MUSIC
Pop & Rock
GABRIEL KAHANE After the 2016 elections, this prolific composer-arranger-singer-everything else rode the rails, collecting stories from his fellow passengers; “Book of Travelers,” which distills those stories into 10 songs, is a spare, gorgeously wrought portrait of America at a singularly tense moment. Sept. 16, doors at 5 p.m. $18 and up. City Winery, Boston. 617-933-8047, www.citywinery.com/boston
IDLES “Joy as an Act of Resistance,” the second album from this British collective, is exultant and noisy, with shards of guitar and pummeling drums locked in an ecstatic feedback loop with lyrics that prove how, sometimes, saying “I love you” is the most punk-rock move of all. Sept. 20, 8 p.m. $25. Brighton Music Hall. 617-779-0140, www.crossroadspresents.com
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THALIA ZEDEK BAND The pillar of Boston’s underground celebrates her eponymous band’s pugilistic, deeply felt album “Fighting Season,” which comes out Friday, with a stacked bill that also features avant-garde cellist Helen Money and scruffy power-poppers Sleepyhead. Sept. 21, 8:30 p.m. $12, $10 advance. Midway Café, Jamaica Plain. 617-524-9038, www.midwaycafe.com
MAURA JOHNSTON
Folk & World
VAN WILLIAM In spite of enjoying some success in a couple of indie-rock outfits, Van William never really considered making a career of music until his father retired and sold the fishing boat that William had contemplated taking over. So he decided to catch songs instead of salmon, and the buoyant, folk-tinged pop of “Countries” was the result. Sept. 16, 8 p.m. $13. Red Room at Café 939, Boston. 617-747-2261, www.cafe939.com
BEN DANAHER “You can hurt and still feel lucky,” sings this Texas singer-songwriter on “Still Feel Lucky,” the title track to his new release, which reflects both sides of that proposition — the murder of his brother followed by the death of his father, and a 94-year-old grandmother who showed him how to move beyond his pain. Sept. 18, 10 p.m. $10. Atwood’s Tavern, Cambridge. 800-838-3006, www.brownpapertickets.com
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WILLIAM FITZSIMMONS Fitzsimmons has a penchant for exploring his life and past in his music and he does so again with “Mission Bell,” which ruminates on a recent marital separation. His dolorous sound is more filled-out on the new record; Tuesday, he’ll strip its songs down to duo mode with Allie Moss. Sept. 18, 8 p.m. $25. Club Passim, Cambridge. 617-492-7679, www.passim.org
STUART MUNRO
Jazz & Blues
DAVE DOUGLAS The eclectic trumpeter, composer, educator, and entrepreneur’s “Grow Your Art” NEC residency culminates with a performance featuring his trumpet fronting three different student jazz ensembles, playing music recorded by his Charms of the Night Sky ensemble, his quintet, and from his recent recording with Seattle-bred brass quartet the Westerlies. Sept. 19, 7:30 p.m. Free. NEC’s Jordan Hall. 617-585-1260, www.necmusic.edu
MICHELLE WILLSON & THE EVIL GAL FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA The sultry-voiced and commanding blues diva, accompanied by her big band, celebrates a quarter-century of rocking innumerable houses and wowing countless audiences. Sept. 21, 8 p.m $20-$25. Chan’s Fine Oriental Dining, 267 Main St., Woonsocket, R.I. 401-765-1900, www.chanseggrollsandjazz.com
STANLEY SAGOV & REMEMBERING THE FUTURE JAZZ BAND The South Africa-born pianist-composer, physician, and pedagogue is a true polymath. His joyous music bears echoes of his native land, and his buoyant bands invariably include some of the area’s finest, this time around featuring multi-reed player Stan Strickland, bassist Wes Wirth, drummer Bob Gullotti, and vocalist Wannetta Jackson. Sept. 22, 7:30 p.m. $23-$30. Regattabar. 617-395-7757, www.regattabarjazz.com
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KEVIN LOWENTHAL
Classical
