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KACEY MUSGRAVES
Since she broke out with her “Same Trailer Different Park” album, Musgraves has played around here only at the 30-minute front end of package shows, so this sole New England stop on her “Same Tour Different Trailer” tour will provide an introduction that isn’t over almost as soon as it starts. March 27, 8 p.m. Tickets: $28-$35. Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel, Providence. 401-331-5876. www.lupos.com
POP & ROCK
A TRIBUTE TO THE KINKS Presented by the Cover-Up Boston, the local live music series, this salute to the Kinks is a who’s who of Boston acts: the exquisitely named supergroup Shingles Going Steady (with members of Jenny Dee & the Deelinquents, the Cavedogs, and the Gravel Pit), Merrie Amsterburg, Field Day, Corin Ashley, and the Phil Aiken Army, among others. March 26, 8:30 p.m. Tickets: $12, $10 in advance. Lizard Lounge, Cambridge. 617-547-0759, www.brownpapertickets.com
DIAMOND RUGS Like last call at the corner dive bar, Diamond Rugs’ new sophomore album, “Cosmetics,” is a bleary-eyed good time with the promise of tomorrow night being even better. The supergroup – which features members of Deer Tick, Black Lips, Los Lobos, Dead Confederate, and Six Finger Satellite – is a collision of barroom rock with punk tendencies. Raw power indeed. March 29, 9 p.m. Tickets: $15. The Sinclair, Cambridge. 800-745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com
DTCV
On its upcoming album, “Uptime!” (out April 7), this French-American duo, which pronounces the band name as Detective, hits the sweet spot between Blondie and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The songs churn with fuzzy guitars and girl-group choruses sweetened by Guylaine Vivarat’s vocals. They share the bill with Swearing at Motorists, Jake McKelvie & the Countertops, and Horsehands. March 29, 8 p.m. Tickets: $10. O’Brien’s Pub, Allston. 617-782-6245, www.ticketweb.com
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Folk & World
THE PINE HILL PROJECT You might say it’s about time: Richard Shindell and Lucy Kaplansky have been singing together for a quarter-century, but they’ve never recorded as a duo until the newly released “Tomorrow You’re Going,” a shimmering cover-song collection they’ve constructed as the Pine Hill Project. This show celebrates the album’s release. March 28, 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $40. First Parish Church, Cambridge. 617-492-7679. www.passim.org
FEUFOLLET “Tired of Your Tears,” the first song on Feufollet’s new album, “Two Universes,” is a perfect précis of what this Cajun-Americana band is all about: It’s undeniably Cajun, but by turns sounds just as much honky-tonk (thanks to the syrupy twang of Kelli Jones-Savoy’s vocals) and soul (thanks to Andrew Toup’s organ replacing the more typical accordion). March 31, 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $12. Johnny D’s, Somerville. 617-776-2004. www.johnnyds.com
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THE FOGHORN STRINGBAND One of the premier old-time outfits around, Portland, Ore.’s Foghorn Stringband is traveling a long way not just to play, but to help you dance; they’re the featured band at the “Dare to Be Square” monthly square dance event. (If you want a double-shot o’ Foghorn, they’re also at Club Passim the following night.)
April 1, 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $10. Arts at the Armory, Somerville. 617-718-2191. www.artsatthearmory.org
Jazz & Blues
BRANDEIS IMPROV FESTIVAL WITH MILFORD GRAVES This three-day celebration/investigation of improvised music, directed by saxophonist/educator Tom Hall, presents an opening concert showcasing versatile jazz pianist Tim Ray, bassist/composer Bob Nieske’s adventurous quartet, swinging American Songbook selections from vocalist April Hall‘s quintet, and a solo performance by free jazz drum legend Graves, who has collaborated with everyone from Albert Ayler to John Zorn. (Visit website for a complete list of Improv Fest events.) March 27, 7 p.m. Free. Slosberg Recital Hall, Brandeis University, Waltham. www.freeimprovisation.com
THE EITHER/ORCHESTRA Boston’s own world-class little big band, six horns plus rhythm, has precious few rivals in exuberant eclecticism or sheer fun, whether playing original jazz tunes, interpreting pop chestnuts, or delving into Ethiopian grooves.
March 27, 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $20. Regattabar. 617-395-7757, www.regattabarjazz.com
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HERITAGE BLUES ORCHESTRA A one-band blues festival, this nine-piece group, including a four-piece horn section, plays gritty country and urban blues ringing with echoes of gospel, work songs, and New Orleans jazz, plus pulsing rhythms evoking the African roots of a people and their music. Presented by World Music/CRASHarts. March 28, 8 p.m. Tickets: $35. Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville. 617-876-4275, www.worldmusic.org
THE WHY Lyrical pianist and composer Bert Seager’s world music tinged chamber-jazz quartet – featuring cellist Catherine Bent, bassist Ehud Ettun, and percussionist Brian O'Neill – will play pieces from their beguiling new self-titled CD. March 29, 3 p.m. Tickets: $10. The Green Room, 62 Bow St., Somerville. 617-615-9467, www.jazzatthegreenroom.com
Classical
BOSTON SYMPHONY
ORCHESTRA Andris Nelsons returns to the podium to lead Mahler’s Sixth Symphony and the premiere of “Ascending Light,” a new work for organ and orchestra by Michael Gandolfi. March 26-31, Symphony Hall. 617-266-1200, www.bso.org
HANDEL AND HAYDN SOCIETY As one of the central events of its bicentennial celebrations, H&H performs Bach’s “St. Matthew Passion,” with Joshua Ellicott (Evangelist) and Roderick Williams (Jesus), under the baton of Harry Christophers. March 27 and 29, Symphony Hall.
617-266-3605, www.handelandhaydn.org
LISA BATIASHVILI
+ PAUL LEWIS The Georgian violinist and English pianist working together should make for a high-caliber duo, here teaming up for works by Bach, Beethoven, and Schubert. March 29, 3 p.m.,
Jordan Hall. 617-482-6661, www.celebrityseries.org
BORROMEO QUARTET The veteran Boston-based foursome knows its way around the Shostakovich String Quartets. Here the group pairs the harrowing Eighth with Tchaikovsky’s String Quartet No. 2. March 29, 1:30 p.m. 617-278-5156, www.gardnermuseum.org
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BELLE AND SEBASTIAN
A detour into synth-pop made this long-running Scottish band’s new album, “Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance,” one of this year’s most pleasant surprises. While keeping the lyrics rather confessional, frontman Stuart Murdoch (above) and gang create a fascinating tension with the music’s propulsive dance rhythms. It makes you think: Should I revel in a line like, “I clung to the bed and I clung to the past/ I clung to the welcome darkness”? Go for it. March 30, 8 p.m. Tickets: $36.50-$49.50. House of Blues. 800-745-3000, www.livenation.com JAMES REED
MUSE & MORROSAt its best, this fast-moving production by the Chicano-Latino sketch troupe Culture Clash reclaims the idea of multiculturalism from the realm of academic jargon, showing us what a truly United States might look like. The writing could be sharper, but stars Richard Montoya, Ric Salinas, and Herbert Siguenza couldn’t be more inventive or appealing. Through March 29. ArtsEmerson, at Jackie Liebergott Black Box, Paramount Center, Boston. 617-824-8400, www.artsemerson.org
THE COLORED MUSEUMUneven though it is, George C. Wolfe’s 1986 satire still packs a punch with its clever, creative, and incisive takes on the complexities and challenges of African-American identity, culture, and history. Billy Porter directs with brio, and his cast is immensely talented and versatile. Through April 5. Huntington Theatre Company, at BU Theatre, Boston. 617-266-0800,
www.huntingtontheatre.org
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SHOCKHEADED PETERThe New England premiere of this antic musical about the exceedingly grim fates met by misbehaving Victorian tykes wants to jolt and disorient you. It does. It also wants to entertain you, and it does that too. Under the ingenious direction of Steven Bogart, with a strong cast led by Alexandria King as the emcee, a kind of tour guide from (and to) hell. Through April 4. Coproduction of Company One Theatre and Suffolk University. Modern Theatre at Suffolk University. 866-811-4111, www.companyone.org
COME BACK, LITTLE SHEBADirector David Cromer, who won plaudits for his reimagined production of Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town,’’ returns to Boston to tackle another play by another American writer who is often underestimated and condescended to: William Inge. “Come Back, Little Sheba’’ is about the emotional upheaval that results when an unhappily married Midwestern couple, Doc and Lola Delaney, take in a female college student as a boarder. March 27-April 26. Huntington Theatre Company, at Roberts Studio Theatre, Calderwood Pavilion, Boston Center for the Arts. 617-266-0800, www.huntingtontheatre.org
BIG FISHThe 2013 Broadway musical based on Daniel Wallace’s 1998 novel has been scaled down by its creators, John August and Andrew Lippa, and though the score and the lyrics remain pedestrian and sentimental, August’s book is pointed and poetic (he wrote the screenplay for the 2003 film), and SpeakEasy Stage offers an appealingly homespun production with an accomplished cast of 12 anchored by Steven Goldstein as tall-tale teller Edward Bloom and Aimee Doherty as Edward’s wife, Sandra. Through April 11. SpeakEasy Stage Company at Wimberly Theatre, Boston Center for the Arts. 617-933-8600, www.speakeasystage.com
REGGIE WILSON/FIST AND HEEL PERFORMANCE GROUPThough the 25-year-old company’s powerful and provocative “Moses(es)” was inspired by Zora Neale Hurston’s book on the prophet, Wilson’s choreographic journey finds Moses’s spirit through a surprising range of cultural influences. Music ranges from spirituals and Louis Armstrong to the Klezmatics. Presented by the Institute of Contemporary Art. March 27-29, $15-$30. Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston. 617-478-3103,
www.icaboston.org
OF LOOMS AND LILIESJody Weber’s latest choreographic project creates a dialogue between a contemporary woman and a 19th-century factory worker to explore the impact of the industrial revolution on our lives — personally, spiritually, materially — as well as on climate change. Performers include Weber Dance and members of the Weber Dance Community Group.
