Red Poppy Art House

Pollination I: Opening night of the Cross Pollination Festival
2014-09-24 19:00 - 22:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Red Poppy Art House, 2698 Folsom St., San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
The Red Poppy Art House PresentsThe First Annual Cross Pollination People & Performance Festival September 24th-28th, 2014Curated by lu-Hui Chua, Todd Thomas Brown, and Melody Wang
This September, the Red Poppy Art House is producing a new festival aimed at bringing together artists and audiences from different communities and artistic disciplines. It’s all about creating a space of intersection between the different worlds we inhabit; our social spheres, our work life, and our personal paths. Each evening features a mash-up of different aesthetics that highlight the audiences attending as well as the artists presenting. Come experience a weekend of people and performance, magic and medicine, and the space between.
Pollination I: Wednesday September 24, 2014
For the opening night of the Cross Pollination Festival, we are pleased to present an evening of short films. The second half of the evening will be in conjunction with the sixth annual Cine+Más San Francisco Latino Film Festival, followed by an Q&A.
Time: Doors open at 7:00, Show begins at 7:30pm
Admission: $12
Advanced tickets available here: http://pollination1.bpt.me
Half of available tickets will be available for purchase at the door.

Cine+Más San Francisco Latino Film FestivalSFLFF is a volunteer-produced program whose mission is to increase cultural opportunities for the Latino community by showcasing and promoting the work of emerging and established filmmakers from the US, Latin America, and the Iberian Peninsula and by creating a cultural dialogue between Latinos and non-Latinos to discuss universal cross-cultural experiences. For the Cross-Pollination Festival, the following five short films will be presented at Red Poppy Art House:
Who Asked for it?
Dir: Rajendra Serber
Sidewalk: Featuring Cielo Vertical Arts
Dir: Lindsay Gauthier
Tengo Talento: Julio Padrón y El Nino Jesus (Cuban Jazz)
Dir: Eli & Kahlil Jacobs-Fantauzzi
Beep
Dir: Ivan Iturriaga
Eyes That Do Not See/ Ojos que no Ven
Dir: Patricia C. Ovando
Alma & Esperanza
Dir: Itandehui Jansen
Frontera! Revolt and Rebellion on the Rio Grande
Dir: John Jota Leaños
Visit www.sflatinofilmfestival.org for more detailed film synopses, full festival schedule, and ticketing information.

Pollination II: Marcus Shelby Trio, Byb Chanel Bibene, Embodiment Project and Indira Allegra
2014-09-25 19:00 - 22:00
The Red Poppy Art House PresentsThe First Annual Cross Pollination People & Performance Festival September 24th-28th, 2014Curated by lu-Hui Chua, Todd Thomas Brown, and Melody Wang
This September, the Red Poppy Art House is producing a new festival aimed at bringing together artists and audiences from different communities and artistic disciplines. It’s all about creating a space of intersection between the different worlds we inhabit; our social spheres, our work life, and our personal paths. Each evening features a mash-up of different aesthetics that highlight the audiences attending as well as the artists presenting. Come experience a weekend of people and performance, magic and medicine, and the space between.
Pollination II: Thursday, September 25, 2014
Time: Doors open at 7:00, Show begins at 7:30pm
Admission: $15-25
All seating is general admission. Please select the admission price you’re most comfortable with within this range. Your additional support is greatly appreciated!
Advanced tickets available here: http://pollination2.bpt.me.
Half of available tickets will be available for purchase at the door.

Marcus Anthony Shelby is an accomplished teacher, composer, arranger, and bassist, and has received a number of recognitions and awards in the past 24 years, including “Top Ten Most Influential African Americans in the Bay Area” on City Flight Magazine 2005. Currently, Shelby is an artist in residence with the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival, and working with playwright and actress Anna Deveare Smith on her new work “Pipeline to Prison”.

Byb Chanel Bibene will perform a complex piece that examines the relationship between the inside and the outside of the body, while exploring the intrinsic emotions and how they are channeled out to relate with the environment around us. Choreographer and performer working in both theatre and dance, Bibene’s technical and aesthetic sensibility is rooted in the culture and dances of his country of origin, the Republic of Congo.

Embodiment Project is a San Francisco-based urban dance theater company that was founded in 2008 by Artistic Director Nicole Klaymoon. Comprising ten dancers and a live vocal ensemble, led by EP musical director, Valerie Troutt, the company’s mission is to promote appreciation and understanding of various street dance traditions by presenting original, multi-media works to diverse audiences while challenging traditional approaches to concert dance. With emotionally transparent, autobiographical narratives, and joyous, energetic movement, EP’s work reflects the company’s pursuit of how dance can “speak” and language can “move” – and how this unique form of storytelling can thrive in a rapidly changing world.

Indira Allegra is a poet and artist exploring intimacy, intertextuality, affect and endurance through performance, video works and handwoven textiles. Indira’s experimental “videopoems” Blue Covers and Weep Willow: The Blues for Lady Day have screened at film festivals such as MIX NYC, Perlen Hannover LGBT Festival, Visible Verse Festival and Fusion. In the Bay Area, Allegra has performed with Queer Rebels of the Harlem Renaissance, Mangos with Chili and Peacock Rebellion. She is currently completing her first collection of poems entitled Indigo Season.

