Kapowski - Oakland-based indie pop quartet Kapowski is celebrating the release of its debut album Boy Detective with a party at Rickshaw Stop. The group's influences include George Gershwin, the Velvet Underground, and David Bowie, so it's no wonder Kapowski's sound seems very much its own unique creation, a dreamy, eerie, dissonant, electric piano-driven march.
8pm, $10. Rickshaw Stop, 155 Fell, SF. (415) 861-2011, www.rickshawstop.com

Mike "Agent X" Clark - The expansive, blues-house Beatdown sound is finally making it to the Bay Area. Last week, so-called "First Lady of Beatdown" Lady Blacktronika visited us from Mt. Shasta. Now, one of the three Detroit originators of the decade-old sound itself, Mike "Agent X" Clark, comes to a great new weekly party, Housepitality. But Clark has a long and varied history of tasty dance sounds; he'll be bringing a whole bag of soulful tricks to lift you up.
9pm, $10 (free before 11pm with RSVP at link). Icon, 1192 Folsom, SF. (415) 626-4800, www.housepitalitysf.com/rsvp

Mostly British Film Festival February is traditionally an uber-boring month for cinemaniacs, but fret not, local film fans: you need not resort to queuing up at the megaplex. Not only is IndieFest looming, but the Mostly British Film Festival kicks off tonight, with 28 new and vintage films from the U.K., Ireland, Australia, and South Africa. Through Feb/9, $12.50. Vogue Theater, 3290 Sacramento, SF. (415) 346-2288, www.mostlybritish.org

"Bicycle Bingo" fundraising event and launch party - Make Thursday night a bingo night and win an assortment of prizes while giving back to the Bay Area community at the debut of this weekly charity funicular. All bingo card proceeds, along with 10 percent of the cafe revenues, will go directly to the nonprofit of the week. Tonight, play for the East Bay Bicycle Coalition. Next Week: Rebuilding Together Oakland.
7-9pm, free. Actual Cafe, 6334 San Pablo, Oakl. (510) 653-8386, www.actualcafe.com

"WTF with Marc Maron" - Part comedy discussion and part no-holds-barred interview program, Marc Maron's "WTF" podcast has emerged as can't-miss listening for anyone curious about the thought processes of modern comedians and performers. In a special live taping of the show, he'll be chatting with a handful of eclectic guests that includes political satirist Will Durst, Arden Myrin, and Laraine Newman.
10:30pm, $25. Cobb's Comedy Club, 1915 Columbus., SF. (415) 928-4320, www.brownpapertickets.com

Forró Brazuca - Awesome Brazilian dance music monthly party Braza! -- um, yeah, the patrons are freaking friendly and gorgeous -- is kicking off a series of live music showcases with this accordion-powered roots music quartet, each member from a different region of Brazil. Think Zydeco but zingier.
10pm-3am, $10. SOM, 2925 16th St., SF. (415) 558-8521, www.som-bar.com

Hard French Winter Ball - The second annual Hard French Winter Ball will rock your socks with rare soul cuts, drag performances from the House of Salad, and oh yeah, a tux-and-tulle-and-no-panty dance party at a hall on the famed Santa Cruz Boardwalk that once hosted Tommy Dorsey. This year, the candidates for the ball's king and queen include author Michelle Tea and a passel of hot young queers who will be more than happy to rid you of that prom night curse.
8pm, $20-$25. Coconut Grove, 400 Beach, Santa Cruz. www.hardfrench.com

The Dark Crystal 30th anniversary celebration - Showcasing the boldly imaginative and innovative talents of the artisans at the Jim Henson Company, this 1982 fantasy film broke new ground when it came to visual special effects and believable creations. In honor of the film's 30th anniversary, SF Sketchfest presents a special screening with guest Dave Goelz, who performed the puppetry for puppet fan favorite Fizzgig, as well as the Skeksi Garthim Master SkekUng.
11am, $10. Castro Theatre, 429 Castro, SF. sfsketchfest.com

Apocalypse Cakes reading and eating - Get into the end-times spirit by whipping up on of Shannon O'Malley's concoctions from Apocalypse Cakes: Recipes for the End? O'Malley's book, an offshoot of her tasty and notorious blog, has all the recipes you'll need to celebrate doomsday, as long as you have a dark sense of humor: Black Deforestation Cake, Impending Meteorite Rock Candy Cake, Whore of Babylon Fruit Tart, Shifting Poles Pineapple Upside-Down Cake, and yes, 2012 Mayan Chocolate Cupcakes. Swing by Omnivore Books for a reading and tasting.
3pm, free. Omnivore Books, 3885A Cesar Chavez, SF. (415) 282-4712, www.apocalypsecakes.com

Conservation photography workshop Photographer Gary Sharlow presents a variety of tools, websites, organizations and ideas for turning your lens towards conservation. Whether using a fancy DSLR, a point and shoot pocket camera, or an iPhone, there are ways for everyone to get involved in this bid to save the planet with a speedy shutter.
1-4pm, $40-$50. California Academy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Dr, SF. (415) 379-8000, www.calacademy.org

Thee Silver Mt. Zion - You know how the creation of epic classical music appears to be on the edge of madness, at least the way it's depicted in Amadeus? All ferocious scribblings, and sore hands from tearing furiously into instruments with the passion of genius. This is how Thee Silver Mt. Zion probably works. A modern, Canadian, post-punk version of that.
7pm, $21. Great American Music Hall, 859 O'Farrell, SF. (415) 885-0750, www.gamh.com

The Right to Love: An American Family film premiere - Bay Area filmmaker Cassie Jaye follows Jay and Bryan Leffew, a legally married gay couple living in Santa Rosa, and their two adopted kids, Daniel and Selena. The family becomes a YouTube sensation after posting their home videos on a channel called "Gay Family Values." Meet with the awesome Leffews at the first public screening of their documentary.
4pm, $10. Castro Theatre, 429 Castro, SF. (415) 621-6120, www.castrotheatre.com

Leni Stern and the Masters of African Percussion - When German-born guitarist Leni Stern traveled to Mali in 2005, she met master musician Bassekou Kouyate and became entranced with the local percussion instruments and style, later releasing albums that incorporated the West African sound. A lifelong musician and traveler, she was inspired, to say the least. At Yoshi's, she'll play guitar, n'goni ba, and jeli n'goni, alongside Kofo on talking drum, Alioune Faye on djembe, and Mamadou on bass.
8pm, $16. Yoshi's Jazz Club, 1330 Fillmore, SF. (415) 655-5600, yoshis.com

"Stephen Giannetti: Spectral Circumstance" - In his fifth solo exhibition at Marx and Zavattero, Bay Area painter Stephen Giannetti debuts a fresh take on his abstract color field work with a new series of acrylic on linen paintings. Through the extremely controlled use of spray paint, Giannetti’s new series weaves layers of spray into complex compositions that mirror sheer pixelated grids reading as atoms, particles, or cells. The translucency of this new technique effects an opulent, magnified space that transcends his earlier re-working of the modernist formulism for which he is best known.
Through Sat/25, 10:30am-5:30pm, free. Marx & Zavattero, 77 Geary, SF. (415) 627-9111, www.marxzav.com