Red Poppy Art House

Citizens Jazz & Sang Matiz: A Night of Music Without Borders
2015-07-25 19:30 - 22:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Red Poppy Art House, 2698 Folsom St., San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
From classic jazz and blues to Afro-Brazilian/Peruvian rhythms, two Bay Area-based bands, Citizens Jazz and Sang Matiz join together for a special double bill at the Red Poppy Art House.

Citizens Jazz is a collective of some of the Bay Area’s most talented jazz musicians led by bassist Caroline Chung. Although all the musicians are trained and educated in jazz, their musical taste and influences cross all genres, span many continents and are expressed in various ways. Their repertoire ranges from classic jazz, bebop, swing, and blues to modern-day bossa nova, samba, rumba and Afro-Cuban. Caroline Chung is a long-time musician and activist in the Bay Area and can be seen performing all over with her many projects.
Featuring:
Caroline Chung – upright bass
Danny Brown – saxophone
Gaea Schell – piano
Matt Swindells – drums
Sang Matiz describes its style as urban Afro-Brazilian flamenco, though many other sounds blend into the colorful ensemble’s original music. The group began in early 2008, taking its name from sang, meaning ‘blood’ in French, and matiz, Spanish for ‘harmonious mixture’. In 2013, Sang Matiz released Ship It, the debut album which captures the energy of the group’s performances featuring mostly original songs. These compositions include influences of Afro-Peruvian and Afro-Brazilian sounds with flamenco, funk, reggae, ska, pop, and R&B. Along with its two founders – singer-songwriter Yuriza Jared and lead guitarist Eddie Cabezas – Sang Matiz features drummer Jesus Martinez and percussionists Alberto Rosetti, David De Semir, and Clark Seal.
Featuring:
Yuriza Jared – charango, guitar, quena, vocals
Eddie Cabezas – electric & acoustic guitar
Alberto Rosetti – surdos
David De Semir – repinique, snare
Clark Seal – congas, timba
Caroline Chung – electric bass
More on the Musicians:
Danny Brown, a professional jazz musician and composer since the young age of 14, brings the most authentic and beautiful sounds through his saxophones. He has been an integral part of the jazz music scene in the Bay Area and still thrives through his passionate sound and ideas. He has performed with everyone under the sun and has composed music for big bands as well as small combos while building a name as a musical prodigy.
Gaea Schell, a professional jazz pianist and vocalist, recently made her California debut as a twice-featured performer at the San Jose Jazz Festival and has been performing professionally and internationally for many years in diverse contexts. Known among her peers for swinging every note, subtle phrasing, and honest lyrical writing, this west coast-based pianist/composer/vocalist (also flutist) is a native of western Canada where she grew up playing music from an early age. Her experience includes everything from trio to quartet to orchestral performance.
Since relocating from Manchester, UK to San Francisco, Matt Swindells has been busy playing drums with various Bay Area artists covering an entire spectrum of musical genres. Some of Matt’s career highlights include two world tours as drummer for electronica pioneers Fila Brazillia and playing with Australian multi-instrumentalist James Morrison at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Matt has also made several live and pre-recorded television and radio appearances with Fila Brazillia in many different countries including UK, Canada, Ireland, Japan, Turkey, Czech Republic, Holland and Spain.

Learn more about Sang Matiz on ReverbNation.
Follow and subscribe to the band on Facebook and YouTube.
Admission: $12-20. 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.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Chuck MacKinnon Sextet: Contemporary Straight-Ahead Jazz
2015-07-30 19:30 - 22:00
Chuck MacKinnon Sextet is a continuation of the work MacKinnon started in New York City under the name “The Mactet,” with which he recorded a CD of mostly original compositions. In preparation for the Sextet’s upcoming album, Covers and Contrafacts, MacKinnon has decided to showcase his arrangements and remake compositions by famous jazz and pop composers. It is with his recent work that MacKinnon has returned to his acoustic jazz roots with hard-hitting arrangements for a 3-horn front line.

Featuring:
Chuck MacKinnon – trumpet, flugelhorn, arrangements
David Valdez – alto saxophone
Kenny Brooks – tenor saxophone
Matt Clark – piano
Peter Barshay – bass
Bryan Bowman – drums
Paul Blair deemed The Mactet’s CD New Transmission:
“One of the best releases of 2008” – Hot House Jazz Guide

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.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

The pickPocket ensemble: Contemporary Chamber Music Blending Musical Traditions From Around the Globe
2015-07-31 19:30 - 22:00
Engaging, while also charming and melodic, the pickPocket ensemble creates contemporary chamber café music that moves both body and soul. Inspired by a myriad of varying musical traditions from around the globe, the pickPocket ensemble inhabits a country all their own. The ensemble’s original, fresh sound fabricates an intimate and calming atmosphere that allows listeners to travel the world without leaving their seats. The group’s newest CD, Memory, has already been recognized, with two pieces being ranked among the top 5 winners in the Indie International Songwriting Awards.
Featuring:
Rick Corrigan – accordion and composition
Yates Brown – guitar and banjo
Chloe Allen – violin
John Slattery – percussion
Colin Williams – double bass
“The pickPocket Ensemble incorporate violin, accordion, trumpet, guitar and banjo compositions, scored to complex, yet toe-tappingly vibrant time signatures that allow listeners to meander through European cities, become caught up in the winds above the Atlas Mountains and trace steps back to the strangely familiar lands of a foreign cinema soundtrack.” – Maverick Magazine
Follow the pickpocket ensemble on Facebook and get a feel for their music on Sonicbids.