Pollination III: John Calloway, and dancers Amara Tabor-Smith, Jennifer Gwirtz, Christine Germain and Kerry Mehling
2014-09-26 19:00 - 22:00
The Red Poppy Art House PresentsThe First Annual Cross Pollination People & Performance Festival September 24th-28th, 2014Curated by lu-Hui Chua, Todd Thomas Brown, and Melody Wang
This September, the Red Poppy Art House is producing a new festival aimed at bringing together artists and audiences from different communities and artistic disciplines. It’s all about creating a space of intersection between the different worlds we inhabit; our social spheres, our work life, and our personal paths. Each evening features a mash-up of different aesthetics that highlight the audiences attending as well as the artists presenting. Come experience a weekend of people and performance, magic and medicine, and the space between.
Pollination III: Friday, September 26, 2014
Time: Doors open at 7:00, Show begins at 7:30pm
Admission: $15-25
All seating is general admission. Please select the admission price you’re most comfortable with within this range. Your additional support is greatly appreciated!
Advanced tickets available here: http://pollination3.bpt.me
Half of available tickets will be available for purchase at the door.

John Calloway, along with his band, bring us Tales of the Barrio II, “A Little Night Music,” musical selections inspired by the Mission District of past and present. Flautist John Calloway is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, and educator, and has collaborated with Omar Sosa, Max Roach, John Santos, Jesus Diaz, Arturo Sandoval and many more. Calloway holds a Doctorate in Multicultural Education from the University of San Francisco and is a frequent panelist and presenter on diversity in the arts and arts education.

Amara Tabor-Smith will present a excerpt from a new work inspired by the life and work of Ana Mendieta. Dancer, choreographer, San Francisco native and Oakland resident, Tabor-Smith is the artistic director of Deep Waters Dance Theater, which draws upon influences of traditional rituals to depict modern realities of environmental justice. Tabor-Smith is currently an artist in residence at ODC Theater and teaches dance on faculty at UC Berkeley.

Jennifer Gwirtz will perform her original solo piece, Migration. With her group Right Brain Performance Lab, formed in 1998 and dedicated to experimentation in performance, she creates theatrical, movement-based work that challenge how viewers engage with performance in a variety of settings.

Christine Germain, will present Corps Étranger, a piece that explores “otherness” and the way people adapt to a new life and identity. A movement explorer and Feldenkrais instructor, Germain’s honors include the Most Promising Choreographer Award at the 2012 Montreal Fringe Festival, a DAAD scholarship and a CA$H Grant Award from the Dancers’ Group and Bay Area theater.

Kerry Mehling will present Who Here Thinks They’re a Fish, a one woman’s journey through her once vital life, acceptance of her mortality and her heroic ascension into the unknown. Mehling has performed and toured with many renowned companies including of Deborah Slater Dance Theater, Sideshow Physical Theatre, Della Davidson Dance Theatre and Ririe Woodbury Dance Company.

Pollination IV: Dandelion Dancetheater and Beatbox Soul band Antique Naked Soul
2014-09-27 19:00 - 22:00
The Red Poppy Art House PresentsThe First Annual Cross Pollination People & Performance Festival September 24th-28th, 2014Curated by lu-Hui Chua, Todd Thomas Brown, and Melody Wang
This September, the Red Poppy Art House is producing a new festival aimed at bringing together artists and audiences from different communities and artistic disciplines. It’s all about creating a space of intersection between the different worlds we inhabit; our social spheres, our work life, and our personal paths. Each evening features a mash-up of different aesthetics that highlight the audiences attending as well as the artists presenting. Come experience a weekend of people and performance, magic and medicine, and the space between.
Pollination IV: Saturday, September 27, 2014
Time: Doors open at 7:00, Show begins at 7:30pm
Admission: $15-25
All seating is general admission. Please select the admission price you’re most comfortable with within this range. Your additional support is greatly appreciated!
Advanced tickets available here: http://pollination4.bpt.me
Half of available tickets will be available for purchase at the door.

Bandelion, Eric Kupers’ ensemble within Dandelion Dancetheater, will share a series of structured improvisations aimed at immersing the audience in a tangible environment of sound, movement, story and spirit. The physically, culturally and sexually diverse ensemble exists in the blend of a dance company, extended family, and legion of artistic missionaries who are dedicated to in-depth research into the ways their multifarious backgrounds and artistic forms intersect.

Beatbox soul band Antique Naked Soul bends genre by creating and recreating music with only their voices. Nominated for Oakland Indie Award and Oaktown Music Festival, the band features singer/songwriter Antique, renown beat-boxer Tommy “Soulati” Shepherd and two singers Jayme Brown and N’gala McCoy.

Pollination V PART ONE: TangoCeviche Workshop
2014-09-28 12:00 - 15:00
The Red Poppy Art House PresentsThe First Annual Cross Pollination People & Performance Festival September 24th-28th, 2014Curated by lu-Hui Chua, Todd Thomas Brown, and Melody Wang
This September, the Red Poppy Art House is producing a new festival aimed at bringing together artists and audiences from different communities and artistic disciplines. It’s all about creating a space of intersection between the different worlds we inhabit; our social spheres, our work life, and our personal paths. Each evening features a mash-up of different aesthetics that highlight the audiences attending as well as the artists presenting. Come experience a weekend of people and performance, magic and medicine, and the space between.
Pollination V Workshop: Sunday, September 28, 2014
Raw Fish Meets the the infamous Port-City Dance of Buenos Aires
With Adrian Arias & Todd Thomas Brown
Time: Noon-3:00PM
Admission: $30 per person (includes dance instruction and 3 servings of ceviche!)
Pre-registration required and space is limited. for more information Contact: todd@redpoppyarthouse.org
Advance tickets available here: http://pollination5partone.bpt.me

One of the Poppy’s all-time favorite workshops is back! After more than a 6-yr hiatus, multi-disciplinary artists Adrian Arias and Todd Thomas Brown are reviving the one and only TangoCeviche experience.
The first hour of the workshop Todd will teach the fundamentals of Argentine Tango; the tango embrace, basic steps and figures. In the second hour, Adrian will “performance-teach” how to prepare three variations of Peruvian ceviche. The last hour is dedicated to eating, drinking, and dancing, in the spirit of a Sunday afternoon milonga. Viva raw fish and tango!

