Music

• Date(s) & Time(s): Thu May 7, 8:00 PM
• Duration: 60 minutes
• Venue: Fingersnaps Media Arts
• Location: 3527 20th St, SF, CA 94110
• Ticket Information: Early Bird: $20, Advance: $25, Door: $30

Singer-Songwriter Ariel B, accompanied by Lamar Green on keyboards, presents an evening of original compositions including her new EP Unwrapped as well as some beloved jazz classics.

• Date(s) & Time(s): Sun May 10, 2:30 PM
• Duration: 45 minutes
• Venue: Muddy Waters Coffee & Lounge
• Location: 521 Valencia St, SF, CA 94110
• Ticket Information: Early Bird: $20, Advance: $25, Door: $30

Lisa Mezzacappa and Bruce Ackley are long time collaborators and no strangers to spontaneously conceived soundscapes. Lisa on double bass and Bruce on soprano sax and clarinet will offer a set of compelling improvised music that will explore the timbres and sonic qualities of two extremely different instruments.

• Date(s) & Time(s): Sun May 10, 2:00 PM
• Duration: 60 minutes (no intermission)
• Venue: Community Music Center
• Location: 544 Capp St, SF, CA 94110
• Ticket Information: Early Bird: $20, Advance: $25, Door: $30

Conspiracy of Venus returns to SFIAF in 2026 with music celebrating the power of the human voice to build community, oppose fascism, and create beauty.

• Date(s) & Time(s): Fri May 1, 7:00 PM
• Duration: 60 minutes w/out intermission
• Venue: Community Music Center
• Location: 544 Capp St, SF, CA 94110
• Ticket Information: Free (donations accepted)

The finale of a vocal training course led by Professor Dee Spencer from San Francisco State University and vocalist and band-leader, Michelle Jacques. The program is designed for students who have an aptitude for singing and who want to develop better techniques and understanding to further their abilities as vocalists.

• Date(s) & Time(s): Sun May 3, 6:00 PM
• Duration: 110 minutes (with intermission)
• Venue: Abanico's Coffee Roasters
• Location: 2121 Mission St, SF, CA 94110
• Ticket Information: Early Bird: $20, Advance: $25, Door: $30

“Featuring Arwen Lawrence’s ravishing voice and guitarist Jorge Liceaga’s supple accompaniment, Cascada de Flores brings intoxicating energy to the Latin American songbook.” Andrew Gilbert. In this intimate concert of guitar and voice, the duet will add their own creativity in form of composition and poetry. And there will surely be audience participation!

• Date(s) & Time(s): Thu April 30, 8:30 PM
• Duration: 75 minutes
• Venue: The Marsh Studio
• Location: 1062 Valencia St, SF, CA 94110
• Ticket Information: Early Bird: $20, Advance: $25, Door: $30

Art is the fuel and, together, we are the power. Be recharged, inspired and energized for the resistance with fearless, truth-telling lyrics and irresistible melodies. Emma’s Revolution is the award-winning activist duo of Pat Humphries & Sandy O, whose songs have been praised by Pete Seeger, covered by Holly Near and sung at justice events around the world.

• Date(s) & Time(s): Sat May 2, 6:00 PM
• Duration: 45 minutes
• Venue: Fingersnaps Media Arts
• Location: 3527 20th St, SF, CA 94110
• Ticket Information: Early Bird: $20, Advance: $25, Door: $30

Two longtime compadres in music—artists who have toured together and played for years in this format—will present original songs and some early jazz, featuring the fingerstyle ragtime guitar and voice of Stiles and the magical trumpeting of Ellington (a descendent of Duke!) along with some sweet harmonies.

