Music
Lowell Folk Festival
Every year, without fail, this free festival packs a weekend full of folk music from around America and the world. Just a few of the acts appearing this year: Wylie & the Wild West (country and western), the Fairfield Four (gospel), Cullen's Bridge (old-school bluegrass), Los Cambalache (son jarocho), and the Original Pinettes (brass band). Pictured: Los Cambalache. July 24, 6:30 p.m.; July 25 and 26, noon. Free. Various stages, downtown Lowell. 978- 970-5000. www.lowellfolkfestival.org STUART MUNRO
Pop & Rock
TANLINES On “Highlights,” their new sophomore album, Tanlines’ Eric Emm and Jesse Cohen go well beyond the candy-colored, nocturnal confections of their debut. Their latest feels more at ease and comfortable as it cherry-picks from multiple eras and genres, with a notable raw intensity and new focus on guitars. July 25, 9 p.m. Tickets: $12. The Sinclair, Cambridge. 800-745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com
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SAMANTHA CRAIN The songs on her new fourth album, “Under Branch & Thorn & Tree,” are elegant ruminations on everyday life that crackle with an all-analog warmth and urgency. “It’s an honest record in a world where everything is cut up and polished,” Crain says in the press materials. She shares the bill with Daniel Romano, the country singer with an old soul and broken heart. July 26, 10 p.m. Tickets: $12. Atwood’s Tavern, Cambridge. 617-864-2792, www.brownpapertickets.com
FANTASTIC NEGRITO Triumphing over nearly 7,000 applicants, Fantastic Negrito (the stage name of Xavier Dphrepaulezz) won a highly coveted invitation to perform for NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Concert series earlier this year. It’s easy to see why: His fiery fusion of gospel, soul, blues, and R&B hits a deep nerve with fans of those genres. He’ll perform behind a new deluxe reissue of his self-titled EP. July 27, 8 p.m. Tickets: $10. Brighton Music Hall. 800-745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com
SMASHING PUMPKINS& MARILYN MANSON Freak flags from the 1990s, prepare to fly. Two of alt-rock’s titans from that era are on the road together, and early reviews suggest it’s an interesting if sometimes curious pairing. The Pumpkins (with original drummer Jimmy Chamberlain back in the mix) are touring in support of a recent album (“Monuments to an Elegy”), as is Manson (“The Pale Emperor”). July 28, 7 p.m. Tickets: $34.50-$80. Blue Hills Bank Pavilion. 800-745-3000, www.livenation.com
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Folk & World
RHETT MILLER; DANIEL ROMANO; RAYLAND BAXTER Hard to choose among the week's shows at this Cambridge nightspot, so go with the roots trifecta: Rhett Miller plays solo Friday; Sunday, Daniel Romano previews a hard-country release that may turn out to be the album of the year (bonus: Samantha Crain is also on the bill); Americana scion Rayland Baxter plays full-band Tuesday. July 24, 26, 28, 10 p.m. Tickets: $12-$15 (at door only for Miller and Baxter). 800-838-3006. www.brownpapertickets.com
BOMBINO Another guitar-slinger from the nomadic Tuareg people, Omara "Bombino" Moctar learned at the feet of Tuareg master Haja Bebe, studied with Jimi Hendrix and Mark Knopfler via endless viewing of videos of them in action, and honed his craft during long hours of solitude as a desert herder. The pyrotechnics that resulted have earned him comparisons to Hendrix, Santana, and others. July 29, 8 p.m. Tickets: $20. The Sinclair, Cambridge. 800-745-3000. www.ticketmaster.com
