A galactic range of options await any visitor to San Francisco. As we
roll into summer, celebrations and festivals abound in this magnificent
city. Here are a few suggestions from the San Francisco Convention
& Visitors Bureau for the month of April.


Cherry Blossom Festival: April 11-12, 18-19



It's easy to feel torn trying to decide which of all the fabulous San
Francisco spring events you should attend. Japantown's Cherry Blossom
Festival is among the best contendors for two weekends in April with
this year's Grand Marshall, actor and activist, George Takei. The
festival honors the diversity of Japanese Americans with traditional
fare, such as tea ceremonies, folk dancing, martial arts, taiko
drummers and crafts, and contemporary events like an anime fashion
show, a visit from Hello Kitty and her entourage and a karaoke song
festival. The main highlight for the city's large foodie contingent is
the street fair, which features cooking demonstrations and
mouthwatering cuisine - imagawayaki cakes filled with sweet bean paste,
takoyaki dumplings, deep-fried mochi balls, and of course, sushi. Most
of the events are free, and all of them are great for families.


Union Street Spring Celebration & Easter Parade: April 12


Forgo the traditional Easter bonnet and white patent-leather shoes.
This is one Easter celebration where the whole family can let their
hair down. Union Street's 18th annual free spring bash offers the
little ones bounce houses, climbing walls and pony rides, while their
parents enjoy alfresco dining, live music, fashion shows and vintage
cars. Everyone can participate in the Easter hat contest, and if past
winners are any indication, everything from grandiose floral
arrangements and feathers to stuffed bunnies, dyed eggs and balloons
are fair game.



San Francisco International Film Festival: April 23-May 7


As the oldest, and one of the most respected, film festivals in the
U.S., the SFIFF will once again strike the perfect balance between
celebrating the past and heralding the future of film. This year's
festival will feature the work of more than 100 established and
up-and-coming auteurs. Highlights will include two restored
masterpieces: Michelangelo Antonioni's 1955 drama "Le Amiche" and John
Cassavetes' 1974 award winner "A Woman Under the Influence." Gena
Rowlands, who won a Golden Globe for her role as Mable in Cassavetes'
film, and Robert Redford are expected to attend the event.


Opening Day on the Bay


The San Francisco Giants' opening series at AT&T Park is a sure sign spring has arrived.




April 7's home opener against the Milwaukee Brewers will have fans
rooting for the team to make their first World Series appearance since
2002.




Baseball isn't the only season that kicks off in April. Northern
California's boating season officially opens with a splash on April 26
as more than 150 vessels prance across San Francisco Bay in
well-choreographed formation for Opening Day on the Bay. Tug, tour and
commercial boats create a quite spectacle as they vie for prizes based
on whose "costumed" boat best interprets this year's theme, Legends of
the Sea.

A galactic range of options await any visitor to San Francisco.  As we roll into summer, celebrations and festivals abound in this magnificent city.  Here are a few suggestions from the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau for the month of April.

Cherry Blossom Festival: April 11-12, 18-19


It's easy to feel torn trying to decide which of all the fabulous San Francisco spring events you should attend. Japantown's Cherry Blossom Festival is among the best contendors for two weekends in April with this year's Grand Marshall, actor and activist, George Takei. The festival honors the diversity of Japanese Americans with traditional fare, such as tea ceremonies, folk dancing, martial arts, taiko drummers and crafts, and contemporary events like an anime fashion show, a visit from Hello Kitty and her entourage and a karaoke song festival. The main highlight for the city's large foodie contingent is the street fair, which features cooking demonstrations and mouthwatering cuisine - imagawayaki cakes filled with sweet bean paste, takoyaki dumplings, deep-fried mochi balls, and of course, sushi. Most of the events are free, and all of them are great for families.

Union Street Spring Celebration & Easter Parade: April 12

Forgo the traditional Easter bonnet and white patent-leather shoes. This is one Easter celebration where the whole family can let their hair down. Union Street's 18th annual free spring bash offers the little ones bounce houses, climbing walls and pony rides, while their parents enjoy alfresco dining, live music, fashion shows and vintage cars. Everyone can participate in the Easter hat contest, and if past winners are any indication, everything from grandiose floral arrangements and feathers to stuffed bunnies, dyed eggs and balloons are fair game.


