Red Poppy Art House

FRESH Exchanges: Alternative Conservatory ft. Brontez Purnell
2017-01-05 19:30 - 21:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Red Poppy Art House, 2698 Folsom St., San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
In collaboration with FRESH Festival 2017, the Red Poppy Art House is pleased to present FRESH Exchanges, free and by-donation events made to cultivate, cross-pollinate, invigorate, create access, and generate outreach within and outwith the dance, music, and performance communities. These interactive exchanges include Alternative Conservatory on Thursdays, January 5, 12, 19. Hosted by FRESH artists notorious for disarming paradigms and thinking outside the box, Alternative Conservatory is a time to unwind, connect, absorb, consider, listen, and discuss. On January 5th, Brontez Purnell presents What he’s having.
There’s something about Brontez Purnell. Whatever he’s into or up to, you want to get a taste, a fix, a gander. With his chilled-out-manic-inviting-provoking-matter-of-fact manner, he shares his disruptive skills and offers vicarious thrills as he hosts us, serving up ​his current fascinations in art, culture, dance, music, writing, etc. in the context of FRESH 2017.

ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Brontez Purnell is a writer, musician, dancer, and choreographer. Since founding the Brontez Purnell Dance Company (BPDC) in 2010, Purnell has presented original dance and movement theatre works at the Berkeley Art Museum, CounterPULSE, the Garage, KUNST-STOFF arts, the LAB, SOMArts, YBCA, and the Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts. He is the recipient of the 2015 Creative Work Fund Media Arts Grant to create an experimental documentary on the postmodern Bay Area choreographer Ed Mock. Brontez holds a BFA in Theatre + Contemporary Dance from California State University/East Bay.

ABOUT FRESH FESTIVAL:
FRESH Festival 2017, the 8th annual Festival of Experimental Dance + Performance in San Francisco, celebrates and showcases the abundance of embodied art, action, innovation, and inclusion in the Bay Area from January 2-22, with three immersive weeks with intensive practices, cutting-edge performances, and interactive exchanges. Produced by ALTERNATIVA, FRESH 2017 is curated by Kathleen Hermesdorf, Abby Crain, and José Navarrete, and hosted by Joe Goode Annex, Red Poppy Art House, F8 Nightclub in San Francisco, and CTRL+SHFT in Oakland.
To view the full schedule of FRESH Exchanges at the Red Poppy Art House, click here.

EVENT DETAILS

Time: Doors 7:00PM / Event 7:30PM
Admission: Free; by donation

Javier Navarrette: Afro-Cuban Tribute to Orishas and Ancestors
2017-01-06 19:30 - 22:00 | Red Poppy Art House, 2698 Folsom St., San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
Afro-Caribbean rhythm specialist Javier Navarrette and his mighty vocal/percussion ensemble kick off the Poppy’s first show of 2017 with a musical offering to ancestors and the orishas (Afro-Cuban deities), invoking strength, health, and a community united to face challenges that may lie ahead.
Featuring:
Javier Navarrette
Sergio Duran
Katiana Vila
Jessie Webber
Kevin Repp
plus special guests
Bay Area-based percussionist/educator Javier Navarrette, who has recorded on three Grammy-nominated albums with John Santos and the Machete Ensemble/Folklorico Kindembo, studied in Cuba with musicians from Conjunto Folklorico Nacional de Cuba. He has performed with such greats as Aretha Franklin, Poncho Sanchez, Los Van Van, Jon Faddis, Tootie Heath, Jerry Gonzalez, Trini Lopez, Nestor Torres, Bobi Cespedes, as well as the Conga Kings, Francisco Aguabella, Carlos “Patáto” Valdez, and Armando Peraza.

EVENT DETAILS

Time: Doors 7:00PM / Show 7:30PM
Admission: $10-15 sliding scale
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event – please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets. All ages are welcome.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer for this event!

Lavay Smith: Celebrating the Lady Day Songbook
2017-01-07 19:30 - 22:00 | Red Poppy Art House, 2698 Folsom St., San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
Lavay Smith, best known as the sultry vocalist and bandleader of the acclaimed Red Hot Skillet Lickers, rings in the first weekend of 2017 by bringing an all-star piano/bass/trombone trio to the Poppy for a night of songs made famous by jazz icon Billie Holiday.
Featuring:
Jules Broussard – saxophone
Danny Armstrong – trombone, vocals
Chris Siebert – piano
Ron Belcher – bass
Lavay Smith’s vintage style and sultry vocals–influenced by Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, Bessie Smith, Little Esther Phillips, and other queens of classic jazz–have made her a fixture on the Bay Area music scene for three decades. She is the owner of Fat Note Records and maintains a busy schedule with her seven-piece band, performing original compositions, as well as a large repertoire of classic tunes throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and Japan.
Learn more: Website

EVENT DETAILS

Time: Doors 7:00PM / Show 7:30PM
Admission: $20-25 sliding scale
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event – please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets. All ages are welcome.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer for this event!

FRESH Exchanges: Experimental Structures ft. Dia Dear & Sebastian Hernandez
2017-01-10 19:30 - 21:30 | Red Poppy Art House, 2698 Folsom St., San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
In collaboration with FRESH Festival 2017, the Red Poppy Art House is pleased to present FRESH Exchanges, free and by-donation events made to cultivate, cross-pollinate, invigorate, create access, and generate outreach within and outwith the dance, music, and performance communities. These interactive exchanges include Experimental Structures on Tuesdays, January 3, 10, 17. Hosted by Abby Crain and José Navarrete, Experimental Structures invite artists working on the edge of their form to speak about their work, share excerpts of current projects, and lead group discussions.
On January 10th, artist Dia Dear shows an excerpt of her piece On Tension, discussing her work in ‘pop’ performance art and the power plays of the queer body on display. She is interested in tension, what it is, how people relate to it, and the power of tension in body-based art.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Dia Dear‘s performance art combines gay club aesthetics of appearance, movement, and attitude with their opposites. She uses trickery, sincerity, and pop culture to create emotionally visceral and visually fascinating images through live performance. Her work has been featured in various festivals and curated shows in the United States and internationally. Most recently, Dia was a recipient of the Maroc Artist Meeting Residency, in collaboration with Marrakech Biennale 6 in Marrakech, Morocco (2016), and Musik I Syd Future Legends Residency in Malmö, Sweden (2015).
Sebastian Hernandez is an LA native and multi-disciplinary artist who received his B.A. in Art Practice and Dance & Performance Studies from UC Berkeley in 2016. He employs a feminist theoretical analysis, queer theory, brownness, and notions of collectivity as modes of thinking and generating works that shift and complicate Mexican and Chicano narratives in the contemporaneous social imagination. His work inherently challenges traditional notions of space as he deals with his the interdisciplinary nature within both art and dance contexts.
Abby Crain is an Oakland-based artist who makes dances and other structures for performance. She also works in the field as a teacher, performer, writer, and curator. Her curatorial projects include the NO THANK YOU SHOW, which asked artists to represent or stage work that has been rejected by granting organizations, theaters, collaborators, or the artist herself; the NON MAJOR SHOW, which asked artists to show work not in their primary medium; as well as being on the curatorial panel of FRESH Festival.
José Navarrete is a native of Mexico City where he was first exposed to theater and dance, choreographing and performing in parks, hospitals, and children’s parties as a clown and dancer. He studied dance at the National Institute of Fine Arts in Mexico and has a BA in Anthropology from UC Berkeley and MFA in Dance from Mills College. Currently, he leads the Guerilla Performance Group and curates and produces the Live Arts in Resistance (LAIR) initiative at Eastside Arts Alliance, which provides residencies and performing opportunities for artists of color in East Oakland. José has been participating in FRESH since 2015 and acting as a curator for 2017 + 2018.

