Since the end of Comedy Central's Important Things with Demetri Martin, the mop-topped comic has kept busy with a pair of stand-up specials and two books. The first, This Is a Book, mixed jokes and essays, while the newer Point Your Face at This compiled some of Martin’s clever visual gags. His live shows mix the jokes, the sketches and, more than likely, a little noodling on the banjo.
Photograph: Courtesy TSO
If you're like us, every 12 months you need a concentrated dose of overwrought prog-metal renditions of Christmas standards, guitarists on moving platforms and seizure-inducing light shows. That's why Trans-Siberian Orchestra comes to town each holiday season, digging into its greatest (and gnarliest) holiday hits—including that inescapable, high-octane version of "Carol of the Bells."
Finally a good reason for locals to make the trek to Pier 39, the Winter Wine Pour finds restaurants and shops usually reserved for tourists pouring wine tastings and serving up a load of specials. Enjoy live music and entertainment, then make a night of it with a reservation at the Hard Rock Cafe and stop by the video arcade. A portion of sales benefit the Aquarium of the Bay’s free children’s programs.
Holiday Traditions with Chef Rogelio Garcia of The Commissary Restaurant
If you missed a chance to be the hero at Thanksgiving, get ready to shine come Christmas when you whip up a batch of Cinderella Pumpkin Tortellini — a dish you learned from Top Chef contender Rogelio Garcia. The executive chef of The Commissary, chef Traci Des Jardins’ gift to the Presidio, Garcia is sharing this family favorite recipe in a lively cooking demo, made all the more festive with Mexican hot chocolate cocktails whipped up by Arguello’s resident mixologist.
Union Street Fantasy of Lights
Get that old-fashioned holiday spirit exploring one of the city’s historic neighborhoods at Union Street’s Fantasy of Lights. Meet and greet the North Pole crew, snag a cupcake, decorate an ornament, hop on the horse-drawn carriage and do not forget to shop in this, one of San Francisco’s swankiest retail destinations. The SFFD will be on hand to collect new, unwrapped toys for its annual gift drive, a fine way to get on Santa’s “good” list.
Photograph: Courtesy The Victoria Theater
The Golden Girls: The Christmas Episodes
Travel down the road and back again to see the show that’s become an unlikely Christmas tradition for many San Franciscans. Four talented drag performers slip seamlessly into the roles of captivating Blanche, charming cynic Dorothy, scary grandma Sophia, and the one that Betty White was to create new holiday-themed “episodes” of The Golden Girls. You will see, the biggest gift will be from wonderful stars Heklina, D’Arcy Drollinger, Matthew Martin and Holotta Tymes.
Club Chuckles presents Neil Hamburger
Neil Hamburger is a fine match for Club Chuckles, a local comedy showcase that extols scenesters, punks and the rest of their ilk to take a night off from shoe-gazing to engage with some live comedy. The character (created by prankster Gregg Turkington) is a finely-tuned send up of the very worst American stand-up has to offer, and yet he has opened for acts as varied as Tenacious D and Faith No More. For this special holiday outing, Club Chuckles expands from its homebase at Hemlock Tavern to the wide open spaces of Swedish American Hall.
For more than a decade, frontman-songwriter Max Bemis has transformed his neurotic woes and exceedingly dirty thoughts into an ongoing alt-rock opera that's brash, barbed and frequently hilarious. Tonight you'll get a trip in the wayback machine as the band performs In Defense of the Genre in honor of the album’s 10-year anniversary.
In San Francisco, Christmas means crab. Crack into all you can handle at this annual fest, hosted by the bacchanalian spirits at SPARK Social. Paired with garlic noodles and a cold draft, these Dungeness crabs are begging to be crushed. It’s going down rain or shine on the park’s spacious soccer field.