GABRIEL KAHANE Poetically and politically minded songwriter-composer Gabriel Kahane boarded an Amtrak train the day after the presidential election of 2016, embarking on a 13-day journey around the country. His recent release on Nonesuch Records, “Book of Travelers,” resulted from the many conversations he had with fellow passengers, the scenery rushing past, and the slowed sense of time he felt on the train. Kahane is slated to perform songs from the new album, some older material, and perhaps some new songs crafted from tweets. Critically acclaimed violinist Johnny Gandelsman opens. Sept. 16, 7 p.m. City Winery. 617-933-8047, www.citywinery.com
ODYSSEY OPERA It’s the 200th anniversary of French composer Charles Gounod’s birth this year, and Odyssey Opera is celebrating in grand style. Under the baton of artistic and general director Gil Rose, the composer’s “La reine de Saba” (“The Queen of Sheba”) will receive its American premiere with a concert performance featuring soprano Kara Shay Thomson in the title role, tenor Dominick Chenes as Adoniram, and bass Kevin Thompson as King Solomon. Sept. 22, 7:30 p.m. Jordan Hall. 617-826-1626, www.odysseyopera.org
EMMANUEL MUSIC The feast day of St. Cecilia, patron saint of musicians, isn’t until Nov. 22. Emmanuel Music’s first evening concert of the season (and only one until April) celebrates the saint precisely two months early English-style, with Handel’s cantata “Ode for St. Cecilia’s Day” and Britten’s magnificent “Hymn to St Cecilia.” Sept. 22, 8 p.m. Emmanuel Church. 617-536-3356, extension 5, www.emmanuelmusic.org ZOE MADONNA
ARTS
Theater
KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN Eddy Cavazos delivers a vividly expressive performance as Molina, a gay window dresser who conjures fantasies about a glamorous movie star to help him survive in a Latin American prison. Cavazos is ably complemented by Taavon Gamble as Valentin, Molina’s political-dissident cellmate, and Lisa Yuen as Aurora, the film actress of Molina’s life-sustaining dreams. This stirring production of Kander and Ebb’s Tony-winning musical is directed and choreographed by Rachel Bertone. Through Oct. 7. Lyric Stage Company of Boston. 617-585-5678, www.lyricstage.com
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STRAIGHT WHITE MEN The New England premiere of Young Jean Lee’s flawed but intriguing take on questions of white-male status, privilege, and discontent, as seen in the lives of a Midwestern widower and his three adult sons. There’s a fifth figure in the play who plays a crucial role in framing “Straight White Men’’ by complicating and sharpening our perspective on characters and events that might otherwise seem banal. Directed by Elaine Vaan Hogue. Through Sept. 30. New Repertory Theatre. At MainStage, Mosesian Center for the Arts, Watertown. 617-923-8487, www.newrep.org
VICUNA Washington Post drama critic Peter Marks called this satire by Jon Robin Baitz “the first top-drawer political play of the Trump era.’’ Sparks fly when an overbearing, xenophobic real estate titan turned presidential candidate persuades an Upper East Side tailor to make him a suit for his upcoming TV debate with his female opponent. This forces a struggle of conscience by the tailor, an Iranian Jewish immigrant, and his Harvard-educated apprentice, who hails from a Muslim family in Iran. This New England premiere is directed by David J. Miller and features Steve Auger, Arthur Barlas, Srin Chakravorty, Jaime Hernandez, and Evelyn Holley. Through Oct. 6. Zeitgeist Stage Company. At Plaza Black Box Theatre, Boston Center for the Arts. www.zeitgeiststage.com, 617-933-8600
