Bay Area arts and entertainment picks, Jan. 9

MUSIC

Willie Nelson

The incomparable Willie Nelson is on the road again. The 77-year old singer, songwriter, activist and country music outlaw kicks off his new tour with a four-day Bay Area gig. Nelson has been making music for 55 years and is considered an icon in American popular culture. Today-Wed. $69.50. 8 p.m. Fillmore, 1805 Geary Blvd., San Francisco. (800) 745-3000, www.livenation.com.

MUSIC

Soyeon Lee

Pianist Soyeon Lee performs Robert Schumann, Johann Sebastian Bach, Dmitri Shostakovich and more. The first-prize winner of New York's prestigious Naumburg Competition, Lee has won acclaim for her performances and albums. Her solo performances include engagements with the Cleveland Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra and recitals at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. $25 (free to San Francisco Performances subscribers and donors with reservations). 5 p.m. Today. Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Ave. San Francisco. (415) 392-2545, www.sfperformances.org.

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LECTURE

World Energy, Water and Food

Did you know that it requires the energy equivalent of one-half glass of diesel fuel to produce a glass of milk? Lynn R. Wallis, retired director of public affairs and media relations for GE Energy, talks about the impending crisis that will result if energy and water shortages continue. 5:30 p.m. Mon. $20. The Commonwealth Club, 595 Market St., San Francisco. (415) 597.6705, tickets.commonwealthclub.org.

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DANCE

'Fire and Passion of Tango'

Tango Buenos Aires, one of the great tango dance companies of the world, has come a long way from the Argentine cabaret where it started. Today this ensemble of dancers and musicians is internationally renowned for presenting a history of tango in a performance full of fire and passion. 8 p.m. $15-$45. Tues. Wells Fargo Center for the Arts, 50 Mark West Spring Road, Santa Rosa. (707) 546-3600, wellsfargocenterarts.org.

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COMEDY

Will Durst

Will Durst is a global joke-slinger on a one-man crusade to make you laugh. The five-time Emmy nominee has racked up more than 400 TV appearances in 14 countries. His hobbies include the never-ending quest for the perfect cheeseburger, and his heroes remain the same as when he was 12: Thomas Jefferson and Bugs Bunny. Durst will be joined onstage by the comic team of Deb & Mike. $10. 8 p.m. George's, 842 Fourth St., San Rafael. (877) 568-2726, www.georgesnightclub.com.

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MUSIC

Erik Telford

Pacific Grove native Erik Telford and his collective - a seven-piece, high-energy fusion group that plays improvisational music with jazz, rock and blues roots - celebrate their new CD with this Santa Cruz show. "Kinetic" draws on influences from Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock, as well as modern-day rock and ska. $12-$15. 7 p.m. Thurs. Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. (831) 427-5100, www.kuumbwajazz.org.

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FILM

German Gems

German Gems spotlights the best of new German cinema. Featured are works by first-time filmmakers as well as familiar masters such as Percy Adlon, whose "Mahler on the Couch" - about a fictitious meeting between Mahler and Freud - opens the festival. All films are in German with English subtitles. $9-$11. 7 p.m. Fri.; 2 p.m., 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Sat., and 2 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. next Sun. Castro Theatre, 429 Castro St., San Francisco. (415) 695-0864, www.brownpapertickets.com.

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ART

Celebrations: Martin Luther King Jr.

Stop by the Museum of the African Diaspora to celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. The celebration kicks off with Family Day, where you can create your own screen prints of King and view the film "King: Montgomery to Memphis." The theme for the following Monday is "What Is Your Dream? Day of National Service." The day features chalk drawing on the sidewalk, jewelry making and art sales, films about King and the civil rights movement, and a book presentation by Rose Watson, author of "Purposeful Parenting: Strategies for Raising Children Who Achieve." Free. Noon-4 p.m. Sat.; noon-5 p.m. Jan. 17. Museum of the African Diaspora, 685 Mission St., San Francisco. (415) 358-7200, www.moadsf.org.

MUSIC

'Drifting Moon Peaks'

"Drifting Moon Peaks" by zBug is the group's latest industrial jazz composition in five movements. The San Francisco jazz group draws inspiration from John Coltrane, cEvin Key, Cecil Taylor and Throbbing Gristle, with ambient psychedelic elements akin to Robert Rich and Pink Floyd. The group includes two drummers, Moog synthesizer, electric bass, modular synthesizer, acoustic piano and electro-beats. $5-$10. 8 p.m. Sat. Meridian Gallery, 535 Powell St., San Francisco. (415) 398-7229, www.meridiangallery.org.

This article appeared on page Q - 10 of the San Francisco Chronicle