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.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

MAPP: Our Built City: A Ritualistic Deconstruction of Our “Sculptural Housing” ft. SHORE: Story (A Curated Reading by Emily Johnson)
2015-08-01 14:00 - 22:00
As part of the programming for the August 1st MAPP, the Red Poppy Art House and EDELO ‘Where the United Nations Used to Be’ invite the public for the closing ceremony of Our Built City, the miniature city thriving on our corner of 23rd & Folsom.
Over the past five months, Caleb Duarte and Mia Eve Rollow of EDELO have been in residence as Artistic Directors in Rotation at the Poppy. For their final curated MAPP, EDELO and collaborators occupy the center of the Art House to dig out the hidden histories buried beneath. Our Built City becomes mobile and begins to occupy spaces in the Mission with the transformation of two shopping carts into a miniature city on the move. Displayed on the Poppy’s interior gallery walls are works created on materials found throughout the district.
The evening features both large-scale and miniature paintings created by Our Built City participants, ranging from artists and immigrants to families and homeless neighbors. Emily Johnson/Catalyst also makes her return to the Bay Area with the premiere of SHORE, the final work in a trilogy that began with Bessie Award-winning The Thank-You Bar. A multi-part, multi-city project, SHORE explores the complex connotations of the place we call home, taking on questions of memory, ancestry, nature and community. In a curated reading (SHORE: Story), writers will present work that speaks to our inherent connection to and disconnection from home, place, land, and each other.
August 1st MAPP Schedule:
2:00pm – 5:00pm: Family Art
Mobilizing Our Built City with painted wooden panels and decorated shopping carts.
6:00pm – 7:30pm: Visual Art Exhibition
Display of Our Built City paintings on found wood created by artists, neighbors, children, immigrants, and the homeless. Featuring a painting by Citlalli Aguilar, a high school summer intern supported by Spotlight on the Arts (California Lawyers for the Arts).
6:00pm – 7:30pm: Bringing Out the Dirt
An ongoing performance featuring recent immigrants crawling out of the wooden floor as they move dirt from one place to another.
6:00pm – 10:00pm: Our Built City in the Mission
An ongoing performance carrying Our Built City throughout the Mission.
7:30pm – 7:50pm: Persian Trio Group
Persian folklore with classical, jazz, and flamenco influences. Performance by Emad Bonakdar (guitar), Dina Zarif (vocals), and Mohammad Hassanzadeh (Kamancheh, Persian stringed instrument).
8:00pm – 9:20pm: SHORE: Story
A curated reading by Emily Johnson featuring writers Em Reit, Daphne Gottlieb, Tria Wakpa Blu, and Wilfredo Pascual.
9:30pm – 10:00pm: Ampersan
Mexican folk & contemporary classical instrumentation.

More About SHORE

SHORE is a multi-day performance installation that celebrates the places where people meet and merge – land and water, performer and audience, art and community, past, present, and future. Over the course of a week, SHORE invites the audience to four equal parts: community action in partnership with community organizations, story (a curated reading), a performance that begins outdoors and moves into ODC Theater, and a festive potluck feast. Curated by Emily Johnson.
*Register/RSVP for the four parts of SHORE here: http://goo.gl/forms/YfjsMzNxyf

About Emily Johnson/Catalyst
Emily Johnson is an artist who makes body-based work. Originally from Alaska, she is currently based in Minneapolis. Since 1998 Johnson has been creating richly layered works that blur distinctions between performance and daily life. Her dances function as installations, engaging audiences within and through a space and environment — interacting with a place’s architecture, history and its role in community. Johnson is a recipient of a 2014 Doris Duke Artist Award. Her work is currently supported by Creative Capital, Native Arts and Cultures Foundation, MAP Fund, a Joyce Award, the McKnight Foundation and the Doris Duke Residency to Build Demand for the Arts. Johnson is a current Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study at the University of Minnesota, a 2014 Fellow at the Robert Rauschenberg Residency, a 2012 Headlands Center for the Arts and MacDowell Artist in Residence, a Native Arts and Cultures Fellow for 2011, a MANCC Choreographer Fellow (2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016), a MAP Fund grant recipient (2009, 2010, 2012, and 2013) and a 2009 McKnight Fellow. She received a 2012 New York Dance and Performance “Bessie” Award for Outstanding Performance for her work The ThankYou Bar at New York Live Arts.

About Ampersan

Ampersan integrates sounds of different ages, nationalities and poetries. Since their inception in 2007, Ampersan has been rooted in the traditional, acoustic-based music of Mexico while expanding their reach through forays into contemporary classical music and sound experimentation. Mixing prehispanic instruments such as clay ocarinas, colonial instruments like jaranas and violins, and African instruments such as the darbuka with the distortion of an electric guitar and synthesizers, Ampersan gathers together the feelings of peasant songs, son, psychedelic rock, and electronica.

Admission: Free.
Time: 2pm-10pm. All ages welcome.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Glenda Bates Presents: Oboe-Tronics: Contemporary Electro-Acoustic Works for Oboes
2015-08-06 19:30 - 22:00
The Red Poppy Art House is pleased to welcome Glenda Bates presenting Oboe-Tronics. An oboist for the contemporary world, Glenda Bates delves into the world of 21st century classical music. Glenda Bates’ Oboe-Tronics features contemporary solo and electro-acoustic works for the oboe and English horn. The program presents the oboe, an archaic instrument, as a beacon of virtuosity and timbral expression for present-day composers. Bates explores various types of contemporary classical music, from tonal minimalism and neo-romanticism to crooked atonal melodies and thumping electronic grooves.

Featuring:
Glenda Bates – oboe, Baroque oboe, and English horn

Get a feel for Glenda Bates’ Oboe-Tronics on Facebook and Soundcloud.

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.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

The Danny Green Trio: Converging Brazilian and Jazz Music
2015-08-07 19:30 - 22:00
Emulating various types of Brazilian music using beguiling, brisk melodies and a vast array of intricate rhythms, The Danny Green Trio excellently brings together the sounds and traditions of Brazilian and jazz music. Called “a musical mind of rare sensitivity and rigor,” pianist Green is quickly scaling the ranks of new jazz talent. This virtuoso group is currently on tour promoting their acclaimed album After the Calm.
Featuring:
Danny Green – piano
Justin Grinnell – bass
Julien Cantelm – drums

“While Green, Grinnell and Cantelm all have memorable moments on After the Calm, it’s as a unit that they most impress. Their sensitivity to one another enables them to negotiate intricate passages with ease and to neatly execute pinpoint shifts in direction and dynamics. That rapport is a key to their ability to inject freshness into a jazz piano trio tradition that dates back more than 80 years.” – George Varga, San Diego Union Tribune
Get a feel for The Danny Green Trio’s music on Facebook and Soundcloud.

