WORLD CUP France has the best informal slogan (liberté, égalité, Mbappe!), but Croatia has perhaps the world’s best midfielder in Luka Modric. But if you’re getting up early on Sunday to watch the World Cup final you probably knew that. For the first time, you can enjoy the final in the outdoor company of fellow Berkeleyans at the magnificent outdoor screen at BAMPFA. Kickoff is at 8 a.m., but the organizers – BAMPFA and the Downtown Berkeley Association – reckon you should get there early to nab a good spot. Bring a lawn chair or blanket. Babette’s will be running a screen-side pop-up cafe with scones, coffee cake, biscuit breakfast sandwiches, coffee and chai. Sunday, July 15, 8 a.m., BAMPFA outdoor screen, corner of Addison and Oxford.
BLIND BOYS If the Blind Boys of Alabama were from Japan, they would be recognized as National Living Treasures. Here in the US, they get plenty of accolades – Grammy awards, Gospel Music Hall of Fame, lifetime achievement awards from the National Endowment for the Arts. And listen to how their manager puts their long career into context: “These men were raised as blind, African American males in the Deep South during the Jim Crow years, and they were sent to a school where the expectation for them was to one day make brooms or mops for a living. But they’ve transcended all that. The arc of their lives and of the band reflects the arc of a lot of changes in American society.” Today’s group includes two of the original band: Clarence Fountain and Jimmy Carter are marking more than 70 years (!) performing. You have to go out and hear these amazing musicians on Friday night at The UC Theatre. Friday, July 13, 8 p.m., The UC Theatre, 2036 University Ave.
DIGITAL DETOX Comedian Dan Hoyle (left) brings his solo show Each and Every Thing to The Marsh from Friday, focusing on how the media and the digital experience resonates in the Trump presidency. The San Francisco Chronicle praised the show as a “smartly constructed and highly entertaining, globe trotting ‘slow-tech movement’ embodiment of the essential need to prioritize face-to-face, real-world relationships.” Doesn’t that sound like something you need in your life? Opens Friday, July 13, 8 p.m. Performances through August 25, Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 8:30 p.m., The Marsh Berkeley, 2120 Allston Way.
SHASTA STRING Tristan and Tashina Clarridge’s 14th annual Shasta Music Summit – where master musicians from all over the world commune with colleagues and nurture young string players – has a public outlet in Saturday’s celebration at the Freight & Salvage. The evening includes folk master Jody Stecher, Indian violin maestro Kala Ramnath, Grammy-winning singer/guitarist/songwriter Sean Watkins, old-time Texas fiddling champion Matthew Hartz and many more. Saturday, July 14, 8 p.m., Freight & Salvage, 2020 Addison St.
THE MUDDY ROSES The Back Room describes The Muddy Roses’ sound as “a beautiful balance of grit and grace.” Leading the group is vocalist Liz Lewis and guitarist and songwriter John LoGiudici, which fiddle player Diana Greenberg and banjoist/pedal steel master Andrew Waegel “launch sonic trips to the front porch and the honky-tonk bar,” and the rhythm section of bass player Rob MacCloskey and drummer Rob Davis “keep the train running.” Saturday, July 14, 8 p.m., The Back Room, 1984 Bonita Ave.
Don’t miss this other event covered on Berkeleyside:
