The Oakland Weekend

A Contemplative Angel on the Crocker Tomb (Photo Mountain View Cemetery)

Friday

King Kong
It’s been remade twice in the last 75 years, and both versions failed to match the original RKO masterpiece of 1933. See King Kong the way the great ape was meant to be seen, on a huge screen in one of the nation’s great Art Deco film palaces. Watch Kong swat biplanes from atop the Empire State Building at the Paramount Theatre Friday night. The doors open at 7 pm.

What: King Kong
When: Friday, July 9, Movie Starts at 8 pm, Mighty Wurlitzer at 7:30 pm
Where: Paramount Theatre, 2025 Broadway
How Much: $5

Hairspray
The Woodminster Summer Musical series opens with Hairspray. Woodminster favorite Greg Carlson takes his first turn in drag as Edna Turnblad in the musical based on John Waters’ 1988 film. As always, champagne will be served on opening night.

What: Hairspray at Woodminster Amphitheater
When: Friday, July 9, 8 pm
Where: Woodminster Amphitheater, Joaquin Miller Park, 3300 Joaquin Miller Road
How Much: $25-$45

The Princess Bride
Angry apes not your thing? What about The Princess Bride, The sweetly goofy fairytale beloved by gentle nerds everywhere? See it for free at the Redwoods Heights Recreation Center.

What: Princess Bride
When: Friday, July 9, 8:15 pm – 10:15 pm
Where: Redwood Heights Rec Center, 3883 Aliso Avenue
How Much: Free

Sun Ceremony
Here’s the pitch: Come to drum and stare at the sun. Oakland-based artist David Wilson in collaboration with artist Chris Duncan, opens the Berkeley Art Museum to a “fully participation-based drum and light orchestration” Friday evening. There will be “light projections and visual guidance from Jeffrey Manson (Misto Reef Lights), a Chladni singing performance by Meara O’Reilly (Avocet), and SUN choir.”

What: L@TE: Friday Nights
When: Friday, July 9, Doors open at 6, Ceremony starts at 7:30 pm
Where: Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft Way
How Much: $5, free for members and UC Berkeley students, faculty, and staff

Some Kinda
Dwele blends neo-soul, hip-hop, and jazz the way few musicians can. The sly musician and songwriter will be at Yoshi’s in Jack London Square all weekend. His new album is called “Some Kinda,” which gets it just about right.

What: Dwele at Yoshi’s Oakland
When: Friday, Saturday & Sunday, July 9, 10 & 11, 8 pm – 10 pm, 7 pm – 9 pm Sunday
Where: Yoshi’s. 510 Embarcadero West
How Much: $28

Saturday

Walking Tour of Mountain View Cemetery
One of the loveliest spots in our city is Mountain View Cemetery. It’s also fairly described as “California’s most historic” boneyard. Meet some of the legendary figures from our state’s past who made this corner of the Oakland Hills their last home on a walking tour sponsored by the Oakland Heritage Alliance. Barbara Smith and Michael Crowe are the tour leaders.

What: Walking Tour of Mountain View Cemetery
When: Saturday, July 10, 10 am – 12:30 pm
Where: Meet at Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Avenue
How Much: $15, $10 OHA members

Comics and Islam
G. Willow Wilson is an American author who lived in Cairo for four years. When she was there,  she met her husband and converted to Islam. She also wrote the graphic novel “Cairo.” Wilson will be at the Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California Saturday night to talk about her new book, “The Butterfly Mosque.”

What: G. Willow Wilson
When: Saturday, July 10, 6 pm – 7:30 pm
Where: Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California, 1433 Madison Street
How Much: $7, $5 for students

Sunday

Rowing Races on Lake Merritt
For the second year in a row the Lake Merritt Rowing Club is hosting the United States Rowing Association’s SW Masters Regionals on Lake Merritt. More than 800 rowers are expected to be racing 1,000 meter sprints. There is excellent viewing along Lakeshore Avenue, at the City Sailboat House, as well as the grounds near the remodeled Lake Merritt Boathouse on Lakeside Drive (the start line). Or have a drink at Lake Chalet while watching the races.

What: Rowing Club Hosts USRA Masters Regionals
When: Sunday, July 11, 7:30 am – 5 pm
Where: Lake Merritt
How Much: Free 

Justa Space Queen
We’re excited about our next show at Art@TheOakBook. Two women artists who have been inspired by the cannabis movement have joined forces to install “Justa Space Queen” at our Jack London Square location. Come to the opening to see the work ofMonika Lea Jones and Smokie of Guns and Brushes.

What: Justa Space Queen
When: Sunday, July 11, 12 pm – 3 pm
Where: Art@TheOakBook, 423 Water Street
How Much: Free

Your Oakland Weekend

Whatever else you do or don’t do, you can’t miss the Oakland Museum’s grand re-opening this weekend. The museum is hosting a 31-hour-long free extravaganza from Saturday through Sunday evening. But you don’t have to spend all 31 hours at the museum — there’s a lot more going down in Oaktown this weekend.

Friday, April 30

The Coup

In these frustrating political times it’s cathartic to hear voices like Oakland’s Coup, one of the most lucid producers of socially conscious hip hop since 1993. Boots (nee Raymond Riley) and DJ Pam the Funkstress will be at New Parish Friday night. The fire on the stage just might even restore your belief in democracy.

