MUSIC
Pop & Rock
GIRLPOOL Harmony Tividad and Cleo Tucker’s second album, “Powerplant,” pairs off-kilter riffs with hushed poetry, resulting in soft-focus folk-punk that glows even as it expresses existential chafing. Feb. 9, 7 p.m. $16 and up. Paradise Rock Club. 617-562-8800, www.crossroadspresents.com
MILO For the past few years, this now-Maine-based MC has been steadily releasing knotty records that are doubly rewarding on headphones, their high-density lyrics snaking around intricate production. January’s “sovereign nose of (y)our arrogant face,” released under his alter ego Scallops Hotel, is brief yet potent, pairing encyclopedic wordplay with loose funk. Feb. 9, 8 p.m. $15 and up. Middle East Downstairs. 617-864-3278, www.mideastoffers.com
Advertisement
WEAKENED FRIENDS This Maine trio’s chugging, peppy songs call back to the Alternative Nation days, but with a twist; lead singer Sonia Sturino’s yelp slices through the reverbed-out clamor, imbuing their callbacks to the slacker era with a 21st-century urgency. Feb. 10, 9:30 p.m. $10 and up. Great Scott. 617-566-0914, www.greatscottboston.com
MAURA JOHNSTON
Folk & World
MARY GAUTHIER Mary Gauthier has never shied away from hard truths, and now the singer-songwriter is helping others tell theirs. Her new album, “Rifles and Rosary Beads,” resulted from her involvement in Songwriting With Soldiers, a nonprofit that brings together professional songwriters and wounded veterans. The album’s songs, all co-written by veterans or military spouses, are their experiences, their stories. Feb. 9, 8 p.m. $18-$28. City Winery. 617-933-8047, www.citywinery.com/boston
HOUSE OF WATERS This Brooklyn trio offers an idiosyncratic world-folk-jazz-indie mix while boasting a frontman, Max ZT, who has been called the “Hendrix of the hammered dulcimer” and who, by amplifying the Irish roots of his instrument with Senegalese and Indian influences, takes it to places it has never been. Feb. 9, 8 p.m. $17. Riverwalk Café, Nashua, N.H. 603-578-0200, www.riverwalknashua.com
Advertisement
WILLIE NILE The veteran New Yorker comes to the Boston area on the heels of his latest record, “Positively Bob: Willie Nile Sings Bob Dylan,” an homage that finds him putting a rootsy rock ’n’ roll spin on “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “Rainy Day Women #12 and 35,” and other standards from His Bobness. Feb. 9, 8 p.m. $25. The Bull Run Restaurant, Shirley. 877-536-7190, www.bullrunrestaurant.com
STUART MUNRO
Jazz & Blues
CLUB D’ELF 20th ANNIVERSARY WITH JOHN MEDESKI AND DUKE LEVINE Bassist-composer Mike Rivard’s avant-groove collective has been playing “Moroccan-dosed dub-jazz” since 1998, featuring a rotating cast of guest musicians, including long-time participants, keyboardist Medeski and guitarist Levine. Feb. 9, 8:30 and 11:30 p.m. $20-$25. Lizard Lounge, 1667 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. www.lizardloungeclub.com
WITH LOVE, OSCAR & STEVE: A VALENTINE’S CABARET An evening of love songs by Broadway giants Oscar Hammerstein II and Stephen Sondheim, with baritone Mark Morgan, soprano Jean Danton, and pianist Sarah Troxler, including songs from “South Pacific,” “The King and I,” “Into the Woods,” “Follies,” and more. Feb. 10, 7:30 p.m. $25. Temple Beth Shalom, 21 E. Foster St., Melrose. 781-665-0285, www.applauseconcerts.com
YALE JAZZ ENSEMBLE MEETS THE HARVARD JAZZ BAND Yale’s big band plays everything from charts from Yale’s Benny Goodman archive to contemporary compositions. The Harvard Jazz Band’s repertoire is equally wide-ranging, and over the years it has hosted many jazz luminaries, including alumni artists Steve Kuhn and Don Braden. With special guests Wayne Escoffery, Yosvani Terry, and Boris Koslov. Feb. 10, 8 p.m. $30-$45. Scullers, Boston. 866-777-8932, www.scullersjazz.com
Advertisement
KEVIN LOWENTHAL
Classical
BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA This week the BSO inaugurates a new five-year alliance with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. As a way of launching the new partnership, the BSO is convening “Leipzig Week in Boston,” with a gala and two lectures at Boston Public Library (Feb 5-7), festive Andris Nelsons-led subscription performances in Symphony Hall (Feb 8-10), and a collaborative Boston Symphony Chamber Players program with musicians from the Gewandhaus Orchestra joining in works by Mendelssohn and Lukas Foss (Feb. 11). 617-266-1200, www.bso.org
OPERA AT THE SCHOOLS Boston University Opera presents Britten’s comic opera “Albert Herring” at the Paramount Theatre (Feb. 7-10, www.emersonparamount.org); Mozart’s immortal “Così Fan Tutte” will be heard at the Boston Conservatory Theatre (Feb. 8-10, bostonconservatory.berklee.edu); and New England Conservatory conjures up “The Magic Flute” at the Cutler Majestic Theatre (Feb. 10-13, www.necmusic.edu).