• Date(s) & Time(s): Fri May 1, 7:30 PM
• Duration: 90 minutes
• Venue: Monkeybrains
• Location: 933 Treat Ave, SF, CA 94110
• Ticket Information: Early Bird: $20, Advance: $25, Door: $30

Guided by artistic director John Calloway’s continued research into Afro Filipino heritage, the concert highlights four Afro-Filipinx artists—Ting Alvarez, Umali Horne, Jasmine Miller, and Jojo Thompson—exploring their dual identity through creative work. The ensemble will also perform music that honors the legacy of past Afro-Filipinx artists.

• Date(s) & Time(s): Fri May 8, 8:00 PM
• Duration: 60 minutes (no intermission)
• Venue: Community Music Center
• Location: 544 Capp St, SF, CA 94110
• Ticket Information: Early Bird: $20, Advance: $25, Door: $30

Lua Hadar blends global styles and languages into a unique jazz voice. Both chanteuse and raconteuse, Lua’s cosmopolitan style connects the global dots between her influences and her songs. The concert performance with her band Twist features original compositions and songs from samba to swing in a musical world voyage.

• Date(s) & Time(s): Sun May 10, 7:00 PM
• Duration: 80 minutes
• Venue: Community Music Center
• Location: 544 Capp St, SF, CA 94110
• Ticket Information: Early Bird: $17, Advance: $25, Door: $30

A concert that blends Chinese and Persian traditional aesthetics with contemporary rhythms and tonality to give voice to the changing tides of global culture. The program will include selections from traditional Chinese repertoire including "Silk Road" music. While the Persian component of the project focuses on the Daf and Dumbek.

• Date(s) & Time(s): Sat May 2, 4:30 PM
• Duration: 90 minutes
• Venue: Community Music Center
• Location: 544 Capp St, SF, CA 94110
• Ticket Information: Early Bird: $20, Advance: $25, Door: $30

More than a concert, a MOTION show is an interactive and improvisational a cappella experience. From beatboxing to layered harmonies, the performers build music in real time—inviting the audience to experience and influence how the show unfolds. No two performances are ever the same.

• Date(s) & Time(s): Sun May 3, 7:00 PM
• Duration: 120 minutes (with intermissions)
• Venue: Community Music Center
• Location: 544 Capp St, SF, CA 94110
• Ticket Information: Early Bird: $20, Advance: $25, Door: $30

Timeless Egypt: Egypt’s Legacy in Motion journeys from classical Egyptian music to contemporary Egyptian fusions with jazz, Irish, and Western classical music. Performed by Music in-Takht under violinist Basma Edrees, the concert features two exciting premieres by Basma Edrees and Moe Elshazly, celebrating Egypt’s ever-evolving musical spirit. ​

• Date(s) & Time(s): Sat May 9, 8:30 PM
• Duration: 90 minutes (no intermission)
• Venue: Community Music Center
• Location: 544 Capp St, SF, CA 94110
• Ticket Information: Early Bird: $20, Advance: $25, Door: $30

Together, Eryen Korath and Neblinas del Pacífico weaves a sonic tapestry of marimba de chonta music from the Afro-Colombian Pacific coast: music of rivers and mangroves, of percussive polyrhythms and multi-part harmonies, of spirituality and everyday life, of ancestors and tradition, of celebration and resistance.

• Date(s) & Time(s): Sat May 9, 4:30 PM
• Duration: 60 minutes
• Venue: Community Music Center
• Location: 544 Capp St, SF, CA 94110
• Ticket Information: Early Bird: $20, Advance: $25, Door: $30

Orquesta Típica Tarareando presents a range of classic and contemporary compositions, illustrating the evolution and breadth of tango from its golden age to the present day. The performance will also mark the official release of an EP the group has been working on.

• Date(s) & Time(s): Sun May 3, 6:00 PM
• Duration: 45 minutes
• Venue: Monkeybrains
• Location: 933 Treat Ave, SF, CA 94110
• Ticket Information: Early Bird: $20, Advance: $25, Door: $30

"We live in a moment where everyone can make a difference." That’s the spirit of Pete Kronowitt and his trio, The EveryDay Items—a project that drives change through hope, empathy, and realism. Join a sonic journey that celebrates resilience, creativity, and the power of community.

