THU 8/20
JAZZ
BASS-10
Bass-10, a two-piece, treats bass clef as centerpiece. Their name is an equation: four cello strings plus six bass strings. East Bay musicians Ryan Danley, on fretless bass, and Ali Ziyad, on cello, pull from classical precision, jazz vocabulary, funk grooves and free improvisation, creating music that sprawls from sweeping, chamber-like passages to distorted electronic soundscapes. Drawing lines from Bach to Charlie Parker to post-hardcore, Bass-10 builds imaginative compositions where woody lyricism and unpredictable improvisation let the low-end be the eclectic, expressive star, unburdened by instrumental norms. – Sonya Bennett-Brandt
INFO: Thu, 7:30pm, Wyldflower Arts, 809 37th St., Oakland. $20-$30. 510.842.5055.
THU 8/20
POP
ARDEN ALEXA
It’s no secret that the Bay Area has produced some of the biggest musical acts of the 20th and 21st centuries. The Grateful Dead, Sly and the Family Stone, Green Day, Kehlani, Creedence Clearwater Revival, AFI, Saweetie, Rancid, E-40 and Mac Dre, to name a few. If Arden Alexa has her way she’ll make that list soon enough, and it seems she’s already on her way. The Lebanese-Syrian pop artist released her latest album, Hope You’re Watching, and the first single, “Crush!!!” went viral. That’s probably because her beats are tight, her lyrics sharp and her vocal range impressive. This week she’s back home from tour with a special, all-ages show with local artist Adam Alviso. – Mat Weir
INFO: Thu, 7pm, The Back Room, 1984 Bonita Ave., Berkeley. $23. 510.654.3808.
FRI 8/21
GOTHIC FOLK
STEVE VON TILL
Steve Von Till bends heavy music toward stranger, quieter terrain. Best known as a singer and guitarist in Neurosis, an influential Bay Area collective that helped redraw the boundaries of extreme music, Von Till has also built a solo catalog where gothic Americana, rural psychedelia and ambient folk move at a more haunted pace. His seventh solo album, 2025’s Alone in a World of Wounds, grows from intuitive improvisations and the sonority of piano and synthesizer, trekking through a weathered and spacious terrain of vocals, drifting drones and cello. – SBB
INFO: Fri, 8pm, Thee Stork Club, 2330 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. $25. 510.859.8709.
FRI 8/21
ART-POP
ZOLA JESUS
A voice can’t be held in the hand, but if it could, the magnificent voice of Zola Jesus, a.k.a. Nika, would be one to grasp and never let go of. Trained as an opera singer, Nika veered into alternative music, sculpting a place as one of the 21st century’s most gifted vocalists. Having issued two EPs and seven full-length albums, Nika on vinyl is vibrant. Live performances are goth: architectural sounds and sights delivered in grand sweeping gestures of mystery, dark magic and, always, incredible musicianship. – Lou Fancher
INFO: Fri, 8pm, The Freight, 2020 Addison St., Berkeley, $39-$44. 510.644.2020.
SAT 8/22
BRAZILIAN
GUINGA
Revered as one of Brazil’s most sophisticated post-bossa-nova songwriters, Guinga got his start as a guitarist accompanying samba stars such as Clara Nunes, Beth Carvalho and Cartola. But he gained fame as a composer when an international constellation of artists, including Brazilian jazz vocal legend Elis Regina, Sergio Mendes, Chico Buarque, Ivan Lins, Mônica Salmaso and Michel Legrand, began recording his songs. Recording a string of albums over the past quarter century, he began performing often enough to give up his dental practice. For this concert he’s joined by special guests Brazilian singer and songwriter Anna Paes and Natalie Cressman on trombone and vocals. – Andrew Gilbert
INFO: Sat, 7:30pm, The Sound Room, 3022 Broadway, Oakland. $50. 510.708.9691.
