From the Mountain Winery’s new concert season to the Oakland Symphony’s tribute to Paul Robeson, there is a lot to see and do in the Bay Area this weekend. Here’s a partial rundown.
Winery season back with big names
The Mountain Winery in Saratoga kicks off its 2025 concert series in grand style this week.
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The series gets underway on May 15 with a performance from Thievery Corporation, the acclaimed electronic music outfit — led by Rob Garza and Eric Hilton — which incorporates a wide variety of styles and genres in its popular songs and albums. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. and tickets start at $72.
On the very next night, May 16, great vocalist-pianist Diana Krall checks into the Mountain Winery for what’s sure to be a fantastic evening of standards and other material. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. and tickets start at $74.
Grammy-winning bluesman Keb’ Mo’ headlines the Hope Services Benefit Concert at the Mountain Winery on May 17. Popular jazz saxophonist Mindi Abair is also on the bill. Showtime is 6:45 p.m. and tickets start at $54.
The week closes out on May 18 with Bay Area favorite Chris Isaak, the Stockton-born crooner is best known for the haunting song “Wicked Game.” Showtime is 7:30 p.m. and tickets are $54.
Details: Mountain Winery tickets and more information are available at mountainwinery.com.
— Jim Harrington, Staff
Pore over these lost books
Even the most die-hard fans of Ernest Hemingway haven’t read his first novel. That’s because the manuscript disappeared when his wife’s suitcase was stolen from a train in Paris in 1922, and now is adrift in the underworld of lost history.
What if this mythical novel had not vanished, but was something you could grab at your local library? That’s the fascinating premise of an exhibit at the Book Club of California, which conjures real, three-dimensional books based on tomes that never saw the light of day. “Imaginary Books: Lost, Unfinished and Fictive Works Found Only in Other Books” presents an alternative library of 100-plus books from New England bibliophile Reid Byers’ collection — you can’t exactly read them, but they’re great fun to ponder.
Made by artists and bookbinders, these include William Shakespeare’s “Love’s Labour’s Won,” a sequel to “Love’s Labour’s Lost” of which no known copies exist, and Lord Byron’s juicy memoirs, burned by his publisher to protect the poet’s reputation. There are incomplete books like Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “Kubla Khan” — he wrote 54 lines before a visitor interrupted him, ruining his inspiration — and Raymond Chandler’s “Shakespeare in Baby Talk,” which translates the bard’s plays into googoo-gaga infant speech. And fans of science fiction should enjoy seeing “The Necronomicon,” made famous in the “Evil Dead” franchise, as well as — don’t panic! — “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.”
Details: Through July 21; 47 Kearny St., Suite 400, San Francisco; hours are 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday; free admission, call to confirm an appointment at 415-781-7532 (extension 3); bccbooks.org.
— John Metcalfe, Staff
Classical picks: Robeson tribute, GG Men’s Chorus
With the summer season just ahead, there are still great events wrapping up the fall/winter calendar; this weekend brings programs by the Oakland and San Francisco Symphonies, and two concerts by the Golden Gate Men’s Chorus.
Honoring Robeson: This weekend, the Oakland Symphony pays tribute to an American hero in a program titled “Paul Robeson: Here I Stand.” Music director Kedrick Armstrong conducts the work by composer Carlos Simon and librettist Dan Harder, whose score quotes from texts by Robeson, a lauded American athlete, activist and ambassador for freedom. Bass Morris Robinson sings the title role, and Ash Walker directs the Oakland Symphony Chorus. Also on the program: Brahms’ Symphony No. 2 and Jasmine Barnes’ “Sometimes I Cry.”
Details: 8 p.m. May 16; Paramount Theatre, Oakland; $25-$90; oaklandsymphony.org.
Finnish works: The San Francisco Symphony welcomes conductor Dalia Stasevska to the podium to lead the world premiere of Anna Thorvaldsdottir’s Cello Concerto; Johannes Moser is the soloist for this new work. Also on the program: Sibelius’ Symphony No. 5. The audience is welcome to arrive early on the 15th, when Thorvaldsdottir will give a pre-concert talk at 6:30. Concert 7:30 p.m.
Details: May 15-17; Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco; $30-$179; sfsymphony.org.
Glorious singing: The Golden Gate Men’s Chorus is set to perform two programs this week, one joined by the vocal group Cantus and the other with the Ragazzi Boys Choir. The programs feature choral music spanning the Renaissance to contemporary works. Performances are 8 p.m. May 17 with Cantus; 4 p.m. May 18 with Cantus and Ragazzi; both events are at Mission Dolores Basilica, San Francisco.
Details: $30-$50 per performance; $50-$90 both performances; ggmc.org.
— Georgia Rowe, Correspondent
Dancing to classic stories
Bay Area dance fans can look forward to adaptations of two classic works being performed this weekend. Here’s a look.
New Ballet: San Jose-based New Ballet serves up an old classic — arguably the best known and most loved work in classical ballet — “Swan Lake,” for four performances Saturday and Sunday. Featuring the iconic score from Tchaikovsky, which will be performed live by the New Ballet Orchestra, this two-hour semi-streamlined production is a good bet for a family outing.
