The Arts of Africa: A Living Archive - Natasha Becker
2026-04-22 16:00 - 18:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Cantor Arts Center, 328 Lomita Dr, Stanford, CA, 94305, United States
Join us for the Center for African Studies’ Centering Africa Annual Lecture, a signature platform that highlights the work and intellectual contributions of leading figures shaping African and diasporic scholarship and practice. This year’s lecture, The Arts of Africa: A Living Archive, will feature Natasha Becker, the inaugural Curator of African Art at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
Info & Tickets

The Soul Sessions: ft. Tarus Mateen & Marvin 'Smitty' Smith w/Joe Warner
2026-04-22 19:00 | Black Cat, 400 Eddy St, San Francisco, CA, 94109, United States
JaZzLine INSTITUTE presents The Soul Sessions: an electrifying live music series bringing the Bay Area’s finest to the stage at Black Cat every Wednesday night, March through May. Experience world-class musicianship up close in an intimate setting where jazz, soul, gospel, funk, and R&B collide.
Seats are limited. The vibe is undeniable. Make your reservations now while supplies last. The $10 cash tickets are available at the door based on availability.
Info & Tickets

The Moth StorySLAM - DISASTERPIECE
2026-04-22 19:00 | The Freight, 2020 Addison St, Berkeley, CA, 94704, United States
The Moth StorySLAM is an open-mic storytelling competition in which anyone can share a true, personal, 5-minute story on the night’s theme. Sign up for a chance to tell a story or sit back and enjoy the show!
Parking
Center Street Garage, next door to The Freight, is currently open nightly until 1am except Sunday. More details here.
Public Transit
The Freight & Salvage is BARTable! Downtown Berkeley BART station is a half a block from the Freight. Details at bart.gov. Many AC Transit bus lines stop within a few blocks of the Freight. Details at actransit.org.
Nearby Favorites Bars/Restaurants
Revival Bar + Kitchen | 2102 Shattuck Avenue, (510) 549–9950
Comal Next Door | 2024 Shattuck Ave, (510) 422-662
Gather | 2200 Oxford Street @ Allston, (510) 809-0400
Info & Tickets

Ken Burns
2026-04-22 19:30 | San Mateo Performing Arts Center, 600 N Delaware St, San Mateo, 94401
Ken Burns has been making documentary films for almost fifty years. Since the Academy Award-nominated Brooklyn Bridge in 1981, Ken has gone on to direct and produce some of the most acclaimed historical documentaries ever made, including The Civil War; Baseball; Jazz; The War; The National Parks: America’s Best Idea; Prohibition; The Roosevelts: An Intimate History; The Vietnam War; Country Music; The U.S. and the Holocaust; The American Buffalo; and, most recently, Leonardo da Vinci.
Info & Tickets

Jerusalem Quartet
2026-04-22 19:30 | BIng Studio, 327 Lasuen Street, Stanford, CA, 94305, United States
Praised for their “passion, precision, [and] warmth,” the Jerusalem Quartet’s breadth of repertoire and depth of expression have firmly established them in the string quartet tradition. Over 30 years, the ensemble has found its core in a warm, full, human sound and egalitarian balance of voices. This program includes Janáček’s Kreutzer Sonata string quartet, inspired by a Tolstoy novella; a new work composed for the Jerusalem Quartet by Shulamit Ran; and Ravel’s sole String Quartet with its memorable pizzicato second movement.
Info & Tickets

Campolindo & Acalanes High School
2026-04-22 20:00 | Yoshi’s Oakland, 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland, CA, 94607, United States
Experience the best of high school jazz with the Campolindo and Acalanes Jazz Ensembles! These two standout groups bring their unique flair to the stage under the direction of their talented directors.
Led by Tana Barnett Scott at Campolindo High School and Edwin Cordoba at Acalanes High School, these groups are the musical powerhouses of their respective schools, performing at festivals and concerts from Lamorinda to Los Angeles to Reno.
Info & Tickets

Flow & Write Thru It
2026-04-23 - 2026-04-30 | Obsidian Healing Camp, 1200 24th St, Oakland, 94607
This chaotic society we’re living in can be depressingly overwhelming…Which is why flowing and writing through it is so important. ✍️🏾
Join our yoga classes created to connect our collective consciousness, regulate our emotions, and show love to our nervous systems.🪷 🧠🌸
Together we will release old cycles stuck in our bodies, breathe deeply, and journal. These sessions are a love letter written by and for your body. Hope to see you there ✨️🫧🫵🏾
Info & Tickets

