Free concert series returns to downtown San Francisco this summer
A popular downtown concert series is returning for a second year as part of a broader push to revitalize the city's urban core through free public events and cultural programming, Mayor Daniel Lurie announced Friday, May 2.
In partnership with Another Planet Entertainment, the promotion company behind the annual Outside Lands festival in Golden Gate Park, and the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, the 2025 series will kick off June 14 at Embarcadero Plaza with the second annual Back 2 Baysics concert, featuring San Francisco electronic music label Dirtybird.
The event follows a successful 2024 season that drew tens of thousands to Union Square, Civic Center Plaza and Embarcadero Plaza.
'Last year's shows brought thousands of people to our downtown, and we're building on that momentum,' said Mayor Lurie. 'Our arts and culture are helping to drive San Francisco's comeback, and this is a perfect example of that energy.'
The concert series is part of a three-year agreement with Another Planet Entertainment, which also includes two to three ticketed concerts at the Polo Field the weekend following the Outside Lands Festival.
'Last year was such an incredible cross-section of the San Francisco community,' Bryan Duquette, a member of Another Planet Entertainment's core executive team, said in a statement. 'San Francisco feels alive right now!'
The deal supports city parks and brings significant foot traffic downtown — last year's Embarcadero concert nearly tripled local attendance on a typical Sunday, according to the mayor's office.
The full lineup of events will be announced at a later date.
'Events like these remind us that our public spaces are for everyone,' said Phil Ginsburg, head of the Recreation and Park Department. 'Our downtown plazas are vibrant, joyful places where people can dance, connect, and experience the magic of live music together.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Los Angeles Times
19 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
A Black reimagining of ‘The Great Gatsby' spotlights a hidden L.A. history
In 2022, Kyra Davis Lurie heard a story on KCRW's 'Curbed Los Angeles' about the residents of South L.A.'s West Adams Heights, nicknamed Sugar Hill after a community of wealthy Black Harlemites. Learning about the sumptuous soirees Academy Award-winning actor Hattie McDaniel hosted in her Sugar Hill mansion, Lurie realized there was a hidden Black history waiting for her to unearth. But how she created the enthralling historical novel 'The Great Mann' is a story that owes as much to Lurie's ability to reinvent herself as it does to F. Scott Fitzgerald's 'The Great Gatsby,' the iconic 20th century critique of the American dream, which provided a touchstone for the novel. Lurie, 52, grew up in Santa Cruz, far from the neighborhood where McDaniel, Louise Beavers, Ethel Waters and other striving Black actors and business pioneers depicted in 'The Great Mann' lived. While she visited family regularly in L.A., Lurie stayed up north, where she penned the light-hearted 2005 book 'Sex, Murder and a Double Latte.' She quickly followed it with two more mysteries. Encouraged by her success, Lurie struck out for L.A. to pursue her dream of getting into a TV writers room. The 2007 writers' strike deferred that goal, so Lurie pivoted to write three erotic novels which, she reveals, were 'critiques of capitalism wrapped in a romance novel.' By the time she heard about Sugar Hill and its famous inhabitants, Lurie was ready to take on a more nuanced challenge. But many literary agents weren't receptive to her change of genre. 'It was as if Marlon James had gone from writing comic books to 'A [Brief] History of Seven Killings,'' she says, name-checking the famous Jamaican writer and his Man Booker Prize-winning novel. But as Lurie continued researching the neighborhood and its history, she knew she had to tell its story, even if using 'The Great Gatsby' as her North Star proved problematic. 'I'm a huge Fitzgerald fan,' Lurie says, 'even though there was a line in that book that always bothered me.' She's referring to Nick Carraway's reference to 'two bucks and a girl' upon seeing three wealthy Black people passing by in a white-chauffeured limousine. 'While it was probably used to get a laugh in 1925, it was demeaning,' Lurie says of the scene. 