Concert promoter Another Planet Entertainment on Tuesday announced the Greek Theatre at UC Berkeley would host upcoming concerts by German electronic pioneers Kraftwerk and ’80s rock favorite Billy Idol.
The two separate concerts were just added to the East Bay venue’s schedule with tickets going on sale this week, according to the promoter.
Kraftwerk
The Kraftwerk concert at the Greek set for Friday, April 18, will come between the groundbreaking electro-pop group’s two appearances at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. The quartet — led by sole constant Ralf Hütter, who co-founded the group with the late Florian Schneider in Düsseldorf over five decades ago — is launching its “Multimedia Tour 2025” to celebrate 50 years of Kraftwerk’s seminal album Autobahn in Philadelphia on March 6.
The San Francisco Bay Area was not listed among the planned stops when the North American tour was initially announced back in December. The April concert will mark Kraftwerk’s first visit to the region since bringing its COVID-delayed 3-D tour to the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium back in the summer of 2022.
With the catchy melodies, pulsating electronic rhythms and otherworldly synthesizer sound heard on the group’s classic run of ’70s and ’80s albums like their 1974 international commercial breakthrough Autobahn and follow-up efforts Trans-Europe Express, The Man-Machine and Computer World, Kraftwerk laid the foundation for a wide range of music that would emerge in their wake. The ensemble essentially invented modern synth-pop and providing a cornerstone influence for everything from post-punk, new wave, synth pop and hip-hop (which sampled the band’s kinetic electro grooves early on) to practically every style of electronic music that would emerge from techno and house to electro and ambient. The APE pre-sale for the April show begins Thursday, January 23 at 10 a.m. PST. General on-sale begins Friday, January 24th at 10 a.m. local time with tickets available on the Ticketmaster website.
Another Planet also announced the Bay Area date for rocker Billy Idol is returning to the road for his “It’s a Nice Day To…Tour Again!” jaunt with support from fellow icon Joan Jett & the Blackhearts. That Greek Theatre show is schedule for Sunday, September 14. First coming to fame as a member of British punk band Generation X, Idol became a global superstar after launching his successful solo career. Last year, the singer marked the 40th Anniversary of his landmark sophomore album Rebel Yell with the release of a deluxe expanded edition. The APE pre-sale for the Billy Idol/Joan Jett & the Blackhearts show begins Thursday, January 23 at 9 a.m. PST. The general on-sale begins Friday, January 24th at 9 a.m. local time on the Ticketmaster website. Additional info and tickets will be available at billyidol.net/tour.