Admission: $12-15. Doors at 7:00pm. Event 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.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

La Bohemia Productions Presents: Ampersan from Mexico City: Mexican Folk & Contemporary Classical Instrumentation With Electronic Waves
2015-08-08 19:30 - 22:00
In partnership with the Red Poppy Art House, La Bohemia Productions presents Mexico-City based group, Ampersan. Since its inception in 2007, Ampersan has been rooted in the traditional, acoustic-based music of Mexico while expanding its reach through forays into contemporary classical music and sound experimentation. Mixing pre-hispanic instruments such as clay ocarinas, colonial instruments like jaranas and violins, and African instruments such as the darbuka with the distortion of an electric guitar and synthesizers, Ampersan gathers together the feelings of peasant songs, son, psychedelic rock and electronica.

Featuring:
Zindu Cano – guitar, jarana, vocals
Kevin García – electric guitar, punteador, vocals
Héctor Aguilar – percussions
Vico Díaz – leona
Selene González – video mapping

Catch up on Ampersan’s latest updates on Facebook.
More on La Bohemia Productions:
La Bohemia Productions is a music promotion and production project pursuing its true passion: to present the new sounds of Latin acoustic and contemporary alternative music. As part of the Bay Area’s richly diverse musical scene, La Bohemia seeks to open spaces for emerging and world-renowned artists redefining the sounds of current musical landscapes around the world.

Admission: $12-15. 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.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Jazz in the Neighborhood Presents: Jeffrey Burr Trio - First Show of "Three in a Row"
2015-08-09 16:00 - 18:00
As part of the new monthly series at the Red Poppy Art House, Jazz in the Neighborhood presents Three in a Row – three concerts highlighting the music of local jazz guitarists. The series will feature Jeffrey Burr Trio on August 9, Steve Erquiaga and Frank Martin on September 13, and John Schott Actual Trio on October 11. Be sure to take advantage of special ticket pricing for all three events! Click here to purchase.

Jeffrey Burr is lauded for his combination of effortless bebop and a winsome chordal technique, which he uses to build the harmonic qualities of his songs. His preferred stylistic approach emphasizes mainstream straight-ahead jazz influence, using his voice as the primary expressive force, Jeffrey utilizes his music to explore narratives as he believes in forming an emotional connection with the listener, creating satisfying musical experiences and blurring the distinction between art and entertainment. His latest recording, featuring mostly his own compositions, is entitled Bright Blue.
Featuring:
Eric Markowitz – bass
Hamir Atwal – drums
Jeffrey Burr – guitar
More on Jazz in the Neighborhood:
The mission of Jazz in the Neighborhood is to celebrate and invigorate the Bay Area’s rich, musical jazz heritage by creating more opportunities for established local musicians to perform, mentor aspiring players, and share this great American art form with the community. Through collaboration with school music programs and adult big bands, the project enables top-caliber artists to push creative boundaries while helping developing musicians “learn on the bandstand” according to the great jazz tradition. Performances in neighborhood venues not only showcase the wealth of local talent, but also create regular destinations for people to enjoy rich cultural and social experiences where they live.

Admission: $20 online / $25-30 door / $5 student. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

Advance tickets: http://goo.gl/Q3cQ3c
Doors at 3:30pm. Show at 4:00pm. All ages welcome.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Discussion 3: Beyond the Blues: Ending the Prison Industrial Complex
2015-08-13 20:00 - 22:00
Discussions and Performance by Marcus Shelby
Research and Workshops by Jacqueline Ramos
with Support from the The Yerba Buena Gardens Festival
The Red Poppy Art House is pleased to present the second series of Beyond the Blues: Ending the Prison Industrial Complex on June 18, July 9, August 13, and August 28, 2015. Marcus Shelby returns to the Red Poppy for the continuation of interactive discussions concerning our justice system.

Led by composer, bassist, and bandleader, Marcus Shelby, the series will explore the prison industrial complex, mass incarceration, the school-to-prison pipeline, the black prison movement, incarcerated women, restorative justice, prison abolition, and more. The evenings will include special guests, readings, live music, recorded music, poetry, and video. These discussions are open to anyone interested in ending the prison industrial complex and how music and art can be used as a powerful vehicle in that process.

Discussion 3 features special guest speaker and SF native, Kevin Epps, a community activist and award-winning filmmaker. Epps presents his film Solutions Not Suspensions, which examines our education system and the disturbing systemic school-to-prison pipeline and how restorative justice and restorative practices can make a difference.

Discussion and Performance Schedule:
Thursday, June 18 – Discussion 1
The Prison Industrial Complex: School-to-Prison Pipeline
Thursday, July 9 – Discussion 2 (postponed to August 27)
Mass Incarceration: Public Health Epidemic, Incarcerated Women, Families Affected by Incarceration
Thursday, August 13 – Discussion 3
Ending the Death Penalty, Restorative Justice, Prison Abolition
Friday, August 28 – Performance
The Marcus Shelby Ensemble with Excerpts from Beyond the Blues: A Prison Oratorio

Beyond the Blues: A Prison Oratorio is commissioned by the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival and will premiere at the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival on September 27, 2015.

Admission: $10 suggested donation per discussion and $20 suggested donation for performance. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Doors at 7:30pm. Discussion at 8:00pm. 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.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

A Benefit Performance for the Red Poppy With Yaelisa & Caminos Flamencos
2015-08-14 20:00 - 22:00
Yaelisa and Caminos Flamencos have graciously offered to donate 100% of this night’s proceeds to the Poppy’s goal to raising $30k by the end of 2015! Please come out for this exceptional evening of flamenco and to support the Red Poppy Art House on Friday, August 14, 2015.
Cast:
Yaelisa – dance
Jason McGuir – guitar
Jose Cortes – vocals
Marlon Aldana – percussion
Paul Martin Sounder – upright bass
Caminos Flamencos’ mission is to enrich and educate the community by presenting innovative contemporary and traditional works which reflect the “nuevo flamenco” movement in Spain today. Since 1993, Artistic Director Yaelisa has collaborated with artists in other mediums, incorporating top musicians in the field of jazz, Latin and Afro-Cuban music. Her choreographies have been commissioned by Collage Dance Theatre, Malashock Dance & Company, San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival, Stanford Danza Espanola and the Internacional Certamen de Coreografía in Madrid, Spain.
During the last twelve years, Yaelisa has spent extensive periods of time living and performing in Spain, presenting her choreography there and in the U.S. Her choreographies have been commissioned by several modern dance companies, including John Malashock & Company, Rose Polsky and Collage Dance Theatre. In 1995, she was one of 11 choreographers in Spain invited to present a piece at the prestigious Certamen de Coreografia in Madrid, and the only American choreographer chosen among them. In 1996, she returned to the U.S. where she continues to choreograph, develop and train dancers for her company. Creating innovative theatrical presentations has established her as a choreographer of merit; she is the recipient of an Emmy Award for Choreography in 1993 for the PBS program, Desde Cadiz a Sevilla, and a Choreography Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1996.

