Another great week of live in the Bay Area. Here are some suggestion for this week..

Monday 5-28

Amnesia Bar 853 Valencia St, San Francisco 9:30 PM-11:30 PM Showtime. The Earl Brothers are back. The bad boys of bluegrass, are irreverent energetic and a hell of a lot of fun. Highly recommended N/C

Club Deluxe 1511 Haight St, San Francisco 9:30 PM-12:30 AM Showtime Mike Olmos Presents The Sessions. Mike is a such a great trumpet player. He leads his all star Sessions for a great night of jazz.. N/C

Mr.Tipples 39 Fell St, San Francisco 7:00 PM-10:00 PM Showtime Le Hot Jazz .. The spirit of Django is alive and well in San Francisco. This is a great ensemble. Highly recommended!! N/C

Tuesday 5-29

Bar Fluxus 18 Harlan Pl, San Francisco 9:00 PM-1:30 AM Showtime Vibrason. I saw this band recently. They are another great band out of the Bay Area. Very reminiscent of some of the Cal Tjader bands. $10 Cover Charge

Bottom Of The Hill 1233 17th St, San Francisco 9:00 PM Showtime. This promises to be a a good night of music headlined by Why These Coyotes an indie, alternative rock band out of Oakland, CA. With influences ranging from brit rock, to soul to blue note area jazz, their music offers a unique blend of laid back rhythms and guitar driven arrangements – reminiscent of 70’s hard rock. Breatherrr is the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist producer Michael Anthony Espinach. Founded in early 2014, this Long Beach group fuses psychedelic noise with new wave jazz and pop for a unique musical experiment. Another Long Beach group Forest Of Tongue opens the set. $10 Cover Charge.

The Independant 628 Divisadero St, San Francisco 8:00 PM Showtime.. The godfather and original master of funk George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic will be making an appearance this week as part of his farewell tour. If you have never seen this great innovator of American music I would highly recommend going. $60 Cover Charge..

Cafe Du Nord 2174 Market St, San Francisco 7:30 PM Showtime.. One of the most badass girl folk group ever All Of Our Exes Live In Texas are finally back in the Bay Area. This wonderful Australian ensemble are known as much for their side-splitting banter and feminist politics as their devastatingly beautiful harmonies. I am really looking forward to seeing them.. Highly recommended!!! $14 Cover Charge

Wednesday 5-30

Biscuits and Blues 401 Mason St, San Francisco 7:30 PM & 9:30 PM Showtimes Bay City Blues featuring Chris Cain is a weekly showcase of world class Blues music and superb instrumental talent. This event is a celebration of the Blues in all its forms and an adventure into the depth of a national genre. Hosted by the nationally recognized Chris Cain & his All-Star cast of Musicians, every week they invite a new special guest to accompany them on stage and present new, upcoming, & old talent from the blues world! Bay City Blues is our tribute and exploration into the Blues genre, it is a special event in which we all get to help, share, & “Preserve the Blues.” Highly recommended!! $20 Cover Charge

Club Deluxe 1511 Haight St, San Francisco 9:30 PM-12:30 AM Showtime The Repertory Jazz Quartet is lead by the great young tenor saxophonist Patrick Wolff, playing compositions by mostly forgotten masters of the 1950s and ’60 like pianist Elmo Hope and saxophonists Lucky Thompson and Clifford Jordan. Highly recommended!!! N/C

Pier 23 Pier 23 The Embarcadero, San Francisco 6:00 PM-9:00 PM Showtime Mitch Woods and his trio will be performing their style of boogie-woogie, blues and r&b. Mitch is a master pianist and a Bay Area treasure. Plus this is a great venue to see him perform. Highly recommended N/C

Cigar Bar & Grill 850 Montgomery St, San Francisco 8:00 PM Showtime..Ken Husbands Trio is the explosive combination of three very active players on the Bay Area jazz scene: Ken Husbands on guitar, Aaron Germain on electric and acoustic bass and Otto Huber on drums. Their live shows combine original music with interpretations of standards. I liken them to Pat Metheny meets the Meters. Highly recommended!!! N/C

