THURSDAY
INDIE
BLEACHERS
Formed in 2013, Bleachers is the brainchild of Jack Antonoff, the Grammy Award-winning producer who’s worked with current heavy hitmakers like the 1975, Lorde, Lana Del Rey and one Taylor Swift. Yet, for a decade, Antonoff was the only permanent member of Bleachers, using a semi-rotating cast of musicians in the studio and on the road. Last year, his longtime touring associates—Mikey Freedom Hart, Sean Hutchinson, Evan Smith, Mike Riddleberger and Zem Audu—all became official members, making Bleachers a sextet. Their self-titled fourth album came out with Antonoff saying he wanted to “explore how to make room in his life for more than his defining losses” and to “paint a more peaceful and mature picture of love.” – MAT WEIR
INFO: Thu, 7pm, Greek Theatre, 2001 Gayley Rd., Berkeley. $80. 510.871.9225.
THURSDAY
AMERICANA
OLD TIME MUSIC CONVENTION
Every year, the Berkeley Old Time Music Convention gathers a deep field of performers and torchbearers for a few days of total immersion in the rich heritage of early American traditional music and the multitudes it contains, from Appalachian fiddle tunes and Cajun banjo picking to heartfelt country ballads. Freight & Salvage is hosting Thursday night’s festivities with three lithe and lively acts: Cedric Watson’s multicultural repertoire of ancient Creole fiddle melodies, accordion compositions and modern Cajun and Zydeco tunes; Bigfoot’s masterful five-part string band jams; and Clean Heat’s classic country duets. – SONYA BENNETT-BRANDT
INFO: Thu, 7pm, Freight & Salvage, 2020 Addison St., Berkeley. $37. 510.644.2020.
FRIDAY
HIP-HOP
KAMAIYA & NEF THE PHAROAH
Two Oakland rap legends, Kamaiyah and Nef the Pharaoh, are performing their biggest hits, favorite throwbacks and some new music. Both artists know their way around a ’90s sample, layering in a cool, classic vibe that never gets old. Kamaiyah’s flow is laidback and assertive, with confident odes to independence and self-made success. Nef brings high-energy hyphy beats, witty wordplay and a wry sense of humor. Together, they’ll deliver an iconic Bay Area energy that’s one part nostalgic, one part West Coast fresh. – SBB
INFO: Fri, 9pm, Continental Club, 1658 12th St., Oakland. $39. 510.542.5742.
FRIDAY
THEATER
‘BLACK MEN EVERYWHERE!’
Theatergoers are going to have to set up sleeping bags and overnight reservations to see this one-person show every night of its three-weekend run. Oakland’s multitalented Jinho “Piper” Ferreira unleashes 21 characters during the 65-minute drama about Black men caught in the middle of presidential election partisan battles. Buffeted by extreme left voices and far, far right shouting, this is not a skirmish but outright war. Ferreira worked within the police system as a counter-voice for eight years, then resigned and devoted his time and talent to his hip-hop group, Flipsyde, to bring about change more broadly through theater and the arts. See it once, twice or three times; no amount is too much. – LOU FANCHER
INFO: Fri, 7:30pm, Marsh Berkeley, 2120 Allston Way, Berkeley. $20-$100. 510.282.3055.
SATURDAY
JAZZ
ART LANDE
A well-researched tome on underground jazz scenes would have to include a chapter on Art Lande, a near-legendary pianist leading adventurous combos since the mid-’70s. After leaving his mark on the Bay Area scene by creating a living room jazz school in his Berkeley home, he found an avid audience with Rubisa Patrol, a spacious combo with trumpeter Mark Isham and mentored generations of brilliant young musicians while recording dozens of albums—often featuring his former students. A master improviser who lets the music happen onstage without too much preparation, the 77-year-old Lande still comes across as the youngest player on stage. Though this show is billed as a solo recital, so he’ll also have the senior role covered. – ANDREW GILBERT
INFO: Sat, 5:30pm, Piedmont Piano Company, 1728 San Pablo Ave., Oakland. $25. 510.547.8188.
