Who’s Where? East Bay: Spots to hear live music in Oakland, Berkeley and Alameda for Sept. 9-10
You’re a music fan in the East Bay. All you need to know is who you can see play this weekend and where to see them. Who’s Where? is your weekly concert listing offering everything you want with nothing you don’t. For locations to all these venues, see the handy-dandy map at the bottom of the page. Got a venue/gig you don’t see listed here? Drop a line to bill [at] billchapin.net.
As much as I enjoyed “White Winter Hymnal” and those gorgeous three-part harmonies, it didn’t take me long to find myself somewhat bored with Fleet Foxes‘ 2008 self-titled debut. The Seattle folk-rock group’s follow up, Helplessness Blues, is not a radical departure—it contains nothing abrasive enough to make dogmatists complaining about “the wussification of indie rock” start looking for another poster child—but I keep coming back to it in a way I didn’t with Fleet Foxes. It’ll probably end up on my Best Albums of 2011 list.
Blah blah blah. At any rate, the band, playing at the Greek Theatre on Saturday with The Walkmen, is one of several major touring acts that will be in the East Bay this weekend. Ray LaMontagne is also at the Greek the previous day along with Brandi Carlie. The Fox Theater on Friday will host The Kills and Eleanor Friedberger of Fiery Furnaces doing her solo thang. And Dr. John is playing Friday (as well as today and Thursday) at Yoshi’s in Oakland. On the local level, I can heartily recommend Why’d You Name Your Band That? veterans The B-Stars, part of an evening of Americana and country on Saturday Friday at The Uptown. My future brother- and sister-in-law can heartily recommend the globe-trotting sounds of Go Van Gogh (which performed at their wedding) at Disco Volante on Friday. Elsewhere on this week’s list, you’ll find opportunities to hear klezmer, Grateful Dead and Nina Simone tributes, lots of experimental rock, and something called Ani DiFranco’s Dick (keep it classy, guys).
Friday, Sept. 9, 2011
57th Street Gallery, 5701 Telegraph Ave., Oakland: Marty Williams Quartet (SF jazz pianist and ensemle), doors at 7:30 p.m., music at 8:30 p.m., $15 admission plus $5 for dinner. [tickets]
924 Gilman, 924 Gilman St., Berkeley: Sabertooth Zombie, Creatures, Prizehog, Strike to Survive, Fatal Birth (hardcore, punk, ), 7:30 p.m., $8 plus $2 membership, all ages. [details]
Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley: Dead Guise (Grateful Dead tribute), doors at 8:30 p.m., music at 9 p.m., $10.
Cafe Van Kleef, 1621 Telegraph Ave., Oakland: Damon & The Heathens (punk, funk, soul), 8 p.m., MLACCOSSBTVDBPI?.
Disco Volante, 347 14th St., Oakland: Go Van Gogh (country, world folk, jazz), 9:30 p.m., $5.
Eagles Hall, 2305 Alameda Ave., Alameda: Sheryl Cormier and Ed Poullard (zydeco, cajun), 8:30 p.m. dance lesson, 9 p.m. dancing, $15.
Eli’s Mile High Club, 3629 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Oakland: Hammerlock, Flat Tires, The Fucking Buckaroos, Tell River (punk, alt-country, southern rock, folk-rock), 7:30 p.m., MLACCOSSBTVDBPI?. [details]
Fox Theater, 1807 Telegraph Ave., Oakland: The Kills with Eleanor Friedberger and Mini Mansions (blues-punk, indie rock), 8:30 p.m., $29.50. [tickets]
Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse, 2020 Addison St., Berkeley: “Celtic Harps, African Kora & Hindustani Ragas” featuring Diana Stork, Diana Rowan, Daniel Berkman, Teed Rockwell, Peter van Gelde and Michael Lewis (world folk), doors at 7 p.m., music at 8 p.m., $22.50 in advance, $24.50 at the door. [tickets]
Greek Theatre, Hearst Avenue & Gayley Road, Berkeley: Ray LaMontagne and The Pariah Dogs with Brandi Carlile and Vusi Mahlasela (folk-rock, blues, pop-rock, African folk), 8 p.m., $39.50, $49.50, $69.50. [tickets]
High Street Station, 1303 High St., Alameda: The Jerry Tenney Band (klezmer), 7:30 p.m., $5-$15 sliding scale.
Jazzschool, 2087 Addison St., Berkeley: Karyn Paige (soul singer performing Nina Simone), doors at 7:30 p.m., music at 8 p.m., $12 adults, $10 seniors and students, $5 children 12 and younger. [tickets]
Jupiter, 2181 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley: Kat 010 Trio (improvisational electronica, dub jazz, funk), 5 p.m., free; Socket (jazz, funk), 8 p.m., free.
