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Local dance band
Classic: What exactly is it about Hey Willpower that is so infectious? Of course, there’s undeniably charismatic lead singer Will Schwartz, the former Imperial Teenster with the puppy dog eyes and the crooked smile. Then there are the catchy lyrics that long to be sung out loud: “I am okay with playing Truth or Dare / As long as you end up in your underwear.” And let’s not forget the radiant backup dancers in cute matching outfits. But maybe what it comes down to is that Hey Willpower proves that music doesn’t have to take itself too seriously to be seriously good. As Schwartz states on his MySpace page, “Let’s dance now and we can talk about it later if you want.” www.heywillpower.com

 

Future classic: Welcome to the world of Sugar & Gold, a smart bunch of smoking-hot twentysomethings singing about diamond rings and pink champagne—and working the sexiest booty-shaking funk this side of 1978. At a recent concert at Bottom of the Hill, the crowd threw decorum and posturing to the wind and shimmied until the band’s set was over. The group’s new debut album, Crème, includes snapshots of the Lower Haight and musical depictions of late-night living, making it clear that Sugar & Gold love them some San Francisco. In the song “Neighborhood,” with its chunky keyboard riffs, they sing the praises of their home city—to a tune that would be a smash at any roller disco: “Givin’ up all your love for your city / Givin’ it up for just one town…if you should leave her / She won’t put up a fight.” Be that as it may, if Sugar & Gold ever leave us, we sure as hell will. Sugar & Gold include Nicolas Dobbratz, Robin Macmillan, Philipp Minnig, Jerome Steegmans,
and Fatima Fleming.
www.sugarandgold.com

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Social club
Classic: Nothing emits the offensive whiff of hidebound power and privilege like a gentlemen-only social club. But the times have a-changed. Today, both women and men sweep into the bronze elevators of 155 Sansome and revisit the past on the 10th and 11th floors, where a grand ballroom, a private bar, and a dining hall await. Once the dining room for brokers from the Pacific Stock Exchange, the 1930s-era City Club drips with Art Deco details. For years, fortunate members and their guests have enjoyed the two-story wall and ceiling fresco, The Allegory of California, created in 1931 by Diego Rivera. While it caters mainly to dues-paying members, the club can be rented out for private events.
155 Sansome St., s.f, 415-362-2480, www.cityclubsf.com

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Future classic: Ever since the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco moved into its inspiring new building in 2004, it’s had enough room for everyone: lap-swimming grandparents in the Olympic-size pool, preschoolers learning to paint in the studio upstairs, iPod-bopping teens, hopeful singles eyeing one another in scuba class. The JCC’s mission is to strengthen community bonds while building and preserving Jewish identity, but people of all faiths—and secular persuasions—are invited to become members. Who doesn’t need a place to hang?
3200 California St., S.F., 415-292-1200, www.jccsf.org

 

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Midnight film
Classic: For 10 years, self-proclaimed “underground drag phenomenon” Peaches Christ has been hosting the Midnight Mass film series, bringing gloriously kitschy B movies like Beyond the Valley of the Dolls and Mommie Dearest to the Bridge and Clay theaters, as well as interviewing cult stars like Mink Stole (Polyester) and spoofing films with elaborate stage shows. She’s even landed her own TV show, set to air on HDNet Movie Channel this summer, on which she’ll present her favorite movies, interview guests, and show highlights of her riotous live acts. If you have a secret soft spot for misunderstood dames like Joan Crawford, you won’t want to miss it.
www.peacheschrist.com

Future classic: In January 2006, Jesse Hawthorne Ficks moved his Midnites for Maniacs series from the Red Vic to the Castro Theatre. Since then, he’s offered some truly mind-boggling triple features, including ones focusing on ’70s roller disco, the underage Jodie Foster, and vertically challenged monsters.
www.midnitesformaniacs.com

 

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Latin dance duo
Classic: He was so good at 17, he was already teaching classes, barely a year after he first became addicted to salsa. For the past 11 years, Garry Johnson, 32, has had a cult following at Emeryville’s Allegro Ballroom, where he recently introduced a Thursday night lesson and dance party. And his partner of six years, Viola Gonzales, is a knockout. They call their technique “freestyle salsa,” since they draw from many different styles of the dance. But their true gift is in teaching people to move naturally to the distinctive rhythms of Cuban music. Once you learn salsa the Johnson/Gonzales way, you’ll be able to dance with anyone, anywhere.
5855 christie ave., emeryville, 510-655-2888, www.allegroballroom.com

Future classic: If you’re more interested in competition than in social dancing—i.e., if your goal is to be on Dancing With the Stars—give Genya Mazo and Maria Shibalova a call. (Mazo’s brother, Alec, was the show’s first-season winner.) They teach at Genesis Ballroom, which caters to budding competitive dancers, so they move in the flashy style of International Latin Ballroom. 404 clement st., s.f., 415-221-7125

 