Sweetwater Music Hall 19 Corte Madera Ave, Mill Valley 8:00 PM Showtime..Nellie McKay is one of my very favorite singer song writer performers. I love Nellie because she is so eclectic. Her music is not only relevant to pop/rock, but to cabaret, traditional pop, and vocal jazz. Her influences range from Tin Pan Alley, Kurt Weill, Cole Porter, Annie Ross, Peggy Lee and Billie Holiday to Randy Newman, The Beatles and hip-hop as well. She is great lyricist with songs that are cynical and sarcastic as well as dark-humored. But like Randy Newman and Cole Porter, Nellie knows how to laugh at the world even when she’s complaining about how screwed up it is — and she can be incredibly clever and witty. I am a big fan.. Highly recommended!!!! $27 Cover Charge

The SF Masonic 1111 California St, San Francisco 7:00 PM Showtime Todd Rundgren Utopia reunites Todd with Kasim Sulton and Willie Wilcox for their first North American tour since the Chernobyl nuclear reactor exploded. Utopia was an 80’s hit-making entity with standout albums including Oops! Wrong Planet, Adventures in Utopia, and Oblivion, spawning hits including “Rock Love,” “Set Me Free,”“Mated,” and “Love Is The Answer (which also became a #1 global hit for England Dan and John Ford Coley).” This is a rare opportunity not only to see Utopia perform. Highly recommended!! $23-$99 Cover Charge

Union Square Live San Francisco 6:00 PM-8:00 PM Showtime Moonalice is an American roots/folk band of seasoned musicians who feel that live music should be a communal experience where the listener and musicians feed and derive inspiration from each other. Their songs try to speak to everyone, mixing a variety of genres with extended musical improvisations that evoke a sense of adventure and exploration. Highly recommended!! N/C

Thursday 5-31

Brick & Mortar Music Hall 1710 Mission St, San Francisco 8:00 PM Showtime Before string bands were a “thing” in popular culture, there was the Hackensaw Boys who since 1999 have been mixing bluegrass and old time music with a punk attitude, and reshaping what a modern old school string band could sound like. These Virginia natives have an infectious musical spirit that’s pure and delightful. Nat Keefe’s Lost Flyers open the show. I am really looking forward to finally seeing them. Highly recommended!!! $15 Cover Charge

The Freight & Salvage 2020 Addison St, Berkeley 8:00 PM Showtime..Pacific Mambo Orchestra is the 2013 Grammy Award® Winner for “Best Latin Tropical Album” . PMO honors the sounds of the great Latin big bands of the 1940’s through present times, infusing their music with an intoxicating energy that consistently inspires standing ovations at every live performance. PMO performs salsa, cha-cha-cha, and Latin jazz. The band consists of a superb line up of world-class musicians who have performed and recorded with a variety of international recording artists such as Carlos Santana, Poncho Sanchez, Pete Scovedo, Herbie Hancock, Prince, Paul Anka, Arturo Sandoval and more. Highly recommended!!! $34 Cover Charge

The Greek Theatre 2001 Gayley Rd, Berkeley 7:30 Showtime Folk rock soul blues performer Ray Lamontagne headlines with special guest indie rocker singer songwriter Neko Case. Should be a good show. $45-99.50 Cover Charge.

Hemlock Tavern 1131 Polk St, San Francisco 8:30 PM-11:55PM Steakhouse is a rock group from San Francisco that play post-punk with bits of country/western thrown in at all the wrong times. Post punk new wave rocker Fake Your Own Death and Sonic Youth influenced Tremor Low round out a great night of music. Highly recommended!! $8 Cover Charge.

