From a cool series of club shows in Berkeley to David Byrne\u2019s return to the Bay Area, there are a lot of cool shows and concerts to catch<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a Back Room bash!<\/p>\n
The current Freight in Berkeley is a major plus for the Bay Area concert scene; a state-of-the-art, 490-set concert hall that draws a wide range of terrific Americana performers. But a lot of folks fondly remember original Freight & Salvage, a more intimate and scruffy joint that was a beloved Berkeley jam spot. It was with the old Freight in mind that East Bay musician Sam Rudin 10 years ago opened the Back Room, an intimate music hall in Berkeley that draws an impressive lineup of jazz, folk and Americana acts.<\/p>\n
At a time when running any kind of music or entertainment venue is challenging at best, the Back Room has kept on truckin\u2019 for a decade now, and the Back Room is celebrating\u00a0 that milestone with a series of special concerts involving some of the Bay Area\u2019s most beloved entertainers.<\/p>\n
The lineup includes drummer Scott Amendola anchoring a special Anniversary Quartet (8 p.m. April 16); Latin band Bulul\u00fa presenting \u201cA Night of Bubbles & Boleros,\u201d (8 p.m. April 17); the excellent blues trio HowellDevine (8 p.m. April 18); the Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band (3 p.m. April 19); Sam Rudin takes the stage 8 p.m. April 23 with Sam\u2019s Corner, featuring saxophonist Charles McNeal; acclaimed Malian performer Mamadou Sidibe (8 p.m. April 24); popular Celtic band Golden Bough (3 p.m. April 25); jazz singer Roberta Donnay and her band The Prohibition Mob (8 p.m. April 25) and the terrific vocalist the Dynamic Miss Faye Carol, who will put a definite exclamation point on the celebration at 5 p.m. April 26.<\/p>\n
Details: The Back Room is at 1984 Bonita Ave., in Berkeley; tickets for the shows are $20-$40; www.BackRoomMusic.com.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Randy McMullen, Staff<\/p>\n
Time to feel the Byrne (again)<\/p>\n
David Byrne earned rave reviews for his most recent run of shows in San Francisco.\u00a0Fortunately, local fans who missed the stand \u2014 which consisted of three nights at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium \u2014 will get another chance to see the Talking Heads legend when he returns to the Bay Area for an April 16 show at Frost Amphitheater at Stanford University.<\/p>\n
The tour supports Byrne\u2019s latest album \u2014 \u201cWho Is the Sky?\u201d \u2014 the acclaimed singer-songwriter\u2019s 2025 collaboration with the New York City-based musical ensemble Ghost Train Orchestra.\u00a0\u201cWho Is the Sky?\u201d is Byrne\u2019s first full-length since 2018\u2019s successful \u201cAmerican Utopia,\u201d which went on to be adapted into a hit Broadway musical as well as a HBO film.<\/p>\n
The album was produced by Grammy-winner Kid Harpoon, who has previously worked with A-listers Harry Styles and Miley Cyrus. \u201cWho Is the Sky?\u201d also features guest appearances from Paramore\u2019s Hayley Williams, St. Vincent and The Smile drummer Tom Skinner.<\/p>\n
Details: Showtime is 8 p.m.; tickets start at $137; axs.com.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Jim Harrington, Staff<\/p>\n
Classical picks: \u2018La Traviata,\u2019 Puccini, Savall at Zellerbach<\/p>\n
Here are three productions Bay Area classical music should know about.<\/p>\n
\u201cLa Traviata\u201d:\u00a0Opera San Jos\u00e9\u2019s final production in a season titled \u201cWhat Is Love?\u201d is Verdi\u2019s classic heartbreaker \u201cLa Traviata.\u201d Directed by Tara Branham, the production stars soprano Mikayla Sager in the role of the opera\u2019s lovestruck courtesan, Violetta. WooYoung Yoon sings the role of Alfredo Germont. It\u2019s an opera that never loses the beauty and brilliance of Verdi\u2019s score, and Branham\u2019s production adds spice with an Act II party scene featuring Indian Kathak dance moves choreographed by Antara Bhardwaj. It\u2019s an opera that never loses the beauty and brilliance of Verdi\u2019s score.<\/p>\n
Details: Performances are April 19 through May 3; California Theatre, San Jose; tickets are $58-$215; operasj.org.<\/p>\n
Puccini in the park: San Francisco Opera\u2019s \u201cBoh\u00e8me out of the Box\u201d continues its outdoor production of Puccini\u2019s \u201cLa Boheme\u201d with free live performances. It\u2019s not too late to see this timeless opera, with performances running through April 26 in Emeryville, Oakland, Woodside, and Concord.<\/p>\n