ABOUT FRESH FESTIVAL:
FRESH Festival 2017, the 8th annual Festival of Experimental Dance + Performance in San Francisco, celebrates and showcases the abundance of embodied art, action, innovation, and inclusion in the Bay Area from January 2-22, with three immersive weeks with intensive practices, cutting-edge performances, and interactive exchanges. Produced by ALTERNATIVA, FRESH 2017 is curated by Kathleen Hermesdorf, Abby Crain, and José Navarrete, and hosted by Joe Goode Annex, Red Poppy Art House, F8 Nightclub in San Francisco, and CTRL+SHFT in Oakland.
To view the full schedule of FRESH Exchanges at the Red Poppy Art House, click here.

EVENT DETAILS

Time: Doors 7:00PM / Event 7:30PM
Admission: Free; by donation

FRESH Exchanges: Social Practice/Potluck ft. José Navarrete, Amara Tabor-Smith & Cat Brooks
2017-01-11 19:30 - 21:00 | Red Poppy Art House, 2698 Folsom St., San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
In collaboration with FRESH Festival 2017, the Red Poppy Art House is pleased to present FRESH Exchanges, free and by-donation events made to cultivate, cross-pollinate, invigorate, create access, and generate outreach within and outwith the dance, music, and performance communities. These interactive exchanges include Social Practice/Potlucks on Wednesdays, January 4, 11, 18. FRESH Social Practice/Potlucks are collaborative meals and interactivities co-hosted by artists notorious for generating situations of connectivity, improvisation, inclusivity, and direct action.
On January 11th, artists José Navarrete, Amara Tabor-Smith, and Cat Brooks co-host an evening of food for the heart, mind, and soul, looking at empathetic and disruptive ability and agency in art and activism – response/ability.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
José Navarrete is a native of Mexico City where he was first exposed to theater and dance, choreographing and performing in parks, hospitals, and children’s parties as a clown and dancer. He studied dance at the National Institute of Fine Arts in Mexico and has a BA in Anthropology from UC Berkeley and MFA in Dance from Mills College. Currently, he leads the Guerilla Performance Group and curates and produces the Live Arts in Resistance (LAIR) initiative at Eastside Arts Alliance, which provides residencies and performing opportunities for artists of color in East Oakland. José has been participating in FRESH since 2015 and acting as a curator for 2017 + 2018.
Amara Tabor-Smith is an Oakland-based performer, poet, and dance maker who describes her work as Afro-Futurist Conjure Art. Her dance making practice utilizes Yoruba spiritual ritual to address issues of race, gender, social and environmental justice, community, identity, and belonging.
Cat Brooks grew up in Las Vegas dreaming of an acting career even as she tagged along with her ‘radical feminist’ mother from one protest to another. The Oakland resident has emerged as one of the most prominent organizers in the Black Lives Matter movement, and Brooks has played a key role staging protests that halted a San Francisco-bound BART train full of Black Friday shoppers, blockaded Oakland’s police headquarters, and helped end Mayor Libby Schaaf’s short-lived effort to crack down on nighttime street marches. She runs Cat Brooks Consulting and works with the Anti-Police Terror Project.

ABOUT FRESH FESTIVAL:
FRESH Festival 2017, the 8th annual Festival of Experimental Dance + Performance in San Francisco, celebrates and showcases the abundance of embodied art, action, innovation, and inclusion in the Bay Area from January 2-22, with three immersive weeks with intensive practices, cutting-edge performances, and interactive exchanges. Produced by ALTERNATIVA, FRESH 2017 is curated by Kathleen Hermesdorf, Abby Crain, and José Navarrete, and hosted by Joe Goode Annex, Red Poppy Art House, F8 Nightclub in San Francisco, and CTRL+SHFT in Oakland.
To view the full schedule of FRESH Exchanges at the Red Poppy Art House, click here.

EVENT DETAILS

Time: Doors 7:00PM / Event 7:30PM
Admission: Free; by donation

FRESH Exchanges: Alternative Conservatory ft. Tessa Wills
2017-01-12 19:30 - 21:30 | Red Poppy Art House, 2698 Folsom St., San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
In collaboration with FRESH Festival 2017, the Red Poppy Art House is pleased to present FRESH Exchanges, free and by-donation events made to cultivate, cross-pollinate, invigorate, create access, and generate outreach within and outwith the dance, music, and performance communities. These interactive exchanges include Alternative Conservatory on Thursdays, January 5, 12, 19. Hosted by FRESH artists notorious for disarming paradigms and thinking outside the box, Alternative Conservatory is a time to unwind, connect, absorb, consider, listen, and discuss. On January 12th, Tessa Wills presents Hermitude Interlude.
Tessa Wills hosts a reformulation retreat with tactics of Hermitude, an interlude to absorb, consider, recover, and integrate information mid-festival. Solo processing in a group, she discusses some of the major themes as they are danced, felt, and lived out throughout FRESH 2017. She reckons with the underlying question of how to positively utilize the impact on our lives of the new administration, particularly as it relates to empathy through aesthetics. This is a social-thinking, performative-resting, non-demanding-kinda hybrid space.

ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Tessa Wills is a live artist and thinker residing in the shadows, a subtle complicated and fierce creator who loves to be snug. Wills is halfway through her lifelong relationship with performance, and she makes unusual spaces for participation and reflection on intimate relationships through her experimental practice. Her work aims to reconnect and affirm humanity in vital ways, given the socio-political economic contexts in which we are attempting to operate. Wills is the artistic director of THIS IS WHAT I WANT festival, the Bay Area annual performance festival about desire, and she facilitates a community around The Hermit Project.

ABOUT FRESH FESTIVAL:
FRESH Festival 2017, the 8th annual Festival of Experimental Dance + Performance in San Francisco, celebrates and showcases the abundance of embodied art, action, innovation, and inclusion in the Bay Area from January 2-22, with three immersive weeks with intensive practices, cutting-edge performances, and interactive exchanges. Produced by ALTERNATIVA, FRESH 2017 is curated by Kathleen Hermesdorf, Abby Crain, and José Navarrete, and hosted by Joe Goode Annex, Red Poppy Art House, F8 Nightclub in San Francisco, and CTRL+SHFT in Oakland.
To view the full schedule of FRESH Exchanges at the Red Poppy Art House, click here.

EVENT DETAILS

Time: Doors 7:00PM / Event 7:30PM
Admission: Free; by donation

Conspiracy of Venus: 30-Member Female Vocal Ensemble
2017-01-13 19:30 - 22:00 | Red Poppy Art House, 2698 Folsom St., San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
Three days after the first anniversary of David Bowie’s death, 30-woman vocal ensemble Conspiracy of Venus hits the Poppy for an extravaganza of beloved songs by Tom Waits, Björk, Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, the Pixies, and the Thin White Duke himself, as well as original compositions by artistic director Joyce Todd McBride. Drawing inspiration from medieval chant, jazz, funk, and new music, Conspiracy of Venus aims to take vocal music into territories not often explored by more traditional choirs or college-style a cappella groups.
Learn more: Website | Facebook | Bandcamp

EVENT DETAILS

Time: Doors 7:00PM / Show 7:30PM
Admission: $10-20 sliding scale
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event – please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets. All ages are welcome.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer for this event!

Peter Whitehead: Handbuilt Instruments, Heartfelt Vocals
2017-01-14 19:30 - 22:00 | Red Poppy Art House, 2698 Folsom St., San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
Among Peter Whitehead’s many custom-made instruments are the Heart Banjo, made from a baking tin; the Lawn Lyre, made from an old lawnmower and a metal oil pan; and the Spoonharp, made from a five-gallon metal drum, a eucalyptus branch, and kitchen spoons. Whitehead’s Red Poppy debut promises to feature vocals, instruments, and sampling for an evening of richly textured soundscapes, minimalist electronics, and dry English humor.
Featuring:
Peter Whitehead
(special guests TBA)
British-born Peter Whitehead, a longtime Mission resident, is an instrument builder, performer, songwriter, and composer whose resumé includes Mikhail Baryshnikov, Anna Halprin, Sarah Shelton Mann & Contraband, Matt Dillon, NPR, and PBS. He creates scores for film and dance, and he performs solo work using a variety of homemade sound sources, as well as an array of more conventional instruments and electronics.
Learn more: Website | Out of Round Records

EVENT DETAILS

Time: Doors 7:00PM / Show 7:30PM
Admission: $10-20 sliding scale
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event – please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets. All ages are welcome.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer for this event!

Roxy Coss: "Restless Idealism" CD Release Celebration
2017-01-15 19:30 - 22:00 | Red Poppy Art House, 2698 Folsom St., San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
New York-based saxophonist Roxy Coss brings her feel-good take on contemporary jazz to the Red Poppy for an evening of selections from her latest album, Restless Idealism. Coss, a rising composer and experienced educator who’s considered one of the most innovative saxophonists of her generation, is credited with a sound that DownBeat calls “intelligent yet accessible.”
Featuring:
Roxy Coss – saxophones
Maya Kronfeld – piano
Doug Stuart – bass
Hamir Atwal – drums
Originally from Seattle, Roxy Coss has performed extensively around the world with her own band and with Clark Terry, Louis Hayes, the Diva Jazz Orchestra, and the Mingus Big Band. In 2016, she was the recipient of the ASCAP Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award. Her sophomore album, Restless Idealism, has been met with critical acclaim.
Learn more: Website | Facebook | YouTube | SoundCloud

EVENT DETAILS

Time: Doors 7:00PM / Show 7:30PM
Admission: $20-25 sliding scale
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event – please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets. All ages are welcome.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer for this event!

FRESH Exchanges: Experimental Structures ft. Amelia Uzategui Bonilla & Hana Erdman
2017-01-17 19:30 - 21:30 | Red Poppy Art House, 2698 Folsom St., San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
In collaboration with FRESH Festival 2017, the Red Poppy Art House is pleased to present FRESH Exchanges, free and by-donation events made to cultivate, cross-pollinate, invigorate, create access, and generate outreach within and outwith the dance, music, and performance communities. These interactive exchanges include Experimental Structures on Tuesdays, January 3, 10, 17. Hosted by Abby Crain and José Navarrete, Experimental Structures invite artists working on the edge of their form to speak about their work, share excerpts of current projects, and lead group discussions.
On January 17th, artists Amelia Uzategui Bonilla and Hana Erdman share and discuss their works. Bonilla’s 15-minute performance piece from The Myth of the Manta is a multi-generational, bilingual expressive arts performance and workshop experience developed with communities of children and adults dancing with handwoven mantas, a cultural symbol of feminine, indigenous wisdom. Erdman’s 365 routines looks at the emotional production of choreography through notions of companion practice and technologies of friendship and collaboration. In this piece, two artists take turns making eight counts of movement on a daily basis in order to arrive at a one-year-long choreography.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Amelia Uzategui Bonilla (Peru/USA) dedicates herself to arts education, performance, and social justice. In 2013, Amelia co-founded Rio Danza Comunitaria, a cultural organization dedicated to promoting human integration and environmental consciousness through the arts, based in Lima, Peru. She is a graduate from The Juilliard School and the Tamalpa Institute and resides in Oakland, CA.
Hana Lee Erdman is a dance artist who works with choreography and curatorial practices, approaching performance from both embodied and relational sensibilities. Her work generates a space of public intimacy and sensitivity, proposing the practice of being together as a creative one. She wants to see what and how we can do together in order to create potential for transformative experiences through subtle and subversive shifts of power and exchange. Hana has a bachelor’s degree in Art History from UCLA and a master’s degree from the University of the Arts Berlin (HZT).
Abby Crain is an Oakland-based artist who makes dances and other structures for performance. She also works in the field as a teacher, performer, writer, and curator. Her curatorial projects include the NO THANK YOU SHOW, which asked artists to represent or stage work that has been rejected by granting organizations, theaters, collaborators, or the artist herself; the NON MAJOR SHOW, which asked artists to show work not in their primary medium; as well as being on the curatorial panel of FRESH Festival.
José Navarrete is a native of Mexico City where he was first exposed to theater and dance, choreographing and performing in parks, hospitals, and children’s parties as a clown and dancer. He studied dance at the National Institute of Fine Arts in Mexico and has a BA in Anthropology from UC Berkeley and MFA in Dance from Mills College. Currently, he leads the Guerilla Performance Group and curates and produces the Live Arts in Resistance (LAIR) initiative at Eastside Arts Alliance, which provides residencies and performing opportunities for artists of color in East Oakland. José has been participating in FRESH since 2015 and acting as a curator for 2017 + 2018.

