Who’s in town
Violinist Alina Ibragimova appears in concert, playing works by Berio, Bach, von Biber and Bartok. San Francisco Performances presents the evening. [8 p.m., Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Ave., S.F.]
Lectures
Aging gracefully: Experts on aging discuss the aging process, what changes one may face and how to prepare to enjoy life to the fullest. [5:15 p.m., Commonwealth Club, 595 Market St., S.F.]
Chris Patten: The chancellor of the University of Oxford and chairman of the BBC Trust speaks on European and U.S. economies and what lies ahead for U.S.-European relations. [6:30 p.m., Marines’ Memorial Club, 609 Sutter St., S.F.]
Literary events
Bobby Keys: The saxophone player, who has played on albums by the Rolling Stones, the Who and other rock notables, talks about “Every Night’s a Saturday Night.” [6:30 p.m., Green Apple Books, 506 Clement St., S.F.]
Poetry night: Poets Jeanne Powell (“Word Dancing”) and Nancy Keane (host of “Poetry at the 33”) read from their work. An open-mic session follows. [7 p.m., Bird and Beckett Books and Records,653 Chenery St., S.F.]
Rick Gilbert: The founder of PowerSpeaking Inc. discusses “Speaking Up: Surviving Executive Presentations.” [7 p.m., Kepler’s Books and Magazines, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park]
At the colleges
‘Freedom Rides’: Speakers present firsthand and comparative reflections on the burgeoning Palestinian civil rights movement. [7 p.m., Building 200-303, Lane History Corner, Stanford University, 450 Serra Mall, Stanford]
Stanley Prusiner: The 1997 Nobel laureate discusses prions (a biological principle of infection) and their implications for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. [7 p.m., Cole Hall, UC San Francisco, 513 Parnassus Ave., S.F.]
At the public library
Downloadable books: The workshop covers how to borrow and read library books in e-book form. [6:30 p.m., Sunset Branch, 1305 18th Ave., S.F.]
Older Writers Laboratory: The poetry-writing group welcomes seniors. [3:30 to 5:30 p.m., Bernal Heights Branch, 500 Cortland Ave., S.F.]
Local activities
Food tales: Porchlight storytelling series presents its April edition, “Kitchen Confidential.” Storytellers include food writer Stephanie Lucianovic and Locanda chef Anthony Strong. [8 p.m., Verdi Club, 2424 Mariposa St., S.F.]
Q crew: Karen Ripley, Bob “Bobaloo” Koenig, Nick Leonard, David Hawkins and others perform in tonight’s “Qcomedy Showcase,” featuring LGBT comedy talent. [8 p.m., Stage Werx, 446 Valencia St., S.F.]
French Canadian film: “Monsieur Lazhar,” a Montreal-set drama about an Algeria-born substitute teacher who helps students cope with a tragic loss, is playing at the Embarcadero Center Cinema. [1 Embarcadero Center, S.F.; (415) 267-4893]
Words and music: Theatre of Yugen’s Judy Halebsky presents Part 1 of “A Page Between Poem and Song,” a two-night program exploring the confluence between music and the spoken word. [7 p.m., Noh Space, 2840 Mariposa St., S.F.]
Bocadillos: Tapas are on the menu at this Financial District site. First up is the corned-beef tongue, with horseradish creme fraiche and pickled ramps. [710 Montgomery St., S.F. (415) 982-2622]