NEW MUSIC Gil Rose leads his Boston Modern Orchestra Project in a Joan Tower tribute program in Jordan Hall (February 9, www.bmop.org), and Boston Conservatory convenes its 2018 New Music Festival, with premieres by Curtis Hughes and Derek Hurst, in Seully Hall (Feb. 8-10, bostonconservatory.berklee.edu).
JEREMY EICHLER
ARTS
Theater
HYPE MAN: A BREAK BEAT PLAY In this probing, electric drama by Idris Goodwin, the bond between performers in a hip-hop trio starts to fracture after a police shooting of an unarmed black teenager. Shawn LaCount directs an outstanding world-premiere production that stars Kadahj Bennett, Michael Knowlton, and Rachel Cognata. Through Feb. 24. Company One Theatre. At Plaza Theatre, Boston Center for the Arts. 617-933-8600, www.companyone.org
Advertisement
HEAR WORD! NAIJA WOMAN TALK TRUE Inspired by the real-life experiences of Nigerian women, including some members of the vibrantly committed cast, “Hear Word!’’ is a portrait of women engaged in a battle against toxic masculinity and a sexist power structure. Directed by Ifeoma Fafunwa, who also cowrote the script. Recommended for audiences 14 and up. Through Feb. 11. Presented by American Repertory Theater in association with iOpenEye. At Loeb Drama Center, Cambridge. 617-547-8300, www.americanrepertorytheater.org
SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE Coursing through this lively production is the sheer love of theater and the eccentric, obsessive, theatrical people who make it. A New England premiere of the stage adaptation of the 1998 film, “Shakespeare in Love’’ stars George Olesky as the besotted Bard and Jennifer Ellis as the woman (disguised as a man) who captures his heart. Directed by Scott Edmiston with his customary elan. Through Feb. 10. SpeakEasy Stage Company at Wimberly Theatre, Calderwood Pavilion, Boston Center for the Arts. 617-933-8600, www.speakeasystage.com
DON AUCOIN
Dance
NACHMO With January dubbed National Choreography Month (thus the acronym), area dance makers are invited to spend the month creating one new work to be presented in a showcase finale. Two different culminating performances this season provide audiences with an excellent sampler of diverse choreographic initiatives by 26 artists, ranging from veteran modern dancers like Kelley Donovan and the theatrical ladies of Monkeyhouse to classical Indian dancer Deepa Srinath. Feb. 9-10. $10-$15. Dance Complex, Cambridge. 617-547-9363, www.dancecomplex.org
Advertisement
FESTIVAL BALLET PROVIDENCE The company presents “Director’s Choice,” an appealing and ambitious triple bill curated by artistic director Mihailo Djuric. The program features a world premiere adaptation by Viktor Plotnikov of Stravinsky's “The Soldier's Tale” with live music, George Balanchine’s iconic “Rubies,” and Christopher Wheeldon's lyrical “The American.” Feb. 9-11. The Vets, Providence. 401-353-1129, www.festivalballetprovidence.org
OUR STORY: CELEBRATING THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN EXPERIENCE THROUGH SPOKEN WORD, MUSIC & DANCE This annual production by OrigiNation Cultural Arts Center gathers together a cast of students and adults, anchored by its professional youth dance companies, for a multimedia exploration of historical and current events that reflect African-American life and culture. Feb. 9. $15-$20. Roxbury Community College Main Stage Theater. 617-522-3900, www.originationinc.org
KAREN CAMPBELL
Galleries
RENéE GREEN: WITHIN LIVING MEMORY Green culminates her two-year residence at Harvard’s Carpenter Center with a show bringing together film, videos, photographs, and more. It assesses modernism’s impact and explores tensions between self and institution, progress and decay. Pictured: “Americas : Veritas.” Through April 15. Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts, Harvard University, 24 Quincy St., Cambridge. 617-496-5387, carpenter.center
ROBERT BAINES: LIVING TREASURE AND FABULOUS FOLLIES The Australian goldsmith, an archeometallurgist, uses ancient European techniques such as linear wirework and granulation to craft jewelry that also reflects current styles. Through March 3. Bakalar & Paine Galleries, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, 621 Huntington Ave. 617-879-7337, www.massart.edu/exhibitions