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BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY One of the Boston theater highlights of 2012 was SpeakEasy Stage Company’s volcanic production of Stephen Adly Guirgis’s “The (Expletive) With the Hat.’’ Now SpeakEasy presents the New England premiere of Guirgis’s “Between Riverside and Crazy,’’ winner of the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Directed by Tiffany Nichole Green, it features Tyrees Allen as a cranky ex-cop nicknamed Pops who is trying to hang on to a rent-controlled apartment on the Upper West Side while he copes with an array of quirky characters who constitute a kind of surrogate family. The cast also includes Octavia Chavez-Richmond, Celeste Oliva, Maureen Keiller, Alejandro Simoes, Stewart Evan Smith, and Lewis D. Wheeler. Through Oct. 13. SpeakEasy Stage Company. At Roberts Studio Theatre, Calderwood Pavilion, Boston Center for the Arts. 617-933-8600, www.speakeasystage.com
DON AUCOIN
Dance
TRAJAL HARRELL In his most recent work, “Caen Amour,” the choreographer and his dancers resurrect the seductive 19th-century spectacle known as the hoochie-coochie show via an imagined meeting between early modern dance pioneer Loïe Fuller, butoh creator Tatsumi Hijikata, and Comme des Garçons founder Rei Kawakubo. It’s being pitched as a historical tableau that is “part fashion show, part strip tease” — nudity involved. Sept. 21-22. $15-$25. Institute of Contemporary Art. 617-478-3103, www.icaboston.org
LUMINARIUM DANCE COMPANY The company’s new evening-length work “Hiveland” creates an immersive environment in which seven dancers attempt to establish a “new world order.” Co-choreographed by artistic directors Merli V. Guerra and Kimberleigh A. Holman, the work evolved from a TEDxCambridge commission performed in 2016 and is set to an original electronic score by Christos Zevos. Sept. 21-22, 28-29. $12-$32. Multicultural Arts Center, Cambridge. 617-477-4494, www.luminariumdance.org
BOSTON UNIVERSITY DANCE SHOWCASE 2018 This annual concert showcases the diversity of Boston University’s dance program with works by students and faculty, including Margot Parsons, DeAnna Pellecchia, Marin Orlosky Randow, and Liz Roncka. Members of Boston Ballet II make a guest appearance in works by company artistic director Mikko Nissinen and former principal dancer/resident choreographer Sam Kurkjian. Sept. 21-22. $10-$20. Boston University Dance Theater. 617-358-2500, www.bu.edu/fitrec/dance
KAREN CAMPBELL
Galleries
TIME IS NOW: PHOTOGRAPHY AND SOCIAL CHANGE IN JAMES BALDWIN’S AMERICA Built around the novelist and cultural critic’s favored themes and life story, this show explores mid-20th-century attitudes toward race and sexuality and topics such as violence and an artist’s duty. Through Dec. 30. Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts, Harvard University, 24 Quincy St., Cambridge. 617-496-5387, carpenter.center
UNDER A DISMAL BOSTON SKYLINE This exhibition finds thematic through-lines (gender, community, identity) among Boston’s underground art movements, from the photographers of the Boston School circa 1980 to performance artists at Mobius and present-day locals such as Steve Locke and Cobi Moules. Through Oct. 28. Stone Gallery, Boston University, 855 Commonwealth Ave. 617-353-3329, www.bu.edu/art
RADIANT SPACE Luminous art objects from acolytes of the California-based Light and Space movement of the 1960s, which employed sleek geometry, illumination, and environment to sway viewers’ perceptions. Artists include Fred Eversley, Hans Breder, and Michael Steiner. Through Oct. 7. VanDernoot Gallery, Lesley University, 1815 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. www.lesley.edu/events/radiant-space
CATE McQUAID
Museums
POETRY OF NATURE: HUDSON RIVER SCHOOL LANDSCAPES FROM THE NEW-YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY More than 40 paintings by Thomas Cole, Asher B. Durand, and Albert Bierstadt, and others represent the first truly American art movement: sublime, majestic, and numinous landscapes. Through Nov. 25. Worcester Art Museum, 55 Salisbury St., Worcester. 508-799-4406, www.worcesterart.org