Admission: $20-50. Doors at 7:30pm. Show at 8:00pm. All ages welcome.
Advance tickets: http://caminosflamencosbenefit.bpt.me
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

The VNote Ensemble: Venezuelan Folk with Jazz Sensibilities
2015-08-15 20:00 - 22:00
Hailed for their spirited performances of Latin, folk, and adventurous jazz, The VNote Ensemble brings their unique musical sound to the Poppy. Giving voice to a treasure trove of Venezuelan music, the group explores original musical connections from North American jazz to traditional Venezuelan folk songs. The VNote Ensemble combines the lively rhythms of joropo, swing, gaita, soul, be-bop, calypso and more. VNote’s latest album, Urbano, features a three-movement suite called “Suite Jazznera” written by the ensemble with the generous support of a new works grant funded by SF Friends of Chamber Music.

Featuring:
Jackeline Rago – Venezuelan cuatro, bandola, percussion
Donna Viscuso – flute, harmonica
Sam Bevan – bass
Michaelle Goerlitz – percussion

Follow The VNote Ensemble on Facebook.

Admission: $15-20. Doors at 7:30pm. Show at 8:00pm. 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.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Jessica Fichot: French Chanson and Shanghai Jazz
2015-08-21 20:00 - 22:00
Jessica Fichot‘s acoustic style takes audiences on a journey out of the French chanson tradition and into the lands of gypsy jazz, 1940s Chinese swing, and international folk. With a French/Chinese/American upbringing and a pioneering spirit all her own, Jessica has brought her imagination to audiences across the world, backed by a fiery band, and armed with her accordion, toy piano, and multilingual vocals. Her first albums, Le Chemin and Le Secret, offer a beguiling musical tour that captivates listeners with an international savvy and a cross-cultural whimsy that’s utterly infectious.
Featuring:
Jessica Fichot – vocals, accordion
Sylvain Carton – clarinet, sax
Adrien Prévost – guitar
PJ Wyderka – upright bass
“Delightful. completely modern tunes that evoke the feel of a bygone time and place, where the cultures of east and west collide in unexpected ways” – LA Weekly
“A delicious blend of acoustic styles” – San Francisco Chronicle
Follow Jessica Fichot on Facebook.

Admission: $10-20. Doors at 7:30pm. Show at 8:00pm. 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.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Amy LaCour: Soul, Poetry, & Strings
2015-08-22 19:30 - 22:00
Vocalist and songwriter, Amy LaCour, returns to the Poppy to workshop selections from Any Place But Here, a new song cycle (a set of related songs performed in a sequence) for voice and string quartet.

Any Place But Here explores the human themes of movement, identity, and expansion as reflected through the Great Migration, and using African-American poetry as lyrics. Amy‘s songs convey a young African-American male character migrating out of the South and heading toward an unnamed urban center. The music speaks of hope as a guiding force, the drive towards dignity, and the search for the elusive feeling of belonging in a hostile nation.
Featuring:
Amy LaCour – vocals
Amaranth – string quartet
“The Oakland resident’s remarkable new EP, Yes!, offers LaCour’s gorgeously evocative vocals, eloquent lyrics and beautiful, intricate melodies, enhanced by Misha Khalikulov’s incredibly inventive cello lines… The blend holds a special magic.” – Paul Freeman, Palo Alto Daily News
“If Joni Mitchell is waking up to the sound of a fresh drizzling rain, then LaCour is stepping through the door the moment the sun peeks out. It’s the raw cool of folk warmed with resting embers of soul.” – John Flynn, Metro Silicon Valley
Follow Amy on Facebook.
Get a sneak peak at her music on Bandcamp and YouTube.

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.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Alejandro y Maria Laura + Diana Gameros: Alejandro y Maria Laura's Farewell Concert
2015-08-25 19:00 - 21:00
Alejandro y Maria Laura is a Peruvian duo consisting of singer-songwriters Alejandro Rivas and María Laura Bustamanate. Together with guest Diana Gameros, they round off their North American tour with a special farewell concert at the Red Poppy Art House.
Alejandro y Maria Laura started making music together in 2009, collaborating on each other’s original songs and doing cover versions of songs from various genres. Back in Lima at the end of 2010, the duo collaborated on the exhibition En Pausa, the final thesis project for María Laura’s performing arts degree, where they experimented with composing songs in reaction to various stimuli. This process yielded such original songs as Abre los ojos, Quiero estar sola, and Estos días. At the beginning of 2011, Mabela Martinez, the host of local TV and radio program Sonidos del Mundo, put the duo in touch with Matías Cella, producer of notable South American artists such as Jorge Drexler and Kevin Johansen. Matías produced the duo’s first record, Paracaídas, which was released in October 2011.
In 2013, they released the music video for Puedo estar sin ti, a song which later received regular radio airplay in Peru. They also started work on their second album, Fiesta para los muertos, featuring collaborations with Susana Baca, Kevin Johansen and Javier Barría. The duo celebrated the release of the record with a concert at the Mario Vargas Llosa Theater in Peru’s National Library. In 2014, they were invited to Brazil by Paulinho Moska, a well-known Brazilian singer, songwriter and actor, and wrote a song for the HBO Latino program, Encuentros en Brasil. Later that year, they were invited to perform at a number of festivals including Indies del Sur (Argentina), Festival Yavería (Colombia), FICIB (Colombia), and the 33rd Encuentro del Canto Popular (San Francisco, CA).
Diana Gameros is a Latin singer-songwriter who performs songs of love, longing, and hope. Originally from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico and now living in San Francisco, Gameros creates authentic, inspiring music that reflects the 21st century experiences of a young indie artist at the borderlands between cultures, languages, and genres. Whether teasing every ounce of expression from her acoustic guitar in an intimate cafe or bringing people to their feet in a club with her dynamic full band, Gameros transfixes listeners with her soaring vocals, impressive playing and captivating stage presence.
Follow Alejandro y Maria Laura and Diana Gameros on Facebook.
Catch a sneak peak of their collaboration here.