SAM LEE Count Lee as one of a recent wave of artists (along with Olivia Chaney, Alasdair Roberts, and others) who go back to English folk music not merely with a revivalist intent but to push the music to new places and bend it in new ways. Soul-infused Americana from Birds of Chicago will open the show. July 29, 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $30. Museum of Fine Arts. 800-440-6975. www.mfa.org
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Jazz & Blues
WALTER “WOLFMAN” WASHINGTON The soulful guitarist and singer was a sideman for such New Orleans legends as Lee Dorsey, Irma Thomas, and Johnny Adams before going out on his own as one of today’s finest roving ambassadors for the Crescent City’s bluesy, funky sounds. July 24, 8 p.m. Tickets: $22-$25. Narrows Center for the Arts, 16 Anawan St., Fall River. 508-324-1926, www.narrowscenter.org
6th ANNUAL HYDE PARK JAZZ FESTIVAL This outdoor jazz fest features the progressive John Funkhouser Quartet, Brazilian flutist Fernando Brandao’s Quintet, the Gerry Beaudoin/Jesse Williams bass/guitar Duo, and saxophonist Daniel Ian Smith & the New World Jazz Composers Octet’s compelling compositions and improvisations. July 25, 4-9 p.m. Free. DCR Martini Shell, 1015 Truman Parkway, Hyde Park. www.hydeparkjazzfestival.com
2d ANNUAL CAMBRIDGE JAZZ FESTIVAL An afternoon of al fresco music featuring vocalist Nnenna Freelon performing a tribute to Billie Holiday with drummer Ron Savage’s trio; piano great Joanne Brackeen; Latin percussionist Eguie Castrillo and his band “The Latin Jazz Connection”; and pianist Laszlo Gardony’s Sextet, with saxophonists Billy Pierce, Don Braden, and Stan Strickland.July 26, 1-6 p.m. Free. University Park Common, Sidney St., Cambridge. www.cambridgejazzfestival.org
BRIAN THOMAS/ALEX LEE-CLARK BIG BAND Trombonist Thomas and trumpeter Lee-Clark’s group, featuring some of Boston’s finest players, merges the instrumentation and musical strategies of Duke Ellington and Count Basie with the rhythmic undertow of James Brown and Parliament Funkadelic for a unique jazz/funk/soul/hip-hop orchestral groove.July 28, 9 p.m. Tickets: $10. Ryles, 212 Hampshire St., Cambridge, 617-876-9330, www.rylesjazz.com
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Classical
TANGLEWOOD The annual Festival of Contemporary Music continues through July 27, with a special memorial program honoring Gunther Schuller to take place Thursday night in Ozawa Hall. On Friday night and Sunday afternoon, Christoph von Dohnanyi leads the BSO in all-Beethoven and all-Mozart programs, respectively, and on Saturday night, Michael Tilson Thomas leads works by Mozart (a piano concerto with soloist Emanuel Ax) and Mahler (the Fifth Symphony). Lenox. 617-266-1200, www.tanglewood.org
YELLOW BARN This intimate Vermont festival is known for its striking juxtapositions of celebrated chamber works with new music or deserving rarities. Thursday night brings works by Shostakovich, Weinberg, Zemlinsky, and Barber; and on Friday, it’s music of Schubert, Beethoven, and Weber alongside works by Nigel Osborne and Fred Lerdahl. July 23 and 24, 8 p.m., Big Barn, Putney, Vt. 800-639-3819, www.yellowbarn.org
BANG ON A CAN PLAYS ART The new music collective caps its summer residence at Mass MoCA with an ambitious eight-day festival, full of music linked to visual art from across the galleries, featuring works by Alvin Lucier, Michael Gordon, David Lang, Terry Riley, Kate Moore, and many others, and culminating in a six-hour marathon concert. July 25-Aug. 1, Mass MoCA, www.massmoca.org/bang
STRING QUARTETS The Brentano Quartet brings works by Britten, Schumann, and Mendelssohn to the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival (July 25, norfolk.yale.edu ); and the Borromeo Quartet returns to the Gardner Museum with music by Bach, Beethoven, and Shostakovich (July 26, www.gardnermuseum.org ).
