IT’S NOT AS BLEAK AS YOU MAY THINK
Second City comedy one of many entertainment options after Christmas.
The stretch between Christmas and early January can seem like a dead zone in the entertainment scene. Many big music and comedy acts aren’t touring or have taken a holiday break. Performance troupes are mostly done with their holiday productions and still gearing up for their first 2018 show. Yes, there is a lot going on New Year’s Eve, but other than that, it can seem pretty quiet out there.
But it doesn’t mean that your only options are the multiplex or stay home every night and play Pictionary. We get it. A lot of you are off this time of year and wouldn’t mind a night out. Or maybe you have visitors in town and want to take them to a show. There are more options than you might think. Here’s a look at some of them.
Concerts INVISIBL SKRATCH PIKLZ >> The Bay Area collective of influential Filipino-American turntablists, considered among the first to employ the art as music in its own right rather than as hooks for hip-hop songs, headlines at The Independent in San Francisco; 9 p.m. Dec. 28; $25-$30; apeconcerts.com. THE INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS >> The bluegrassjam band out of Charlottesville, Virginia, just earned a Grammy nomination for its 2017 album “Laws of Gravity”; 8 p.m. Dec. 28 (with Keller Williams) and Dec. 29 (with Leftover Salmon); UC Theatre, Berkeley; $32; www.theuctheatre.org.
SFJAZZ CENTER >> The center keeps busy over the holiday period with shows by soul icon Maceo Parker (Dec. 28-31); jazz-soul singer the Dynamic Miss Faye Carol (two shows Dec. 30) and the dancer Savion Glover with percussionist Marcus Gilmore (Jan. 4-7); the center also has a restaurant and bar; www.sfjazz.org. BRYSON TILLER >> The on-therise singer-rapper scored a No. 1 album with his sophomore release, “True to Self.” He brings his Set It Off tour to the Fox Theater 8 p.m. Dec. 30; $59.50-$79.50; apeconcerts.com.
THE BROTHERS PRINCE >> The band featuring East Bay twins Ambrose and Austin Prince formed in 2016, featuring an indie soul and hip-hop sound. They just released an EP, “Single,” and headline at The Independent in San Francisco 9 p.m. Jan. 6; $13-$16; apeconcerts.com.
RICHARD GLAZIER >> The pianist, storyteller and arranger mixes music and anecdotes in a show devoted to film and Broadway classics, 8 p.m. Jan. 6 at Livermore’s Bankhead Theater; $40; 925-373-67800, lvpac.org. Music clubs
ARMANDO’S >> The intimate Martinez nightclub serves up all sorts of American roots music, including jazz band Groovanova (Dec. 28), bluegrass band the Mighty Crows (Dec. 29) and Americana band Tender Mercies (Dec. 30); 925-228-2985, armandosmartinez.com.
BISCUITS AND BLUES >> The iconic blues and soul-food club in San Francisco has a nonstop lineup through the holiday stretch, including John Lee Hooker Jr. (Christmas Eve and Christmas Day), guitar great Chris Cain (Tuesday and Dec. 30), HowellDevine (Wednesday), singer Sugarray Rayford on New Year’s Eve, the Delta Wires (Jan. 1) and guitarist Harvey Mandel (Jan. 4); biscuitsandblues.com. CAFE STRITCH >> San Jose’s cozy jazz joint is a great place to hear live music or just chill with a drink; shows include the talented singer Ren Geisck and her quartet (Dec. 29), saxophonist Tim Lin and his quartet (Dec. 30) and a New Year’s Eve show with the Bay Area’s own jazzsoul icon the Dynamic Miss Faye Carol; www.cafestritch. com.
THE CHAPEL >> The Mission District club has shows Dec. 28 through New Year’s Eve, including San Francisco roots-rock band Tea Leaf Green (Dec. 28), Bay Area singer-songwriter Chuck Prophet (Dec. 29) the dancepunk outfit that goes by !!! (Dec. 30-31) and the David Bowie Birthday Bash with the First Church of the Silversexual, a tribute band that will perform Bowie albums in their entirety (Jan. 5-6). The club also has a full restaurant and bar; www. thechapelsf.com. CLUB FOX >> The Redwood City joint serves up Bay Area blues guitarist A.J. Crawdaddy (Wednesday), Grateful Dead tribute band the China Cats (Dec. 29), soulR&B cover outfit the Top Shelf Band (Dec. 30), the acclaimed Beatles tribute act the Sun Kings on New Year’s Eve, and a blues jam featuring guitarist Alvon Johnson (Jan. 3); www.clubfoxrwc. com.
FREIGHT & SALVAGE >> The iconic Berkeley club hosts all sorts of first-rate Americana music in a laid-back atmosphere. Upcoming shows include the singersongwriter-pianist Vienna Teng (Dec. 29-30), Latin great Pete Escovedo and his band on New Year’s Eve, folk singer-songwriter John McCutcheon (Jan. 5) and the legendary David Grisman and his Bluegrass Experience (Jan. 6-7); 510644-2020, www.thefreight. org. GREAT AMERICAN MUSIC
HALL >> The San Francisco nightclub stays busy over the holiday stretch with shows including indie pop outfit Terry Malts (Dec. 28), roots rockers Lonesome Locomotive (Dec. 29); David Lowery with his indie bands Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven (Dec. 30-31); and the country duo Easy Leaves (Jan. 6); the venue also serves munchies, sandwiches and bigger plates; slimspresents.com.
IMPULSE ROOM >> The Walnut Creek jazz and supper club hosts Steve Carter Trio (Wednesday), Kimberly Jackson, aka the Pied Piper of the Bay Area (Dec. 28); and Latin jazz musician Silvestre Martinez (Jan. 4); www.impulseroom.com.