Details: 2 and 7 p.m. May 17, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. May 18 (the early show May 18 is specifically aimed at young dance fans); Hammer Theatre Center, San Jose; $25-$111; newballet.com.
Diablo Ballet: The Walnut Creek company will take dance fans down a rabbit hole (figuratively speaking, we assume) with a world premiere production of “Alice in Wonderland” on May 16 and 17. The new adaptation of the beloved children’s novel is by acclaimed choreographer Brian Enos, and features the traditional score built on music by Prokofiev and Shostakovich. Also on the program is the company premiere Gerald Arpino’s “Reflections,” created in 1971 for the Joffrey Ballet.
Details: 7:30 p.m. May 16, 2 and 7:30 p.m. May 17; Lesher Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek; $30-$58; diabloballet.org.
— Randy McMullen, Staff
Freebie of the week
It began 46 years ago as the Prune Festival, but don’t let that scare you. This annual event in downtown Campbell has nothing to do with increasing your daily intake of fiber or potassium (not that there’s anything wrong with that). Its origins in the ‘70s were more along the lines of celebrating the region’s history as a significant supplier of fruit, via the farming and canning industries. But these days, it’s called the Boogie Festival and it’s all about the music. Free music. From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 17 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 18, more than 30 musical acts will perform on three stages and an area called “DJ Central.” You’ll find everything from the roots-rocking, “Black Crowes meets Janis Joplin” Pearl Alley Band to the multi-genre dance/party band The Rockafellas; not to mention pop and surf rock (The Iconics); jazz and blues (Lauren Halliwell and the Dirty Sound); Americana (Anthony Arya Band), Southern rock (Vitalsign Band) and a wide mix of pop, rock and R&B (Cocktail Monkeys). You can also check out the 120 artisan booths at the festival or the wide variety of entertainment acts on the Community Stage (which on Sunday will host a battle of the bands). There will also be food and drink booths available as well as a KidZone with fun stuff for the young ‘uns.
Details: A complete list of performers and other attractions, plus details on parking options and other key information is available at campbellboogie.com/
— Bay City News Foundation
Great shows at the Freight
The Freight & Salvage Coffee House, which these days mostly refers to itself as The Freight , is mostly known as a folk music joint. But if you have been under the illusion that this means that the iconic music club serves up a steady stream of guys in overalls plucking banjos and rehashing old “Hee Haw “ routines, you need to get better acquainted with The Freight, which was founded nearly six decades ago. This weekend, for example, points to the wide-ranging and rich musical lineup that makes The Freight one of the most interesting and beloved music clubs in East Bay history.
On May 16 and 17, the Freight hosts the legendary Cuban guitarist and singer-songwriter Eliades Ochoa, whose involvement with Cuaterto Patria as well as the Buena Vista Social Club have helped cement his multi-generational reputation as one of Cuba’s most revered performers. The dance floor at The Freight will be open for both shows, which means there are no assigned seats. Both performances kick off at 8 p.m., tickets are $54-$59. On May 17 and 18, the talented and versatile guitarist Bill Frisell returns to the Bay Area for a pair of performances. He’ll be backed by his band Good Dog, featuring pedal steel guitarist Greg Leisz (a frequent Frisell collaborator), bassist Tony Scherr, and drummer Kenny Wollesen. Show times are 8 p.m. May 17 and 7 p.m. May 18; 54-$74.
Details: Tickets and more information available at thefreight.org.
— Bay City News Foundation
Traversing the globe in song
For only his second formal time at the podium, Joseph Castro, newly minted artistic director of the Livermore-based Valley Concert Chorale, takes the ensemble on “A Choral Journey” that they are dubbing “The Sound of Hope and Love.” Many different cultures will be represented in the program, which will be sung in English, Spanish, Hebrew, Latin and other languages, with Castro promising, “Every season of life will be represented in our music selections.” Eric Whitacre’s “Five Hebrew Love Songs,” with string quartet accompaniment, is in the lineup, as areDolly Parton’s “Light of a Clear Blue Morning,” Gibbs’ and Burchards’ “Eternal Hope,” Paul Simon’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” Shawn Kirchner’s “I’ll Be on My Way” and more. Performance times are 7:30 p.m. May 17at Resurrection Lutheran Church (a new venue for the Chorale at 7557 Amador Valley Blvd. in Dublin) and 4 p.m. May 18 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Pleasanton.
Details: Find tickets, $30, at valleyconcertchorale.org.
— Bay City News Foundation
Showcase for a developing star
At age 20, Wisconsin-based cellist Amelia Zitoun already has a string of performance medals as long as her arm, including most recently, second prize in the prestigious International Klein String Competition for 2024. As a result of that honor, she is $3,500 richer and has an upcoming solo turn with the San Jose Chamber Orchestra, where she will be featured in Luigi Boccherini’s Cello Concerto No. 7 in G Major. Also on the program, which will be conducted by Anthony Quartuccio, are William Susman’s 2006 “To the Forgotten of Hurricane Katrina,” his zydeco-infused response to that horrific disaster, and Antonin Dvorak’s five-movement Serenade for Strings in E Major.
Details: 7 p.m. May 18; St. Francis Episcopal Church, San Jose; $15-$75; sjco.org.
— Bay City News Foundation
