THURSDAY, DEC. 11
YACHT ROCK
YOUNG GUN SILVER FOX
Smooth. Luxurious. And funky as all get-up. Those are just some of the adjectives that come to mind when listening to yacht-rock duo Young Gun Silver Fox. Formed by Andy Platts and Shawn Lee, the two originally met on MySpace—those were the daaaaays—in 2005 and immediately knew they wanted to work together. However it wasn’t until seven years later in 2012 that they formed Young Gun Silver Fox, with Platts as the “Young Gun” and Lee as the “Silver Fox.” Since then they’ve released five studio albums with their newest, Pleasure, released this past May, a groovy mix of Steely Dan, Hall & Oates and Sly & the Family Stone. – MAT WEIR
INFO: Thu, 8pm, Cornerstone, 2367 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. $30. 510.214.8600.
THURSDAY, DEC. 11
SOUL
ANNIE AND THE CALDWELLS
Annie and the Caldwells are riding high on the success of their 2025 album, Can’t Lose (My Soul). Produced by former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne and released on his Luaka Bop label, lead singer Annie and her daughters manage to sound both spontaneous and tight. Equally in line with the terrific band, here’s hoping they swing into some of the album’s disco-like tracks that channel Chaka Khan, or “Dear Lord,” a song that leans into the grand style of funk/R&B bassist/singer Bootsy Collins, a family favorite musician. The origins of Annie and the Caldwells is an epic story, as is the making of the album. – LOU FANCHER
INFO: Thu, 8pm, The Freight, 2020 Addison St., Berkeley. $39-$44. 510.644.2020.
FRIDAY, DEC. 12
METAL
BLIND GUARDIAN
Horns up, hellions! Germany’s infamous Blind Guardian returns to the Bay for one night only. Originally formed in 1984 as Lucifer’s Heritage, the group changed their name to Blind Guardian four years later to distance themselves from the rising black-metal scene. Because these guys aren’t black metal but they are some of the founders of power metal, with harmonizing melodies and riffs on riffs on riffs. This is fist-pumping, hair-flinging, battling-demons-and-saving-fair-maidens epicness that has seen a return in recent years with the popularity of shows like Stranger Things and the Dungeons & Dragons brand. Only the truly metal-of-heart warriors will be at this one to hail the Blind Guardian! Prepare thyself! – MW
INFO: Fri, 7:30pm, UC Theatre, 2036 University Ave., Berkeley. $52. 510.356.4000.
FRIDAY, DEC. 12
ART FAIR
MINI MASTERPIECES
The Mini Masterpieces Holiday Gifts Show brings together small, handmade artworks made by local creators for a showcase of Alameda’s quirky spirit. Run by Art Jam, a group that meets weekly to build community and share studio space, the show features small, affordable originals, like collages, ceramics and tiny paintings that are only available here. Since its 2009 debut, the show has become a beloved island tradition—it’s both fine-art exhibition and holiday market, and there’s no better place to snag a unique gift and a bit of local lore. – SONYA BENNETT-BRANDT
INFO: Fri, 6pm, Rhythmix Cultural Works, 2513 Blanding Ave., Alameda. Free. 510.865.5060.
FRIDAY, DEC. 12
NORTEÑO
CARLOS Y CHARLOS
The trio Carlos y Charlos may have begun their collaboration for fun, progressing to in-demand for parties throughout SoCal, but Juan Carlos Reynoso on bajo sexto, Charles De Castro on diatonic accordion and Patrick Morrison on bass are ready to take NorCal by storm. They’ve added to their classic Norteño repertoire, including songs from accordion legend Narciso Martinez, with polkas, waltzes, corridos, rancheras, boleros and redovas. It’s the kind of music that makes any roomful of listeners smile and clap along. Listen to their rendition of “De Esta Sierra a la Otra Sierra,” as Castro’s fingers fly over the accordion’s buttons, and hear why. – JANIS HASHE
INFO: Fri, 8pm, La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. $30. 510.849.2568.
