THURSDAY, MARCH 5
PUNK
THE LAST GANG
Formed in Los Angeles, the Last Gang has existed in some form since the 2000s, with Brenna Red as its constant center of gravity. They play punk-rock with streetwise clarity, melodic and high-velocity. Red’s gravel-edged voice can pivot from defiant snarl to sultry clarity as the band draws from classic SoCal punk, power-pop, reggae and ska. Songs about addiction, fascism and fractured relationships arrive wrapped in bright harmonies and catchy choruses. It’s political, hook-driven and unafraid to be both furious and fun. – SONYA BENNETT-BRANDT
INFO: Thu, 9pm, Thee Stork Club, 2330 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. $16. 510.859.8709.
THURSDAY, MARCH 5
JAZZ
THE MYULA
Nupoora Niphadkar leads this intriguing ensemble that swirls Indian music performed on traditional instruments with contemporary Western music genres. Building vocal worlds with harmonic resonances and rap, the sonic landscape gains drama with a vast array of instrumentation: sitar, veena, electric guitars, keyboards, synths, drums, percussion. The magic is that it strikes like music heard before, then swings into completely new territory. Sometimes the pendulum hits and returns to familiar land, other times it doesn’t. But either way, Myula deposits audiences into shared spaces and creates community. – LOU FANCHER
INFO: Thu, 7:30pm, Wyldflowr Arts, 809 37th St., Oakland. $20. 510.842.5055.
FRIDAY, MARCH 6
ALT-COUNTRY
THE WHITE BUFFALO
Ever since Jake Smith—a.k.a. the White Buffalo—released his debut EP in 2002, he’s been a favorite for fans of country, Americana and rock. The White Buffalo has had success on the Billboard charts, along with a slew of songs on shows such as Sons of Anarchy, Californiacation and The Punisher. However, don’t try to confine him in any box. While his bread and butter is based in the genres above, Smith pushes himself past all boundaries. Just give his 2022 album, Year of the Dark Horse, a spin. Sure, it has elements of country and Americana, but the songs are based in blues, rock and even indie-pop. With such a rare mixture of sounds, he truly lives up to his stage name. – MAT WEIR
INFO: Fri, 8pm, Cornerstone, 2367 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. $37. 510.214.8600.
FRIDAY, MARCH 6
AMERICANA
ORDINARY ELEPHANT
Americana folksingers Crystal and Pete Damore have made a name for themselves as Ordinary Elephant with their simple, honest approach to topics that are often not simple. Their newest, self-titled album features banjo, guitar and octave mandolin, along with their signature harmonies. “Once Upon a Time” is a fan favorite from the collection, in which Crystal sings, “Tell me that story again, darling/Wasn’t it true once upon a time?”, conjuring memories of some of the sweeter, more wistful tales of the late John Prine. Ordinary Elephant’s music, like his, reflects the day-to-day experiences of ordinary people in a much-less-than-ordinary way. – JANIS HASHE
INFO: Fri, 8pm, The Back Room, 1984 Bonita Ave., Berkeley. $25. 510.654.3808.
FRIDAY, MARCH 6
JAZZ
JULIA KEEFE INDIGENOUS BIG BAND
Jazz vocalist Julia Keefe, a member of the Nez Perce nation, is at the center of a wave of ambitious young Indigenous jazz players who are creating new music and uncovering a vibrant, little-known history of Native American jazz artistry. Co-led by Diné trumpeter Delbert Anderson, the 16-piece Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band is the central vehicle in this budding movement, gathering players from across the U.S. and Canada. She’s championed the seminal jazz vocalist, Mildred Bailey. The group also celebrates the legacy of Kaw and Muscogee saxophonist Jim Pepper. The band’s lineup features Alaska-reared Lingít drummer Ed Littlefield, and Arkansas-raised Apache and Kiowa trombonist Quinn Carson. – ANDREW GILBERT
INFO: Fri, 8pm, Cal Performances at Zellerbach Playhouse, 101 Zellerbach Hall, #4800, Berkeley. $79-$84. 510.642.9988.