'In the wake of the Red Summer of 1919 [when a record number of race riots and lynchings of Black Americans occurred in the U.S.] and the destruction of Black Wall Street in the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot, Fitzgerald's language says a lot about America's cultural climate at the time.' Was it subversive to use Fitzerald's most famous novel to frame the story of a vibrant Black enclave whose prosperity rivaled that of Jay Gatsby and his ilk? Absolutely, Lurie says, adding, 'Through a Black reimagining of 'The Great Gatsby,' I tried to marry a family's story with a little-known part of L.A. history.' The family story is told through the lens of Charlie Trammell III, a World War II veteran emotionally scarred by the violence he witnessed on the battlefield and at home in Jim Crow Virginia. Charlie arrives in L.A. looking for a fresh start and to reconnect with his cousin Margie, with whom he shares pivotal childhood experiences. But Margie, who now goes by the more exotic Marguerite, has shaken off the past and married Terrance Lewis, a vice president at Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Co. The Lewises live with their son in Sugar Hill, along with McDaniel, Beavers and Norman O. Houston, the real-life co-founder and president of Golden State Mutual. Soon Charlie is swept into the world of L.A.'s wealthy Black elite, a mix of real Angelenos like John and Vada Somerville, pioneering Black dentists and founders of Central Avenue's famed Dunbar Hotel; singers-actors Waters and Lena Horne; and fictional characters including James Mann, the mysterious Black businessman recently arrived in Sugar Hill who hosts lavish parties unlike anything Charlie's ever seen: 'The air is flavored with flowery perfumes and earthy cigars. All around me diamonds glitter from brown earlobes, gold watches flash against brown wrists. The only things white are the walls.' Mann befriends Charlie, treating the recently discharged veteran to his first hand-tailored suit and fine wine, but soon embroils him in his quest to reunite with Marguerite, the love of his life since the two met some 10 years before when they both lived in the South. Like Fitzgerald's classic juxtaposition of West Egg and East Egg in 'Gatsby,' 'The Great Mann' is about new money versus old — interlopers like Mann and the entertainers versus businesspeople like Houston and the Somervilles. But Lurie 'tried not to invent flaws' in her historical figures by doing her homework, sourcing accounts in Black newspapers, biographies and even letters between Houston and NAACP leader Walter White to depict these frictions. 'The Great Mann' is also about people reinventing themselves amid the realities and contradictions of the time. Like Black actors who played maids but employed Black 'help' in real life. Or the controversy over the stereotypically demeaning roles Black actors depicted. Chief among them was Delilah Johnson, the subservient Black maid portrayed by Beavers in the 1934 film 'Imitation of Life.' It's a debate that's introduced in 'The Great Mann' when Marguerite and Terrance tell Charlie that Beavers' home, where he will be staying and which is much grander than theirs, is paid for 'with Black shame.' Also addressed in the novel are touchier subjects like White's advocacy for the lighter-skinned Horne to get roles over her darker-skinned colleagues like McDaniel or Beavers. But the engine that fires up the plot of 'The Great Mann,' and which sets it apart from 'Gatsby,' is the battle Black creatives and business owners faced to hold onto their properties. A clause placed in thousands of L.A. property deeds in 1902 restricted housing covenants at the time West Adams Heights and many other L.A. County communities were developed, prohibiting homes from being sold to anyone 'other than the white or Caucasian race.' But some white sellers sold property to Black buyers anyway, who then had to fight white groups — like the West Adams Heights Improvement Assn. — to prevent eviction from their own homes. To say how Sugar Hill's Black residents fared in court would spoil the enjoyment of this suspenseful tale, which has put Lurie on a new path in writing historical fiction. She has another project percolating, but for now, she's just grateful to have found her niche. 'It's been a journey,' she says of the twists and turns of her writing life, 'but writing about historical Black lives feels like home to me, what I was meant to do.' Lurie will be discussing 'The Great Mann' at Vroman's Bookstore at 7 p.m. June 10; Diesel, a Bookstore at 6:30 p.m. June 11; and Chevalier's Books at 6:30 p.m. June 19.
Eater
a day ago
- Eater
San Francisco Is on the Rebound. Just Ask the Multigenerational Crowd at Drag Bingo Brunch.
