Amanda Kuehn Carroll

Time to swap your champagne flutes for beer steins and your black ties for lederhosen. On Tuesday, October 3, the San Francisco Symphony is ushering in autumn with their first-ever Oktoberfest Celebration. Start the evening with a sudsy pint, or two (pre-concert beer is free and unlimited for all ticket holders) and get ready to enjoy some mighty fine music. Resident conductor Christian Reif will lean on his German roots to lead the Bavarian-inspired program of opera arias, waltzes, polkas and traditional German drinking songs and games, including selections from Mozart, Verdi and Strauss. Though these great composers are often reserved for quieter moments, much of their music was created for more boisterous and festive occasions. Some selections will be sung by soloists and members of the San Francisco Symphony Chorus, but don’t be surprised when the entire audience is asked to join in. For VIP ticket holders, the celebration continues in a pop-up biergarten featuring complimentary German fare, fire pits and endless beer accompanied by polka bands and dancing. Tickets start at $29, and all proceeds from the event will support the Symphony’s artistic, community and education programs. Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave (sfsymphony.org/oktoberfest). Oct 3 at 6pm; $29-195. 

You know that feeling you get when someone whispers into your ear and it sends a shiver of goosebumps straight down your spine? If that surprising, yet soothing, sensation sounds familiar, then you may have experienced ASMR, autonomous sensory meridian response. What most practitioners refer to as a “pleasant tingling feeling,” ASMR provides a unique sensory experience that might best be described as a brain orgasm, or more frankly, a mind fuck. Brushing, tapping, whispering, or even watching someone perform repetitive tasks like brushing your hair can trigger a low-grade rush of euphoria that starts in the back of the head and then travels down your spine and into your limbs. “If you imagine that gut-wrenching feeling some people get when they hear the sound of nails on a chalkboard, that's what ASMR is like, except that it is intensely pleasurable and relaxing,” says  Andrew Hoepfner, co-creator of Whisperlodge. “It's an impulse that you can't really control.” Hoepfner, who has a background in immersive theater, was intrigued when he first learned of ASMR a few years ago. He reached out to Melinda Lauw, who has conducted research on the phenomena and created “tingle-inspired” artwork, and together the two design an immersive experimental performance unlike any in existence. In their first year, the team put on seven performances for over 250 people. “Whisperlodge is an opportunity for people to explore and enjoy their senses,” says Hoepfner, who describes the performance as

  Every summer, the Golden Gate Restaurant Association throws a weekend-long party honoring San Francisco’s top chefs, somms and mixologists succinctly called Eat Drink SF. With over three dozen restaurants and 70 beverage purveyors in attendance, the sheer volume of food and drink available to taste can be way too much for one person’s palate. So, if you’re looking to hone in on this year’s best bites, we’ve got a list of offerings that you simply can’t miss.   Robin Photograph: Ana Kamin     August 25, Friday evening A newcomer to the SF food scene and to Eat Drink SF, Robin serves up some of the city’s finest and freshest Japanese dishes. Chef-owner Adam Tortosa will be serving silky tuna toro (a rich fatty cut of fish belly) and samples of ikura donburi, a mixture of rice and vegetables topped with cured salmon eggs. Black Cat executive chef Alicia Jenish-McCaron blends classic composition and whimsical ingredients in her elegant pavlova, a crisp meringue-based dessert topped with boozy cream and fresh fruit. A SF icon for almost 20 years, Traci De Jardins was one of the Bay Area's first celebrity chefs. Rogelio Garcia, De Jardins’ executive chef at The Commissary, will represent the Spanish restaurant with a squash blossom brioche.   China Live Photograph: Photo Credit: Photograph: Yelp/Gary S     August 26, Saturday afternoon China Live takes the stage on Sunday with a dumpling-folding demo that should make for some tasty entertainment. They’ll also be dishing ou

Every summer, the San Francisco Symphony lets down its hair (or rather, its baton) and takes a detour from the standards to offer a sampling of shows with something for everyone—from the truly young to the young at heart. “It’s meant to be highly entertaining and audience-friendly,” says Edwin Outwater, Director of Summer Concerts. “Like walking into a musical candy store.” Mark your calendar with these classic compositions:  July 6-7: The lineup starts with the iconic stylings of American composer John Williams. Experience the legendary scores featured in some of cinema’s most epic films, including cult classics like Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Harry Potter. “There’s something about hearing that music live that’s just stunning,” says Outwater. See for yourself as these movies come alive inside Davies Symphony Hall. July 8: Take a day-trip to Paris and spend an unforgettable evening at the steamy and sensational Moulin Rouge, where vivacious vamp and Pink Martini songstress Storm Large caresses the can-can and belts out ballads a la Edith Piaf. Hear selections from Bizet, Ravel, and Offenback, and an original arrangement by Outwater. July 13-14: There’s no time like summer to celebrate sharks and suspense, and no better way than with a viewing of Jaws. Listen for the legendary melody of the ocean’s most feared predator as you watch Steven Spielberg’s action-packed thriller set to a live orchestra.  July 15-16: Get all the feels and all the fun of an animated adventure with