Radio Show: From the Couch to the Subway

Lewis Watson

The venerable institution of singer-songwriterdom seems to be enjoying a renaissance, or perhaps it’s just that music’s current playing field offers a level surface for solo performers to connect with fans. Lewis Watson’s success could be attributed partly to the latter, in combination with his winsome voice and unguarded willingness to share his songs with his YouTube followers. Only twenty-two, the Oxford native already has multiple EPs to his name, as well as the recently released album The Morning. Details and ticket information here.

‘Breakfast with Mugabe’

The Aurora Theatre Company presents the West Coast premiere of Fraser Grace’s Breakfast with Mugabe, which offers a 90-minute session with the infamous African dictator and his psychiatrist. The 2005 script sprung from a news report that Mugabe sought out the services of a white psychiatrist during a bout of depression. There have been well-received productions in both London and New York, with the small cast given ample material to impress. Details and ticket information here.

‘Keith Haring: The Political Line’

The de Young presents more than 100 works in this major retrospective of Keith Haring’s prolific, yet sadly short career. Focusing on Haring’s response to nuclear disarmament, injustice, and inequality, the exhibit showcases many different types of works, including large-scale paintings, sculptures, and the artist’s famous subway drawings. Curated by Dieter Buchhart. Details and ticket information here.

‘Tchaik 5 & Brothers in Arts’

The Oakland East Bay Symphony opens their 2014-15 season with Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 and a new composition by Chris Brubeck and Guillaume Saint-James entitled Brothers in Arts: 70 Years of Liberty, an homage to their fathers and the events of D-Day. This concert will also be simulcast for free on Oakland’s Great Wall and at the Craneway Pavilon in Richmond. Details and ticket information here.

Con Brio

Fronted by the charismatic Ziek McCarter, Con Brio may be reminiscent of many legendary soul acts from decades past but stake their own claim with a powerful fusion of blues, funk, and San Francisco psychedelia. Their upcoming shows at the Rickshaw Stop and San Jose’s Poor House Bistro celebrate the release of the band’s latest single, “Give It All.” Details and ticket information here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZPuJr-woOA#t=29