THURSDAY, JULY 17
ROCK
DANCE MYTH
Dance Myth is one of the many projects of artist, musician and poet Dan Smith. Known as the lead singer for lo-fi/emo/hip-hop band Listener, Smith’s Dance Myth moniker—a clever play on his name—is an emotional, introspective work seeped in deep contemplation. Dance Myth, much like Listener, is poetry and prose aimed directly at the listener, set afloat over a river of music with the themes of death, rebirth, grief and learning to forgive oneself. Dance Myth’s new album The Shapes We Make, released last month, is a beautiful and harrowing record of what it’s like to be a human with all of our failures, imperfections and hope. – MW
INFO: Thu, 7pm, 924 Gilman St., Berkeley. $15. 510.525.9926.
THURSDAY, JULY 17
REGGAE
THE ABYSSINIANS
Talk about the roots of reggae—the trio the Abyssinians has been singing about freedom and Zion since 1969. Their classic song “Satta Massagana” (“Give Thanks”), on the group’s first album in 1976, uses Amharic, the language of Ethiopia, the ancient Abyssinia. Donald Manning, Linford Manning and Bernard Collins, all born in Kingston, Jamaica, have stayed true all these years to their deeply spiritual, Afrocentric focus. These days they rarely tour, so this Freight gig is extra special. The Freight is also offering discounted tickets for its “Reggae Nights Pass,” which includes another legendary reggae group, the Meditations, on Friday, July 18. – JH
INFO: Thu, 8pm, The Freight, 2020 Addison St., Berkeley. $34. 510.644.2020.
FRIDAY, JULY 18
HIGHLIFE
GYEDU-BLAY AMBOLLEY
The story goes that Ghanian musician and songwriter Gyedu-Blay Ambolley “pricked up his ears” in the ’60s when he listened to the Voice of America’s Jazz Hour shows. He was also deeply influenced by the “independence sounds” of countryman Kwame Nkrumah, leading to his embrace of the 1970s highlife music movement. His cut, “Simigwa-Do,” essentially created a whole music and dance genre. The multi-instrumentalist/songwriter/producer is also widely credited as “the godfather of hiplife,” a fusion of hip-hop and highlife. Anyone who can listen to “Abrentsie” from his 2013 album Party Time without getting up and, well, partying, needs their feet examined. – JH
INFO: Fri, 8pm, Cornerstone, 2367 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. $31. 510.214.8600.
SATURDAY, JULY 19
PUNK
PRISON AFFAIR
Prison Affair doesn’t play shows so much as stage incidents. The Barcelona-based synth-punk/egg-punk freaks specialize in short bursts of manic energy: shrieking vocals, warbled tape loops, busted keyboards. Their songs are feral dispatches from inside a metaverse funhouse lockup: deranged, distorted and fully committed to the bit. They’re headlining the official after-party for Mosswood Meltdown—f.k.a. Burger Boogaloo—Oakland’s summer blowout of punk, garage and glitter. Expect chaos and raunchy cartoon visuals. – SBB
INFO: Sat, 10pm, Eli’s Mile High Club, 3629 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland. $15-$20. 510.808.7565.
SATURDAY, JULY 19
MUSICAL THEATER
‘SCAT-TER BRAIN’
The immensely versatile Candace Johnson’s semi-autobiographical one-woman musical catapults neurodivergence to new heights. Diagnosed in her 40s with inattentive ADHD, she learned to navigate, then celebrate, her unique traits and capabilities. As a singer, actress, poet and voice instructor, Johnson arrives at Marsh Berkeley with a hefty pedigree: a doctorate in voice performance from the University of Michigan and membership in CHADD, a nonprofit supporting services for children and adults with ADHD. The 90-minute, original production includes one intermission and a promise. Anyone who is, knows someone with, wonders what it means or hopes to gain greater understanding of life with ADHD will get a solid look at neurodiversity. Performances go until Sept. 13. – LF
INFO: Sat, 8pm, The Marsh, 2120 Allston Way, Berkeley. $25-100. 415.282.3055.
