MUSIC
Pop & Rock
NORA EN PURE If the recent house-honoring releases from Beyoncé and Drake have put you in the mood for a night at the club — or if you just want to celebrate the waning days of summer by getting a little sweaty — check out this Swiss-South African deep house producer, who derives inspiration from the natural world for her expansive, kinetic sets. Aug. 6, 10:30 p.m. Big Night Live. 617-896-5222, bignightlive.com
EARTH, WIND & FIRE Vocalist Philip Bailey, bassist Verdine White, and drummer Ralph Johnson anchor the psych-funk legends, who remain one of the best live acts on the touring circuit five-plus decades after their formation, and whose best songs like the frenetic “Getaway” and the sparkling “Fantasy” still sound like dispatches from a better future. With Santana. Aug. 10, 7 p.m. Xfinity Center, Mansfield. 800-745-3000, livenation.com
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DEATH VALLEY GIRLS For a decade, this Los Angeles band has been steadily pumping out releases that blend the scuzzed-out riffs of garage rock with urgent choruses and jet-engine energy — as well as just enough of a groove to get audiences shimmying. Aug. 10, 8 p.m. (doors). O’Brien’s Pub, Allston. 617-782-6245, obrienspubboston.com
MAURA JOHNSTON
Folk, World & Country
WOOD & BONE North Shore group Wood & Bone brings together an array of acoustic instrumentation (guitar, banjo, mandolin, drums) to produce a mix of “harmony-driven folk, soul, Americana and groove.” Their initial recording foray — a banjo-driven take on the staple “House of the Rising Sun” — and the EP that followed both argue for the band’s possibilities. Aug. 5, 9 p.m. No cover. Toad, 1912 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. 617-497-4950, www.toadcambridge.com
EMMA LANGFORD Brian O’Donovan brings a rising presence in Celtic music to his Backroom concert series in this singer-songwriter, who describes what she’s doing as “nu-folk” — a mix of trad and her own material, the latter of which includes the memorably named “You Are Not Mine (This Song Isn’t about You, You Lying Bollix).” Aug. 10, 7:30 p.m. $28. The Burren, 247 Elm St., Somerville. 617-776-6896, www.burren.com
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LAKOU MIZIK This multigenerational outfit has been playing and recording Haitian roots music for a decade or so, and of late they’ve also been inveterate collaborators, fusing their native musical tradition with that of New Orleans in concert with a host of Crescent City luminaries on 2019 release “HaitiaNola” and working with electronic musician Joseph Ray on their latest, “Leave the Bones.” Aug. 11, 7:30 p.m. $30. Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave. 800-440-6975, www.mfa.org
STUART MUNRO
Jazz & Blues
TYSON JACKSON WITH SASHA BERLINER This summer’s Mission Hill Arts Festival concerts continue with a performance led by accomplished drummer Jackson — who’s played with everyone from Dee Dee Bridgewater to Nona Hendryx — featuring acclaimed vibraphonist Berliner, winner of the 2020 Downbeat Critics’ Poll “Rising Star: vibraphone,” and the first woman and youngest person (21) to be so honored in the poll’s history. Aug. 6, 5:30 p.m. $5-$40. The Yard @ Tobin Community Center, 1481 Tremont St. www.mhartsfest.org
ONSET BLUES FESTIVAL The latest edition of this annual outdoor blues bash features Gil David Correia Band, Gracie Curran & The High Falutin’ Band, Dwight & Nicole, and more. Aug. 7, noon-5 p.m. $5-$50. Onset VFW Pavilion, 4 Gibbs Ball Park Road, East Wareham. www.onsetbay.org/event-4765140
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JACQUES SCHWARZ-BART PLAYS THE HARLEM SUITE Berklee College presents its annual Jazz at the Fort concert, with saxophonist Schwarz-Bart and group playing a set of pieces depicting his musical journey from the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe to the legendary Manhattan jazz scene. Aug. 7, 5 p.m. Free. Highland Park, 20 Fort Ave., Roxbury. college.berklee.edu/events/summer/highland-park
KEVIN LOWENTHAL
Classical
TANGLEWOOD It’s a musical feast for any number of palates this weekend at Tanglewood: the Boston Symphony Orchestra performs under the batons of Earl Lee, JoAnn Falletta, and Thomas Ades with a slew of guest soloists including pianist sisters Christina and Michelle Naughton, violinist Joshua Bell, and the Boston-based siren squad Lorelei Ensemble (Aug. 5-7). On the Tanglewood Music Center side, the Festival of Contemporary Music offers modern chamber music all weekend and culminates in the American premiere of George Benjamin’s “Lessons in Love and Violence,” with the composer conducting a concert performance (Aug. 5-8). Lenox. 617-266-1200, www.tanglewood.org
