While its shiftless younger cousins, rock and hip-hop, rely on the impulsive tendencies of youth, blues is a genre that rewards mastery. From B.B. to John Lee, the best bluesmen only improve with age. Case in point: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Elvin Bishop. His 1976 single “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” recently found younger audiences on the first Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack, and he proves he’s still got it on his 2018 LP, Something Smells Funky ‘Round Here. He comes to Club Fox with his Big Fun Trio, featuring Redwood City resident Bob Welsh and Willy Jordan.

Elvin Bishop
Sat, 8pm, $28+
Club Fox, Redwood City
 

Though their moniker was likely adopted with tongue planted firmly in cheek, Conrad Keely and Jason Reece—the core duo behind …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead—have secured a permanent seat in the indie rock pantheon. Their 2003 album, Source, Tags & Codes, was as sweeping and orchestral as it was visceral and biting. String arrangements swelled into squalls of knob-twisting feedback and delay. Tidal waves of warm major chords carried ominous lamentations of “death and decay.” Like Radiohead’s Kid A, it changed the way an entire generation of musicians thought about rock & roll.

Trail of Dead
Thu, 9pm, $15
The Catalyst Atrium, Santa Cruz
 

After the election of 2016, Elaina Newport and the rest of the Capitol Steps team were concerned. The founder of the long-running musical comedy troupe had lampooned presidents, senators and congressional representatives for more than three decades—from the Reagan era through the Obama years—but she was still worried.

“It was so contentious and so partisan,” she remembers. “There was a little hesitation: Can I laugh?”

Newport was concerned that the Capitol Steps brand of equal-opportunity political satire—set to arrangements of popular music and show tunes—would rub both Republicans and Democrats the wrong way, leaving her and the players without an audience.

Still, they pressed on.

“The best comment that we got is that people would come to the show and say ‘I didn’t know if I could laugh, but I did, and I feel better.'”

When it comes to skewering the likes of Donald Trump, Mitch McConnel, Nancy Pelosi and Adam Schiff, the cast of Saturday Night Live may be the most nationally recognized. However, the folks at Capitol Steps have been at it for almost as long as the NBC sketch comedy show—and, what’s more, the troupe is composed largely of performers who actually worked on Capitol Hill.

“For the first 15 years, we insisted that you couldn’t even audition unless you used to work on the hill,” Newport says of her company, which she founded with two other former Republican staffers back in 1981. They’ve since dispensed with the requirement, but former political aides still comprise about half of the Capitol Steps.

Plenty has remained the same since the early days of the project, Newport says. Politicians are as reliably flawed, hypocritical and gaffe-prone as ever. And, she says, punching up at the party in power is still likely to draw more laughs.

What’s different now, however, is how fast she the rest of the comedy writers at Capitol Hill need to move in order to keep up.

“The news cycle being so fast has presented some new challenges,” Newport says. “But also, this particular presidentÉ” she trails off into laugher. Just when she and the rest of the group think they’ve got a hot new number, capitalizing on the latest scandal, Trump starts tweeting about something completely different and the national political narrative pivots.

They deal with the president’s ever-evolving feed with a specific tune—”Tweet It,” set to the accompaniment of Michael Jackson’s “Beat It.” This allows for the troupe to make adjustments on the fly without throwing out an entire sketch.

But still, they often have to think quite quickly at Capitol Steps. “I’ve been known to text jokes to people as they’re standing backstage,” Newport says.

This non-stop, always changing show creates plenty of anxiety and tension for the performers, but it almost always rewards the audience—even when someone flubs a line, it often makes for a good laugh.

Over the course of her 38 years at Capitol Steps, Newport and her partners have built what was initially a hobby into a full-blown enterprise. They have about seven people working full-time, she says, and when I call—just a few days after Christmas—a man answers the phone at Capitol Steps’ Washington, D.C. office (“world headquarters,” Newport calls it), before placing me on a brief hold.

In addition to their performers, they have bookkeepers, travel managers and other administrative staff. But the hardest working team member in the Capitol Steps organization is the head of the props department, Newport says. The job requires sourcing obscure items and getting them delivered quickly—sometimes the day of the show.

Wigs are a common line item, Newport notes. “Boris Johnson was a particular challenge.”

As it turns out, poking fun at politicos is a full time job, and Newport is happy to serve. “That’s why we’re here,” she says. “We’re the comic relief.”

Capitol Steps
Jan 9, 7:30, $65
Oshman Family JCC, Palo Alto
paloaltojcc.org/capitolsteps

The Branham Lounge celebrates 50 years with retro drink pricing, fondue.

