Yes. This is the weekend of the Oakland Running Festival, and 26 miles can take a lot out of a body, but whether your running or rooting, you’ll still have time to enjoy other Oakland offerings. Exercise your mind with a music talk on Sunday, or swap plants with neighbors on Saturday. There’s even still time to get tickets for Natalie Cole’s late shows at Yoshi’s.
Friday, March 26
A Clockwork Orange
C’mon Droogs, pop on over to the Piedmont sinny for one of the great dystopian films of the Cold War from a master of dystopian Cold War films. On Friday, the Piedmont Theatre has a midnight showing of Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange. The Park Avenue Bar and Grill across the street is offering themed drinks for only $5. Now that’s not much golly.
Friday, March 26, 11:45 p.m.
Piedmont Theatre, 4186 Piedmont Avenue
$8
Oso
Call him Bear. Oso, a rocker rolling over the genres borders, will be at Flux 53 Friday night. His music is described as “technical folk” and “math-rock.” His influences range from the Beatles and Bob Dylan to Dredge and Radiohead.
Friday, March 26, 8 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Flux 53, 5306 Foothill Boulevard
$10
Natalie Cole
She’s a winner. She’s a fighter. She’s a great jazz singer. Natalie Cole owns nine Grammy awards and has battled drug addiction and illness. The gifted daughter of Nat King Cole comes to Yoshi’s for three nights starting on Friday. Not surprisingly, the first shows are all sold out, but there’s still tickets available for the late shows.
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, March 26, 27, and 28, 10 p.m., 10 p.m., and 9 p.m.
Yoshi’s, 510 Embarcadero
$75
Saturday, March 27
Saturday is the day when people are planning to turn off non-essential lights at 8.30 p.m. for Earth Hour. For more, go to myearthhour.org/
Soweto Gospel Choir
Known as much for their performances of traditional South African songs as their interpretations of American gospel music, and even American folk, the Soweto Gospel Choir has inspired and surprised audiences all over the world since forming eight years ago. Fans of Wall-E will recall that the Soweto Gospel Choir were featured on that movie’s theme song, “Down to Earth.” The Soweto Gospel Choir comes to the Paramount Theatre Saturday night. The New York Times said the choir “has a cornucopia of remarkable voices: sharp, sweet, kindly, raspy and incantatory leads above a magnificently velvety blend the music is both meticulous and unstoppable.”
Saturday, March 27, 8 p.m.
2025 Broadway
$25 – $65
West O Bike Tour
West Oakland has a rich past, but it’s not the sort of history that’s easily gleaned from behind a car or bus window. Bikes4life a non-profit committed to making West O greener by promoting bike riding is hosting a history ride Saturday afternoon. Interested riders should meet at the B4L HQ near the West Oakland Bart Station.
Saturday, March 27 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Seventh Street and Peralta
Free
Jazz Artists in the Concert Hall
Join composers Rebeca Mauleón, Benedikt Brydern, Scott Amendola, and moderator John Kendall Bailey to discuss “the history of jazz composers making the transition to the concert hall, including Duke Ellington, George Gershwin and Darius Milhaud.”
“Topics will include American cultural history and the stratification of popular vs. classical culture that began in the 19th century, and the split that occurred at the turn of the century.”
The Oakland East Bay Symphony is presenting the talk, which will be introduced by Michael Morgan.
Saturday, March 27, 3 p.m.
200 Grand Avenue
Free
Plant Exchange
It’s a neighborly way to cull your garden, get new plants, and meet other green thumbs. On Saturday afternoon, there will be a free neighborhood plant exchange on Lakeshore. The organizers say that all types and sizes of healthy plants are welcome (so are gardening accessories, tools and supplies). You don’t even have to repot your donations. Just stick ‘em in a bag and bring ‘em over.
Saturday, March 27 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.
3811 Lakeshore
Free
Sunday, March 28
The Oakland Running Festival
This is the big day that local runners have been waiting for — when Oakland hosts its first marathon in 25 years. While the event kicks off with a twilight race around Lake Merritt on Saturday evening at 6.30 p.m., the big events — a kids’ race, a relay race, a half marathon and the marathon — are all on Sunday and all go through Oakland. There’s still time to register. If you’d just like to take your chairs and sit along the route to cheer the runners, make sure you do so early. And after the runners have gone past you, think about visiting your favorite restaurant, store or art gallery. Everyone’s got specials going to celebrate the running festival. For more on the marathon, please go to oaklandmarathon.com
At our gallery, art@theOakBook in Jack London Square, watch artists Savanna Snow and Michael Eli sketch. You’ll find it fun, and perhaps even inspiring. They’re very, very good. 423 Water Street – inside Jack London Square, 11.30 onwards
The Ellington
The downtown condos of the housing boom years still exert a mysterious pull: Who lives in them, what do they look like inside, how much do they cost? On Sunday, the Ellington in Jack London Square unveils its “Club Level Residences” on floors 12 through 15, and is opening the doors to the public for a peek. Combine a visit to the Ellington with brunch at Miss Pearl’s Jam House, and art viewing at The OakBook gallery (423 Water Street).
Sunday, March 28, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
222 Broadway
Free
O-Scene 