THURSDAY, OCT. 16
BLUES
CHRIS CAIN BAND
Following an incendiary performance at the Monterey Jazz Festival last month, San Jose blues great Chris Cain brings his stellar quartet back to the Sound Room. A fixture on the Bay Area blues scene for nearly four decades, Cain is a full-spectrum soulman. A brilliant guitarist, gifted keyboardist and powerful singer, he can lay down a keening guitar solo a la Albert Collins and then move over to the Rhodes and deliver a gospel-steeped plea straight out of the Ray Charles songbook. Now recording for Alligator Records, the preeminent blues label, he released his second album for the Chicago outfit in May, Good Intentions Gone Bad. – ANDREW GILBERT
INFO: Thu, 7:30pm, The Sound Room, 3022 Broadway, Oakland. $34-$37. 510.708.9691.
THURSDAY, OCT. 16
AFRO-POP
ABA DIOP & THE YERMANDE FAMILY
Comingle Senegalese sabar drums, used for thousands of years to relay messages from village to village, Sufi mysticism and griot storytelling traditions with some rock and jazz, and the vibe resulting is Aba Diop & the Yermande Family. The call-and-response between master percussionist Diop and kora player Noumoucounda Cissoko is infectiously joyous. Diop is the heir to an unbroken griot heritage of wisdom-holders, poets and healers. The 2025 album, simply called Family, features special guest American jazz keyboardist John Medeski linking the group’s belief in the universal language of music, speaking between past and future, East and West. And it’s definitely danceable. – JANIS HASHE
INFO: Thu, 8pm, The Freight, 2020 Addison St., Berkeley. $39. 510.644.2020.
THURSDAY, OCT. 16
INDIE ROCK
RILO KILEY
Channeling a late 1990s L.A. vibe, Rilo Kiley offers a reunion of wandering musicians and souls who in their 20s searched the folds of indie rock to slake, soothe and sing out their emotions. Their albums include a raw, self-recorded debut, Take Offs and Landings, that established the terrain later explored in others, such as More Adventurous and Under the Blacklight. Enter the time capsule with Jenny Lewis, Blake Sennett, Jason Boesel and Pierre “Duke” de Reeder, and feel like family. It’s home and it’s harmonious—it’s like riding a nostalgia-laced wave on a surfboard of sound. – LOU FANCHER
INFO; Thu, 7pm, Greek Theatre, 2001 Gayley Rd., Berkeley. $79. 510.642.9988.
FRIDAY, OCT. 17
LATIN
GRUPO NICHE
A rare East Bay performance by the great Colombian salsa orchestra Grupo Niche presents an interesting question. Will the band focus on its deep roster of hits from the 1980s and ’90s, when the group was led by its late, charismatic music director, Jairo Varela? Or will the band lean into the albums that marked its resurgence, like 40, which won the best tropical Latin album Grammy Award in 2021. Now under the direction of José Aguirre, Grupo Niche was launched in Bogota and quickly relocated to Cali. It’s built a passionate following across Latin America, with a repertoire that keeps the dance floor busy while also delivering soaring emotional anthems. – AG
INFO: Fri, 8pm, UC Theatre, 2036 University Ave., Berkeley. $75. 510.356.4000.
SATURDAY, OCT. 18
HIP-HOP
RIO DA YUNG OG
Rio Da Yung OG has always had a gift for turning struggle into swagger. His sharp punchlines and cadences in viral singles and street tapes define the unfiltered sound of modern Flint rap. But with this August’s album F.L.I.N.T. (Feeling Like I’m Not Through), he’s now crafting cohesive narratives that tell a bigger story. After emerging from a five-year federal prison stint, Rio channels survival, troubled legacy and city pride into narratives that swing between deadpan humor and raw reflection. – SONYA BENNETT-BRANDT
INFO: Sat, 6pm, Crybaby, 1928 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. $48.