He sees you when you’re sleeping… He knows when you’re awake… Every year, a bearded, immortal elf makes a list, checks it twice and then descends from the icy wastes of the Arctic Circle to break into every single home in Christendom. It doesn’t get much more metal than that. Founded in the mid-’90s by a cadre of virtuosic session shredders, Trans-Siberian Orchestra are known for their face-melting arrangements of classical, hymnal and folk Christmas music—and, of course, for soundtracking yuletide light shows of Griswold-ian proportions.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Tue, 8pm, $45+
SAP Center, San Jose

Somewhere, on an alternate plane of existence, Kevin Gates is the universe’s greatest late-night host. There he is, trading witticisms with his guests, seamlessly dropping into outrageous and uproarious non-sequiturs, and waxing philosophically about the merits of Blink-182, Miley Cyrus and the health benefits of a bootylicious diet. In this timeline, however, the Louisiana rapper is simply one of the best emcees in the game. He has followed up his critically acclaimed 2016 LP, Islah, with his second full-length, I’m Him, which dropped in late September. Gates comes to Santa Cruz behind his latest effort. Really really.

Kevin Gates
Sun, 9pm, $40+
The Catalyst, Santa Cruz
 

There’s always a lot riding on a band’s second LP. According to conventional industry wisdom, a band has its entire life to hone a debut, but only a year to come up with an even bigger follow-up. And so, when an artist can put out a third set with a handful of iconic singles, as Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers did with Damn the Torpedoes, it says something about that group’s staying power. As part of the Classic Albums Live series, the Montalvo Arts Center presents Petty’s 1979 triple-platinum release, performed by a cover band in its entirety.

Damn The Torpedoes
Thu, 7:30pm, $58
Carriage House Theatre, Saratoga

There’s always a lot riding on a band’s second LP. According to conventional industry wisdom, a band has its entire life to hone a debut, but only a year to come up with an even bigger follow-up. And so, when an artist can put out a third set with a handful of iconic singles, as Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers did with Damn the Torpedoes, it says something about that group’s staying power. As part of the Classic Albums Live series, the Montalvo Arts Center presents Petty’s 1979 triple-platinum release, performed by a cover band in its entirety.

Damn The Torpedoes
Thu, 7:30pm, $58
Carriage House Theatre, Saratoga
 

Episode 91 of Dad Bod Rap Pod, opens with co-host Demone Carter lamenting the state of rap-oriented academia. “I like legit hip-hop books,” he tells his fellow podcasting crew—David Ma and Nate LeBlanc. “There’s a lot of shitty ones.”

Carter continues the banter with an anecdote about the kinds of rap biographies typically found in the young adult section of the public library, where he recently discovered a very short book on Kendrick Lamar.

“It’s the type of book you would read in fourth grade because you had to do a fuckin’ book report,” he quips.

For their part, Ma and LeBlanc, agree. All three are dyed-in-the-wool hip-hop heads who would like to see rap music treated with the respect it deserves. Depending on who you ask, the genre is somewhere between 40 and 50 years old. And given that hip-hop has been a mainstream musical force since at least the late ’70s, there are now three generations of demographically distinct Americans—Gen X-ers, Millennials and Gen Z-ers—who grew up or are now coming of age listening to commercial rap.

“In the music section of any bookstore, there are hundreds of books on rock & roll. … There are like 50 books on John Coltrane,” Ma says. “Scholarly attention to the history of hip-hop is long overdue.”

While there certainly have been serious studies of hip-hop, including author Jeff Chang’s Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop and We Gon’ Be Alright, the Dad Bod Rap Pod is at the vanguard of brainy podcasts focused on the genre.

As it turns out, on this particular episode, Carter is winding up to introduce the author of a forthcoming deep dive into an under-documented chapter of hip-hop history.

Goin’ Off: The Story of the Juice Crew and Cold Chillin’ Records, is by author Ben Merlis, the guest of DBRP episode 91. Featuring a forward by the San Jose-bred DJ and boutique record label owner Peanut Butter Wolf, Goin’ Off will be released later this month as part of the RPM series on historically important independent music labels, published by German record company BMI.

Hip-hop scholars and journalists are common guests on the podcast, which Carter, Ma and LeBlanc have been recording for about two years now. Two weeks ago, on Episode 90, the crew interviewed Shawn Setaro, a senior staff writer for Complex, who has recently been covering the trial of one of hip-hop’s most divisive figures, Tekashi 69.

Ma also uses his connections as a music journalist to secure emcees and DJs. Kool Keith, Del the Funkee Homosapien, Open Mike Eagle and Ant (from Atmosphere) have all been guests on the show.