When Elsa Touche takes center stage on Market Street, she's known to do so in patterned florals, swirls of blue and white hair, and huge rings on her fingers like wizard's trinkets. She leads a room full of people: those in their 80s, some not even 10 years old. A tiny pink cage full of green and pink and yellow balls stands before her. Smash burgers pop and sizzle to her right. It's a typical drag bingo brunch at Saluhall. But it's totally the opposite of what so many assume is going on in downtown San Francisco. The free-to-attend event just rang in its first year of monthly bingo brunches in May 2025. When the event launched in May 2024, about 30 people would show up, per data shared from the business. But since the end of last year, it's blown up with a minimum of 65 or more folks in the audience. The last show clocked 76. Grandparents, families with small children, and the LGBTQ community alike attend. And, of course, they all grab something to eat while diligently dobbing cards in hopes of winning a gift card to a local business, or a cooking class, or free ice cream. A year into operations, the Ikea-adjacent food hall is in a state of flux. The return of activity to the downtown corridor many have hailed has taken a long time to hit. The greater downtown area still suffers from a public perception issue, which is sometimes reinforced by reality; on a recent trip to Saluhall, Eater SF spied someone walk in, grab money from a business's tip jar, and walk out. (Saluhall does maintain security on the premises.) That said, there are some signs of life. In March 2025, the San Francisco Standard wrote, 'We're at the beginning of the end of the remote-work era,' citing Mayor Daniel Lurie and Gov. Gavin Newsom's mandates to state and federal workers to return to offices. Nevertheless, attendance is up; Kastle's data shows that company card swipes to enter San Francisco downtown buildings are up 55 percent year-over-year in March. At Saluhall, that slow uptick in foot traffic means vendors have come and gone — unable to wait out the uncertainty of the market. Two anchor tenants on the second floor departed in March: Taqueria La Venganza and Kayma Algerian Eatery. The former cited low foot traffic and Saluhall taking 12 percent of sales income that made operating untenable, while the latter reported low traffic and the need to spend more time with family. A few newcomers have brought more life to the first floor. Uber-popular player Smish Smash opened in January, drawing long lines, followed by Cheezy's Artisan Pizza, which showed up in April with phenomenal pies. The events program, though, has been a reliable high watermark. For her part, Touche says she's happy to be involved, as one of the city's most tenured drag stars. She always brings a guest performer. It's a great venue for her, too, as she's vegan and Saluhall has plenty of plant-based food. All kinds of fans turn out to see her perform, since so many of her shows are at night or at 21 and older venues. Drag brunches in general have risen in popularity. Tourists, too, who check out of their nearby hotels will come for a meal and to see something zany before boarding Bart to SFO. Touche says that Saluhall audience is a rare, broader spectrum of ages and walks of life than her other shows. It's a PG environment. It reminds her of the mall queens of the '80s, Tiffany and Debbie Gibson. San Francisco is also specific in that even if you're not someone who regularly goes into queer bars, you probably encounter drag queens somewhat regularly, Touche says. That means it's not the political act of defiance it might be in, say, Texas. Having this kind of win in Mid-Market is not lost on Touche. 'The neighborhood is rough, and I really appreciate Ikea coming in and being an anchor there,' she says. '[Saluhall's] in the post-downtown era of San Francisco, where people don't go into downtown offices so much anymore. But I think they're doing a good job.' Stella Hoffman, Saluhall's operations manager, moved to the city from London just five months before Saluhall's opening. She's responsible for scouting and booking its drag bingo event. Hoffman says that while Saluhall itself has struggled to bring in the numbers the team may have anticipated, she's proud of how far the events have come. 'We definitely have a following for bingo,' she says. 'It's definitely boosted sales for the vendors.' Further, she points out that the programming at the food hall is part of a shared effort in the neighborhood to strengthen not just businesses but San Francisco itself. Rather than being in competition with other organizations in the area, she finds everyone is working to bring tourists and locals to the area together. For example, the food hall has worked out partnerships with some of the nearby hotel concierge services to ferry over guests. The Mid-Market Business Association also plays a major role. It's a nonprofit that launched in 2019 to implement programming to bolster the downtown area; its Tenderloin/Mid-Market Community-Based Safety Program is behind Urban Alchemy, all those ambassadors in green vests. Megan Garcia's the marketing manager for the nonprofit, and she's a huge fan of Saluhall. It's an example of positive things happening in the downtown community: Contrary to the picture of San Francisco painted by outlets like Fox News, nothing scary — drug use-related or otherwise — has happened at any of Saluhall's drag brunches. It's part of Garcia's job to promote the various events happening there while also raising awareness to the association's own programming — namely, the Market Street Arts series and its flagship Well-Crafted events, which run through June. Those look a lot like sip-and-paints or screenprinting pop-ups. It launched in December 2024 as a way to support businesses. But from the jump the events sell out, sometimes for gigs with 100-person limits. Between 60 and 80 people regularly attend the numerous events hosted at Saluhall. Garcia says mostly it's people in their 20s and 30s, a slight skew toward women. But, like the drag bingo brunch, it's really all-ages and families, too. Artists featured tend to be of all ages, many who've lived in San Francisco their whole lives. They've seen the 'doom loop' narratives come and go, when the Zodiac Killer arrested the city in fear, when politicians were shot and killed. Like Elsa Touche, they've danced through it all. Garcia isn't so worried about the city, seeing all this regeneration firsthand. She takes her 6-and-a-half-year-old daughter to the events at the food hall, grabbing smash burgers after drag bingo brunch then going to the Orpheum Theatre for a show. 'Come out and see for yourself,' Garcia says. 'Take a time where you're setting yourself up for success, that you're going to feel the most secure. Then come and explore.' Sign up for our newsletter.
