Liam's List

  Greetings pleasure seekers,

There is so much to enjoy around the Bay this weekend. From a music festival in San Jose to a music festival in San Francisco. Not to mention a killer happy hour at SF's Grand Café.

Have a mad, fab weekend.

Cheers
Liam

-)

1 MAIN EVENT
Noise Pop 2009
San Francisco
Various Venues
See the crème de la crème of Indie rock at San Francisco's best music festival. Dozens of indie bands over twelve days crank it up to eleven for a festival of music and multi-media. Hometown music-maker John Vanderslice is one of the main draws this year. Check the site for the full list of music an d movie happenings.
www.noisepop.com/the-2009-festival

2 MOVIEFEST
Cinequest Film Festival
San Jose
Now until March 8th
Various Cinemas
The South Bay's annual movie festival, Cinequest is underway. The festival shines a light on the best of world cinema. As usual the fest draws a crowd and some celebrities. The highlight this year is "Wake" a movie starring Bijou Phillips. Danny Masterson, Ian Somerhalder and Jane Seymour. Expect to see the cast here too for the screening. Check the web site for more information.
www.cinequest.org/indexCQ.php

3 CHARITY EVENT
HGTV Home Tour
480 First Street East, Sonoma
Reservations: (707)-537-3812
Now through Monday 9am to 5pm
It's the last weekend of the 2009 HGTV Dream Home located in the historic wine country town of Sonoma. Winemaker/developer and philanthropist Steve Ledson, a fifth generation Sonoman, built the 2009 Dream Home for HGTV. Tours will be held daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Monday March 2, 2009. The last tour of the day will begin at 4:30 p.m. Tickets for the tours are $20 per person ages 4 and up and are available only by reservation. Children under 3 will be admitted free, but must be carried by an adult. All tickets are to be picked up at the Ledson Hotel, off Sonoma Square at least one hour prior to your scheduled tour time. Guests will then ride a shuttle to the HGTV Dream Home a few miles away. This fantastic home is a dream indeed. Ensure you get to view it for yourself this weekend. Proceeds to Benefit Ledson Harmony Foundation for Children.
www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/pac_ctnt/text/0,,HPRO_20196_69552,00.html

4 WILD WILD WEB
Black Rock Documentary
Online NOW
Documentary film-maker Michael Epps has unleashed his new work online. Black Rock is the tale of African Americans that served time on Alcatraz. This never before told story shows the rock through the eyes of some o f the prison's most notable Black inmates. It's a tale of racism and segregation. A must see. And you can purchase it online. 
blackalcatraz.com/

5 AFTER DARK
Night Life at the California Academy of Sciences
55 Music Concourse Drive, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
Thursdays 6-10 pm Through October 29th
Cost: $10 per person ($8 for Academy members)
Enjoy music, cutting-edge science, and food and cocktails under the roof of San Francisco's newest and hippest museum. Is it possible for a museum to be hip? Why yes, especially now with the cool set and the hip vibes now bouncing off the walls of the Academy on Thursday nights. If you have not yet ventured to the museum, cancel whatever you have on your calendar next Thursday and head here. See you there.
Tickets available at the door or online 
www.calacademy.org/event_tickets/

6 HOT TICKET
Tom Jones
The Warfield, 1182 Market Street, San Francisco
Saturday March 7th
NOW on sale
The Welsh crooner comes to The Warfield for one night only in March. This man has the pipes of a ten man Welsh chorus and yes even after forty years they still deliver. This one man voice machine will be rocking through his old catalogue - Delilah, It's Not Unusual and more. Expect tracks from his new offering too. Cheers.
www.tomjones.com

7 BAYCATION
Blair House Bed and Breakfast Inn
45110 Little Lake Street, Mendocino
7 Days a Week
Escape for a night or weekend long get away at Blair House, the house used for hit TV show Murder She Wrote. The rooms are large and cosy and brimming with charm and from the moment you enter you step back in time & Enjoy a continental breakfast courtesy of Norm the inn-keeper. Also a chance to meet the folks next door. The house is said to be haunted. I am not so sure. It is a wonderful escape in an inviting Coastal town a three hour drive from the Bay. Go on spoil yourself.
www.blairhouse.com/

8 GET TICKETS NOW
Monty Python's Spamalot
Golden Gate Theater, San Francisco
Opens May 22nd 8pm
Tickets on sale NOW
Ripped off from the motion picture Monty Python and the Holy Grail, this hysterical musical romp may well be the funniest thing you see all year. John O'Hurley is in the lead role as the King and he rules from the moment the curtain opens. I saw the show in Las Vegas last year and it is pants down hilarious. Treat yourself and a friend, you'll be glad you did. Members of the ministry of funny walks will not receive pensioner discounts. 
www.monthpythonsspamalot.com

9 EAT HERE
Alioto's Crab Stand 8
Fisherman's Wharf (at the foot of Taylor), San Francisco
There are many reasons to avoid the Wharf but many reasons to go and this is one –Alioto's, one of the oldest restaurants in San Francisco. Alioto's Crab Stand 8 offers the real deal; real crabs, real salty men of the sea who can crack crab like a war horse. The show is watching the crab cracked but the star itself is the food. The marinated crab is fresh, tasty and sensational to eat.
I highly recommend this spot as a great place for unique and delicious crab dishes and a non-stop crabtastic crab show. Do it! 
www.aliotos.com/

10 - HAPPY HAPPY HOUR
Grand Café Bar
Geary Street, San Francisco
Monday to Friday 4pm to 7pm
One of the city's best brasseries is inviting you to a new happy hour where you can wet your whistle and make your tummy happy. Go to the bar at Grand Café for a right royal treat of a happy hour. Star Chef and my pal Mauro Pando has come up with a menu with the flavors of France and all easy on the stomach and wallet; salt cod beignets, salmon rillette on toast for just $4, tomato goat cheese terrine tapenade, and pissaladiere for $5.

And beers like Sierra Nevada just $3, a Kronenberg a steal at $4. Is this not the happiest happy hour ever? See you a' le bar! Merci! 
www.grandcafe-sf.com/petitecafe_overview.php

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