BOSTON LANDMARKS ORCHESTRA Music director Christopher Wilkins leads Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in a special Saturday evening event at the Hatch Shell on the Esplanade in a performance featuring the One City Choir and Coro Allegro alongside soloists Sirgourney Cook, Tichina Vaughn, Ethan Bremner, and Phillip Bullock. The evening also includes the world premiere of Diane White-Clayton’s “Many Mansions,” based on a spiritual arrangement by choral titan Roland Carter. Aug. 6, 7 p.m. DCR Hatch Memorial Shell, Charles River Esplanade. www.landmarksorchestra.org
THE PANDORA CONSORT In its summer season finale, the Society for Historically Informed Performance presents the debut of the three-piece Pandora Consort, featuring sopranos Kendra Comstock and Angie Tyler with harpsichordist Ruth McKay. Pandora introduces itself with “Vox Feminae,” music by women of the Renaissance and Baroque eras who were inspired by the lives of legendary women such as Susannah and Cleopatra. Aug. 9, Lincoln; Aug. 10, Andover; Aug. 11, Boston. www.sohipboston.org
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A.Z. MADONNA
ARTS
Theater
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING Beatrice (Rachael Warren) and Benedick (Tia James) are the jousting, will-they-or-won’t-they romantic duo we care about in this Shakespeare comedy. By switching Benedick’s gender to female in her festive production, director Megan Sandberg-Zakian makes this “Much Ado” about something, sharpening the lens on the mostly male misbehavior that causes so much trouble. Through Aug. 7. Commonwealth Shakespeare Company. On Boston Common. www.commshakes.org
CAN I TOUCH IT? Trenchantly observed and sharply written, with strong performances across the board, this new play by Boston-raised dramatist Francisca Da Silveira is grounded in the kind of human consequences that lie beneath, but are often obscured by, the powerful forces of development and finance. Directed by Summer L. Williams, “can i touch it?” stars Chris Everett as a Roxbury beauty supply store owner struggling to keep her business afloat while also battling gentrification. The cast also includes Jada Saintlouis as her daughter, Schanaya Barrows as her niece and employee, and Mark W. Soucy as her old friend and fellow activist. Through Aug. 13. Company One Theatre, in partnership with the City of Boston’s Office of Arts and Culture. At Strand Theatre, Dorchester. www.companyone.org
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A BEAUTIFUL NOISE It’s Neil Diamond’s turn to be showcased in a jukebox musical, and Diamond has the great good fortune to have Will Swenson playing him in the world premiere of this Broadway-bound show at the Emerson Colonial Theatre. “A Beautiful Noise” has a few problems, but Swenson sure isn’t one of them: The power of his electric performance nearly blows the roof off the old joint. As the older Diamond, Mark Jacoby skillfully conveys the restlessness of a guy who, despite all his success, is still trying to figure things out. Directed by Michael Mayer. Through Aug. 7. At Emerson Colonial Theatre. 888-616-0272, www.emersoncolonialtheatre.com
DON AUCOIN
Dance
BOSTON TAP PARTY FACULTY SHOWCASE The capper of the initial Boston Tap Party, spearheaded by Deborah Mason Dudley and continuing the spirit of Beantown Tapfest, is this celebratory concert. It brings together the festival’s prestigious teacher/performers and some of their most talented attendees, all performing to live music by legendary tap musician Paul Arslanian and his jazz combo. Aug. 6. Regent Theatre, Arlington. $35. www.regenttheatre.com
SURRENDER DOROTHY Grant Jacoby & Dancers present an informal showing of their new work, which they refer to as “an uncertain dance for uncertain times.” As the dancers explore the anxiety and grief of our times, the immersive work also broaches how the body physically manifests its sorrow and unease. The performance is followed by a talkback. Aug. 6. Complex@Canal, Cambridge. $10. www.dancecomplex.org
JACOB’S PILLOW DANCE FESTIVAL As San Francisco-based Alonzo King Lines Ballet finishes up its engagement this weekend in the Ted Shawn Theatre, the ever-popular Hubbard Street Dance Chicago is ready to take the stage Aug. 10-14 with a program that includes Aszure Barton’s touching “BUSK” and Ohad Naharin’s “B/olero,” among others. Outdoor events include Liz Lerman’s new multidisciplinary dance theater piece “Wicked Bodies” (Aug. 10-13). Becket. $15-$85. www.jacobspillow.org
THE QUARRY PROJECT One of the most magical outdoor dance projects of the summer just may be this dance/theater event choreographed by Hannah Dennison for an ensemble of 17 dancers along with five musicians. Each performance is spread in and around the Wells Lamson Quarry in Websterville, Vt., and features an original score by composer Andric Severance. Aug. 5-21. $30. thequarryproject2022.com
KAREN CAMPBELL
Visual Arts
RODIN IN THE UNITED STATES: CONFRONTING THE MODERN Some 1,300 works by the French sculptor Auguste Rodin are held by museums in the United States, testament not only to the artist’s success but to the many advocates on this side of the ocean that made it so. This exhibition, hosted by the Clark, gathers 50 sculptures and 25 drawings that explore the reputation-building effort that cemented Rodin’s work at the center of the American experience of early modern art. Through Sept. 18, Clark Art Institute, 225 South St., Williamstown. 413-458-2303, www.clarkart.edu