SUNDAY, JULY 20
INDIE
OF MONTREAL
Of Montreal is a shapeshifter. Since the late ’90s, Kevin Barnes, of Georgia—the band is allegedly named for a doomed relationship with une Québécoise—has steered the project through candy-colored psych-pop, glam-funk and baroque bedroom confessions, sometimes all on the same record. Barnes’ live shows are a maximalist spectacle: costume changes, dadaist video projections and theatrical breakdowns that blur the line between concert and performance art. With a discography that swings from jubilant to jarring, Of Montreal doesn’t stand still. – SBB
INFO: Sun, 8pm, UC Theatre, 2036 University Ave. Berkeley. $28. 510.356.4000.
SUNDAY, JULY 20
ROCK
BOBBY JOE EBOLA AND THE CHILDREN MACNUGGITS
The storied past of Bobby Joe Ebola and the Children MacNuggits includes a lie that got out of hand and a series of illegal concerts held under the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. The darkly satirical folk-rock band began in 1995 when singer Corbett Redford attempted to impress a girl by offering up his then-nonexistent band for her birthday party. She called his bluff, and the rest is history. Guitarist Dan Abbott joined, and within a few years the duo reanimated the East Bay’s DIY punk scene, founding Geekfest and S.P.A.M. Records. Politically and comically aware, they describe their style as “pretty songs about awful things.” – AM
INFO: Sun, 6pm, Ivy Room, 860 San Pablo Ave., Albany. $18/adv, $20/door. 510.526.5888.
SUNDAY, JULY 20
MULTIMEDIA
‘I WAS THERE TOO’
Black Panther co-founder and Bay Area resident Huey P. Newton once said, “The young always inherit the revolution,” and I Was There Too—a unique performance by Meres-Sia Gabriel—proves just that. Gabriel uses live jazz and blues, personal family photos, archival images, poetry and personal narratives to explore what it meant to grow up the daughter of two Black Panther Party members, a child of the revolution. She takes the audience on a soul-stirring journey as she navigates a coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of secrecy, poverty, idealism and government collusion to infiltrate, dismantle and control Black communities. – MW
INFO: Sun, 1pm, Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak St., Oakland. $1-$30. 510.318.8400.
MONDAY, JULY 21
MUSICAL THEATER
‘WE OUTSIDE’
Telling the story of a single mother powering her way to become a mighty force requires pulling out all the stops. A superb cast including Tamara Edwards, Nate’ Soulsanger, Majesty-Pearl Scott, Christolenae Thomas, Kesha Lovett, LaVada Womack and Jasmine Butler revs at full throttle. Using music, movement and dynamic storytelling to engage audiences in the rapture and ruptures of leading a family singlehandedly in this age might just blow the roof off of Yoshi’s. If that happens, count on a gang of moms to rise up, replace the ceiling, whistle happy tunes while hammering and carry on. – LF
INFO: Mon, 8pm, Yoshi’s, 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland. $40-50. 510.238.9200.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 23
SKA
MEPHISKAPHELES
If you don’t know Mephiskapheles, you’ve been missing out on one of the darkest, craziest, heaviest bands out there. Formed deep in the bowels of New York City’s East Village in the 1990s, Mephiskapheles emerged as a leader of the third-wave ska scene, merging traditional ska with punk and hardcore. The band’s 1994 debut album, God Bless Satan, was an impressive display of their demonic-meets-humorous songwriting prowess. Hits like “Satan Stole My Weed” in 2015 proved that their wells of inspiration run feverishly deep. As of 2025, they’ve been teasing new music and the rhythm section—the Horns of Hell—is hotter than ever. – AM
INFO: Wed, 8pm, Ivy Room, 860 San Pablo Ave., Albany. $20. 510.526.5888.
