Social Eyes: Week of Nov. 7

THURSDAY-WEDNESDAY

'HERETIC'

A pair of young, female Latter Day Saints missionaries, Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East), are out in the boondocks, ringing doorbells in a mountainous community somewhere—the exteriors were shot in British Columbia—and idly chit-chatting to kill time. The talk turns to penis size, then the porno industry, before settling down to the business at hand: promoting the faith, working off a list. On Barnes and Paxton's sucker list is a little house tucked into a hillside, where dwells a soft-spoken geezer named Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant), the type of Mid-Atlantic-accented fellow who favors sweaters, comfy house slippers, a cuppa tea and books—lots and lots of books. Uh-oh. [Read the full review here .] – KELLY VANCE

INFO: In local theaters all week.

THE SUICIDE MACHINES

I'm not sure what's better about living in 2024: That ska has made a comeback, or that the bands we grew up with as degenerate teenagers are reuniting/playing their quintessential albums in full. Four pillars in the ska punk scene will descend upon Berkeley in an all-out night of skankin', moshin' and throwing down in defense of ska. Not only will legendary stalwarts the Suicide Machines play their classic album, A Match and Some Gasoline, but they'll be joined by their '90s cohorts, Against All Authority, and two new bands picking it up for the scene, Catbite and Omnigone. – MAT WEIR

INFO: Thu, 7:30pm, Cornerstone, 2367 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. $36/adv, $41/door. 510.214.8600.

MANDÉ SILA

The Manding Empire encompassed much of present-day Mali, leaving a deep imprint in music, language and identity across West Africa. Spearheaded by Senegalese-born Malian star Habib Koité, a charismatic guitarist, vocalist and griot who gained international fame with his band Bamada, Mandé Sila celebrates the Manding legacy that continues to shape culture across the region. He's joined by Senegalese kora maestro Lamine Cissokho, the scion of an illustrious griot family, and Ivorian balafon master Aly Keïta. Habib's longtime percussionist, Mama Koné, rounds out the quartet on djembe, calabash and electronic drum. Steeped in traditional Manding and Wassoulou rhythms, Koité's incantatory music also draws on his love of blues and flamenco. – ANDREW GILBERT

INFO: Thu, 8pm, Freight & Salvage, 2020 Addison St., Berkeley. $44/adv, $49/door. 510.644.2020.

'JAJA''

Travel on a summer wave to Harlem, where West African immigrant braiders weave a hotbed of love. Written by Tony Award-winning Ghanaian-American playwright Jocelyn Bioh, this is the rich story of a New York City community infused with people from Africa—namely, Senegal, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. This means underneath the charismatic humor of genuine or attempted unity, social tensions, unrealized dreams and well-kept secrets keep life vibrantly complicated. The show is a marvelous overachiever with gorgeous costumes and hair design, brilliant actors and a team of creative artists. – LOU FANCHER

INFO: Fri, 8pm, Roda Theatre, 2025 Addison St., Berkeley. $43+. 510.647.2949.

J-RED

J-Red, the "King of Clean Comedy," believes laughter is good for the soul. The Oakland native has taken his Hood-ish & Holy tour nationwide with a witty and unusual blend of comedy and spirituality. He sees his calling as "Entertainistry"—the intersection of entertainment and ministry. Makes sense, considering both his parents are pastors. J-Red delivers laughs without compromising his values of being family friendly and positive, and he is committed to empowering youth and supporting arts education. As he puts it on his merch: Pray. Hustle. Repeat. – SONYA BENNETT-BRANDT

INFO: Sat, 8pm, Paramount Theatre, 2025 Broadway, Oakland. $72. 510.465.6400.

Is there a better name for a death/doom-metal band than Coffins? Formed in 1996, the Japanese outfit has made cathartic music out of all that lurks in the darkest depths of the human psyche for well over two unrelenting decades. Their sixth album, Sinister Oath, came out in March and quickly cemented their legacy as the U R old-school death-metal band on the scene. From the beginning, with the insanely heavy opening track "Spontaneous Rot," the album asserts itself as an unflinching exorcism set to drudgy guitars, pounding beats and vile tones. Coffins have never been deeper or darker. – ADDIE MAHMASSANI

INFO: Sun, 6pm, Eli's Mile High Club, 3629 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland. $20/adv, $25/door. 510.808.7565.

SPOKEN WORD

Verbal Burlesque has few barriers for Lydia Lunch. Naughty and delivered without conventional maneuvers, the verbal gymnastics within her stories have established Lunch as the Queen of Slam. Make no mistake: Her words are not to cause sensation or shock. Yes, they are sensational and shocking, but also intensely researched and backed by her powerful articulation and hunger for art, history, politics and extreme reality. The musical element of the show comes from the Scriveners, featuring musicians Myles Boisen, Safa Shokrai and Tim Rowe, who arrive with the promise of special guests. – LF

INFO: Sun, 4pm, Ivy Room, 860 San Pablo Ave., Albany. $17/adv, $23/door. 510.526.5888.

San Jose hardcore act Sunami has been at the forefront of the 40831 scene, a combo of hardcore bands that have taken the underground world by storm. Originally a joke band parodying the violent, machismo nature of hardcore punk acts, fans loved their sound, so they kept playing. Despite their origin story, Sunami is an intense, brutally raw act that brings out the primal nature in anyone listening. Make sure to buy tickets now because A) they will definitely sell out, and B) Sunami was just announced at the 2025 When We Were Young Festival, so who knows how many more times they'll play Gilman. – MW

INFO: Mon, 7pm, Gilman, 924 Gilman St., Berkeley. $25. 510.524.8180.

KANDACE SPRINGS

Kandace Springs, a soul-steeped jazz artist, is as beguiling singing original songs as she is paying tribute to Nina Simone. Following up on her critically hailed 2020 album, The Women Who Raised Me—an homage to her formative influences from Billie Holiday to Lauryn Hill—she recently released Run Your Race, a tribute to her late father, legendary Nashville soul singer Scat Springs. Her trio has become a springboard for some of the most exciting young players on the scene, including some badass Bay Area bassists. Aneesa Strings spent several years on the road with Springs, and the group she brings to Yoshi's features Jayla Chee, a recent Juilliard grad, and highly versatile drummer Camille Gainer-Jones. – AG

INFO: Tue, 8pm, Yoshi's, 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland. $34-$79. 510.238.9200.

Canadian sonic alchemist Dan Snaith—better known as Caribou—has been reinventing genres and his musical identity for decades. First a solo electronic act called Caribou, Snaith changed his pseudonym to avoid a lawsuit and took a brief detour to get a doctorate in mathematics. Snaith now tours as Caribou with a full band, weaving dizzying layers of psychedelia, pop and house into lush soundscapes. Albums like Swim and Our Love are intricate and danceable electronica classics. And by night, he morphs into Daphni, unleashing unfiltered dance energy in clubs worldwide. Snaith keeps his fans guessing and dancing. – SBB

INFO: Tue, 8pm, Fox Theater, 1807 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. $56-$74. 510.302.2250.