THURSDAY
ROCK
INTERVALS & HAIL THE SUN
No, this isn’t a single entity but two separate bands sharing the headline. Intervals is the wildly entertaining instrumental Canadian metal (Progressive? Math rock?) group. Founded in 2011 by multi-instrumentalist Aaron Marshall and drummer Anup Sastry, Intervals’ compositions take the listener through inner space via the third eye on a rainbow of crunchy metal. It’s melodic, it’s pretty, it’s heavy. On the other hand, Hail The Sun is a post-hardcore group from Chico channeling Mars Volta energy with sonic vocals and changes between time and genres throughout their songs. Be prepared to leave this one as a changed and possibly slightly tweaked person. – MAT WEIR
INFO: 7pm, The UC Theatre, 2036 University Ave., Berkeley. $25. 510.356.4000.
THURSDAY
ELECTRONIC
LONDON ELEKTRICITY
Tony Colman, better known as London Elektricity, has shaped the drum-and-bass genre for the last 30 years. Drum and bass is an EDM sound characterized by sped-up breakbeats, heavy bass, folded-in synth and samples from other genres. London Elektricity is known for incorporating lush orchestration, jazzy nuance and live instruments into the mix. He’s a talented producer and DJ, co-founder of the iconic Hospital Records label, and the man behind some of their biggest hits, like “Billion Dollar Gravy,” “Different Drum” and “Just One Second.” – SONYA BENNETT-BRANDT
INFO: 9pm, Crybaby, 1928 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. $10 – $20.
FRIDAY
INDIE
THE KOOKS
The Kooks are a mid-aughts indie band still standing 15 years later. Their 2022 album, 10 Tracks to Echo in The Dark, comes out of two very different worlds: frontman Luke Pritchard’s pre-pandemic trips to Berlin and his pandemic-induced Zoom writing sessions fueled by a reading list of sci-fi and surrealism. As a result of this blended provenance, the album radiates a retro-futurist spirit, blending ’80s synth-pop, funk and old-school indie rock riffs. Pritchard’s newfound optimism and peace via marriage and fatherhood come through in tracks like “Beautiful World.” The Kooks are touring alongside the Vaccines and Daisy the Great. – SBB
INFO: 7:30pm, Fox Theater, 1807 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. $39.50 – $55. 510.302.2250.
FRIDAY
PUNK ROCK
SWAMI AND THE BED OF NAILS
Traditionally, “Swami” refers to a Hindu religious teacher, but the term takes on a punk rock connotation on Friday night at Ivy Room. Swami and the Bed of Nails is the latest musical project of SoCal post-hardcore impresario John Reis, who famously fronted Rocket from the Crypt under the pseudonym Speedo from 1990 to 2005. That was just one of his many successful bands. Reis also founded Swami Records, hosts Swami Sound System on Slacker Radio and even runs a bar in San Diego. He describes his latest evolution as “a reenactment of the past lives of elderly teenagers returning once again to sustain their echo.” – ADDIE MAHMASSANI
INFO: 8pm, Ivy Room, 860 San Pablo Ave., Albany. $21/adv, $25/door. 510.526.5888.
SATURDAY
INDIE
SARAH AND THE SUNDAYS
The band Sarah and the Sundays has had an exciting few years. Based in Austin, the quintet of gangly Gen-Z musicians began to gather a following after the 2019 release of their catchy, wistful LP, So You’re Mad About the Cups. From there, they all dropped out of college and fully committed to indie rock ’n’ roll-hood, signing with AWAL Records and touring the country in support of kindred spirits Goth Babe. They’re working on their third album with producer David Greenbaum (Beck, the Backseat Lovers). Deadpan and quirky, their only bio info on Spotify identifies them as a “former Mumford & Sons cover band.” – AM
INFO: 8pm, Cornerstone, 2367 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. $21/adv, $26/door. 510.214.8600.
SATURDAY
INDIE
JHARIAH
One of the best by-products of the rise of internet musicians is the death of genre. New artists refuse to be defined, and Jhariah is a perfect example. At 23, he’s already an accomplished animator, illustrator and musician. Take his latest track, “Pin-Eye,” a soulful number incorporating a piano melody with crunching guitars, dynamic horns and Jhariah’s voice crying out. Then there’s “Flight of the Crows,” from his 2021 album, A Beginner’s Guide to Faking Your Death. The track travels through emo, jazz and ska in just over two minutes. It’s only fitting for Jhariah to play Gilman, as he’s truly the definition of a unique and independent artist creating the art he wants, not what society thinks it needs. – MW
INFO: 7:30pm, Gilman, 924 Gilman St., Berkeley, $18/adv, $20/door. 510.524.8180.
SUNDAY
JAZZ FUSION
TIGRAN HAMASYAN
Born and raised in Armenia, pianist Tigran Hamasyan has carved out a deep and beautiful niche, combining his love of rock anthems, Armenian folk songs and the modern jazz continuum from bebop to post-bop. Combining keyboard virtuosity with a spikey, pummeling sound, he makes an odd-meter sound as natural as skipping. Focusing on original compositions, Hamasyan has recorded a series of award-winning albums for Verve, ECM and Nonesuch. His latest release, 2022’s StandArt, is a fascinating rethinking of jazz numbers and standards featuring a cast laden with Berkeley High alums like drummer Justin Brown, trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire and saxophonist Joshua Redman. – ANDREW GILBERT
INFO: 7:30pm, Freight & Salvage, 2020 Addison St., Berkeley. $40 – $45. 510.644.2020.
SUNDAY
CHAMBER
MAHLER CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
In speaking about leading an orchestra from the keyboard, Mitsuko Uchida says it requires constant development. Uchida and the ensemble in this concert perform two Mozart concertos that encompass gaiety, melancholy and edgy, complex knots counterpointed by the composer’s blissful, carefree abandon and humor. The performance marks the U.S. premiere of a chamber orchestra arrangement of Jörg Widmann’s String Quartet No. 2. This music emerges from under the skin, suspended in every breath and grounded in each crescendo and accelerando. Expect breathtaking subtlety and virtuosity minus any hint of pretension. – LOU FANCHER
INFO: 3pm, UC Berkeley, 101 Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley, $93 – $210. 510.642.9988
TUESDAY
COMEDY
JENNY ROBERTS: ‘WHO’S THAT? NASTY NEIGHBOR’
Roberts carries a hefty portfolio into the venerable establishment when she arrives to disrupt the universe with a show that has “meowzer” as a possible reaction. An accomplished visual artist and Argentine tango performer who swings from highbrow to lowbrow with dizzying, unapologetic style, she’s a mirror of everything that the city of Oakland embodies: brilliant artists who ride the wild pony and lay bare their souls on the open fields of stages throughout the country. Roberts has traveled the world and blazes back to Yoshi’s with a one-night show that leaves no question as to the identity and wicked snarkiness of the nasty neighbor. – LF
INFO: 8pm, Yoshi’s, 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland, $20/adv, $30/door. 510.238.9200.