STRANGER DANGER Artist Stephanie Todhunter coats vintage Dawn dolls from the 1970s in plaster and then inks on new features. She uses photographs of these now-creepy figurines to tell stories about childhood and parenting in the 21st century. Through Feb. 28. Abigail Ogilvy Gallery, 460 Harrison Ave. 617-820-5173, www.abigailogilvy.com
CATE McQUAID
Museums
CAO JUN: HYMNS TO NATURE The Chinese artist’s paintings, porcelain, and digital pieces, which contemplate elemental experiences of nature, are anchored in traditions of Chinese art and engage in conversation with modern and contemporary Western art. Feb. 5-June 3. McMullen Museum of Art, Boston College, 2101 Commonwealth Ave. 617-552-8587, www.bc.edu/artmuseum
DRAWN TO GREATNESS: MASTER DRAWINGS FROM THE THAW COLLECTION The late art dealer Eugene V. Thaw’s imposing collection spans five centuries and boasts works by the likes of Rembrandt, Ingres, Degas, and Picasso that moved forward notions of what drawing can do. Through April 22. Clark Art Institute, 225 South St., Williamstown. 413-458-2303, www.clarkart.edu
M.C. ESCHER: INFINITE DIMENSIONS The Dutch printmaker, math whiz, and indefatigable tessellator made works that toy with perception and defy logic. On view, 50 original prints, including the 13-foot-long “Metamorphosis II,” a continuous woodcut made from 20 blocks. Through May 28. Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave. 617-267-9300, www.mfa.org
CATE McQUAID
EVENTS
Comedy
JENNY ZIGRINO The former Boston comic has been involved in a wide array of projects lately — she released a half-hour Comedy Central special in September, cohosted a cooking series on the Web for IFC called “The Filling Is Mutual,” and appeared on “Live From Here” with Chris Thile in January. Feb. 8-9 at 8 p.m., Feb. 10 at 8 p.m. and 10:15 p.m. $20-$25. Laugh Boston, 425 Summer St., Boston. 617-725-2844, www.laughboston.com
LA ZOMBIATA: A ZOMBIE LOVE STORY Whole Tone Opera, a local group supporting female, femme, and non-binary artists, presents this blood-spackled, brain-eating musical romantic comedy starting the weekend before Valentine’s Day. Feb. 9 at 10 p.m., Feb. 10 at 7 p.m., Feb. 11 at 3 p.m., Feb. 14 at 8 p.m. $18-$52. The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Somerville. 617-684-5335, www.therockwell.org
BOSTON COMEDY CHICKS Laura Severse hosts Kenice Mobley, Nonye Brown-West, Kelly Morse, Sarah Martin, and Zach Armentrout at this monthly showcase presented by the Women in Comedy Festival. Feb. 10, 8 p.m. $12. Doyle’s Café, 3484 Washington St., Boston. 617-524-2345, www.doylescafeboston.com
NICK A. ZAINO III
Family
NUTELLA DAY AT PARIS CREPERIE Nutella and crepes: A culinary combination as perfectly natural and cherished as bread and butter; so cherished, in fact, there’s a whole day in honor of the hazelnut smear. If you too are one of the many, many people looking forward to World Nutella Day, come by Paris Creperie for all Nutella crepes and drinks at half-price. Feb. 5, 8 a.m.-11 p.m. Free. 278 Harvard St., Brookline. pariscreperie.com
DRESS YOUR STUFFED PET! Is your child’s stuffed best friend in need of an evening dress or a snazzy superhero outfit? The Discovery Museum has everything kids need to update their furry companion’s wardrobe so they’ll always look the part for space adventures, tea parties, and everything in between. Feb. 8, 10-11 a.m. Free with admission. The Discovery Museum, 177 Main St. (Route 27), Acton. www.discoverymuseums.org
BEATLES TRIBUTE STUDIO TWO LIVE AT LARCOM THEATRE It’s been 54 years since the Fab Four played for Ed Sullivan and took the United States by storm, but it’s never too late to introduce your young ones to the band’s many chart-toppers. Beatles tribute act Studio Two will be focusing on the group’s early “mop top” years, so expect plenty of twisting, shouting, and “yeah yeah yeah”-ing. Feb. 9, 7 p.m. $19-$29. Larcom Theatre, 13 Wallis St., Beverly. www.thelarcom.org
ROBERT STEINER
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Feb. 26 Kelela at Royale www.axs.com
March 2 Diet Cig at Brighton Music Hall www.ticketmaster.com
March 3 The Zombies at City Winery www.citywinery.com
March 4 “Weird Al” Yankovic at Wilbur Theatre www.ticketmaster.com
March 6 The Mowglis at Brighton Music Hall www.ticketmaster.com
March 6 Jessica Lea Mayfield at Great Scott www.axs.com
March 7 Bob Weir and Phil Lesh at Boch Center Wang Theater www.ticketmaster.com
March 8 Tune-Yards at Royale www.axs.com
ROBERT STEINER