THU 11/12
HIP-HOP
ISAIAH RASHAD
Isaiah Rashad might be one of the most underrated rappers in modern hip-hop. He rose to recognition in 2012 after making his way to the top in the Chattanooga, Tennessee, area. The next year he signed to Top Dawg Entertainment and toured or collaborated with label mates like Schoolboy-Q, Ab-Soul and Kendrick Lamar. Rashad blends smooth R&B beats with his brand of conscious and quick rapping for a sound that can be almost otherworldly at times while still maintaining a vibe that gets people on the dance floor. Earlier this year he released his fifth studio album, It’s Been Awful, a sentiment shared by many in 2026. — Mat Weir
INFO: Thu, 8pm, Fox Theater, 1807 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. 510.302.2250.
THU 11/12
ALT-ROCK
ROGER CLYNE & PH NAFFAH
Trip into the 1990s with the 30th anniversary of Fizzy, Fuzzy, Big & Buzzy. The 1996 album paid tribute to Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy, the Who’s ’70s-era compilation of singles. Clyne and Naffah add a toasty celebration to the mix with tunes from their Hell to Breakfast studio album. Chicago-native Naffah was the drummer for the Refreshments, whose breakthrough 1996 album nailed the alt-rock vibe of their time. He sticks to the shadows, making frontman Clyne the perfect foil. Clyne gigged with the Replacements and formed his own band, the Peacemakers, in 1998. Along with serious vocal chops and rough-house lyrics, Clyne offers kick-ass showmanship on the guitar. — Lou Fancher
INFO: Thu, 8pm, Cornerstone, 2367 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. $32. 510.214.8600.
FRI 11/13
ART
BANKSY ART EXHIBIT
Go underground at Oakland’s Kaiser Center and find street. That’s street art, courtesy of the pseudonymous Banksy. The supremely satirical British force majeure behind visual gestures of political activism around the world is everywhere these days. Whisked to the basement in a private elevator, visitors at the KC gain access to more than 60 works rarely or never-before exhibited. Iconic works display Banksy’s dark humor and messaging that hits the heart once, then spins around to strike again days later. Instantly relevant during this time in America’s history, the messaging is both subversive and nakedly candid. Goes until Jan. 3, 2027. — LF
INFO: Fri, 11am, Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts, 10 10th St., Oakland. 510.629.2381.
FRI 11/13
THEATER
DISNEY’S ‘FROZEN’
The 2013 film Frozen was a massive hit for Disney, and even had cynics humming “Let It Go,” and “In Summer.” Let’s just acknowledge that Josh Gad, as Olaf the talking snowman, is genius. Of course, the next iteration was the also-massive Broadway hit Disney’s Frozen, which now comes to Berkeley, complete with Princesses Elsa and Anna, Kristoff, Sven the reindeer and, naturally, Olaf. This Friday night preview opens the run, which goes through Dec. 23, so there’s plenty of time to bundle up the little ’uns and get the holiday season snowing. Goes until Dec. 23. — Janis Hashe
INFO: Fri, 7pm, Berkeley Playhouse, 2640 College St., Berkeley. $34. 510.845.8542.
SAT 11/14
BRAZILIAN JAZZ
GRUPO FALSO BAIANO WITH KERRY POLITZER
The Bay Area’s Brazilian music scene includes a small but deep pool of American musicians who’ve devoted themselves to studying the history, rhythms, styles and repertoire that make the continental South American nation such an alluring sonic realm. The four American players of Grupo Falso Baiano have collaborated and recorded with some of Brazil’s greatest musicians and they exemplify this dedication, which is leavened with their love of jazz. Featuring percussionist Ami Molinelli, seven-string guitarist Brian Moran, mandolinist Jesse Appelman, and reed-player Zack Pitt-Smith, the group is joined by Portland jazz-pianist and composer Kerry Politzer, a fellow Brazilian-jazz devotee. — Andrew Gilbert
INFO: Sat, 5:30pm, Piedmont Piano Company, 1728 San Pablo Ave., Oakland. 510.547.8188.