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Theater
LOST IN YONKERSDirector Jenn Thompson mines Neil Simon’s Pulitzer-winning play for every one of its diamond-hard truths about family as a shaping force: maddening, nourishing, destructive, loving, complicated, necessary. Standouts in Thompson’s first-rate cast include Paula Jon DeRose as the poignantly hopeful Bella, Lynn Cohen as the forbidding Grandma Kurnitz, and Matt Gumley as 15-year-old Jay, trying to make sense of the strange turn his young life takes when his father leaves him and his younger brother in the care of their grandmother and aunt in Yonkers, N.Y. Through Aug. 1. Barrington Stage Company. At Boyd-Quinson Mainstage, Pittsfield. 413-236-8888, www.barringtonstageco.org
HERSHEY FELDER AS IRVING BERLINA lively and affectionate portrait that draws on the populist gifts of composer and performer alike. Berlin’s ubiquity — 1,500 songs, many classics — means he is always in danger of being taken for granted. But Felder shows us the man behind all that music while giving free rein to his own joy in showmanship. Directed by Trevor Hay. Through Aug. 2. Production by Eighty-Eight Entertainment, Eva Price, Samantha F. Voxakis, and Karen Racanelli. Presented by ArtsEmerson. At Cutler Majestic Theatre, Boston. 617-824-8400, www.artsemerson.org
BELLS ARE RINGINGKate Baldwin’s talents were largely wasted in “Big Fish’’ on Broadway two years ago, but here’s a production that offers the versatile singer-actress a chance to shine — and she proceeds to do just that. With a book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green and a score by Jule Styne, this 1956 musical is about a telephone-answering service employee who can’t help getting involved in the lives of her clients, especially a stalled playwright played by Baldwin’s husband, Graham Rowat. Directed by Ethan Heard. Through July 26. Berkshire Theatre Group, at Colonial Theatre, Pittsfield. 413-997-4444, www.berkshiretheatregroup.org
THE NEW ELECTRIC BALLROOMNew England premiere of a comic drama by Enda Walsh (“Once,’’ “Disco Pigs,’’ “Ballyturk’’) about three sisters in an Irish village. The youngest, played by Adrianne Krstansky, works in a fish-packing plant, while the other two (Marya Lowry and Nancy E. Carroll) prefer to stay home and reminisce about a climactic moment from their youth. Directed by Robert Walsh. July 23-Aug. 15. Gloucester Stage Company, Gloucester. 978-281-4433, www.gloucesterstage.com
COLOSSALA highly entertaining production that features artificial turf, goalposts, and a video scoreboard, plus a drum corps at halftime. Andrew Hinderaker’s play is about a college football star coping with a devastating injury, but it’s fueled by the beauty of movement and the violence of the game. Through Aug. 15. Company One Theatre, at Roberts Studio Theatre, Calderwood Pavilion, Boston Center for the Arts, 617-933-8600, www.company
one.org
SAVING KITTYUpper East Side couple Kate and Huntley thought they were prepared to meet daughter Kitty’s latest fiance, but Paul turns out to be an evangelical, and that has Kate eyeing him like a lion going after an early Christian. Marisa Smith’s comedy is as much about Kate as it is about Kitty, and though it preaches religious tolerance, it’s also about tolerance in relationships. Steven Royal’s set is opulent. Nora Theatre Company artistic director Lee Mikeska Gardner elicits realistic detail from her cast, and the four actors, headed by Jennifer Coolidge as Kate, are exceptional. Through Aug. 2. Nora Theatre Company, at Central Square Theater, Cambridge. 866-811-4111, www.centralsquaretheater.org
Danil Simkin’s Intensio
There’s a reason dance enthusiasts are calling this young ballet superstar the next Baryshnikov or Nureyev. He’s a dazzling performer, and for this world premiere program, he’s assembled a crew of his fellow American Ballet Theatre dancers for four premieres by innovative choreographers, including Jorma Elo and Alexander Ekman. Don’t miss this one! Through July 26. $39-$75. Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Becket. 413-243-0745, www.jacobspillow.org KAREN CAMPBELL
GAUTHIER DANCE/DANCE COMPANY THEATERHAUS STUTTGARTJacob’s Pillow Dance Festival presents this edgy German troupe in its first full-length US engagement. The program includes artistic director Eric Gauthier’s lighthearted “Ballet 101,” the Alexander Ekman duet “Two Become Three,” and Alejandro Cerrudo’s elegantly athletic male trio “PACOPEPEPLUTO.” Through July 26. $25-$35. Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Becket. 413-243-0745, www.jacobspillow.org
