J. Dilla Fest, courtesy. Talib Kweli, Imani from The Pharcyde and other artists will perform a memorial show in honor of the late Detroit rapper J. Dilla in February, with some of the proceeds going to the James Dewitt Yancey Foundation which is dedicated to Arts & Music Education. Dilla…

BottleRock Napa Valley 2019. Courtesy Christopher Helkey. The producers of BottleRock Napa Valley will sell a limited number of advance tickets to the 2022 iteration of the festival before the holidays. The holiday presale three-day general admission, VIP, Skydeck and Platinum tickets will go on sale on Dec. 7…

Composer Stephen Sondheim speaks at the Great Writers Thank Their Lucky Stars annual gala hosted by The Dramatists Guild Fund on Oct. 21, 2013 in New York. Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for Dramatists Guild Fund. Editor’s note: We at RIFF wanted to address the passing of theater genius…

SF Sketchfest, courtesy Bill Plympton. Tributes to Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong, original “Saturday Night Live” cast member and comedian Laraine Newman and actor David Alan Grier, a roast of “Evil Dead” star Bruce Campbell, dozen of sketch and band-up comics and numerous podcast tapings were announced as part of…

The Fox Theater, closed, on the afternoon of March 17, 2020, the first day of a shelter-in-place to combat coronavirus. UPDATED on Nov. 11, 10:15 a.m. — A woman waiting for doors to open for a concert at Oakland’s Fox Theater was struck by a stray bullet Wednesday afternoon,…

Concept rendering, courtesy The Guild Theatre. The Guild Theatre in Menlo Park will reopen a a concert hall run by the nonprofit Peninsula Arts Guild. The remodeled 500-capacity performance space will present national touring acts like Strfkr as well as local artists. The venue operators announced an initial lineup on Tuesday,…

Attendees pose with Ranger Dave and Ranger Ruth at Outside Lands in San Francisco on Oct. 29, 2021. Adam Pardee/STAFF. SAN FRANCISCO — The last time San Francisco staged an outdoor music festival in October, torrential rain pummeled Treasure Island several years ago, stalling multiple sets and sending thousands…

“HAMILTON,” courtesy Joan Marcus/Broadway San Jose. Before regathering at San Francisco’s Orpheum Theatre in July to rehearse and re-kick-off their tour, the last time the cast of “Hamilton” had gathered in the same room was on March 11, 2020. “Hamilton” Running through Sunday, Oct. 31 Center for the Performing…

Attendees at Halloween Meltdown at Mosswood Park in Oakland on Oct. 16, 2021. Sean Liming/STAFF. OAKLAND — One by one, they shuffled onto the small stage at Mosswood Park on MacArthur Boulevard; a squid, the Swedish Chef, David Bowie, the twins from “The Shining,” Cheech and Chong, Peg from…

Dave FM. Longtime Bay Area alt-rock radio station KITS 105.3 has been rebranded to the “adult hits” format DAVE FM by Audacy, which operates the station. The station, for many years called “Live 105” before Entercom Radio merged with CBS Radio in 2017, has been in steady decline in recent…