FRIDAY, JAN. 2
MAMBO
PACIFIC MAMBO ORCHESTRA
Get ready to mambo into the new year with one of San Francisco’s finest: the Pacific Mambo Orchestra. Founded in 2010 by pianist Christian Tumalan and trumpeter Steffen Kuehn, Pacific Mambo Orchestra went on to win a Grammy for their self-titled debut in 2014. This impressive group can at times contain up to 19 members and play an array of classic numbers mixed with modern pop. A Pacific Mambo Orchestra show can veer from traditional mambos to Stevie Wonder into Dizzy Gillespie in a matter of minutes. They will be performing two shows on Friday and two on Saturday, giving locals plenty of chances to catch their romantic sound. – MAT WEIR
INFO: Fri, 8pm & 9:45pm, Yoshi’s, 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland. $35-$65. 510.238.9200.
FRIDAY, JAN. 2
JAZZ
GUILHEM FOURTY QUARTET
Toulouse-born, New York–based drummer and composer Guilhem Fourty leads his quartet with a rare balance of control and curiosity. Shaping the music as much as driving it, Fourty treats the drum kit as an organizing force, guiding form, pacing and conversation. His work moves comfortably between intimate club rooms and major international jazz festivals, a range that reflects both ambition and craft. Joined by Skylar Tang on trumpet, Hannah Mayer on piano and Aidan McCarthy on bass, the Guilhem Fourty Quartet plays modern jazz that’s attentive and elastic. – SONYA BENNETT-BRANDT
INFO: Fri, 7:30pm, The Sound Room, 3022 Broadway, Oakland. $30. 510.708.9691.
FRIDAY, JAN. 2
BENEFIT
HOOT! TORCH SONGS LIVE
Hoot history sings itself into life for this event benefiting the National Immigration Law Center. In 2020, Torch Songs – For Refugees, Detainees, and Immigrants Under Siege was the first HOOT! On Record album. This live show brings back performers and songs from the album, along with several new voices. The world needs music, melody and songs that cause communities to rise up and support immigrants. Celebrate the rhythm and richness of immigrant culture, the rights of refugees, the inherent dignity that every thinking person knows must govern the treatment of detainees and unprotected individuals, families and children seeking protection in the United States and worldwide. – LOU FANCHER
INFO: Fri, 7pm, The Back Room, 1984 Bonita Ave., Berkeley. $25. 510.654.3808.
SATURDAY, JAN. 3
JAZZ
ANGEL BAT DAWID & 9MAGICFOREVER1
The Chicago jazz scene has long nurtured creative Afrocentric experimentation, and the duo of Angel Bat Dawid and 9MAGICFOREVER1 embodies that sonically expansive lineage. Co-presented with Folk Yeah, the 9th Gate Sonic Research Society (N.G.S.R.S.) brings together Dawid on clarinet, piano, electronics and vocals, and 9MAGICFOREVER1 contributing on electronics, guitar, saxophone, flute, bass, piano and drums. Laced with improvisation, their Afrofuturist soundscapes flow from out of the Art Ensemble of Chicago’s “ancient to the future” ethos, layering beats and harmonies that reference familiar idioms refracted through their idiosyncratic visions. – ANDREW GILBERT
INFO: Sat, 8pm, The Freight, 2020 Addison St., Berkeley. $39-$44. 510.644.2020.
SATURDAY, JAN. 3
THEATER
‘DOG MAN: THE MUSICAL’
There is something surreal in the fact that, entering 2026, this musical based on the bestselling comic books of Dav Pilkey, the creator of Captain Underpants, will seem entirely realistic. A crime-fighting policeman with a transplanted dog’s head? Sure! A cyborg fish named Flippy commanding an army of Beasty Buildings to take over a city? Yes! How about evil Petey-clone cats bent on revenge and the loss of lunch, a major drama? Absolutely believable. Unlike real-life’s host of crazy characters and breaking news, this 2019 superhero comedy musical is pumped full of terrific tunes, positive energy and hilarious, heartwarming fun for everyone from age 5 to 105. Show on Sunday as well. – LF
INFO: Sat, 11am & 4pm, Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts, 10 10th St., Oakland. $25-70. 510.762.2277.