Admission: $10. Doors at 6:30pm. Show at 7:00pm. 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.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Discussion 2: Beyond the Blues: Ending the Prison Industrial Complex, Series 2
2015-08-27 19:00 - 21:00
Discussions and Performance by Marcus Shelby
Research and Workshops by Jacqueline Ramos
with Support from the The Yerba Buena Gardens Festival
The Red Poppy Art House is pleased to present the second series of Beyond the Blues: Ending the Prison Industrial Complex on June 18, July 9, August 13, and August 28, 2015. Marcus Shelby returns to the Red Poppy for the continuation of interactive discussions concerning our justice system.

Led by composer, bassist, and bandleader, Marcus Shelby, the series explores the prison industrial complex, mass incarceration, the school-to-prison pipeline, the black prison movement, incarcerated women, restorative justice, prison abolition, and more. The evenings include special guests, readings, live music, recorded music, poetry, and video. These discussions are open to anyone interested in ending the prison industrial complex and how music and art can be used as a powerful vehicle in that process.
Discussion 2 will focus on mass incarceration and its impact on public health, as well as other topics such as families impacted by incarceration, incarcerated women, and immigration. Joining Marcus Shelby and Jackie Ramos is special guest speaker, Isaac Taggart Sr., the program director of PUEBLO’S Reentry Program. The evening will close with Marcus Shelby on bass, Jackie Ramos sharing a poem, and an open mic for people to share their art (songs, raps, freestyle, poetry).
PUEBLO’S mission is to advocate for the needs of low-income residents of Oakland by grassroots organizing, offering leadership training, and initiating policy reform. PUEBLO has won reforms in the areas of public health, education, living wage, environmental justice, youth development, and public safety. An Oakland resident, Isaac Taggart Sr. has over 15 years experience in assisting individuals transitioning from welfare to work and parole-probation to payroll. He spent 3 years working as a Reentry Specialist for Mayor Ronald Dellums and played a key role in developing the policy, “Ban the Box,” which eliminates the question about past convictions on applications for employment and housing in the Alameda County. Isaac and Marcus have worked together at the UCSF Center for AIDS Prevention Studies (CAPS) helping recently incarcerated men and their families on health promotion and disease prevention.

Discussion and Performance Schedule:
Thursday, June 18 – Discussion 1
The Prison Industrial Complex: School-to-Prison Pipeline
Thursday, July 9 – Discussion 2 (postponed to August 27)
Mass Incarceration: Public Health Epidemic, Incarcerated Women, Families Affected by Incarceration
Thursday, August 13 – Discussion 3
Ending the Death Penalty, Restorative Justice, Prison Abolition
Friday, August 28 – Performance
The Marcus Shelby Ensemble with Excerpts from Beyond the Blues: A Prison Oratorio

Beyond the Blues: A Prison Oratorio is commissioned by the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival and will premiere at the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival on September 27, 2015.

Admission: $10 suggested donation per discussion and $20 suggested donation for performance. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Doors at 6:30pm. Discussion at 7:00pm. 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.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Performance: Beyond the Blues: Ending the Prison Industrial Complex, Series 2 - The Marcus Shelby Ensemble
2015-08-28 19:00 - 22:00
Discussions and Performance by Marcus Shelby
Research and Workshops by Jacqueline Ramos
with Support from the The Yerba Buena Gardens Festival
The Red Poppy Art House is pleased to present the second series of Beyond the Blues: Ending the Prison Industrial Complex on June 18, July 9, August 13, and August 28, 2015. Marcus Shelby returns to the Red Poppy for the continuation of interactive discussions concerning our justice system.

Led by composer, bassist, and bandleader, Marcus Shelby, the series will explore the prison industrial complex, mass incarceration, the school-to-prison pipeline, the black prison movement, incarcerated women, restorative justice, prison abolition, and more. The evenings will include special guests, readings, live music, recorded music, poetry, and video. These discussions are open to anyone interested in ending the prison industrial complex and how music and art can be used as a powerful vehicle in that process.

Discussion and Performance Schedule:
Thursday, June 18 – Discussion 1
The Prison Industrial Complex: School-to-Prison Pipeline
Thursday, July 9 – Discussion 2 (postponed to August 27)
Mass Incarceration: Public Health Epidemic, Incarcerated Women, Families Affected by Incarceration
Thursday, August 13 – Discussion 3
Ending the Death Penalty, Restorative Justice, Prison Abolition
Friday, August 28 – Performance
The Marcus Shelby Ensemble with Excerpts from Beyond the Blues: A Prison Oratorio

Beyond the Blues: A Prison Oratorio is commissioned by the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival and will premiere at the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival on September 27, 2015.

Admission: $10 suggested donation per discussion and $20 suggested donation for performance. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Doors at 6:30pm. Show at 7:00pm. 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.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Leni Stern African Trio: Groove-Filled African Jazz
2015-08-29 19:30 - 22:00
The Leni Stern African Trio trio performs original compositions in the funk, jazz, rock, and folk styles, all through the lens of West African rhythms and tonalities. Leni Stern is an awarded electric guitarist and songwriter, leading a trio with Senegalese master musicians Alioune Faye and Mamadou Ba. Their lyrics are poignant and emotional, using naturalistic imagery to convey borderless ideas and stories, music that is meaningful to audiences of all ages and races.

Ms. Stern studied for several years with Bassekou Kouyate and Ami Sacko in Mali, later performing in the bands of Salif Keita, Baaba Maal and Toumani Diabate. She performed for five years in a row at the Festival in the Desert in Essekane and Timbuktu, and she was recently featured in the full-length documentary about the festival, Last Song Before the War.
Featuring:
Leni Stern ‒ electric guitar, vocals, n’goni, calabash
Alioune Faye ‒ djembe, calabash, backing vocals
Mamadou Ba ‒ electric bass
“Stern doesn’t collaborate with the West Africans so much as commune with them, she never sounds out of her element, even when her pop and jazz sensibilities are most apparent.” ‒ The Washington Post
Subscribe to Leni Stern on Facebook and YouTube.