AI is Infrastructure for Small and Mid-Sized Companies
2026-04-23 12:00 - 17:00 | Sequoyah County Club – Oakland, 4550 Heafey Rd, Oakland, 94605
AI is changing the world fast, and you need to make sure your company survives. If you run a business and need to cut through the noise and find a community that can help you understand how to benefit from and implement AI in a meaningful way. This event will give you access to AI experts, and a community of entrepreneurs that will help you survive. Lunch and Happy Hour included.
Info & Tickets

Ulysses Owens Jr. & Generation Y
2026-04-23 19:00, 2026-04-23 20:30, 2026-04-24 19:00, 2026-04-24 20:30 | SFJAZZ, 201 Franklin Street, San Francisco, CA, 94102, United States
Three-time GRAMMY-winning drummer and composer Ulysses Owens Jr. Is one of the busiest instrumentalists in modern jazz, a veteran of work with Christian McBride, Kurt Elling, and Gregory Porter. He presents his Generation Y ensemble of young masters over two nights in Joe Henderson Lab, playing music from his debut with the band A New Beat.
A first call drummer on the New York scene, the Jacksonville, Florida native is a professor at Juilliard, a co-leader of the New Century Jazz Quartet, and an active bandleader with five acclaimed albums to his name.
Info & Tickets

Sharon Brous
2026-04-23 19:30 | Sydney Goldstein Theater, 275 Hayes St, San Francisco, CA, 94102, United States
Rabbi Sharon Brous is a leading voice at the intersection of faith and justice in America. She is the founding and senior rabbi of IKAR, a trail-blazing Jewish community based in Los Angeles, and the author of The Amen Effect: Ancient Wisdom to Mend our Broken Hearts and World. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times and Washington Post.
Info & Tickets

Twista with Live Band
2026-04-23 19:30, 2026-04-23 21:30 | Yoshi’s Oakland, 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland, CA, 94607, United States
Grammy-nominated multi-platinum Recording artist Twista made his recording debut on “Po Pimp,” a platinum single by his fellow Windy City rappers Do or Die. Following “Po Pimp,” Twista signed with Big Beat/Atlantic and released his debut, Adrenaline Rush
Mobstability followed a year later, and in 1999, Twista returned with Legit Ballin’. In fall 2002, he hooked up with Ludacris, Jay-Z, Bone Thugs-N- Harmony, and others for the recording of his third album
Info & Tickets

Gerald Clayton Trio
2026-04-23 19:30, 2026-04-24 19:30 | SFJAZZ, 201 Franklin Street, San Francisco, CA, 94102, United States
Possessing an exquisite touch, astonishing technique, and a sound that somehow combines the dynamic finesse of Ahmad Jamal with the hurtling swing of Oscar Peterson, six-time GRAMMY nominee Gerald Clayton ranks among the very best pianists of his generation. He returns with his trio featuring Joe Sanders (Charles Lloyd, Kendrick Scott) and drummer Justin Brown (Thundercat, Ambrose Akinmusire) his 2025 Blue Note album Ones & Twos.
Info & Tickets

Dance Theatre of Harlem
2026-04-24 - 2026-04-25 | Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek, CA, 94596, United States
This multi-ethnic company performs a forward-thinking repertoire that includes treasured classics and innovative contemporary works that celebrate Black culture and empowerment through the arts for all.
Dance Theatre of Harlem is a leading dance institution of unparalleled global acclaim, encompassing a professional touring company, a leading studio school, and a national and international education and community outreach program. Each component of Dance Theatre of Harlem carries a solid commitment towards enriching the lives of young people and adults around the world through the arts.
Info & Tickets

FACT/SF: The Waves
2026-04-24 - 2026-04-26 | ODC Dance Theater, 3153 17th Street, San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
Get swept up in The Waves, an expansive, intimate, surreal, and impressionistic contemporary dance about sound waves, light waves, brain waves, and intersubjectivity. The piece considers how individuals experience and craft their own sense of reality. The Waves is conceived and directed by Charlie Slender-White, and utilizes Virginia Woolf’s novel of the same name as a primary source text.
Info & Tickets

Return to Forever
2026-04-24 - 2026-04-26 | Zaccho Dance Theatre, 1777 Yosemite Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94124, United States
Return to Forever centers music from a 1975 playlist as a bridge that is personal, intimate, and deeply embodied.
The playlist was created by then DJ and now Artistic Director, Joanna Haigood, who grew up listening to her father’s record collection. This work is influenced by music from her younger years and the personal discoveries made with friends. This is a collection of sonic memories that recall moments, feelings, and personal identities that might otherwise be lost.
Info & Tickets

Friday Nights at OMCA with CO-LLAB Choir
2026-04-24 17:00 - 21:00 | OMCA | Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak Street, Oakland, CA, 94607, United States
Celebrate an evening of powerful vocals, dynamic movement, and genre-spanning sounds this Friday Nights at OMCA. The Garden Stage will be transformed as CO-LLAB Choir presents an uplifting set of contemporary music and original compositions performed with a live band. Featuring standout soloists alongside the full ensemble, the Oakland-based choir brings rich harmonies and collaborative spirit to every song.
Info & Tickets

