[Locals Only is a regular feature where the Stranger Dance staff focus on the best and brightest of the San Francisco Bay Area music scene. Feel free to hit us up with any information on local bands, musicians, shows, and other music-related events and projects.]

In continued dedication to Bay Area music, the folks over at the Bay Bridged are throwing an event that both showcases the independent scene and celebrates their cause. This Friday, July 31st, the Verdi Club will host Regional Bias: A Celebration of Bay Area Music and Culture to Benefit the Bay Bridged.

The Bay Bridged started about three years ago as a podcast featuring local bands, and since then has grown into a comprehensive regional music blog featuring the original podcast plus extensive band coverage, special events and exclusive compilations.

At Regional Bias, the Bay Bridged will bring together music, food and visual art, with the hope that the event will both celebrate the Bay Area and raise funds for their efforts. Ticket sales – $15-$50 sliding scale in advance, $50 VIP (includes free beer, food, plus other goodies), and $20-$30 sliding scale at the door – will serve as proceeds that directly benefit the site.

The evening begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Verdi Club (2424 Mariposa Ave., at Potrero) with a happy hour art show, food tasting, raffle, and DJ sets for all ticketholders. The full lineup for the evening, as follows:

Music: Performances by French Miami, Adam Stephens (of Two Gallants) and the Finite Plain, Or, the Whale, and Leopold and His Fiction. DJ sets by John Vanderslice and Joshua Rampage (maus haus).

Art: Local visual art exhibit, as co-curated by CityArt Gallery.

Food: Eats provided by Slow Club/Serpentine, Sneaky’s BBQ, and Bi-Rite Market.

Raffle: Prizes from the raffle will include three-day tickets to the Outside Lands Festival, two-day tickets to the Treasure Island Festival, and “A Flight of the Bay Area’s Best Venues” (i.e., a pair of tickets to a show of the winner’s choice at eight local venues).

MP3s: