Hanukkah Celebration with Mostly Kosher
Hanukkah is bound to bring eight crazy nights when Mostly Kosher is kicking off the festivities. The Oshman Family JCC is bringing the Los Angeles-based band back to its stage for a high-energy Hanukkah celebration. Mostly Kosher plays it fast and loose with genres, melding traditional klezmer music with rock, jazz, Latin and folk. The band also plays music with messages of social justice and unity, and, according to an event description, takes part in a program that offers performances and music education in underserved schools, as well as clinics, prisons and shelters for unhoused people.
Dec. 14, 5-6:30 p.m., at the Oshman Family JCC, 3921 Fabian Way, Palo Alto; $30-$50; paloaltojcc.org.
Peninsula Women’s Chorus
Nostalgic tunes and familiar holiday favorites are on heavy rotation this time of year — that’s often part of the season’s fun — but Peninsula Women’s Chorus gives listeners a chance to make some new musical memories in a concert of contemporary works by Bay Area-based composers. The ensemble’s “Voices That Guide Us” program highlights the courage of finding one’s voice with Eric Tuan’s “A Great Cloud of Witnesses” and celebrates the forging of a deep connection in Pamela Z’s “Pen Pal,” and will also feature selections from Stanford University’s composition program. Not to totally skip the seasonal tunes, the chorus will also perform selections from Handel’s Messiah and other works. There will be a talk 30 minutes before each concert, where audiences can hear from Pamela Z (Dec. 12-13) and Stanford composers Anna Golubkova (Dec. 12-13) and Kimia Koochakzadeh-Yazdi (Dec. 12)
Dec. 12, 7 p.m., at First United Methodist Church, 625 Hamilton Ave., Palo Alto, and Dec. 13, 1 p.m., at Mission Santa Clara, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara; $10-$50; pwchorus.org.
Group Chat opening reception
Pamela Walsh Gallery welcomes the festive season and marks the opening of the final show of the year with a reception and holiday party. “Group Chat: Dialogues in Contemporary Practice” is a group show of contemporary artists who work in a variety of media, “whose practices engage in an ongoing exchange – between color and material, intuition and structure, individuality and connection,” according to an event description. The show runs through Jan. 10. The opening reception will feature cocktails and music by DJ Chance.
Dec. 12, 5-7 p.m., at Pamela Walsh Gallery, 540 Ramona St., Palo Alto; pamelawalshgallery.com.
CSMA Merit Scholars
Community School of Music and Arts’ annual winter concert spotlights the school’s merit scholar musicians playing favorite selections in solo and ensemble performances. The Mountain View-based school offers both private lessons and group classes for musicians of all ages, as well as camps and workshops for youth. (Two-time Grammy Award-winning pianist Taylor Eigsti is a CSMA alum.) Hear from some of CSMA’s young performers at this concert.
Dec. 12, 7:30 p.m., at Community School of Music and Arts, 230 San Antonio Circle, Mountain View; admission is free; arts4all.org.
Blind Boys of Alabama Christmas Show
The gospel and soul vocal ensemble Blind Boys of Alabama makes plenty of joyful noise in a return to The Guild Theatre with a Christmas-themed concert. The group will perform rousing songs from their Grammy Award-winning 2003 holiday album, “Go Tell It On The Mountain,” which includes holiday standards and gospel selections, and 2014’s “Talkin’ Christmas” album, a collaboration with Taj Mahal that features both new compositions and classics. The group’s latest release, 2023’s “Echoes of the South,” garnered a Grammy for Best Roots and Gospel album. Bay Area-based Americana artist Miko Marks will also be on the bill.
Dec. 12, 7 p.m., at The Guild Theatre, 949 El Camino Real, Menlo Park; $69-$104; guildtheatre.com.
Russian Telegraph album release
Earthwise Productions hosts the Peninsula album release show for Russian Telegraph’s new album, “Turnips.” Local audiences may recognize a number of the bandmates, who have brought some of their other musical projects to Earthwise’s stage. The lineup features clarinetist and vocalist Beth Custer, guitarist and vocalist David James, trumpeter Chris Grady, keyboardist Jordan Glasgow, bassist Keith McArthur and drummer John Hanes. The ensemble is named for two of San Francisco’s hills, and a listen to “Turnips” is, fittingly, a little like the rollercoaster drive through parts of the City by the Bay — full of exciting twists, turns and beautiful surprises. The album seamlessly weaves together a variety of genres over its six tracks, from smooth Brazilian rhythms and spritely clarinet-forward trad jazz to quirky downbeat ballads and even a touch of a 1960s groove.
Dec. 13, 8 p.m., at the Palo Alto Art Center, 1313 Newell Road, Palo Alto; $23.18; eventbrite.com.
Looking for some more festive fun this weekend and beyond? Find holiday concerts and other performances, markets, Santa visits and other seasonal special events in our Holiday Guide.
