653 Chenery Street
in San Francisco's Glen Park neighborhood
1-415-586-3733
[email protected]
Open to walk-in trade and browsing
Tuesday to Sunday
noon to six
Live Streams every weekend!
Refresh your browser to catch a show in progress!
Visit our Facebook page or YouTube channel!
But nothing beats being in the room with the music & the musicians!
Sunday, May 6, 2pm “enclosure” a talk by Dan Richman The fencing of common grazing land in England in the 17th and 18th century accelerated the creation of a landless working class, and today we still mourn and suffer from the loss of the “commons.” Dan Richman considers the history and its implications today. A taker of long walks, a philosopher of sorts, an observer of natural life in the built landscape, and a writer of plays, novels, essays and poems, Dan has long been a contributor to the Bird & Beckett intellectual commons, with his occasional staging of short plays, participation in our poetry readings, and talks on a variety of topics. Sunday, May 6, 4:30 to 6:30 pm Macy Blackman & the Mighty Fines rockin’ new orleans R&B which way west? Sunday concert series all ages welcome – donation requested Still we roll on! Macy’s been rolling out…
Read MoreSunday, April 29 Come to the Glen Park Festival! An all-day frolic al fresco on Diamond Street from Bosworth to Chenery. Crafts booths, food vendors, your occasional politician and a stage full of terrific musicians entertaining you & your 1,000 close personal friends-to-be! Music on the Fest stage starts at 10:00 a.m. when our honorary Glen Park mayor & major domo Misisipi Mike introduces the kick off act, Gayle Schmitt and the Toodalla Ramblers doing a special set for the stroller set. At 11:30, Misisip’s own Midnight Gamblers flower in the noon-day sun with a good-natured honky tonk set to get the grown-ups up & hollerin’. Neighborhood politico-musico’s District 8 follow at 1:00; and then Jinx Jones & KingTones take the stage at 1:45 for a coronation rave-up. World emperors Pangea play at 3:15, globalizing the whole deal. The cosmos in a microcosm, on the best block in the best…
Read MoreFriday, May 4 to Monday, May 7 Jazz in the bookshop every Friday, from 5:30 to 8:00 pm This week: Don Prell’s Seabop Ensemble. Sunday at 2pm, Dan Richman considers the phenomenon of “enclosure”… the loss of the commons, the building of borders, fences and walls around the world we once inhabited together; and at 4:30 pm on Sunday, our which way west? concert series features the rockin’ New Orleans R&B of Macy Blackman & the Mighty Fines. Then, on Monday starting 7, its an evening of poetry, with featured readers Bill Vartnaw (Poet Laureate of Sonoma County!) and Patty Trimble– open mic to follow. The whole show is hosted by Jerry Ferraz, peripathetic bard & a San Francisco native… it’s a twice-a-month affair at Bird & Beckett– the first & third Monday of every month.
Read MoreSunday, April 22 – 2 pm John Trudell Poet, Musician, Activist John Trudell is an acclaimed poet, national recording artist, actor and activist, with an international following that reflects the universal language of his words, work and message. Today at Bird & Beckett, he’ll read poems and lyrics collected in his book Lines from a Mined Mind. Trudell (Santee Sioux) was a spokesperson for the Indian of All Tribes occupation of Alcatraz Island from 1969 to 1971. He worked with the American Indian Movement (AIM), serving as Chairman of AIM from 1973 to 1979. In February of 1979, a fire of unknown origin killed Trudell’s wife, three children and mother-in-law. It was through this horrific tragedy that Trudell began to find his voice as an artist and poet, writing, in his words, “to stay connected to this reality.” In 1982, Trudell began recording his poetry to traditional Native music and…
Read MoreMonday, April 16 – 7:00 pm Poets Jeanne Powell & Nancy Keane followed by an open mic POETS! First & Third Monday of each month, hosted by Jerry Ferraz Jeanne Powell’s collections of poetry include My Own Silence and Word Dancing. A much admired poet and cultural critic, Jeanne has made a significant impact on the San Francisco poetry scene by hosting a long-running spoken word series — “Celebration of the Word†— which took place weekly in San Francisco for ten years, and by publishing numerous local and more far-flung poets as well under her imprint, Meridien PressWorks. Her “Living Treasures” project was a particularly valuable effort, that brought out the books of four poets over age 70. Read more on Jeanne at http://redroom.com/member/jeanne-powell. Nancy Keane — poet, publisher, artist and proprietor of one of the truly great and storied watering holes in San Francisco — hosts a legendary…
Read MoreHappy Birthday, Sam! April 13 is Samuel Beckett’s putative birthday– so this Friday, let’s toast the great man and his good works! Scott Baker & Val Fachman, fond thespian interpreters of his words and fresh back from Paris, will hold forth at the break between jazz sets this evening to share a few of Sam’s poems in his original French and his own English translations of same! Guinness & Jamesons the drinks of choice! Friday, April 13, 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm Jimmy Ryan Quintet Jazz in the Bookshop Every Friday! Henry Hung (trumpet), Danny Grewen (trombone), Scott Foster (guitar), Bishu Chatterjee (bass) & Jimmy Ryan (drums). Jimmy Ryan got his start in L.A. in the ’50s, got to San Francisco in the early ’60s, and has been a key member of the Bird & Beckett Friday night jazz series since the beginning, as has guitarist Scott Foster. This fine…
