Rocker Ted Leo’s still blasting away
Ted Leo: The Washington, D.C., singersongwriter-guitarist has put out some of the best indie hard rock music to be had since the 1990s, lacing his sound with punk, pop, folk, liberal politics, existential yearning and rollicking guitar runs. He should be a lot more famous than he is, though his diehard fans probably prefer it that way. Following a long stretch in which Leo dealt with health and personal issues — including his wife’s miscarriage — and took control of his music distribution, the rocker is back with a crowdfunded, hardhitting, life-affirming blast of an album titled “The Hanged Man.” He brings his band the Pharmacists to Bimbo’s 365 Club in San Francisco on Saturday.
DETAILS >> 8 p.m.; $20-$45; www.bimbos365club.com
Penny Arcade: The actress, performance artist, playwright, provocateur and onetime associate of Andy Warhol has long directed her most pointed works at such issues as class warfare, sexual politics, gentrification and the marginalization of people who don’t fit in. Her latest work, “Longing Lasts Longer,” is aimed at the Big Apple, but its theme — how ridiculous housing prices and commercialization rob a city of its edge and character — certainly fits the Bay Area as well. Perhaps that’s why she’s bringing the show to Stanford University’s Bing Concert Hall this week.
DETAILS >> Presented by Stanford Live, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; $15$35; live.stanford.edu
Anthony de Mare: The acclaimed pianist commissioned some heavyweight composers — from Wynton Marsalis and Ethan Iverson to Mason Bates and Steve Reich — to reinvent some of Stephen Sondheim’s most beloved show tunes, representing such classic musicals as “Sweeney Todd,” “Into the Woods,” “A Little Night Music” and more. The result is Liaisons: Reimagining Sondheim from Piano, a concert de Mare is performing around the country. He brings the show to UC Berkeley’s Hertz Hall on Sunday.
DETAILS >> Presented by Cal Performances; 7 p.m.; $37$42; calperformances.org
Bad Plus: The Minneapolis trio is considered a jazz outfit but it is probably best known for concocting clever reinventions of everything from Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man,” Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and Stravinsky’s “The Rite of
Spring.” The trio is on its final tour with departing pianist Ethan Iverson, an extremely gifted musician and composer who’ll be replaced by Orrin Evans, and stops at SFJazz in San Francisco for a fournight run.
DETAILS >> 7:30 p.m. today through Saturday, 7 p.m. Sunday; $30-$80; sfjazz. org
International Taiko Festival: San Francisco Taiko Dojo is hosting this 49th annual event on Saturday devoted to the exhilarating art of Japanese drumming, featuring performance groups and schools from across California and Japan.
DETAILS >> 7 p.m.; Capuchino High School’s Samuel Johnson Jr. Performing Arts Center, San Bruno; $30-$35; www. sftaiko.com
Mariinsky Orchestra: Last week, renowned conductor Valery Gergiev brought the orchestra’s Stradivarius Ensemble — and its famous period instruments — to Stanford University. This weekend, he leads the full orchestra through two programs at UC Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall, with pianist Denis Matsuev, featuring works by Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Scriabin, Richard Strauss and more.
DETAILS >> Presented by Cal Performances; 8 p.m. Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday; $40-$125; calperformances.org
Oakland Ballet: The company is reprising artistic director Graham Lustig’s familyfriendly “Luna Mexicana” Day of the Dead production, which incorporates folkloric and contemporary Mexican music and, naturally, eye-popping
costumes.
DETAILS >> 7 p.m. Friday; Paramount Theatre, Oakland; $20-$45; oaklandballet.org.
African Guitar Summit: This touring band performs the magically melodic and irresistibly rhythmic sounds of Guinea, Ghana and Madagascar. The tour comes to Livermore’s Bankhead Theater tonight.
DETAILS >> 7:30 p.m.; $40; 925-373-6800, lvpac.org
Patricia Barber: The singer-songwriter-musician is defined by cool-as-fog melodies, hyper-literate lyrics, stunning piano runs and husky vocals. You simply won’t hear anyone like her. She brings her trio to three Bay Area shows beginning next week.
DETAILS >> 8 p.m. Wednesday at Freight & Salvage, Berkeley; $24-$28; thefreight.org; 7 p.m. Nov.
9 at Kuumbwa Jazz Center, Santa Cruz; $30-$35; www.kuumbwajazz.org; 8 and 10 p.m. Nov. 11 at Bing Concert Hall, Stanford University; $15-$40; live.stanford.edu
10
“42nd Street”: The musical adapted from the 1933 movie serves up some memorable tunes — “You’re Getting to Be a Habit With Me,” “We’re in the Money,” “Lullaby of Broadway” — with a so-hokey-it’s-adorable storyline about a newcomer to the big city getting a shot at stardom. Pacific Coast Repertory is mounting the show beginning Saturday.
DETAILS >> Through Nov. 19; Firehouse Arts Center, Pleasanton; $19-$41; 925-931-4848, www.firehousearts.org; pcrtproductions.org