SAT 8/22
POST-JAZZ
JEFF PARKER ETA IVTET
Chicago’s creatively roiling music scene is known for producing singular artists, and guitarist Jeff Parker’s emergence in the 1990s exemplified the many possibilities for an adventurous player. Best known for his work in the post-rock band Tortoise, he equally involved himself in the city’s jazz-and-beyond improv scene, a wide-open ethos he brought to Los Angeles when he moved west in 2013. Despite his Bay Area proximity he’s a scarce presence here, in spite of heavy demand. Born at a weekly residency at the shuttered L.A. venue ETA, this group evolved over a decade from a standards-centric combo into a vehicle for extended incantatory soundscapes. – AG
INFO: Sat, 8pm, The Freight, 2020 Addison St., Berkeley. $39-$44. 510.644.2020.
SAT 8/22
FOLK
RUSHADICUS THE INFAMOUS CELLO GOBLIN
OK, first off, an amazing name. Come on, Rushadicus the Infamous Cello Goblin? Interest is beyond piqued. Then, he plays a crazy blend of folk music on the cello with a kazoo and funny, weird, wacky lyrics? Forget about it. This promises to be one heck of a unique, silly and enjoyable evening filled with music, laughter and, most likely, a bunch of strange-but-true tales to tell one’s friends and grandkids. Find his music under Rushadicus on Bandcamp and under one of his many aliases, like Rushad Eggleston, on Spotify, to let the stress of the day roll off one’s back. – MW
INFO: Sat, 7:30pm, The Planetarium, 5327 Jacuzzi St., Richmond. $15. Instagram: @planetariumrichmond
SAT 8/22
LATIN
BULULÚ
Caribbean/Venezuelan band Bululú releases a new album, DOMÉSTICO: From the Border of Home, at a dance party destined to be the place to be on a Saturday summer night. First, DJ Agana opens the night with a “chill set.” Then Bululú turns up the temp, playing songs from the new album that explore “themes of resistance, immigration, LGBTQ+ identity, women’s rights, spirituality, and cultural empowerment.” Of course, DJ Agana returns with a set designed to seriously heat up Ashkenaz. Special guests are also promised. ¡Nos vemos en la pista! writes the band, as in, “See you on the dance floor!” – Janis Hashe
INFO: Sat, 7pm, Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Blvd., Berkeley. $20. 510.525.5099.
TUE 8/25
ART-ROCK
DAVID BYRNE
Imagine cracking open Byrne’s skull and peeking inside. Instead of a gooey mass resembling a cauliflower, it more likely contains a fantastic castle. Upon opening and entering, each room takes a visitor on a different cosmic trip. Across decades, the singer/songwriter/filmmaker/visual artist co-founded Talking Heads, recorded albums, and created hit Broadway shows and Hollywood films. His “Who Is the Sky?” tour touches down at the Greek with New York-based chamber ensemble Ghost Train Orchestra and guest artist Paramore’s Hayley Williams. Asking big questions about identity, power and purpose, the lyrics skew heady while the music spins its psychedelic swirls with unmissable groove. – LF
INFO: Tue, 8pm, Greek Theatre, 2001 Gayley Rd., Berkeley. $149-$825. 510.871.9225.
WED 8/26
EXPERIMENTAL
FRED FRITH’S FREMAKAJO
Fred Frith was only 25 when his slash-and-burn improvisations on the six-string guitar as part of the groundbreaking English band Henry Cow caught the ears of the music world. More than 50 years later he still innovates, now with his most recent group, Fremakajo, which premiered at Big Ears 2026 and also includes drummer Jordan Glenn, saxophonist Kasey Knudsen and accordionist Marié Abe. For this gig the band shares the bill with equally startling Jordan Glenn’s BEÅK, as percussion rules the roost. Here’s the chance, in one night, to partake of music that refuses to be contained or explained. – JH
INFO: Wed, 7:30pm, Ivy Room, 860 San Pablo Ave., Albany. $25. 510.526.5888.