ABOUT FRESH FESTIVAL:
FRESH Festival 2017, the 8th annual Festival of Experimental Dance + Performance in San Francisco, celebrates and showcases the abundance of embodied art, action, innovation, and inclusion in the Bay Area from January 2-22, with three immersive weeks with intensive practices, cutting-edge performances, and interactive exchanges. Produced by ALTERNATIVA, FRESH 2017 is curated by Kathleen Hermesdorf, Abby Crain, and José Navarrete, and hosted by Joe Goode Annex, Red Poppy Art House, F8 Nightclub in San Francisco, and CTRL+SHFT in Oakland.
To view the full schedule of FRESH Exchanges at the Red Poppy Art House, click here.

EVENT DETAILS

Time: Doors 7:00PM / Event 7:30PM
Admission: Free; by donation

FRESH Exchanges: Social Practice/Potluck ft. Kathleen Hermesdorf, Stephanie Maher, Keith Hennessy, Abby Crain & Sara Shelton Mann
2017-01-18 19:30 - 21:00 | Red Poppy Art House, 2698 Folsom St., San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
In collaboration with FRESH Festival 2017, the Red Poppy Art House is pleased to present FRESH Exchanges, free and by-donation events made to cultivate, cross-pollinate, invigorate, create access, and generate outreach within and outwith the dance, music, and performance communities. These interactive exchanges include Social Practice/Potlucks on Wednesdays, January 4, 11, 18. FRESH Social Practice/Potlucks are collaborative meals and interactivities co-hosted by artists notorious for generating situations of connectivity, improvisation, inclusivity, and direct action.
On January 18th, artists Kathleen Hermesdorf, Stephanie Maher, Keith Hennessy, Abby Crain, and Sara Shelton Mann co-host an evening about sharing food, experience, embodiment, improvisation, and agency – empathetic disruptors.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Kathleen Hermesdorf is an international dance artist, educator, producer, and the director of ALTERNATIVA in San Francisco. She has been dancing in the Bay Area since 1991 and teaches, performs, improvises, creates, curates, and mentors around the world. A collaborator at heart, she co-directed Hermesdorf & Wells Dance Company with Scott Wells and Collusion with Stephanie Maher, with whom she has co-directed PORCH summerschool at Ponderosa in Germany since 2010. Hermesdorf brings over 20 years of experience from the field, studio, and stage to her work and holds a BFA and an MFA in Dance Performance + Pedagogy.
Stephanie Maher is known for her breathtaking physicality and for creating works that express a unique blend of intimacy, sensitivity, and wild humor. Improvisationally structuring and unknowingly creating a life of curating dance between the urban environment and nature, Maher’s focus has deepened towards the small networkings of the international dance scene, creating avenues of support for self-realized and non-profit organizations. This includes the facets of liminal, spontaneous, curious and outspoken performance installations that occur within the permissible space of Ponderosa work and art made at home.
Keith Hennessy dances in and around performance. Born in Sudbury, Ontario, he currently lives in San Francisco and tours internationally. His performances engage improvisation, ritual, and public action as tools for investigating political realities. Practices inspired by anarchism, critical whiteness, punk, and queer-feminism motivate and mobilize Hennessy’s teaching, writing, and dancing. He started practicing contact improvisation in 1979, the same year that he discovered body-based performance art. Hennessy directs Circo Zero and was a member of Contraband with Sara Shelton Mann from 1985-1994.
Abby Crain is an Oakland-based artist who makes dances and other structures for performance. She also works in the field as a teacher, performer, writer, and curator. Her curatorial projects include the NO THANK YOU SHOW, which asked artists to represent or stage work that has been rejected by granting organizations, theaters, collaborators, or the artist herself; the NON MAJOR SHOW, which asked artists to show work not in their primary medium; as well as being on the curatorial panel of FRESH Festival.
Sara Shelton Mann has been a choreographer, performer, and teacher since 1967. In 1979, she moved to SFCA and started the Company Contraband as a performance group and research ground, combining the principles of contact, systems of the body, and spiritual practice into a unified system of research. Her Movement Alchemy training is an ongoing teaching project and is influenced by certifications and studies in the metaphysical and healing traditions. Sara’s performance work is a platform for collaboration and research in consciousness.

ABOUT FRESH FESTIVAL:
FRESH Festival 2017, the 8th annual Festival of Experimental Dance + Performance in San Francisco, celebrates and showcases the abundance of embodied art, action, innovation, and inclusion in the Bay Area from January 2-22, with three immersive weeks with intensive practices, cutting-edge performances, and interactive exchanges. Produced by ALTERNATIVA, FRESH 2017 is curated by Kathleen Hermesdorf, Abby Crain, and José Navarrete, and hosted by Joe Goode Annex, Red Poppy Art House, F8 Nightclub in San Francisco, and CTRL+SHFT in Oakland.
To view the full schedule of FRESH Exchanges at the Red Poppy Art House, click here.

