THURSDAY, AUG. 7
POP
WANDA WHAT
Wanda What’s music pairs perfectly with an Oakland summer day. The self-identified “dyke rock” artist blends electronica, a bit of country and indie rock to create dream-pop soundscapes that’ll have the crowd swaying like palm trees. In their latest album, August 2024’s Dyke TV, lush synths and sparkly beats play a leading role, scoring bittersweet tales of love and loss. The album starts, ironically, with “Bye Bye,” in which Wanda What sings, “I touch the sun when I close my eyes/and I’m leaving town without saying goodbye.” For fans of Beach House and other airy bedroom-pop greats, this is the show to see. – ADDIE MAHMASSANI
INFO: Thu, 8pm, Thee Stork Club, 2330 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. $10/adv, $12/door. 510.859.8709.
FRIDAY, AUG. 8
JAZZ
ZOHAR & ADAM
With Zohar Cabo, 17, on keyboards and his older brother Adam Cabo, 20, on drums, the New York sibling combo, Zohar & Adam, has generated a huge amount of buzz. They were raised playing in a variety of family bands with their father, former Latin big-band leader Richard Cabo; their mother, Dassi Rosenkrantz, an Israeli bassist and educator; and their older sister, singer/songwriter Noga. Getting set to release their debut album, Osmosis, the brothers have forged a sound steeped in post-bop, Latin rhythms, hip-hop and far-flung international idioms. Championed by bass great Christian McBride, the siblings have found other key allies, like Berkeley-reared keyboardist Julian Pollack. – ANDREW GILBERT
INFO: Fri, 8pm, The Freight, 2020 Addison St., Berkeley. $34-$39. 510.644.2020.
FRIDAY, AUG. 8
ALTERNATIVE
JILLITH FAIR
Some of the Bay Area’s best rockers join forces to celebrate the life and work of Jill Sobule. The award-winning singer-songwriter, guitarist and human-rights activist died at age 66 in a house fire on May 1. Sobule made Billboard Top 20 history with her 1995 single “I Kissed a Girl,” the first openly gay-themed song to crack the proverbial ceiling. She continued to bust up the architecture with one of the first crowdfunded albums, the New York Times Critic’s-pick, Drama Desk-nominated autobiographical coming-of-age musical, F*ck 7th Grade. Like other Sobule tributes happening across the country, proceeds benefit a charity. At the Ivy, the organization is “It Was A Good Life” Foundation. – LOU FANCHER
INFO: Fri, 8pm, Ivy Room, 860 San Pablo Ave., Albany. $20-$25. 510.526.5888.
FRIDAY, AUG. 8
ALT-ROCK
RED LEATHER
Red Leather is a musician we’ll never see clearly—and that’s the point. Face hidden by a red-fringed Stetson, never named on record, the Reno-born artist uses anonymity as armor, fueling his confessional power. His debut album, Reno, is a raw, narrative-driven document of addiction, survival and recovery. The sound is sharp-edged alt-rock with outlaw country inflections, full of crunchy guitar and plainspoken confession. Red Leather’s presence is theatrical, but the songwriting is dead serious: unsparing, autobiographical and haunted by the question of who gets to come back. – SONYA BENNETT-BRANDT
INFO: Fri, 9pm, Cornerstone, 2367 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. $28. 510.214.8600.
SATURDAY, AUG. 9
INDIE
JUST FRIENDS
The Dublin/Pleasanton party people of alt-rock band Just Friends are on a mini tour through Nevada, California and Arizona. Born as a high-school punk band, they’ve grown into a full-blown collective with horns, moshing and a genre-hopping sound that shifts between heartfelt and ridiculous without blinking. Fronted by Sam Kless and Brianda “Brond” Goyos León, JF’s live shows feel like a pep rally for the emotionally deranged—equal parts shout-along catharsis and tightly arranged chaos. It’s a block party and a basement show rolled into one. – SBB
INFO: Sat, 6pm, Crybaby, 1928 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. $28.
SATURDAY, AUG. 9
BLUES
BIG BLAST BLUES BENEFIT
Music lovers in town know that Eli’s is the place to be for live blues. Recently, Eli’s owner and operator, Matthew Patane, has dealt with financial strain associated with zoning issues. Long story short, the historic club urgently needs the community’s help. Enter: Margie Turner and the Outback Blues Band—a wailing, shredding, all-around powerhouse staple at Monday Night Blues. They’re hosting a benefit show for the ages, including the Bobby Young Project and lots of special guests. Eli’s has brought the East Bay 50 years of joy, and now it’s time to ensure 50 more. – AM
INFO: Sat, 7pm, Eli’s Mile High Club, 3629 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland. $20. 510.808.7565.
SATURDAY, AUG. 9
AFROBEAT
FEMI KUTI
Sure, Femi Kuti is the son of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti and played in his dad’s band for years. However, Femi started his own band (Positive Force) in the late 1980s, and for nearly 40 years the band has lived up to its name with their infectious beats, catchy melodies and political messages concerning his home country of Nigeria and social justice around the world. This is one night that’s definitely for the dancers, so make sure to put on some comfy shoes and get those stretches in before hitting the show. – MW
INFO: 8pm, UC Theatre, 2036 University Ave., Berkeley. $45. 510.356.4000.
SUNDAY, AUG. 10
THEATER
‘THE WAITING PERIOD’
Brian Copeland’s one-man show about his 10-day wait to obtain the means to which he intended to commit suicide—a handgun—never gets old. Almost entirely so, because the comedian/actor/radio host/writer was unsuccessful. But also because Copeland is a masterful storyteller. His bestselling book, Not a Genuine Black Man, was adapted from his first solo show of the same name in 2004. Depression is Waiting’s primary theme and, sadly, will never go away. Happily, neither will Copeland, bringing his message of compassion, hope and “It’s bad, but know that you’re not alone.” – LF
INFO: Sun, 12pm, The Marsh, 2120 Allston Way, Berkeley. Free. 415.282.3055.
TUESDAY, AUG. 12
BLUES
TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND
It’s quite a feat when a band’s debut album wins a Grammy Award for best album. Tedeschi Trucks is one of those bands. Of course, that’s because the band is led by the heavy-hitting married team of blues shredders, Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, both award-winning, heavily respected musicians in their own right. Because of this, the Tedeschi Trucks Band has boasted a plethora of who’s-who musicians from the blues and jam world, including Oteil Burbridge (Dead & Co.), trumpeter Ephraim Owens, vocalist Mike Mattison (Scrapomatic) and bassist Tim Lefebvre (David Bowie/Black Crowes). – MW
INFO: Tue, 6pm, Greek Theatre, 2001 Gayley Rd., Berkeley. $64-$101. 510.871.9225.
TUESDAY, AUG. 12
JAZZ
JOHN PIZZARELLI
A suavely swinging vocalist and guitarist with a gift for delivering beloved standards, Pizzarelli has honed a vast repertoire of tunes covering almost the entire 20th century, from Berlin and Gershwin to the Beatles and the Beach Boys. Over the years, he’s drawn closer to the songs he sings, often focusing on music by songwriters he’s counted as friends, such as Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Dave Frishberg, Johnny Mandel and long-departed tunesmiths whose families have embraced him, like Jimmy McHugh, Sammy Cahn and Arthur Schwartz. As the son of the late guitar-great Bucky Pizzarelli (1926-2020), he reached a musical accord with his pops via the snappy repertoire of Nat “King” Cole, and he’s been swinging ever since. – AG
INFO: Tue, 7:30pm, Yoshi’s, 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland. $35-$74. 510.238.9200.
