San Francisco, there will be “A Clockwork Comedy Show.” Occurring every second Friday of the month, Clockwork Comedy presents a lineup of stand-up comedy to Haight Street. This month, Rachel Raphael will be hosting, and on Friday night, Sid Singh will be headlining. The event is free. The drinks, however, are not.
But wait, there’s more. Dave Matthews Band is releasing Come Tomorrow on Friday.
In the meantime, watch Maroon 5’s new music video for “Girls Like You” and figure out how many of the 26 badass women in the video you recognize. Then listen to “Girls Like You” by The Naked and Famous. Then listen to Maroon 5’s song again. And maybe again. Then put it on 0.25 speed on Youtube and laugh at robo-Adam Levine uncontrollably for a few minutes.
And while you’re listening to the song for the 14th time, read what Shannon O’Hara had to say about the Erotic Service Providers Legal Education and Research Project’s protest of Amy Schumer’s headlining comedy set at Clusterfest this past weekend. You’ll have answers to more questions about internet laws and their recent effects on sex workers than you ever realized you had.
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