Bring something to sip and a twenty for each band to either or both shows! Call ahead for a seat reservation — 415-586-3733. We’re a bookshop during the day and a venue for music and poetry in the evenings, with events four to six nights a week, especially through the weekends.

Eric & the In Crowd – 11/14 at 6pm;
$20 suggested, students $10, kids free

This weekend we have pianist Eric Shifrin’s continuing 2nd Fridays Happy Hour residency, now in its 4th year. Eric & the In Crowd has a vast and varied repertoire and a terrific roster of musicians to draw on, and this week, two of Eric’s key collaborators — bassist Ari Munkres and drummer Mark Lee — are on hand to entertain you with a big bouquet of songs that start with the letter A. Go figure! Better yet, come & enjoy one of San Francisco’s most mischievous piano geniuses, who sings up a charming storm. As for Ari and Mark, they’re the two coolest sidemen you’ll encounter here in Baghdad by the Bay. Mark your calendar for the second Friday in December when they’ll no doubt get to letter “B” — hopefully without a nod to Big Bird’s take on the Beatles!

The Name & Form Ensemble – 11/14 at 8:30pm;
$20 cover; students $10

Following the In Crowd, Robert Heirendt brings his “Name & Form” Ensemble. You’ll encounter original conceptions/compositions for mbira and saxophone, based on the meeting of traditional Zimbabwean trance music with modern improvisational jazz. The evening will feature Robert on mbira (Zimbabwean kalimba) and two alto saxophonists, Randy McKean and Dan Plonsey, with special guest Linton Hale on bansuri flute. Read more here! There’s a new album to be savored! And you’ll grok it most deeply if you hear this live musical workout!