EVENT DETAILS

Time: Doors 7:00PM / Event 7:30PM
Admission: Free; by donation

FRESH Exchanges: Alternative Conservatory ft. Dance Studies Working Group
2017-01-19 19:30 - 21:30 | Red Poppy Art House, 2698 Folsom St., San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
In collaboration with FRESH Festival 2017, the Red Poppy Art House is pleased to present FRESH Exchanges, free and by-donation events made to cultivate, cross-pollinate, invigorate, create access, and generate outreach within and outwith the dance, music, and performance communities. These interactive exchanges include Alternative Conservatory on Thursdays, January 5, 12, 19. Hosted by FRESH artists notorious for disarming paradigms and thinking outside the box, Alternative Conservatory is a time to unwind, connect, absorb, consider, listen, and discuss. On January 19th, the Dance Studies Working Group presents Dance/Space/Community Organizing.
The Dance Studies Working Group brings together organizers of Bay Area performance spaces who have foregrounded community building and activism in and alongside presenting dance. Embedded within FRESH Festival, the discussion is a means to highlight and engage with ongoing organizing efforts to bridge dance spaces and activism in the Bay.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
The UC Berkeley Dance Studies Working Group (DSWG) was founded in 2008 by a group of graduate students in the Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies Department. DSWG exists as a site of inquiry, exploration, and discussion for students, faculty, scholars, practitioners, and community members engaged with dance and movement-based practices. With a focus on process over product, DSWG serves as an incubator to engage with new research and alternate pathways for knowledge production and dissemination, and further support dance practices and research that engage with a wide array of social, political, and cultural issues.

ABOUT FRESH FESTIVAL:
FRESH Festival 2017, the 8th annual Festival of Experimental Dance + Performance in San Francisco, celebrates and showcases the abundance of embodied art, action, innovation, and inclusion in the Bay Area from January 2-22, with three immersive weeks with intensive practices, cutting-edge performances, and interactive exchanges. Produced by ALTERNATIVA, FRESH 2017 is curated by Kathleen Hermesdorf, Abby Crain, and José Navarrete, and hosted by Joe Goode Annex, Red Poppy Art House, F8 Nightclub in San Francisco, and CTRL+SHFT in Oakland.
To view the full schedule of FRESH Exchanges at the Red Poppy Art House, click here.

EVENT DETAILS

Time: Doors 7:00PM / Event 7:30PM
Admission: Free; by donation

Amie Cota & the Liberation Project: American Folk & Soul
2017-01-20 19:30 - 22:00 | Red Poppy Art House, 2698 Folsom St., San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
Amie Cota’s sound, which melds American folk and soul, has been described as “Billie Holiday raised by hippies.” The vocalist formerly known as Amy LaCour returns to the Poppy accompanied only by bass and piano for an evening of music that’s not quite jazz, soul, or folk, but a delectable combination of the three.
Featuring:
Amie Cota – vocals
Ruthie Dineen – piano
Schuyler Karr – bass
Over her nearly 20-year career, vocalist/composer Amie Cota has independently released four albums and collaborated with artists of diverse musical backgrounds, including jazz, reggae, R&B, and classical. A recording of her Any Place But Here, a song cycle in 13 poems in collaboration with Amaranth String Quartet, will be released in 2017.
Learn more: Website | Facebook

EVENT DETAILS

Time: Doors 7:00PM / Show 7:30PM
Admission: $10-25 sliding scale
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event – please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets. All ages are welcome.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer for this event!

Guarandinga: Afro-Venezuelan Pop for the Dancefloor
2017-01-21 19:30 - 22:00 | Red Poppy Art House, 2698 Folsom St., San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
Weaving together Afro-Caribbean beats and fueled by folklore, pop, and gritty East Bay funk, Guarandinga descends on the Poppy for an infectious electronic dance party that promises to help you forget the cold, wet weather.
Featuring:
Rowan Jimenez – vocals, percussion
Jeremy Allen – bass, vocals, cuatro, percussion
Kenya Moses – percussion, vocals
Chris Carter – guitar
Brian Andres – drums
Edgar Lavado – vocals, percussion
Henry Hung – trumpet/synth
Makini Duewa – dance
Oakland’s Guarandinga is led by singer/lyricist Rowan Jimenez and bassist/producer Jeremy Allen. They take inspiration from across the musical spectrum, subverting expectations of what fits together.
Learn more: Website | Facebook | SoundCloud

EVENT DETAILS

Time: Doors 7:00PM / Show 7:30PM
Admission: $15-20 sliding scale
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event – please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets. All ages are welcome.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer for this event!

"The Audience" Artist Reception
2017-01-22 14:00 - 16:00 | Red Poppy Art House, 2698 Folsom St., San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
The Poppy invites you to join the artist and curators behind its first exhibition of 2017, The Audience. On view until April 2nd, this current body of portraits seeks to celebrate an eclectic group of people from history, pop culture, and somewhat forgotten history.
Born in the glamorous city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Michelle L. Morby is a multi-media artist who has worked in both analog and digital photography, video, installation, performance, happenings, and now paintings as performance. It is her staunch belief that the creative idea dictates the medium. Some themes she has explored in her work are mythos, desire, transformation, and belonging.
Curators Modesto Covarrubias and Monica Lundy, who actively seek work that enlivens and engages the space in which it exists, present The Audience in the Poppy’s performance space to spark a dialogue between music, voice, movement, and the act of seeing. Covarrubias and Lundy view this exhibition as an opportunity for visual and performing art to come together, to nourish, inform, and challenge one another, and to create an experience that is greater than the sum of its parts.

EVENT DETAILS

Time: Event 2:00PM
Admission: Free
All ages are welcome.

Zina Bozzay & Vadalma: Hungarian Songs of Grief & Merriment
2017-01-22 19:30 - 22:00 | Red Poppy Art House, 2698 Folsom St., San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
Zina Bozzay’s vibrant original arrangements of old Carpathian Basin village songs feature the rich melodies, funky rhythms, and colorful lyrics of traditional Hungarian folk tunes, realized by her genuine singing, the fiery fiddling of Matthew Szemela, and Misha Khalikulov’s soulful cello.
Featuring:
Zina Bozzay – vocals
Matthew Szemela – violin
Misha Khalikulov – cello
Trained by master singers in Hungary, Zina Bozzay has performed at the Táncháztalálkozó, Hungarian Heritage House, and National Theatre in Budapest, and has been a soloist at the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival, the Golden Festival in New York, and the Kárpátok 50th Anniversary Gala in Los Angeles. She holds a masters in music composition, and with her ensemble Vadalma, she creates historically-informed, innovative chamber arrangements using both traditional and non-traditional accompaniment.
Learn more: Website | Facebook

EVENT DETAILS

Time: Doors 7:00PM / Show 7:30PM
Admission: $15-20 sliding scale
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event – please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets. All ages are welcome.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer for this event!

