THURSDAY
INDIE
OF MONTREAL
Of Montreal’s latest album, Lady on the Cusp, was released in May, and it’s full of the same ornate, wry and meticulously crafted sonic experiments that frontperson Kevin Barnes and the indie-pop band are known and beloved for. On tour, they’re bringing their wild, fantastical stage show energy and visual spectacle to “rock some Lady on the Cusp jammers as well as a ton of oldy goldies.” – SONYA BENNETT-BRANDT
INFO: Thu, 8pm, The UC Theatre, 2036 University Ave., Berkeley. $27.50. 510.356.4000.
THURSDAY
THEATER
‘GHOST OF KING’
The always innovative and provocative Oakland Theater Project stages the final weekend of the world premiere of Michael Wayne Turner III’s Ghost of King. This one-person show blends poetry, spoken word and excerpts from MLK’s speeches, using as its starting point his prescient statement, “Until we commit ourselves to ensuring that the underclass is given justice and opportunity, we will continue to perpetuate the anger and violence that tears the soul of this nation. I fear I am integrating my people into a burning house.” Turner’s 2022 piece with OTP, Hat Matter: Thoughts of a Black Mad Hatter, is currently being prepared for off-Broadway and London runs. – JANIS HASHE
INFO: Thu, 7:30pm, FLAX Art & Design, 1501 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland. $35-$60. 510.646.1126.
FRIDAY
HARDCORE
OAKLAND ONSLAUGHT
What the f@#k is up, Oakland!? The Bay Area hardcore scene has been the center of worldwide attention since right before the pandemic, and it looks like that won’t change any time soon—and why should it? The Bay boasts a plethora of unique raw talent, and this Friday, six up-and-coming bands will throw down for stage divers, moshers and the always controversial crowd-killers. The Oakland Onslaught features Manos De Fierro, Doomsday, Garo, Governmental Manslaughter, Lose None and Malico—all for a low, low price. It doesn’t get any more punk than that! – MAT WEIR
INFO: Fri, 4:30pm, Crybaby, 1928 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. $20.
FRIDAY
THEATER
‘THE LIFESPAN OF A FACT’
Star power prevails in this Broadway hit production about a geeky intern fact-checking a top-flight essayist’s latest masterpiece. The jaws of truth take a beating in a skirmish with falsehood. Which will win? Directed by the ultra-versatile Jessica Holt, a three-pack cast of performers brings humor and gravitas in equal measure. In a time when wrestling with truth and fakery is a national pastime—no examples other than AI are required, although there’s a tanker’s worth available—get into the mud and grab a rope. Bring a friend, or several, to support the tiny-mighty Aurora’s fight to thrive and survive into the next decade. – LOU FANCHER
INFO: Fri, 8pm, Aurora Mainstage Theatre, 2081 Addison St., Berkeley. $35-75. 510.843.4822.
SATURDAY
FOLK
STELLA PRINCE AND FRIENDS
Argue for hours about equity in the music industry and neither side—is there more than one?—will budge. But set a gentle tone or tirade to the right tune, and dignity elevates the conversation, winning over icicle-cold and fiery-hot hearts. Gen Z folk singer Stella Prince’s all-female folk showcase, sponsored by Change The Conversation, brings Nashville to the Bay Area during a national tour of the all-ages showcase. Musicians Heaven Sent and Jenny Haniver charge harder on the spectrum and more than fill out the roster. Prince invokes the same folk royalty as her greatest mentors, like Patsy Cline, Joni Mitchell and Shania Twain. – LF
INFO: Sat, 8pm, Back Room, 1984 Bonita Ave., Berkeley. $18/adv, $20/door. 510.381.1997.
SATURDAY
JAZZ
DAVID TULL TRIO
David Tull is best known as a first-call drummer in the L.A. music scene. An ace accompanist, he’s toured and recorded with heavyweight acts from trumpeter Chuck Mangione and Jack Sheldon to crooners Barbra Streisand and Michael Bublé. But over the past decade, he’s carved out an alternate path as a rhythmically acute singer and witty songwriter, delivering his lyrics from behind the drum kit. He’s joined by a stellar Bay Area rhythm section tandem featuring veteran bassist and recording engineer Dan Feiszli and the great pianist Larry Dunlap, a composer and arranger who’s worked with jazz legends such as Gerry Mulligan, Art Farmer, Dame Cleo Laine, Joe Williams, Sheila Jordan and Mark Murphy. – ANDREW GILBERT
INFO: Sat, 7:30pm, Sound Room, 3022 Broadway, Oakland. $25. 510.708.9691.
SUNDAY
COMEDY
‘85 SOUTH SHOW’
It may be the funniest trio in history: DC Young Fly, Karlous Miller and Chico Bean. The three friends forged paths through the entertainment industry and converged on Nick Cannon’s MTV improv comedy show, Wild ’n Out, about a decade ago. Hailing from Georgia and North Carolina, they’re known for freestyling and roasting with a Southern flair. Their humor meshes seamlessly, making their podcast, 85 South Show, a fan favorite. The fun really begins when these legends take their show on the road, advising everyone along the way to “wear your sundress” because of how hot it’s going to be. – ADDIE MAHMASSANI
INFO: Sun, 7pm, Oakland Arena, 7000 Coliseum Way, Oakland. $35-$210. 510.569.2121.
MONDAY
POST-PUNK
BLOOD CLUB
For anyone paying attention, the post-punk scene has been going through quite the revival lately. Fans have seen massive, sold-out festivals like Cruel World and Darker Waves host post-punk, goth, ’80s and darkwave artists from the past 50 years, like New Order, She Wants Revenge, Bauhaus and Interpol. There’s also been a large influx of new and exciting bands taking the torch to the next generation of audiences, and blood club is one of those acts. Formed in 2022, the Chicago trio perfectly embodies the haunting and ethereal sounds of the macabre, forlorn and existential. – MW
INFO: Mon, 7pm, Golden Bull, 412 12th St., Oakland. $13. 510.224.5522.
TUESDAY
INDIE
IRON & WINE
Iron & Wine’s Sam Beam has joked that his new album, Light Verse, is the “first official Iron & Wine comedy album.” It’s not, of course, but it does have a real lightness and playfulness. After the heaviness, anxiety and artistic paralysis that Beam experienced during the pandemic, it’s a joyful come-up that he wrote an album focused on acceptance, beauty and silliness. Manual Cinema puppeteers will accompany the band on tour, creating an overhead-projector shadow puppetry visual performance. – SBB
INFO: Tue, 8pm, Fox Theater, 1807 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. $50-$70. 510.302.2250.
WEDNESDAY
R&B
NOURISHED BY TIME
It’s not rare for an artist’s origin story to involve a move west. Marcus Brown, known as Nourished by Time, went in the opposite direction. After a tough time in L.A., he drove cross-country to his hometown of Baltimore, where his blend of New Wave, R&B and electro-funk took off. His 2022 album, Erotic Probiotic 2, is a marvel of ’80s-inspired freestyle with 808 beats, moody synths, rapping, piping and scatting. Pitchfork gave it an impressive 8.2, saying, “It’s his debut album, but he sounds reborn.” His March 2024 follow-up, Catching Chickens, garnered similar praise. – AM
INFO: Wed, 9pm, The New Parish, 1743 San Pablo Ave., Oakland. $20. 510.227.8177.
