THURSDAY
CLUB
DEADFOOT
There’s no shortage of beats at Crybaby, one of Oakland’s most electric and innovative nightclubs. This Thursday, Deadfoot brings together a fast-paced group of artists spanning underground club, juke and techno for a party that promises to keep the place bouncing until late in the morning. DJs on the bill include Lastword, an L.A. event producer who prefers groove-based techno, and DJ Manny, a footwork genius from Chicago’s South Side. Michael “Qemist” Ivy and Umami also perform. The bass will be big, the tempo will be high and the feet will be working. – ADDIE MAHMASSANI
INFO: 9pm, Crybaby, 1928 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. $10/adv, $12/door. crybaby.live
FRIDAY
POP
OLIVER TREE
Oliver Tree is a riddle wrapped in an enigma with a stylish bob cut. After over a decade in the music industry, this 30-year-old, self-made pop artist from Santa Cruz has gone viral several times. His “ugly is beautiful” message defies what it is to be a mainstream pop star, and his bold but hilarious antics can’t be beaten. (Get the Guinness World Record for the “largest scooter kick?” Check.) Yet after the antics, Tree is a sophisticated songwriter who takes universal feelings to create catchy hooks over undeniably dancy beats. It might be his Alone In A Crowd Tour, but with Fidlar opening, the audience will be one big, beautifully ugly family. – MAT WEIR
INFO: 8pm, Fox Theater, 1807 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. $39.50 – $55. 510.302.2250.
FRIDAY
ROCK
ONLY THEATER OF PAIN
Experience the ethereal resurrection of Christian Death with original band members, songwriter and lead guitarist Rikk Agnew and Gitane DeMone, as they perform Only Theater of Pain in its entirety. This iconic first album left a major mark on the gothic music scene. Agnew and DeMone are joined by deathrock veterans Angel on drums, Deb on keys and guitar, Killjo on bass and Steve Skeletal on lead vocals, creating a contemporary, high-energy live show that mesmerizes deathrock veterans and newcomers alike. – SONYA BENNETT-BRANDT
INFO: 9pm, Ivy Room, 860 San Pablo Ave., Albany. $18 – $23. 510.526.5888.
SATURDAY
PUNK
DOUBLE NAME NIGHT
How about a stacked lineup of six local bands with double names? Who even knew there were that many local bands with double names? This Saturday, for the measly price of only $15, music lovers will see Mommy Mommy, Tell Me Tell Me, Doctor Doctor, Extra Extra, Flour Flour and Scary Scare. After the lockdowns, the 35-year-old, all-volunteer-run, nonprofit punk collective has seen a drastic increase in operation costs—to the point where it recently ran a Kickstarter to raise $20k for a new side door that will allow for increased capacity. Now’s the time to double down and support this East Bay institution. – MW
INFO: 6:30pm, Gilman, 924 Gilman St., Berkeley. $15. 510.524.8180.
SATURDAY
WORLD
NANDO REIS
In 2023, Nando Reis sold out every stadium on a tour of his native Brazil with Titãs, the band he played with throughout the ’80s and ’90s. It was a glorious reunion after 30 years, but Titãs is not this beloved musician’s only project. He has kept busy with a solo career anchored by his signature rock, pop and Brazilian folk stylings. His 2021 EP, Duda Beat & Nando Reis, was nominated for a Latin Grammy for Best Portuguese Language Contemporary Pop Album. Offstage, he keeps bees and works to recover the riparian forest on his property in São Paulo. – AM
INFO: 8pm, The UC Theatre, 2036 University Ave., Berkeley. $57.50. 510.356.4000.
SATURDAY
BLUEGRASS
NEFESH MOUNTAIN
Recently sheltering for three days in an East Nashville recording studio, Eric Lindberg and Doni Zasloff, leaders of the New York-based bluegrass band Nefesh Mountain, emerged with a new seven-track album, The Cabin Sessions. The covers and originals featured on the EP bear their trademark footprints: boundary-defying, progressive roots music that taps American, bluegrass, folk and jazz, and a deeply personal imprint of their Jewish American heritage and culture. Speaking through lyrics that capture the zeitgeist of America and the world, the messages are delivered and amplified by the variable sonic textures and energies of the banjo, guitar, mandolin, piano, drums, bass and violin. – LOU FANCHER
INFO: 8pm, Freight & Salvage, 2020 Addison St., Berkeley. $20/adv, $25/door. 510.644.2020.
SUNDAY
FOLK
IRA WOLF
Montana-born, Nashville-based folk songstress Ira Wolf has been touring on and off the road since 2014, performing on six continents and mostly living out of her beloved camper van, Ruby. Her fourth album, Rock Bottom, digs deep into the beauty and sorrow of human flaws, heartbreak and growth. Her liquid vocals are intentional, communicating sorrow, nostalgia and joy from line to line, and she knows how to deliver an emotional gut-punch. There’s a reason her website sells “Ira Wolf Made Me Cry” T-shirts. – SB
INFO: 7:30pm, The Back Room, 1984 Bonita Ave., Berkeley. $25. 510.381.1997.
SUNDAY
JAZZ
ELECTRIC SQUEEZEBOX ORCHESTRA
The Electric Squeezebox Orchestra features some of the region’s most eloquent and expressive improvisers, but what makes the talent-packed 17-piece big band an essential part of the Bay Area jazz scene is the steady flow of new compositions and arrangements it hones and inspires. Run by Berkeley-reared trumpeter Erik Jekabson, who co-founded the band a decade ago with trombonist Jeanne Geiger, the ESO has thrived over the years with a series of extended residencies. The Sunday shows at the CJC will be exhilarating as ESO fills the intimate space with surging sound. – ANDREW GILBERT
INFO: 5:30pm, California Jazz Conservatory, 2040 Addison St., Berkeley. $20. 510.845.5373.
MONDAY
JAZZ
DEE LUCAS
The remarkable saxophonist, whose earliest grooves have evolved over the past two decades to showcase his skills as an entrepreneur, composer, recording artist and performer, hits Yoshi’s with his 10th album, No Boundaries. The new release and tour include keyboardist Gino Rosaria, featured on the album’s sizzling “Hot Ice” track, and sweet and soaring vocalist Joe Leavy. Lucas has co-headlined with a dazzling array of top artists during his journey, but more remarkable is how he keeps unfolding new approaches to songwriting and discovering entry to next-generation jazz. – LF
INFO: 8pm, Yoshi’s, 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland, $25 – $59. 510.238.9200.