Brian Andres and the Afro-Cuban Jazz Cartel ft. Sandra Garcia Rivera: Latin Jazz Meets Spoken Word
2017-01-27 19:30 - 22:00 | Red Poppy Art House, 2698 Folsom St., San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
Nuyorican poet/cultural worker Sandra Garcia Rivera joins the Grammy-winning musicians and educators of Brian Andres’ Afro-Cuban Jazz Cartel for a special performance of original compositions and exciting arrangements of Cuban, Puerto Rican, Mexican, and U.S. classics.
Featuring:
Brian Andres – drum set
Javier Cabanillas – congas
Aaron Germain – bass
Christian Tumalan – piano
Sandra Garcia Rivera – spoken word
Inspired by the Bay Area’s deep Latin jazz heritage, the Afro-Cuban Jazz Cartel features Grammy-winning musicians and esteemed music educators who boast a deep repertoire of originals and standards. Leader Brian Andres also offers lectures and workshops in Afro-Cuban and pan-Caribbean music.
Bay Area-based Nuyorican poet and cultural worker Sandra Garcia Rivera teaches creative writing, hosts a monthly literary series, and performs with Latin/Caribbean ensembles.
Learn more: Website | Facebook

EVENT DETAILS

Time: Doors 7:00PM / Show 7:30PM
Admission: $10-15 sliding scale
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event – please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets. All ages are welcome.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer for this event!

Beaucoup Chapeaux: Sounds of an Old-World Café
2017-01-28 19:30 - 22:00 | Red Poppy Art House, 2698 Folsom St., San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
With a sound influenced by Django Reinhardt, Edith Piaf, Roma music, jazz, and folk, Beaucoup Chapeaux returns to the Poppy for an evening of originals and reinterpretations of traditional European classics, ready to transport you through time and space.
Featuring:
Maggie McKaig – accordion, vocals
Luke Wilson – tenor guitar, plectrum banjo, vocals
Murray Campbell – violin, oboe, English horn, vocals
Randy McKean – clarinet, bass clarinet, piccolo, vocals
Beaucoup Chapeaux founder and leader Maggie McKaig is an accordionist, guitarist, vocalist, and award-winning composer who was worked with luminaries such as bassists Michael Zisman and Bill Douglass, saxophonist George Brooks, and Grammy-winner Mary Youngblood. McKaig and her bandmates–including Wilson; Campbell, who frequently plays with North State, InConcert, and Auburn symphonies; and composer/vocalist Randy McKean, leader of the the modern chamber quartet Bristle–have played numerous tours throughout Northern California and the Pacific Northwest, as well as countless evenings at a French café in their hometown of Nevada City, California.
Learn more: Website | Sonicbids | Facebook | YouTube
Photo by: Tony Finnerty

EVENT DETAILS

Time: Doors 7:00PM / Show 7:30PM
Admission: $15-20 sliding scale
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event – please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets. All ages are welcome.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer for this event!

IndiviDúo: California & Colombian Pop Duo
2017-02-03 20:00 - 22:00 | Red Poppy Art House, 2698 Folsom St., San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
Salsa, bossa nova, boleros, and Colombian cumbia meet in the dynamic Latin pop of IndiviDúo, a cross-continental collaboration between San Francisco-born songstress Tiffany Joy and Colombian songsmith Maqui Reyes. Expect an evening of infectious originals and celebrated hits in the duo’s Red Poppy debut.
Featuring:
Maqui Reyes – vocals, guitar, ukulele
Tiffany Joy – guitar, melodica, percussion
(Full Lineup TBA)
After meeting in Buenos Aires back in 2010, Tiffany Joy and Maqui Reyes set their solo music careers aside to create IndiviDúo. For the past few years, the duo has performed extensively throughout North and South America, winning two Akademia Music Awards and placing as finalists in the 2016 International Songwriting Competition. Their debut full-length, Sueño, topped the pop charts in Bogotá, Colombia in late 2015.
Learn more: Website | Facebook | YouTube

EVENT DETAILS

Time: Doors 7:30PM / Show 8:00PM
Admission: $10-20 sliding scale
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event – please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets. All ages are welcome.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer for this event!

STOOP: Sueños / Dreams
2017-02-04 12:00 - 15:00 | CA
February Stoop Fest will engage artists from different geographies, minds, ages, and histories to share their dreams for this new year; to discover what is common and uncommon between us; and to explore the collective dream of our families, our city, and our world. We encourage you to bring a dream to share: write it, sing it, recite it, sculpt it, or dance it!

ABOUT STOOP:
Mission Stoop Fest (STOOP) is a civil society arts experiment that transpires on the front stoops of local residences, where traditional and contemporary artists perform and where local residents share stories and histories. The front stoop represents a literal threshold between the public and private spheres and is a historic site of spontaneous community interaction and exchange. Occurring during the day on the same bi-monthly dates as sister-project, Mission Arts & Performance Project (MAPP), STOOP will provide a program and a map of multiple neighborhood stoops where performance and storytelling will unfold simultaneously.

SCHEDULE & LOCATIONS:
STOOP 1 – 3017 20th Street (Curator: Alejandro Meza)
Alejandro Meza – Make you machine of dreams sculpture workshop
Dennis Maxwell – Performance to activate the dream machine
Mei Hsuan Michelle – Painting workshop about the color of dreams
STOOP 2 – 2747 Harrison Street (Curator: Chelis López)
Leticia Hernández – Poetry
Maria Loreto Ramírez – Music
Violeta Luna – Performance
STOOP 3 – 2894 23rd Street (Curator: Ariel López)
Pangea – Music
Pancho Pescador – Painting
Roberto Leni – Poetry

EVENT DETAILS

Time: Event 12:00PM
Location: (See schedule above)
Admission: Free
All ages are welcome.

MAPP: Mission Arts & Performance Project
2017-02-04 19:00 - 21:30 | Red Poppy Art House, 2698 Folsom St., San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
Launched in 2003, the Mission Arts & Performance Project (MAPP) is a homegrown bi-monthly, multidisciplinary, intercultural happening that takes place in the Mission District of San Francisco. On the first Saturday of every even month of the year, the MAPP transforms ordinary spaces, such as private garages, gardens, living rooms, studios, street corners, and small businesses into pop-up performance and exhibition sites for a day/night of intimate-scale artistic and cultural exchange among a kaleidoscope of individuals and communities.

RED POPPY SCHEDULE:
7:15pm: Sara Marinelli, “January in the Blood” (A Lyric Essay)
Sara Marinelli reads a lyric essay about her family’s story. Memory and loss, family and community ties, the separation from one’s own cultural roots and their relocation elsewhere are some of the themes explored in her writing.

