From a famed Bay Area monologist to a free blues bash and a longtime popular sketch comedy troupe, there is a lot to see and do in the Bay Area this weekend and beyond.
Here is a partial roundup.
Kornbluth: On depression and despots
Josh Kornbluth has established himself over the years as one of the Bay Area’s best storytellers.
His mostly autobiographical comedic solo shows have found him musing on everything from taxes and religion to his once-promising career in math and his powerful connection to Ben Franklin. Now he’s back at The Marsh theater in Berkeley with his latest show, “What Is to be Done?” which has been such a hit it is now on its third extension.
Even with established, scripted shows, most of Kornbluth’s performances tend to be improvisational, and that is especially so with a work that he is developing. So “What Is to be Done” will feel almost like a stand-up comedy routine, which just adds to the relaxed hilarity of it all.
That’s so despite the somewhat heavy subject matter: Kornbluth has been battling depression for several months. It’s something he equates — but doesn’t blame — on the United States’ seemingly tenuous hold on Democracy. But if all that seems too dark for comedy, rest assured that Kornbluth rarely fails to send audiences home without a smile on their faces. Unlike certain political figures, we can trust him.
Details: 7:30 p.m. Fridays through Oct. 10; The Marsh Berkeley, 2120 Allston Way; $15-$100; themarsh.org.
— Randy McMullen, Staff
Little Village brings free blues to San Jose
The Little Village Foundation is throwing a blues music party in downtown San Jose.
And it’s free — which is a ticket price we can really get behind in this (or, really, any other) economy.
Little Village’s Big Easy Block Party & Beer Fest, which highlights mostly blues artists signed to the San Francisco-based non-profit label, is set for Aug. 30. It runs 11 a.m.-8 p.m. in the Little Italy business district, which is located near SAP Center on West Saint John Street.
The lineup for the festival includes Rick Estrin & the Night Cats with Kyle Rowland, Chris Cain with Maurice Tani, D.K. Harrell with the Greaseland All-Stars, Alabama Mike with Nia Cephas, All Things Swamp, Aki Kumar Band, Mighty Mike Schermer Band, John Blues Boyd and Marina Crouse.
There are will also be more than 40 beers to taste. (We highly recommend not trying to taste all of them.)
Details: For more information, visit eventbrite.com (search for Big Easy Block Party & Beer Fest).
— Jim Harrington, Staff
Worst Film Fest slithers back
Are you a fan of films so bad they’re actually kind of good? There’s an event for that: the Worst Film Fest, now in its second year, celebrating the kind of “disasterpieces” that make audiences cringe and laugh at the same time.
Technical ineptitude, wooden dialog, concepts that never should’ve made it beyond paper — it’s all celebrated at this quirky festival of clips and short films, taking place at a sound studio in downtown Oakland on Aug. 28. “Did your budget run out? Did your actor get sick?” reads the fest’s pitch line. “Did your high concept fall flat?… Submit any project that highlights work gone wrong. All failures welcome.”
Last year’s entries included a pained version of “The Boss Baby” whose pint-sized protagonist dreams of fixing cars, a flick about an unsuccessful writer who abuses his loved ones to inspire stories for a book and something titled “Storme the Toad Crusher.” The winners walked away with toilet-inspired Absolute Worst Trophies, as awarded by the audience and guest judge Boots Riley.
It’s yet to be seen who’ll win for awfulness this year, but one thing’s certain: They’ll fail naturally. As the fest organizers decree: “No AI generated work (human-made cringe only).”
Details: 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Mama Dog Studios, 700 26th St., Oakland; $15-$20, theworstfilmfest.com
— John Metcalfe, Staff
‘Eureka Day’ back in Bay Area
“Eureka Day” is surely the quintessential “How Berkeley can you be?” play.
It received its world premiere at Berkeley’s Aurora Theatre Company in 2018, and, as stage director Josh Costello points out, “It’s a play about Berkeley parents, written by a Berkeley parent (Jonathan Spector), a Berkeley parent directing it, a Berkeley parent designing the costumes (Maggie Whitaker). … So specific to Berkeley. I had no idea if it would play someplace else.”
It not only did — in several U.S. theaters as well as London, South Australia and Austria — it also won the 2025 Tony for Best Revival of a Play for its Manhattan Theatre Club production.
Now, a Mill Valley production opening in previews on Aug. 28 is being co-produced with Aurora with most of the original cast and crew intact. And the Berkeley parent who directed the original (Costello) will also helm the Marin revival.