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Prisoner
Classic: No one did solitary confinement like Robert Stroud, aka the Birdman of Alcatraz. While secluded from the other inmates, Stroud rescued a small nest of sparrows, nursed them to health, taught them to do tricks, and became inspired to read every book available on birds. Stroud ended up raising nearly 300 canaries in prison, which—no lie—he sold to support his aging mother. Stroud was never allowed to see the 1962 film made about him, Birdman of Alcatraz (in which he was played by Burt Lancaster), which is still a reminder of how we can nurture our humanity in even the most inhumane situations. www.alcatrazhistory.com; www.crimelibrary.com

 

Future classic: Enough of the debate about whether he’s a “real” journalist. Twenty-four-year-old San Francisco blogger Josh Wolf spent nearly eight months in jail standing up for journalists’ right to keep their sources confidential—longer than any pedigreed hack in U.S. history. When he finally cut an acceptable deal to get out of the Federal Detention Facility in Dublin, it turned out his video footage from an anarchist rally at which a police officer was injured wasn’t even pertinent to the investigation. He knew that all along, but he didn’t think the feds had the right to try to make him give it up. In other words, he took one for the team. www.joshwolf.net

 

 

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Bachelorette bash
Classic: You can’t avoid it: your friends insist on seeing you get stripped of your dignity during your last hours as a singleton, and an old-fashioned strip club is apparently the only way to do the job. That white dress looks even more virginal after you’ve painted the town pink. Targets and their attendants can be identified by their bagfuls of frightening phallic accessories and are usually spotted staggering along the sidewalks of North Beach, squealing at passersby from party trolleys, or waving crisp dollar bills from the front row of an all-male revue. A slightly cheesy but fun option sans strippers is SoMa hen party hideout the Holy Cow. But even so, if you’re planning to go into politics, wear a disguise. 1535 Folsom St., S.F., 415-621-6087

 

Future classic: Spa Dee Dah founders Ellen Olson, an aesthetician, and Andrea Turner, a massage therapist, throw mobile spa parties with all-natural facials, makeovers, and massages, but they buck wellness principles with cocktails, DJs—even pole-dancing lessons for the girls. Since starting the company last year, they’ve become the go-to source for damsels who want to destress privately in the company of wild and crazy friends. 415-341-5615, www. spadeedah.com

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Tourist trap
Classic: The warm smell of incense wafts through the basilica at Mission Dolores, stained glass depictions of saints adorn the windows, and you might find a lone man kneeling in prayer, his whispered Our Fathers audible across the expanse of pews. It’s a world not seen by many locals, because despite its stature as the oldest intact building in San Francisco, and the oldest mission in California, most people see a crusty church on the way to Dolores Park. But go inside and follow the 30-minute tour through the dark, echoey musk of San Francisco’s Catholic history. It’s more than 200 years you’ve likely never seen. www.missiondolores.org

Future classic: If you make the 10-minute trip out to Alcatraz now, after its $3.5 million refurbishment completed this past spring, you’ll see it as the inmates and guards did when they first arrived. You walk in their footsteps up the cascading road to the showers, into the never-before-seen clothing-issue room, complete with shaving brushes and Colgate tooth powder (collected from eBay). Despite Alcatraz’s 5,000 daily visitors, you barely hear a sound among the throngs: the popular 40-minute audio tour has been updated, too. Gone are the brambles and weeds, and in their place are calla lilies and daisies—thanks to the work of volunteers who have lovingly restored the garden to its historic condition. A fresh coat of paint and a new, larger museum store round out the changes. To beat the crowds, those in the know venture out at dusk for the popular night tours. www.nps.gov/alcatraz

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Flamenco
Classic: The North Beach tradition of a bunch of bohemian artists and poets watching a whirling, stomping flamenco dancer got its start in the 1950s, when the Beats hung out at the Old Spaghetti Factory and admired the exotic expressions of the musicians and dancers who performed there. That venue is long gone, but Peña Pachamama, a North Beach Bolivian restaurant and pan-Latin cultural center, carries on the tradition with its Thursday night flamenco party. It’s less performance based and more like an improvisational jam, but the party’s musicians and dancers are picked by Theatre Flamenco assistant director Carola Zertuche, herself a flamenco dancer for 15 years. “It’s a truly alive art form,” she says. “It changes with the way you feel. I always like to change the musicians, too, and if someone’s in town from Spain,
I invite them.” 1630 Powell St., S.F., 415-646-0018, www.penapachamama.com

Future classic: The spine-defying back bends, wreathing arms, haunting music, and seething attitude of flamenco make it one of the most seductive dances in the world. And taking in a live performance while nibbling tapas at one of the intimate tables around the Cafe Flamenco floor show can ignite just about anyone’s sensuality. Unless you’re plugged into the flamenco scene, you’ve probably never heard of it, and it happens only once a month, so mark your calendar. Yaelisa Caminos, who runs the show, is a spellbinding dancer herself who knows all the flamenco greats—her visiting dancers melt the stage. Her mother, the late Isa Mura, trained world-class flamenco dancers in San Francisco for decades. Today, there are enough aficionados to support Sevillanas contests (the Spanish equivalent of a hip-hop dance-off). And at just $17 for a table up front, it’s a racy date you can afford every month. 3153 17th st., s.f., 415-863-9834, www.odctheater.org

