THURSDAY, DEC. 25
RECREATION
ICE SKATING IN THE EAST BAY
Invite ice to become part of the winter holiday tradition. No, not that ICE. Actual ice—as in frozen water Zamboni’d to glossy smoothness and perfect for skating. The East Bay offers options: Oakland Ice Center, operated by Sharks Sports & Entertainment. In Walnut Creek, the Bay Area’s only outdoor ice rink and ice slide in Civic Park celebrates the season with the annual Walnut Creek on Ice. In San Ramon, go Olympic at the Kristi Yamaguchi Holiday Ice Rink. Proceeds from the rink benefit Yamaguchi’s Always Dream foundation. The locations offer skate rentals, lessons, special holiday events and access to food/beverages. Goes through the holiday season. – LOU FANCHER
INFO: Thu, hours and costs vary, check websites for details—oaklandice.com, walnutcreekdowntown.com, citycenterbishopranch.com.
FRIDAY, DEC. 26
HIP-HOP
DJ QUIK
Straight out of Compton, L.A. born, legendary rapper and producer DJ Quik is the exemplary prognosticator of the sounds we now call West Coast hip-hop in the G-Funk style. Working with Snoop Dogg (“Buss’n Rocks”), 2Pac (“Heartz of Men”) and even Shaquille O’Neal (“Strait Playin’”), DJ Quik cemented his towering role in rap and hip-hop. Yoshi’s has become a favorite stop for DJ Quik and his band, and this is a hot ticket. Last year, DJ Quik paired with JasonMartin for the funny, groove-centric CHUPACABRA, and with the world being what it is, you know there’s going to be some fresh tracks up ahead. Shows go through Dec. 28. – DNA
INFO: Fri, 8 and 10pm, Yoshi’s, 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland. $86. 510.238.9200.
SATURDAY, DEC. 27
CINEMA
VEGAN DINNER & A MOVIE
Even before the 2020 global shutdown, movie theaters scrambled to figure out ways to fill seats. With instant, at-home streaming, more people are opting to wait to see the year’s biggest films from the comfort of their couch. Theaters have come up with unique and innovative ways to bring us back to the big screen—including renovated recliner seats and updated food/beverage menus. The New Parkway has done even better and now offers a monthly Five-Course Vegan Dinner and Movie deal. Enjoy a cruelty-free appetizer, soup, salad, entree and dessert before or after your movie of choice for a unique and tasty dining experience that keeps the magic of cinema alive. – MAT WEIR
INFO: Sat, 6pm, The New Parkway, 474 24th St., Oakland. $100-$130. 510.338.3228.
SATURDAY, DEC. 27
BLUES
JEFFREY JAMES
A journeyman blues guitarist from the South Bay, Jeffrey James has paid dues for two decades and is beginning to gain recognition as a bandleader and frontman with a repertoire encompassing songs associated with B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Jimi Hendrix and Prince, as well as originals. After winning the Golden Gate Blues Society’s 2024 band competition, James tore it up at a recent fundraiser with his solo prowess. Joined by Back Room proprietor Hurricane Sam Rudin, a jazz-inflected blues piano powerhouse, James plays the Berkeley venue to raise funds for a trip to the Blues Foundation’s 2026 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, a showcase that has boosted the careers of several Bay Area artists. – ANDREW GILBERT
INFO: Sat, 8pm, The Back Room, 1984 Bonita Ave., Berkeley. $20. 510.654.3808.
SATURDAY, DEC. 27
AMERICANA
SEAN HAYES
California crooner Hayes shares the bill with songwriter/guitarist John Courage. The fine musicians drive a mighty music wagon loaded with soul, country, folk, roots, rock and reggae tunes. Hitched to the back is something that never gets old: fantastic fingering on acoustic and electric guitars, terrific sense of rhythm and pacing, voices with just the right jaggedness to make a smooth curve sound authentic, and lyrics true to life. Want to dance? Cry in your beer? Travel the “Lost Highway” or get “Trapped by a Thing Called Love”—two songs on Hayes’ EP, Biography—or get “Stuck in Encinitas” (Courage’s album, Lovers Without a Care)? It’s all there in one unforgettable evening at the Ivy Room. – LF
INFO: Sat, 8pm, Ivy Room, 860 San Pablo Ave., Albany. $40. 510.526.5888.
