THU 8/13
POP-PUNK
CHRONOPHAGE
Chronophage makes “flower punk,” music that lets punk’s dark jagged edges sprout unexpected, colorful blooms. The Austin band, described on their Bandcamp profile as “a midpoint between Big Star and the Homosexuals,” has wiry guitar lines, off-kilter pop instincts and hazy, intimate arrangements. Their songs feel like they’re slowly coming into focus, with layers of texture and experimentation that reward a patient listener. The tone drifts between murky-muted and sunny-sweet, wandering through odd corners and veering off course, building small, vivid places where brightness clashes against the shadows outside. – Sonya Bennett-Brandt
INFO: Thu, 8pm, Thee Stork Club, 2330 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. $13-$16. 510.859-8709.
FRI 8/14
WRESTLING
‘MICROAGGRESSION’
One thing about the Bay … it’s always interesting. No matter where one looks, there’s always something weird, amusing and unique to entertain one’s brain. Just like “MicroAGGRESSION.” This event combines live, underground wrestling with screenings of movies by local filmmakers. From fictional pieces to documentaries and found footage, “MicroAGGRESSION” takes it from the top rope and pile-drives audiences into a world of fun. This weekend, get ready to take in some art, experience some action and cheer on the good guys—or heels, which has always been my personal preference. – Mat Weir
INFO: Fri, 8pm, New Parkway Theater, 474 24th St., Oakland. $12-$16. 510.338.3228.
FRI 8/14
JAZZ
VICKI BURNS QUINTET
Vicki Burns got her start on the Bay Area jazz scene. Possessing a warm, burnished tone; an expertly curated repertoire; and a gift for lyric interpretation, she’s a vocalist who often performs the songs of her sister singers. But for this engagement she’s focusing on a treasure trove of material from Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn. She’s joined by a stellar band featuring New York pianist John Di Martino, who released a highly regarded Strayhorn album a few years ago. The quintet includes ace bassist Sam Bevan, who arranged her most recent album, Lotus Blossom Days; drummer Tim Bulkley; and special guest Noel Jewkes, the 86-year-old Bay Area saxophone great. – Andrew Gilbert
INFO: Fri, 7:30pm, The Sound Room, 3022 Broadway, Oakland. $27. 510.708.9691.
FRI 8/14
HAWAIIAN
KANEKOA
C’mon now—everyone loves the ukulele. But an electric ukulele? Genius! Maui-based band Kanekoa has taken the idea and strummed with it, playing and improvising in traditional Hawaiian music, ’80s pop, jam-band blues and whatever else they can think of. Kaulana Kanekoa, rhythm ukulele and lead vocals; Vince Esquire, lead ukulele; Travis Rice, cajon/congas and kit; and Don Lopez, U•BASS and electric bass, have been playing together since the late 1990s. The Dead’s Bill Kreutzmann had them play at his wedding and dubbed them “The Hawaiian Grateful Dead.” They’ve opened for Los Lobos and ukulele legend Jake Shimabukuro. They’ve earned a following of “Koa-heads.” Become one. – Janis Hashe
INFO: Fri, 8pm, Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley. $30. 510.525.5099.
SAT 8/15
LATIN JAZZ
MJ SANTOS SCHOLARSHIP FUNDRAISER
Over the past few years, MJ Santos gradually made his presence known on the Bay Area music scene, often sitting in at gigs with his father, Oakland percussion icon John Santos. A graduate of Oakland School for the Arts, he’s already an assured pianist and composer who seems to have found his creative calling with a scholarship to The New School Jazz Studies program. But tuition is just the family’s first hurdle before tackling New York rent and living expenses. Along with a GoFundMe campaign, tickets are available to experience an intimate recording session of MJ’s jazz compositions and arrangements with drummer Joaquin Ortiz and Papí Santos at the East Bay’s premier studio. – AG
INFO: Sat, 6:15pm, 25th Street Recording, 426 25th St., Oakland. $50. 510.788.4089.
SAT 8/15
HIP-HOP
OFFICE HOURS FESTIVAL
Office Hours Festival is more than just a music fest; it’s a community. For three days (Friday, Aug. 14-Sunday, Aug. 16) artists, makers and music lovers come together to celebrate discovery, connection and culture. However, the cornerstone of the fest is easily Day 2 at Crybaby in Oakland. Along with an all-star line-up of Bay Area rappers like Mac Mal, San Quinn and 1100 Himself, the festival also brings together Oakland’s Image Control Studios and Holyground Comedy, combining music, comedy and independent marketing. It’s a hip-hop festival for the Bay, by the Bay, yadadamean? – MW
INFO: Sat, 1pm, Crybaby, 1928 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. $35-$100.
SAT 8/15
HARDCORE
INK & DAGGER
Ink & Dagger originally burned brightly and briefly, and now they’re back. Formed in Philadelphia in the late 1990s, the hardcore band brewed a darker strain of metal-tinged screamo where breakneck riffs collided with eerie atmosphere and boundary-pushing onstage antics: vomit, coffins and bottles of fake blood sprayed on the crowd. The vampire aesthetic and lyrics steeped in horror imagery and occult symbolism match their music’s feverish intensity. Now, while they often leave off the emo face paint, their violent flamboyance remains as they celebrate hardcore’s most theatrical, emotionally volatile fringes. – SBB
INFO: Sat, 7:30pm, 924 Gilman St., Berkeley. $25. 510.524-8180.
SUN 8/16
INDIE
PASSION PIT
Chant “Angelakos” until the rhythm of the Passion Pit founder’s surname pulsates. Nod, tap, bend, sway, twist, bounce, move and groove to the beat. Why? Because Michael Angelakos started the band in 2007 to get folks dancing. The band’s debut EP, Chunk of Change, included a single written by Angelakos in under two hours that became a two-time certified Platinum song. Their following full-length albums, Manners and Kindred, received widespread praise for their creative usage of synths, and they got a shoutout from Rolling Stone for reminding everyone indie-pop is the best balm for life’s painfulness. – Lou Fancher
INFO: Sun, 7:30pm, Fox Theater, 1807 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. $56-156. 510.302.2250.
MON 8/17
JAZZ
AZURE MCCALL
After Azure McCall released her first CD, Body and Soul, she stepped onto the first-class jazz train when asked by legendary bassist Ray Brown to be his on-tour vocalist and cementing her heritage to Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McRae and, of course, Ella. Listening to her smooth, deep alto coax subtle phrasing from the classic, “The Nearness of You,” echoes of those ladies mingle with appreciation for McCall’s own polished style. Born in Berkeley, McCall spent years as “Hawaii’s first lady of jazz,” but now she’s back in the East Bay for good, charming the room at Yoshi’s. – JH
INFO: Mon, 8pm, Yoshi’s, 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland. $25-$45. 510.238.9200.
WED 8/19
COMEDY
12TH ANNUAL DESI COMEDY FESTIVAL
South Asian comedians in the Bay Area make for a dizzying diaspora of talent at the annual fest. Feast on the funny and celebrate dozens of comedians from around the world. Some have appeared on Netflix, HBO, Amazon and Comedy Central. All of this year’s crowd have taken their ha-ha’s on a national tour and now bless the Bay Area for a stint at Sound Room. So get serious, practice a silly, sly smile, and slink into the crowd to claim a seat. Time travel to South Asia on a guffaw or a giggle, and imbibe a strong dose of prescribed comedy. – LF
INFO: Wed, 7:30 pm, Sound Room, 3022 Broadway, Oakland, $29. 510.708.9691.