SATURDAY, OCT. 18
ROOTS
BALLADS AND BLUES
Settle in for a special night of stories and stirring vocals as Bryan S. Dyer, Nicolas Bearde and special guest Clairdee honor jazz and R&B trailblazers such as Arthur Prysock, Johnny Hartman, Nat King Cole, Billy Eckstine, Ray Charles and Joe Williams. Combined, Bay Area artists Dyer and Bearde have more than 65 years’ experience singing everything from blues, jazz and funk, while Clairdee takes inspiration from greats such as Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McRae and Nancy Wilson. All have played venues around the world, and besides the music they have tales to tell of love, loss, struggle and resilience. – JH
INFO: Sat, 7pm, Rhythmix Cultural Works, 2513 Blanding Ave., Alameda. $32. 510.865.5060.
SATURDAY, OCT. 18
INDIE
WEDNESDAY
The band sold out venues around the world after its 2023 release of Rat Saw God. Riding on the wings of critical acclaim from Rolling Stone, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, and The New York Times, they created their own kind of storm. Songwriter/vocalist/guitarist Karly Hartzman helms the band, calling it “creek rock,” that slices rough-cut or slides down easy, depending on the track. Wednesday is a formidably talented band with Hartman joined by guitarist MJ Lenderman, bassist Ethan Baechtold, drummer Alan Mille and pedal-steel player Xandy Chelmis. Also on the menu at the Fox are atmospheric and magnetic vocalist Sasami and easy-riding Philly-based band, Friendship. – LF
INFO: Sat, 8pm, Fox Theater, 1807 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland. $50-102. 510.302.2250.
SUNDAY, OCT. 19
ELECTRONIC
PETE & BAS
London’s sharpest pensioners are back to remind everyone that grime has no age limit. Pete & Bas—two lifelong-friends-turned-viral-rap-phenoms in their 70s—spit with the grit and timing of MCs half their age, trading bars backed by beats that could shake loose a hip replacement. Their chemistry is undeniable, their delivery razor-clean and their tracks are all old-school energy laced with modern, bawdy mischief. What started as a joke turned into a movement. Skill, style and a wicked sense of humor never retire. – SBB
INFO: Sun, 8pm, Cornerstone, 2367 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. $38. 510.214.8600.
SUNDAY, OCT. 19
HARDCORE
EARTH CRISIS
On Oct. 19-20 three legendary metal/hardcore crossover bands will descend upon the Bay’s most legendary of venues. For the reasonable price of $35 fans get not just Integrity, not just Judge—but also Earth Crisis along with Witness Chamber and Opposing Force. That’s $7 a band! It’s literally silly to not go. Each of these bands had their own unique influence on the hardcore and metal genres, bringing themes of straight edge, veganism, earth activism and the occult into their songs. Besides, how’s it gonna sound when someone asks, “Wasn’t that Earth Crisis, Judge, Integrity show insane?” and the only response is ‘Oh, I didn’t go because clearly I make poor life decisions.” – MAT WEIR
INFO: Sun, 7pm, 924 Gilman St., Berkeley. $35. 510.525.9926.
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 22
ELECTRONIC
KAYTRANADA
Beatmakers Kaytranada and Justice are coming to Oakland on Oct. 22. Making waves in the scene in 2010 under the name Kaytradamus, Kaytranada soon signed to XL Recordings, opened for Madonna and worked with Rick Rubin. His second album, Bubba, earned him two Grammy Awards including Best Dance/Electronic Album, making Kaytranada the first openly gay artist to win the award. His beats flow with a soulful, R&B feel mixed with nostalgic hip-hop. Also on tour is French electro-house duo Justice. Their playful melodies and infectious rhythms bring out the funk in everyone so be prepared to get down and leave all apologies at the door. – MW
INFO: Wed, 7pm, Oakland Arena, 7000 Coliseum Way., Oakland. $63-$315. 510.569.2121.
