CULTURE
N A PA
CORTE MADERA
Reality Bites
Personal Best
Is there any chance you really, really liked the 1994 romantic comedy/drama Reality Bites? If so, then this weekend could be the best weekend ever for you. Believe it or not, Lisa Loeb and Squeeze are coming to Napa. Unfamiliar with their work? Lisa Loeb is best known for her song “Stay (I Missed You)” and for her cat-eye glasses that she wore in the song’s video, where she’s pouting in an empty room. Squeeze is the British band, more popular in the U.K. than the U.S., who made a name for themselves over here after the release of the hit “Tempted,” which Janeane Garofalo sings, awkwardly, while driving a car in Reality Bites. See Squeeze on Wednesday, April 18, at the Uptown Theatre (1350 Third St., Napa; 7pm; $55; 707.259.0123) and Lisa Loeb on Saturday, April 21, at the Napa Valley Opera House (1030 Main St., Napa; 8pm; $25; 707.226.7372).
Sometimes things happen that are all too easy to turn a blind eye to, or just completely disregard, because it makes us uncomfortable. Local author Melanie Thorne addresses a personal topic that many people probably have some experience with. Her novel Hand Me Down involves a young girl in a broken home who tries to protect her younger sister from her alcoholic father, but they eventually become separated after a drastic decision by her mother. After considering whether it was better to write the story as a novel or not, she decided to stick with fiction, because “it reveals truths more cleanly and clearly then they appear in real life,” she says. See a brave author and her inspirational novel on Tuesday, April 24, at Book Passage. 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera. 7pm. Free. 415.924.3838.
TIBURON
S A N TA R O S A
The Player
Funny Games
It’s that time of the year again—time for the 11th annual Tiburon International Film Festival! Providing movie enthusiasts with over 100 different films from 50 countries, this year’s lineup promises nonstop movies from up-and-coming film directors, as well as old hands. Moviegoers will also have a chance to hear professor of cinema Joseph McBride from San Francisco State University. A screenwriter and author, McBride has written biographies of Steven Spielberg and John Ford. On Friday, April 27, there will also be a dinner and awards ceremony at Sam’s Restaurant. Why settle for daytime television and mediocre romcoms? Get out to this international experience and follow TIFF’s motto by “Understanding the World through Film.” It runs this Thursday, April 19, until Thursday, April 26. Various locations. For complete schedule and pricing, see www. tiburonfilmfestival.com or call 415.789.8835.
Birbiglia? It’s Italian. But not real Italian—more like “Olive Garden” Italian, as Mike Birbiglia likes to describe himself. This comedian makes everyone else’s uncomfortable moments in life look like minor, silly misunderstandings when he talks about his experiences. A regular contributor on NPR’s This American Life, his one-man show keeps the crowds feeling sarcastically satisfied with his outlooks on life’s experiences. His shows “Sleepwalk with Me” and “My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend” have won and been nominated for many awards as an outstanding solo act, and “Sleepwalk with Me” was recently turned into a film that won the audience award at the Sundance Music Festival. Come watch Mike talk about the embarrassing escapades that most people would rather forget on Friday, April 20, at the Wells Fargo Center. 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa. 8pm. $30– $45. 707.546.3600.
—Jennifer Cuddy
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