MUSIC
Pop & Rock
FUTURE AND FRIENDS: ONE BIG PARTY TOUR The Atlanta emo-trap MC closes out his brief 2023 arena run; his last album, “I Never Liked You,” contains the guts-spilling No. 1 hit “Wait for U,” which features cameos from the hip-hop mogul Drake and the Nigerian soul belter Tems. Jan. 27, 7 p.m. TD Garden. 617-624-1000, tdgarden.com
BRIDIE MONDS-WATSON The Irish singer-songwriter, who records gripping, meticulously detailed indiepop under the name SOAK, comes Stateside for a solo show. SOAK’s most recent album, “If I Never Know You Like This Again,” counters prickly sonics that recall ‘90s indie rock with Monds-Watson’s vivid, deeply felt lyrics. Feb. 1, 8 p.m. O’Brien’s Pub. 617-782-6245, obrienspubboston.com
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THE CHARLATANS UK AND RIDE The two Britpop stalwarts will play full-album sets spotlighting crucial moments in their careers; The Charlatans UK will perform their psychedelia-tinged 1992 cult favorite, “Between 10th and 11th,” while Ride will offer up their 1990 swirling shoegaze classic, “Nowhere.” Feb. 2, 7 p.m., Big Night Live. bignight.com
MAURA JOHNSTON
Folk, World & Country
THE GIBSON BROTHERS Leigh and Eric Gibson are still bluegrass through and through, but they continue their expansive ways on their brand-new “Darkest Hour,” with an ample representation of more straightforwardly country material and drums and electric guitar augmenting their traditional bluegrass instrumentation. Jan. 28, 8 p.m. $29. Bull Run Restaurant, 215 Great Road, Shirley. 978-425-4311. www.bullrunrestaurant.com; Jan. 29, 7 p.m. $35. Firehouse Center for the Arts, 1 Market Square, Newburyport. 978-462-7336, www.firehouse.org
PETE BERNHARD The Devil Makes Three’s Pete Bernhard does a solo turn, trading the fast and furious of that band for something slower and sparser. MorganEve Swain (The Huntress and Holder of Hands, Brown Bird) and the DiTrani Brothers also perform. Jan. 29, 8 p.m. $15. Askew, 150 Chestnut St., Providence. 401-270-4040, www.askewprov.com
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THE JUDDS It’s billed as “The Judds: The Final Tour,” but with Naomi Judd’s passing last year it isn’t really “The Judds,” of course. Instead, it’s daughter Wynonna paying tribute to her mother and to one of country music’s great duos. She’s joined by Martina McBride and Ashley McBryde. Jan. 29, 7:30 p.m. $29.50-$59.50. DCU Center, 50 Foster St., Worcester. 800-745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com
STUART MUNRO
Jazz & Blues
THE LOVE DOGS This swinging pack of jump blues hounds, known for charismatic frontman Eddie Scheer, inevitably pulls out all the stops when playing this venue. With guest guitarist Ricky “King” Russell. Jan 28, 8 p.m. $20-$25. Chan’s Fine Oriental Dining, 267 Main St., Woonsocket, R.I. 401-765-1900, www.chanseggrollsandjazz.com
THE JAZZ COMPOSERS ALLIANCE ORCHESTRA Presenting ambitious new jazz scores since 1985, this dynamic big band has collaborated with Henry Threadgill, Sam Rivers, and Dave Holland, among others. Their current program features music by resident composers David Harris, Darrell Katz, Bob Pilkington, and Mimi Rabson. The Arlington High School Jazz Band will participate in the Feb. 1 concert. Jan. 29, 3 p.m. $10-$15. The Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Cambridge. www.lilypadinman.com; Feb. 1, 7 p.m. Free, donations encouraged. Arlington High School, 869 Massachusetts Ave., Arlington. www.jazzcomposersalliance.org
BRITTANY KARLSON QUARTET The adventurous bassist and her troupe — intrepid trumpeters Forbes Graham and Miranda Agnew, plus marvelous Cuban drummer Francisco Mela — take listeners on an engaging improvisational journey. Feb. 3, 8 p.m. $10. Café at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. 617-800-7255, alexlemski@gmail.com
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KEVIN LOWENTHAL
Classical
BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA This week at Symphony Hall, BSO music director Andris Nelsons returns to the conductor’s podium for Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No. 2 featuring soloist Baiba Skride, Brahms’s pensive Symphony No. 4, and the world premiere of Steven Mackey’s “Concerto for Curved Space.” Friday evening’s “Casual Fridays” performance trades the Mackey concerto for a post-show conversation with Skride and director of program publications Robert Kirzinger. Next week, Bayreuth comes to Boston as the orchestra performs the Overture and Venusberg Music from Wagner’s “Tannhäuser” before presenting the opera’s act III in its entirety, with tenor Klaus Florian Vogt in the title role and soprano Amber Wagner (no relation to the composer) as Elisabeth. Symphony Hall. 617-266-1200, www.bso.org
DANISH STRING QUARTET The Celebrity Series hosts the charismatic and convivial Danish String Quartet as they present a program of Haydn, Shostakovich, Britten, and Nordic folk tunes. If their appearance at Tanglewood last summer is any indication, everything old will sound new again. Jordan Hall. Jan. 27, 8 p.m. 617-482-2595, www.celebrityseries.org
CONCORD ORCHESTRA It’s all aboard the “Vernacular Express” as guest conductor Eric Culver leads an all-American program that celebrates the intersection of popular song, jazz, and classical music, featuring Bernard Hoffer’s “Kurt Weill Songbook” with vocalist Jeffrey Korn, Charles Ives’s Symphony No. 2, and Gershwin’s “An American in Paris.” Performing Arts Center at 51 Walden, Concord. Jan. 28, 8 p.m.; Jan. 29, 3 p.m. www.concordorchestra.com
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A.Z. MADONNA
ARTS
Theater
HAMILTON Better sung than acted, with a certain depth of characterization lacking in key roles, this touring production nonetheless delivers when it comes to creating the kind of surging dynamism so vital to Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical about Alexander Hamilton and the tumultuous origins of the United States. Directed by Thomas Kail, with invaluable contributions from choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler. Through March 12. Broadway In Boston. At Citizens Bank Opera House. www.BroadwayInBoston.com
MADE IN CHINA 2.0 World premiere of a solo piece written, performed, and directed by Wang Chong, a renowned director of experimental theater. “Made in China 2.0″ is described as “a journey deep inside his personal experiences of creating theatre around the globe, unpacking stereotypes of the global expectations of what China brings to the world” and a “portrait of family, pop culture, and the role of the artist and provocateur in uncertain times.” Feb. 1-12. Commissioned and developed by Malthouse Theatre. Presented by ArtsEmerson. At Emerson Paramount Center, Jackie Liebergott Black Box. 617-824-8400, www.ArtsEmerson.org
DON AUCOIN
Dance
RENNIE HARRIS PUREMOVEMENT The legendary company celebrates its 30th anniversary by restaging one of its landmark productions, the award-winning “Rome & Jewels.” A hip-hop retelling of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” this powerful reimagining takes the story to the streets of Philadelphia, mining themes of love, prejudice, and violence that resonate all too well with contemporary life. Part of Global Arts Live’s Winter Dance Fest 2023. Jan. 28, $48-$69. Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre. www.globalartslive.org
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MFA BOSTON LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION To honor the Lunar New Year, celebrated on the second new moon after the winter solstice, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston is hosting a whole series of evening events, with dance prominently featured. The schedule includes performances of the traditional kung fu and lion dances to bring health, luck, and happiness, as well as a BAKTA Faculty Ensemble concert of music and dance called “Greeting the Moon.” Feb. 2. Pay-what-you-wish general admission ($5 minimum). Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. www.mfa.org
KAREN CAMPBELL
Visual art
WHO HOLDS UP THE SKY? This exhibition of war reportage from Ukraine includes photographs made by ordinary citizens forced to enlist in the Ukrainian army as they endure months of assaults by Russian invading forces on the ground and in the air. The show, organized in collaboration with the Wartime Art Archive at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) NGO in Kyiv, also includes images made by the Behind Blue Eyes project, which gave disposable cameras to Ukrainian children in Lukashivka, in the Chernihiv region, and asked them to document their experience of war for one week. Through May 21. Museum of Fine Arts Boston, 465 Huntington Ave. 617-267-9300, www.mfa.org