7:30pm: Niva Flor w/ Miko Tolliver (Acoustic Soul)
8:00pm: Axel Herrera (Chamber Music)
Axel Herrera presents works written in a traditional classical language as well as works informed by his Latin American heritage. The repertoire includes “Cuarteto Gallant,” “Duet for Violin and Viola,” “Duet for Harpsichord and Saxophone,” and “Heartbeat and Memory.” Scored for string trio and ethnic percussion, “Heartbeat and Memory” honors the 43 students who went missing in Iguala, Mexico, in 2014. Performing with Herrera is Rodrigo Santic on saxophone, Jen Mathers on cello, Hillary Lewis on viola, and Alejandra Contreras and Patrick Galvin on violin.
8:30pm: StringQuake (Electric Harp, Cello, Percussion)
Amelia Romano, Misha Khalikulov, and Josh Mellinger perform an original repertoire through unusual instrumentation–electric harp, cello, and percussion–to explore far-flung sounds inspired by Greece, India, Africa, and the Americas.
9:00pm: Love Songs from Around the World (Spanish, Latin & Iranian Music)
Harpist Amelia Romano and percussionist Josh Mellinger join vocalist Dina Zarif for flamenco-inspired rhythms, Mexican classics, and Iranian folk tunes in a seamless soundscape of tragedy and triumph. Traveling from Spain to Mexico and Iran, each note invites the listener into a distinct world holding the universal message of love and loss.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Born in Naples, Italy, Sara Marinelli is a writer, translator, and educator. She earned her PhD in English from the University of Rome and an MFA in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University. Her stories appear in New American Writing, Blue Mesa Review, and many Italian publications. For her fiction, she was awarded residencies at the Vermont Studio Center, Byrdcliffe Art Colony, and BANFF Center for the Arts. Sara teaches Comparative Literature at the University of San Francisco, co-curates an all-women reading series titled Hazel Reading Series, and is currently working on her first novel.
Niva Flor is an independent singer/songwriter based in Oakland, CA. Born in the Jersey suburbs and into an extraordinary community of teachers, creatives, activists, lovers, dreamers, old souls, and survivors, Niva learned at an early age the transformative power of music. “Eclectic, corky, funk-jazzy soul” is how she describes her sound. Fresh but affectionately familiar, Niva’s soulful vocals calm, evoke, and challenge.
Axel Herrera is a San Francisco-based composer of classical music. Born in Chile, he grew up in the port city of Valparaiso, home to a thriving generation of artists and musicians. He received his earliest musical training at the age of 12 at the Escuela Artística de Valparaiso, a community based school.
A captivating harpist and songwriter, Amelia Romano blends dynamic rhythms and raw vocals that produce an intimate, energizing experience. Her latest album, New Perspectives, features a tango-style Mexican bolero, contemporary flamenco music, Venezuelan joropo, and a touch of American blues. These compositions reflect her personal stories of loss and love that leave the listener clamoring for more.
Dina Zarif is a performer and vocalist. She recently appeared in a Persian traditional musical, Tarabnameh, at Stanford and a shadow light production, Feathers of Fire, at San Francisco’s Cowell Theater, Brooklyn’s BAM, New York’s Met, Harvard, and UCLA. Dina received her MA in Landscape Architecture from University of Tehran, College of Fine Arts.

EVENT DETAILS

Time: Event 7:00PM
Admission: Free
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer for this event!

Sueños: Contemporary Jazz + Hip-Hop Beats
2017-02-09 19:30 - 22:00 | Red Poppy Art House, 2698 Folsom St., San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
Whether playing in loud rock clubs or more intimate spaces, Sueños boasts a remarkably adaptable repertoire that integrates hip-hop beats, gospel harmonies, acoustic bass, bebop-influenced horns, and electronics. The group writes and performs original music, as well as covers by artists such as Roy Hargrove, Christian Scott, Kanye West, and J Dilla.
Featuring:
Noah Frank – trumpet
Eli Strauss – tenor saxophone
Manny Berry – keyboard
Curtis Aikens – bass
Brandon Farmer – drums
Learn more: Facebook

EVENT DETAILS

Time: Doors 7:00PM / Show 7:30PM
Admission: $10-15 sliding scale
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event – please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets. All ages are welcome.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer for this event!

Citizens Jazz Presents: Bay Area Women in Jazz
2017-02-10 19:30 - 22:00 | Red Poppy Art House, 2698 Folsom St., San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
This all-star lineup of some of the Bay Area’s best female musicians will pay tribute to the history of jazz, from old-time blues, 1930s and ’40s tangos, choros, valse-musettes, and swing to ’50s and ’60s bebop and ending with a special, contemporary approach on traditional jazz favorites.
Featuring:
Kally Price – vocals
Gabi Cavassa – vocals
Caroline Chung – upright bass
Amina Michele Scott – upright bass
Jenelle Roccaforte – upright bass
Gaea Schell – piano
Elektra Schmidt – piano
Ruth Price – drums
Hannah Glass – violin
Eli Maliwan – saxophones
Citizens Jazz, a collective led by bassist Caroline Chung, features combos of both up-and-coming and veteran musicians, all of whom maintain busy professional schedules in swing, bebop, blues, Latin, and soul groups around town.

EVENT DETAILS

Time: Doors 7:00PM / Show 7:30PM
Admission: $10-20 sliding scale
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event – please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets. All ages are welcome.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer for this event!

Tango No. 9: Exploring the World of Tango
2017-02-11 19:30 - 22:00 | Red Poppy Art House, 2698 Folsom St., San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
San Francisco quartet Tango No. 9 explores the music of tango in all its myriad manifestations. Performing tragic vocal ballads, the habanera rhythms of the dance repertoire, and the tango nuevo of Astor Piazzolla, the group combines violin, piano, trombone, and vocals to capture a large sound that is both romantic and heart-breaking.
Featuring:
Joshua Raoul Brody – piano
Catharine Clune – violin
Greg Stephens – trombone
Zoltan DiBartolo – vocals
Since 1998, all-star Bay Area ensemble Tango No. 9 has presented a passionate, cutting-edge sound that delves deep into the world of tango. Drawing from traditional tango and contemporary jazz influences, the group cites revolutionary composer Astor Piazzolla as one of their biggest inspirations. Tango No. 9 has recorded four critically acclaimed albums and performed countless concerts all over the West Coast.
Learn more: Website

EVENT DETAILS

Time: Doors 7:00PM / Show 7:30PM
Admission: $10-20 sliding scale
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event – please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets. All ages are welcome.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer for this event!