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Pickup scene where you can also pick up good grub
Classic: Mamacita’s bar is constantly abuzz (actually, it’s more like a roar) with gals sporting shiny tank tops, highlights, and mani-pedis mingling amid older, polo-playing men in striped shirts. Couples attempt to rekindle the excitement of their first meeting by joining the mix of on-the-hunt singles, while other singles—sans spouse, but still with wedding rings—try to prove that they’ve still got game. When you tire of putting forth or fending off advances at the standing-room-only bar, retreat to a table under the copper stars, order up some inspired Mexican food, and take solace in
the fact that though dates come and go, Mamacita’s special guacamole will always
be there for you. 2317 chestnut St., S.F., 415-346-8494

Future classic: Minus herradura margaritas and mole, plus sake cocktails and sashimi, Umami is the latest venture of the 415 boys.
2909 Webster St., S.F., 415-346-3431

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Enoteca
Classic: Before Cork opened on a quiet corner in Sausalito, you heard the word “enoteca” around here about as often as you heard “I voted for Bush.” Two years later, Cork still nails the easygoing, noncommittal vibe of a traditional Italian wine bar. The snacks are precise and delicious—crustless egg salad sandwiches, shredded brussels sprouts salad with pecorino, and ham and cheese panini, for example. The service is warm and knowledgeable, and the wine list full of unexpected varieties. Italian words to tackle this year: bardolino and malvasia.
317 Johnson St., Sausalito, 415-332-2975
Future classic: It’s about time. With the arrival of Bar Bambino, the city itself finally has a wine bar worthy of its reputation. Bambino has been open only a few months, yet anyone with half a brain recognizes its instant status as San Francisco’s best wine bar. The list, compiled by ardent Italophile Christopher Losa, is all Italian, as is the food. Have a glass of sparkling Selim with your linguine with ricotta and herbs or a nebbiolo with your housemade salumi. The space is beautiful, the staff personable, and the buzz—for once—completely warranted.
2931 16th St., S.F., 415-701-8466

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Party venue
Classic: Tucked away in a corner of the park, the Presidio Log Cabin is an enchanted place to hold a medium-size (150 guests) party that still maintains a cozy, intimate feel. The amenities tell the story: beamed ceilings, cast-iron chandeliers, a fireplace, a hardwood dance floor, and plenty of nooks and crannies for private rendezvous. In the summer, guests spill out onto the covered patio for gracious garden parties. 1299 Storey Ave., S.f., 415-561-5444

Future classic: Whether for the Super Bowl or the latest episode of Desperate Housewives, the showroom at Entertaining Spaces has spacious sofalike seating, a state-of-the-art sound system, and a large screen for throwing a memorable media-themed party for $200 an hour and up. With a private screening room and an adjoining lounge with a bar, you and your friends will feel like Hollywood producers. 2 Division St., S.F., 415-626-1951, www.entertainingspaces.com

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Hangout for Francophiles
Classic: The hike in costs for outdoor music permits put the kibosh on the city’s former classic fête, Bastille Day. Now the party’s moved indoors, but only for those who
make reservations at one of the downtown French restaurants lining Claude Lane and Belden Place. www.cafeclaude.com, www.belden-place.com

Future classic: After successful launches in New York, L.A., and Miami, the lavish, members-only, roving social club French Tuesdays invaded San Francisco in March, seducing dressed-up Francophiles in sexy venues such as Vessel and the W Hotel. About 40 percent of the thirtysomething swans are French; many speak other languages from around the globe. You’ll need referrals from two members in order to permeate the scene, which satiates a craving for networking, cultural bonding, flirting, and Laurent-Perrier champagne. We can hardly contain our joie. www.frenchtuesdays.com

 

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Piano man
Classic: There’s nothing like a moody evening spent listening to jazz and reminiscing about love gone wrong—or right—especially if you don’t have to pay a cover charge. Unearth one of the buried treasures of San Francisco nightlife Mondays at the Washbag. That’s when Eric Shifrin is on the ivories. With its old San Francisco ambience and the ghost of Herb Caen drinking martinis at the wooden bar, the Washington Square Bar & Grill is one of those spots with timeless appeal. Mr. Shifrin, equally timeless, is one of the great saloon pianists. Now and then, if he’s cheery and you’re lucky, he sings. Like Louis Armstrong or Johnny Mercer, Shifrin doesn’t have a terrific voice, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t a great singer. When you’re listening to him on a rainy evening, there’s always time for “One for My Baby (and One More for the Road).” 1707 powell st., s.f., 415-982-8123

Future classic: A former child prodigy,
22-year-old jazz pianist Taylor Eigsti has pricked up the ears of discerning Bay Area jazzophiles like Jazz at Pearl’s owner Kim Nalley with his improvisational, funky melodies. But it’s not just locals who love his style–his 2006 release on Concord Records, Lucky to Be Me, was nominated for two Grammys. Eigsti first joined the teaching staff of the Stanford Jazz Workshop at age 15 and continues his work there this summer. www.myspace.com/tayloreigsti