San Francisco International Film Festival: April 23-May 7

As the oldest, and one of the most respected, film festivals in the U.S., the SFIFF will once again strike the perfect balance between celebrating the past and heralding the future of film. This year's festival will feature the work of more than 100 established and up-and-coming auteurs. Highlights will include two restored masterpieces: Michelangelo Antonioni's 1955 drama "Le Amiche" and John Cassavetes' 1974 award winner "A Woman Under the Influence." Gena Rowlands, who won a Golden Globe for her role as Mable in Cassavetes' film, and Robert Redford are expected to attend the event.

Opening Day on the Bay

The San Francisco Giants' opening series at AT&T Park is a sure sign spring has arrived.

April 7's home opener against the Milwaukee Brewers will have fans rooting for the team to make their first World Series appearance since 2002.

Baseball isn't the only season that kicks off in April. Northern California's boating season officially opens with a splash on April 26 as more than 150 vessels prance across San Francisco Bay in well-choreographed formation for Opening Day on the Bay. Tug, tour and commercial boats create a quite spectacle as they vie for prizes based on whose "costumed" boat best interprets this year's theme, Legends of the Sea.

Anarchism is not a romantic fable but the hardheaded realization, based on five thousand years of experience, that we cannot entrust the management of our lives to kings, priests, politicians, generals, and county commissioners.                      -Edward Abbey

Check out these awesome art shows.

 The Shooting Gallery: Patrick Segui The Studio Gallery: Lark Pien: I Love You A Little The

Receiver Gallery: Kyle Ranson: Joyous Marriage

My talented and good friend Adam Air will be having a show at the Sub/Mission Arts Space this will be an awesome show go check our some killer artwork.

check out these websites for even more info!!

http://www.calacademy.org/events/nightlife/

http://www.calacademy.org/

So I have gotten a few requests from people for a nice smattering of punk and metal shows, let alone they are some of my favorite shows to list as they are my kind of music so here goes:

3/3 Thee Parkside- Thee Poop Chutes, ok not only do you get two guys doing covers of anything punk, but you also get to partake of $2 PBR and $2 tacos, this is a must in my opinion.

3/4 Thee Parkside- EPIPHANETTE, JESSE GRANT BAND, MANDOLIN MIKE WATSON, and GENTLEMAN JOHN PREDNY BAND,  indie rock, folk, and a band that calls themselves Gothic Funk. . . I kid you not.  Odd but interesting because of it.

3/4 Annie’s Social Club- Barbary Coast Burlesque, who doesn’t love a good burlesque show?

3/5 Thee Parkside- BLACK MOON RITUAL, GUSTO, SIRHAN SIRHAN, and RADIO CRIMES, pretty good punk all around.

3/5 Slim’s- Soilwork, Darkane, Warbringer, and Swallow the Sun, Awesome metal show, soilwork and darkane are both staples of the metal culture, I saw Warbringer at the Gilman before they got signed and they play some great thrash and Swallow the Sun is an excellent funeral doom band from Finland (the land of great metal)  this show will be rocking.

3/6 Thee Parkside- ONION FLAVORED RINGS, SHOTWELL, THE FUCKING BUCKAROOS, and STREET EATERS, pop punk, folk, jazz, and the most punk is a pretty kick ass chick punk band.

3/6 Fillmore- Black Label Society,  Zak freaking Wylde playing the guitar like mad, good old rock with a definite metal edge.  Awesome.

3/7 Thee Parkside- 3pm: METAL HAPPY HOUR SHOW - NATIVEBURN, THE DUST, and IDOMENEO,  ok metal, not really my taste as there seems to be too much hardcore in the metal.  But it should be a nice cheap happy hour show.  9pm: CLUB FERAL - SCHLITZ CLAIBORNE, NATHAN CARRERA, MILK MILK LEMONADE, FLEABAG, DJ Gary Fembot,  So I had a lo fi punk band and a Techno band, the rest are a mystery as I could not get their myspace pages to work.

3/8 Annie’s Social Club- Black Cobra, Eternal Elysium, Dusted Angel, and Damnweevil, this is an excellent doomy metal show.  If you want an underground metal scene  experience in San Francisco check this out.

3/8 Thee Parkside- 5pm: REDUCED TO RUIN, FRED ODELL & THE BROKEN ARROWS,  Twangy country influenced music.  9 pm: STAR FUCKING HIPSTERS, SECOND SHOT, and THE PENNY DREADFULS,  2 awesome punk bands worth checking out for sure and one blink 182 wannabe pop punk crap band.  I see no reason to miss this show.