Details: Register and get more information at www.sfopera.com.<\/p>\n
\u201cA Sea of Music\u201d:\u00a0Ever since Cal Performances began attracting great international artists to Berkeley, Jordi Savall became one of the finest on the list. Now the Catalan viol virtuoso returns to Zellerbach Hall with a program featuring his Hesp\u00e8rion XXI and nearly three dozen international musicians in a concert weaving a range of musical traditions.<\/p>\n
Details: 7:30 p.m. April 29; Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley; $43-$104; calperformances.org.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Georgia Rowe, Correspondent<\/p>\n
Art in a unique setting<\/p>\n
Want to go beyond the ordinary art-museum experience? Does appreciating art in a 1950s-style motor lodge sound more your speed? Then head on over to the Startup Art Fair, which will see more than 70 artists exhibiting across two floors of San Francisco\u2019s colorful Hotel Del Sol.<\/p>\n
The nationally traveling art fair returns to the city in a big way this weekend. Aside from room-scale installations and special projects, there\u2019s an opening-night celebration on Friday that features a \u201chigh-energy runway performance.\u201d Expect to be wowed by some fun, artist-designed garments, sustainable fashion and wearable artworks.<\/p>\n
Local and visiting artists will display their paintings, sculptures and experiments, which visitors can appreciate strolling from one hotel room to the next. There will be live installations and performances, weekend-long garment repair and accessorizing, even a sale of repurposed and rehabilitated furniture. It\u2019s a perfect opportunity to support (in the words of the organizers) the Bay Area\u2019s \u201clong-standing identity as a home for innovators, misfits and cultural rebels.\u201d<\/p>\n
Details: Open 7-10 p.m. Friday, noon-9 p.m. Saturday and noon-7 p.m. Sunday; 3100 Webster St., San Francisco; general admission $22 plus fees (three-day and VIP passes also available); startup-art.com.<\/p>\n
\u2014 John Metcalfe, Staff<\/p>\n
A cautionary tale from the Bard?<\/p>\n
\u201cJulius Caesar,\u201d a Shakespeare play about the assassination of the Roman dictator and the country\u2019s subsequent plunge into civil war, is considered an historical drama\/tragedy and is often praised for its insights into the political machinations of the time. But the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, which is presenting the 1599 play at several venues through May 3, would like you to view it in a somewhat different light. \u201cOur production treats Julius Caesar not as distant history but as a warning aimed directly at America now,\u201d says April Ballesteros, who\u2019s directing the production. She says the production is set during World War I \u201cbecause it marks the moment when republics fractured under fear, nationalism, and the belief that extraordinary times require extraordinary men.\u201d She adds: \u201cOur current leader\u2019s political persona echoes that pattern, casting himself as the only one who can fix a broken nation, framing opposition as disloyalty, and relying on spectacle and language to consolidate power.\u201d Of course the other tragedy in \u201cCaesar\u201d is a passive populace that lets it all happen. \u201cJulius Caesar\u201d is often considered relevant and insightful, but timely? You can see for yourself as the play, which is free, is presented at 2 p.m. Saturday at San Francisco Public Library; 7 p.m. April 23 at Grand Theatre Center for the Arts in Tracy; 7 p.m. April 29 at Mountain View Public Library; 5:30 p.m. May at Lyman Park, St. Helena; 6 p.m. May 1 at San Mateo Main Library (registration required); and 2 p.m. May at San Bruno City Park. <\/p>\n
Details: More information is available at sfshakes.org.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Bay City News Foundation<\/p>\n
Freebies of the week<\/p>\n
