Cheap Date: An Afrolicious Dance Party, Thanksgiving Day at the Botanical Garden, and More

I know, I know: Thanksgiving’s so close you can smell it. The tryptophan lulling you gently to sleep, as visions of a leftover pumpkin pie breakfast dance through your head. There’s no time like Thanksgiving when it comes to slowing down, taking a step back, and showing appreciation for all that you have in life — such as the luxury of falling asleep on the couch after eating for three hours straight.

That is, of course, unless you’re more of the “get up and go” school of holiday thought. Maybe you’ve got family in town and they demand to be entertained with more than your Netflix account. Or maybe, gloriously, you’ve got the city all to yourself, as it so often feels here around the holidays. Either way, there’s certainly plenty going on this week to keep you busy — and a whole lot of it costs $20 or less. Talk about things to be thankful for. Here’s this week’s Cheap Date.

Wednesday, Nov. 25: Afrolicious at The Chapel, SF. This local Afrobeat/dance-fusion group functions as an ever-evolving collective, with brothers Joe “Pleasuremaker” and Oz “Señor Oz” McGuire at the center — and anyone who’s been to one of their regular Thursday night dance parties at the Elbo Room will tell you that “dance” part is key. Get some exercise on the dance floor before our national day of gluttony.  $18 – $20; details here. 

Wednesday, Nov. 25: Al Madrigal at The Punch Line, SF. This comic may have gotten his start as a sideman on The Daily Show, but in a post-Jon Stewart landscape, there are few people we’d rather see take center stage on their own. This live standup show will be recorded for Madrigal’s next comedy album, so, you know, try to keep the heckles to yourselves. $20; details here.

Thursday, Nov. 26: Free Day at the Botanical Garden, SF. Need to get out of the house while feast preparations are in progress? Go relax among the ever-serene flora at the Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park, which is free to the public all day today. You’ll head back home full of nature-induced bliss and ready to tune out your racist uncle — for the first few courses, at least. Details here. 

Friday, Nov. 27: Trapped In the Closet Sing-Along at the New Parkway, Oakland. Yes, I feel weird about how much I still enjoy R. Kelly’s music, given his personal track record. No, I’m not going to let it stop me from enjoying this kitschy, ridiculous, is-he-kidding-or-isn’t-he R&B soap opera, whose cult following has only grown more fervent with time, in part thanks to this exact kind of Rocky Horror treatment, subtitles and all. Maybe don’t bring grandma to this one? (Unless she’s the coolest grandma ever.) $8; details here. 

Saturday, Nov. 28: Third Eye Blind at Amoeba Records, SF. How’s it gonna be…when the Bay Area’s prince of emotive, sometimes nasally, ’90s alt-rock does a free show in the middle of the day at his hometown record store? Pretty packed, probably. But if you belong to the church of Stephan Jenkins (ironically or not), you likely won’t leave disappointed. Free; details here. 

Saturday, Nov. 28 – Sunday, Nov. 29: Etsy Holiday Emporium at Pier 35, SF. No, you weren’t going to make it through a Thanksgiving weekend event roundup without mention of shopping. If you’ve gotta do it, might as well do it in the indie-est way possible, with more than 180 local artisans hawking their wares — everything from jewelry to paper crafts to clothing to furniture, while small batch food vendors keep you fed. Free (bring your own bag!); details here.