Pollination V PART TWO: Mugwumpin and four dancers, Amara Tabor-Smith, Jennifer Gwirtz, Christine Germain and Kerry Mehling
2014-09-28 19:00 - 22:00
The Red Poppy Art House PresentsThe First Annual Cross Pollination People & Performance Festival September 24th-28th, 2014Curated by lu-Hui Chua, Todd Thomas Brown, and Melody Wang
This September, the Red Poppy Art House is producing a new festival aimed at bringing together artists and audiences from different communities and artistic disciplines. It’s all about creating a space of intersection between the different worlds we inhabit; our social spheres, our work life, and our personal paths. Each evening features a mash-up of different aesthetics that highlight the audiences attending as well as the artists presenting. Come experience a weekend of people and performance, magic and medicine, and the space between.
Pollination V: Sunday, September 28, 2014
Time: Doors open at 7:00, Show begins at 7:30pm
Admission: $15-25
All seating is general admission. Please select the admission price you’re most comfortable with within this range. Your additional support is greatly appreciated!
Advanced tickets available here: http://pollination5parttwo.bpt.me
Half of available tickets will be available for purchase at the door.

Mugwumpin presents material in development drawn from the Bay Area’s lost and hidden stories, from personal anecdotes to fairy tales for the ages. Through music, physicality and audience interaction, the company traverses both darkness and whimsy, through tales we might–or might not–have heard as children, asking audiences to consider what folklore is in the here and now. Mugwumpin’s accomplishments begin in 2008 and span all the way to their current performance installation in conjunction with the Asian Art Museum/SFMOMA exhibit Gorgeous.

Kerry Mehling will present Who Here Thinks They’re a Fish, a one woman’s journey through her once vital life, acceptance of her mortality and her heroic ascension into the unknown. Mehling has performed and toured with many renowned companies including of Deborah Slater Dance Theater, Sideshow Physical Theatre, Della Davidson Dance Theatre and Ririe Woodbury Dance Company.

Christine Germain, will present Corps Étranger, a piece that explores “otherness” and the way people adapt to a new life and identity. A movement explorer and Feldenkrais instructor, Germain honors include the Most Promising Choreographer Award at the 2012 Montreal Fringe Festival, a DAAD scholarship and a CA$H Grant Award from the Dancers’ Group and Bay Area theater.

Jennifer Gwirtz will perform her original solo piece, Migration. With her group Right Brain Performance Lab, formed in 1998 and dedicated to experimentation in performance, she creates theatrical, movement-based work that challenge how viewers engage with performance in a variety of settings.

Amara Tabor-Smith will present a work in progress excerpt from a new work inspired by the life and work of Ana Mendieta. Dancer, choreographer, San Francisco native and Oakland resident, Tabor-Smith is the artistic director of Deep Waters Dance Theater, which draws upon influences of traditional rituals to depict modern realities of environmental justice. Tabor-Smith is currently an artist in residence at ODC Theater and teaches dance on faculty at UC Berkeley.

Tangonero: An Argentine Tango Quartet
2014-10-03 19:30 - 22:00
An Argentine Tango Quartet
Tangonero is a San Francisco based ensemble dedicated to preserving the tradition of Argentine Tango. From the folk styling of Roberto Grela to the jazz infused grandeur of Astor Piazzolla, their arrangements cover the broad scope of tango history. Overflowing with intense passion, lust and sorrow, their performance will capture the fire of the dance and the essence of a culture.
Michèle Walther – violin
I-Yun Chung – piano
Richard Duke – double bass
Alex Roitman – bandoneon
Visit Tangonero online and join the official Facebook event!
Admission: $10-20. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.

MAPP (Mission Arts Performance Project)
2014-10-04 19:00 - 22:00
Featuring the current resident artists of the Red Poppy Art House!
Ensemble Mik Nawooj
Tiffany Austin
The View from Bernal Hill
Family Art Activities: 1pm-4pm
Red Poppy Resident Artist Performance Night: 7pm-10pm
7:00PM: Vocalist Tiffany Austin – Creole and Jazz

8:00PM: Live music by The View from Bernal Hill
9:00PM: Live chamber hip-hop with EMN – Ensemble Mik Nawooj

On Exhibit: Works by Paz de la Calzada, Alberto Toscano, Todd T Brown, and Ytaelena Lopez

Read more about the residents artists’ projects here.

Since 2003, Mission Arts and Performance Project (MAPP) has produced 63 neighborhood pop-up art happenings of intimate spaces, all without ever formalizing into a non-profit organization, seeking funding, nor establishing a formal staff structure. Across these 10 years, the MAPP has featured thousands of artists, helping to cross-pollinate ideas and launch careers of artists engaged in social issues. It is a kind of otherworldly art walk, not centered on commercial corridors but within intimate spaces where the magic of genuine connectivity transpires among people across communities and art forms. This MAPP is dedicated to water, to becoming conscious of the currents in our blood, and the water within us all.
MAPP stands as a testament to the possibility of horizontal organizing among artists intent on building social fabric within our respective communities, as much to celebrate diversity and creativity as to counter the erosion of these qualities that occurs when development displaces artists and minority communities alike.
MAPP Website
Always free and open to all ages!

