Sights & Sounds is your weekly guide to the Bay Area arts scene. Unique Derique aka Lance McGee : performer in Yerba Buena’s Garden Festival, told KALW’s Jen Chien about three cool arts events happening around the Bay this weekend:
- Don Reed's East 14th at The Marsh in Berkeley until 8/21
- Circus Bella at Dimond Park in Oakland on 7/17
- Jamie Davis and Clairdee at SF Jazz Center tonight 7/14
Don Reed’s one-man play, East 14th, is at The Marsh Berkeley Arts Centeruntil Sunday, 8/21. In it, Reed embodies characters from his childhood spent shuttling between the contrasting worlds of his mother's house and his father's house on opposite ends of East 14th street in Oakland.
MCGEE: There are so many ways that he's connecting to the audience that we are drawn in through the rhythm, the delivery and the timing. He is brilliant.
Circus Bella performs at Dimond Park in Oakland on Sunday, 7/17. This outdoor one-ring circus features a 9-person juggling act, trapeze, unicycling, contortion, a live band, and more. They present a series of summer shows as part of their Circus in the Parks project with original French Waltz, New Orleans Jazz, and American Circus March music composed by Rob Reich.
MCGEE: It’s a great outdoor, free, family show that has a wonderful band. It’s fun for everyone!
Jamie Davis and Clairdee perform with a 17-piece big band directed by Aaron Lington, at SF Jazz Center tonight, 7/14. Fresh off a successful performance in Russia, they’ve been delighting audiences with baritone soul, blues and restyled classics. Davis and Clairdee plan a program of songs from Porgy & Bess and other classic Gershwin songs.
MCGEE: They both came out of the Count Basie Orchestra camp, so I know it’s going to be a powerful show.
