THURSDAY
HALLOWEEN
DEATH AND TAXES
Fangs dripping blood and maniacs with knives are so . . . well, dead. The Death and Taxes Swing Band offers a livelier way to celebrate All Hallows’ Eve as they kick it up at Ashkenaz for Halloween night. The band, known for danceable arrangements and sultry vocals, brings not only the usual greatest hits from the ’40s to the ’90s, such as “In the Mood,” “Johnny B. Goode” and “Istanbul (Not Constantinople),” but also a few Halloween classics. “Monster Mash” will definitely be on the danse macabre card. Costumes, whether swing attire or something spookier, are encouraged. Never Lindy Hopped? A dance lesson precedes the show. – JANIS HASHE
INFO: Thu, 8pm, Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley. $21/adv, $26/door. 510.525.5099.
THURSDAY
BURLESQUE
‘THÉÂTRE DES VAMPIRES’
Channeling the queen of vampires, beloved novelist Anne Rice, this drag/burlesque variety show pays tribute to all things fanged, bloody, beguiling and boisterous. Ripping a page out of Rice’s 1976 debut novel, Interview with the Vampire, the lordly Louis and vexing vampire Lestat twist, tangle and tickle with mortality, morality and perhaps mouthfuls of red ooze. Fortunately, Halloween partygoers will have better fare to dine upon, as the club has a terrific elevated menu of shareable small plates and beverages; the Dark & Stormy cocktail seems particularly appropriate. Now the only decision is what to wear. Fangs recommended. – LOU FANCHER
INFO: Thu, 8pm, Alameda Comedy Club, 2431 Central Ave., Alameda. $20. 510.318.1538.
FRIDAY
JAZZ
NDUDUZO MAKHATHINI
Nduduzo Makhathini hails from a long line of South African piano visionaries, including Abdullah Ibrahim, Moses Molelekwa and his mentor, the late Bheki Mseleku. A sound healer, Makhathini spins incantatory improvisations. Signed to Blue Note Records as part of an initiative to draw attention to Africa’s lively jazz scene, he recently released his second album, uNomkhubulwane—an homage to the Zulu goddess of the same name. The project explores the continent’s brutal colonization history and imagines a world repaired. He’s touring with his trio, featuring Johannesburg-born, New Haven-raised bassist Zwelakhe-Duma Bell le Pere and Johannesburg-reared New York drummer Kabelo Boy Mokhatla. – ANDREW GILBERT
INFO: Fri, 8pm, Freight & Salvage, 2020 Addison St., Berkeley. $39/adv, $44/door. 510.644.2020.
FRIDAY
THEATER
‘GHOST QUARTET’
Composer/writer/performer/orchestrator Dan Malloy is no stranger to Bay Area audiences. Most recently, his musical Octet enchanted folks at Berkeley Rep, and a presentation of Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 blew holes in the universe of expectations at Shotgun Players. Ghost Quartet’s narrative—four friends telling stories spanning seven centuries—is a clever vehicle for the show’s transcendent song cycle. The score combines gospel, folk ballads, electropop and jazz. Underneath it lurk haunting questions: What kind of ghost are you? Who do you love? What kind of whiskey do you prefer? Directed by William Thomas Hodgson, the production is sure to be mesmerizing. – LF
INFO: Fri, 7:30pm, Oakland Theater Project, 1501 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland. $10-$60. 510.646.1126.
SATURDAY
EXPERIMENTAL
Y LA BAMBA: PSYCHED! FEST
Luz Elena Mendoza Ramos leads the band Y La Bamba, and much like her music, she is impossible to categorize. NPR has described her as a “Brujeria spirit” musician who creates nothing short of magic when she takes the stage. On her latest album, Lucha, punk, electronic, Latin and indie-rock influences come together in a bewitching meditation on the complexity of identity. Born out of the pandemic, the album finds Mendoza Ramos reflecting on time spent in Mexico, her parents’ home country and a place dear to her sense of self. – ADDIE MAHMASSANI
INFO: Sat, 8pm, UC Theatre, 2036 University Ave., Berkeley. $28. 510.356.4000.
