Freebie of the week: Those who grew up hearing Steely Dan, which was founded in 1971, likely shared two reactions to the groundbreaking band. The first was amazement and joy at the sheer breadth of musical styles and tunes that Walter Brecker, Donald Fagen and company unleashed in classic albums such as “Can’t Buy a Thrill,” “Pretzel Logic” and “Aja.” From the explosive energy of “Reelin’ in the Years” and “Bodhisattva” to the more melancholy “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number” (which, despite what many surmised, was not about a drug deal gone wrong), and the more obtuse, jazz-leaning works from later recordings, Steely Dan was a group that lovers of both pop and more sophisticated album-oriented rock could sink their teeth into. The second reaction was disappointment that Steely Dan gave up playing live shows after 1974, preferring to focus on intricate sounds they could generate in the studio. But there’s good news today for fans: One of the Bay Area’s best tribute bands, Aja Vu, tackles Steely Dan’s challenging catalog with gusto, complete with jazz instrumentation. The brass and woodwinds in the lineup come in handy, too, as the group also takes on hit-laden Chicago’s jazz/pop/rock catalog. It means that there are a ton of great songs in the offing when the 20-plus-year-old Aja Vu performs a free concert as part of Redwood City’s Music on the Square concert series, now in its 20th year. The show runs from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at 2200 Broadway. Lawn chairs and/or blankets are welcome, and there is a wide choice of restaurants and takeout places nearby. More information is at www.redwoodcity.org/.
All that San Jose Jazz: The second weekend in August traditionally offers the Bay Area’s biggest music happenings, with two major festivals featuring scores and scores of top acts and rising stars. Most everyone knows about the Outside Lands Music Festival, which has evolved into one of the largest and most impressive fests in the country. It runs Friday through Sunday at Golden Gate Park (sfoutsidelands.com). Perhaps lesser known is San Jose Jazz’s Summer Fest, which brings a staggering number of jazz, blues, reggae and other acts to indoor and outdoor stages in downtown San Jose, also Friday through Sunday. Perhaps the biggest name on the 2026 bill is R&B icon Patti LaBelle, but there are many A-List acts on hand: Trombone Shorty, Afro-Cuban All Stars, Gretchen Parlato, Cyrus Chestnut, Bria Skonberg, Marcus Shelby, and more. There also are emerging artists such as 19-year-old guitar whiz Harrell Davenport (performing 8:15 p.m. on Friday) and singer Nicole Zuraitis, who’s been nominated for a Grammy two years running (winning once) and who performs 3 p.m. Saturday. There are a variety of single and three-day ticket packages available – find options, and a complete schedule, at https://summerfest.sanjosejazz.org.
Queue up the quirkiness: A quirky Wes Anderson-themed show comes to the Bankhead Theater in Livermore this weekend. The tribute is by bassist, composer and writer Marty Isenberg, best known as the writer for such animated wonders as “Beast Machines,” “Transformers: Animated” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.” The talented animator is clearly a fan of Anderson, whose films, even the live-action ones, have an animated feel about them. Isenberg and his band will perform musical renditions of David Bowie and Kinks tunes as well as portions of Anderson film soundtracks – employing what organizers describe as a “theatrical jazz” style – and improvisational performances will add to a “sonic storyboard” celebrating Anderson. Some audience participation will be involved as well. The show, titled “The Way I Feel Inside,” begins at 8 p.m. Friday at the Bankhead Theater in Livermore. Tickets are $40-$50; go to livermorearts.org.
Arias to scare ya: Operas that manage to generate spine-chilling moments are not a common phenomenon, but Benjamin Britten pulled it off in spades with the 1954 debut of his “Turn of the Screw,” an adaptation of the super-spooky novella of that name by Henry James. West Edge Opera has mounted a well-received production of the eerie masterpiece in Oakland’s Scottish Rite Center that has two remaining performances, at 3 p.m. Sunday and 8 p.m. Aug. 15. Tenor Alex Boyer stars as the Peter Quint – either the ghost of a former employee of a remote country estate where an uneasy Governess is in charge of two threatened children or a sheer figment of her imagination. (James famously left it up to his readers to decide.) Laura Bohn plays the role of the Governess, and Erin Neff is the housekeeper Mrs. Grose. Tickets to the opera, which is helmed by West Edge general director Mark Streshinsky, are $22-$182, available at westedgeopera.org.
A sensation on strings: Violinist Tessa Lark, both a consummate classical artist and an expert traditional Appalachian fiddler, will give the West Coast premiere of Rome Prize-winning composer Lisa Bielawa’s new concerto “Pulse” as part of the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music’s Grand Finale night at 7 p.m. Sunday in the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium. Written over the sixth months leading up to the 2024 presidential election, the piece is so titled because the composer has said it was “conceived as a way of keeping my pulse on American life during a period of seismic change and self-examination.” The program, with music director Cristian Măcelaru leading the Cabrillo Festival Orchestra, also includes the West Coast premieres of “Ascending Creatures” by Eunike Tanzil and “Wanderlust” by Sean Shepherd and the U.S. premiere of “Rainbow Promise” by Elena Kats-Chernin. Find tickets, $26-$96, at cabrillomusic.org.
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