Featured: Grease at The Mountain Play
Launching its 106th season, the Mountain Play returns to Mount Tam with Chelsea Holifield (Sandy) and David Crane (Danny) donning saddle shoes and leather jackets not to brave the fog but to belt out classic hits such as “Summer Nights” and “You’re the One That I Want.” If you can only pick one date to attend, June 8 is Sing Along Saturday. Cushing Memorial Amphitheatre (Mill Valley), MAY 19, 26, June 2, June 8, June 9, June 16, 415.383.1100, mountainplay.org
MUSIC
Kronos Quartet
MAY 4
Composed of two violins, a viola and a cello, this all-strings group performs its singular blend of repertoire and new works.
Kanbar Center (San Rafael)
415.444.8000, marinjcc.org
Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán
MAY 5
Making its Davies Symphony Hall debut on Cinco de Mayo, the band brings classic charro suits and Mexican string ensemble style to a hall better known for European renditions.
Davies Symphony Hall (SF)
415.864.6000, sfsymphony.org
Musae
MAY 5
Presented by Belvedere-Tiburon Landmarks Society, this concert in a monthly series at Old St. Hilary’s church is a celebration of spring.
415.435.1853, landmarkssociety.com
Jefferson Starship and Big Brother and the Holding Company
MAY 7
From the ashes of Jefferson Airplane, the long-running iteration of the band brings its sound to the North Bay for one show.
Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium (San Rafael)
415.473.7000, marincenter.org
Deva Premal & Miten with Manose
MAY 10
Meditate or groove to the East-meets-West stylings of a band that glides across the cutting edge of the worldwide chant phenomenon, performing with Nepalese bansuri maestro Manose.
Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium (San Rafael)
415.473.7000, marincenter.org
Chum: A Tribute to Phish
MAY 11
If you missed Phish at the Greek in April, sway to the epic jams and soaring grooves of Chum in this all-ages Phish tribute.
Terrapin Crossroads (San Rafael)
415.524.2773, terrapincrossroads.net
Marcus Roberts Trio
MAY 12
The final performance of the American Masters New Century’s season finds the trio the performing works by Samuel Barber, Leonard Bernstein and George Gershwin.
Kanbar Center (San Rafael)
415.444.8000, marinjcc.org
American Football and Illuminati Hotties
MAY 13
Pioneering tenderpunk (or maybe just indie rock) L.A. band Illuminati Hotties joins Illinois rock band American Football (who reunited in 2014).
Great American Music Hall (SF)
415.885.0750, slimspresents.com
The Spin Doctors
MAY 17
The band exploded onto the scene with Pocket Full of Kryptonite in 1992. Celebrate 30 years of their jam band style at this anniversary show.
Sweetwater Music Hall (Mill Valley)
415.388.3850, sweetwatermusichall.com
Santigold
MAY 18
Themes of anti-materialism, empowerment, female strength, resilience and not compromising oneself run through the reggae and Afro-Caribbean music.
Masonic (SF)
415.776.7457, sfmasonic.com
Marin Oratorio
May 18–19
Joined by the Whole Noyse, a Renaissance wind band, the singing group and 100-voiced chorus revels in Claudio Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610.
James Dunn Theatre (Kentfield)
marinoratorio.org
Non-Marching Band
MAY 21
Known as the Sewer Band, the Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District Non-Marching Band is celebrating 61 years of big band music, show tunes and musical surprises for all ages.
Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium (San Rafael)
415.473.7000, marincenter.org
San Francisco Symphony
MAY 23-25
Polish conductor Krzysztof Urbański returns to lead an audience favorite, Mendelssohn’s Italian Symphony. And Vilde Frang makes her San Francisco Symphony debut with the Elgar Violin Concerto.
Davies Symphony Hall (SF)
415.864.6000, sfsymphony.org
SF Airship
MAY 24
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Woodstock, this Jefferson Airplane experience band revels in the music of the group’s psychedelic ’60s years but carries the sound through the Jefferson Starship years, too.
Fenix (San Rafael)
415.813.5600, fenixlive.com
Christina Mueller is a long-time Bay Area food writer. She hails from the East Coast and has spent way too much time in South America and Europe. She discovered her talent as a wordsmith in college and her love of all things epicurean in grad school. She has written for Condé Nast Contract Publishing, Sunset, and the Marin Independent Journal, among others. She volunteers with California State Parks and at her childrens’ schools, and supports the Marin Audubon Society, PEN America, and Planned Parenthood. When she is not drinking wine by a fire, she is known to spend time with her extended family.