Hotel Utah 500 4th St, San Francisco 8:00 PM Showtime Australian singer Libby Lavella credits include backup vocals on “Te Perdi,” the debut single from Grammy-nominated artist Gustavo Galindo, for which she received a Grammy nomination. Throughout her career Libby has released three solo albums: Sponge Brain, Sometime In Morning, Live At Largo Bootlegs and an EP with her most recent outfit, harmony trio The Amber. Country singer songwriter Megan Rose and San Francisco songstress Mother First round out what should be a good show. $10 Cover Charge

Le Colonial 20 Cosmo Pl, San Francisco 7:00 PM-10:00 PM Showtime.. Le Hot Jazz .. The spirit of Django is alive and well in San Francisco. This is a great ensemble. Highly recommended!! N/C

The Chapel 777 Valencia St, San Francisco 8:00 PM Showtime Barrio Manouche is having an album release party. This is a great Bay Area ensemble performing a repertoire of original instrumental compositions with a unique sound that it’s difficult to classify but instantly recognizable deeply influenced by a range of musical traditions, from the swing of Louis Armstrong and Sidney Bechet, to the hot jazz of Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli,the gypsy soul of eastern europe, the flamenco of Paco de Lucía to the avant-garde sounds of Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman and John Coltrane…Banda Sin Nombre is the opening set. This ensemble is an outstanding five-piece street band performing folk music from around the world. Mixing rich vocal harmonies with acoustic instruments including guitar, fiddle, charango, cajon, and bass, the band’s inspirations range from Peruvian Chicha to Catalan Rumba and Appalachian old time to Cumbia. This will be a great night of music. Highly recommended!!! $20 Cover Charge.

The Lost Church 65 Capp St, San Francisco 8:00 PM Showtime Rusty Stringfield is a high energy acoustic four piece have been spilling out of their corner pub and onto some of the finest stages in town. No song is safe once Rusty Stringfield get fired up from traditional bluegrass to soul, reggae, and arena rock (maybe all at once). Tight harmonies, tasty instrumentals… and a side of accordion. This is one foot stomping band. Rounding High Water Line is a 5 piece group of Bay Area musicians who play a hard driving modern bluegrass sound, all their own. Driving rhythms, soaring harmonies, and great musicianship allow The High Water Line to blend influences as far ranging as classical, traditional bluegrass, blues, funk, and jazz. Bluegrass Pride rounds out a great night of music. Highly recommended!!! $20 Cover Charge

Friday 6-1

Biscuits and Blues 401 Mason St, San Francisco 7:30 PM & 10:00 PM Showtimes Tommy Castro & The Pain Killers are blazing soul-blues rockers with a funky southern soul, big city blues sound with street-level grit and soul. This band will rock the house. Highly recommended!!! $35 Cover Charge.

Club Deluxe 1511 Haight St, San Francisco 10:00 PM Showtime Lavay Smith & Her 8 Piece Little Band.. Lavay is the reigning Queen Of Classic Jazz & Blues in the authentic style of the 1940’s and 1950’s. She will be performing with her 8 piece little band. Lavay is one of my favorite singers. Highly recommended!! N/C

Feinstein’s at the Nikko 222 Mason St, San Francisco 8:00 PM Showtime.. Nellie McKay is one of my very favorite singer song writer performers. I love Nellie because she is so eclectic. Her music is not only relevant to pop/rock, but to cabaret, traditional pop, and vocal jazz. Her influences range from Tin Pan Alley, Kurt Weill, Cole Porter, Annie Ross,Peggy Lee and Billie Holiday to Randy Newman, The Beatles and hip-hop as well. She is great lyricist with songs that are cynical and sarcastic as well as dark-humored. But like Randy Newman and Cole Porter, Nellie knows how to laugh at the world even when she’s complaining about how screwed up it is — and she can be incredibly clever and witty. I am a big fan.. Highly recommended!!!! $22-$50 Cover Charge

The Freight & Salvage 2020 Addison St, Berkeley 8:00 PM Showtime..Pacific Mambo Orchestra is the 2013 Grammy Award® Winner for “Best Latin Tropical Album” . PMO honors the sounds of the great Latin big bands of the 1940’s through present times, infusing their music with an intoxicating energy that consistently inspires standing ovations at every live performance. PMO performs salsa, cha-cha-cha, and Latin jazz. The band consists of a superb line up of world-class musicians who have performed and recorded with a variety of international recording artists such as Carlos Santana, Poncho Sanchez, Pete Scovedo, Herbie Hancock, Prince, Paul Anka, Arturo Sandoval and more. Highly recommended!!! $34 Cover Charge