DELFOS DANZACONTEMPORANEA One of Mexico’s leading troupes makes its New England debut at the Bates Dance Festival with one of its most acclaimed works. The evening-length “Cuando los Disfraces se Cuelgan” (“When the Disguises are Hung Up”) melds movement for seven dancers with video, computer animation, and music ranging from Bach to Meredith Monk. July 24-25. $12-$25. Schaeffer Theatre, Bates College, Lewiston, Maine. 207-786-6381, www.batesdancefestival.org
GREAT FRIENDS DANCE FESTIVAL Island Moving Company’s touring project, which exchanges performance opportunities with companies in other areas, is highlighted at this summer festival. The featured guest company is Karen Charles’s Threads, from Minneapolis, and over the course of the festival, the troupe and Island Moving Company will offer nine programs. Through July 25. $20-$25. Great Friends Meeting House, Newport, R.I. 401-847-4470, www.islandmovingco.org
Galleries
KEVIN COATES:A YEAR OF RINGS The revered British goldsmith devoted a year to crafting rings for this exhibition: Twelve intricate representational pieces that explore myth, metaphysics, music, and time’s passing in luminous materials such as gold, opal, and rubies. Through Sept. 30.Mobilia Gallery, 358 Huron Ave., Cambridge. 617-876-2109, www.mobilia-gallery.com
SEEKING STRUCTURES OF COMFORT: LYDIA A. HARRIS/ GIANNA STEWART Harris and Stewart investigate processes, places, and tokens that soothe and sustain. Stewart, a sculptor, found comfort in circles. Harris saw it photographing homeowners in a historically black Atlanta neighborhood. Through Aug. 31.Fort Point Arts Community Gallery, 300 Summer St. 617-423-4299, www.fortpointarts.org
ISLANDS ON THE EDGE This juried show is one of many components of the Isles Arts Initiative, which looks at the Boston Harbor Islands through the lens of art. The theme here: Uninhabited islands on the outskirts of society. Through Sept. 25. Atlantic Wharf Gallery, 290 Congress St. 617-423-4299, www.fortpointarts.org/atlantic-wharf
Museums
NIGHT VISION: NOCTURNES IN AMERICAN ART 1860-1960 A major survey of scenes of the night by American artists over a century, taking in works by Albert Ryder, Edward Hopper, Ansel Adams, Georgia O’Keeffe, Lee Krasner, and Andrew Wyeth. Through Oct. 18. Bowdoin College Museum of Art, Brunswick, Maine. 207-725-3275, www.bowdoin.edu/art-museum
JIM SHAW: ENTERTAINING DOUBTS A wide range of work by the superb LA artist, emphasizing his interest in fallen heroes, disgraced politicians, and broken economies. The show is centered on new work utilizing old theatrical backdrops, but includes more. Through January 2016. Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, North Adams. 413-662-2111, www.massmoca.org
ALFRED MAURER: AT THE VANGUARD OF MODERNISM A retrospective of the fascinating career of the underrated American modernist. Maurer, a talented realist, converted early to Fauvism (through his connections with the Steins in Paris), and later adopted Cubism. He was a crucial figure in the development of American modernism. Through July 31. Addison Gallery of American Art, Andover. 978-749-4015, www.andover.edu/museums/addison
BRAND-NEW & TERRIFIC: ALEX KATZ IN THE 1950S Sixty-five paintings, cut-outs, and collages made in the 1950s, a breakthrough but under-studied period in the figurative and pop artist’s career. Through Oct. 18. Colby College Museum of Art, Waterville, Maine. 207-859-5600, www.colby.edu/academics_cs/museum
Amy Archambault: Inmotion: Memories of Invented Play
In this interactive public art piece, Archambault unpacks bicycling, from the childhood sounds of putting playing cards in the spokes to the group experience of spinning class. Through Oct. 18. Boston Center for the Arts Plaza, 539 Tremont St. 617-426-5000, www.bcaonline.org CATE McQUAID
Clubs
J. PHLIP The Dirtybird DJ should be in good form after participating in the record label’s recent BBQ tour. She’s presented by Make It New, with resident DJs Baltimoroder and Coralcola. July 23, 9 p.m. Middlesex Lounge, 315 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. 617-868-6739, www.middlesexlounge.us
MOON BOOTS Binary presents the French Express artist whose latest release is “Magic.” Supporting DJs include Mikey Maags, The House Cat, Kyle Pike, and DJ Eludis. July 24, 8 p.m. $12-$15. Wonder Bar, 186 Harvard Ave., Allston. 617-351-2665, www.wonderbarboston.com
TINY VINYL Remember 45s? The Lieutenant does, and he’ll spin retro rock, pop, punk, and more all night long. July 25, 9 p.m. River Gods, 125 River St., Cambridge. 617-576-1881, www.rivergodsonline.com