SLIM’S >> San Francisco’s famed South of Market joint hosts Bay Area drummer Scott Amendola and his Orchestra di Pazzi (Dec. 30), garage band Murder City Devils on New Year’s Eve and Irish band OnOff (Jan. 5); slimspresents.com. YOSHI’S AT JACK LONDON
SQUARE >> Come for the sushi and Japanese food and stay for the live shows at Oakland’s venerable music club. Shows include drummer Tommy Igoe (Tuesday); the terrific pianist Larry Vuckovich and his sextet (Wednesday), a hometown holiday run by Oakland neosoul star Goapele (Dec. 2831) and the Grammy-winning Pacific Mambo Orchestra (Jan. 4-5); 510-238-9200, www.yoshis.com. Comedy “BEACH BLANKET BABYLON”
>> The cheeky, headline-ripping San Francisco musical revue is known to many of us as the show you take visitors to; either way, if you haven’t been in a while, most of the jokes will be different and it’s performed in the heart of North Beach, a great opportunity for a dinner-anda-show evening. Note that “BBB” tends to sell out this time of year; WednesdayDec. 31, prices vary; www. beachblanketbabylon.com BIG FAT YEAR END KISS OFF COMEDY SHOW >> It’s the 25th anniversary of this touring annual show organized and hosted by noted political humorist Will Durst, and rarely has a year granted him and his merry makers so much news to dissect. Others in the show include Johnny Steele, Debi Durst, Captain Syntax Michael Bossier, Mari Magaloni and Arthur Gaus; Tuesday-Jan. 7 in Pleasanton, Alameda, San Jose, Walnut Creek, Martinez, Mill Valley and other stops; willdurst.com. CEDRIC THE ENTERTAINER
>> He’s best known for generating laughs in the “Barbershop” movies, “The Original Kings of Comedy” and “The Steve Harvey Show” on the WB network. He brings his stand-up tour to Oakland’s Paramount
Theatre 8 p.m. Dec. 30; $49.75-$79.75; www.paramounttheatre.com.
DAVE COULIER >> The actor and comedian known for playing Joey Gladstone on “Full House” and “Fuller House” brings his stand-up routine and extensive catalog of celebrity and cartoon impressions to Livermore’s Bankhead Theater; 8 p.m. Jan. 5; $40-$80; lvpac.org. Comedy clubs
COBB’S COMEDY CLUB >> The San Francisco club hosts Slanted Comedy (a night of Asian stand-up, Wednesday), “The Daily Show” correspondent Roy Wood Jr. (Dec. 2830) and San Francisco Last Laughs, a lineup of female comedians hosted by Lydia Popovich (New Year’s Eve); www.cobbscomedy.com.
PUNCH LINE >> The San Francisco club hosts Frankie Quinones Tuesday and Wednesday; the cerebral social commentator Greg Proops (Dec. 29-31), Sammy Obeid (Jan. 2-3) and Dan Soder (Jan. 4-6); www.punchlinecomedyclub.com.
ROOSTER T. FEATHERS >> The Sunnyvale joint with one of the best names a comedy club could ask for hosts a Home for the Holidays showscase Dec. 28-30, Nick Guerra on New Year’s Eve, a New Talent Showcase (Jan. 3) and Josh Adam Meyers and Brian Moses (Jan. 4-6); www.roostertfeathers.com.
SAN JOSE IMPROV >> Jamie Kennedy, best known as the creator and host of the sketch comedy/hidden camera show “The Jamie Kennedy Experiment,” headlines Dec. 29-31, Julian McCullough performs Jan. 4-7; sanjose.improv.com.
TOMMY T’S >> The Pleasanton club features a night of Rare Form Comedy hosted by San Francisco sports radio personality Rudy Ortiz (Wednesday), comedian and San Jose native Anjelah Johnson (Dec. 28-31) and outspoken comedian Jess Hilarious (Jan. 5-7); www.tommyts.com. Theater
“ALADDIN” >> The Disney musical starring Bay Area native Adam Jacobs is a familyfriendly feast for the senses; it plays through Jan. 7 at San Francisco’s Orpheum Theatre (no shows Christmas Day and New Year’s Day); $45-$241 (subject to change); 888-746-1799, www. shnsf.com. BERKELEY REPERTORY THEATRE >> Lillian Hellman’s fascism-themed play “Watch on the Rhine” gets a timely revival through Jan. 14 (no shows Christmas Day and New Year’s Day); $30-$97 (subject to change); and Chicago comedy troupe Second City performs its raucous holiday show through Dec. 31 (no shows Christmas Eve and Christmas Day); $40$60; 510-647-2949. www. berkeleyrep.org. THEATREWORKS SILICON
VALLEY >> The company’s production of the fast-paced farce “Around the World in 80 Days” plays through Dec. 31 at Lucie Stern Theatre, Palo Alto (no shows Christmas Eve and Christmas Day); $40-$100; 650-4631960, www.theatreworks.org. SAN FRANCISCO PLAYHOUSE >> Haven’t had your fill of holiday jollies yet? The company’s musical, “A Christmas Story,” based on the iconic movie, runs through Jan. 13 (no shows Christmas Day and New Year’s Day); $35$100; www.sfplayhouse.org.
PHOENIX THEATRE >> Shakespeare’s always in season, right? Ninjaz of Drama presents the Bard’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” today through Saturday and Dec. 29-30 at this intimate San Francisco theater; $20-$25; 415-509-8656, www.ninjazofdrama.com.