It was 120 years ago on Saturday that a 7.9-magnitude earthquake struck San Francisco and pretty much laid waste to the city and ignited a fire that chewed its way through what remained for three days (and, yes, given fault-line conditions, another huge trembler like that could happen at any time). In the city this week, there will be an annual remembrance of what remains one of the defining moments in Bay Area history. The two-part event is free and open to the public, and no registration is required. It offers an intriguing way to acquaint yourself with San Francisco history \u2013 if you don\u2019t mind getting up early. The quake itself began at 5:12 a.m., and the remembrance on Saturday will kick off at 4:30 a.m. at Lotta\u2019s Fountain, at Kearny and Market streets, a site that is remembered as a key meeting place during the immediate aftermath of the quake. The gathering will feature a variety of city firefighters and public safety officials and, reportedly, the return of a classic 1928 firetruck that has been a popular staple of the event. At around 5 a.m., the gathering will move to the nearby Golden Fire Hydrant on 20th and Church streets, which was said to be one of the sole sources of water during the original fire, to give the landmark its annual repainting. The event will include a wreath-laying and silent remembrance of those who lost their lives to the disaster, followed by a communal singing of \u201cSan Francisco.\u201d For those who\u2019d prefer a historical lesson at a more civil hour, know that the Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel will host another in its \u201cMaking History Fun Again\u201d speaker\u2019s series featuring historian John Martini, who will discuss the 1906 earthquake and its aftermath. The talk will take place at 6 p.m. in the hotel\u2019s Redwood Room. The event is free but it\u2019s advisable to register at Eventbrite.com<\/a> (search for \u201cMaking History Fun Again.\u201d)<\/p>\n \u2014 Bay City News Foundation<\/p>\n A whole lotta sonatas going on<\/p>\n Acclaimed violinist Joshua Bell has appeared many times on the Davies Hall stage since his debut with the San Francisco Symphony as a Shenson Young Artist in 1991, as a soloist, a chamber musician and in his capacity as the music director and conductor of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields. He returns Sunday night with his 1713-vintage Stradivarius in the company of pianist Shai Wosner as his recital partner. They open their program with Franz Schubert\u2019s Violin Sonata in A Major, also known as the \u201cGrand Duo,\u201d because of its persistent pairing of the violin and keyboard voices in equal partnership. Also in the lineup are Edvard Grieg\u2019s Violin Sonata No. 3 in C minor, Sergei Prokofiev\u2019s Violin Sonata in D Major and the Violin Sonata No. 2 by Maurice Ravel, making the evening a rather grand survey of the sonata repertoire.<\/p>\n Details: Performance time is 7:30 p.m.; $75-$350; www.sfsymphony.org.<\/p>\n \u2014 Bay City News Foundation<\/p>\n Shakespeare gets sung<\/p>\n It\u2019s all music, magic, madness (temporary) and merriment in the kingdom of the fairies as San Francisco\u2019s feisty little company Pocket Opera mounts its production of Benjamin Britten\u2019s interpretation of the Bard\u2019s \u201cA Midsummer Night\u2019s Dream,\u201d one of his funniest and most endearing plays. The first performance takes place Friday in the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, moving to 1:30 p.m. Sunday at the Berkeley Hillside Club and winding up at the Gunn Theater at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco at 1:30 p.m. April 26. Kyle Tingzon sings the role of King Oberon, with Chelsea Hollow as his queen, Tytania; well-known Bay Area baritone Kirk Eichelberg dons the donkey head as the hapless Bottom. Nicolas Garcia is stage director, and David Drummond is in charge of the music.<\/p>\n Details: Tickets range from $20 to $99.50; www.pocketopera.org.<\/p>\n \u2014 Bay City News Foundation<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"From a cool series of club shows in Berkeley to David Byrne\u2019s return to the Bay Area, there…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":271001,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[7,2644,967,143,145,144,1058,420],"class_list":{"0":"post-271000","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-oakland","8":"tag-california","9":"tag-concerts","10":"tag-entertainment","11":"tag-oakland","12":"tag-oakland-headlines","13":"tag-oakland-news","14":"tag-theater","15":"tag-things-to-do"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/271000","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=271000"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/271000\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/271001"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=271000"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=271000"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=271000"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}