Ricardo Peixoto and Brian Moran present a Night of Brazilian Guitar
2014-10-10 19:00 - 22:00
Originally from Rio de Janeiro but currently based in the Bay Area, guitarist/composer Ricardo Peixoto is among the top representatives of Brazilian guitar in the US today. He deeply explores the melodic and compositional structures of his country’s rich traditions, and strong Brazilian influences can be heard in both his original works as well as in arrangements of classics. He has recorded, performed, and collaborated with some of the very best and has performed throughout the US, Europe, Canada, Japan and Brazil.
Joining Peixoto is guitarist Brian Moran, who has been living and performing in the Bay Area since 1998 and has made a name for himself as a diverse and well studied musician. Moran expertly plays 6 and 7 string guitars (electric and acoustic), as well as the Brazilian cavaquinho and mandolin. In 2004 he co-founded the Brazilian choro project Grupo Falso Baiano and continues to perform and record with them today, as well as other bay area artists.
Ricardo Peixoto – guitar
Brian Moran – guitar
Join the official Facebook event here!
This special evening will be presented as a “Be Here Now” performance with Yondr, an organization that encourages people to embrace the current moment they are in, make connections in real time, and enjoy their surroundings by disabling cellphone use during a performance​. When the audience enter there will be Yondr members on hand to lock phones​ for the entire duration of the performance. Phones can be only unlocked and used outside the venue.
Admission: $15-20. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.

Fared Shafinury: Exploring Persian Classical & Psychedelic Territories
2014-10-11 19:00 - 22:00
“His compositions…move against the current, by retracing the arc from West to East …not for a departure from Iranian form nor the emulation of Western genres, but arrival at the point where binaries and boundaries bleed and blend until they dissolve completely.” – Frontline, PBS.org
Fared Shafinury is an artist that best represents the hyphenated-generation of Iranian-Americans today. He is a critically acclaimed composer, vocalist, poet, Persian setarist and multi-instrumentalist, that has effectively unearthed his ancestral roots in classical Persian music & poetry, as well as reinvigorating the ancient sound with influences ranging from American folk/rock/blues to classical & folk Iranian music. Fared seamlessly improvises between Eastern and Western themes and modalities, creating a bridge between Persian classical and psychedelic territories. For this special evening, Fared will be presenting compositions from his upcoming album, COLDFRONT, accompanied by 1960’s trancelike scenes from Sergei Parajanov’s “The Color of Pomegranates.” Images from the film were inspired by the life and poetry of 18th-century Armenian poet, Sayat Nova (‘The King of Song’).
Check out Fared’s website here.
Get a taste of Fared’s music here.

This special evening will be presented as a “Be Here Now” performance with Yondr, an organization that encourages people to embrace the current moment they are in, make connections in real time, and enjoy their surroundings by disabling cellphone use during a performance. When the audience enter there will be Yondr members on hand to lock phones for the entire duration of the performance. Phones can be only unlocked and used outside the venue.

Admission: $15-20. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.

Los Cenzontles: Mexican American roots ensemble
2014-10-12 15:00 - 18:00
The Red Poppy Art House is thrilled to present an evening of music and film collaboration featuring the vocal talents of Los Cenzontles and animated short film, Tata’s Gift, in a special matinee performance.
Los Cenzontles (Nahuatl for “The Mockingbirds”) dig deep into Mexico’s diverse cultural traditions while creating a vibrant, contemporary sound infused with the gusty soul of their rural roots. Los Cenzontles (senn-SONT-less) has released 21 albums and performed across the U.S., Europe, the Dominican Republic, and throughout Mexico. They have collaborated with numerous master folk arists as well as renowned musicians including Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, The Chieftains, Los Lobos, Los Tigres del Norte, Ry Cooder and Taj Mahal, among others. Commited to cultural promotion, Los Cenzontles have trained neighborhood youth at their Cultural Arts Academy in San Pablo, California since 1994.
Los Cenzontles, in collaboration with animator Dionisio Cebellos and artisan Marie-Astrid Do-Rodriguez, have created a short, animated film, titled Tata’s Gift. Using original digital animation, folk art, and music, Tata’s Gift tells the story of a boy who finds strength and resilience in his family’s cultural heritage as he struggles with cyber bullying in the digital age. The band will perform live along with this film and other short videos for a fun, multi-scensory show for the whole family.
“[Los Cenzontles] both honors and upends traditional Mexican music, tapping deep roots as it flowers into something completely new, and distincly American.” – The New York Times
“Los Cenzontles’ gusty rhythms and delightful voices reinvigorated my love of Mexican music.” – Linda Ronstadt
Learn more about Los Cenzontles here: http://www.loscenzontles.com/band
Admission: $10-20. Doors open at 2:30pm. Show at 3:00pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.