CARRIE MAE WEEMS: STRATEGIES OF ENGAGEMENT In this exhibition of more than 120 photographs, videos, and mixed-media works (including immersive installations) made over three decades, Weems interrogates the past, dismantles notions of power, and confronts racism. Through Dec. 13. McMullen Museum of Art, Boston College, 2101 Commonwealth Ave. 617-552-8587, www.bc.edu/artmuseum
TUESDAY SMILLIE: TO BUILD ANOTHER WORLD In multimedia works, Smillie, the winner of the Rose Art Museum’s 2017-2018 Ruth Ann and Nathan Perlmutter Artist-in-Residence Award, blends transgender and feminist themes, the history of protest signs, and an inquiry into the language of activism. Through Dec. 2. Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University, 415 South St., Waltham.781-736-3434, www.brandeis.edu/rose
CATE McQUAID
EVENTS
Comedy
TOM ARNOLD The stand-up and actor turns political provocateur this month when Viceland premieres his new series, “The Hunt for the Trump Tapes Wth Tom Arnold,” which finds him searching for embarrassing footage of the president. Sept. 21, 7 p.m. $25. Laugh Boston, 425 Summer St., Boston. 617-725-2844, www.laughboston.com
JIM BREUER The former “SNL” star takes a break from opening for Metallica, cheering for the Mets, and doing his podcast to bring his family-friendly comedy to Medford. Sept. 21, 7:30 p.m. $35. The Chevalier Theatre, 30 Forest St., Medford. 781-391-7469, www.chevaliertheatre.com
PENNY 4 YA THOUGHTS: NYC SHOWCASE For this month’s edition of her stand-up showcase, host Penny Oswin welcomes a slate of comedians from New York City, including some (Kwasi Mensah, Kristin Seltman) who started their careers in Boston. Sept. 21, 8 p.m. $10. Jacques Cabaret, 79 Broadway, Boston. 617-426-8902, www.jacques-cabaret.com
NICK A. ZAINO III
Family
S. M. I. L. E.’S 5K RUN/WALK Looking for a fun run that doubles as a fund-raiser? Head over to Dorchester and join the team at S. M. I. L. E. (Serving Many Individuals Lacking Essentials). The race raises money to help provide essentials to the people of Haiti and Jamaica, especially the poor and disabled. The event is open to families, including pets, and participants can easily walk the trail. Those seeking a bit more of a challenge can test their own 5K personal best, since the race is also timed. Sept. 16, 9:30 a.m. $20. Franklin Park Clubhouse, 1 Circuit Drive, Dorchester. smileinja.org.
FRIDAY NIGHT BITES Head to Friday Night Bites for some tasty treats at the CommonWealth Kitchen, a nonprofit that helps women and people of color launch their food businesses. The family-friendly evening includes food from CommonWealth Kitchen entrepreneurs, which include some popular Boston food truck vendors. In addition to trying the food, the evening includes a tour of the facility, music, and food demos people can participate in. Sept. 21, 6 p.m. $20. CommonWealth Kitchen, 196 Quincy St., Boston. commonwealthkitchen.org.
THE BOOK OF LIFE As part of the Hyde Park Task Force’s Latinx Heritage Month, the group will screen “The Book of Life,” a PG-rated cartoon voiced by Diego Luna, Zoe Saldana, and Channing Tatum. Prior to the movie, kids can make their own Día de los Muertos sugar skull mask and help themselves to popcorn. Sept. 22, 2 p.m. Free. Hyde Square Task Force, 30 Sunnyside St., Jamaica Plain. hydesquare.org
LILLIAN BROWN
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Sept. 27-28 Bruno Mars at TD Garden ticketmaster.com
Oct. 1 Hozier at House of Blues Boston livenation.com
Oct. 4 Leon Bridges at Agganis Arena ticketmaster.com
Oct. 9 Phil Collins at TD Garden ticketmaster.com
Oct. 14-15 Death Cab for Cutie at Wang Theatre ticketmaster.com
Oct. 24 Lily Allen at Paradise Rock Club ticketmaster.com
Oct. 26 Twenty One Pilots at TD Garden ticketmaster.com
LILLIAN BROWN
An earlier version misspelled Sam Kurkjian’s last name.