HENRY FONG The electro-house producer, whose new release is “Wine Dem,” transformed his DJing hobby into a successful career, hitting the Beatport Top 10 and garnering attention from the likes of Hardwell and Avicii. He visits Sofa King Fridays. July 24, 10 p.m. Royale, 279 Tremont St., Boston. 617-338-7699, www.royaleboston.com
Comedy
PAUL VIRZI If you caught the Westchester, N.Y., native opening for one of Bill Burr’s shows at the Wilbur in May and enjoyed the affable but troubled everyman, you can catch a full headlining set this weekend. He is slated to release his debut album, “Live at the Stand,” next month. July 23-24 at 8 p.m., July 25 at 9 p.m. $25-$35. Laugh Boston, 425 Summer St., Boston. 617-725-2844, www.laughboston.com
SPICE GIRLS: WORLD TOUR No, this is not the actual Spice Girls reunited, but it is an improvised show based on the pop sensations, with musical numbers and audience interaction. July 24 and 31, 11 p.m. $12. ImprovBoston, 40 Prospect St., Cambridge. 617-576-1253, www.improvboston.com
GINNY NIGHTSHADE & WILL SMALLEY PRESENT THE GETAWAY: A VARIETY SHOW Rising comedian Smalley and burlesque performer Nightshade have put together a night of dancers, comedians, and more. The bill includes Ken Reid, Andrew Mayer, Nick Chambers, and the Slaughterhouse Sweethearts. July 24, 10:30 p.m. $15. Middle East Upstairs, 472 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. 617-864-3278, www.mideastclub.com
ARTISANAL COMEDY Host Bethany van Delft is back with a loaded lineup for this show, including Lamont Price, Matt D., Nate Johnson, Maya Manion, Maya May, Jiayong Li, and Rick Canavan. Cheap date night, too. July 29, 8 p.m. $5. Savin Bar & Kitchen, 112 Savin Hill Ave., Dorchester. 617-288-7500, www.savinbarandkitchen.com
Kids
Union LunchUnion Square is hosting a night of live music, and creative workshops hosted by local businesses. July 24, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Free. Union Square Plaza. www.us2unionsquare.info/unionlunch
Run To Home Base atFenway Park Get the family together and head to Fenway to cheer on participants in the 6th Annual Run to Home Base presented by New Balance. July 25, 6 a.m.-noon. Free. Fenway Park. www.runtohomebase.org
Walnut Themed Food Truck AT FRANKLIN PARK ZOO Devin Alexander, a New York Times best-selling author and chef on “The Biggest Loser,” will provide cooking demonstrations when California Walnuts brings a food truck to town. July 27, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. Franklin Park Zoo. www.walnuts.org/tour/boston
POW Party at #theloungeThis series allows talented local ceramic artists to teach their art to kids. The featured artist for July 29 is Alice Drew of the South End. July 29, 2-4 p.m. Free. Faneuil Hall Marketplace. www.faneuilhallmarketplace.com/event/pow-pottery-at-thelounge
U-Carmen eKhayelitsha In advance of the Isango Ensemble’s return to Boston this fall, ArtsEmerson is screening two of the South African ensemble’s acclaimed films. “U-Carmen Ekhayelitsha will be shown on Friday. July 24, 8 p.m.-10 p.m. $5-$10. Bright Family Screening Room, Washington Street. artsemerson.org/online
Formaggio Kitchen BBQ Each Saturday during the warm-weather months, Formaggio Kitchen prepares smoked meats and sides for barbecue fans. July 25, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. 244 Huron Ave., Cambridge. www.formaggiokitchen.com/cambridge/our-kitchen/formaggio-kitchen-bbq
FIGMENT Boston 2015Interactive art projects, live music and dance performances return to the Rose Kennedy Greenway with this free festival to celebrate culture and the arts. July 25, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Free. Rose Kennedy Greenway, Kneeland Street. boston.figmentproject.org
Doomed Love
This film looks at doomed lovers, separated by their aristocratic families. The film is directed by Manoel de Oliveira, and has been hailed as a massive achievement in European cinema. July 26, 6-10:30 p.m. $9. Harvard Film Archive, 24 Quincy St., Cambridge. hcl.harvard.edu/hfa/films/2015junaug/oliveira.html
July 24 Rise Against, Killswitch Engage, and letlive at Blue Hills BankPavilion www.bluehillsbankpavilion.net
July 26 Neon Trees, COIN, and Fictionist at Paradise Rock Club www.crossroadspresents.com/paradise-rock-club
Cambridge Jazz Festival at University Park Commons www.cambridgejazzfestival.org
July 29 Sugar Rush atHarvest Restaurant www.eventbrite.com
July 29 and 30 DavidSedaris (above) at Provincetown Town Hall www.ptown2015.com
Aug. 1 Savage Games at Brooklyn Boulders Somerville brooklynboulders.com/somerville/fitness/savage-games
Aug. 2 Popeye at The Harvard Film Archive hcl.harvard.edu/hfa/films/2015junaug