March 27-28, 8 p.m., $20-$30. Dance Complex, Cambridge.
617-547-9363, www.weberdance.com
ANGAJEThis new, full-length production by Jean Appolon Expressions is a series of interconnected dances that reflect on life in post-quake Haiti, encompassing political and economic concerns as well as social injustice, especially rampant homophobia. Appolon sets his choreography to the music, some performed live, of the late, legendary Toto Bissainthe. March 27-28, 8 p.m., $20-$50. Boston Center for the Arts. 617-933-8600, www.jeanappolonexpressions.org
Galleries
STILL ALIVE, LOVE YOU – DON The versatile and renowned American ceramicist Don Reitz died last year at 84. This tribute exhibition revisits some of his playful, heartfelt, and innovative work – salt-fired and wood-fired vessels and abstractions. Through May 6. Lacoste Gallery, 25 Main St., Concord. 978-369-0278, www.lacostegallery.com
MUJERES: POETIC REVELATIONS OF OUR LIVES This two-person show wittily pairs the comic, socially motivated portraits of painter Silvia López Chavez with the iconic figurative sculptures and sketches of Nora Valdez. Through April 22. La Galería at Villa Victoria Center for the Arts, 85 West Newton St. 617-927-1737, www.ibaboston.org/blog/event/mujeres-poetic-revelations-lives_exhibit
THE MAN PROJECT
Painter Molly Segal makes portraits of men she knows. The series is conceptual, exploring power dynamics, expectations, and other freighted undercurrents between artist and sitter, woman and man. Through April 24. Elizabeth A. Beland Gallery, Essex Art Center, 56 Island St., Lawrence. 978-685-2343, www.essexartcenter.com
Museums
WHEN THE STARS BEGIN TO FALL: IMAGINATION AND THE AMERICAN SOUTH Thirty-five artists, including Kara Walker, Theaster Gates, and David Hammons, in a show that explores both the myth and the reality of the American South. Through May 10. Institute of Contemporary Art. 617-478-3100, www.icaboston.org
J.C. LEYENDECKER AND THE SATURDAY EVENING POSTLeyendecker (1874-1951) made 322 covers for the Saturday Evening Post. This show displays cover tear sheets for all of them, as well as a selection of the celebrated illustrator’s original paintings. Through June 14. Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge. 413-298-4100, www.nrm.org
PRETTY RAW: AFTER AND AROUND HELEN FRANKENTHALER A new view of postwar-to-contemporary American art as seen through the lens of Helen Frankenthaler, who stained her canvases with softer colors. Includes work by Grace Hartigan, Larry Rivers, Jane Freilicher, Lynda Benglis, Morris Louis, Andy Warhol, Carroll Dunham, Kathy Butterly, and others. Through June 7. Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University, Waltham. 781-736-3434, www.brandeis.edu/rose
PAST FUTURES: SCIENCE FICTION, SPACE TRAVEL, AND POSTWAR ART OF THE AMERICAS Art by US and some Latin American artists that responded to new vistas opened up the Space Race, science fiction, and Cold War technological innovation. Through June 7. Bowdoin College Museum of Art, Brunswick, Maine. 207-725-3275,
ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER
A longtime Boston favorite, the company has been experiencing renewed vigor and an intriguingly expanded repertoire under the direction of Robert Battle. During this annual Celebrity Series engagement, programming ranges from Ailey classics to the company premiere of the striking 1932 “Awassa Astrige/Ostrich,” by Sierra Leone choreographer Asadata Dafora, and the Boston premiere of Matthew Rushing’s new “ODETTA.” March 26-29, $35-$85.
Citi Wang Theatre. 617-482-6661, www.celebrityseries.org
KAREN CAMPBELL
LIFE, OR SOMETHING LIKE IT
Ceramicist Christopher Adams’s massive installation of more than 1,000 pieces explores adaptive radiation — in evolutionary biology, that’s when a species enters a new habitat and diversifies quickly. (Pictured: detail of “Adams Wall.”) Through April 24.Gallery 224, Ceramics Program, Office for the Arts at Harvard, 224 Western Ave., Allston. 617-495-8680, www.ofa.fas.harvard.edu/ceramics CATE McQUAID
Clubs
GOVINDAProducer Shane Madden was studying classical violin at the University of Texas when he got hooked on electronic music production. His sound incorporates world music and violin chops. The night also features Of the Trees and More Precious Dust. March 27, 8 p.m. $12-$15. Wonder Bar, 186 Harvard Ave., Allston. 617-351-2665, www.wonderbarboston.com
GOLDFISHThis South African house duo melds electronic, African, and jazz and throws live instruments like saxophone into the mix. The artists stop in Boston on the Organic House Tour. March 28, 10 p.m. $18. Paradise, 967 Comm. Ave., Boston. 617-562-8800, www.thedise.com
LEE BURRIDGEThe British DJ took up music as a way to get girls as a teenager. 30+ years later, and he’s still after the music. He says, “The records that can’t really be described . . . those are the ones that always interest me. Wonky, Wobbly, bassline driven, trippy, melodic, mean, nasty, gentle, deep, spacious, distant, and rocking. Interesting not obvious. Those are some of the words that I’d use to describe the records in my box.” March 27, 10 p.m. $20-$25. Bijou, 51 Stuart St. Boston. 617-357-4565, www.bijouboston.com
BOOTIE BOSTONThe all mash-up dance party features resident DJs McFly, Spencer 4 Hire, Jabulani, and Tom Boates Everybody. March 27, 10 p.m. $10. Good Life, 28 Kingston St., Boston. 617-451-2622, www.goodlifebar.com
Comedy
JOSH WOLFThe Boston native, former “Chelsea Lately” panelist, and author headlines three nights of shows, joined by one of Boston’s funniest comics, Tom Dustin. March 26 at 8 p.m., March 27-28 at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. $20-$35. Laugh
Boston, 425 Summer St., Boston. 617-725-2844, www.laughboston.com
ROBBIE PRINTZ A fine bill from top to bottom, with former Boston Comedy Festival winner Printz and Dan Crohn, with up-and-comer Steve Halligan. March 27 at 7 p.m., March 18 at 7:15 p.m. and 9:30 pm. $20. Giggles Comedy Club, 517 Broadway (Route 1), Saugus. 781-233-9950, www.gigglescomedy.com
ANDY SANDFORD AT THE GAS His friends have thought he was 30 since he was 20, and the best day of his life was when McDonald’s gave him more food than he paid for. This is the plight the sardonic Atlanta native mines in his stand-up. March 27, 7 p.m. $10. Great Scott, 1222 Commonwealth Ave., Allston. 617-566-9014, www.greatscottboston.com
SINBADBe prepared for a comedy marathon. Sinbad, who released a 90-minute special “Make Me Wanna Holla” in 2014, can go for two hours or more at his live shows before he breaks a sweat.
March 27 at 7:30 p.m. $25-$39. The Wilbur Theatre. 866-448-7849,
www.thewilbur.com
GREG HOWELL AND SEAN SULLIVAN Another double-headliner show starring Howell (a.k.a. GFunny), who can deliver a crack at an audience member or a rough joke about sex with Barry White smoothness, and the brutally funny and cutting Sullivan. March 27 at 8 p.m. and March 28 at 7:30 p.m. $20. Dick’s Comedy Den at Howl at the Moon.
