Arts & Culture :: Culture

Out There :: Let's Dance!

Out There :: Let's Dance!

  • by Roberto Friedman
  • Jan 23, 2016

We all were shocked and saddened at the sudden death of the legendary David Bowie last week, and glad to see so many heartfelt tributes popping up everywhere.

The Story Behind Toy Drives in the LGBT Community

The Story Behind Toy Drives in the LGBT Community

  • by Michael Flanagan
  • Dec 19, 2015

When did toy drives start? Were they a response to AIDS charities? How did the AIDS crisis affect them? Some of the answers are quite surprising. This is a brief summary of that history.

Out There :: Stars of the Future Dazzle Today

Out There :: Stars of the Future Dazzle Today

  • by Roberto Friedman
  • Dec 19, 2015

Out There was in the captivated house last Saturday night as the San Francisco Opera Center presented "The Future Is Now: 2015 Adler Fellows Gala Concert" in San Francisco's newly renovated Herbst Theatre.

Out There :: Strolling Into the Season

Out There :: Strolling Into the Season

  • by Roberto Friedman
  • Dec 12, 2015

From now until year's end, it's all a mad rush of holiday parties, familial obligations, work-family dos, festive imperatives, and the wanton decking of halls.

Out There :: Sound Artistry

Out There :: Sound Artistry

  • by Roberto Friedman
  • Nov 21, 2015

If Paris is the City of Light, it seems sometimes that San Francisco is the City of Film Fests. Every year new and specialized ones pop up. This fall sees the debut of the San Francisco International Southeast Asian Film Festival.

Out There :: Hard Bodies & A Hotel Stay

Out There :: Hard Bodies & A Hotel Stay

  • by Roberto Friedman
  • Nov 7, 2015

The popular 2016 Barihunks Charity Calendar is out. Now in its fifth edition, the calendar features 18 hot & hunky singers of opera and musical theater in provocative poses.

BARchive :: The Rose & Josie's - Two Well-Loved Venues Remembered

BARchive :: The Rose & Josie's - Two Well-Loved Venues Remembered

  • by Michael Flanagan
  • Nov 1, 2015

Shortly after having moved to San Francisco in the early 1980s, I was introduced to the concept of gay stand-up comedy (as it was called then).

Out There :: Coming Soon, A New SFMOMA

Out There :: Coming Soon, A New SFMOMA

  • by Roberto Friedman
  • Oct 31, 2015

A major Bay Area cultural institution has announced its return. The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art will reopen on May 14, 2016, after 31 months of closure.

Out There :: Pop Music Appeal

Out There :: Pop Music Appeal

  • by Roberto Friedman
  • Oct 24, 2015

Out There receives an insane number of pitches, releases and swag from record companies, and we're not really sure why. But there are a few new albums out, or soon to be released, that caught the attention of our ever-thirsty ears.

BARchive:: The Folsom Street Fire: Anatomy of a Sex Panic

BARchive:: The Folsom Street Fire: Anatomy of a Sex Panic

  • by Michael Flanagan
  • Sep 27, 2015

A fire in San Francisco that was set by a workman in 1981 ignited a whole different sort of blaze: A media frenzy of anti-gay sensationalism. This feature casts a look back at a disgraceful episode from a deeply homophobic era.

'Sex Panic' :: GLBT History Museum Lecture Revisits Bathhouse Closures

'Sex Panic' :: GLBT History Museum Lecture Revisits Bathhouse Closures

  • by Matthew S. Bajko
  • Sep 26, 2015

A standing-room-only crowd piled into the GLBT History Museum in the Castro to hear a lecture on what led to the death of San Francisco's famed gay bathhouse culture.

Folsom: A Fair for the Kinky

Folsom: A Fair for the Kinky

  • by Race Bannon
  • Sep 25, 2015

It's that time of year again when the entire city comes alive with everything leather and kink! Whether you're a Bay Area resident, a pilgrim to Folsom, or watching from afar, you'll want to know all about this year's fair.

Out There :: Night At the Opera

Out There :: Night At the Opera

  • by Roberto Friedman
  • Sep 19, 2015

Last Friday night's San Francisco Opera gala opening signaled the official start of the San Francisco arts season.

Out There :: Fall Forward, Continued

Out There :: Fall Forward, Continued

  • by Roberto Friedman
  • Sep 5, 2015

This week we offer our second round of fall preview pieces in Arts & Culture. In these pages you'll find coming attractions in fall films, art museum shows, and the San Francisco Symphony and Opera seasons.