SUNDAY, JAN. 4
JAZZ
RICHARD HOWELL & SUDDEN CHANGES
Tenor saxophonist and vocalist Richard Howell has served as faculty at the Oaktown Jazz Workshops for decades, and this benefit concert for the program brings together a cast of players who came up under his wing—as well as bassist Ravi Abcarian, the Workshops’ director. The multigenerational lineup includes vibraphonist Gus Hurteau, pianist Ruben Green, alto saxophonist Max Nguyen and trumpeter Max Ehrhardt. Powering the combo is Richard’s son Elé Howell, a Workshop alum who’s become one of New York’s most sought-after young drummers. There’s something extraordinary about experiencing the father and son playing together with such impressive young talent. – AG
INFO: Sun, 3pm, Oaktown Jazz Workshops, 55 Washington St., Oakland. $40. 510.649.1785.
SUNDAY, JAN. 4
CLASSICAL
HAPPY DOG DUO
Eric Tran and Nathan Cheung, the Happy Dog Duo, don’t believe classical piano has to be all tuxedos and intense expressions. For 20 years, they’ve focused on “bringing humor and joy” to performances of four-hands classics, original music and transcriptions. The Stanford grads obviously love playing together, and their happy vibe—as well as their artistry—draws in their audiences. Fun fact: The HDD are among the very few who have performed on the only Pleyel Double Grand Piano in the Western Hemisphere. Cool. – JANIS HASHE
INFO: Sun, 5pm, Piedmont Piano Company, 1728 San Pablo Ave., Oakland. $30/adv, $35/door. 510.547.8188.
SUNDAY, JAN. 4
FILM
‘NO SEPARATE SURVIVAL’
No Separate Survival is a short documentary that asks what safety, home and belonging actually mean for people seeking asylum across the U.S.–Mexico border. The participatory film finds those forced to leave home and then, crucially, invites them to get behind the camera. The screening will be preceded by a reception and followed by a conversation with director Shabnam Piryaei and the filmmakers, plus live music from Larry & Joe. Presented with East Bay Sanctuary Covenant, the evening is both a film event and a benefit supporting EBSC’s legal, educational and direct-aid work with Bay Area immigrants. – SBB
INFO: Sun, 5:30pm, The Freight, 2020 Addison St., Berkeley. $34-$209. 510.644.2020.
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 7
PUNK
HELL BOUND POUND
This Wednesday, the fine folks at the Ivy Room are hosting Richmond’s own skate-punk trio, Hell Bound Pound. These guys released a split EP with Stay Out in May of last year, and it’s 17 minutes of pure skate-punk mania with fast riffs and harmonizing vocals. Part of the Ivy Room’s ongoing Bang The Bay Presents showcase—every first and third Wednesday of the month—they are joined by Neuro Trash, Black Leather Belt, Hyperdrive Kittens, Elegant Trash, Send the Vektors, Teeth on Wheels and MC Patty. – MW
INFO: Wed, 6:30pm, Ivy Room, 860 San Pablo Ave., Albany. $15-$25. 510.526.5888.
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 7
GUITAR MASTERCLASS
TUCK ANDRESS
The “Tuck” of the musical partnership Tuck & Patti is a master guitarist in both jazz and contemporary standard music genres. Tuck Andress comes to the Sound Room as part of its masterclass series, which is free and open to all ages and levels of experience. In an interview published in Vintage Guitar, Andress said, “I’ve learned how to hear the solos and details of phrasing, just the fabric of music and how to use it in a completely different way, with the fingerstyle approach that I love now.” The evening is a perfect opportunity to learn from one of the best. – JH
INFO: Wed, 6pm, The Sound Room, 3022 Broadway, Oakland. Free. 510.708.9691.
