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Santa Rosa
Royal Krown
Joe Krown may not be a household name in New Orleans music, but that hasn't stopped the grapevine from buzzing about his upcoming appearance with two seasoned bayou players, Walter "Wolfman" Washington and Russell Batiste Jr. Krown, a monster on the Hammond B-3 organ, was Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown's keyboardist for 13 years, but it's this trio that's been giving him a name. His backing band represents both the old and the new out of the Crescent City. Washington, born in 1943, got his start on the road backing such singers as Lee Dorsey and Irma Thomas before founding his own band, while Batiste has laid down the beat for Allen Toussaint, the Funky Meters and Harry Connick Jr. With just three members, they make a thick sound. No one yearning for true Louisiana flavor should miss them on Saturday, Nov. 21, at the Last Day Saloon. 120 Fifth St., Santa Rosa. 8:30pm. $15. 707.545.2343.
Fairfax
Seventh Son
Given the brilliance of Mose Allison's lyrics—pointed, wry and delivered in a knightly laid-back manner—it's important to remember that the man behind the beatnik classics "Your Mind Is on Vacation" and "Everybody's Cryin' Mercy" is also a hell of a pianist. At 29, he included on his very first album for Prestige Records Back Country Suite only two vocal tracks; the rest, ivories, played in his impossible-to-nail-down style. Now 82, Allison can appreciate his status as a living legend, but he doesn't rest on his greatest hits. In concert, he's as nimble on the keys as he is varied in his set lists; there's no telling when he'll premiere a new composition or, for that matter, unearth a forgotten chestnut from an obscure 1940s Nat "King" Cole session. Cross your fingers for "Lost Mind" and "Young Man Blues" when he appears on Saturday, Nov. 21, at 19 Broadway Nightclub. 19 Broadway, Fairfax. 4:30pm and 7pm. $25–$30. 415.459.1091.
Santa Rosa
La Luna
With a tortured plea, the chorus of "Simplemente Amigos" by the Mexican pop sensation Ana Gabriel is the oldest of sentiments. "When closing the door, we loved without control," goes the rough translation, "but they do not accept our love." Gabriel is a deeply religious woman, appearing onstage with an ever-present carnation as a symbol of her relationship with God, so it's ever more poignant that her biggest hit was inspired by a gay friend's struggle for acceptance. Coming from one of the country's biggest stars, the song is a beautiful, heart-wrenching statement. Now with over 20 albums to her name, Gabriel, born in Sinaloa to a Spanish father and Chinese mother, is fluid in rock songs, pop ballads and rancheras, and drips with the kind of emotion that can't be faked. She performs on Thursday, Nov. 19, at the Wells Fargo Center. 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa. 8pm. $65–$125. 707.546.3600.
Yountville
Animal Degree
On Jan. 6, 1963, Marlin Perkins stood in front of the television cameras for the first time and introduced the world to Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, thus pioneering the "nature show" format. Other nature shows and, indeed, entire television networks would spring up in its wake, and appearances by animal trainers eventually became a late-night television staple. One such trainer is Peter Gros, who's co-hosted Wild Kingdom since the 1980s and who occasionally goes on tour with a crazy cast of animals with which to educate and entertain the nation's schoolchildren. The best part? It's only 10 bucks for kids under the age of 12. Saddle up the young-uns and watch their eyes widen at Gros' traveling zoo on Saturday, Nov. 21, at the Lincoln Theater. 100 California Drive, Yountville. 3pm. $28; $10, children 12 and under. 707.944.1300.
Sebastopol
Homeward Bound
Over the course of a month traveling through America, the San Francisco country-rock band Or, the Whale ate cheese curds in St. Louis, played on top of bowling alley lanes in Minneapolis, triumphed at ping-pong on the East Coast, warmed up by a campfire in the south and had hot dogs for breakfast in Chattanooga. They also nightly polished their good-time brand of 1970s-style raggadocio—meaning they'll be primed and ready to tear the roof off this weekend. Having played with Fleet Foxes, the Devil Makes Three, the Dodos and Two Gallants, Or, the Whale (the name is a Melville reference) is part of a new Bay Area clash of the old and the new, where Led Zeppelin and Levon Helm waltz arm in arm through the Presidio and sing of wild living in perfect four-part harmony. Welcome them home on Saturday, Nov. 21, at the Hopmonk Tavern. 230 Petaluma Ave., Sebastopol. 9:30pm. $12–$15. 707.829.7300.
