Suzie and David's Picks: Beach House, Nick Lowe, and a Sinatra Centennial

Friday, Dec. 11: Nick Lowe’s Quality Holiday Revue with Los Straitjackets at the Great American Music Hall, SF. Celebrate Lowe’s wry acerbic wit — and new live album in this one-two punch. This show also moves to City Winery Napa on Saturday. Details here. 

Friday, Dec. 11 – Sunday, Dec. 13: Frank Sinatra 100th birthday celebrations at Herbst Theatre, Feinstein’s at the Nikko, and the Oakland Symphony. The show at the Herbst marks “Sinatra at 100,” with singer Noah Griffin, who says Sinatra’s enduring legacy is that “he speaks the emotional language of love.” Check the Herbst, Feinstein’s, and Oakland Symphony’s websites for details.

Opening Saturday, Dec. 12: UNEARTHED: Found + Made at the Oakland Museum of California. Six new works by artist Jedediah Caesar, who imitates geological processes in the process of making his sculptures, casting found material from the urban environment in resin and slicing cast pieces to reveal the material within. Plus, 21 works by members of the California Suiseki Society and the San Francisco Suiseki Kai. Details here. 

Thursday, Dec. 17 – Saturday, Dec. 19: Beach House at The Fillmore. The dreamy duo dropped not one but two albums this year, and both serve as the perfect soundtrack to some of these grey days we’ve been having. They play three nights in SF. Details here. 

Now through Tuesday, Dec. 22: ‘Nutcracker Sweets’ at Cowell Theater at Fort Mason, SF. This holiday classic is being performed all over the Bay Area this week, but this offbeat, 50-minute presentation is especially geared toward kids. Details here. 

Shoutouts:

Chris Isaak has a new album, First Comes The Night — his first of originals since 2009. He’s at the Golden State  Theatre in Monterey Friday, Dec. 11, The Fox in Redwood City Dec. 12and the Uptown in Napa on Dec. 13. Details here.

And the monthly Story Showdown features storytellers like Marga Gomez and folks from Snap Judgment, throwing down for the audience’s love…and a cash prize, of course. At Oakland’s Awaken Cafe Thursday, Dec. 17. Details here.