Alex Conde with special guest Shahin Gorgani: Alluring Piano and Flamenco Explorations
2014-10-17 19:00 - 22:00
Alex Conde is an internationally renowned pianist and Spanish native who has a versatile background stemming from classical, jazz, and Spanish religious folklore. Beginning his career in Boston as a composer, Conde released his first album entitled, “Jazz and Claps”, which included guest artists from around the world, and received considerable praise. Now residing in the Bay area, Conde collaborates with top Flamenco companies in San Francisco such as the “Theatre Flamenco of San Francisco”, all the while being an active force within various solo projects, and always exuding his unique alluring sound.
Expect to hear sounds originating from the religious folklore and musical heritage of the Spanish 15th Century, as well as the gypsy-flamenco styles created in Al-Andalus, in this very unique and pleasantly intimate concert/lecture with guest artist Shanin Gorgani.
“Alex Conde’s music has an endless virtuosism, dedication, and passion” – Ruben Blades , at the Panama Jazz Festival, January 2008
Listen to Alex Conde
View the official Facebook event
Admission: $15-20. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.

Lit Crawl 2014: Taking Literature to the Streets
2014-10-18 20:00 - 22:00
Featuring the Hothouse Transplants Writing Group!
The Lit Crawl was created by San Francisco’s Litquake Literary Festival in 2004 with a simple concept: transform a bar crawl into a fast-paced mob scene of literary mayhem. Lit Crawl takes over a neighborhood, adding pop-up events to every conceivable venue – bars, cafes, bookstores, galleries, clothing boutiques, furniture showrooms, parking lots, laundromats, bowling alleys, barbershops, bee-keeping supply shops, parks, police stations. Experience dozens of writers read from their work, and watch hundreds of literati tromp the route and get drunk on words — all for free!
This year’s tenth annual Lit Crawl will span over three hours in the Mission District’s Valencia Street corridor, featuring an astonishing 101 literary readings and events, including poetry, fiction, nonfiction, comedy and more, in bookstores, bars, galleries, restaurants, stores, cafés, community spaces, a bookmobile, a vibrator store, and a police station.
The Red Poppy Art House Lit Crawl Event will feature readings about the intersection between love and reinvention from The Hothouse Transplants Writing Group,comprised of three NY Times writers (based in California). Their first time participating in the Crawl, the group will take on subjects exploring the complexities of relationships that push us to go beyond borders both physical and emotional, and how transcending pre-existing ideas about identity, culture, and gender transforms us. From a Jewish girl that marries her gay Muslim best friend to keep him in the U.S.; an American girl helped through a crisis by a new friend in a foreign land; and a young, gay man who reinvents his parental relationships and pieces together his jigsaw puzzle childhood. Love picked them up in one place and left them in another.
Follow Lit Crawl San Francisco on Facebook here.
Join the official Facebook event here.
For more info on this event, click here and here.
Admission: FREE. Doors at 8:00pm. Show at 8:30pm. All ages welcome.

GPS: Sextet Stories and Brazilian Songs
2014-10-24 19:00 - 22:00
GPS stands for a title that is malleable and varied, much like the group’s frontman. David James visits the Poppy with a musical background of playing in settings ranging from ambient/noise (Thessalonians) to Hip-Hop (The Coup, Spearhead). His music is as diverse as the range of places he has performed. For this special night, David James will guide his GPS through a number of classic Brazilian songs, newly arranged for six equally diverse musical luminaries who make afrobeat-inspired reels and elegiac blues come alive.
GPS is…
David James – guitar, voice
Beth Custer – clarinets
Alan Williams – trombone
Charith Premawardhana – viola
Lisa Mezzacappa – bass
Jan Jackson – drums
Visit GPS online and join the official Facebook event!
Admission: $15-20. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.

Amendola vs. Blades: Organ and Drum Duo Return to the Red Poppy
2014-10-25 19:00 - 22:00
Wil Blades and Scott Amendola first became a duo when Scott had the vision of performing Duke Ellington’s “Far East Suite” with Wil on his Hammond B3. Originally written for big band, translating the suite for a duo was quite a daunting task. With Wil’s extensive knowledge of the Hammond organ and Scott’s desire to push boundaries, they accomplished this feat in a explorative, yet cohesive manner. Their live shows have been generating a buzz around the Bay Area ever since. The duo continues to perform the Ellington suite in their live performances, while also developing their original material. For this special evening, Amendola vs. Blades will cover everything from avant garde to funk, and bebop to rock.
Wil Blades – Hammond B3 organ, clavinet
Scott Amendola – drums/electronics
Check out Scott Amendola’s website here.
Get a taste of Wil Blades music here
Join the official Facebook event here
Admission: $15-20. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.

TARIMBA: Son Jarocho for our Ancestors on Día de los Muertos
2014-11-01 19:00 - 22:00
‘TARIMBA’ is believed to be the African root word of ‘tarima’, which is the most important instrument and symbol of the Son Jarocho tradition of Veracruz, Mexico. TARIMBA is a band comprised of local Bay Area musicians who have embraced the traditional genre of Son Jarocho music from southern Veracruz, Mexico. The members of TARIMBA have all been active performers and teachers in the Bay Area music community for over ten years. They are excited to have the opportunity to embrace, preserve and share such a rich musical and communal tradition at the Red Poppy Art House in honor of Day of the Dead .
TARIMBA is…
Monica Fimbrez- Jarana and Vocals
Raul Perales- Leona and Vocals
Kyla Danysh- Violin and Vocals
Pedro Rosales- Cajon
Like TARIMBA on Facebook and listen to them online
Join the official Facebook event
Admission: $10-20, no one turned away for lack of funds. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.