The podcast grew organically out of conversations the three would have on a regular basis over beers.  “We have these sort of nerdy conversations anyways,” Ma says, explaining the show’s inception. “We thought we might as well record.”

As a music writer, Ma’s insights are rounded out by those of Carter—a local rapper who goes by the name Dem One—and LeBlanc, a longtime record collector. Ma and LeBlanc have a history of working together as DJs on the local club circuit; they also co-founded Needle to the Groove Records, the independent record label that they run out of the Needle to the Groove record shop in San Jose (the shop has a separate ownership group). Dad Bod Rap Pod is taped at the shop’s adjacent recording studio.

Moving forward, Ma says he and his collaborators look forward to growing the podcast, which already enjoys a global following and is nearing a milestone—its 100th weekly episode.

In the process, Ma hopes his podcast will further legitimize the academic study of hip-hop music and culture. It only makes sense. Although it took a while for critics to take jazz and rock & roll seriously, eventually fans of every genre grow up and take control of the levers of society.

“We’re at a point where there is dad rap,” Ma says.

Dad Bod Rap Pod
Thursdays

Episode 91 of Dad Bod Rap Pod, opens with co-host Demone Carter lamenting the state of rap-oriented academia. “I like legit hip-hop books,” he tells his fellow podcasting crew—David Ma and Nate LeBlanc. “There’s a lot of shitty ones.”
Carter continues the banter with an anecdote about the kinds of rap biographies typically found in the young adult section of the public library, where he recently discovered a very short book on Kendrick Lamar.
“It’s the type of book you would read in fourth grade because you had to do a fuckin’ book report,” he quips.
For their part, Ma and LeBlanc, agree. All three are dyed-in-the-wool hip-hop heads who would like to see rap music treated with the respect it deserves. Depending on who you ask, the genre is somewhere between 40 and 50 years old. And given that hip-hop has been a mainstream musical force since at least the late ’70s, there are now three generations of demographically distinct Americans—Gen X-ers, Millennials and Gen Z-ers—who grew up or are now coming of age listening to commercial rap.
“In the music section of any bookstore, there are hundreds of books on rock & roll. … There are like 50 books on John Coltrane,” Ma says. “Scholarly attention to the history of hip-hop is long overdue.”

While there certainly have been serious studies of hip-hop, including author Jeff Chang’s Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop and We Gon’ Be Alright, the Dad Bod Rap Pod is at the vanguard of brainy podcasts focused on the genre.
As it turns out, on this particular episode, Carter is winding up to introduce the author of a forthcoming deep dive into an under-documented chapter of hip-hop history.
Goin’ Off: The Story of the Juice Crew and Cold Chillin’ Records, is by author Ben Merlis, the guest of DBRP episode 91. Featuring a forward by the San Jose-bred DJ and boutique record label owner Peanut Butter Wolf, Goin’ Off will be released later this month as part of the RPM series on historically important independent music labels, published by German record company BMI.
Hip-hop scholars and journalists are common guests on the podcast, which Carter, Ma and LeBlanc have been recording for about two years now. Two weeks ago, on Episode 90, the crew interviewed Shawn Setaro, a senior staff writer for Complex, who has recently been covering the trial of one of hip-hop’s most divisive figures, Tekashi 69.
Ma also uses his connections as a music journalist to secure emcees and DJs. Kool Keith, Del the Funkee Homosapien, Open Mike Eagle and Ant (from Atmosphere) have all been guests on the show.
The podcast grew organically out of conversations the three would have on a regular basis over beers.  “We have these sort of nerdy conversations anyways,” Ma says, explaining the show’s inception. “We thought we might as well record.”
As a music writer, Ma’s insights are rounded out by those of Carter—a local rapper who goes by the name Dem One—and LeBlanc, a longtime record collector. Ma and LeBlanc have a history of working together as DJs on the local club circuit; they also co-founded Needle to the Groove Records, the independent record label that they run out of the Needle to the Groove record shop in San Jose (the shop has a separate ownership group). Dad Bod Rap Pod is taped at the shop’s adjacent recording studio.
Moving forward, Ma says he and his collaborators look forward to growing the podcast, which already enjoys a global following and is nearing a milestone—its 100th weekly episode.
In the process, Ma hopes his podcast will further legitimize the academic study of hip-hop music and culture. It only makes sense. Although it took a while for critics to take jazz and rock & roll seriously, eventually fans of every genre grow up and take control of the levers of society.
“We’re at a point where there is dad rap,” Ma says.
Dad Bod Rap Pod
Thursdays