THURSDAY
BLUES
CHRIS SMITHER
New Orleans-born and Boston-bred songsmith Chris Smither can hold the spotlight with his husky voice and an acoustic guitar. Known for his superb fingerpicking and lyricism rooted in philosophical concerns, Smither has performed around the world for over 50 years. His best-known song, “Love You Like a Man,” is a favorite cover by country legend Bonnie Raitt and jazz artist Diana Krall. Rolling Stone writes, “Bathed in the flickering flow of passing headlights and neon bar signs, Smither’s roots are as blue as they come.” For fans of blues legends like Lightnin’ Hopkins and Mississippi John Hurt, this is the artist to see. – ADDIE MAHMASSANI
INFO: Thu, 8pm, Freight & Salvage, 2020 Addison St., Berkeley. $44/adv, $49/door. 510.644.2020.
FRIDAY
REGGAE-ROCK
SITTING ON STACY
Sitting on Stacy proudly declares, “We are a three-piece WACK rock band from Southern California.” If you’re not sure what WACK rock is, even after a reasonable amount of research, you are not alone. Whatever the case, Hoyt, Trevor and Kyle consistently deliver ska and punk-inspired rock ’n’ roll bops with endlessly youthful energy. Their latest album, Looking Past Red Flags, feels like an ode to living in the moment the way only California boys can. Also, they are about to reach any SoCal rock band’s version of heaven, opening for Sublime across America starting in August. – AM
INFO: Fri, 9pm, Cornerstone, 2367 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. $17/adv, $20/door. 510.214.8600.
FRIDAY
FOLK
THE SOUND OF SOLIDARITY
La Peña can highlight the rarity of gender-fluid musicians getting together for a live performance. They can hype music’s power to roll the universe into a bundle, chew on it, and then unfurl it to reveal a brand-new world rich with equity, diversity, artistry and humanity. Or, La Peña can list the six-pack of talented performers, storytellers and musicians appearing: Holly Near, Tammy Hall, Jan Martinelli, Djérae Lucas, Mia Pixley and Diana Gameros. Take the plunge and hear the croon of sweet Latin tunes, the anthemic resonance of American folk, and the funk and swing of classic and contemporary jazz. It’s a night of solid solidarity told in sound and stories. – LOU FANCHER
INFO: Fri, 7pm, La Peña, 105 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. $20-$30. 510.849.2568.
FRIDAY
FOLK
LAS CAFETERAS
Las Cafeteras is a cross-disciplinary project, a futuristic approach to folk music that incorporates the social justice fire of spoken-word poetry into the infectious rhythms of hip-hop, cumbia, fandango and other musical traditions that come together into an Angeleno mélange. Their sound is unique, enlivened by traditional son jarocho instruments like the tarima, a wooden pallet that becomes a drum as a dancer syncs their footwork to the music, and the quijada, a donkey jawbone that produces a rasping percussion sound as the teeth rattle against the bone. – SONYA BENNETT-BRANDT
INFO: Fri, 9pm, The New Parish, 1743 San Pablo Ave., Oakland. $30. 510.227.8177.
SATURDAY
HARDCORE
ZESTA GRANDE 2
What’s better than seeing some of today’s hottest, grimiest, most intense hardcore and powerviolence bands on one bill? How about seeing more than 40 of them over three days at multiple venues? Zesta Grande 2 is the long-awaited sequel to the New West Coast Festival, featuring American acts like Apartment 213, Fight It Out, Lack Of Interest and ACxDC. This year’s festival also showcases several international acts, such as the legendary ’90s Japanese band, Fuck On The Beach, and Mexico’s powerviolence quartet, Hong Kong Fuck You. Sunday’s show is a matinee starting at 1pm, so set an alarm and don’t get too bent in the pit the day before. Check out Zest Bay Collective on Instagram for more details. – MAT WEIR
INFO: Sat, 5pm, Gilman, 924 Gilman St., Berkeley. $30/adv, $35/door. 510.524.8180.