Stay in School Program: Beyond the Backpacks Awards Gala
2026-04-24 17:30 - 21:30 | Scott’s Seafood Grill & Bar (Oakland), 2 Broadway, Oakland, CA, 94607, United States
Keynote Speaker
We’re also thrilled to welcome Leon “BIP” Roberts as our Keynote Speaker. Leon is a Berkeley-born former Major League Baseball player and 1992 All-Star who spent 12 seasons in the big leagues (1986–1998) as a switch-hitting second baseman/outfielder, known for his speed and 264 career stolen bases. Today, he shares his insights as a co-host/analyst for NBC Sports Bay Area pregame telecasts and continues giving back through coaching and community involvement.
Entertainment
We are excited to announce that Top Shelf will provide the entertainment for evening. If you’ve ever experienced Top Shelf, you already know they bring incredible energy and music that keeps the room alive all evening. It is going to be a wonderful celebration of community, impact, and opportunity.
Live Auction
Get ready for fast talk, big laughs, and serious fundraising. David Aahl is the auctioneer who makes giving feel like the most fun part of the night.
More Info
Tickets

Mad Tea Party
2026-04-24 18:00 - 22:00 | Children’s Fairyland, 699 Bellevue Avenue, Oakland, 94610
Dress up in your most enchanted attire and join us for an adults-only Alice in Wonderland experience at Children’s Fairyland. As the evening sets in, the 10-acre storybook park transforms into a whimsical playground made especially for the young at heart.
Info & Tickets

Pete Rodriguez Quintet
2026-04-24 19:00, 2026-04-24 21:30 | Black Cat, 400 Eddy St, San Francisco, CA, 94109, United States
Trumpeter, vocalist, and percussionist Pete Rodríguez, featured on three Grammy-winning records, commands the stage with fiery energy and masterful artistry. He’s collaborated with legends like Tito Puente, Branford Marsalis, and Eddie Palmieri. His original compositions highlight his incredible technique and sound. With a bold, modern jazz style, his work is narrative-driven and timeless. Rodriguez has family roots in Latin jazz, he played classical music with the symphony orchestra in Puerto Rico and pursued his DMA in Jazz Performance.
Info & Tickets

The Ayo Brame Experience
2026-04-24 19:30, 2026-04-24 21:30 | Yoshi’s Oakland, 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland, CA, 94607, United States
Tenor, Soprano, and EWI saxophonist Ayo Brame was born and raised in Oakland, California. Ayo began his formal jazz studies at the Oakland School for the Arts. Initially a clarinetist, drummer, and bass player, Ayo discovered his passion for the saxophone during the pandemic, studying under the esteemed Richard Howell at Oaktown Jazz Workshops, further refining his skills at the Oakland Public Conservatory of Music, and later as part of the SF Jazz High School All Stars.
Info & Tickets

The Ayo Brame Experience
2026-04-24 21:30 | Yoshi’s Oakland, 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland, CA, 94607, United States
enor, Soprano, and EWI saxophonist Ayo Brame was born and raised in Oakland, California. Ayo began his formal jazz studies at the Oakland School for the Arts. Initially a clarinetist, drummer, and bass player, Ayo discovered his passion for the saxophone during the pandemic, studying under the esteemed Richard Howell at Oaktown Jazz Workshops, further refining his skills at the Oakland Public Conservatory of Music, and later as part of the SF Jazz High School All Stars.
Info & Tickets

Montclair Village Art Walk
2026-04-25 - 2026-04-26 | MONTCLAIR VILLAGE, 2051 Mountain Blvd, Oakland, 94611
Montclair Village Art Walk is in its 49th year and celebrates art in the outdoors when more than 50 artists from the Bay Area and beyond will be displaying their wares along the sidewalks and against the scenic backdrop of Montclair Village and the Oakland Hills. Presented by the Montclair Village Association, this free event is set to take place Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Enjoy this open-air art gallery and shop for gifts for yourself, someone special or for your office collection. Visit on Sunday and in addition to leaving with new art treasures, take home fresh produce and delectables from La Salle’s wonderful farmers’ market stalls from 9am-1pm.
Info & Tickets

My Sister’s Keeper Homebuyer Wealth Building Workshop
2026-04-25 10:00 | South East Community Center, 1550 Evans Ave, San Francisco, 94124
Join us for a powerful, community-centered Homebuyer Wealth Building Workshop designed specifically for individuals and families in urban communities who are ready to take control of their financial future. This is more than a workshop—it’s a movement toward generational wealth, stability, and ownership.
Info & Tickets