Following a series of earnest, initially politely contentious meetings of a parents’ committee at a private, conscientiously “woke” elementary school, “Eureka Day” satirizes a hot-button: vaccinations, and whether they should be instituted at Eureka Day School during a mumps outbreak. The play, designed to make you laugh and then hold serious discussions afterward, runs through Sept. 21.
Details: Presented by Marin Theatre and Aurora Theatre Company; Marin Theatre, 397 Miller Ave., Mill Valley; $44-$99; marintheatre.org.
— Bay City News Foundation
Lobsters bring the funny
The Bay Area has a deep and rich history of sketch and improv comedy. From such legendary acts as the S.F. Mine Troupe to BATS Improv to Made Up Theatre and host of other troupes and improv schools, raw and off-the-cuff humor clearly has a home in these parts. One of the best known and longer running such troupes in the Bay Area also has one of the best names going – Killing My Lobster. The troupe performed its first Bay Area gig on Valentine’s Day 1997 in a 25-seat theater in the Mission District.
As for the origins of that name, well, it kind of depends on who you ask. There’s one claim that the name was blurted out when members of the ensemble were engaged in a rigorous discussion about Lauren Hill and the Fugees. The explanation goes no further than that. Another claim is that the original members were all transplanted New Englanders who had long adopted a catch phrase – dude, you’re killing my lobster. In any event, the group is back with a new show that premieres Friday, titled “Legends and Laughter.” Its subject matter – the classically nerdtastic role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons – sure seems ripe with potential. Killing My Lobster is reportedly considering calling it quits at the end of 2025 – which means you have yet another reason to catch the 90-minute show that runs through Sept. 13 at Eclectic Theatre, 448 Valencia St., San Francisco.
Details: Tickets run $12.51 to $76.54; www.killingmylobster.com
— Bay City News Foundation
Sumptuous soundscapes on tap
Ambient music remains an oft-misunderstood genre, with many people assuming it is nothing more than elevator music with delusions of grandeur or something Brian Eno invented to irritate the bejesus out of his rock ‘n’ roll buddies. This weekend, you can hear a classic of the genre that does have a Brian Eno connection but has nothing to do with electronic music. The concert features Edward Larry Gordon – aka Laraaji – performing his breakthrough 1980 album “Ambient 3: Day of Radiance,” on autoharp, a stringed instrument similar to the zither and more often affiliated with country or Americana music than new age. As the story goes, Laraaji bought the autoharp on a spur-of-the-moment decision at a garage sale and was playing around with it in New York’s Washington Square Park when Eno walked by and found himself transfixed by what he heard. That led to Eno producing Laraaji’s recording of “Ambient 3,” which came to be recognized as one of the groundbreaking series of recordings released by Eno during the dawn of ambient music. (Eno’s “Music for Airports” is probably the best-known of the series.)
Ambient music, defined more by layers of sound than rhythm and song-structure dynamics, is not for everyone – but if you are one of those who are drawn to its quiet, soothing beauty, here is a chance to hear one of the genre’s most noteworthy recordings, played live by the artist who created it.
Details: 8 p.m. Aug. 29; Freight & Salvage, Berkeley; $39-$44; thefreight.org
— Bay City News Foundation
A dazzling duo in Berkeley
Cellist Yo-Yo Ma and singer Angélique Kidjo, both familiar and welcome figures at Cal Performances, join forces Saturday night at the Greek Theatre on the UC Berkeley campus to present their own collaborative program, “Sarabande Africaine,” which melds cultural and musical traditions from African lands with those of the West. Their concert is part of the presenting organization’s “Illuminations: Exile &Sanctuary” series, seven linked musical programs informed by academic research done on campus. The duo will be joined by pianist Thierry Vaton, percussionist David Donatien and special guest, Sudanese-American musician and multi-instrumentalist Sinkane for a touring program that has also played the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
Details: Performance time is 8 p.m.; find tickets, $60-$249, at calperformances.org.
— Bay City News Foundation
The band strikes up – again
They call themselves “the soul of the city” and for good reason. The 30 professional musicians of the Golden Gate Park Band have been playing their hearts out in a special bandshell built specifically for them 125 years ago. The band, now conducted by music director German Gonzalez, actually dates back to 1882, making them the oldest continuously operating musical organization in the city of San Francisco. Hear them for free – as always – when they give a special “9 to 5: A Labor Day Celebration” concert from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Monday at the Spreckel Temple of Music on the Music Concourse at 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. We’re thinking the “9 to 5” number Dolly Parton made famous from the movie of that name just might be on the program – who knows?
Details: More information is at www.goldengateparkband.org.
— Bay City News Foundation