SATURDAY, DEC. 13
FOLK
LOU HAZEL & ALEXA ROSE
Lou Hazel grew up in Olean, New York, a Northern Appalachian town where you make your own art or go without. His songs are lean and attentive. The vibe is river fog and a long drive. Alexa Rose comes from the same terrain, and she explores it through the emotional language of weather: bruised skies, a hurricane’s aftermath, the tender wreckage that shaped her latest record, Atmosphere. Together, Hazel and Rose offer two very different pieces of art painted with the same palette, in sets that hum with melancholy and lived-in wonder. – SBB
INFO: Sat, 8pm, Ivy Room, 860 San Pablo Ave., Albany. $18. 510.526.5888.
SATURDAY, DEC. 13
JAZZ
JAZZ MAFIA: HOLIDAY HEIST
For 25 years, the Jazz Mafia has remained a powerhouse of unpredictability, commingling jazz, soul and funk as band members explore and reimagine familiar tunes. Now it’s time once again for their genre-busting Holiday Heist, in which Trance Thompson (vocals), Nataly Michelle Wright (vocals), Adam Theis (trombone & bass), Tommy Occhiuto (sax), Kevin Wong (keys) and Darian Gray (drums) provide a stellar alternative for those already experiencing holiday sugar overdoses. Check out their version of James Brown’s “Soulful Christmas,” or maybe a remix of “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy.” Tchaikovsky has never been groovier. – JH
INFO: Sat, 6pm & 9pm, The Sound Room, 3022 Broadway, Oakland. $34. 510.708.9691.
SUNDAY, DEC. 14
AMERICANA
NASHVILLE HONEYMOON
The geographic half of Nashville Honeymoon’s moniker refers to classic songcraft and sophisticated Hank Garland-ish arrangements, not to the slick product that has poured out of Music City in recent decades. Celebrating the release of the new album Sidewinder, the Berkeley combo is led by twice-married husband-and-wife duo guitarist Hank Maninger and vocalist Lynne Maes—which perhaps accounts for the second half of the band’s name. Propelled by the rhythm section tandem of veteran bassist Tim Wagar and drummer Leor Beary, Nashville Honeymoon will be collaborating with Joe Goldmark, a pedal steel player known for his lustrous legato phrasing. – ANDREW GILBERT
INFO: Sun, 3pm, Ivy Room, 860 San Pablo Ave., Albany. $12/adv, $15/door. 510.526.5888.
SUNDAY, DEC. 14
GOSPEL
SOWETO GOSPEL CHOIR
If anyone can set the soul to vibrating and the mind to believing in harmonious peace with profound hope, it is the kaleidoscopic multi-Grammy-winning South African choir. Irresistibly charismatic, the vocalist and musicians, in their return to Berkeley, spin a magical web with gospel classics and spirituals. Songs by Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush, Leonard Cohen and other popular artists prove the choir has no limits. Cultural ambassadors for their motherland, the best part is the sense that whatever they sing comes from Earth’s core or from galaxies far, far beyond our own. Tapped into that vibe, united in joy, transcending ordinary boundaries on the wings of a song? – LF
INFO: Sun, 3pm, Cal Performances at Zellerbach Hall, 101 Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley. $50-$120. 510.642.9988.
MONDAY, DEC. 15
JAZZ FUSION
MIKE STERN
He doesn’t tend to get the props afforded guitar-star peers John Scofield and Bill Frisell, with whom he jammed daily at Berklee in the early 1970s, but Mike Stern is an equally formidable improviser and his creative journey is similarly idiosyncratic. If Frisell is a little bit country and Scofield goes with the funk flow, Stern has stayed close to his rock roots, leavened with a startlingly beautiful tone and searing lyricism. His powerhouse band is built on the polyrhythmic brilliance of funk/fusion drummer Dennis Chambers. German guitar master Leni Stern brings love of West African music into the ensemble, which also features saxophonist Bob Franceschini and London-born electric bassist Janek Gwizdala. – AG
INFO: Mon, 7:30pm, Yoshi’s, 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland. $29-$74. 510.238.9200.
