San Francisco events for May 3 -5, 2013. Read More

Unsurprisingly, a new study has concluded that thrashing your skull in time to an average 145-beats-per-minute speed-metal song can potentially cause serious neck and head injuries, even whiplash or stroke. Slayer frontman Tom Araya already received the bulletin, loud and clear. “Headbanging is dangerous,” says the fearsome-voiced singer, who recently had to cancel dates to undergo emergency treatments for neck and back problems. Read More

There’s a graciousness to conversation with Trini Lopez that flies in the face of today’s sound-bite-driven, self-obsessed world of showbiz. “May I tell you a story?” he asks, and the pause lengthens to the point where you realize the question is sincere. Lopez, who makes his Rrazz Room debut this week, has many stories to tell from both before and after his debut album — filled with hits such as “La Bamba” and “If I Had a Hammer” — made him a name a half-century ago. Read More

Etta James' performance of the enduring classic "At Last" was the embodiment of refined soul: Angelic-sounding strings harkened the arrival of her passionate yet measured vocals as she sang tenderly about a love finally realized after a long and patient wait. Read More