CARIBBEAN ALLSTARS The Caribbean Allstars, pioneers on the Bay Area reggae scene, return to Ashkenaz on Saturday Nov. 14 at 9:30 p.m. The ensemble, whose geographical roots range from Jamaica and South America to West Africa and the U.S., began joining together their musical forces and international backgrounds during the early 1970s. Not only do the Caribbean Allstars play Jamaican reggae with a traditional electric bass-drums-guitars-keyboards lineup, they also add steel drums to bring in South Caribbean calypso and soca styles of Trinidad and Tobago, producing rhythms that drive listeners to the dance floor. Tickets: $15 ($10 for students). More info at Ashkenaz.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING SESSION The City of Berkeley is holding a community learning session on Saturday Nov. 14, 10 a.m. to noon, titled, “Affordable Housing 101: What does it take to build and how do we get more of it?” Speakers include: Gloria Bruce and Jeff Levin of the East Bay Housing Organizations; Susan Friedland and Eve Stewart of the Satellite Affordable Housing Associates; Dan Sawislak of Resources for Community Development; and Amy Davidson from the City of Berkeley. Learn more on the city website. The session, which will focus on the Adeline Corridor, is at South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St., 10-12.
UNIVERSITY AND CHAMBER CHORUS: ANCIENT POETRY IN NEWER MUSIC On Saturday at 8 p.m., Marika Kuzma directs a concert of poetry from the Egyptian pharaohs, Lao Tsu, Chaucer, Hildegard of Bingen, Rinkart, and Martin Luther King as re-imagined by composers of later millennia. The concert will include excerpts from Maa’at Musings and Visions of Glory by Trevor Weston, an excerpt from House of Cards by Jeffrey Davis and Mendelssohn’s uplifting Lobgesang. Saturday Nov. 14, 8pm, Hertz Hall, UC Berkeley campus. Tickets $16/12/5, with a 7:15pm pre-concert lecture by composer Trevor Weston (for ticket-holders).
STOVETOP BREWING WORKSHOP Learn how to brew a 1-gallon batch of all-grain beer on your stovetop at a BioFuel Oasis-organized workshop at the Sticky Art Lab, 1682 University Ave. (at McGee) on Sunday Nov. 15, 2-5pm. The class will focus on how to brew a great harvest time ale, American Rye Wheat Beer. Participants will go through all the steps of brewing beer: mashing, sparging, boiling, cooling, pitching, fermenting, and bottling, and will do it on a scale that’s easy for anyone with a kitchen stovetop and a stockpot. They will also learn about the history and chemistry of beer. Students should bring a bottle of their favorite American Wheat beer to share. Everyone will go home with homebrewed beer they bottled themselves. Instructor Gilbert Guerrero is an Oakland homebrewing enthusiast. Details at BioFuels Oasis.
MOTHER’S MILK: A BLUES RIFF IN THREE ACTS The Marsh Berkeley presents Wayne Harris’ new solo show, a music-infused coming-of-age tale. Written by Wayne Harris, composed by Randy Craig with assistance from John McArdle, and directed by David Ford, Mother’s Milk is playing through Dec. 10, with performances Thursdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 5 p.m. at The Marsh Berkeley Cabaret, 2120 Allston Way. For tickets ($20-$35 sliding scale, $55-$100 reserved), visit The Marsh online.
Don’t miss these other events featured on Berkeleyside:
Exuberant send-up of ‘Pirates of Penzance’ at Berkeley Rep
Accordion time: Traveling with Rob Reich in Berkeley
Big Screen Berkeley: What Our Fathers Did
To find out what is going on in Berkeley and nearby, be sure to check out Berkeleyside’s Events Calendar. And submit your own events: it’s self-serve and free.
