COMING UP THIS WEEK:

Cotati Accordion Festival
Netta Skog. Sourdough Slim. Thee Hobo Gobbelins. DUCKMANDU. You have to go to the oldest accordion festival in the Bay Area for the names alone. The whole fest started 28 years ago when one musician recorded a accordion album and played it for a friend at a local bar. Yadda, yadda, yadda – the festival was born. The proceeds from the fest support local education programs, so you can feel doubly good while enjoying the surrealist vaudeville performances and accordion punk rock.
AUG 17-19 – FRI-SUN: 10AM-6PM, La Plaza Park, Cotati; $19 a day. Kids under 15 free.

WorldCon 76
Worldcon is the preeminent science fiction convention – where the Hugo Award winners are announced plus a full slate of programming for science fiction and fantasy geeks.  The schedule is filled with hours of workshops, panels, gaming, and probably a bit of cosplay to boot. The schedule is a bit overwhelming, but I highly recommend the Hugo awardee readings (there are 6+ categories), but also take a shot on something weirder on the schedule, like this panel on The Gothic Universe of Female Mexican Horror Writers.
AUG 17-19 – FRI-SUN: All day, San Jose Convention Center, San Jose; $75 and up.

Bomb Shelter Radio
Back in 2009, a friend invited me on Pirate Cat Radio – part low powered underground radio station/part hipster cafe. It closed down a few years back, but the next iteration is here: Bomb Shelter Radio. Artist Josh Short builds radio stations out of materials scavenged from where ever he’s setting up shop, making each installation a unique experience. The radio station becomes a hub for live music, interviews, guest DJ’s and experimental sound collaging. I can’t even predict what to expect this time around.
AUG 18 – SAT: 7PM-10PM, The Growlery, SF; Free.

Agar Art
You might think that art and millions of bacteria don’t mix, but you’d be wrong. Counter Culture Labs is teaming up with the Lawrence Hall of Science for an afternoon of culturing beautiful works of art. Using different bacteria and carefully placed media, you can incubate your own creation. The only limit is your imagination and the reproduction rate of millions of bacteria.
AUG 19 – SUN: 11AM-3PM, Lawrence Hall of Science, Berkeley; Free with admission.

Litquake Lunch Break! 
We have a new park/performance space in San Francisco – the four block roof park about the Salesforce transit center. They are still ramping up on events, but have lined up a series of maker nights and literary performances. Starting this Monday, Litquake is hosting lunchtime readings from local authors and poets curated by Sam Sax. First up are poets D.A. Powell, Preeti Vangani, Victor Inzunza, and Imani Cezanne.
AUG 20 – MON: 12PM-1PM, Salesforce Transit Center Park, SF; Free.

Big Screen Science: Contact with Jill Tarter
Ok, ok – this is my own monthly event with my friend Jeff Silverman. We screen a movie we love, then talk about the science afterwards. We’ve seen classics like Alien and 2001, plus personal faves like Memento and Home Alone. But this month might be the best event we’ve held in the series. We’re watching the Carl Sagan authored classic with legendary SETI scientist Jill Tarter, who the Jodie Foster was based upon. Following the movie, she’ll update us on the search for ET and share a few stories from set.
AUG 20 – MON: 7 PM at Alamo Drafthouse in the Mission, SF; $15

Odd Salon: Elixir
Tales of the famed SF Pisco. Mummies and honey. Goat testicles. Odd Salon hosts is usual curious set of storytellers weaving yarns on all things alchemical. Explore magical medicines, marvelous mixtures, and potions passed as perfect remedies. Or just enjoy a normal drink at the bar? You had me at Elixir.
AUG 21 – TUE: 630 PM at Public Works, SF; $15, Reserved seats $25

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Caveat Eventor: just because we mention an event here, does not mean it won’t be terrible. Anglerfish curators are looking for events that sound like fun to them – your mileage may vary.