3/7 the Gilman(Berkeley)- Hardcore show, 7 bands short and hard sets.  I cannot read all the bands on the flyer so I am just going to say if you like local hardcore type bands this will be a good show.

 3/8 the Gilman- Brocus Helm, Havoc, Laceration, IT, and Pillager, thrash metal would be the main influence of these bands, which makes sense seeing as though most of them are from the bay area.  Should be an excellent show full of metal energy.

3/13 the Gilman- Embrace the End, Early Graves, Antagony, Agenda of Swine, and Fallujah,  mostly hardcore that longs to be metal, but a couple of the bands pull off a decent death metal blend.

3/14 the Gilman- The Prids, Disaster Strikes, Swann Danger, and Modern Day Witchunt, we have 2 indie punk bands, one more indie the other more. . . we’ll say new wave, and 2 hardcore bands.  Should be an interesting show for sure.

So there you have it, if you like punk or metal and can’t find anything here you are interested in then I don’t know what to tell you.  Have a great week.

Kyle @ GT

So, of course, you already know that there are many attractions worth seeing in San Francisco. This city by the bay is home to beautiful architectural landmarks, famous museums, and gorgeous parks. There are countless amounts of things to see here. But, where do you begin?

An old co-worker and I thought it would be fun to bring some insiders' perspectives on the lesser known things that make San Francisco (and the Green Tortoise) great! So, I present to you, Charles' top 10 list.

10. Buena Vista Park  -Haight St. Between Baker and Central

The name, meaning "good view," pretty much says it all. This park has a great view of the Marin Headlands and Golden Gate Bridge. Its walking distance from Haight-Ashbury, the Castro and the Mission. It is less popular than Golden Gate Park, so a great place to hike or sit without being bothered by all the other tourists.

9. Polk Street

Or "The poor man's Haight," as Charles likes to call it. A lesser known area full of shops, bars and nightlife. Watch out for transvestites.

8. Sam's Burgers and Pizza   -618 Broadway

This place has the 3 most important features a burger joint can have: Its cheap as hell, open late, and its only a block and a half from the Green Tortoise! The perfect place to satisfy those drunken munchies after the bars close, or after free beer night in our own ballroom.

7. The Starlight Room    -Top floor of the Sir Francis Drake Hotel, 450 Powell St.Great
view of the city, especially at night. Sometimes they have shows and
DJs, and on Sunday nights they have a drag show. It is a bit pricey.
But, just get one or two drinks for the novelty.

6. The Cheesecake Factory   -251 Geary St.

Its pretty obvious whats great about this place....cheesecake! Located on the top floor of Macy's in Union Square, it has a fantastic view. This interior is pretty extraordinary as well. One of the draw backs is this place is very popular, so you could wait a while for a table. Just go here for desert and try to go not during peak meal hours.

5. The End Up   -401 6th St.

This is one of the only bars that stays open past 2:00 am. Even though they can't legally serve alcohol after 2, its still a great place to go after hours. DJs, dancing, and an awesome patio in the back complete with ferns and a fountain (perfect for smokers).

4. The Red Vic Movie House   -1727 Haight St.

This worker owned and operated theater is a great place to catch
a flick for cheap. Forget those lumpy chairs that most theaters have,
and get cozy on one of their couch-style benches. They screen all types
of movies; from recent blockbusters, to old classics, to independent
films and documentaries.

3. Zeitgeist   -199 Valencia St.

Hands down, one of the best bars in the city. The drinks are average price, and the inside is dirty. But they have a huge backyard with picnic tables, perfect for going with a big group. Lots of beers on tap and possibly the best bloody marys in SF. The food is good and cheap, too. Plus, look out for the tamale lady as she comes through with her little cart of homemade tamales. Try one, their great!

2. Stow Lake Boat Rentals   -50 Stow Lake Dr., Golden Gate Park

This is a must-do of San Francisco. Go to stow lake, rent a paddle boat and float around stow lake. See pretty trees, ducks, and possibly even turtles! It is worth the money. But, if your broke, a stoll around the lake is just as nice. Don't forget to pack some food and wine...mmmm

1. Dolores Park   -Dolores St. Between 18th and 20th St.

Particularily on a sunny Sunday afternoon, this is the best place to hang out. Once again, another great view of the city. Its perfect for BBQs, beers, and meeting people. There are often events going on here; like parades, shows, or other more uniquely San Francisco events (like the soap box derby). Definately the party park of the city.

Well, there you go. Hope you all enjoy.