The Bay Area is a hub of artistic expression, attracting artists, writers and musicians from around the globe to live, work and create. We highlight some of the offerings here.
Freebie of the week: While the Bay Area’s free concert scene typically is in high gear in spring, summer and fall, music lovers don’t have to wait to catch some no-cost shows. This week, Civic Center Soundtrack free concerts launch at Fulton Plaza, between San Francisco Main Library and the Asian Art Museum. The series, part of a larger drive by the city to pump up public art and entertainment offerings at Fulton, Civic Center and UN plazas, is slated to offer free shows from noon to 3 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays through August. We’re talking some 75 concerts featuring a wide variety of performers and styles. On Thursday, the series welcomes Bay Area underground band Bite, which, serves up “fast, loud, sexy, trashy down and dirty punk and roll” (you can also catch the band at Bottom of the Hill on Feb. 23); piano-and-beat instrumentalist John Shearer; and singer-songwriter-guitarist JW Blunt, whose lively tune “Time Traveling Tamale Lady” can be heard along with other tracks on his YouTube channel. On Friday, catch Manos Lindas, a three-piece genre-blending “cultural melting pot” outfit; XtinaM, a goth-tinged power-ballad singer; and electronic musician Young Sun, who blends field recording and acoustic instruments in his sound. The series is put on by Illuminate/City of Awe. Upcoming attractions coming to the area include cornhole boards and foosballs tables as well as a LED installation at UN Plaza. And the city Recreation and Parks Department is hosting a free Bay Area Skate Fest at UN/Fulton Plaza from 1-3 p.m. Sunday (go to https://sfrecpark.org/calendar for details). For more on the concert series, go to https://illuminate.org/events.
Another freebie: Civic Center is not the only district in San Francisco looking to spruce up its entertainment value. It’s no secret that COVID, the fentanyl epidemic and shifting economic patterns have taken a toll on the city’s downtown. Downtown SF, a private-public partnership aiming to revitalize the Financial District and downtown, has helped sponsor more lighting, public art, outdoor dining and outdoor events ranging from gatherings to yoga and fitness classes. There’s also a new entertainment zone called Landing at Leidesdorff, on Leidesdorff Street, near Washington and Battery streets. On Thursday, the site is hosting its second Theatre! On Thursday free outdoor movie, with a 6 p.m. screening of Ryan Coogler’s blockbuster superhero film “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” (the sequel to his “Black Panther” film). Free popcorn, hot chocolate and coffee will be available. Note: The event is free but with limited seating. Reserving a seat at downtownsf.org is a good idea. If you happen to be in the Leidesdorff Street area around lunchtime on Thursday, you can catch a free show from noon to 2 p.m. by Mikiya Matsuda, a steel guitarist who specializes in Swing-era Hawaiian music. Other free concerts, comedy shows and film screenings are planned. You can find more information on the entertainment offerings and the group behind them at downtownsf.org.
Hot winter jazz: San Jose Jazz is best known for its awesome Summer Fest, which turns downtown into a bustling buffet of jazz, blues, Latin and other performances every August. But the organization also presents cool Winter Fest/New Works concerts beginning this week. On Friday, check out Colombian-born singer Diana Trujillo, who performed with the Bay Area band La Misa Negra for years until reinventing herself in 2020 as the solo act Chika Di. She’s known for a high-voltage blend of Latin, electronic, afro and pop sounds as well as powerful vocals. On Saturday, San Jose pianist and composer Dahveed Behroozi takes the stage. He’s been a mainstay in the Bay Area music scene for some time as a band leader and supporting musician acclaimed for his talent and versatility. He is comfortable tackling jazz, classical, new music, pop and ambient sounds. Upcoming performers include guitarist Hristo Vitchev (Feb. 23), keyboardist Sundra Manning (Feb. 24), and the incomparable bassist, composer and activist Marcus Shelby (March 1), among others. The series runs through March 9 at the San Jose Jazz Break Room, 310 S. First St., San Jose. Tickets to most concerts are $10. Go to sanjosejazz.org.
A triple treat: To those of you who are not already subscribers to San Francisco Performance’s current season—too bad! You do not get into the next intriguing program for free. As one of its two “gift concerts” for the season, the organization is presenting a powerhouse trio: Cellist Jonathan Swensen, a 2022 Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient; violinist Stephen Waarts, first prize winner at the 2014 Menuhin Competition; and pianist Juho Pohjonen, acclaimed internationally as an orchestral soloist and chamber performer since he was selected by Andras Schiff as the winner of the 2009 Klavier Festival Ruhr Scholarship. On their recital program, taking place at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Herbst Theatre are the Shostakovich Piano Trio in C minor, “Janáček’s “Pohádka (Fairy Tale)” for cello and piano and Franck’s Piano Trio in F-sharp minor. Tickets for non-subscribers, at $45, can be obtained at sfperformances.org or by calling (415) 392-2545. Catch a preview of the Franck piece here.
Roaring in like a . . . dragon: We doubt there will be much fire-breathing going on, but the San Francisco Symphony, under the baton of guest conductor Mei-Ann Chen, ushers in the Lunar New Year in Davies Hall at 5 p.m. Saturday with a program that does include music from celebrated Chinese-American composer Tan Dun’s Violin Concerto “Fire Ritual,” with guest soloist Paul Huang. In fact, all of the composers for the concert celebrating the Year of the Dragon are of Asian heritage, with Huan-zhi Li’s “Spring Festival” Overture kicking things off. Other musical contributions come from Phoon Yew Tien (“New Year Greetings”), Vivian Fung (“Pizzicato”), Chen Ge Xin (“Gong Xi Gong Xi”) and more. Though the music starts at 4, come an hour earlier for festivities in the lobby that include dragon dancers, fortune readers, calligraphy artists and more. Tickets, $39-$109, are available at sfsymphony.org and (415) 864-6000.