BÁRBARA WAGNER AND BENJAMIN DE BURCA: SWINGUERRA Long-time collaborators Wagner and de Burca call their video installations “documentary musicals,” and this piece, a work with a pair of large screens facing each other, fits the bill. Featuring three contemporary dance styles — swingueira, brega funk, and passinho da maloca — performed by competing dance troops in Recife, Brazil, “Swinguerra” takes in a gamut of social history, when dance and music were used as tacit modes of resistance by enslaved people in the bloody history of colonialism in Brazil. “Swinguerra” shows the fight being carried forward: Its dancers are from queer communities of color, for whom dance is a declaration of self. Through Sept. 5. Institute of Contemporary Art, 25 Harbor Shore Drive. 617-476-3100, www.icaboston.org
NEW ENGLAND TRIENNIAL 2022 In the run-the-gamut world of biennials and triennials, it’s an inevitable challenge to tease something coherent from the inevitable sprawl such broad surveys invite. Taking a smaller bite helps: Spanning both the de Cordova and Fruitlands museums, this once-in-three-years project, now administered by the Trustees of Reservations, looks within the borders of just New England with 25 artists touching on the notion of rebuilding and remaking — fitting, given the fractures of the past two pandemic years. Through Sept. 11. DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, 51 Sandy Pond Road, Lincoln. 781-259-8355, thetrustees.org/place/decordova; and Fruitlands Museum, 102 Prospect Hill Road, Harvard. 978-456-3924, https://thetrustees.org/place/fruitlands-museum
MURRAY WHYTE
OUR CHOICE, OUR VOICE: A PROTEST POSTER POP-UP FOR REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS August exhibitions at Gallery Kayafas are often loose and experimental. This year, owner Arlette Kayafas, spurred by the Supreme Court’s June overturning of Roe v. Wade, has mounted a benefit exhibition for Planned Parenthood. She invited artists to craft protest posters, come in, and pushpin them to the wall. On Aug. 5, during SoWA’s monthly First Friday event, the gallery will hold a reception from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Through Aug. 13. Gallery Kayafas, 450 Harrison Ave. 617-482-0411, www.gallerykayafas.com
CATE McQUAID
EVENTS
Comedy
KATHE FARRIS ALBUM RECORDING One of Boston’s best joke writers is committing her material to a recording for an album, diving into domestic life, a love of true crime, and more with straight-faced hilarity. Aug. 5-6, 7:30 p.m. $10. The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Somerville. www.therockwell.org
THE MENDOZA LINE Danya Trommer hosts this showcase of some of Boston’s best writers and performers at the Dugout Cafe, with Liam McGurk, Janet McNamara, Alex Giampapa, Jessie Baade, and Dan Boulger. Aug. 6, 8:45 p.m. $10. The Dugout Café, 722 Commonwealth Ave. www.eventbrite.com
JACKIE “THE JOKE MAN” MARTLING The former Howard Stern sidekick knows just about every street joke ever told, from cute to blue (mostly he favors the latter), and can rattle them off like a comedic Gatling gun. Martling starts his four-night run Aug. 11 (Boston’s own Frank Santorelli performs Aug. 5-6). Aug. 11 at 8 p.m., Aug. 12-14 at 8:30 p.m. $35. Giggles Comedy Club, 517 Broadway, Saugus. 781-233-9950, www.princerestaurant.com
NICK A. ZAINO III
Family
KIDZ BOP BOSTON Ready for, as they advertise themselves, “the ultimate pop concert for kids”? A group of talented young singers who cover famous pop songs, Kidz Bop is finally coming to Boston this summer for a show at the Leaderbank Pavilion. Parents rest easy, the group is notoriously committed to staying family-friendly — and even if the new lyrics they use in their covers in place of “sensitive language” (very broadly defined) are kind of hilarious, you can be certain they’re safe for young ears. Aug. 7, 4 p.m. $45-$99.50. Leader Bank Pavilion, 290 Northern Ave. livenation.com
TEDDY BEAR PICNIC Looking for a build-a-bear experience that’s a little more, well, upscale? Then head over to the Falmouth Historical Society’s self-described “most popular children’s event,” where for the price of a ticket kids will receive a full kit they can use to make their own bear. Grab your tickets quickly; the event requires reservations, and space is limited. Aug. 5, 10 a.m.-noon. $15. Falmouth Historical Society, 55 Palmer Ave., Falmouth. eventbrite.com
THE BELLA SHOWS: BEARS! On another bear-themed note, Brookline’s Puppet Showplace Theater has a special sing-along-filled show that’s perfect for kids ages 2-5. Oh, and if your kids do happen to have a favorite teddy bear, make sure to bring them along. Aug. 6-7, times vary. $12.50. Puppet Showplace Theater, 32 Station St., Brookline. blackbaudhosting.com
JOY ASHFORD