An Intergenerational Celebration for Día de los Muertos
2014-11-02 13:00 - 19:00
This Sunday’s celebration will open at 1pm with a rumba by well-renowned Bay Area rumberos, hosted by Afro-Cuban percussionist Miguelito Leon. This rumba serves as both a celebration of life and to express resistance to oppression and cultural violence. An open jam continues from thereafter, featuring local members of Taraf de Locos and La Familia Peña-Govea as they share the music of Cuba, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Turkey, Albania, Macedonia, Greece, Spain, and downhome United States – as a reflection of the different ways we honor and remember the lives of our antepasados. We close the day’s event with two short performances by Moving Beyond Productions youth dance group and dance/theater by Dance Generators from San Francisco’s Department of Performing Arts and Social Justice.
“Dia de los Muertos. . . means remembering and expressing gratitude for those that came before us and who made it possible for us to lead the lives we do, but it is also about acknowledging and showing appreciation for the collective cultural practices that connect us to our roots and communities.” ~ Cecilia Peña-Govea
1:00pm: Rumba
2:00pm to 5:00pm: Taraf de Locos and La Familia Peña-Govea
6:00pm: Moving Beyond Production (youth dance group)
6:20pm: Dance Generators (intergenerational dance/theater)
This is an important day in our community and we hope to see many family and friends. Please bring yourself, your instruments! In addition to being a free and public event, we invite you bring food and drink to share, so as to better enjoy this expression of exuberance for life!
Taraf de Locos features Aya Safiya on violin and vocals, Cecilia Cassandra Peña-Govea on trumpet, guirra and vocals, Miguelito León on percussion and vocals, and Tano Brock on guitar, saxophone and vocals.
http://locotesmusic.com/
The joyful music making of La Familia Pena-Govea began over 30 years ago as a simple family pastime. Mother and father and two daughters have since brought their gift to venues as varied as Davies Symphony Hall and San Quentin Prison, from the streets of Bakersfield to the pubs of Donegal, and to countless festivals, weddings, baptisms, funerals, libraries, classrooms, hospital wards, and backyard barbecues. Their infectious music raises the spirits, and creates an irresistable urge to dance and sing and join in the fun.
http://miguelgovea.com/
Moving Beyond Productions is a dance-based arts organization dedicated to providing high quality arts education to underserved and economically disadvantaged kids throughout San Francisco. Their Día de Los Muertos theme this year is “Matters of LIFE & DEATH” where they will honor the connections shared with loved ones who have passed away. Their memories are carried in our hearts, minds and bodies and they will be celebrated through the performance of favorite stories and dances.
http://www.movingbeyondproductions.org/
Dance Generators is a part of the University of San Francisco’s Department of Performing Arts and Social Justice, and is directed by Natalie Greene and Kristen Greco. Through performance, the company shatters commonly held stereotypes about ageing, and creates bridges between people of all ages. Company members range in age from their teens through their eighties, and come together through a shared interest in creating innovative works of dance/theater.
http://dancegenerators.org/
Susana Aragon is a Peruvian visual artist whose has been internationally exhibited, will offer an alter inspired by personal luggage, something that we all carry throughout life: the memory of those we will always love. People are encouraged to write about their personal luggage and bring small pictures or photocopies of their loved ones to add to this altar.
Admission is Free! All ages welcome!

Double Bill: Sang Matiz and Gringa Present New Bossa Nova, Funk, R&B, and Afro-Brazilian/Peruvian Rhythms
2014-11-07 19:30 - 22:00
The Red Poppy Art House is pleased to present a double bill featuring Sang Matiz and Gringa for a night of Latin and Afro-inspired Brazilian music that will transport you to the shores of Rio.
“Afro-Rumba Funk and Brazilian-Flavored Pop”
Sang Matiz has developed a mix of Afro-Brazilian/Peruvian rhythms fused with funk and R&B. Comprised of a talented collective of Bay Area musicians, Sang Matiz have found their own zone of high-energy vibrant sounds and contagious beats from South America and the US presented on their first album released last year.
Yuri – vocals, guitar, charango, quena
Eddie – lead guitar
Jesus – drums, vocals
Clark – congas, timbal
Alberto – surdos, percussion
David – snare, percussion
Nemo – bass, vocals
“Cultural Collisions in the Mission”
Gringa is a collective of culturally-confused women finding solidarity through music. Gringa plays unique originals that blend Brazilian rhythms with elements of pop, reggae, and hip-hop. Their clever lyrics in English and Portuguese, polyrhythmic grooves, and rich harmonies will make your body smile from head to toe.
Zori Marinova – percussion
Caroline Chung – bass
Kate Pittard – sax, percussion, vocals
Maya Finlay – guitars, cavaco, vocals
Listen to Sang Matiz and Gringa to get in the mood!
Attend the FB Event too!
Admission: $10-15. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.

Endangered Species Trio: Three Animals, Endless Music: Acoustic Whimsical Chamber Pop
2014-11-08 19:00 - 22:00
Endangered Species is an exciting new collaboration of friends, featuring Oakland-based accordionist, pianist and composer Rob Reich, New York-based reedman Tom Abbott and trombonist, vocalist and composer Emily Asher. This ensemble brings together an unusual alliance of accordion, bass saxophone and trombone to explore, compose and improvise. At the intersection of American popular song, early New Orleans jazz, multi-cultural folk music and European classical music, these three friends meet somewhere in between musical styles; creating a new genre they like to call: “Traditional-Contemporary-Acoustic-Whimsical-Chamber-Pop.”
Emily Asher – trombone and voice
Rob Reich -accordion and piano
Tom Abbott – bass saxophone
Listen to the Whimsical tunes here.
Check the trio out on Facebook.
Join the official Facebook event here.
Admission: $10-15. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.