Tupelo 1337 Grant Ave, San Francisco 9:00 PM-1:00 AM Showtime Jinx Jones is one of the great guitar virtuosos of the Bay Area. I love the way he seems to move seamlessly from rockabilly to jazz to twang and back again, sometimes in the same song. Highly recommended.. N/C

The Lost Church 65 Capp St, San Francisco 8:00 PM Showtime The Real Sarahs embrace many genres of music, from folk to blues, and country. They are great songwriters and their original music is honest, evocative, and heartfelt telling stories of their own life journeys and experiences. Highly recommended!!! $20 Cover Charge

Masonic SF 1111 California St, San Francisco 8:00 PM Showtime Punk rockabilly innovators Social Distortion is out on tour promoting their new cd. $29-$49 Cover Charge

The Chapel 777 Valencia St, San Francisco 9:00 PM Showtime. American folk/roots pop singer-songwriter Josh Rouse will be in town. $25 Cover Charge.

The Fox Theatre Oakland 1807 Telegraph Ave, Oakland 8:00 PM Showtime The renowned horn-driven legendary funk band Tower Of Power celebrate their 50th anniversary. Over the years, the Tower of Power has recorded with hundreds of artists as diverse as Aerosmith, Elton John, Little Feat, Phish, Santana, Heart, and many others, forever infusing the radio airwaves with Tower’s musical DNA. Always in demand, the band never fails to entertain and amaze their fans. Highly recommended!! $59-$79 Cover Charge

The 20th annual Healdsburg Jazz Festival is a celebration of the indigenous American art form known as Jazz. Over the past decade-plus, the Healdsburg Jazz Festival has become a favorite local tradition with a growing national reputation. This 10-day festival of public performances by world-renowned musicians in diverse settings, including the historic Raven Theater, the glamorous Hotel Healdsburg, and several boutique restaurants and wineries, has grown into one of the North Bay’s most celebrated annual musical events. The festival starts this evening and runs through June 10th.

Saturday 6-2

Biscuits and Blues 401 Mason St, San Francisco 7:30 PM & 10:00 PM Showtimes Tommy Castro & The Pain Killers are blazing soul-blues rockers with a funky southern soul, big city blues sound with street-level grit and soul. This band will rock the house. Highly recommended!!! $35 Cover Charge.

Club Deluxe 1511 Haight St, San Francisco 6:00 PM-9:00 PM Showtime Howell Devine is my favorite Bay Area blues band. They will have the house rockin at the Deluxe. N/C

Club Deluxe 1511 Haight St, San Francisco 9:30 PM-12:30 AM Showtime. The Americano Social Club plays music for “la dolce vita”: a mix of romantic and eclectic melodies from all over the world including pop, jazz, folk, classical, rock, opera, the music of Brazil and Europe’s cafés as well as some great original pieces. This is a great ensemble. Highly recommended!!!! N/C

Bimbo’s 365 Club 1025 Columbus Ave, San Francisco 9:00 PM Showtime Okkervil River, the Austin based indie rock band is out promoting their new album “In The Rainbow Rain”. I really like their music. Highly recommended!! $23-$45 Cover Charge.

