The Greek Theatre at UC Berkeley is gearing up to host a series of thrilling performances from April to July 2025. Renowned for its ambiance and acoustics, the venue will see a lineup of diverse artists showcasing their talents, from the introspective tunes of Elderbrook to the genre-bending beats of Earth, Wind & Fire. This season promises an eclectic mix of performances that span electronic, rock, folk, and more, leaving audiences with profound musical experiences.

A Musical Odyssey at The Greek Theatre: Exploring Genre-Defying Performances

The multi-media project Kraftwerk was started in 1970 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider. They set up their electronic Kling Klang Studio in Düsseldorf, Germany, where they conceived and produced all Kraftwerk albums. By the mid 1970’s Kraftwerk had achieved international recognition for their revolutionary electronic ‘sound scapes’ and their musical experimentation with robotics and other technical innovations. With their visions of the future, Kraftwerk created the soundtrack for the digital age of the 21st century.  Their compositions, using innovative techniques, synthetic voices and computerized rhythms, have had a major international influence across an entire range of music genres: from Electro to Hip-Hop, from Techno to SynthPop. In their live performances, Kraftwerk composer, author and producer Ralf Hütter illustrates his belief in the respective contributions of both man and machine.

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Kraftwerk

University of California, Berkeley

A live phenomenon, multi-instrumentalist, producer and singer-songwriter Elderbrook has an innate flair for creating emotive music that explores the sensitive and introspective themes of identity and mental wellbeing.

Elderbrook

The highly anticipated release of Passage Du Desir in 2024 marked the beginning of a new era for Johnny Blue Skies – after promising to release only five studio albums under the name Sturgill Simpson. The album has received the most glowing reviews of Simpson’s already widely lauded career—including from Rolling Stone who calls the album “brilliant” and GQ who describes it as an “instant classic”—and was produced by Johnny Blue Skies and David Ferguson and recorded at Clement House Recording Studio in Nashville, TN and Abbey Road Studios in London, England.

Sturgill Simpson

Empire of the Sun, the visionary Australian electronic duo comprising Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore, have been making waves across the world with phenomenal live shows and anthemic smash hits for the last decade as one of Australia’s most successful musical exports.

Empire of the Sun

The story of Ohio Players—The Black Keys’ twelfth studio album and a record unlike any other in their long ride through deep blues and soul power—begins on a Saturday in February 2003. Singer-guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney were on the road supporting their debut album, 2002’s The Big Come Up, opening for Sleater-Kinney at New York’s Roseland Ballroom, when the headliners invited them to a party after the gig: the traditional bash following the broadcast of Saturday Night Live with the TV show’s cast and guests.

The Black Keys

Some people politely wait for their turn, ask for permission, and take a shot at their dreams when the opportunity allows. Charley Crockett isn’t one of those people. He’s never just waited around, asked for permission, or let opportunity find him. Instead, the GRAMMY® Award-nominated Texas-born maverick defied the odds at every turn, tapping into a rebellious strain of country, releasing 14 albums independently, and grinding from obscurity to selling out some of the world’s most renowned venues. As Pitchfork points out, “in the decade it took Crockett to brush country stardom, the bygone era of music he loves and embodies arrived in the modern age. He is a key player in deciding where it will go next.” He has continuously pushed forward too. Since 2015, he has paved a singular path out of Texas. Beyond garnering hundreds of millions of streams, he picked up his first GRAMMY® nod for 2024’s $10 Cowboy. In the last year alone, he notably sold-out Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, CO, the Greek Theater in Los Angeles, CA and two nights at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN. Crockett and his music have also received praise from The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, and Variety. Speaking to his impact, CBS Mornings chronicled his journey, and he sat down for an interview on The Daily Show. Plus, he’s graced the stage for performances on Austin City Limits, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and CBS “Saturday Sessions” in addition to playing behind NPR Music’s “Tiny Desk.” With multi-GRAMMY® Award-winning Shooter Jennings as co-producer, the same unapologetic spirit, diehard work ethic, and no-nonsense honesty drive Crockett’s Island Records debut LP, Lonesome Drifter.

Charley Crockett

Cody Jinks is an outlaw country music singer and songwriter. His 2016 album, I’m Not the Devil, reached #4 on the Billboard Country Albums chart, while his 2018 album, Lifers, reached #2 on the same chart. Jinks started out as the lead singer of a thrash metal band from Fort Worth named Unchecked Aggression, initially named Silas, that was active from 1998 to 2003. He also played the lead guitar; the other band members were Gary Burkham on bass who left in 2000 and was replaced by Chris Lewis, Anthony Walker on drums, and Ben Heffley on guitar. They were influenced by Metallica and Pantera. An album, The Massacre Begins was released in 2002. Songs they recorded included “Hell Razor” and “Kill Me Again”. The band however broke up after a trip to Los Angeles, and Jinks took a year off from music. In around 2005, he started playing country music, the music he grew up with.

