FRIDAY, NOV. 28
SOUL
THE CALIFORNIA HONEYDROPS
By the time the California Honeydrops hit Berkeley, the Oakland retro-soul combo will have picked up momentum rolling down the West Coast from Seattle on their Redwood Highway tour, which concludes with two nights at the UC Theatre. The tour follows on the heels of the band’s new acoustic album, Redwood Highway, which continues the Honeydrops unlikely ride since Polish-born trumpeter and vocalist Lech Wierzynski and percussionist Ben Malament launched the combo two decades ago busking at BART stations. These days the Honeydrops hold their own at international music festivals with a joyous sound that weaves blues, New Orleans jazz, gospel and jug band music together with classic soul. – ANDREW GILBERT
INFO: Fri, 8pm, UC Theatre, 2036 University Ave., Berkeley. $46-$97. 510.356.4000.
FRIDAY, NOV. 28
WORLD
SOUND ALCHEMY: DAVID BOYCE & SAMEER GUPTA
Wyldflower Arts transforms into a spiritual music vortex as master tabla and American drumset maestro Sameer Gupta is joined by longtime improvisor partner David Boyce on saxophone, bass clarinet, Moog synthesizer and live beats for a “masterclass in organic fusion.” Friday is the first night of a three-day residence by Gupta, whose artistry merges classic Indian raga with avant-garde jazz. Gupta and Boyce have collaborated for years, including in the Cosmic Renaissance project. As another cosmic voyager would say, “Free your mind.” – JANIS HASHE
INFO: Fri, 7:30pm, Wyldflower Arts, 809 37th St., Oakland. $20. 510.842.5055.
SATURDAY, NOV. 29
SYNTH-POP
GLASS SPELLS
San Diego duo Glass Spells make synth-pop with that ’80s neon shimmer. Producer and instrumentalist Anthony Ramirez stitches together sharp, kinetic beats and vintage-leaning synth lines, while vocalist Tania Costello cuts through the glow with crisp, mostly quiet melodies that feel intimately close, flickering between detachment and vulnerability. Their songs balance pulse and mood, and the pairing of retro textures with modern edge creates the restless propulsion that you dream of on the dance floor. – SONYA BENNETT-BRANDT
INFO: Sat, 8pm, Cornerstone, 2367 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. $28. 510.214.8600.
SATURDAY, NOV. 29
BLUEGRASS
LAURIE LEWIS
Continue celebrating Thanksgiving with fiddler/singer/songwriter Laurie Lewis as she once again gives thanks in her annual Concert of Gratitude, which will feature bluegrass and folk artists from around the Bay. A Californian, Lewis has for four decades demonstrated that the Golden State can produce musicians who fully tap into the deep roots of traditional bluegrass, while bringing their own homegrown takes to the genre. Cali-Co (California Centric Country Music) will be there to help propel people to the dance floor. Work off the pumpkin pie with a few thankful wiggles and shakes. – JH
INFO: Sat, 8pm, Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley. $43-$120. 510.525.5099.
SATURDAY, NOV. 29
DANCE THEATER
MOMIX
Moses Pendleton ventures down a movement-filled rabbit hole in Alice, his take on Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. The Momix dancers are capable of every kind of athleticism imaginable—and many beyond the mind’s wildest, fantastical dreams—and never lose the thread of a work’s strong narrative or bold, abstract intentions. Production elements in a Pendleton piece are no less astonishing, so expect tremendously dramatic lighting, fearsome and fun costumes, clever props and state-of-the-art, fabricated, animated creations. Music and image projections bump up the surreality of the family-friendly show that springs from Carroll’s tale and burrows into fresh, new, underground territory. Performance on Sunday as well. – LOU FANCHER
INFO: Sat, 2pm and 8pm, Cal Performances at Zellerbach Hall, 101 Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley. $40-$92. 510.642.9988.