SATURDAY
THEATER
‘MEAN GIRLS’
The realities of teenage life in America—the pervasive use of crude sexual jokes, prolific marijuana use and underage drinking, blatant name-calling, bullying and outright violence—can seem odd, eerie and tragic. If anyone can interject that angsty bomb with humor, it’s actor-comedian Tina Fey. Her 2004 hit film inspired Broadway’s Mean Girls musical. In Berkeley Playhouse’s YouthStage version actors of the same age play the characters of students battling the slamming insecurities of adolescence. The satire stays sharp enough to scrape the sugarcoating off every surface. Still, the digs are meant to instigate conversations, hopefully resulting in more young people escaping the toxicity of teen years. To laugh and learn is cliché but fitting. – LF
INFO: Sat, 7pm, Berkeley Playhouse, 2640 College Ave., Berkeley. $30. 510.845.8542.
SATURDAY
EMO
HOPE KILLS
Ah, the aughts. A time of MySpace, Warped Tour and white belts for some reason. Simpler times, indeed. This Saturday, elder emos can relive their newfound glory years with Panic! At the Function: A one-time show that rewinds the clock and is anything but misery business. In fact, through all the bitterness and consequences, the show will feature the exclusive, one-night-only reunion of the Bay Area’s Hope Kills. For those who are two quarters and a heart down and just want to dance, dance the night away, DJs JoogMac and Salty Sherilyn will spin sins, not tragedies—mixed with some slapping hyphy tracks. Make damn sure to get there early to rawr at hard-rock act Raelin. – MW
INFO: Sat, 5pm, Crybaby, 1928 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. $15/adv, $20/door.
SUNDAY
PUNK
DEATH BY STEREO
Death by Stereo has evolved and honed their hardcore-metal-punk emulsification on 20 countries’ worth of stages for over 25 years. Their musicianship hums like a precisely tuned engine—if that engine is a Mad Max war rig. Happily, the band’s intricate riffs, polymeters and versatile vocals don’t come at the price of good ol’ fashioned brutal heaviness; there’s still plenty of low-end grunt. Their Death by Violence tour celebrates a quarter-century of DBS. Oakland punk rockers Loud Graves will share the stage when DBS stops by. – SBB
INFO: Sun, 7pm, Ivy Room, 860 San Pablo Ave., Albany. $18/adv, $23/door. 510.526.5888.
MONDAY
JAZZ
ADAM MOEZINIA
Los Angeles native Adam Moezinia has performed with masters such as vocalist/pianist Freddy Cole, organist Mike LeDonne, vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant and tenor saxophonist George Coleman. A gifted guitarist and improviser, his music has expanded beyond mainstream jazz. Drawing on a global array of folk traditions from West Africa, the U.K., Appalachia and the Caribbean, he’s created a supple vehicle for his capacious sound with the Folk Element Trio. Designed around his lithe, single-note lines, the interactive combo features bassist Will Lyle and drummer Benjamin Ring, whose training at the Oaktown Jazz Workshops, the Jazzschool and SFJAZZ High School All-Stars prepared him well for high-profile gigs. – ANDREW GILBERT
INFO: Mon, 8pm, Yoshi’s, 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland. $26-$49. 510.238.9200.
WEDNESDAY
ACOUSTIC
CLIVE CARROLL
As Clive Carroll’s fluid fingers charm a sparkling series of notes from his acoustic guitar, it’s easy to see why he deserves the title of “master.” From 16th- and 17th-century lute music to jazz standards and delightful compositions of his own, such as “The Adventures of Wilfred,” Carroll’s joy in his playing is infectious. Expect to hear selections from The Abbot, a double-album tribute to one of Carroll’s idols, the late John Renbourn. Carroll’s fingerpicking genius creates a world in which all that’s needed is one perfectly played guitar. – JANIS HASHE
INFO: Wed, 7pm, The Back Room, 1984 Bonita Ave., Berkeley. $25. 510.654.3808.
