THURSDAY, OCT. 2
DANCE
PARIS OPERA BALLET: ‘RED CARPET’
This remarkable company makes only two stops on this special tour of U.K.-based choreographer Hofesh Shechter’s Red Carpet. Berkeley is the sole West Coast visit and as such, presents a rare opportunity. Some of the world’s finest, most articulate, technically astonishing and artistically nuanced dancers will be on stage. The full-length work is said to mix “glitz with grit, Baroque decadence with dance club energy.” Chanel-designed costumes, an over-the-top chandelier, moving catwalks and dramatic, sculptural lighting. What more could anyone ask? How about the entire ballet performed to live music written by Shechter with his longtime collaborator, Yaron Engler. Performances go until Oct. 4. – LOU FANCHER
INFO: Thu, 7:30pm, Cal Performances at Zellerbach Hall, 101 Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley. $55-175. 510.642.9988.
FRIDAY, OCT. 3
INDIE-POP
BIG WILD
Big Wild is Jackson Stell, a producer and multi-instrumentalist who turns electronic music into something groovy and human. A project that emerged after a trip to Big Sur, Big Wild’s tracks are soaked in sun, California atmosphere and indie-pop euphoria. In live shows that blur between DJ set and full-band performance, Snell pairs kaleidoscopic visuals with instrumental dexterity. It’s definitely electronic music, but it’s improvisational and tactile—Snell switches between drum pads, synths, keyboards and live vocals, improvising and reshaping songs in real time. – SONYA BENNETT-BRANDT
INFO: Fri, 8pm, Fox Theater, 1807 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. $75. 510.302.2250.
FRIDAY, OCT. 3
EXPERIMENTAL
PATEKA
A triple bill to get your freak on leads off with Richmond’s Pateka, an experimental rock combo celebrating the release of an eponymous debut album. Founded by four childhood friends in 2022, the quartet includes Elihu Knowles on keyboards and vocals, guitarist Dylan Ransley, bassist Quinn Girard and drummer Ryan Higley, dishing out a singular mélange of oddball samples, synthesized sounds, lumpy grooves and expansive, jazz-influenced harmonies. They’re joined by the Oakland art-rock band Gumby’s Junk, which interprets circus music through a bendy mirror and a skim of distortion, and guitarist Bill Orcutt, who has ranged far and wide since his early days in Hairy Pussy. – ANDREW GILBERT
INFO: Fri, 9pm, Eli’s Mile High Club, 3629 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland. $12-$15. 510.808.7565.
SATURDAY, OCT. 4
PUNK
PUP
Ten years ago, punk bands Pup and Jeff Rosenstock decided to tour together, and it was a tour that would live in infamy. Vans broke down. Vocal chords were ruptured. Blizzards happened. Pup’s lead singer even fell face-first into a cactus. However, out of tragedy comes great art, and Pup’s infamous The Dream Is Over record was born from the experience, solidifying the band’s place in the halls of the modern punk scene. Now, Pup and Jeff Rosenstock have once again come together for a tour that will, hopefully, go a lot better than the last time around. Or maybe we’ll just end up with another great album or two from the exploits. – MAT WEIR
INFO: Sat, 7:30pm, Fox Theater, 1807 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. $30-$74. 510.302.2250.
SATURDAY, OCT. 4
LATIN
MARINA CROUSE
Best known as a blues belter with more than enough power to rattle the walls, Marina Crouse has carved out a second identity as a singer with a repertoire that harkens back to her childhood. The El Cerrito vocalist grew up hearing her grandmother play the Spanish-language albums that Eydie Gormé recorded with Los Panchos. In 2022, she released the album Cantos de mi corazón, and she brings the same potent soul to the love-besotted repertoire. Crouse is joined by a stellar cast well-equipped to interpret the lush vocal arrangements, with Hugo Wainzinger and Dave Bell on acoustic guitars and bassist Ruth Davies. Trumpeter Natalie John also contributes backing vocals with percussionist Vicki Randle. – AG
INFO: Sat, 7:30pm, The Sound Room, 3022 Broadway, Oakland. $32. 510.708.9691.
