.Arts Feature

The love for literature comes naturally to some folks. For others, it can represent a chore because reading is entirely linked to work or academic pursuits outside of a central passion. The one factor that can make...

Theater in the East Bay is back big time this fall, with diverse shows that demonstrate the provocative, exploratory missions of its sustaining companies and series—and also offering some just plain fun. There are world premieres, classics...

The pandemic may have caused an existential pause button to be pressed, but for Def Leppard, it meant a creative rejuvenation that yielded Diamond Star Halos, the band’s 12th studio album and its first since 2015’s self-titled...

A goddess’s birth can be a long process—but her emergence is glorious. Director/creator Saheem Ali, playwright Jocelyn Bioh and composer Michael Thurber have been midwifing the world-premiere musical Goddess, opening at Berkeley Rep Aug. 14, for years. The...

In an age where performers make their names as Instagram influencers and TikTok flavors-of-the month, Charlie Musselwhite is the equivalent of a landline—steady, reliable and a link to the past. Born in Mississippi and raised in Memphis,...

The time is arguably ripe for five-time Grammy Award winning vocalist, bassist and composer Esperanza Spalding to buy a home in the East Bay. In the first three-quarters of this year alone, Spalding has splashed down a...

Do you have a favorite red object? Would you be willing to part with it in the service of art? If so, you’ll get your chance as part of the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA)...