CLOSED FOR PRIVATE EVENT
2014-11-09 13:00 - 17:00
The Red Poppy Art House will be closed this afternoon for a private event.Please check our events calendar for other scheduled performances.

Argentine Tango: The Fundamentals
2014-11-10 18:30 - 21:00, 2014-11-17 18:30 - 21:00, 2014-11-24 18:30 - 21:00
Taught by Todd Thomas Brown, assisted by Mia Paschal
6 week course: Mondays, November 10th – December 15th
A half-hour for first-timers…

6:30pm-7:00pm: The basic of basics – introduction to weight-shift and maintaining axis in the embrace (if you have never taken a tango class, you should make sure to arrive for this segment)

Regular class begins….

7:00pm-8:00pm: Fundamentals of walking in the embrace
8:00pm-8:30pm: Introduction to figures (combinations of steps), musicality and improvisation
8:30-9:00: Additional practice time

While this series is progressive, with each class bulding on the next, we have structured it with an initial half-hour of the super-basics to accomodate drop-in students that are attempting tango for the very first time. Beginner Level l focuses on the sublimely simple aspect of walking within the embrace, techniques equally suitable for both beginners and more advanced students. The second half focuses on the development of combination of steps with special attention paid to the spirit of improvisation and musicality. Emphasis is on connection with one’s partner, always simplifying until the connection is felt – or how else could it be called a “dance”?
Cost: $15 drop-in, or $75 for the 6-week series No partner necessary, queer friendly, female leads welcome. Tango how you like, just come dance!ARTIST BIOTodd began his study of Argentine tango in 1997 in Montréal, Canada, with dancer Mylène Pelletier. Thereafter, his primary influence was acclaimed Buenos Aires-based tanguero, and dear friend, Pedro “el Indio” Benavente, the two of whom later formed the project Tango Protesta, utilizing tango as a vehicle of social-political engagement. While Pedro began organizing actions in Buenos Aires, Todd was training dancers to join in anti-war rallies in the Bay Area. Tango Protesta (SF) later evolved into the Milonga Masala Tango Project, through which Todd began to convene friends and artists of different disciplines and cultural stripes for a monthly gathering at his then home in Cole Valley. Unknown to him at the time, these gatherings were sowing seeds for what would come to be the Red Poppy Art House in San Francisco’s Mission District, where he and co-founder Alex Allende taught classes throughout it’s first year. After a long hiatus from teaching, and at the request of many friends and communtiy members, Todd is bringing tango back to the Poppy with this 6-week series of dance classes.For more info on Todd, visit: http://www.toddthomasbrown.com/Photo credits: Marc Hors (left), Nico Vera (right)

Gabriel Kahane Celebrates His Major Label Debut: "The Ambassador:" Los Angeles, Then and Now
2014-11-14 07:00 - 22:00
Hailed by Rolling Stone as “one of the year’s very best albums,” Gabriel Kahane’s major label debut, The Ambassador, is a meditation on the underbelly of Los Angeles seen through the lens of ten street addresses: one song per address. Named for the demolished hotel that housed early Academy Awards ceremonies and where Bobby Kennedy was assassinated, The Ambassador is a song cycle based on life in Los Angeles from the 1920′s to the dystopian future. Using the street addresses as launching points, Kahane explores everything from Blade Runner and Die Hard to the fiction of Raymond Chandler and James M. Cain; and from the architecture of R.M. Schindler and Richard Neutra to the tragic death of Latasha Harlins at the hands of a Korean grocer. Kahane’s musical performance at the Poppy will be a sonic taste of the upcoming staged version of The Ambassador, directed by Tony-winner John Tiffany, to be showcased at The Harvey Theater as part of the 2014 BAM New Wave Festival.
Visit Gabriel Kahane’s website here.
Get a preview of The Ambassador here.
Join the official Facebook event here.
Admission: $17 advanced. $20 at the door.
Purchase advance tickets here
Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.

CLOSED FOR PRIVATE EVENT
2014-11-15 17:00 - 22:00
The Red Poppy Art House will be closed this evening for a private event.
Please check our events calendar for other scheduled performances.

CANCELLED Beaucoup Chapeaux: Music of Old World Europe
2014-11-21 19:00 - 22:00
Due to unforeseen circumstances, this performance has been cancelled. Please check back for an update!

Ganesh Vasudeva and Srinivas Pisharath: Classical South Indian Dance and Music
2014-11-22 19:30 - 22:00
Ganesh Vasudeva and Srinivas Pisharath join to present an evening of captivating Bharatnatyam dance and Carnatic singing. Along with violin and percussion, they will be performing these classical forms of Indian dance and music through lyrically enchanting romantic ballads called Padams and Javalis. The theme of these compositions is always Shringara, or Love, in its myriad ways. Join us as Vasudeva and Pisharath unite their exquisite talents in an inspiring evening of “romancing the gods,” depicting stories of a heroine in love with the divine.
Ganesh Vasudeva is a Bharatnatyam dancer who has trained in this classical Indian dance form for over 25 years. Performing throughout India and the United States, Vasudeva presents traditional compositions along with his own critically-acclaimed choreography. Much of his work is dedicated to researching and presenting male-oriented compositions for the stage. He was awarded the Alliance for California Traditional Arts apprenticeship scholarship in 2011 to continue his research and present rare dance compositions of the early 19th century Tanjore Quartet.
Srinivas Pisharath is a vocalist trained in Carnatic South Indian classical music. Pisharath has studied Carnatic music since his late teens from Kalyani Ramani, a well known Carnatic music teacher in the New Jersey/New York area. He performed throughout New Jersey before moving to San Francisco in 2010 where he continues to share his Carnatic vocal talents.
Ajay Narasimha was introduced to Carnatic music from a young age by his parents Smt. Rama and Sri. M.J.Narasimha. He is a student of Hemmige Sri. V. Srivatsan, the prime male disciple of Sangitha Kalanidhi Palghat Sri. K.V. Narayanasawamy. Ajay has had the fortune of accompanying reknowned musicians around the US and India.