SATURDAY, MARCH 7
FILM
CHARLIE CHAPLIN’S ‘THE KID’
No one has ever equaled Charlie Chaplin’s gift for expressing comedy interlaced with deep sadness, all communicated without words. One of the greatest, 1921’s The Kid, is part of Cal Performances’ ongoing series of film performances accompanied by live music. The screening of The Kid will feature guitarist Marc Ribot, played with Tom Waits, and whose own work encompasses influences from free jazz to “the godfather of salsa,” Cuban bandleader Arsenio Rodríguez. The story of a lost-and-found little boy who encounters Chaplin’s The Tramp, The Kid is both slapstick funny and enduringly heartbreaking. – JH
INFO: Sat, 8pm, Cal Performances at Zellerbach Playhouse, 2413 Bancroft Way, Berkeley. $74-$87. 510.642.9988.
SATURDAY, MARCH 7
THEATER
‘PASS THE NAILS & SHAME THE DEVIL’
Bay Area performance artist Pearl Louise could sell this show with the provocative title alone. Doesn’t everyone know someone who doesn’t deserve the nails life hammers into them? In this one-woman show, Louise tells a true story of a family from the Deep South building a home in Oakland. The neighborhood is inhabited primarily by Black folks, from panhandlers to formerly incarcerated people to papas and mamas just trying to keep themselves and their kids out of harm’s way. Louise plays the small family’s don’t-mess-with-me mother, overseeing their survival with muscle, moxie and not a lot of money. Goes until April 18. – LF
INFO: Sat, 5pm, The Marsh, 2120 Allston Way, Berkeley. $25-100. 415.282.3055.
SATURDAY, MARCH 7
JAZZ
THE BAD PLUS
After a quarter-century of volatile, playful and often enthralling performances, the Bad Plus announced that this is their final run. For some fans, the group essentially ended when founding pianist Ethan Iverson left the trio at the end of 2017. Drummer Dave King and bassist Reid Anderson recruited Philadelphia piano star Orrin Evans. King and Anderson introduced a whole different Bad Plus concept when Evans left by joining forces with guitarist Ben Monder and saxophonist Chris Speed in 2021, and now the farewell run features a tough new quartet with recently minted MacArthur Fellow Craig Taborn on piano and saxophone great Chris Potter. Goes until March 8. – AG
INFO: Sat, 7:30 & 9:30pm, Yoshi’s, 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland. $45-$89. 510.238.9200.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11
AMBIENT
EAST FOREST
Contemplative. Introspective. Ethereal. Those are just a few of the words to describe the sometimes haunting, sometimes transcending, but always beautiful music of East Forest. Named the “sleeper hit and best hidden gem” at the 2014 SXSW festival by Altoriot.com, East Forest is the brainchild of Portland, Oregon, composer Trevor Oswalt. Over the years he has created a number of consciousness-enlightening pieces, from the soundtrack to Deepak Chopra’s video game, Leela, to collaborating with the late Ram Dass, along with writing music to die to and music to take magic mushrooms to. Needless to say, East Forest is on another plane of creative existence and invites listeners to come along on his journey. – MW
INFO: Wed, 8pm, The Freight, 2020 Addison St., Berkeley. $44-$49. 510.644.2020.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11
POP
DODIE
Born in North London, Dodie first found an audience with softly lit ukulele songs uploaded to YouTube from her bedroom and has since grown into one of modern British-pop’s most quietly incisive writers. Her music pairs diaristic candor with delicate, orchestral arrangements. On her sophomore studio album, October 2025’s Not For Lack Of Trying, she circles themes of anxiety, comparison and desire with dissonant harmonies that deliberately refuse easy resolution. The album showcases her characteristic, unstripped honesty and intimacy; the songs are specific and unguarded, attentive to small humiliations and private joys. – SBB
INFO: Wed, 8pm, Bimbo’s 365 Club, 1025 Columbus Ave., San Francisco. $56-162. 415.474.0365.