What: The Coup with Katdelic Featuring Ronkat
When: Friday April 30, 8:30 p.m.
Where: The New Parish, 579 18th Street
How Much: $20

The Secret Society

This is the Oakland Museum of California’s big reopening weekend, so we feel a little unfaithful mentioning an artsy thing in Berkeley, but The Secret Society at the Berkeley Art Museum sounds awfully interesting, if only because L@TE’s taking the secret part seriously. Joseph del Pesco (The man who turned moonshining into art) has programmed the evening and all we’re told to expect are parachutes, speakeasies, and a secret “porchlight” event somewhere in the museum. And don’t worry about hitting the hometown party, too. The Oakland Museum of California is going to be free and open for 31 hours straight all weekend. You can do both.

What: L@TE
When: Friday, April 30, 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Where: Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft Way, Berkeley
How Much: $5

Saturday, May 1

Brew for the Beautiful Game

The brewmasters over at Linden Street have whipped up a special batch of suds for a fundraiser at the brewery Saturday afternoon. For $25 dollars you can drink the specially crafted Unity Lane Lager, enjoy wine from Periscope Cellars and taste the entries from a Jamaican jerk cook-off. The best part is that it’s all for a worthy cause. The proceeds will go to My Yute Soccer Camp, which runs a one-week, absolutely free summer soccer camp for 60 kids in Oakland.

What: First Annual Jamaican Jerk Cook-Off
Where: Linden Street Brewery,
When: Saturday, May 1, 1 p.m. – 6 p.m.
How Much: $25

Walking in Jane’s Name

Join Annalee Allen, historian and director of Oakland’s walking tour program, through a 90-minute-tour of Old Oakland. Walk through what was once the western terminus of the Transcontinental Railroad. Formerly Oakland’s bustling downtown district in the days of railroads and streetcars, this area’s restored brick and Victorian buildings now live on as offices, galleries and eateries. Visit the historic Washington Inn, G.B. Ratto & Co. International Grocers, Swans Marketplace and the “Friends of the Library” bookstore. The tour will end at La Borinqueña Mex-icatessen at 582 Seventh Street.

This walk is meant to be Oakland’s Jane Walk and will launch the 2010 Walking Tour program. Jane’s Walk is an international day of city walks in honor of the late urban theorist Jane Jacobs.

The 10,000 Steps team will join Annalee Allen to share some of the stories they have collected for their Walking the Invisible City tour.

What: Jane’s Walk
When: Saturday, May 1, 10 a.m.
Where: Meet in front of Ratto’s Deli, 821 Washington Street in Old Oakland
Free

Opening of the 57-33 store

The people behind Fiftyseven-thirtythree, those popular and stylish handmade-in-Oakland tee shirts that you’ve probably seen at local street fairs and night markets, are moving on up to their own store. It’s a store where you might go just to look at the cool art, thanks to artist Eddie Colla’s work on the walls. The grand opening party’s this Saturday.

What: 57-33 Opens.

When: Saturday, May 1. Store hours: Noon to 6, the party begins at 7.
Where: 4125 Piedmont Avenue (2^nd floor)
First 50 guests get free shirts.
fiftyseventhirtythree.wordpress.com

Keep Oakland Beautiful

If you care about how Oakland looks and want to do your bit to keep it beautiful, you get your chance this Saturday.  From 9 a.m. to noon, Keep Oakland Beautiful’s board members, volunteers and local residents will be working to clean up and beautify 42^nd Avenue, between International and Foothill.

What: Keep Oakland Beautiful/the 2010 Great American Cleanup, a national campaign organized by nonprofit Keep America Beautiful.
When: Saturday, May 1, 9 a.m.
Where: Volunteers are to meet in the FAMSA furniture store parking lot at 4215 Foothill Blvd., www.keepoaklandbeautiful.org,

Second Kids Otter Read Around the Bay Day

Take your kids to Laurel Bookstore and meet four authors of books for kids, ask them your questions, and find out about some new books. The bookstore will be hosting Rachel Rodriguez (Building on Nature: The Life of Antoni Gaudi), Madeleine Dunphy (Here is Antarctica), Debra Sartell (Time for Bed, Baby Ted), and Sara Kahn (Opus and the Red Chair.)

What: Kids Otter Read
When: Saturday, May 1, 1 p.m.-3 p.m.
Where: Laurel Bookstore, 4100 MacArthur Blvd.

Sunday, May 2

Lag BaOmer Picnic

In Israel, Lag BaOmer is a holiday for bonfires. On Sunday, the Jewish Community Center of the East Bay andWilderness Torah are hosting a picnic at Lake Temescal. Expect barbecue, arts and crafts, hikes, and games. The JCCEB will have kosher hot dogs, veggie burgers, and drinks.

What: Lag BaOmer
When: Sunday, May 2, 12 PM – 4 PM
Where: Lake Temescal, 6500 Broadway
How Much: Free

The Deconstruction Orchestra

Sax master Josh Allen returns for a four-week residency at East O’s own Flux 53 with his monster avant-improv ensemble, and the word is they’re bigger and badder than ever.

This Sunday, Allen opens at 8 p.m. playing with drummer Kjell Nordeson. At 9 p.m. the Orchestra goes on, featuring well known local musicians, such as Henry Kaiser, Darren Johnston, Ava Mendoza, Tom Djll, Ron Heglin, Damon Smith, and Roberto Haven of the Church of Coltrane.

What: Allen and the Deconstruction Orchestra
When: Sunday, 2 May, 8 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.
Where: Flux 53 Theater, Foothill & Fairfax
$10 suggested donation