SUNDAY, OCT. 5
ROCK
MARUJA
Hailing from Manchester, England, this group started in 2014. Original guitar player Liam Laurence left the band in 2019, and the band has since disavowed their early work, saying it doesn’t represent who they are musically today. By blending art-rock, free jazz, noise and variations of post-rock, Maruja has carved out a niche sound that is as chaotic as it is controlled. For fans of the Mars Volta, Bob Vylan, David Bowie and those not afraid to take a chance on something new, Maruja is boldly stepping into the future of music without looking back. Their debut album, Pain To Power, is—hopefully—a tasty sampling of things to come. – MW
INFO: Sun, 8pm, The New Parish, 1743 San Pablo Ave., Oakland. $28. 510.227.8177.
SUNDAY, OCT. 5
FOLK
HOLLY NEAR
Pianist Jan Martinelli is joined by the stalwart and spectacular Holly Near, who issued her 31st album in 2018. The monumental pair present a concert that is a testimony to longevity, soulful honesty and activism practiced equally onstage and on the streets of America. Hyperbole is hardly possible when speaking to the stories and messages conveyed through Near’s lyrics most literally, but embodied in every breath and gentle sway of musicians of this caliber. An afternoon of peace and sonic pleasure is nothing to shake a stick at these days, so get thee to the church of song at The Freight on October’s first Sunday and expect to join the worship choir. – LF
INFO: Sun, 2pm, The Freight, 2020 Addison St., Berkeley. $49-$54. 510.644.2020.
TUESDAY, OCT. 7
PUNK
TEXAS IS THE REASON
Texas Is The Reason was only around for a few years in the ’90s, but their 1996 debut, Do You Know Who You Are, left a mark that far outlasted their original run. With roots in punk but an ear for melody, they traded in a portion of hardcore aggression for a new vulnerability and reflective melancholy. The result: the sound of early emo. The band’s reunions since have drawn packed rooms, proof of how deeply their songs stick. Now on tour 30 years on, their music still feels urgent and alive each time it’s played—one of hardcore’s most enduring reinventions. – SBB
INFO: Tue, 8pm, UC Theater, 2036 University Ave., Berkeley. $50. 510.356.4000.
TUESDAY, OCT. 7
AFRO-SOUL
JEMBAA GROOVE
West African highlife meets and converses with hip-hop, jazz and soul in the music of Berlin-based Jembaa Groove. The seven-member band began with a chance meeting in 2020, when Yannick Nolting (bass, composer, producer) and Eric Owusu (percussion, vocals, songwriter) were picking up their kids from the local playground. By 2022 the band had released its acclaimed debut album, Susuma, and was making global waves. Last year saw the release of Ye Ankasa|We Ourselves. In the band’s own words: “We try to promote positivity, togetherness and respect. But also try to remind others as well as ourselves that destiny lies in our hands, and that you can’t take things for granted.” – JANIS HASHE
INFO: Tue, 8pm, Ivy Room, 860 San Pablo Ave., Albany. $20. 510.526.5888.
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 8
LATIN CIRCUS
LOS CALIGARIS
It’s a band! It’s a circus! It’s straight from Argentina! Los Caligaris brings its “Maquillaje y Canción” (“Makeup and Song”) extravaganza to Berkeley for an all-ages show featuring rock, reggae, cuarteto Cordobés and juggling. The 12-piece troupe, formed in 1997 by brothers Martin and Diego Pampiglione, has amassed a worldwide following that loves its energy-filled, wacky mission to save the world through music and clown noses. Los Caligaris takes its name from a legend: a clown named “Caligari” who continued to perform his act even to his last breath, thus creating the expression, “died laughing”—that last part is made up. Bring the red noses and prepare to get playful. – JH
INFO: Wed, 8pm, Cornerstone, 2367 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. $40. 510.214.8600.