SUNDAY
BRAZILIAN POP
MARCOS VALLE
Marcos Valle is one of the last giants left from that remarkably fecund era of Brazilian music that bridged the international explosion of bossa nova in the early ’60s and the rise of Brazilian singer/songwriters. Better known in the U.S. as a composer and producer, Valle earned acclaim with his ’64 hit “Samba de Verão”—fame that accelerated with organist Walter Wanderley’s hugely popular instrumental version, becoming a ubiquitous standard recorded by nearly 200 artists. This tour marks the release of his new album, Túnel Acustico, and his 81st birthday. It’s Valle’s first Bay Area concert since the mid-’60s, and he’s joined by the great Brazilian jazz combo Azymuth, which plays an opening set and also serves as his band. – AG
INFO: Sun, 8pm, UC Theatre, 2036 University Ave., Berkeley. $35. 510.356.4000.
SUNDAY
ELECTRONIC
SOUND CIPHER
The band Sound Cipher understands sound as a material they can sculpt. Their debut LP, All That Syncs Must Diverge, layers analog synths, snippets of classic jazz and highly danceable beats reminiscent of the most epic experimental scenes of the ’70s. The project began in 2017 when jazz-funk sax extraordinaire Skerik (Critters Buggin, Garage A Trois) joined forces with drummer Tim Alexander, of Primus, and bassist Timm Mason. Critic Dave Segal of The Stranger writes, “If their sound were a person, you’d cross the street to avoid them, but you’d still gawk at the lethal weaponry they were brandishing.” – ADDIE MAHMASSANI
INFO: Sun, 8pm, Ivy Room, 860 San Pablo Ave., Albany. $20. 510.526.5888.
MONDAY
AMERICANA
LUCINDA WILLIAMS
Lucinda Williams is back on the road almost one month after her free show in San Francisco’s Stern Grove, bringing along Mike Campbell & the Dirty Knobs to Oakland’s historic Fox Theater. Known for her intimate songwriting, sultry voice and blending of country, blues, folk and rock, this three-time Grammy Award-winning artist is one of the most celebrated of her generation. It’s no wonder she’s worked with a who’s who of legendary musicians like John Doe, Yo La Tengo, Steve Earle and Emmylou Harris. – MW
INFO: Mon, 7pm, Fox Theater, 1807 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. $56-$180. 510.302.2250.
TUESDAY
THEATER
‘CHOIR BOY’
After the murder of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin in 2012, award-winning playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney began drafting this coming-of-age drama embedded with historic African American spirituals. The play tells the story of a gifted queer student at a prep school for Black boys who aims to become the choir leader. The soundscape includes hip-hop, R&B and additional current Black music and vocal expression. McCraney, who wrote the Oscar-winning film Moonlight, demonstrates a similar message of love, acceptance, respect and kindness. With moments of tension and theatrical flair, the production ascends on the wings of spirituals like “Rockin’ Jerusalem,” “There’s a Rainbow ’Round My Shoulder” and “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child.” – LF
INFO: Tue, 8pm, Shotgun Players at the Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave., Berkeley. $8-$40. 510.841.6500.
WEDNESDAY
ELECTRONIC
CORNELIUS
Keigo Oyamada, who goes by the moniker Cornelius, fuses disparate genres with mind-boggling results on his latest album, Ethereal Essence. The Japanese multi-instrumentalist takes a pinch of psychedelic funk, lots of glitchy beats, ’60s-inspired aesthetics and some other secret ingredients, shakes them up and smooths them out into delightfully futuristic songs. Oyamada made his name in the Tokyo indie-rock band Flipper’s Guitar, a key player in the Shibuya-kei scene of the early ’90s. With a flair for bringing historic genres into the present—always in sunglasses—the musician proves that there is endless inspiration in the past. – AM
INFO: Wed, 8pm, UC Theatre, 2036 University Ave., Berkeley. $42.50. 510.356.4000.