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.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

The Musical Art Quintet: Chamber with Soul
2015-09-04 19:30 - 22:00
The Musical Art Quintet was formed in 2008 as part of the Classical Revolution movement. Although classically trained, the members of The Musical Art Quintet are skilled improvisors that each bring with them an area of expertise. Whether it is Argentine tango, Afro-Cuban son, klezmer, classical works, or even electronica, the Quintet is at home. Their debut recording, Nuevo Chamber, has received much critical acclaim and a second album, Chamber con Alma, is currently in the works.
Featuring:
Anthony Blea – violin
Thomas Yee – violin
Charith Premawardhana – viola
Erin Wang – cello
Sascha Jacobsen – bass

“A stunning demonstration of how jazz improvisation can be performed as effectively by an ensemble of string players as it can by any more conventional combo.” – SF Examiner
“Composer-bassist Sascha Jacobsen’s concoctions hop nimbly through a world of styles while impressing with ear-catching intricacy and handsome technique….” – SF Bay Guardian
Get a feel for The Musical Art Quintet’s music on Facebook and on their website.

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.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Daniel Riera Ensemble: "The Wind Controller:" Future Flutist With Electric Ensemble
2015-09-05 19:30 - 22:00
Drawing inspiration from 70’s jazz and funk and the rhythmic tug of post-Dilla hip-hop, Daniel Riera premieres works for flute, wind-controller and electric ensemble. A San Francisco native, Daniel is a flutist, bassist, producer, sound-designer and teacher known for his enchanting performances on the wind-controller, a digital woodwind delivering earth-shaking bass, acidic melodies and even chords. Winner of the ASCAP Young Jazz Composer Award, he graduated Berklee College of Music with honors. He performs with the groups Soltrón and The Congress.

Featuring:
Daniel Riera – wind controller, flute
Parker Grant – keyboards
Schuyler Karr – bass
Dame Drummer – drums, sampler
Follow Daniel on Facebook and SoundCloud.
Get a sneak peak at his productions here and here.
PC: Tom Ehrlich

Admission: $1o-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.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Marcus Shelby Presents: Beyond the Blues: Ending the Prison Industrial Complex, Series 3, Discussion 1
2015-09-10 20:00 - 22:00
The Red Poppy Art House is pleased to present the third series of Beyond the Blues: Ending the Prison Industrial Complex on September 10, October 8, November 12, and December 10, 2015. Marcus Shelby and Jacqueline Ramos return to the Red Poppy for the continuation of these interactive discussions concerning our justice system.

Led by composer, bassist, and bandleader, Marcus Shelby, the series explores the prison industrial complex, restorative justice, prison abolition, the death penalty, the school-to-prison pipeline, mass incarceration, and more. The evenings include special guests, readings, live and recorded music, poetry, and video. These discussions are open to anyone interested in ending the prison industrial complex and how music and art can be used as a powerful vehicle in that process.

Discussion Schedule:
Thurs, 9/10 – Discussion 1
Music and Its Power in Social Justice; Restorative Justice
Thurs, 10/8 – Discussion 2
Prison Abolition and the Death Penalty
Thurs, 11/12 – Discussion 3
School-to-Prison Pipeline Part 3
Thurs, 12/10 – Discussion 4
Action Plan and Solutions to Fight Mass Incarceration

Admission: $10 suggested donation per discussion. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Doors at 7:30pm. Discussion at 8:00pm. 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.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Broken Shadows: New Roots & Chamber Folk
2015-09-11 19:30 - 22:00
With songs that place an emphasis on spontaneity, lyrics, and story-telling, Broken Shadows‘ take on roots music includes grooves with origins from around the globe. Broken Shadows is comprised of a highly-adaptable collection of musicians under the leadership of trumpeter/composer Darren Johnston. The ensemble brings poetry, interplay, vocal harmonies, and a cross section of musical interests into a curious new blend of roots/art/dance music. Collectively, members have played and recorded with Electric Squeezebox Orchestra, Quartet San Francisco, Fred Frith, Meklit Hadero, The Nice Guy Trio, Berkeley Symphony, The View From Bernal Hill, ROVA Sax Quartet, Brass Menazeri Balkan brass band, Todd Sickafoose, Marcus Shelby Orchestra, and many others.
Featuring:
Darren Johnston – trumpet, vocals
Matthew Szemela – violin, vocals
Ila Cantor – guitar, vocals
Schuyler Karr – upright bass
Hamir Atwal – drums
Get a feel for Broken Shadow’s music on Facebook.

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.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Ramon & Jessica's A Cappella Big Band: Six Voices Sing Gertrude Stein
2015-09-12 19:30 - 22:00
Long-time Bay Area collaborators Dina Maccabee and Jesse Olsen Bay present a new incarnation of their eclectic ensemble Ramon & Jessica, as a vocal sextet with special guest singers.

Inspired by Gertrude Stein’s playful language and imagery, this new song cycle builds on the composer’s signature style, using tuneful melodies and complex rhythmic interplay, to bring Stein’s classic book for children, The World Is Round, to life.
Featuring:
Dina Maccabee and Jesse Olsen Bay – vocals, composition
with special guest performers
Follow Ramon & Jessica on Facebook.

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.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Jazz in the Neighborhood Presents: Steve Erquiaga and Frank Martin - Second Show of "Three in a Row"
2015-09-13 19:30 - 21:30
As part of the new monthly series at the Red Poppy Art House, Jazz in the Neighborhood presents Three in a Row – three concerts highlighting the music of local jazz guitarists. The series will feature Jeffrey Burr Trio on August 9, Steve Erquiaga and Frank Martin on September 13, and John Schott’s Actual Trio on October 11.