SAT 11/14
HIP-HOP
REXX LIFE RAJ
What’s better than a Bay Area music celebration in the Bay Area? This Saturday finna be poppin’ off when Rexx Life Raj takes the stage. With his blend of neo-soul beats with hip-hop flow, Rexx Life Raj creates introspective music that keeps the head boppin.’ And the Berkeley-based rapper has done it all independently, earning millions of streams with no major-label backing. Joining him at his hometown show is duo the Big Guy, made up of Pinole’s P-Lo and the Bay’s Aux Cord, proving the Yay still has a strong undercurrent of hip-hop talent bubbling to the surface. — MW
INFO: Sat, 8pm, UC Theatre, 2036 University Ave., Berkeley. $39. 510.356.4000.
SAT 11/14
ALT-COUNTRY
DRAG THE RIVER
After decades of thrashing, where does a committed punk-rocker go next? Country music! No one emblemizes this national evolution more than Drag the River. And the band doesn’t have to look far. Drag the River is made up of a core duo with an impressive range of punk experience: lead singer Chad Price is also lead singer for the punk band ALL, and Jon Snodgrass (vocals/guitar) played for bands Scorpio and Armchair Martian. For this performance the duo is joined by Mikey Erg (from the Ergs!) and Sam Bolle (Agent Orange). Drawing on so many different talents, Drag the River’s music is a mix of crooning ballads, twangy foot-tappers and driving beats. — Collin Ziegler
INFO: Sat, 8pm, Ivy Room, 860 San Pablo Ave., Albany. $20. 510.526.5888.
SUN 11/15
CHAMBER
‘NIGHT OF THE IMAGINATION’
Nicole Paiement, founder and artistic director of San Francisco’s Opera Paralléle, conducts this evening with the Berkeley Symphony. The symphonic show is described as “a journey through twilight comfort, deep surreal dreams, and magical dawn.” Featured are “Vespers,” by Missy Mazzoli, “Suite No. 3 for Solo Cello, BWV 1009,” by J.S. Bach, “Voodoo Dolls,” by Jessie Montgomery, “String Quartet No. 2, ‘Company,’” by Philip Glass and “String Quartet,” by Claude Debussy. As symphony materials point out, composers old and new have been and are fascinated by night and its blurring of lines between dreams and consciousness. — JH
INFO: Sun, 4pm, Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St., Berkeley. $40. 510.848.3227.
SUN 11/15
JAZZ
JOEL HARRISON’S ‘IN A SILENT WAY’ PROJECT
The 1990s were something of a golden age for adventurous jazz in the Bay Area, and guitarist Joel Harrison was in the thick of the action, leading a series of ensembles playing his creatively ambitious compositions. He’s been a major force in New York since 1999, with return trips west far too infrequent, which is part of what makes this run of gigs so welcome. It’s also that he’s focusing on his new live album—recorded at Big Ears—loosely interpreting the music of Miles Davis’ epochal 1969 record, In a Silent Way. The transitional project sounds nothing like the albums that came before or after as the trumpeter embraced electric instruments. — AG
INFO: Sun, 7:30pm, Back Room, 1984 Bonita Ave., Berkeley. 510.654.3808.
TUE 11/16
FLAMENCO
LAS MIGAS
Musicians have forever drawn on flamenco when creating new music, and no one has done it more than this astonishing all-female quartet, Las Migas. Since they formed in Barcelona in 2004, Las Migas has expanded and transformed the genre, accumulating a global fanbase and a couple of Grammy awards along the way. Their success is partly due to the way they playfully balance the old and the new. On top of the traditional guitar base, the songs experiment with elements of hip-hop, country, jazz and pop—not to mention the permanent addition of violin, lending a richer dimension to it all. The result is multicolor albums that journey across the Atlantic and back. — CZ
INFO: Tue, 8pm, The Freight, 2020 Addison St., Berkeley. 510.644.2020