SUNDAY, DEC. 28
JAZZ
TUCK & PATTI
Possessing a rich, warm mezzo-soprano, Patti Cathcart sounds as commanding as ever at 76, whether she’s molding a standard to the contours of her voice or interpreting a love-besotted original. Tuck Andress is a dazzling guitarist in any setting, but collaborating with his wife he provides orchestral accompaniment, supplying rhythmic drive, harmonic support and melodic counterpoint. As a vocal/guitar duo, they stand alone in the lush territory where jazz, pop and soul overlap. – AG
INFO: Sun, 7pm, The Freight, 2020 Addison St., Berkeley. $39-$44. 510.644.2020.
MONDAY, DEC. 29
JAZZ
BONEY JAMES
Veteran saxophonist Boney James brings his 19th album, Slow Burn, to the last days of December, shaping the night around a record built for after-hours listening and unhurried momentum. The title fits: James has built his career patiently, letting feel, tone and groove do the heavy lifting. Across the record, the mood is confidently adventurous and unrushed, the result of three decades of refinement rather than nostalgia. Slow Burn doesn’t chase climaxes; it accumulates warmth like a coal, settling in late and lingering long past midnight. Shows go until Dec. 31. – SONYA BENNETT-BRANDT
INFO: Mon, 7:30pm, Yoshi’s, 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland. $85-$149. 510.238.9200.
TUESDAY, DEC. 30
ALTERNATIVE
PRIMUS
With bassist Les Claypool leading the way like a combination of Weird Al and Frank Zappa, the trio known as Primus is one of rock ’n’ roll’s most dynamic triads. Guitarist Larry “Ler” LaLonde has been a staple of America’s oddest ducks since 1989, but drummer John Hoffman only officially joined the band earlier this year. Beating out 6,200 other drummers in an interstellar drum derby, Hoffman rejuvenated Primus and they are firing on extra-dimensional cylinders. Primus was, after 30 years, still blowing minds on the “Sessanta Tour” with A Perfect Circle and Puscifer, but this show is all about new chapters with the “Onward & Upward Tour.” – DNA
INFO: Tue, 8pm, Fox Theater, 1807 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. $78-$251. 510.302.2250.
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 31
YACHT ROCK
MUSTACHE HARBOR
What exactly is “Yacht Rock”? Call it music built for breezy SoCal sunsets, smooth cocktails and the radical idea that not everything has to be hard to be good. For over a decade, soft-rock tribute band Mustache Harbor has treated the “easy listening” canon with obsessive care and world-class chops, recreating the sleek grooves of the ’70s and ’80s with precision and humor. This is a band that knows the Piña Colada song and how to throw a party. Their New Year’s celebration will certainly feature polished songs, cool shades and enough swagger to sail straight into midnight. – SBB
INFO: Wed, 10pm, Cornerstone, 2367 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. $40. 510.214.8600.
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 31
ROCK
FLEETWOOD MACRAMÉ
They say, “Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow,” and what better way to do that than with Fleetwood Macramé—the premiere Fleetwood Mac tribute band—ringing in the New Year? 2025 was a rough one. For some, it felt like they climbed a mountain, then turned around. Others saw their reflections in the snow-covered hills, till a landslide brought it down. But they persevered, breaking the silence, damning the dark and damning the light. After all, thunder only happens when it’s raining, so why not go your own way, run through the shadows and make it to the Ivy Room for New Year’s Eve? – MW
INFO: Wed, 9pm, Ivy Room, 860 San Pablo Ave., Albany. $56.18. 510.526.5888.
