FRIDAY
JAZZ
TL CARRINGTON
Terri Lyne Carrington is a revered drummer, Grammy Award-winning producer, invaluable educator and activist who has played a central role in women jazz artists’ exponential increase in visibility. Not only is she one of the youngest artists ever awarded an NEA Jazz Master Fellowship, she’s also the founder and artistic director of the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice, curating the book New Standards: 101 Lead Sheets by Women Composers, which includes works by a half-dozen Bay Area artists. Carrington makes a rare East Bay appearance, leading a quartet of CJC faculty including guitarist Liberty Ellman, bassist Jeff Denson and pianist Edward Simon. The concert is part of the CJC’s JAMBAR series, including a Saturday afternoon workshop. – ANDREW GILBERT
INFO: Fri, 8pm, California Jazz Conservatory, 2040 Addison St., Berkeley. $45. 510.845.5373.
FRIDAY
HIP-HOP
LYRICS BORN
Damn, say it ain’t so! Earlier last month, Bay Area hip-hop legend Lyrics Born announced he would be taking a hiatus from music with the release of his—for now—final album, Goodbye, Sticky Rice. Born has been one of the most well-loved and respected rappers in the independent scene for the past three decades. This hometown show, with a full band, celebrates Born’s career and the nearly 40th anniversary of Berkeley’s Triple Rock Brewery. To commemorate the evening in style, a one-night-only exclusive collab beer, Born Brew, will be offered, to wash away the tears and keep the good times flowing all night. Plus, a commemorative stainless steel pint cup accompanies each ticket purchase. – MAT WEIR
INFO: Fri, 8pm, Triple Rock Brewery, 1920 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. $25. 510.843.2739.
FRIDAY
THEATER
‘THE PROM’
There’s a reason feel-good productions hit the sweet spot these days. Hasn’t the last decade been outrageous and horrid for many folks? This musical hits the zeitgeist, glamming its way into town with seven Tony nominations and a film featuring Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman tucked under its crown. Set in Indiana, a high school kid wants to bring her girlfriend to the prom, and the town’s not having it until a team of LGBTQ+ supporters rises to fight/kick/dance/sing for her freedom to love who she loves. There’s an abundance of joy and the sense that if people drop fear, what pops into sight is unity, harmony and, of course, gowns and tuxedos for all. – LOU FANCHER
INFO: Fri, 7pm, Berkeley Playhouse, 2640 College Ave., Berkeley. $19-$55. 510.845.8542.
SATURDAY
NOISE
STEEL POLE BATH TUB
This alt-rock band formed in Bozeman in ’86 before calling San Francisco home base. They helped underground punk rock come alive with noise and chaos, sampling before it was a thing, and slinging out recordings left and right. It’s easy to call their sound furious, but it’s also fun, freeform, frantic and no-fooling musicianship. Joined by Oakland-based quartet Antler Family, the vocal and instrumental range opens up a sound cosmos. Launching off the paranormal talent of San Francisco drummer Stark Raving Brad, Mia Dean’s haunting voice might not stick out at first, but it will stay with listeners like galactic static. The band also spotlights sizzling guitarist Tom Flynn and versatile keyboardist Tom Dean. – LF
INFO: Sat, 8:30pm, Ivy Room, 860 San Pablo Ave., Albany, $35/adv, $40/door. 510.526.5888.
SATURDAY
PUNK
THE HOPE CONSPIRACY
Getting old is a weird thing. One day it’s all fun and games, then BAM!—a beloved hardcore band turns a quarter of a century old. Thankfully, Boston’s the Hope Conspiracy has maintained its middle-finger attitude, letting itself age with inelegance and chaos. For all those doubtful masses, look no further than their new album, Tools of Oppression/Rule by Deception, released this past May. From the opening track, “Those Who Gave Us Yesterday,” to the final track, “The Specter Looms,” the Hope Conspiracy delivers a brutal onslaught of indignation, a righteous affront on the senses and all that is wrong with society. They’ve kept it so real that they are still headlining where the East Bay measures punk-rock purity. – MW
INFO: Sat, 7pm, 924 Gilman, 924 Gilman St., Berkeley. $25/adv, $30/door. 510.524.8180.