Cody Jinks

Bloc Party

Earth, Wind & Fire are a music institution. In 1969, music legend Maurice White birthed the music force named after the elements from his very own astrological charts. With soul as deep as the plant, Earth, Wind & Fire charted a history that will live on forever. They’ve scored eight number one hits and have sold more than 100 million albums worldwide. They’ve released 23 albums; eight of those albums went Double Platinum and hit the Top 10, making them one of the best-selling artists of all time. They’ve won an impressive nine GRAMMY® Awards including one for Lifetime Achievement (2012). In 2000, Earth, Wind & Fire was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, cementing their lasting impact on popular music and, in 2019, their contributions to arts and culture was acknowledged in Washington DC with the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors.

Earth, Wind & Fire

Acclaimed folk-rock band Caamp hits the road in 2025! The band recently released their brand new EP, Somewhere, their first collection of new music since 2022. The EP captures the band’s signature warmth and introspective storytelling while exploring themes of love, change, nostalgia, and letting go.

Caamp

After a decade being born, Josh Tillman is finally busy dying.

Father John Misty

Melissa Etheridge stormed onto the American rock scene in 1988 with the release of her critically acclaimed self-titled debut album, which led to an appearance on the 1989 Grammy Awards show. For several years, her popularity grew around such memorable originals as “Bring Me Some Water,” “No Souvenirs” and “Ain’t It Heavy,” for which she won a Grammy in 1992. Etheridge hit her commercial and artistic stride with her fourth album, Yes I Am (1993). The collection featured the massive hits, “I’m the Only One” and “Come to My Window,” a searing song of longing that brought Etheridge her second Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Performance. In 1995, Etheridge issued her highest charting album, Your Little Secret, which was distinguished by the hit single, “I Want to Come Over.” Her astounding success that year led to Etheridge receiving the Songwriter of the Year honor at the ASCAP Pop Awards in 1996.

Melissa Etheridge and Indigo Girls

The Tedeschi Trucks Band is an American blues and blues rock group based in Jacksonville, Florida. Formed in 2010, the band is led by married couple Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks. Their debut album, Revelator, won the 2012 Grammy Award for Best Blues Album. The band has released five studio and three live albums.

Tedeschi Trucks Band Whiskey Myers

For more than two decades, the GRAMMY and Academy Award-nominated rock band Counting Crows have enchanted listeners worldwide with their intensely soulful and intricate take on timeless rock & roll. Exploding onto the music scene in 1993 with their multi-platinum breakout album, August and Everything After, the band has gone on to release seven studio albums, selling more than 20 million records worldwide, and is revered as one of the world’s most pre-eminent live touring rock bands.

Counting Crows

After an eight-year absence, Alabama Shakes are poised to make their return announcing a 2025 Tour across the U.S. The Athens, AL-raised band, comprised of vocalist/guitarist Brittany Howard, guitarist Heath Fogg, and bassist Zac Cockrell exploded onto the scene in 2012 with their debut album Boys & Girls, (ATO Records), which entered Billboard’s Independent Albums chart at No. 1. Boys & Girls earned the band multiple GRAMMY nominations and was hailed as one of the year’s best albums by numerous publications, including Rolling Stone, which also named lead single “Hold On” the #1 Best Song of 2012. Soon after its release, the bandmates found themselves thrust into the global spotlight, achieving such milestones as performing at the White House and on “Saturday Night Live.”

Alabama Shakes

My Morning Jacket’s 10th studio album and first full-length new collection in more than three years, is arrives via ATO Records on Friday, March 21. Produced by 3x GRAMMY® Award-winner Brendan O’Brien (Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam), the album is heralded by the ravishing lead single, “Time Waited,” available everywhere now. An official music video, directed by famed photographer/filmmaker Danny Clinch and featuring new performance footage interspersed with archival photos from throughout the band’s history, is streaming now on YouTube.

My Morning Jacket

Since forming in 2016, the Philadelphia native indie-rock band — comprised of Matt Quinn (vocals, guitar), Sam Cooper (guitar), Jackie Miclau (keys, piano), Sotiris Eliopoulos (drums), and Michael Byrnes (bass) — has put in their 10,000 hours preparing for this very moment.

Mt. Joy

Pixies

Formed by John Rzeznik and Robby Takac in Buffalo, NY in 1986, Goo Goo Dolls have quietly broken records, contributed a string of staples to the American songbook, connected to millions of fans, and indelibly impacted popular music for three-plus decades. Beyond selling 15 million records worldwide, the group has garnered four GRAMMY® Award nominations and nearly a dozen platinum & gold singles combined, and seized a page in the history books by achieving 16 number one and Top 10 hits. As a result, they hold the all-time radio record for “Most Top 10 Singles.”