ON THE HORIZON: ART AND ATMOSPHERE IN THE 19TH CENTURY The Romantic era of 19th-century art prized the pristine countryside as closest to the divine, but the intangible elements of air and sky also provided artists with an expressive milieu in which to explore mood and experience. This exhibition looks at painters including J.M.W. Turner, John Constable, and James McNeill Whistler through their atmospheric pictures. Through Feb. 12. Clark Art Institute, 225 South St., Williamstown. 413-458-2303, www.clarkart.edu
TO BEGIN AGAIN: ARTISTS AND CHILDHOOD Whether you have them or not, kids are always and inevitably about one thing: the future. And for all the nurturing we provide them, whether in the close quarters of family or the broader societal context of the education system, the notion of childhood necessarily teeters between optimism and anxiety. This show takes that delicate balance on board with the understanding that childhood is the foundation on which all society is built, and the need to tip the balance in the right direction. Through Feb 26. Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, 25 Harbor Shore Drive. 617-478-3100, www.icaboston.org
MURRAY WHYTE
MATILDE SIMAS: OMO VALLEY PORTRAITS Simas, a documentary and fine art photographer, visited the Omo Valley along the southern border of Ethiopia last spring and met members of local tribes such as the Suri people, known for painting their faces and adorning themselves with flowers and fruits. This show is primarily in the gallery windows with photos changing through the run, but the artist will be in the gallery for a reception on Saturday, Jan. 28, from noon to 5 p.m. Through Feb. 11. Bridge Gallery, 5 Pemberton St., Cambridge. 617-930-3418, www.bridge.photos
CATE McQUAID
EVENTS
Comedy
RAY HARRINGTON The Maine native says he loves New England winters because he’s good at the associated activities, like Netflix and seasonal depression. “Seasonal depression is sad, but it comes with hope,” he says. “My life is not falling apart, I’ve just got a case of the Februaries.” Jan. 27-28, 8 p.m. $20-$22. The Comedy Scene at Helix Sports, 23 Patriot Place, Foxborough. www.thecomedyscene.club
TWISTED FATE COMEDY Mark Moccia, who frequently organizes community-minded comedy events, hosts Jack Burke, Mike Gray, Leonard Kimble, Cher Lynn, Ian Rice, and Zach Valencia in this benefit for the National MS Society. Jan. 27, 8 p.m. $20. Twisted Fate Brewing, 120 Andover St., Suite 4, Danvers. www.eventbrite.com
RASHAUN REESE Reese headlines this week’s edition of Tickle Me Tuesdays, returning after a month off for the holidays. Featuring Keith Morris, Janeen Slaughter, Nick Hahn, Praise, and Khalifornia Jones. Jan. 31, 8 p.m. $25. Macumba Latina, 477 River St., Mattapan. www.eventbrite.com
NICK A. ZAINO III
Family
TEEN GALLERY OPENING: THE STORIES THAT MAKE US Check out this student art exhibition and make your own art at the ICA. There will also be snacks, drinks, and a photo booth. Jan. 27, 6-8 p.m., Free. 100 Pier 4, second floor, Boston. icateens.org
DUMPLING DUEL Parents and kids will learn how to make different dumpling variations in this demonstration by Nicole Liu, chef and owner of VESTER cafes, and Nina Simonds, award-winning author of Asian cookbooks. The two will later compete to make the best dumplings, and participants will become taste-testers to select the winner. Register ahead of time to reserve your spot. Jan. 28, noon–1:30 p.m. Free. The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., Cambridge. eventbrite.com
LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION All ages are invited to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit at Pao Arts Center. Activities like Chinese red envelope folding, Korean calligraphy, and more will be taught. Jan. 29, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Free; suggested $10 donation. Pao Arts Center, 99 Albany St., Boston. paoartscenter.org
MADDIE BROWNING