YOASOBI Takes Over the Town, Passion Pit at the Fox & Cookout Vibes in Novato
J-pop superstars, indie-electro legends, museum block-party energy, and two nights of live music under the Novato sky
The 510 is booked and busy August 14–16: the biggest J-pop act on the planet lands at Oakland Arena, the Oakland Museum of California throws its free Friday garden party, and Passion Pit closes it all out with a synth-pop singalong at the Fox. Out in Marin, HopMonk Novato runs back-to-back nights — indie-folk in the beer garden Friday, Amy Winehouse soul on Saturday. Whichever bridge you’re on, the Bay has you covered.
🎤 YOASOBI: Never Ending Stories Tour
Friday, Aug 14 @ 8:00 PM
The biggest J-pop act on the planet touches down in The Town. YOASOBI — the duo of producer Ayase and vocalist ikura behind global smashes like “Idol” and “Yoru ni Kakeru” — brings their Never Ending Stories Tour to Oakland Arena for one massive Friday night. Their anime-fueled, genre-bending live show has been selling out arenas worldwide, and this Bay Area stop is one of only a handful of West Coast dates. Doors open at 6:30 PM and the 510 is going to show up in full force, so plan your night early — tickets are moving fast.
The Move: Fuel up before the arena crush — Hotboys Oakland at 1601 San Pablo Ave is the pre-show move, an easy hop from downtown before you roll to the Coliseum complex. Grab yours early; doors are at 6:30.
🎨 Friday Nights at OMCA with Ashley Mehta
Friday, Aug 14 @ 5:00 PM
Oakland’s favorite free Friday tradition rolls on at the Oakland Museum of California. This week Ashley Mehta takes the Garden Stage from 5 to 9 PM with powerhouse vocals and infectious pop energy, while BRIIZA spins Latin, Bay classics, house, and global electronic sounds in the Amphitheater — plus a locking dance lesson led by Chaz if you’re feeling brave. Off the Grid food trucks line 10th Street, there’s beer and wine by the Koi Pond, and picnic blankets sprawl across the garden with Lake Merritt views. It’s free to hang outside, and a museum ticket gets you late-night gallery access. Peak Town energy, all ages welcome.
The Move: Make it a full Oakland evening — swing by Hotboys Oakland on San Pablo Ave before you post up on a picnic blanket at the museum garden. It’s a quick ride from Uptown to Lake Merritt with dinner handled.
🎸 Penny and Sparrow | Cookout Concert Series
Friday, Aug 14 @ 6:00 PM
KC Turner’s beloved Cookout Concert Series brings indie-folk duo Penny and Sparrow to HopMonk Novato’s outdoor beer garden. Known for devastating two-part harmonies and lyrics that hit like a gut punch, the Texas-bred duo is one of the most quietly powerful live acts in Americana right now — and rising Nashville songwriter Cece Coakley opens. Doors at 4 PM mean you can settle in with a cold one and cookout fare before the 6 PM show under the Marin evening sky. Tickets run $30–$80 depending on how close you want to be.
The Move: Hotboys Novato at 5800 Nave Dr Suite D is minutes from HopMonk — grab a box before doors at 4 and you’re set for a full evening in the beer garden.
🎷 Valerie: A Tribute to Amy Winehouse
Saturday, Aug 15 @ 8:00 PM
The Bay’s premier Amy Winehouse tribute act takes over HopMonk Novato for a soulful Saturday night. Valerie recreates the late icon’s smoky vocals and retro-soul swagger — “Rehab,” “Back to Black,” “Valerie” and all the deep cuts — with a full band that’s been packing rooms across Northern California, from San Jose’s historic theaters to August Hall in SF. HopMonk’s intimate session room means you’re never more than a few feet from the stage. Pair it with the tavern’s beer list and it’s an easy call for date night in Marin.
The Move: Start Saturday night right — Hotboys Novato on Nave Dr is a straight shot up the 101 from the store to HopMonk’s doors. Eat first, then sing every word of “Back to Black.”
🎹 Passion Pit: The Pretty Penny Tour
Sunday, Aug 16 @ 7:30 PM
Close the weekend out with an indie-electro classic. Passion Pit — Michael Angelakos’s falsetto-fueled project behind “Sleepyhead,” “Take a Walk,” and “Little Secrets” — headlines Oakland’s gorgeous Fox Theater on The Pretty Penny Tour, presented by LIVE 105. Rising pop artist Arden Jones opens the night. The Fox’s art-deco interior is one of the best rooms in the Bay to catch a show, and a Sunday-night synth-pop singalong in Uptown is the right kind of weekend send-off. Doors at 6:30, show at 7:30 — get there early for a spot on the floor.
The Move: Hotboys Oakland at 1601 San Pablo Ave is walking distance from the Fox in Uptown — the perfect Sunday pre-show stop before doors at 6:30.
📍 Get tickets at ticketmaster.com
The Hotboys Connection
From YOASOBI packing Oakland Arena and picnic blankets at the OMCA garden to beer-garden harmonies and Winehouse soul in Novato, capped by Passion Pit lighting up the Fox — the Bay is running deep August 14 through 16. We’ve got locations across the region ready to keep you fed before every set time, doors call, and encore.
- Oakland: 1601 San Pablo Ave (9am – 10pm Sun – Wed)
- Walnut Creek: 1394 N Main St (9am – 10pm Sun – Wed)
- Hayward: 27826 Mission Blvd (10am – 10pm Sun – Thurs)
- Novato: 5800 Nave Dr, Suite D (10am – 10pm Sun – Thurs)
From the arena floor to the beer garden, The Town and Marin are both turned all the way up this weekend — pull up, eat some fire, and let the Bay do the rest. 🔥