Music
Thao & The Get Down Stay Down
Our local indie fave Thao Nguyen and her band drop their new album in stores on Tuesday and will be promoting it with a show at Amoeba on Wednesday. The title track of the album We The Common was inspired by our leading lady's volunteer work with the California Coalition for Women Prisoners, and she has a duet with the quirky, beloved Joanna Newsom in "Kindness Be Concieved." Skip out of work early to catch this free show.
When: 6 p.m., Wed. 2/6
Where: Amoeba Records, 1855 Haight St.

Comedy
Maya Rudolph at Sketchfest
SNL vet and Up All Night star will bring down the house at Sketchfest with four performances. On Friday, she's on stage (in a double header) with Gretchen Lieberum in "Princess: An Evening of the Music of Prince." Then, on Saturday, the big guns come out for "Celebrity Autobiography" where she'll appear with Jennifer Coolidge, Janaene Garofalo, and others. Sunday is for the kiddies in a story book sketch set. Some of the shows are sold-out, but there's still a chance: a small number of tickets will be available 60-90 minutes prior to showtime.   
When: Fri. 2/8–Sun. 2/10
Where: Various venues

Music
Ellie Goulding
No matter your music taste, you've no doubt found yourself moving to the synthpop sounds of Ellie Goulding's triple platinum hit "Lights," which hit No. 2 on Billboard's Hot 100 in 2011. The Brit, who also gets props for her rendition of Elton John's "Your Song"—which she performed at the Buckingham Palace wedding reception of Prince William and Kate Middleton—lights up Oakland this week.  
When: 8 p.m., Fri. 2/8
Where: The Fox, 1807 Telegraph Ave., Oakland

Art
"The Kinsey Collection"
In honor of the Emancipation Proclamation's 150th anniversary and just in time for Black History Month, MoAD presents "The Kinsey Collection: Shared Treasures of Bernard and Shirley Kinsey, Where Art and History Intersect." One of the largest private collections of African-American artifacts, artwork, books, paintings, and sculpture, this exhibit documents five centuries of history, culture, and heritage and includes an early version of the Emancipation Proclamation itself.
When: Fri. 2/8–Sun. 5/19
Where: Museum of the African Diaspora, 685 Mission St.

Science
"Human Odyssey"
The latest addition to the Tusher African Hall traces the history of our species and reveals learnings that show how humans almost went extinct 90,000 to 70,000 years ago. Compare fossils of early relatives and stroll alongside a digital rendering of the famous "Lucy" skeleton.   
When: starting Fri. 2/8
Where: California Academy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Dr.

Performance
13 Most Beautiful…Songs for Andy Warhol’s Screen Tests
Dean & Britta, the indie rockers formerly of Galaxie 500 and Luna, will resurrect the spirit of Andy Warhol, staging their own original compositions and covering others against a backdrop of Warhol's silent black-and-whites. The music breathes life into the artist's four-minute screen tests, made at the Factory in the '60s. They feature a young Dennis Hopper, Lou Reed, and the ethereal Edie Sedgewick.
When: 8 p.m., Sat. 2/9
Where: Jewish Community Center, 3200 California St.

Film
House/Lights
This one's for serious art enthusiasts—it's a complete performance of Gertrude Stein's Doctor Faustus Lights the Lights meets Joseph Mawra's B-movie classic Olga's House of Shame.   
When: 2 p.m., Sun. 2/10
Where: YBCA Screening Room, 701 Mission St.

Conversation
Ira Glass
Catch This American Life host if you can. Get on the wait list for this Cal Performances Strictly Speaking conversation that's returned by popular demand.   
When: 7 p.m., Sun. 2/10
Where: Zellerbach Hall, Bancroft Way and Telegraph Ave., Berkeley

Food Talk

State Bird Provisions and Bar Tartine
INFORUM is hosting the foodie event of the year—Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinsky (State Bird Provisions) will chat it up with Nicolaus Balla and Cortney Burns (Bar Tartine) about the DIY movement that's become so prevalent among SF's chefs, from raising their own goats to crafting their own ceramic plates. Get tickets to this one while you still can!
When: 6:30 p.m., Wed. 2/13
Where: Commonwealth Club, 595 Market St.