THURSDAY
AMERICANA
MINOR GOLD
A great folk duo captures the brilliance of the two individual players and the layer of beauty that only exists when they are in the same room. Minor Gold is a project by songwriters Dan Parsons and Tracy McNeil, who share a natural chemistry with each other. They strum and harmonize like they’ve melded minds, and spin ’70s folk melodies that feel as old and organic as the earth—a haunting, lush, mesmerizing sound like nothing else out there. The finesse of writing perfect, simple songs is a gift few musicians have. Dan and Tracy excel at it as Minor Gold. – AARON CARNES
INFO: Thu, 8pm, Back Room, 1984 Bonita Ave., Berkeley. $20. 510.654.3808.
THURSDAY
FILM PREMIERE
‘THIS IS NEW TONE’
Don’t call it a comeback; ska’s been here for years, coming and going like waves throughout the decades. A precursor to reggae, ska became a political movement in the ’80s with Two-tone, only to be repackaged as commercialized party music in the ’90s. Now, a fourth wave crashes onto the underground—New-tone—with Bad Time Records in the center of the tempest. Last year, the label raised funds through Kickstarter to document the fledgling scene, focusing on four of ska’s hardest-working bands: We Are the Union, Catbite, Kill Lincoln and Bad Operation. And there’s no more punk rock of a place to debut this soon-to-be underground classic than Gilman. – MAT WEIR
INFO: Thu, 7pm, Gilman, 924 Gilman St., Berkeley. $20. 510.524.8180.
FRIDAY
JAZZ
EL LABERINTO DEL COCO
El Laberinto del Coco is a powerhouse Puerto Rican bomba fusion band combining traditional Afro-Puerto Rican rhythms with contemporary musical elements. Led by percussionist Héctor “Coco” Barez, who’s collaborated with Latin music stars like Calle 13, Shakira, Alejandro Sanz, Maná and William Cepeda, the band features legendary vocalist Jerry Medina (Batacumbele, Eddie Palmieri, Tito Puente) and his equally prodigious daughter Kianí Medina delivering call-and-response vocals. A free (for ticket holders) pre-show dance lesson with Rueda Con Ritmo starts around 7pm. – ANDREW GILBERT
INFO: Fri, 8pm, Freight & Salvage, 2020 Addison St., Berkeley. $39/adv, $44/door. 510.644.2020.
FRIDAY
REGGAETON
PERREOLAND
Get ready for the ultimate in old-school-versus-new-school reggaeton! What started as a Puerto Rican dancehall movement in the ’90s became a worldwide sensation thanks to major artists like Pitbull, Daddy Yankee, Shakira and more recently, Bad Bunny. But this Friday, embrace the chance to see live performances by artists and DJs like Chris Acosta, Papi Chulo and the Kemist. The night gets even hotter with dancers, stilt performers, confetti cannons and LED robots (whaaaat?!?). Impress the future ex with bottle service to bring out the smoothest dance moves—the night’s gonna be hotter than la sala de tu mamá. Simón! – MW
INFO: Fri, 9pm, Continental Club, 1658 12th St., Oakland. $10-$20. 510.542.5742.
FRIDAY
JAZZ FUSION
BROUN FELLINIS
The Broun Fellinis blend jazz, rock, funk, hip-hop and more into their signature Afro-futurist sound called brounsoun, set in the alternate-universe country of Boohaabia. They’ve been seeding that sound into new projects and groups for 30 years; at the Ivy Room, their special “Adventures in Boohaabia” showcase will feature short features of the members’ various spin-off projects, some decades old and some brand new and bookended by two sets from the Fellinis—the funky connective tissue linking it all together. – SBB
INFO: Fri, 8pm, Ivy Room, 860 San Pablo Ave., Albany. $22/adv, $25/door. 510.526.5888.
SATURDAY
GOSPEL
SUNNY WAR
The second track on Anarchist Gospel, Sunny War’s fourth album, starts with the words: “good intentions that you keep/don’t change the fact that you’re a beast.” Like her stage name, her album plays with contrasts and extremes, themed around every human’s internal struggle between self-destruction and balance. Drawing eloquently from any musical style that serves her storytelling, whether gospel, country, blues, folk or an avant-garde sound collage, Sunny War crafts a heterogeneous set of songs that tell a coherent story about survival and her neverending navigation between good and bad impulses. – SONYA BENNETT-BRANDT
INFO: Sat, 3pm, Radium Runway, 2151 Ferry Point, Alameda. $20/adv, $25/door.
SATURDAY
THEATER
‘COLLECTIVE RAGE’
Know a Betty? The five Betties in this new play-within-a-play launch hand grenades into the Queer arena and blow away most preconceived notions. Comedy reigns with stark exposés of body parts, love-gone-haywire, love repaired and content inspiring an audience advisory from the East Bay’s most courageous theater company. Weighing in is The New York Times’ take on the original production by playwright Jen Silverman: “A full-tilt lesbian/bi-curious/genderqueer/Shakespearean comedy for everyone.” – LOU FANCHER
INFO: Sat, 8pm, Shotgun Players, 1901 Ashby Ave., Berkeley. $8-$40. 510.841.6500.
SATURDAY
SOUL
HIATUS KAIYOTE
When a band comes across as a mysterious creature rather than a group of individuals, they must be doing something right. The four-piece Australian outfit, Hiatus Kaiyote, falls into that category, blending soul, jazz, funk, R&B and electronic influences to create a genuinely experimental sound. With vocalist Nai Palm at the helm, they garnered a surprise Grammy nomination—the first of many—for their first album, 2012’s Tawk Tomahawk. Over a decade later, they are touring in support of Love Heart Cheat Code, an album that maintains their signature lyrical depth while continuing to push sonic boundaries. – ADDIE MAHMASSANI
INFO: Sat, 8pm, Fox Theater, 1807 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. $60-$174. 510.302.2250.
SUNDAY
ROCK
CASPIAN
Caspian has led the post-rock scene for two decades, churning out song after song of cinematic scope. Their instrumental music captures emotions and even tells stories without words—a feat any musician knows to be much harder than they make it look … and sound. Originally from Beverly, Massachusetts, Caspian remains close to their roots, recording their most recent album, On Circles, at Studio 4 Recording in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Each song merges metal, shoegaze and noise into an emotional journey, a state of mind that’s very difficult to reach without musicians this skilled. – AM
INFO: Sun, 8pm, UC Theatre, 2036 University Ave., Berkeley. $38. 510.356.4000.
MONDAY
JAZZ
BRIA SKONBERG
Bria Skonberg, an ebullient performer whose cool-toned vocals provide an effective foil to her hot trumpet work, found an ideal niche in New York’s trad jazz scene about 15 years ago, yet fits comfortably in any number of jazz settings. Slated for release next week, her album What It Means is a love letter to New Orleans and the city’s storied pantheon of trumpeters who sparked her love of jazz, from King Oliver and Louis Armstrong to Wynton Marsalis. Skonberg draws on classic repertoire and puts her stamp on Van Morrison and Beatles songs played around her house while growing up. Her quintet features alto saxophonist Nate Ketner, pianist Christopher Pattishall, bassist Grayson Brockamp and her longtime drummer Darrian Douglas, a player with deep Crescent City ties. – AG
INFO: Mon, 7:30pm, Yoshi’s, 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland. $35-$98. 510.238.9200.