SUNDAY, NOV. 30
COMEDY
TOM SEGURA
Tom Segura’s latest tour finds him in full empire-builder mode. After five Netflix specials, a dark-comedy sketch series (Bad Thoughts), a book, multiple mega-podcasts and even his own vodka brand, he’s become a one-man entertainment economy. Plus, he’s in roughly a hundred viral podcast clips your friends keep sending you. His Come Together tour pushes his signature blend of dead-pan irritation and gleeful nihilism—but with a portion of ticket proceeds supporting nonprofit World Central Kitchen, he’s not all bad. – SBB
INFO: Sun, 7pm, Paramount Theatre, 2025 Broadway, Oakland. $73-$188. 510.893.2300.
SUNDAY, NOV. 30
JAZZ
BRYAN BOWMAN QUARTET
A skilled jazz drummer who can be found working with some of the region’s most incisive improvisers, Albany-based Bryan Bowman is also deeply versed in Balkan rhythms. He’s best known as a sideman, but over the years he’s honed a fascinating book of original pieces full of striking rhythmic and harmonic details, with playful side steps and feints in unexpected directions. He’s joined by one of his primary collaborators, the brilliant pianist Matt Clark, whom he credits with helping develop many of the tunes. Veteran bassist Doug Miller anchors the quartet, while ace reed player Harvey Wainapel, a master of contemporary jazz idioms and various Brazilian styles, holds down the frontline. – AG
INFO: Sun, 3pm, The Back Room, 1984 Bonita Ave., Berkeley. $20-$25. 510.654.3808.
SUNDAY, NOV. 30
METAL
PRIMITIVE MAN
Devoid. Bleak. Relentless. These are just some of the words that describe Denver’s sludge trio, Primitive Man. Formed in 2012 the band also released their debut album, Scorn, later that year. The music is brutally heavy, combining funeral doom, elements of black metal and a whole lot of existential dread. Throw in some nightmarish growls by vocalist Ethan Lee McCarthy and the result is music as cold as their hometown in winter. They are currently touring off their fifth studio LP, Observance, which just came out on Halloween. Prepare for a night of headbanging, hellraising and the heavy weight of Primitive Man. – MAT WEIR
INFO: Sun, 6:30pm, Thee Stork Club, 2330 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. $20. 510.859.8709.
TUESDAY, DEC. 2
BLUES
ANA POPOVIC
The blues jazz-rock guitarist/singer/songwriter on the Electric Heel Records release adds to her prowess with tracks infused with R&B, disco, gospel, rhythmic funkiness, Latino flares and more. Most are highly danceable songs, along with inventive approaches to known tunes, such as the “hornucopia” that blasts forth with Popovic’s guitar licks in a supercharged arrangement of Paul Simon’s “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover.” Sing along, move with the muse, get worked up with “Worked Up,” and witness a musician in full command of her sound and sensibilities. Not-to-miss tracks showing off her smoky vocals and smoking guitar-playing: “Dwell on The Feeling” and “Sisters and Brothers.” – LF
INFO: Tue, 7:30pm, Yoshi’s, 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland. $29-79. 510.238.9200.
TUESDAY, DEC. 2
ROCK
SPLEAN
Not to be confused with one of the several other bands named Spleen, this Splean—spelled with an “A” as a nod to the Beatles—is the ’90s Russian rock band. Meaning “depression” in their native language, Splean formed in 1994 in Saint Petersburg. They have become one of Russia’s biggest bands and have opened up for legends like the Rolling Stones. Their sound is a mix of grunge and radio pop with a shoegaze attitude thrown in. They even landed a track on the Vladivostok FM channel in the video game Grand Theft Auto IV. Splean made headlines in Russia in 2022 when Russian authorities canceled one of their performances after the singer dedicated a song to artists fleeing Ukraine at the beginning of the war. – MW
INFO: Tue, 8pm, UC Theatre, 2036 University Ave., Berkeley. $83-$104. 510.356.4000.