Steve Erquiaga and Frank Martin have been musical compadres going back to the 1970s. They first toured and recorded together in 1978 with the John Handy band. The duo setting showcases their amazing communication, spontaneity and sensitivity. Their original compositions and arrangements cover a broad musical spectrum.
Featuring:
Steve Erquiaga – guitar
Frank Martin – piano
More on the Musicians:
Guitarist/composer and Bay Area native, Steve Erquiaga, has performed and recorded with artists such as Bobby McFerrin, Joe Henderson, Les McCann, John Scofield, Andy Narell, David Byrne and The Turtle Island String Quartet. His music can be heard in such films as The Firm, Nina Takes a Lover, and Forrest Gump. He is a published author, an international clinician, and a faculty member at the California Jazz Conservatory in Berkeley, CA.
Keyboardist Frank Martin is a Bay Area native in demand as a studio player, arranger, producer, composer, and performer. His performance history includes concerts with Sting, John McLaughlin, Al Jarreau, Trilok Gurtu, Flora & Airto, New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Santana, James Taylor, Joe Farrell Quartet, Larry Coryell, Richard Bona Band, and the Narada Michael Walden Band.
More on Jazz in the Neighborhood:
The mission of Jazz in the Neighborhood is to celebrate and invigorate the Bay Area’s rich, musical jazz heritage by creating more opportunities for established local musicians to perform, mentor aspiring players, and share this great American art form with the community. Through collaboration with school music programs and adult big bands, the project enables top-caliber artists to push creative boundaries while helping developing musicians “learn on the bandstand” according to the great jazz tradition. Performances in neighborhood venues not only showcase the wealth of local talent, but also create regular destinations for people to enjoy rich cultural and social experiences where they live.

Admission: $20 advance, $25 at the door, $5 student, sliding scale. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Advance tickets: http://goo.gl/hRi1Ri
Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Amendola vs. Blades: From Avant Garde to Funk, Bebop to Rock
2015-09-18 19:30 - 22:00
Wil Blades and Scott Amendola conjure various sonic deities as only a duo, covering everything from avant garde to funk and bebop to rock. Amendola vs. Blades got their start as a group when Scott had the vision of performing Duke Ellington’s Far East Suite with Wil. While quite a daunting task executing a suite (originally written for a big band) as a duo, the Hammond organ had previously been used in the 1940’s and 1950’s to emulate the sound of big bands. With Wil’s knowledge of this tradition and Scott’s desire to push boundaries, they were able to pull it off in a explorative yet cohesive manner. The two continue to perform the Ellington suite in their live performances, while also developing their own original material.

Featuring:
Scott Amendola – drums, percussion, electronics
Wil Blades – Hammond B3, clavinet
“Lean and mean, the AMENDOLA vs. BLADES duo has firmly established itself as one of the liveliest acts in the Bay Area” – Forrest Dylan Bryant, Jazz Observer

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.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Musette Explosion: French Musette via Brooklyn, Reimagined by Three Polyglot Virtuoso Improvisers
2015-09-19 19:30 - 22:00
Prizing improvisation and emotionally honest performances, Musette Explosion takes upbeat, French accordion music to new heights. Musette Explosion is comprised of virtuoso musicians, each with a distinctive voice on his instrument, that explore and expand on the challenging French musette repertoire. The trio brings new life to this multicultural, accordion-driven dancehall music through their highly improvisational communication style and original compositions. Their debut album, Introducing Musette Explosion, was featured on NPR.
Featuring:
Will Holshouser – accordion
Matt Munisteri – guitar, banjo
Marcus Rojas – tuba
“… swings with speed and clarity, sways with mystery and eroticism….Not simply an archeological paean to past masters, this debut recording from Musette Explosion makes the genre relevant to NYC’s musical landscape.” (bring down to next line) – Elliott Simon, New York City Jazz Record
“This group does not restructure the repertoire’s foundation; they handle it all in their own way. [Musette Explosion] has respectfully reclaimed 1930s Paris for the 21st Century.” – Aaron Cohen, Downbeat
Get a feel for Musette Explosion’s music on Facebook and on Soundcloud.

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.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Diaspora Arts Connection Presents: A Night of World Improvisation
2015-09-20 19:30 - 22:00
A Night of World Improvisation is an evening dedicated to all the innocent lives lost in the Middle East, especially the Syrian refugees who drowned in the Mediterranean Sea. Presented by Diaspora Arts Connection, the performance will feature melodies from old Near and Middle Eastern tunes to Persian classical music.

Featuring:
Saman Mahmoudi – santour
Ali Tahbaz – percussion
Kia Mousavi – guitar

About Diaspora Arts Connection:
Diaspora Arts Connection is an organization dedicated to promoting music, arts, and culture of Iran and beyond, with emphasis on introducing new and up-and-coming artists in diaspora.

Admission: $20 advance, $25 at the door
Advance tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2259734
Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Cine+Más SF Presents: 7th Annual SF Latino Film Festival - Shorts Program 2: Lifestyle & Laughs @ RPAH
2015-09-24 19:00 - 22:00
Cine+Más SF presents the San Francisco Latino Film Festival (September 18-27, 2015) in theatres and cultural centers throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, screening award-winning and critically acclaimed documentary and feature films throughout Latin America, South America and the USA. The audience will have the opportunity to participate in discussions with local and visiting filmmakers after many of the screenings.
The Cine+Más SF Latino Film Festival celebrates its seventh installment and opens with its annual tradition to kick-off Hispanic Heritage Month and the SF Latino Film Festival, hosted by CBS/5 and The CW/44 Cable 12 on Thursday, September 10, 2012 from 5:30pm – 7:30pm at KPIX-5, 855 Battery St, San Francisco.
The festival takes the program to several theaters and cultural centers in the Bay Area including the Roxie Theater, Brava Theater, the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts, Red Poppy Art House, Yerba Buena Gardens, de Young Museum and the Eastside Cultural Center and San Jose Mexican Heritage Plaza. Films are screened in their original language with English subtitles. “The festival’s purpose is to build community through film, while educating, entertaining, and recognizing the work of Latin American, Spanish, and US Latino filmmakers which otherwise may not be seen in San Francisco,” says festival director, Lucho Ramirez.

Shorts Program 2: Lifestyle & Laughs – Red Poppy Art House

Edgar and the Joyous Life
Director: Veronica Lopez
USA / 2015 / 10 min / English, Spanish / Culture, Faith, Women in Film
Edgar is a young Chicano adult that still lives in downtown LA housing projects with his parents. While his family is very Catholic, Edgar is drawn to a traditional Japanese church which has been open to the community.
—
Edgar es un joven chicano que vive en el centro de LA con sus padres. Mientras que su familia es muy católica, Edgar se inclina a una iglesia tradicional japonésa que ha estado abierta a la comunidad.

