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This week, catch concerts with multi-instrumentalist Vân-Ánh Vanessa Võ & Blood Moon Orchestra, Jerry’s Middle Finger playing the music of the Jerry Garcia Band, and jazz drummer Jeff Minniweather; see everything on stage go wrong — on purpose — in the farce “Noises Off;” catch the films of Frank Capra at the Stanford Theatre and hear from author Schuyler Bailar, who was the first openly transgender NCAA Division I athlete.
Vân-Ánh Vanessa Võ & Blood Moon Orchestra
Multi-instrumentalist and Emmy Award-winning composer Vân-Ánh Vanessa Võ combines Vietnamese musical traditions with fresh ideas and new compositions. Võ grew up and received her musical training in Vietnam and has called the Bay Area home since 2001. According to her website, she was the first Vietnamese artist to perform at the White House, during the Obama administration. As part of Stanford Live’s celebration of the harp, Võ, playing the Vietnamese 16-string đàn tranh (one of several instruments she uses in her musical career), is joined by Hwayoung Shon on the Korean gayageum, Shirley Muramoto on the Japanese koto, and Winnie Wong on the Chinese guzheng for an evening of harp and zither music.
Jan. 17, 7 and 9 p.m., The Studio, Bing Concert Hall, 327 Lasuen St., Stanford; $45 general admission (discounts for Stanford students and employees); at press time, the earlier show was at capacity, with tickets still available for the later show; live.stanford.edu.
‘Noises Off’
A perennial theater favorite, Michael Frayn’s madcap 1982 comedy “Noises Off” is a beloved play-within-a-play that follows the chaotic behind-the-scenes happenings of a cast and crew putting on a production of the ridiculous “Nothing On” as they reckon with all kinds of mishaps, missed lines and interpersonal clashes. Palo Alto Players offers its version of the ultimate backstage farce, directed by Linda Piccone and with actors playing both their characters and their characters’ characters.
Jan. 17-Feb. 2, Lucie Stern Theater, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto; $35-$60; paplayers.org/event/noises-off.
Jerry’s Middle Finger
The influence of the late Jerry Garcia still seems to loom large over the Peninsula, Garcia’s former home. The latest Grateful Dead-adjacent act to come to the Guild, Jerry’s Middle Finger, is a band founded about a decade ago by Garcia-loving musicians, playing the music of the Jerry Garcia Band (Garcia’s non-Grateful Dead side project). The lineup includes lead guitarist and vocalist Garrett Deloian, vocalists Halina Janusz and Lisa Malsberger, keyboardist Jon Gold, bassist Son Vo and drummer and vocalist Rodney Newman.
Jan. 17, 8 p.m., The Guild Theatre, 949 El Camino Real, Menlo Park; $38.24-$86.91; guildtheatre.com.
Stanford Theatre Frank Capra festival
The Stanford Theatre heads into 2025 on a bright note, with its first program of the new year devoted to director Frank Capra. He might be best known for classic romantic comedies and inspiring films, particularly the one that’s the centerpiece of the Stanford Theatre’s holiday programming each year. But as the festival shows, Capra also helmed action-adventure movies such as “Dirigible” and even some propaganda shorts for the U.S. government during World War II, plus some silent films early in his career. Screenings of the silent films “That Certain Thing” and “The Power of the Press” on Jan. 18 and 19, respectively, will be accompanied by Dennis James playing the theater’s Wurlitzer organ. The program also includes favorites such as “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” (Feb. 1) and “It Happened One Night” (Jan. 25-26), wrapping up Feb. 13-16 with a double feature of the dark comedy “Arsenic and Old Lace” and “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
Thursdays-Sundays through Feb. 16 at the Stanford Theatre, 221 University Ave., Palo Alto. Tickets are $7. stanfordtheatre.org.
Schuyler Bailar
When Schuyler Bailar joined the men’s swimming team at Harvard University, he became the first openly transgender NCAA Division I athlete. At Harvard, Bailar earned a degree in cognitive neuroscience and evolutionary psychology and now researches transgender health. He’s also the host of the gender and culture podcast “Dear Schuyler” and creator of the online series LaneChanger.com. Bailar’s book “He/She/They” is described as a “science-backed and common sense guide to the conversation about gender identity,” covering topics such as pronouns and the debate over trans women in sports. Bailar will discuss the book at Kepler’s in conversation with writer Marcie Bianco, the print editor of Stanford Social Innovation Review and the author of “Breaking Free: The Lie of Equality and the Feminist Fight for Freedom.”
Jan. 17, 7 p.m., Kepler’s Books, 1010 El Camino Real #100, Menlo Park; $11.41-$45.09; tinyurl.com/BailarKeplers.
Jeff Minniweather
Jazz drummer Jeff Minniweather and friends (Steve Heckman on saxophone, Doug Miller on bass and Larry Vuckovich on piano) perform the music of two jazz icons – Duke Ellington and Count Basie – at two shows at Meyhouse Palo Alto this week. The preceding evening, on Jan. 17, audiences can also catch pianist Vuckovich, with bassist Doug Miller and dummer Akira Tana in the program “The Art of the Trio,” performing in the styles of Bud Powell, Bill Evans, McCoy Tyner, with shows at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m.
Jan. 18, 6:30 and 8:30 p.m., Meyhouse Palo Alto, 640 Emerson St., Palo Alto; $50; meyhousejazz.com.