• Date(s) & Time(s): Sun May 3, 2:00 PM
• Duration: 75 minutes
• Venue: Community Music Center
• Location: 544 Capp St, SF, CA 94110
• Ticket Information: Early Bird: $20, Advance: $25, Door: $30

Ramya Shankar conceptualizes an interactive vocal and sonic journey exploring emotion as energy in motion. Through raga-inspired phrasing, cross-genre soundscapes, and audience participation, the performance traces stages of anger, grief, rejection, and relationships—inviting discovery, presence, and deep listening in an AI-shaped world.

• Date(s) & Time(s): Sat May 9, 8:00 PM
• Duration: 60 minutes
• Venue: Fingersnaps Media Arts
• Location: 3527 20th St, SF, CA 94110
• Ticket Information: Advance: $35, Door: $40

Rhonda Sauce presents a one-night performance of unreleased original songs, heard publicly for the first time. Stripped to voice and guitar, her work moves across genres, highlighting lyrical mastery and offering listeners a rare chance to witness songs in their first life.

• Date(s) & Time(s): Sat May 2, 8:00 PM
• Duration: 60 minutes
• Venue: Community Music Center
• Location: 544 Capp St, SF, CA 94110
• Ticket Information: Early Bird: $20, Advance: $25, Door: $30

Experience new works by Latin Grammy–nominated maestro Ramiro Boero and popular Bay Area pianist Sumi Lee, including compositions celebrating Lee’s Korean heritage and Boero’s innovative new pieces with original vocals. The Sumi Lee– Ramiro Boero Tango Duo fuses tango, classical, and jazz in a thrilling cross-cultural musical journey.

• Date(s) & Time(s): Sat May 9, 5:30 PM
• Duration: 60 minutes
• Venue: Muddy Waters Coffee & Lounge
• Location: 521 Valencia St, SF, CA 94110
• Ticket Information: Early Bird: $20, Advance: $25, Door: $30

The Black Cedar Trio re-invents the small combo with music for flute, cello and guitar. Since their founding in 2013, they have played multiple concerts throughout California. Their album, A Path Less Trod has earned critical acclaim and their music has been supported by the Zellerbach Family Foundation and InterMusicSF.

• Date(s) & Time(s): Sun May 3, 3:30 PM
• Duration: 70 minutes
• Venue: Muddy Waters Coffee & Lounge
• Location: 521 Valencia St, SF, CA 94110
• Ticket Information: Early Bird: $20, Advance: $25, Door: $30

Celebrate music’s reign in 20th-century pop culture of Europe and the Americas! Jazz, TV and film themes, rock, French waltzes, Italian folk songs, Bossa Nova, and more await in The No-Mads’ instrumental program on accordion, guitar, and percussion. Come delight in songs that maybe you’ve forgotten you know and love!

• Date(s) & Time(s): Fri May 1, 8:30 PM
• Duration: 60 minutes
• Venue: Fingersnaps Media Arts
• Location: 3527 20th St, SF, CA 94110
• Ticket Information: Early Bird: $20, Advance: $25, Door: $30

An intimate evening of songs with San Francisco singer songwriter The Welcome Matt. The performance features an hour long set including new material from the third installation of his MEMBERS OF SOUND music project, releasing a song In collaboration with various Bay Area musicians and producers beginning in March 2026.

• Date(s) & Time(s): Sat May 9, 7:30 PM
• Duration: 90 minutes
• Venue: Monkeybrains
• Location: 933 Treat Ave, SF, CA 94110
• Ticket Information: Early Bird: $20, Advance: $25, Door: $30

The Ghost of Veronica Margaret traverses through the veil to bring you an evening of folk and indie originals inspired by poems, literature, nature, and a fanciful array of stories and characters that live inside her mind.