Grown Ups – Casitas
Director: Javier Marco
Spain / 2014 / 9 min / Subtitles / Comedy
Carlos and Marta, both 35 years old, are living the life they’ve always dreamed of… a house with a yard, a dog, and they’re even about to have a child, but there’s no such thing as a perfect life.
—
A sus 35 años, Carlos y Marta tienen la vida que siempre habían soñado… una casa con jardín, un perro, incluso van a tener un hijo… pero una vida no puede ser tan perfecta.

Eduardo Carrillo: A Life of Engagement
Director: Pedro Pablo Celedón
USA, Mexico / 2014 / 30 min / English / Biographical, Culture
The life and legacy of Eduardo Carrillo, painter, muralist and beloved teacher, who came of age, artistically and personally, during the heady years of the Chicano movement of the 1970’s. He went on to create a vibrant body of artworks and to inspire and guide thousands of young artists of all ethnicities.
—
La profunda dedicación al compromiso destaca la vida y el legado de Eduardo Carrillo, pintor, muralista y querido maestro, que se desarrollo artística y personalmente, durante los años gloriosos del movimiento chicano de la década de 1970. El llegó a crear una vibrante obra completa que inspiro y guio a miles de jóvenes artistas de varias culturas.

Two Days of Luck – Dos Días de Suerte
Director: Arturo Martinelli
México / 2015 / 9 min / Subtitles / Comedy
Mai and Cañas, a couple of small-time criminals, see their luck change dramatically when a winning lottery ticket lands in their laps.
—
Mai y Cañas, un par de delincuentes de poca monta, ven un cambio drástico en su suerte cuando el boleto ganador de la lotería cae en sus manos.

Living Quechua –Runasimiwan Kawsay
Director: Christine Mladic Janney
USA / 2015 / Quechua, Spanish, English / Subtitles / Culture, Doc, Indigenous, Women in Film
Quechua is an endangered language that Elva Ambía Rebatta is trying to save by cultivating a Quechua-speaking community in New York City.
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El Quechua es un idioma en vías de extinción. Elva aun lo habla y hace lo posible por mantenerlo en un pequeña comunidad en Nueva York, donde es imperativo aprender el español y el ingles para conseguir trabajo. Living Quecha sigue a Elva en este proyecto, viendo sus éxitos y las dificultades que se le presentan.

Admission: $10 student/senior, $12 general
Advance tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2238144
Screenings begin at 7:00pm. All ages welcome.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Big Galut(e) with Guest Narrator Daniel Barton: Jewish Folk with Jazz and Tango Sensibilities
2015-09-25 19:30 - 22:00
Hailed as “a real treat for open minds” and an “alleged klezmer band,” Big Galut(e) brings its mix of folk, jazz, klezmer, classics, and more to the Poppy. This East Coast quintet performs music ranging from Argentine Yiddish tangos and Renaissance Jewish sonatas, to Mahler compositions with a klezmer sensibility. For the second set, Big Galut(e) will be joined by Daniel Barton, a San Franciscan lawyer and circus veteran. Barton will narrate The Tale of Monish, which tells the story of what happens when the Devil’s wife visits a little Jewish town in Poland.
Featuring:
Robin Seletsky – clarinet
Sasha Margolis – violin, vocals
Mark Rubinstein – accordion
Michael Leopold – theorbo, baroque guitar
Rich Sosinsky – bass
Daniel Barton – narrator for The Tale of Monish
Follow Big Galut(e) on Facebook!

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.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

DOUBLE SHOW: Lavay Smith And Her All-Star Soultet
2015-09-26 19:00 - 22:00
Country Soul: Lavay Smith Sings Music Made Popular by
Dinah Washington, Esther Phillips, and Ray Charles

Lavay Smith and Her All-Star Soultet bring a bracing, bluesy jolt of energy to the jazz and country crossroads with her new show Country Soul. In crafting jazz and blues-steeped arrangements of songs associated with the great country American songbook, Smith and her band found inspiration in the country and western recordings of Ray Charles as well as R&B and jazz musicians Big Maybelle and Dinah Washington.

Featuring:
Lavay Smith – vocals
Jules Broussard – alto and tenor saxophones
Chris Siebert – piano, bandleader
Danny Armstrong – trombone, vocals
Ron Belcher – bass

Get a feel for Lavay Smith’s music on YouTube.

Admission: $15 online / $15-20 door
Advance tickets: http://lavaysmith.bpt.me
Double Show: First show at 7:00pm (doors at 6:30pm). Second show at 8:30pm
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

"The Other Barrio" CD Launch Party: Songs From the Motion Picture
2015-10-01 19:00 - 21:00
The Other Barrio, the sold-out Centerpiece Film of the 2015 San Francisco Independent Film Festival, returns to SF’s Brava Theater on October 16th. In preparation of the opening, Producer Lou Dematteis and Producer/Director Dante Betteo release the new CD, Songs From the Motion Picture The Other Barrio, containing nine songs from the film produced by Barrio Music Supervisor and Composer Greg Landau. Featured on the album are Veronica Valencia, Jerry Gonzalez, Omar Sosa, Dr. Loco, Culture Clash, Enrique Fernandez, and Greg and Camilo Landau.

The Red Poppy Art House is pleased to host the official CD release party on Thursday, October 1st from 7-9pm. Joining Dante, Lou, Greg and Veronica are Barrio Production Designer Rene Yanez and San Francisco Poet Laureate Alejandro Murguia, plus other members of The Other Barrio cast and crew along with guest musicians. The evening will feature songs from the new album, scenes from the film, and poetry recited by Alejandro Murguia. Admission is free, and the cast and crew invite the public to join in on the celebration. In support of the film, CDs will be on sale for $15 as well as tickets to the screenings at the Brava on October 16, 17, 18 and 22.

Learn more about The Other Barrio here.

*Mission Makeover Mural by Lu Cia Ippolito and Tirso Araiza.

Admission: Free. Event at 7:00pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets can be purchased for Brava Theater screenings here.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.
