THURSDAY
WORLD
ALASH
Alash, the throat-singing trio from Tuva, features Bady-Dorzhu Ondar on guitar, igil and bayan; Ayan-ool Sam on igil, guitar, doshpuluur and xomus; and Ayan Shirizhik on kengirge, tsuur and murgu. All three men are master vocalists who create buzzing harmonics by singing multiple pitches simultaneously. While steeped in the ancient musical traditions of Tuva, a small Russian territory nestled in southern Siberia, they’ve added contemporary influences, including Western instruments and song forms. These innovations have paved the way for many thrilling collaborations, from the Sun Ra Arkestra and Béla Fleck & the Flecktones to Chicago’s Fifth House Ensemble. – ANDREW GILBERT
INFO: Thu, 8pm, Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley. $20/adv, $30/door. 510.525.5099.
THURSDAY
GROOVE
NIK BÄRTSCH’S RONIN
Pianist, composer and producer Bärtsch commands stages worldwide. Appearing with Sha on bass clarinet and alto saxophone, Jeremias Keller on bass, and Kaspar Rast on drums, the mesmerizing Bärtsch and his band, Ronin, handle their music with funky grooves, ticklishly inventive phrasings, addictive rhythmic patterns and an articulate structuring that’s never static or rigid. The music is meditative, sensual, percussive, meticulously scored, cyclical, polyrhythmic and mathematical—yet seems organic, like a heartbeat overlayed by random thoughts spinning in the subconscious while life chugs along. One of the best aspects? A person can arrive from almost any corner of the earth and find a way in. – LOU FANCHER
INFO: Thu, 8pm, Freight & Salvage, 2020 Addison St., Berkeley. $49/adv, $54/door. 510.644.2020.
FRIDAY
ROOTS
THIS LAND IS OUR LAND
If this were indeed our land and not possessed by power-grabbers in government, commerce and other capitalistic entities, the Martha Redbone Roots Project and American Patchwork Quartet would be less necessary. Things being as they are, the ensembles’ vast crafts—Redbone’s folk, blues, gospel and Cherokee/Choctaw roots and Patchwork’s jazz, country, West African and East Asian influences—could not be more vital. The music treks from deeply ancestral sounds and vocalizations through a river of American music so deep it might make a person believe a song could shift the gears of discouragement into supercharged encouragement. Ride Redbone’s ridge of fractured history and bow to some of the best, brightest and most beautiful music our nation has produced. – LF
INFO: Fri, 8pm, Zellerbach Hall, 101 Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley. $31-$86. 510.642.9988.
FRIDAY
JAZZ
EDMAR CASTAÑEDA
It’s a rare artist who introduces a new instrument into the jazz arsenal, but Bogotá-born Edmar Castañeda has left few doubts about the improvisational potential of the Colombian harp. Since moving to the U.S. in 1994, he’s blazed a brilliant trail, melding jazz with folkloric styles from Colombia and Venezuela. Although he’s performed and recorded with several Cuban heavyweights and jazz stars, Castañeda is at his most expansive leading his own combos. He’s playing with his Family quartet featuring Colombian vocalist Andrea Tierra, rising drummer Julian Miltenberger and tenor saxophonist Birsa Chatterjee, who’s making a name for himself with a highly personal blend of jazz and North Indian classical music. – AG
INFO: Fri, 10pm, Yoshi’s, 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland. $29. 510.238.9200.
SATURDAY
ALT-METAL
HELMET
Alt-metal band Helmet’s album Betty, released in 1994, was a bit of a swerve—an eclectic departure from the straightforward brutality of their previous work. The album is peppered with jazzy, bluesy, experimental influence alongside Helmet’s signature heavy, syncopated riffs and tight, precise drumming. The fourth track, “Milquetoast,” featured on the soundtrack of the cult classic gritty superhero film The Crow, became the band’s most recognizable song. They’ll perform Betty in full to celebrate the album’s 30th anniversary alongside other selections from their influential discography. – SONYA BENNETT-BRANDT
INFO: Sat, 6pm, Crybaby, 1928 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. $37.