Ajay Narasimha – violin
Srivatsan Tennathur – percussion
Check out our Facebook event
Get a glimpse of Ganesh’s dancing here
Admission: $15-20. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.
We are pleased to announce that we have begun some minor construction at the Poppy to make our space fully wheelchair accessible. Due to this work, we will be having audiences enter through the main front doors rather than the side door entrance that we normally use. We will have a slightly lesser seating capacity, so keep that in mind to make sure you arrive in time.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Bernal Hill Players: Chamber Music of North and South America
2014-11-23 15:30 - 18:30
The Bernal Hill Players is an adventurous chamber music ensemble from San Francisco whose diverse repertoire includes European classics, Latin American discoveries, and newly-commissioned pieces from both North and South America. Their program includes North American works by Katrina Wreede, Libby Larsen, and Beth Custer, and Latin American works by Silvestre Revueltas, Carlos Guastavino, Eduardo Gamboa, and Astor Piazzolla. Steeped in the dynamic folk rhythms and the classical and contemporary traditions from both above and below the border, The Bernal Hill Players’ sound ranges from the contemplative to the celebratory.
The Bernal Hill Players are:
Martha Rodríguez-Salazar: flute and voice
Sarah Bonomo: clarinet
Jennifer Peringer: piano
Find out more about The Bernal Hill Players and check them out on Facebook.
Join our Facebook event here.
Admission: $10-15. Doors at 3:30pm. Show at 4:00pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.
We are pleased to announce that we have begun some minor construction at the Poppy to make our space fully wheelchair accessible. Due to this work, we will be having audiences enter through the main front doors rather than the side door entrance that we normally use. We will have a slightly lesser seating capacity, so keep that in mind to make sure you arrive in time.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

A Bella Benefit for the Red Poppy!
2014-11-28 07:00 - 22:00
Featuring the Americano Social Club, accordionist Rob Reich, and chanteuse Anna Laura Quinn.
We invite you to join us for a night of fun and laughter, friends new and old, drinks and of course some beautiful music! The Americano Social Club, led by Michael Zisman, will present “music for la dolce vita:” romantic and eclectic songs influenced by melodies from all over the world. With styles ranging from pop, jazz and folk to classical, rock or opera, tunes from the cafes of Brazil and Europe, as well as their own original works, this event has something for all music lovers. For this “bella” benefit for the Red Poppy Art House, the Americanos will be joined by virtuoso accordionist Rob Reich and chanteuse and former Poppy Intern Anna Laura Quinn. All proceeds from this performance will go to support the Poppy!
Michael Zisman – mandolin
Scott Foster – guitar
Joe Kyle, Jr. – bass
Rob Reich – accordion
Anna Laura Quinn – vocals
Check out Americano Social Club’s website here.
Get a taste of their music here.
Join the official Facebook event here.
Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm.
Admission: $15-30. Purchase your advanced tickets here. All seating is general admission and all ticket sales support the Poppy. Please give at the level you’re most comfortable with. All ages welcome.
We are pleased to announce that we have begun some minor construction at the Poppy to make our space fully wheelchair accessible. Due to this work, we will be having audiences enter through the main front doors rather than the side door entrance that we normally use. We will have a slightly lesser seating capacity, so keep that in mind to make sure you arrive in time.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

La Mixta Criolla: Latin Caribbean Soul Music
2014-11-29 19:00 - 22:00
The Red Poppy Art House is excited to warm you up with two hot dance sets of original tunes and unique arrangements of Latin Caribbean classics by La Mixta Criolla .
“La Mixta Criolla is a home grown stew flavored with Puerto Rican melaza and Bay Area salsa picante. This magical Music will heal your Soul and take you places you’ve only dreamed about. ” -Avotcja Jiltonilro, poet, musician, DJ at KPOO (89.5, San Francisco CA) and KPFA
La Mixta Criolla will enchant and move you with an intimate evening of Latin Caribbean soul music. From plena, bomba, seis and guaracha to aguinaldo, merengue and cumbia, La Mixta Criolla serves up a musical stew seasoned with authentic sabor criollo, or Creole flavor. We invite you to dance, sing and swing to La Mixta Criolla’s reimagined traditions!
La Mixta Criolla features:
Héctor Lugo – bongó, pandero, barril and vocals
Sandra García Rivera – güícharo and vocals
Ayla Dávila – bass and vocals
Camilo Landau – cuatro and vocals
Javier Navarrette – congas, cajón and vocals
Listen to La Mixta Criolla’s AfroTaíno, music that will “bring home to you (Avotcja)”
Join the Facebook event!
Admission: $10-15. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.
We are pleased to announce that we have begun some minor construction at the Poppy to make our space fully wheelchair accessible. Due to this work, we will be having audiences enter through the main front doors rather than the side door entrance that we normally use. We will have a slightly lesser seating capacity, so keep that in mind to make sure you arrive in time.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.