Mama Buzz Cafe, 2318 Telegraph Ave., Oakland: You Are Plural, Yesway, Passenger & Pilot, Hanalei (experimental, pop, folk, Americana), 7 p.m., donations accepted.
Speisekammer, 2424 Lincoln Ave., Alameda: Le Jazz Hot (jazz, gypsy music), 8:30 p.m., free.
The Starry Plough, 3101 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley: Inner Ear Brigade, Mental 99 and Cash Pony (experimental rock), doors at 8:30 p.m., music at 9:30 p.m, $7-$10 sliding scale.
Stork Club, 2330 Telegraph Ave., Oakland: Touch Me Nots, Redondo Beat, Talky Tina and City, USA (folk-rock, garage rock, power pop), 9 p.m., $5.
Subterranean Arthouse, 2179 Bancroft Way, Berkeley: Eggplant Casino and Late Stage Empire (art rock, indie rock), 8:30 p.m., $10.
The Uptown, 1928 Telegraph Ave., Oakland: Red Meat, The B-Stars and Tiny Television (Americana, country, western swing), 9 p.m., $10. [tickets]
Yoshi’s, 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland: Dr. John & The Lower 911 (blues, New Orleans jazz), 8 and 10 p.m., $34. [tickets]
Saturday, Sept. 10, 2011
57th Street Gallery, 5701 Telegraph Ave., Oakland: Rhonda Benin (Oakland jazz and blues vocalist), doors at 7:30 p.m., music at 8:30 p.m., $15 admission plus $5 for dinner. [tickets]
924 Gilman, 924 Gilman St., Berkeley: Battalion of Saints, Attitude Adjustment, Visual Discrimination, Oppressed Logic, Sad Boy Sinister, Ill Content (hardcore, punk, thrash), 7 p.m., $10, all ages. [details]
Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley: Marlon Asher, Mega Banton, Soul Medic, Al Pancho, Rocker-T & The 7th Street Band and Irie Dole (reggae, dancehall, hip hop), 9:30 p.m., $13 in advance, $20 at the door, $10 children 18 and younger.
Cafe Van Kleef, 1621 Telegraph Ave., Oakland: Blue Bone Express with Hot Pink Feathers burlesque show (jazz, blues, R&B), 8 p.m., $10.
Disco Volante, 347 14th St., Oakland: Michael Sheridan (blues, jazz, soul guitarist), 9:30 p.m., free.
Eli’s Mile High Club, 3629 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Oakland: The Rinds, Bum City Saints, 1,2,3, Ani DiFranco’s Dick (rock, punk), 7 p.m., $6. [details]
Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse, 2020 Addison St., Berkeley: Caterina Lichtenberg and Mike Marshall (Bulgarian and American mandolin), doors at 7 p.m., music at 8 p.m., $22.50 in advance, $24.50 at the door. [tickets]
Greek Theatre, Hearst Avenue & Gayley Road, Berkeley: Fleet Foxes and The Walkmen (folk-rock, indie rock), 8 p.m., $39.50. [tickets]
High Street Station, 1303 High St., Alameda: Family Lines and Spark and Whisper (acoustic, blues, modern folk), 8 p.m., $10.
Jazzschool, 2087 Addison St., Berkeley: Fay Victor (New York blues vocalist), doors at 7:30 p.m., music at 8 p.m., $18 adults, $15 seniors and students, $5 children 12 and younger. [tickets]
Jupiter, 2181 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley: Sam Friend (Miami singer-songwriter), 8 p.m., free.
Mama Buzz Cafe, 2318 Telegraph Ave., Oakland: Grex, Ann O’Rourke, Richmond Circular, Formica Man (experimental), 7 p.m., donations accepted.
Speisekammer, 2424 Lincoln Ave., Alameda: Macy Blackman & His Mighty Fine Trio (New Orleans jazz and blues), 8:30 p.m., free.
The Starry Plough, 3101 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley: O’Possum Family Singers (acoustic, folk), 5 p.m., free; Vir, Tremor Low and Elba (post-punk, fuzz rock), doors at 8:30 p.m., music at 9:30 p.m., $7-$10 sliding scale.
Stork Club, 2330 Telegraph Ave., Oakland: Jonathan Mann and the Rock Cookie Bottoms, The General and Sparky Grinstead and The Backorders (singer-songwriter, experimental, pop), 9 p.m., $5.
The Uptown, 1928 Telegraph Ave., Oakland: Big Dan, Los Novillos, Tokeson, Raw G and Bocafloja (Latin, hip hop), 8:30 p.m., $10. [tickets]
Yoshi’s, 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland: Amel Larrieux (R&B vocalist), 8 and 10 p.m., $30. [tickets]
MLACCOSSBTVDBPI = most likely a cover charge of some sort but the venue didn’t bother posting it