Brick & Mortar Music Hall 1710 Mission St, San Francisco 9:00 PM Showtime Mission Delirium is an invitation to revel in pounding drums and face melting brass. Let your hair down, get delirious and shake your ass. If it moves you, MD plays it: Bollywood, Balkan, Brazilian, Ethiopian, Tango, Afro-pop, Middle Eastern, Salsa and more- all served with a unique twist of San Francisco. Highly recommended!!! $15 Cover Charge

The Freight & Salvage 2020 Addison St, Berkeley 8:00 PM Showtime. Zigaboo Modeliste and the New Aahkesstra are redefining funk led by master drummer, rhythm innovator, percussionist, and New Orleans legend Joseph “Zigaboo” Modeliste, the master of creating funk grooves and new concepts for funk drumming. Highly recommended!! $20 Cover Charge

The UC Theatre 2036 University Ave, Berkeley 8:00 PM Showtime Rising Appalachia headlines bringing to the stage a collection of sounds, stories, and songs steeped in tradition and a devotion to world culture. Intertwining a deep reverence for folk music and a passion for justice, they have made it their life’s work to sing songs that speak to something ancient yet surging with relevance. Dead Winter Carpenters have a ground-breaking sound that blends Americana roots-rock with a tinge of straightforward ‘tell-it-like-it-is’ alternative country. The Sam Chase & The Untradtional blends rock n roll and folk music while maintaining the sensibilities and attitudes of growing up on a healthy diet of punk rock. Highly recommended!!! $25-$75 Cover Charge

The Greek Theatre 2001 Gayley Rd, Berkeley 8:00 PM Showtime Jethro Tull are one of the biggest selling Progressive Rock artists of all time, and the group’s immense and diverse catalogue of work encompasses folk, blues, classical and heavy rock stylings. The anniversary concerts will feature a broad mix of material, some of it focussing on the earlier formative period through to the “heavy hitters” of the Tull catalogue from the albums This Was, Stand Up,Benefit, Aqualung,Thick As A Brick, Too Old To Rock And Roll: Too Young To Die,Songs From The Wood, Heavy Horses, Crest Of A Knaveand even a touch of TAAB2 from 2012. $45-$115 Cover Charge

The Fox Theatre Oakland 1807 Telegraph Ave, Oakland 8:00 PM Showtime The renowned horn-driven legendary funk band Tower Of Power celebrate their 50th anniversary. Over the years, the Tower of Power has recorded with hundreds of artists as diverse as Aerosmith, Elton John, Little Feat, Phish, Santana, Heart, and many others, forever infusing the radio airwaves with Tower’s musical DNA. Always in demand, the band never fails to entertain and amaze their fans. Highly recommended!! $59-$79 Cover Charge

Sunday 6-3

Amnesia Bar 853 Valencia St, San Francisco 8:30 PM-10:30 PM Showtime..The Hot Baked Goods are a band of young jazz musicians playing hot tunes of the 30’s. Most of the band members started as swing dancers, and became so infatuated with the music that they decided to make some themselves. I saw them at the Amnesia and this band really swings. N/C

The Lucky Horseshoe Bar 453 Cortland Ave, San Francisco 4:00 PM-7:00 PM Showtime..Bernal Hillbillies .. A great three hours of bluegrass music at a really great venue reminiscent of the jams at the Old Paul Saloon many years ago. N/C

Cafe Du Nord 2174 Market St, San Francisco 6:00 PM Showtime
The Persian Flamenco Jazz Band led by Farzad Arjmand will perform Persian Flamenco style music, mixture of original and classics. Performing along with Farzad will be Felix Amirian Guitar Andy Woodhouse Bass Joey Chang Cello Pepe Jacobs Drums. $20 Cover Charge.

Video Pick Of The Week..

On The Sly:In Search Of The Family Stone…Michael Rubenstone, a first-time filmmaker, and Sly and the Family Stone super fan, sets out to find the band’s leader, the reclusive funk legend – Sly Stone. In doing so, he manages to make the most comprehensive documentary on the band to date, while also bringing Sly out of hiding for the first time since his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 1993. Part road movie, part rock doc, On the Sly follows Michael over the course of ten years, across the United States, as he unearths the true story of the band and chronicles how a musical icon fell from grace. Along the way he meets members of the original Family Stone, some eclectic characters who soothe his soul, and some who make him question his search entirely. Through detailed interviews we learn about the complexity of Sly Stone, all while grappling with the question, “Why do we search for our heroes?” Is it to find answers from them, or ultimately to find answers within ourselves? Hit the road and join the search!