THURSDAY, JULY 31
EXPERIMENTAL
HELEN GILLET & REED MATHIS
Musical magic comes to town this week in the form of Helen Gillet and Reed Mathis. Gillet, who hails from Belgium, is a genre-bending cellist with a penchant for intricate looping and a voice as smooth as fine wine. Mathis joins her to add his bass-playing prowess, honed over many years touring with everyone from jam bands to classical symphonies. Gillet calls New Orleans her home, and the city’s melting pot of sounds and cultures has had a profound impact on her collaboration with Mathis. Audiences can expect a mix of French and English lyrics, improvisational charm and, of course, that infectious, festive Big Easy vibe. – ADDIE MAHMASSANI
INFO: Thu, 8pm, Ivy Room, 860 San Pablo Ave., Albany. $23. 510.526.5888.
FRIDAY, AUG. 1
ROCK
NOVOS BAIANOS
File this concert under “better late than never.” A product of the creatively fecund music scene in Salvador, the Brazilian rock band Novos Baianos emerged in the late ’60s as a radical collective that built on the experiments of their Tropicália predecessors while sharing a passion for the sublime music of João Gilberto. Packed with talent, the band broke up in the late ’70s after creating a kaleidoscopically encompassing and pervasively influential body of music, with several members thriving as solo artists. They’ve reunited several times over the years and will make their first North American appearance, thanks to Jazz Is Dead, the L.A. production house responsible for bringing a glittering roster of Brazilian legends to the U.S. – ANDREW GILBERT
INFO: Fri, 8pm, The UC Theatre, 2036 University Ave., Berkeley. $55. 510.356.4000.
FRIDAY, AUG. 1
COMEDY
LEANNE MORGAN
Morgan’s comedy overflows with Southern charm mingled with upfront, mainstream humor: raising mean teens, wearing slingshot panties, the love-kill of egg salad sandwiches, braving Crossfit and date nights with Chuck, her spouse. Morgan’s Netflix special, I’m Every Woman, propelled her into the big leagues of standup comedy. Her memoir, What in the World?!, became an instant New York Times bestseller. Knowing she honed her ha-ha capabilities selling jewelry at house parties lends sparkle to her history. When Morgan dances out under the stagelights to spin her magic, expect a tissue night. Meaning, come armed with Kleenex. Tears of joy and tenderness will surely flow and if laughter rises to the level of a snort, all will be well. – LOU FANCHER
INFO: Fri, 7pm, Paramount Theatre, 2025 Broadway, Oakland. $37-$89. 510.893.2300.
SATURDAY, AUG. 2
COMEDY
BEN SCHWARTZ & FRIENDS
Is anyone lighter on their feet than Ben Schwartz? The comedian would surely have a hilarious, off-the-cuff response to that question. At the moment he’s on the road with his friends, improvising a unique show on the spot for every city. From his iconic role as Jean-Ralphio in Parks and Recreation to his elaborate voiceover work as Sonic the Hedgehog, Schwartz has honed his craft by rolling up his sleeves and walking through the fire to develop a balance of impeccable timing, heart and wit. A night like this won’t happen twice. – AM
INFO: Sat, 7pm, Fox Theater, 1807 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. $60-$93. 510.302.2250.
SATURDAY, AUG. 2
ROCK
40 WATT SUN
40 Watt Sun is the quieter aftermath of something heavier. Formed by Patrick Walker after his time fronting the influential doom band Warning, the project carries the emotional weight of that earlier work but strips away the volume. What’s left is stark and slow: Songs built from textured guitar tones, the space between chords and the gravity of Walker’s voice. His latest album, 2004’s Little Weight, moves even further into this new tone; still melancholic, but hopeful, warm and essentially focused on healing and love. – SONYA BENNETT-BRANDT
INFO: Sat, 8pm, Eli’s Mile High Club, 3629 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland. $20. 510.808.7565.
SUNDAY, AUG. 3
JAZZ
DICK WHITTINGTON TRIO
Dick Whittington was still an undergraduate in the mid-’50s when he landed a plum gig at the Lighthouse, the jazz club that served as an essential showcase for the burgeoning Southland jazz scene. Relocating to Berkeley after a tour with tenor sax legend Dexter Gordon, he went on to turn Maybeck Recital Hall into an international brand via a vaunted solo piano series on Concord Records. Whittington makes an all-too-rare return to the East Bay for a trio session with veteran bassist Robb Fischer, who earned a Grammy Award, and ace drummer Leon Joyce Jr., a consummate accompanist. – AG
INFO: Sun, 4pm, Flytrap Annex, 900 E. 11th St., Oakland. $34.
SUNDAY, AUG. 3
POST-PUNK
DAVID J
Whoa. David J at the Ivy Room? The same David J who co-founded the legendary post-punk godfathers of goth, Bauhaus—and later, Love and Rockets?? Yes, it is indeed! For those who might not know the name David J, for the love of Bela Lugosi, don’t tell anyone because he’s made some of the most influential underground music of the last five decades. Now’s the time to dive into the darker side of music and do the St. Vitus Dance with a possibly once-in-a-lifetime experience as he plays music from his new album, along with some classics from both Bauhaus and Love and Rockets. – MAT WEIR
INFO: Sun, 7pm, Ivy Room, 860 San Pablo Ave., Albany. $23. 510.526.5888.
TUESDAY, AUG. 5
INDIE
SUPERCRUSH
Supercrush is Mark Palm’s sharp left turn from hardcore into something sunnier. Rooted in Seattle heavy rock, but aesthetically closer to the fuzz-forward corners of ’90s indie, the band steers toward high-saturation, shoegazy guitar pop. Known for his work in punk and metal bands like Go It Alone and Devotion, Palm brings a hardcore veteran’s discipline to pop songwriting: tight arrangements, precise layered guitars and no wasted motion. Turns out hardcore training pairs well with ’90s pop; the sweetness is always balanced with weight. – SBB
INFO: Tue, 8pm, Thee Stork Club, 2330 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. $16/adv-$20/door. 510.859.8709.
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 6
INDUSTRIAL
NINE INCH NAILS
Long before Trent Reznor was an acclaimed Oscar-winning composer writing soundtracks for Disney and Pixar, he was a troubled, tortured artist for a little band called Nine Inch Nails. Anyone who had an iota of a teenage angst-fueled goth phase knows NIN. While Throbbing Gristle might be recognized as the first industrial music band, Nine Inch Nails cracked the genre wide open to generations of people who felt out of place in the world and were fascinated by the darker underbelly of the shiny, plastic culture. And the videos, dear god. Every NIN video is a piece of art unto itself, capturing the feel of the song; a whole different world springing from Reznor’s mind. – MW
INFO: Wed, 7:30pm, Oakland Arena, 7000 S. Coliseum Way, Oakland. $56-$328. 510.569.2121.
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 6
AFRO-CARIBBEAN
COMBO CHIMBITA
Combo Chimbita is a quartet of first-generation New Yorkers steeped in Colombian culture. Their authentic Afro-Caribbean music traditions are infused with additional energies: heavy metal, psychedelic funk and soul. Original and in touch with their cornerstone influences, yet their ears ever set to the future, the band is supreme and chock full of talent. Carolina Oliveros brings the transcendent vocals, Dilemastronauta is a human dynamo on drums, catch-it-all guitarist Niño Lento es fuego and Prince of Queens reigns on bass and synthesizers. – LF
INFO: Wed, 8pm, Cornerstone, 2367 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. $31. 510.214.8600.
