We know it’s frustrating when your favorite artist comes to town and bots buy up all the tickets before you know it. So, starting this week, we’ve added a section at the end of the round-up to give you a heads-up on hot shows going on sale soon. While this doesn’t guarantee you’ll score tickets, it will help you plan ahead. As for this week, there are events for testing out your storytelling skills, a concert by the lake, a chance to learn more about a Central American indigenous language, and more.
We are also looking at ways to improve the roundup and overall coverage of events and concerts in the Town. Let us know what you’d like to see.
As always, if there’s something you’d like me to consider for this weekly list, email me at azucena@oaklandside.org. And if you want to promote something on our calendar, you can use the self-submission form on our events page.
StorySlam Oakland: Honesty
Two protagonists from last month’s StorySlam. Credit: courtesy of StorySlam
The premise of the slam is simple: You throw your name in a hat for a chance to tell a 5-minute-or-less true story in which you are the protagonist. The theme for this month’s open-mic storytelling is “honesty,” and it can be interpreted in many ways— a time you were honest and the consequences or an instance when honesty wasn’t the best policy. This month’s featured storyteller is Bay Area comedian Matt Gubser. Here’s your chance to tell an interesting tale or just show up and enjoy an evening of storytelling, food, and drinks.
Wednesday, May 22, doors open at 6:30 p.m., $15-$17, The Sound Room, 3022 Broadway
Love Our Lake summertime campaign
Once the weather gets warmer, people flock to Lake Merritt, the nation’s oldest designated wildlife refuge, to gather, bird watch, soak in the sun, and enjoy patronizing some of the many local vendors who shop around the lake. That’s why Children’s Fairyland, Oakland Museum of California (OMCA), the Oakland Public Library, Visit Oakland, the Oakland Parks & Recreation Foundation, and the Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce Oakland are teaming up to show love to the “jewel of Oakland” for a series of summertime events and concerts running from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. The series starts with the Concert & Community Picnic in the Park featuring SambaFunk! with King Theo, Jazz Mafia, and OSA Jazz Combo. Kev Choice will serve as Master of Ceremonies. Visit Oakland has a calendar with this and other events happening throughout the summer around the lake.
Saturday, May 25, 1 p.m to 4 p.m., free to attend, Lakeside Park, Edoff Memorial Bandstand
Mam History: Oakland Notes on the History of Mayan-Mam Language book release event
Oakland historian and educator Javier Armas teamed up with Mayan-Mam natives and high school students Lorena Mendoza and Miguel Ortiz Martin to learn about Mayan-Mam history. They conducted more than 25 interviews with Mam speakers and reviewed 30 academic history books and 30 academic articles to produce the book out now. In the past decade, Oakland has welcomed countless Guatemalan immigrants who have built community in Fruitvale and other neighborhoods. To celebrate the release of the book, Armas is hosting a book release community event at Tacos Los Michoacanos in the heart of Fruitvale. There will be copies of the book available for purchase.
Saturday, May 25, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., free to attend, 3524 International Blvd.
F*gs and Friends Presents: The Watermelon Cabaret
F*gs and Friends are a group of young, queer artists who put on avante-garde cabaret-style shows. This year’s production is called The Watermelon Cabaret, which will focus on political education using clowns, drag, belly dancers, comedians, opera singers, and more. Proceeds from the show will go towards helping Palestinian families evacuate Gaza and The Tribunal Project, an East Bay Indigenous research collective committed to community sovereignty. The production will have a second show in San Francisco on Saturday, June 1.
Saturday, May 25, 7 p.m., $5-$100, 510 Firehouse, 815 Alice St.
Tickets on sale this week: Kirk Franklin, the reunion tour
Nineteen-time Grammy-award-winning producer, songwriter, and artist Kirk Franklin is embarking on a 33-date tour kicking off on Sept. 6 in Philadelphia. Gospel music icons Yolanda Adams, Fred Hammond, Marvin Sapp, and The Clark Sisters are joining him as co-headliners on this tour across the country. Kierra Sheard-Kelly will also join the tour as a special guest across all dates. The tour will stop at the Oakland Arena on Friday, Nov. 1. Tickets go on sale this Wednesday at 10 a.m. on Ticketmaster. Friday, Nov. 1, 7 p.m., tickets on sale on Wednesday, May 22, 10 a.m.