SATURDAY
ROCK
HEAVEN’S CLUB
Blending synth-pop and psych-rock conjures the otherworldly sonics of a band appropriately named Heaven’s Club. Founded in Oakland—originally as Creepers—the group began as multi-instrumentalist Shiv Mehra’s side project when he wasn’t busy with his other band, Deafheaven. After 2019’s Here There and Nowhere and 2021’s All That Was, Heaven’s Club is going strong and getting ready to release their three-song cassette, Free World. The band has a knack for making nightmarish themes seem dreamy and calm, and the new songs promise to do just that. As Mehra once said, “Heaven’s Club is the fog of memory and insubstantial fantasy.” – ADDIE MAHMASSANI
INFO: Sat, 8pm, Eli’s Mile High Club, 3629 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland. $12/adv, $15/door. 510.808.7565.
SATURDAY
PUNK
DOLL FEST
In a culture obsessed with masculinity, it’s about @#$% time for some powerful feminine energy to rise. Cue Doll Fest, which celebrates friendship, community and women supporting other women, following in the footsteps of past festivals like Lilith Fair but wearing the Doc Martins of the Riot Grrrl movement. The two-day festival features 24 women-fronted bands ranging from pop and Northern soul to hardcore, crust and ska. On Saturday, Petaluma legends Tsunami Bomb headline with friends the Darts, the Vaxxines, Gloomy Kitten and the Dollheads supporting. Naked Aggression closes the night with the Inciters, Bite Me Bambi, SlutBomb and six others playing throughout the day. There’s also a Doll Fest pre-party at Ivy Room with Dog Party on Friday. – MAT WEIR
INFO: Sat, 2pm, Cornerstone, 2367 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. $67-$105. 510.214.8600.
SUNDAY
R&B
PINK SWEAT$
Valentine’s Day might have already come and gone, but love will be in the air this Sunday when Pink Sweat$ hits the stage. Named because of the pink sweatpants he wears on stage, Pink Sweat$ first entered the scene producing music for other artists but made a name for himself in 2018 with his debut EP, Volume 1. Although the Covid-19 pandemic delayed his debut album, Pink Sweat$ took that time to drop The Prelude, continuing to build his name. By the time Pink Planet came out in 2021, Sweat$’ dedicated following helped send his “At My Worst” single, featuring Kehlani, straight to platinum. – MW
INFO: Sun, 7:30pm, Fox Theater, 1807 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. $50-$174. 510.302.2250.
TUESDAY
INDIE
JENNY OWEN YOUNGS
What do Ingrid Michaelson, Panic! At the Disco and Pitbull have in common? They’ve all collaborated with Jenny Owen Youngs, a singer-songwriter who is fearless in her versatility—she’s also leading a popular Buffy the Vampire podcast and writing a book. In her solo work, her sound ranges from delicate acoustic ballads to electrified anthems, and her work as a songwriter is even more varied. That’s where Panic! and Pitbull come in, with songwriting credits on “High Hopes” and “Bad Man.” The throughline in her work is clever songwriting and heartfelt lyrics, appealingly applied to her folk, indie, rock and pop blend. – SBB
INFO: Tue, 8pm, Ivy Room, 860 San Pablo Ave., Albany. $18/adv, $20/door. 510.526.5888.
WEDNESDAY
ROCK
BOB LOG III
Bob Log III is known as a one-person slide-guitar party. For those who require more detail, he plays his shows in a cannonball suit and helmet hooked up to an old-school telephone receiver—a contraption that serves as a microphone, freeing up his limbs for some punk-infused Delta-blues marathons. His humor is lovably zany with a fair amount of raunchy zest; “Boob Scotch” is a crowd-favorite song, as is “Clap Your Tits.” For those who still aren’t sold, he tends to bring a massive rubber ducky and inflatable dinghy to his performances. What could go wrong? – AM
INFO: Wed, 8pm, Thee Stork Club, 2330 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. $14/adv, $16/door. 510.859.8709.
