Arts & Culture :: Music

Q-Music: 12 inches of queer music

Q-Music: 12 inches of queer music

  • by Gregg Shapiro
  • Sep 12, 2023

Our voracious music reviewer Gregg Shapiro shares new and reissued sounds from General Public, Nora Kelly Band, Veronica Swift and Worriers.

Going Out, Sept. 7-15, 2023

Going Out, Sept. 7-15, 2023

  • by Jim Provenzano
  • Sep 7, 2023

What's your pleasure? Dramatic stage plays, beguiling art exhibits, hunky dudes dancing to funky grooves? How about a full-out Pridefest in Oakland? We've got arts and nightlife events, in abundance, this week and every week in our expansive listings.

'Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical' at A.C.T. — Dominique Morisseau engineers an inventive new jukebox

'Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical' at A.C.T. — Dominique Morisseau engineers an inventive new jukebox

  • by Jim Gladstone
  • Sep 5, 2023

Playwright Dominique Morisseau returns to the Bay Area for the premiere production of "Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical" for which she wrote the book, after a fortunate coincidence that fueled an invigorating musical treasure hunt.

LGBTQ History Month playlist

LGBTQ History Month playlist

  • by Gregg Shapiro
  • Sep 5, 2023

We've got a select batch of new music from artists you may know, a few that you likely don't but should, and a musical score you have to love.

Back to classics: fall music preview

Back to classics: fall music preview

  • by Philip Campbell
  • Aug 29, 2023

We're back in business, back to school and it's time to plan your autumn concert-going. Single tickets and subscriptions are on sale now. So, grab a pumpkin spice latte and look at some tempting offerings of the new season.

Quirky queer pop & comedy: one-night-only acts to catch

Quirky queer pop & comedy: one-night-only acts to catch

  • by Jim Gladstone
  • Aug 29, 2023

An esoteric collection of pop acts and comedians with distinct queer appeal will make their way through the Bay Area this season. Here are some of the most intriguing.

Q-Music: queer in your ear all year

Q-Music: queer in your ear all year

  • by Gregg Shapiro
  • Aug 15, 2023

Our music writer shares new grooves from super-queer bands Anohni and the Johnsons, The Aces, Diners, Roselit Bone and Rodeo Boys. Listen up!

'Tina' teeters but its star shines: Turner bio-musical plays the Golden Gate

'Tina' teeters but its star shines: Turner bio-musical plays the Golden Gate

  • by Jim Gladstone
  • Aug 8, 2023

The unbridled live energy that will send "Tina" audiences home trilling the producers' hoped for review —"Simply the best, better than all the rest"— is only part of the jukebox biographical musical about the life of music legend Tina Turner.

Belinda Carlisle: Still mad about her music

Belinda Carlisle: Still mad about her music

  • by Gregg Shapiro
  • Aug 1, 2023

Belinda Carlisle is the definition of a music legend. Her new EP, "Kismet" includes dance floor-ready bops. She discussed her work ahead of her SF concert on August 20.

The past recaptured: Out conductors bring back classical rarities

The past recaptured: Out conductors bring back classical rarities

  • by Tim Pfaff
  • Aug 1, 2023

New recordings of operas and symphonies by Gaspare Spontini, Sergei Rachmaninoff and Franz Schreker have been released, led by a trio of prominent gay conductors.

'Out of Site: Sylvester, the Mighty Real' — immersive theater experience tells fab tales

'Out of Site: Sylvester, the Mighty Real' — immersive theater experience tells fab tales

  • by Jim Gladstone
  • Aug 1, 2023

Local theater company EyeZen Presents will debut "Sylvester: The Mighty Real," a performance-walking tour that celebrates the life and cultural impact of Sylvester James, Jr., the San Francisco-based dance music diva.

Lucinda Williams: Grammy-winning singer-songwriter on her new music, memoir and tour

Lucinda Williams: Grammy-winning singer-songwriter on her new music, memoir and tour

  • by Gregg Shapiro
  • Jul 25, 2023

Lucinda Williams has left an indelible mark on contemporary Americana, country, blues, pop, and rock music, and despite setbacks emerges victorious on record and in print in 2023.

Shelly Lares: Tejano country singer's musical life

Shelly Lares: Tejano country singer's musical life

  • by Laura Moreno
  • Jul 18, 2023

This year Shelly Lares was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award at this year's Tejano Music Awards Show. At 51, she's been singing professionally 41 years, admired for her unique blend of Tejano country music, and only recently came out.

Help is On the Way 27: REAF's latest dazzling fundraiser

Help is On the Way 27: REAF's latest dazzling fundraiser

  • by David-Elijah Nahmod
  • Jul 11, 2023

Cast members from the new touring company of the classic musical "Les Miserables" will join other Broadway and cabaret stars at the Marines' Memorial Theater on July 16 for "Help is On the Way 27: Broadway & Beyond," the latest REAF fundraiser.