All-world guitarist heading to Yoshi’s

Mike Stern will take your breath away.

He’s just that good — the type of guitarist who will leave you in awe with his fretboard fireworks, honed through decades of stellar work in the jazz world.

But please don’t just take our word on the matter. Instead, put our statement of his greatness to the test by going to see Stern when he performs three shows in two days.

Stern, of course, has amazing credentials in the music industry. He came to fame as a member of the popular jazz-rock troupe, Blood, Sweat & Tears, when he was 22. From there, he came under the wing of Billy Cobham, working in the drummer’s fusion group, before getting the call to join Miles Davis’ band.

He’s since established himself as a first-tier bandleader in the jazz game, thanks to such fine releases as 1988’s “Time In Place,” 1994’s “Is What It Is” and 2006’s “Who Let the Cats Out?”

The guitarist is out on the road with his latest Mike Stern Band ensemble — featuring drummer Dennis Chambers, saxophonist Bob Franceschini, bassist Janek Gwizdala and vocalist-guitarist Leni Stern — in support of the recently released album “Echoes and Other Songs.”

Details: 7:30 p.m. Monday and 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Tuesday; Yoshi’s, 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland; $29-$74; yoshis.com.

— Jim Harrington, Staff

Stars on parade in Oakland

The Perseids are lovely, peaking in mid-August with swift and plentiful fireballs, and October’s Orionids are a delight with their smoky, long-lasting trails. But real meteor-heads look forward to December when it’s time for the Geminids, the strongest annual shower, in terms of action, with more than 100 shooting stars zipping by every hour.

The 2024 Geminids meteor shower will peak overnight from Dec. 13 to 14 and, to celebrate, the Chabot Space & Science Center in Oakland is holding a watch party for kids and adults. Gather on the center’s observation deck to observe the busy skies and get all your astronomical questions answered by experts — where do the Geminids come from? (Asteroid 3200 Phaethon.) How big are they (pretty much grains of sand) and what might they taste like (perhaps clay or metal)?

The viewing conditions aren’t 100 percent optimal this year, with a waxing-gibbous moon providing interference, but the Geminids’ trademark light-bright meteors should still make the show a blast. Note: Bring warm clothing and optional blankets, chairs or sleeping bags.

Details: 11 p.m.-3 a.m. Friday; 10000 Skyline Blvd., Oakland; $15 for adults, $7 for ages 2-12, chabotspace.org.

— John Metcalfe, Staff

The Founding Fathers are back

Is it just us, or does a musical about how a group of political leaders put their squabbling ways, personal interests and other matters behind them long enough to create an American Democracy seem especially relevant right now?

Even if you don’t want to look at it that way, “Hamilton,” Lin-Manuel Miranda’s 2015 musical that changed the notion of what a musical could be, is worth seeing. The fast-paced show with rapid-fire, hip-hop-infused numbers, a largely non-white cast and a compelling story wrapped around Founding Father Alexander Hamilton and the creation of the U.S. Constitution, makes for a thrilling night at the theater. And now it’s back in the Bay Area for a four-week run extending into early January.

“Hamilton,” based on Ron Chernow’s best-selling biography “Alexander Hamilton,” has been embraced with almost universal acclaim. It became an instant sensation with its off-Broadway opening and continued to generate sold-out audiences when it moved to the Great White Way, eventually garnering a record-breaking 16 Tony Award nominations and 11 trophies, as well as the Pulitzer Prize for drama.

Now a new North American tour, which blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B and traditional showtunes in what Miranda has described as an exploration of “America then, as told by America now,” is playing at the Orpheum Theatre.

Details: Presented by BroadwaySF; through Jan. 5; 1192 Market St.; tickets start at $189; broadwaysf.com.

— Randy McMullen, Staff

‘Nutcrackers’ of all kinds

With the holiday entertainment season in full bloom, here are some productions of the beloved “Nutcracker” you should know about.

San Francisco Ballet ‘Nutcracker’: Helgi Tomasson’s classic adaptation of the work is back; through Dec. 29; War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco; $19-$465; www.sfballet.org.

Dorrance Dance “Nutcracker Suite”: Presented by the nation’s preeminent tap company; 8 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday; Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley; $30-$150; calperformances.org.

“The San Jose Nutcracker”: Presented by New Ballet and Symphony San José, set in the South Bay in 1905 and featuring choreography by Dalia Rawson, New Ballet’s founder and artistic director; Saturday through Dec. 23; California Theatre, San Jose; $31.50-$121.50; newballet.com

Mark Foehringer Dance Project: The roughly 1-hour “Nutcracker Sweets” was designed by Foehringer with young viewers in mind; through Dec. 22; Cowell Theater, Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture, San Francisco; $23.50-$59.50; nutcrackersweets.org.

San Jose Dance Theatre: The company’s annual production of the “Original San Jose Nutcracker” runs through Sunday; San Jose Center for the Performing Arts; $39.50-$115; www.sjdt.org.

— Andrew Gilbert, Correspondent

Celebrating holidays in song

Looking for a special concert to round out your holiday calendar? Here are three you should know about.

“A Chanticleer Christmas”: Founded in 1978 by the late singer and musicologist Louis Botto, Chanticleer continues to set the gold standard for exquisitely sung choral music. From classical favorites to holiday carols, the 12-man vocal ensemble always achieves a radiant blend as they celebrate this special time of year. This season, the group returns under music director Tim Keeler — a countertenor who previously sang with Chanticleer — in a wide-ranging program that begins with a candlelit chant procession and moves to a joyous gospel conclusion. Details: Friday through Dec. 23, with performances in Berkeley, Oakland, San Francisco, Mill Valley, Petaluma, Sacramento, Santa Clara, and Carmel; $45-$91; chanticleer.org.

“Wintersongs”: Kitka, the acclaimed nine-woman vocal ensemble dedicated to the music of the Balkan, Caucasus and Slavic lands, returns with its annual concert following the arc of the “Supra,” a traditional Georgian ritual feast. Details: Through Dec. 22; concerts in Davis, Santa Cruz, Oakland and San Francisco; $36-$56; kitka.org.

“Messiah,” American Bach Soloists: It’s a Bay Area tradition: Handel’s masterwork, performed in Grace Cathedral, is one of the great holiday events, and American Bach presents it in all of its splendor. This year, conductor Jeffrey Thomas leads the orchestra and Bach Choir in a performance featuring soprano Mary Wilson, countertenor Eric Jurenas, tenor Jon Lee Keenan, baritone Jesse Blumberg, and the company’s Bach Choir. Details: 7:30 p.m. Saturday; Grace Cathedral, San Francisco; $25-$135; americanbach.org.

— Georgia Rowe, Correspondent