SATURDAY
ROCK
THE BELLRAYS
According to the BellRays, “Blues is the teacher. Punk is the preacher.” The band, founded by Bob Vennum and Lisa Kekaula, has been going strong since their Riverside inception in 1990. Their hard-driving, fast-paced sound is an innovative fusion of the music they love: Led Zeppelin, the Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Hank Williams, the Ramones and Tina Turner. They bring modern social consciousness to a classic rock-and-soul core, last year putting their own spin on the 1970 hit “Ball of Confusion (That’s What the World Is Today)”—originally by the Temptations—and touring with Social Distortion. – ADDIE MAHMASSANI
INFO: Sat, 8pm, Thee Stork Club, 2330 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. $15. 510.859.8709.
SUNDAY
ELECTRONIC
EMEL
Tunisian-American singer-songwriter Emel Mathlouthi has undergone multiple metamorphoses, evolving her music into a richer, more complex palette of rhythms, colors and genres. She rose to fame with the poignant protest anthem, “Kelmti Horra,” performed at the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. Her second album, Ensen, emerged as a moody, sensual electronic album loaded with haunting vocals and pulsing North African sound. Her third album, Everywhere We Looked Was Burning, takes a cinematic turn into the expansive and orchestral. Her latest project switches it up again, exploring hip-hop and rap, effortlessly dancing between Arabic, English and French over deep bass beats. – SONYA BENNETT-BRANDT
INFO: Sun, 7pm, Freight & Salvage, 2020 Addison St., Berkeley. $44/adv, $49/door. 510.644.2020.
TUESDAY
JAZZ
JAZZMEIA HORN
Since her victory at the Thelonious Monk Institute International Jazz Competition in 2015, Jazzmeia Horn has moved from strength to strength. A commanding vocalist and bandleader, she’s taken her time to find her path as a performer, often writing her own material and arrangements. While her voice often brings to mind a young Betty Carter, particularly in her upper register, Horn has found a unique sound, defining herself with interesting repertoire choices. Nothing’s ambiguous or blurry about Horn’s identity as a craft-conscious jazz artist dedicated to celebrating the legacy of the storied women who came before her. – AG
INFO: Tue, 8pm, Yoshi’s, 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland. $35-$59. 510.238.9200.
WEDNESDAY
R&B
LALAH HATHAWAY
Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Lalah Hathaway is in her Vantablack era, celebrating her seventh solo studio album with a nationwide tour. She says, “Vantablack takes its name from a pigment, the darkest shade of black ever created. It felt so right for me and this project right now because I set out to make the blackest record EVER! And I did.” Featuring collaborators across genres, from Willow to Gerald Albright, the record captures the complexity of Hathaway’s racial and musical identity. Her father, Donny Hathaway, was a soul legend who died too young, but Lalah kept his joy and depth alive. – AM
INFO: Wed, 8pm, UC Theatre, 2036 University Ave, Berkeley. $63-$87. 510.356.4000.
WEDNESDAY
FOLK
RAY LAMONTAGNE & GREGORY ALAN ISAKOV
A co-headlining tour delivers the delightful pairing of Ray LaMontagne and Gregory Alan Isakov, two folk musicians who forgo glitz and glamor for minimalistic arrangements and broken-in guitars. Both artists are prolific and distinguished composers, with 14 full-length albums and several Grammy recognitions between them, including a Grammy win for LaMontagne’s raspy, bluesy album, God Willin’ & the Creek Don’t Rise, and a nomination for Isakov’s moody, stripped-down Evening Machines. LaMontagne and Isakov know how to give their delicate craftsmanship and emotional vocals room to breathe, building an easygoing, warm intimacy in performance. – SBB
INFO: Wed, 6pm, Greek Theatre, 2001 Gayley Rd., Berkeley. $66-$243. 510.871.9225.