Goo Goo Dolls

Teddy Swims

Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and now calling Colorado home, horticulturist/musician Gregory Alan Isakov has cast an impressive presence on the indie-rock and folk worlds with his six full-length studio albums: That Sea, The Gambler; This Empty Northern Hemisphere; The Weatherman; Gregory Alan Isakov with the Colorado Symphony; Evening Machines (nominated for a Grammy award for Best Folk Album), and Appaloosa Bones. Isakov tours internationally with his band, and has performed with several national symphony orchestras across the United States.

Gregory Alan Isakov

For the past couple of years, Bomba Estéreo vocalist Liliana ‘Li’ Saumet knew that she wanted to collaborate with Rawayana.

Bomba Estéreo + Rawayana

46 years into his recording career, Billy Idol is still the ever-moving myth, the intellectual/feral internet-age bookworm/caveman of our dreams, finding modern language for the fiery, Eddie Cochran-meets-Ziggy Stardust rip’n’roar that he’s been making since he first stepped on stage.

Billy Idol

For the last 20 years, Coheed and Cambria have continuously broken the mold of what a rock band can be, forging their own path and building a universe around their music unlike any other. Whether it is in the way their genre-spanning approach to songwriting has allowed them to bridge worlds without being contained to one, or the multifaceted story arc of their albums and comic book series which mark the longest running concept story in music, Coheed and Cambria have consistently shaped new standards, never conformed. Comprised of Claudio Sanchez (Vocals / Guitar), Travis Stever (Guitar), Josh Eppard (Drums) and Zach Cooper (Bass) the band has gripped listeners and press around the globe with their visionary compositions and conceptual mastery. In 2018, Coheed and Cambria made a stunning debut with their album Vaxis I: The Unheavenly Creatures, which debuted at #1 on Billboard’s “Hard Rock Albums” chart, #6 current sales and Top 15 on the “Billboard 200″ chart.

Coheed And Cambria * Taking Back Sunday

As The Head and the Heart toured behind their 2022 album, Every Shade of Blue, Jonathan Russell realized something needed to change inside the band he had cofounded a dozen years earlier: the entire songwriting process. Sure, they’d had Platinum singles, including “Honeybee” and “All We Ever Knew,” but the tandem of success and encroaching adulthood had forced sometimes-unspoken changes over the years. Russell, for instance, often took on lead songwriting duties, even bringing in outside collaborators to bolster his ideas. Their early band energy faded a bit, a slight disconnect forming between the songs and the members, even between one another.

The Head and The Heart

Originally formed in Byron Bay, Australia, back in 2014, Parcels now operate in a dual- location setup, with members scattered between Australia and Berlin, Germany. The band’s line-up consists of keyboardist Louie Swain, keyboardist/guitarist Patrick Hetherington, bassist Noah Hill, drummer Anatole “Toto” Serret, and guitarist Jules Crommelin.

Parcels

Lord Huron was created by Los Angeles-based artist Ben Schneider in 2010. After writing and recording two independent EPs (Into the Sun and Mighty) on his own, demand grew for Lord Huron to perform live. Schneider recruited friends Mark Barry (percussion), Miguel Briseño (bass) and Tom Renaud (guitar). Having first played music together at the tender age of 12, the group reunited and quickly hit their stride, transforming the project into a full-fledged live band. Lord Huron’s debut LP Lonesome Dreams was released in 2012 followed by Strange Trails in 2015. The latter featured the multi-platinum single “The Night We Met,” which has gone on to become one of Spotify’s Top 40 most-streamed songs of all time. In 2018, Lord Huron earned widespread critical acclaim and a Top 5 debut on the Billboard Top 200 with their third album, Vide Noir.  Lord Huron’s most recent LP Long Lost garnered praise from NPR, Time, Los Angeles Times, Spin and Stereogum and sparked performances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Late Late Show with James Corden and CBS This Morning: Saturday. The band’s extensive touring includes headline shows at some of the most storied venues in the country (including the Hollywood Bowl, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, and the Ryman Auditorium) and festivals ranging from Coachella and Lollapalooza to Bonnaroo, Outside Lands and more.

The Greek Theatre at UC Berkeley

Apr 24, 2025

Sturgill Simpson

May 3, 2025

Empire of the Sun

Jun 1, 2025

The Black Keys

Jun 7, 2025

Charley Crockett

Jun 12, 2025

Cody Jinks

Apr 18, 2025

Kraftwerk

Apr 4, 2025

Elderbrook

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The Greek Theatre at UC Berkeley