800-401-2221, www.dickdoherty.com
LOCAL EVENTS
SHREK: The Musical The famous green ogre is going from the screen to the stage in Open Door Theater’s “Shrek: The Musical” in Acton. Based on the Oscar-winning DreamWorks Animation film, the musical is a Tony Award-winning fairy tale adventure. March 27-29, 7:30 p.m. $12. Dragonfly Theater, RJ Grey Junior High School, 16 Charter Road, Acton. 978-264-8150. www.opendoortheater.org
National Crayon Day The Crayon Collection, a nonprofit organization, partners with the National Head Start Association to celebrate National Crayon Day. More than 19,000 Head Start classrooms are enrolling more than 1 million kids nationwide in need of crayons and other school supplies. The price of admission to the film “The Hero of Color City” will be a box of crayons. Donated crayons will be dropped off at local Head Start centers. March 28, 10:30 a.m. Coolidge Corner Theatre,
290 Harvard St. Brookline.
617-734-2501. www.coolidge.org/content/hero-color-city
“e” inc.’s Science
Saturdays
This new Saturday morning science program for kids teaches one-hour science lessons about the nature around us. This week’s meeting explores
how animals survive New England winters. March 28, 11:30 a.m. $38.
“e” inc., 114 16th St., Room 1030, Charlestown. 617-242-4700. www.einc-action.org/science-saturdays--our-new-england-habitat.html
NORTH SHORE WORLD’S FAIR Join Cultural Care at the Manchester-by-the-Sea Community Center for a day of celebrating cultures from around the world. Kids can learn about the people of South America, Europe, and Asia at an event featuring food, crafts, face-painting, and more. March 28, noon. Manchester Community Center, 40 Beach St.. Manchester-by-the-Sea. 978-526-7626. culturalcareboston.eventbrite.com
GO WILD! CONNECTING KIDS WITH NATURE
Scott Sampson, host of the PBS Kids series “Dinosaur Train,” will tap into the secrets revealed in his new book, “How to Raise a Wild Child: The Art and Science of Falling in Love With Nature.” March 28, 2 p.m. $8-$12. Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford St., Cambridge. 617-495-3045. hmnh.harvard.edu/event/go-wild-connecting-kids-nature-0
Humpback Whales IN IMAX 3D AND IN OUR BACKYARDThe New England Aquarium’s new IMAX film introduces audiences to Humpback whales’ fascinating lives. This screening of “Humpback Whales 3D” will be accompanied by speakers including the aquarium’s vice president of research. March 26, 7 p.m. Free. New England Aquarium
1 Central Wharf, Boston. 617-973-5200 www.neaq.org/education_and_activities/programs_and_classes/aquarium_lecture_series/index.php
Boston Print Fair The Boston Center for the Arts is the setting for this eighth annual fair, at which art-lovers can view exhibitors’ offerings of a variety of modern to contemporary art in many styles. March 27-29, 1- 5 p.m. $15. Cyclorama at the Boston Center for the Arts, 539 Tremont St. 617-363-0405. www.ad2021.com
The Boston Underground Film Festival BUFF brings cutting-edge and underappreciated film and video to an audience seeking an experience outside the mainstream. Through March 29, 7:30 p.m. $10 per ticket, $125 for festival pass. Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Cambridge. 617-876-6838. www.bostonunderground.org
Piper Kerman: Humanist Heroine of the Year The author of “Orange Is the New Black” is being honored by the Humanist Community at Harvard. The award honors women who demonstrate a real-world application of the Center’s values to connect, act, and evolve. March 31, 8 p.m. $14.50. Harvard Science Center, One Oxford St., Hall B, Cambridge. 617-495-2627. bit.ly/1DrmM9H
April 5-Aug. 9 Hokusai Exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts www.mfa.org
April 10 Jerry Seinfeld (above) at Citi Performing Arts Center www.ticketmaster.com
The Sonics at Brighton Music Hall www.ticketmaster.com
April 10-11 Lewis Black at Shubert Theatre www.ticketmaster.com
April 15-19 T he 5th Annual Hollywood Scriptures Film Series at the Museum of Fine Arts www.mfa.org
April 15 John Mellencamp at Citi Performing Arts Center www.ticketmaster.com
Tower of Power at Wilbur Theatre www.thewilbur.com
Talib Kweli & Immortal Technique at Paradise Rock Club www.ticketmaster.com
April 17-20 Muppet Madness at the Brattle Theatre www.brattlefilm.org
April 19 Jeff Beck at The Orpheum www.ticketmaster.com
Carol Burnett at Symphony Hall www.bso.org
April 23 America at Wilbur Theatre www.thewilbur.com