THURSDAY, APRIL 24
COUNTRY
STURGILL SIMPSON
Kentucky-born actor and musician Sturgill Simpson has been showing up on the big screen lately. In 2021, he appeared as bootlegger Henry Grammer alongside fellow outlaw country star Jason Isbell in Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon. In 2023, fans of HBO’s The Righteous Gemstones reveled in his doomsdayer character, Marshall. On the music front, the Grammy-winner recently released Passage du Desir, his first album recorded under the moniker Johnny Blue Skies. Written in Paris, the songs are partly inspired by a vocal cord injury that silenced the singer for months and shook him to his core. A powerful record. – ADDIE MAHMASSANI
INFO: Thu, 7pm, Greek Theatre, 2001 Gayley Rd., Berkeley. $95. 510.871.9225.
THURSDAY, APRIL 24
JAZZ
GARY BARTZ
At 84, saxophonist Gary Bartz is a bona fide jazz legend who came up in the white-hot crucible of bands led by Art Blakey, Woody Shaw, McCoy Tyner and Miles Davis. Named an NEA Jazz Master last year, the Baltimore native has lived in Emeryville since 2017, but it’s still a rare treat to find him on local stages. On the cusp of releasing his first new album in over a decade, Bartz hasn’t lost a step. Moving seamlessly from post-bop to blues to funk, he’s a lion in winter, playing with the searing tone, sardonic humor and structural awareness that has long distinguished his work. – ANDREW GILBERT
INFO: Thu, 8pm, Yoshi’s, 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland. $39–$79. 510.238.9200.
THURSDAY, APRIL 24
PUNK
DOG PARTY
There’s an innate chemistry in sibling-led bands. Think the Beach Boys, Kings of Leon, HAIM, Oasis—a rapport and charge that can only come from blood ties. In this long tradition, Sacramento punk-rock duo Gwendolyn and Lucy Giles released their debut EP, Dog Party, when they were 13 and 11 years old, respectively, and they’ve been cranking out catchy, garage-pop anthems with snarling riffs, tight harmonies and DIY grit ever since. They’ve opened for Green Day, started their own label and dropped a new album, Dangerous. Sisterhood is their secret weapon. – SONYA BENNETT-BRANDT
INFO: Thu, 7pm, 924 Gilman, 924 Gilman St., Berkeley. $12–$15. 510.524.8180.
FRIDAY, APRIL 25
EMO
TRSH
Midwest emo is old enough to take ibuprofen before shows, but it’s only getting better. Just look to Springfield, Missouri, band TRSH for proof. These guys dropped their latest EP, Straw Chairs, last year and just printed their first full-length, Soporific, on multicolored vinyl. That’s 39 minutes and 58 seconds of heartfelt, raw chaos filled with love, heartbreak and pure emotion. Plus, it’s always proper to support a venue like the Stay Gold Deli, which hosts DIY shows like those thrown by Hard Times Shows. Make sure to get there early to see openers Summerbruise, Dear MaryAnne and Doan. – MAT WEIR
INFO: Fri, 7pm, Stay Gold Deli, 2635 San Pablo Ave., Oakland. $15. 510.350.8729.
FRIDAY, APRIL 25
DANCE
GRUPO CORPO
The captivating world of Brazil arrives with two works from Grupo Corpo, a dance company known for its blend of folk and contemporary, classical ballet, gymnast-worthy feats and astute musicality. The choreography in 21 rides on the propulsive rhythms of a score by Marco Antônio Guimarães and Brazilian instrumental group Uakti. The Bay Area premiere of Gira (“Spin”) cozies up with the Afro-Brazilian religions of Candomblé and Umbanda. It features ritual chanting, blistering saxophone, bird calls, animal cries and other awesome, indescribable sounds. A note for audiences: The performance of Gira includes nudity. Performances are on Friday and Saturday. – LOU FANCHER
INFO: Fri, 8 pm, Cal Performances, 101 Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley. $38+. 510.642.9988.
SATURDAY, APRIL 26
INDIE-POP
VALGUR
Valgur are a musical duo from Oaxaca that creates a unique synth-pop sound built out of magical realism and science-fiction aesthetics. Siblings Elizabeth and Hugo Valdivieso fuse their Zapotec heritage with modern, otherworldly rhythms, crafting immersive, dreamlike soundscapes. Rich in worldbuilding, partially born out of childhoods in the church, their performances unfold into vivid narratives where cultural identity and fantastical realms intertwine into cosmic struggles between good and evil. Never underestimate sibling synchronicity. – SBB
INFO: Sat, 8pm, Elbo Room, 311 Broadway, Oakland. $16–$20. 510.350.8116
SATURDAY, APRIL 26
THEATER
‘CRUMBS FROM THE TABLE OF JOY’
The story begins after the death of the Crumb family matriarch. The family uproots itself and makes a move from Pensacola to Brooklyn. It’s 1950s America, and narrator Ernestine, the daughter of the deceased, leads the way as the family navigates the era’s race, sex, politics, religion and post-war sentiment. Count on characters facing conflict with courage, pettiness, pathos, intelligence, avoidance, confrontation and catch-your-breath humor. Trust the Aurora’s brilliant actors and production values that add to a play’s purpose. Post-show discussions are a terrific launch for continued conversations at home and in the community. – LF
INFO: Starts Sat, Aurora Theatre, 2081 Addison St., Berkeley. $38. 510.843.4822.
MONDAY, APRIL 28
ROCK
VICTOR KRUMMENACHER & HIS FLYING CIRCUS
As a founding member of Camper Van Beethoven, bass/guitar player Victor Krummenacher has ridden the forefront of indie music for the last two decades. Nobody’s one-trick pony, he has also played with CVB spin-off Monks of Doom and psyche quintet the Third Mind featuring Dave Alvin, Jesse Sykes and others, but has also appeared with M. Ward, Cracker and more. This acoustic presentation will open with a live recording of Coffee with Krummenacher, the podcast where Victor is never informed which subject will be discussed. Past episodes featured stories about the time Camper Van Beethoven opened for Tiny Tim, touring with R.E.M. and plenty of others. – MW
INFO: Mon, 8pm, Ivy Room, 860 San Pablo Ave., Albany. $21–$23. 510.526.5888.
TUESDAY, APRIL 29
AUTHOR TALK
THE WORLD AS IT COULD BE
Literary luminary Nnedi Okorafor joins Bay Area writers Aida Ndiaye and Kemi Ashing-Giwa in conversation at The California Ballroom. Okorafor is a New York Times bestselling novelist, specializing in science fiction and fantasy. Currently on an international tour for her latest novel, Death of an Author, she draws on her Nigerian and American heritage to craft mesmerizing tales across many genres and media. In a 2019 essay on her blog, Okorafor identified her style as africanfuturism and africanjujuism, terms she uses instead of Afrofuturism to stress that her work “does not privilege or center the West.” – AM
INFO: Tue, 7pm, The California Ballroom, 1736 Franklin St., Oakland. $39. 510.927.4068.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30
HIP-HOP
ANA TIJOUX
Chilean hip-hop star Ana Tijoux is arguably the most important rapper working in Spanish, but her dexterous flow and conscious messages have given her staying power. Her raps are laced with feminist themes, pronouncements and support for leftist causes, but one needn’t subscribe to the entire manifesto to thrill to her expert verse. Tijoux hits Oakland, her only Bay Area date of the Vida Tour, which started with a recent sold-out show at New York’s Lincoln Center. The set list includes pieces from her new EP, Serpiente de madera. – AG
INFO: Wed, 8pm, The New Parish, 1743 San Pablo Ave., Oakland. $45. 510.227.8177.