Fellow Pynins: Roots Folk Duo
2017-02-12 19:30 - 22:00 | Red Poppy Art House, 2698 Folsom St., San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
Weaving together banjo, guitar, mandolin, and bouzouki with tender vocal harmonies, nomadic folk duo Fellow Pynins tells enchanted stories both old and new of frolicking through pastures of sheep, dreams of death, and entering the chasms of the human experience. They will be sharing music from their 2016 release, Hunter & the Hunted, as well as new songs from their travels in the British Isles and Ireland.
Featuring:
Ian Van Ornum – vocals, mandolin, guitar
Dani Aubert – vocals, banjo, bouzouki
Learn more: Website | Facebook

EVENT DETAILS

Time: Doors 7:00PM / Show 7:30PM
Admission: $15-20 sliding scale
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event – please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets. All ages are welcome.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer for this event!

Alex Conde: Latin Jazz Meets Piano Flamenco (Double Show!)
2017-02-16 19:00 - 22:00 | Red Poppy Art House, 2698 Folsom St., San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
The Red Poppy Art House welcomes back Spanish flamenco-jazz pianist Alex Conde for an evening of Latin jazz classics and originals. Conde has received enthusiastic accolades for Descarga for Monk, his 2015 jazz, flamenco, and Latin tribute to piano genius Thelonious Monk, and his double show promises to deliver the same thrills.
Featuring:
Alex Conde – piano
(plus a special guest)
Berklee College graduate Alex Conde, a native from Spain, is regarded as one of the foremost exponents of piano flamenco jazz. The Izzie-nominated pianist’s signature blend of flamenco and jazz has been praised by DownBeat, KQED, AllAboutJazz, and many others. Conde’s many collaborators have included the Oakland Youth Orchestra and the Miami Chamber Orchestra, led by Federico Britos.
Learn more: Facebook

EVENT DETAILS

Time: First show 7:00PM / Second show 8:45PM
Admission: $20-25 sliding scale
Advance tickets: $20

*PLEASE NOTE: Double shows at the Red Poppy consist of two separate performances: The first show generally runs from 7:00-8:15pm, the second from 8:45-10:00pm. When purchasing tickets, please select one of two show times: 7:00pm OR 8:45pm. Advance tickets are limited. Additional tickets will be available for purchase (cash) at the door the day of the event.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer for this event!

Will Bernard & Beth Custer: Original Melodic Chamber Jazz Duets
2017-02-17 19:30 - 22:00 | Red Poppy Art House, 2698 Folsom St., San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
Guitarist Will Bernard and clarinetist/vocalist Beth Custer present an evening of original compositions and arrangements exploring blues, jazz, folk, and classical music.
Featuring:
Will Bernard – guitar
Beth Custer – clarinet, vocals
Guitarist Will Bernard is a Grammy-nominated bandleader and founding member of all-star Bay Area jazz conglomerate T.J. Kirk, as well as Galactic drummer Stanton Moore’s rollicking trio. Bernard is a virtuosic performer whose bone-deep, groove-heavy playing was a vital part of Peter Apfelbaum’s Hieroglyphics Ensemble and the guitarist’s own funky quartet, Motherbug. Amazon.com calls Bernard’s latest Posi-Tone release, Out & About, “elegantly lyrical and brilliantly evocative of a more modern jazz sensibility.”
With a musical palette that seamlessly combines vivid shades of jazz, blues, Afro-Caribbean and contemporary classical music, clarinetist Beth Custer is one of the most vital and productive composers on the Bay Area scene, having recorded over 30 albums with her various ensembles. The New York native first gained attention in the early 1980s composing for Club Foot Orchestra, a San Francisco ensemble known for performing innovative scores for classic silent films. Custer pilots a series of bracing ensembles, including Clarinet Thing, Trance Mission, and Beth Custer Ensemble.
Learn more: Facebook

EVENT DETAILS

Time: Doors 7:00PM / Show 7:30PM
Admission: $20-25 sliding scale
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event – please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets. All ages are welcome.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer for this event!

Ramana Vieira: The Essence of Fado
2017-02-18 19:30 - 22:00 | Red Poppy Art House, 2698 Folsom St., San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
Backed by a guitar/bass/violin trio, acclaimed fado singer Ramana Vieira breathes new life into the works of Portuguese fado icon Amália Rodrigues.
Featuring:
Ramana Vieira – vocals
Brad Bivens – guitar
John Clark – bass
Ela Polak – violin
Ramana Vieira has been described as the “new voice of Portuguese world music.” “Cabo Verde,” the opening track of her 2015 album, Fado da Vida, was nominated as “Best World Music Song” at the 2015 International Portuguese Music Awards, and her version of the standard “Ai Mouraria” was nominated for “Best Fado” at the International Portuguese Music Awards in 2016.
Learn more: Website

EVENT DETAILS

Time: Doors 7:00PM / Show 7:30PM
Admission: $20-25 sliding scale
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event – please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets. All ages are welcome.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer for this event!

The Supplicants: Powerful Collective Musical Improvisation
2017-02-19 19:00 - 22:00 | Red Poppy Art House, 2698 Folsom St., San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
Two of the Bay Area’s most respected saxophonists, David Boyce and Richard Howell, join drummer Sameer Gupta and bassist David Ewell for this evening-length exploration into musical improvisation. Their music reflects the continuum of jazz from a global orientation, embracing the tones and textures of Africa, India, the Caribbean, and Eastern Europe.
Featuring:
David Boyce – saxophone
Richard Howell – saxophone
David Ewell – bass
Sameer Gupta – drumset
Learn more: CD Baby

EVENT DETAILS

Time: Doors 6:30PM / Show 7:00PM
Admission: $20-25 sliding scale
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event – please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets. All ages are welcome.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer for this event!

Ole! Opa!: Balkan, Turkish & Spanish Songs with Flamenco Dance
2017-02-23 19:30 - 22:00 | Red Poppy Art House, 2698 Folsom St., San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
This bicoastal quartet–comprised of New York-based singer Jenny Luna and Bay Area residents Bianca Rodriguez (flamenco dance), Morgan Nilsen (clarinet), and Chris Reid (guitar)–promises to bring you a fresh take on music from Turkey, Spain, and the Balkans.
Ole! Opa!, formed by Bianca Rodriguez and Jenny Luna, draws from Jenny’s background in Balkan and Turkish singing and Bianca’s background in flamenco dance. The group performs songs from several countries, including Turkey, Spain, Romania, Serbia, Greece, and Hungary.

EVENT DETAILS

Time: Doors 7:00PM / Show 7:30PM
Admission: $10-20 sliding scale
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event – please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets. All ages are welcome.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer for this event!
