THURSDAY, FEB. 20
ROCK
EGGY
It’s time to get nice and toasty off some sweet jams with the scrambled-up boys in Eggy. Hailing from New England, the four-piece started in high school and built a grassroots following as a house band in the New Haven, Connecticut, scene. For fans of the Grateful Dead, Goose and Tauk, Eggy flows between structured songs and far-out improvisation, exploring the inner space of their minds. Their sophomore release, Waiting Game, just came out last September. Produced by James Petralli of White Denim, Waiting Game shows how the band has grown richer with touring and experience. – MAT WEIR
INFO: Thu, 7:30pm, Cornerstone, 2367 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. $30. 510.214.8600.
THURSDAY, FEB. 20
FOLK
JOE KAPLOW
Folk singer Joe Kaplow’s music strings together the little fresh-cut-grass moments that shape a life. Raised on a New Jersey thoroughbred farm, he chose the uncertain path of a musician in California, trading bridles for guitar necks and open pastures for winding, tour-van roads. Now based in Bonny Doon, he records at his “Hippie Cowboy” home studio, chasing the perfect song. His latest album, Posh Poodle Krystal and Toe, captures four musicians locking in, playing live in the studio and riding on the edge of imperfection. – SONYA BENNETT-BRANDT
INFO: Thu, 8pm, Ivy Room, 860 San Pablo Ave., Albany. $15/adv, $17/door. 510.526.5888.
FRIDAY, FEB. 21
THEATER
‘JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR’
Jesus Christ Superstar launched as a concept album and became a Broadway show that ran for years and saw more than 3,000 productions. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s rock opera, with lyrics by Tim Rice, is told through Judas’ critical eyes, delving into the forces compelling Jesus to lead his flock to eternal salvation, deceptive damnation or nothing at all, depending on which version a person believes. Despite being decades old, Superstar remains timeless and contemporary as human emotions, destinies, relationships and power struggles roil and reverberate through every note of music and dance step. – LOU FANCHER
INFO: Fri, 7pm, Berkeley Playhouse, 2640 College Ave., Berkeley. $23-$59. 510.845.8542.
FRIDAY, FEB. 21
COMEDY
KUMAIL NANJIANI
Pakistani-American comedian Kumail Nanjiani became famous on the HBO series, Silicon Valley. He found continued success with the semi-autobiographical film The Big Sick, for which he and cowriter/wife Emily Gordon earned an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay. Both projects, and many others over the past decade, deftly weave humor and compassion to explore the racism Muslim Americans face daily. Nanjiani shows no signs of slowing down in 2025, with an Emmy nomination for Hulu’s Welcome to Chippendales under his belt and a recurring role in the fourth season of Only Murders in the Building on deck. – ADDIE MAHMASSANI
INFO: Fri, 7:30pm, Fox Theater, 1807 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. $56+. 510.302.2250.
SATURDAY, FEB. 22
JAZZ
JAZZ IS DEAD: ALICE COLTRANE
When Alice Coltrane died in 2007, she’d been largely absent from the jazz scene for decades, and the shadow of her late husband, saxophone legend John Coltrane, often obscured her contributions. Recent years found Alice Coltrane recognized as a singular figure in her own right. Saxophonist and son Ravi Coltrane, working with the production house Jazz Is Dead and KALW, presents an ensemble with harpist Brandee Younger, who made Alice Coltrane’s music a central part of her repertoire. Ravi’s working quartet joins, featuring Israeli piano virtuoso Gadi Lehavi, bassist Rashaan Carter and Bay Area-reared jazz drummer Elé Howell—the son of saxophone great Richard Howell. – ANDREW GILBERT
INFO: Sat, 8pm, UC Theatre, 2036 University Ave., Berkeley. $58. 510.356.4000.
SATURDAY, FEB. 22
JAZZ
ROGÊ
Rio de Janeiro-born, Latin Grammy-nominated vocalist and songwriter Rogê has been a creative force in Brazilian popular music for three decades, including collaborations with samba great Arlindo Cruz and soul-samba singer Seu Jorge. He’ll perform a set of modern Brazilian funk and soul in the intimate confines of Ashkenaz after several years of touring as an opening act for headliners like the Budos Band and Gipsy Kings. The Sextones, an L.A. soul band, open for Rogê, delivering the silky sound they perfected in 2023’s Love Can’t Be Borrowed, an album produced by San Francisco soul great and Monophonics frontperson Kelly Finnigan. – AG
INFO: Sat, 9pm, Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley. $17/adv, $20/door. 510.525.5099.
SUNDAY, FEB. 23
MORNA
CESÁRIA ÉVORA ORCHESTRA
When famed Cape Verdean singer Cesária Évora passed away in 2011 at 70, fans worldwide poured their hearts out with emotion. To keep her memory and the traditional styles of morna and coladeira alive, her band decided to continue playing the music that made Évora famous. To that end, the Orchestra welcomed two new members, Nancy Vieira and Jenifer Solidade, each with their own following in the archipelagic country of Cape Verde. A hot night of guitars, horns and violins is slated for the evening, with plenty of percussion to encourage booty shaking. – MW
INFO: Sun, 7pm, Freight & Salvage, 2020 Addison St., Berkeley. $64/adv, $69/door. 510.644.2020.
MONDAY, FEB. 24
RAP
TYLER, THE CREATOR
Tyler, The Creator brings Chromakopia to Oakland this week. The rapper’s eighth studio album marches fans into an ominous—and very green—universe of “Chromakopia Trucking Company” shipping containers, military garb and desolate aircraft hangers. Tyler’s unique blend of R&B, jazz, soul and hip-hop has never been more brutally honest, with many of the songs on the album featuring the famously conceptual artist turning inward to reflect on fatherhood, love and other personal themes. In “Take Your Mask Off” he raps, “You don’t have to put on no costume/You don’t ever have to lie to kick it.” – AM
INFO: Mon, 7:30pm, Oakland Arena, 7000 Coliseum Way, Oakland. $109+. 510.569.2121.
MONDAY, FEB. 24
METAL
WHORES
Sludge-metal is nearly onomatopoeic; one can hear the crushing weight, the slower tempo, the tuned-down distorted guitar. Atlanta’s Whores fuse punk with sludge for an amp-blowing assault of pulverizing riffs, rhythms and a scathing, sardonic edge. Their 2016 full-length, Gold, cemented their place in the heavy music underground, drawing comparisons to Unsane and Helmet while maintaining a uniquely unhinged energy. Known for blistering live shows, Whores crafts music that’s cathartic and crushing: Pure, unfiltered sonic fury for those who like it loud, dirty and dangerous. – SBB
INFO: Mon, 8pm, Thee Stork Club, 2330 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. $20. 510.859.8709.
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 26
AUTHOR EVENT
HEATHER COX RICHARDSON
People might not want their romantic lives or career histories to fall under the analytical gaze of Richardson, a lauded historian, political commentator, award-winning author and 19th-century American history professor at Boston College. But that “no way, hands-off” reaction does not apply to her astute scrutiny of topics such as the perils and privileges of democracy, the current president and administration, the reconfigurations of the Democratic and Republican parties throughout U.S. history, and where to find hope in the moment. Joined in conversation with UC Berkeley professor of law and history Dylan Penningroth, sparks and spears will fly in an evening that will undoubtedly provide an upbeat message. – LF
INFO: Wed, 7:30pm, Zellerbach Hall, 101 Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley. $42+. 510.642.9988.