Read MoreComing up Saturday, May 19th Bird & Beckett’s Big Bash at the Clubhouse Once every couple of summers, we take our show up to the “clubhouse” on O’Shaughnessy to raise a little dough! It sustains us down in Glen Park, where we do 18 events a month, the lion’s share of them under the auspices of the venerable Bird & Beckett Cultural Legacy Project. This will be our fourth “Big Bash” — each one a terrific community party, with bands, food, drink… and you! $10 tix will be available in advance (but not just yet). Stay tuned for our entertainment line up, though we can tell you that it will be focused on the folks that have poured through the public high school that sits up on the rim of Glen Canyon, The Ruth Asawa School of the Arts. Many young musicians and writers whose talents have been developed at the…
Read Morethis weekend at Bird & Beckett… Friday – 5:30 to 8:00 pm jazz in the bookshop 3/30 – The Dave Parker Trio Jerry Logas, baritone and tenor saxes, flute and clarinet Charles Hamilton, trombone Dave Parker, bass Remember the halcyon days of the Red Rock Lounge? That was Ric Lopez’s elegant little corner bar at Diamond & Chenery before Le P’tit Laurent took its place… and Friday nights in Glen Park always sizzled with jazz from a fiery quintet that featured Dave Parker on bass along with Jerry Logas on saxes and the late trumpeter Mike Pitre. Dave’s group holds down regular gigs now at the Purple Onion in North Beach and Farmer Brown’s in the Tenderloin– and once in a blue moon we lure the band back into Glen Park for a reprise of those early days. Sunday – 2:30 to 4:00 pm Poetry Anthology Release Reading 4/1…
Read MoreComing up in April at Bird & Beckett which way west? Sunday concert series always 4:30-6:30 pm Two Sundays of solo piano — Joe Lasqo on April 1st Joel Forrester on April 8th (Easter Sunday) April 1: Joe Lasqo merges Indian and Middle Eastern music with jazz and “Stockhausen meeting the sound of one hand clapping.” You can always catch him on Wednesday afternoons at Viracocha on Valencia, where he plays intently as the world goes by, and on April 12 he’ll be at El Valenciano on that same fine street. Then there’s the occasional gig at the Turquoise Yantra Grotto, which we’ll be happy to hip you to if you just ask… But you’ll hear Joe best on our little stage a week from this Sunday. His “Turquoise Sessions” cd (shown above at left) is a killer excursion across a vast and expansive terrain. April 8: As for Joel…
Read MoreBird & Beckett goes to the movies… at the Balboa Theatre in San Francisco’s Richmond District… we’ll see you there! Indian Cinema Beyond Bollywood: Classic & Contemporary Bengali Movies from Tollywood! Friday, March 16th to Tuesday, March 20th Before there was Bollywood, there was Tollywood– Tollywood, home of Bengali-language filmmaking, has long been the proving ground of many talents later usurped, exploited and made rich & famous by the Mumbai-based, Hindi-language Bollywood machine. Its nickname came about in 1932, when a writer in American Cinematography magazine named it for the Tollygunge neighborhood of Kolkata (Calcutta) in which most of the Bengali-language movie production offices are based. Last Day! Tuesday 3 flicks for 5 bucks! 5:00 pm Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne (The adventures of Goopy & Bagha) directed by Satyajit Ray, 1968 with Tapen Chatterjee and Robi Ghosh A delightful children’s fantasy filled with humour, adventure and magic, and at once a…
Read More Monday, March 19, 7 pm Poets! Arisa White & QR Hand Open Mic Follows Youth and experience go hand in hand… Arisa White’s debut poetry collection is Hurrah’s Nest. QR’s life in poetry is sketched out in the book Whose Really Blues. Hurrah’s Nest: A vivid and varied collection that addresses family loyalties, dysfunction, violence, and differences, Hurrah’s Nest is White’s imaginative and emotionally honest exploration of growing up the second oldest, first daughter of seven siblings. Childhood experiences are looked at with rawness, sensitivity, and crafted with precision: be it the cutting of her dreadlocks, mother’s abortion, drug trafficking, or her sister’s developmental disability, the language is tender and startling. Hurrah’s Nest—from the confusion of our lives—asks us to make meaning and good from what we’ve bargained and haven’t bargained for. Arisa is a Cave Canem fellow, an MFA graduate from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and author of…
Read MoreBird & Beckett goes to the movies… at the Balboa Theatre in San Francisco’s Richmond District… we’ll see you there! Indian Cinema Beyond Bollywood: Classic & Contemporary Bengali Movies from Tollywood! Friday, March 16th to Tuesday, March 20th Before there was Bollywood, there was Tollywood– Tollywood, home of Bengali-language filmmaking, has long been the proving ground of many talents later usurped, exploited and made rich & famous by the Mumbai-based, Hindi-language Bollywood machine. Its nickname came about in 1932, when a writer in American Cinematography magazine named it for the Tollygunge neighborhood of Kolkata (Calcutta) in which most of the Bengali-language movie production offices are based. Day 3! Sunday Dedicated to Gautam Chattopadhyay 2:00 pm – Moner Manush 5:00 pm – Nobel Chor 7:00 pm – Live Music – “Bengal & Beyond” 8:15 pm – Nagmoti  ♦view the full schedule here ♦view details on the films here 2:00 pm Moner…