SATURDAY
HIP-HOP
QVEEN HERBY
Fierce. Stylish. Unrelenting. Those are just some words describing songwriter, rapper and independent artist Qveen Herby (Amy Heidemann). After graduating from the prestigious Berklee College of Music, she hit the scene in 2011 with her now-husband, Nick Noonan, as the pop duo Karmin. After they released two albums, the duo took an indefinite hiatus in 2017, and Heidemann took up the Qveen Herby moniker. Since then, she has released 16 EPs with a slew of singles, including her latest, “Frankenstein,” which just came out Oct. 16 and features prominent Bay Area musician and one of the most successful independent rappers of all time, Tech N9ne. – MAT WEIR
INFO: Sat, 9pm, Fox Theater, 1807 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. $56-$185. 510.302.2250.
SUNDAY
FOLK
TRET FURE
A legend in the world of women’s music, Tret Fure has been writing poignant, timely songs for over five decades. She began performing at coffeehouses in the Midwest in the late ’60s, and moved to L.A. to advance her career when she was 19. Her self-titled debut album in 1973 scored her several openings for major acts like Yes, Poco and the J. Geils Band. Fast forward a few decades and Fure is promoting her glorious 18th album, Lavender Moonshine. She is also the 2023 recipient of the Phil Ochs Award in recognition of her music and activism for social justice. – AM
INFO: Sun, 3pm, Ivy Room, 860 San Pablo Ave., Albany. $20. 510.526.5888.
SUNDAY
POP
REAL FRIENDS
Since their 2010 debut, Real Friends have stayed true to their mission of creating music that makes it OK to feel everything. The Chicago-based pop-punk/emo quintet just released Blue Hour, their first full-length album with Cody Muraro as vocalist, and it’s as authentic and vulnerable as anything they’ve made, with complex, raw, hard-hitting lyrics about loss and mental health. It’s about the bittersweetness of letting go, where the sorrow of endings meets the excitement of new beginnings. – SONYA BENNETT-BRANDT
INFO: Sun, 7pm, Cornerstone, 2367 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. $41. 510.214.8600.
TUESDAY
HIP-HOP
PARIS NIGHTS
There’s nothing like seeing local do-gooder and Oakland-native Paris Nights doing very well. Growing up in East Oakland taught her the harsh realities of life and survival. Later, her cousin exposed her to talented female rappers, particularly Nicki Minaj. After that first listen, Paris Nights began working on writing lyrics and practicing her flow and delivery. After a short stint on Motown Records as part of a duo with DaBoyDame, Paris Nights stepped out on her own and grew her fanbase the old-school way—through a series of mixtapes. And it worked. Over the last few years, she has been recognized by some of the best names in the Bay Area, like E-40, Saweetie, G-Eazy and Yo Gotti. – MW
INFO: Tue, 8pm, Yoshi’s, 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland. $23/adv, $28/door. 510.238.9200.
WEDNESDAY
ELECTRONIC
BALVANERA
Balvanera crafts a sonic world where body, city and memory intertwine. An EBM duo from Buenos Aires, Lucas and Agustina draw from their hardcore-punk roots to create a distinct narrative and aesthetic sensibility by exploring psychogeography and urban ruin through clubby beats and spectral synths. Their early releases, Balvanera and Delusion/Desire, explore coldwave and minimal synth textures, while their 2021 album, Courses of Action, intensifies their caustic rhythms with electro aggression. A staple of Latin underground parties, Balvanera’s music pulses with a cyberpunk ethos, connecting the dance floor to the streets. – SBB
INFO: Wed, 8pm, Thee Stork Club, 2330 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. $15/adv, $18/door. 510.859.8709.