San Francisco Chronicle
30-05-2025
- San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco arts agencies to unite in historic realignment
San Francisco's three big arts agencies — Grants for the Arts, the San Francisco Arts Commission and the San Francisco Film Commission —will be under one roof starting in January. As part of Mayor Daniel Lurie's budget proposal, expected to be unveiled Friday, May 30, the three will operate side by side under a new super-agency with a newly created position leading the entire operation. 'Our arts community brings people from across the world to San Francisco — keeping them strong and vibrant is critical to our economic recovery,' Lurie said in a statement. 'But our current structure simply isn't doing enough to support them.' He shared hopes that the new structure would 'ensure San Francisco's arts and culture are set up to be resilient and drive our comeback.' The next step is for the Board of Supervisors to revise Lurie's proposal in June, with a finalized budget passed Aug. 1. Kristen Jacobson, director of Grants for the Arts, announced the move in a letter to grantees on Thursday, May 29. She clarified to the Chronicle that the move isn't about shrinking staff but 'a desire to connect the dots more.' She did say, however, that the change would further Lurie's goal of 'making government smaller,' but that it was too early to elaborate on what that meant. Jacobson added that current grants to the city's museums and theater, dance, opera and music companies will not be affected. Leaders of the SFAC, which supports individual artists, cultural equity initiatives and public art projects, and the film commission, which handles permits and incentives for filming in San Francisco, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The idea of uniting the agencies has been around for years. In 2022, Ralph Remington, director of cultural affairs at SFAC, told the Chronicle he brought it up when he was interviewing for his position. But past conversations about combining the agencies have been complicated by law. The SFAC is part of the city charter dating back to 1932, with its leader reporting directly to the mayor, while Proposition E, passed in 2018, solidified GFTA's place in the City Administrator's Office. Jacobson told the Chronicle that the new structure works around that hurdle by keeping GFTA's budget in the City Administrator's Office. Artists and arts leaders have also historically been divided on the proposal. On the one hand, having a centralized agency could make logistical sense and, one day, streamline multiple burdensome grant applications. On the other hand, it could concentrate power in an arena — deciding which art to support — which particularly benefits from an array of perspectives. Z Space Executive Director Shafer Mazow said while he wanted to be optimistic and believe in leaders' good intentions, 'we've seen too many pivots in GFTA in the past few years for me to feel confident that this latest plan can give the beleaguered SF arts community the support it needs,' he wrote via email. The agency's troubled leadership, under former director Vallie Brown, had already abruptly cut off many longtime grantees. Artists and producers worry particularly about the loss of general operating support, which has always been the revered purpose of GFTA. While many funders are keen to underwrite particular projects — a world-premiere play or opera, a new exhibit or initiative — it's much harder for nonprofits to garner support for less glamorous but still essential budget items such as the electric bill or administrative salaries. GFTA helps fill that gap. Jacobson said that while she could not predict the future, she vowed that under the super-agency, "I'll do everything I can within my power, and I know the whole GFTA team will as well, to advocate for how important and how critical and how precious general operating support is.' She also pointed out that the new structure isn't eliminating leadership perspectives. 'The thought process is having a side-by-side agency to hopefully keep strong voices at the head of the Film Commission, at the Head of GFTA, at the head of SFAC,' she explained. Margaret Jenkins, of Margaret Jenkins Dance Company, was among those who in the past told the Chronicle that she worried about centralizing authority. But now she said she trusts Jacobson. 'As long as it doesn't mean less money and a smaller pot that everyone will be fighting over, I think an ongoing conversation among these three organizations could yield more diverse funding in multiple arenas to a variety of artists,' she said Thursday. The change comes at a volatile time in arts funding. Earlier this month, the National Endowment for the Arts terminated a slew of grants to Bay Area arts organizations at the same time that President Donald Trump proposed eliminating the federal agency entirely. Weeks later, Governor Gavin Newsom proposed gutting the Performing Arts Equitable Payroll Fund that would have helped small arts organizations comply with state law requiring them to treat their workers as employees instead of independent contractors. The previous month, multiple city arts organizations were among those affected when the Human Rights Commission canceled $14 million in grant agreements