Read MoreMeanwhile, at the bookshop… Sunday, March 18th 2:30 pm: Writer Jonah Raskin Marijuanaland Jonah Raskinhas written extensively on American cultural history, particularly its more radical and humanist aspects – with books on Abbie Hoffman, Allen Ginsberg and the wine industry in Sonoma, an anthology of Jack London’s political writings, among others. He’s also written on the novelist B. Traven and much more. With personal roots in his parents’ American communist underground of the 1940s, his own involvement in SDS in the 1960s, his participation in the academic world of Sonoma State University throughout the 1970s until quite recently, and his contemporary assessment of that journey and what makes sense to him today in terms of political and social engagement, Jonah’s insightful take on the marijuana industry, subculture, mythos, economics and politics of Northern California, including the war waged on it, will be thought provoking and enlightening. His advice on engagement for social change is this: “Be visible.…
Read MoreSaturday, March 17th, at the Balboa Theatre… Bird & Beckett presents day 2 of  “Indian Cinema Beyond Bollywood: Contemporary and Classic Bengali Films from Tollywood” A Five-Days Festival of Films at the Balboa Theatre March 16-20  ♦view the full schedule at this link  Saturday, March 17th: 3:30 pm – Antaheen directed by Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury 6:00 pm – Ami Aadu directed by Somnath Gupta 8:30 pm – Iti Mrinalini directed by Aparna Sen Each of the films screening today excels in its cinematography, editing and sound work, as well as the directorial excellence and ambition that brings out fine performances in Bengali cinema’s best actors– seasoned professionals and newcomers alike. Bengali cinema is surging forward on several fronts– with new and newly revived production companies backing filmmakers and technical talent bristling to launch projects that will engage international audiences and hold their own domestically against the Bollywood machine. We’re…
Read MoreFriday through Tuesday March 16th -20th! Bird & Beckett goes to the movies… at the Balboa Theatre in San Francisco’s Richmond District… we’ll see you there! Opening Night Friday! 7pm – The Japanese Wife 9:15 pm – Aparajita Tumi Indian Cinema Beyond Bollywood: Classic & Contemporary Bengali Movies from Tollywood!  ♦view the complete schedule at this link ♦view details on the films here Before there was Bollywood, there was Tollywood– Tollywood, home of Bengali-language filmmaking, has long been the proving ground of many talents later usurped, exploited and made rich & famous by the Mumbai-based, Hindi-language Bollywood machine. Its nickname came about in 1932, when a writer in American Cinematography magazine named it for the Tollygunge neighborhood of Kolkata (Calcutta) in which most of the Bengali-language movie production offices are based. But why is Bird & Beckett throwing a Tollywood film festival? It’s no small thing that we get…
Read More
Sign Up for Our Weekly Emails!
SUPPORT BIRD & BECKETT - DONATE TODAY!
Your donation to the Bird & Beckett Cultural Legacy Project helps us pay for a multitude of operating expenses necessary to present, promote and preserve local music, poetry, and more.
Help us keep the arts alive and thriving!
The Bird & Beckett Cultural Legacy Project was created in 2007 "to present, document and archive the creative work of significant living writers and musicians in the San Francisco Bay Area, for a neighborhood audience and future generations." We've been doing that very thing for more than a decade and a half, continuing the work we began when the store was established in 1999.
We continue to present a full slate of programming of live music and poetry readings, and produce a literary journal and poetry chapbooks, and we seek and welcome your continued financial support by way of donations through our fiscal sponsor, Jazz in the Neighborhood.
Click on "donate" in the navigation bar above. Better yet, send or drop off a check made out to our fiscal sponsor, Jazz in the Neighborhood, with BBCLP in the memo line. Our mailing address is:
Bird & Beckett Cultural Legacy Project
653 Chenery Street
San Francisco, CA 94131
Call us at (415) 586-3733 to find out how else you might lend your support.
TAKE OUR SURVEY
To take our SURVEY, click here, and help the BBCLP get to know you better! As Duke Ellington always said, we love you madly...
The Bird & Beckett Cultural Legacy Project
Our events are put on under the umbrella of the Bird & Beckett Cultural Legacy Project (the "BBCLP"). That's how we fund our ambitious schedule of 300 or so concerts and literary events every year.
The BBCLP is a [Read More ]
The Independent Musicians Alliance
Gigging musicians! You have nothing to lose but your lack of a collective voice to achieve fair wages for your work!
The IMA can be a conduit for you, if you join in to make it work.
https://www.independentmusiciansalliance.org/
Read more here - Andy Gilbert's Feb 25 article about the IMA from KQED's site
