Who’s in town
Grammy-nominated Afro-punk, soul, and hip-hop singer-songwriter Janelle Monae performs at Cafe du Nord. [8 p.m., 2170 Market St., S.F.]
At the colleges
Art exhibits: Sculptural works by Lindsey Eisentraut, Mike Feeney and Chanil Hong are on view. [9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Academy of Art University, 79 Gallery, 79 New Montgomery St., S.F.]
Belgian artist: The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art presents the first U.S. retrospective for Belgian artist Luc Tuymans. Approximately 75 key paintings created from 1985 to the present are on view. [11 a.m. to 5:45 p.m., 151 Third St., S.F.]
Local activities
Chamber music: Earplay, conducted by Mary Chun, presents “Outside In,” a program of contemporary and modern chamber music. Virtuoso thereminist Carolina Eyck gives a special performance. [6:45 p.m., Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Ave., S.F.]
Swedish thriller: “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” an award-winning dramatic film from Sweden, featuring a murder mystery, is screening at the Embarcadero Center Cinema. [1 Embarcadero Center, S.F.; (415) 267-4893]
Lectures
Sarah B. Nelson: The Hot Studio, Inc. design strategist gives a talk tiled “10 Sure-fire Communication Tools for Designers and Beyond.” [6 p.m., Commonwealth Club, 595 Market St., S.F.]
Marilyn Schlitz: The Institute of Noetic Sciences president explores integral approaches to mind-body medicine. [Noon, Commonwealth Club, 595 Market St., S.F.]
Literary Events
Aaron David Miller: The U.S. State Department adviser talks about “The Much Too Promised Land.” [7 p.m., Oshman Family Jewish Community Center, 3921 Fabian Way, Palo Alto]
Maria Finn: The writer and reporter talks about “Hold Me Tight and Tango Me Home.” [7:30 p.m., Booksmith, 1644 Haight St., S.F.]
Dining out
Waterbar: Fresh sustainable seafood dominates chef Parke Ulrich’s menu. Recent dishes include crispy fried calamari with beef carpaccio, lemon and watercress aioli; red-wine-braised whitefish with Yukon Gold mashed potatoes and tender roots; seared ahi tuna with pea tendrils, bacon lardons and white radish; and oak-roasted chili-glazed Dungeness-crab legs with shoestring potatoes and savoy spinach. [399 Embarcadero, S.F.; (415) 284-9922]
