CSNY’s guitarist has a little help from his friends, The HARID dancers embark on a quixotic journey, and Palm Beach Zoo hosts a “royal” Roar and Pour. Plus, Joe Jackson, Chinese modern art and more in your week ahead.
TUESDAY
What: David Crosby and Friends
Where: 707 N.E. Eighth St., Fort Lauderdale
When: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: $47.50-$107.50
Contact: 954/462-0222, parkerplayhouse.com
Not so much an aging hippie as an ageless one, guitarist David Crosby is one of the Sixties counterculture’s most enduring institutions, a living embodiment of the era’s psychedelically enhanced, antiwar ethos. The proof of the singer-songwriter’s commitment to recreational drugs and to a more peaceful planet is evident in two of his greatest hits: “Eight Miles High,” written for psych-pop pioneers the Byrds, and “Wooden Ships,” a lyrical horror show about the effects of a nuclear winter, written with Crosby, Stills and Nash. But Crosby is more than a relic: He’s touring behind his most productive period as a solo artist, having released four albums over the past five years. He’ll play selections from a few of them, plus a smorgasbord of CSN hits, with his five-piece Skytrails Band, the talented “Friends” of the title.
WEDNESDAY
What: Bob Dylan Birthday Celebration
Where: Funky Biscuit, 303 S.E. Mizner Blvd., Boca Raton
When: 8 p.m.
Cost: $7-$20
Contact: 561/395-2929, funkybiscuit.com
Speaking of music legends, Bob Dylan turns 78 on Friday, and to celebrate another year around the sun for the iconoclastic genius and controversial Nobel Prize winner, the Funky Biscuit has enlisted South Florida’s preeminent Dylan tribute act, Big Brass Bed, to perform a set of his favorites and deep cuts. Fronted by New York expat folkie Rod MacDonald, and named after a lyric in “Lay Lady Lay,” Big Brass Bed has an oeuvre of more than 50 Dylan tunes, from fan favorites like “Mr. Tambourine Man” and “Maggie’s Farm” to lesser-known masterworks “From a Buick 6” and “Gotta Serve Somebody,” and its sound captures the many genres and textures of Dylan’s still-thriving career. You may also hear a few selections from Dylan-approved artists like Leonard Cohen and Nina Simone as well.
FRIDAY
What: Opening day of “Zhao Gang: History Painting”
Where: Perez Art Museum, 1103 Biscayne Blvd., Miami
When: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Cost: $12-$16
Contact: 305/375-3000, pamm.org
Born in Beijing in 1961, painter Zhao Gang would become the youngest member of the Stars Group, China’s first modern art movement, helping to create a contemporary-art scene where none existed. But after decades of living and working in Europe and the United States, Gang returned to his native country in 2007, discovering a globalized China where modern art was not only accepted but was thriving. As a citizen of both the United States and China, Gang considers himself an “insider’s outsider” in both cultures. His artistic practice comments on both, occasionally at the same time, as in his re-interpretation of Warhol’s famous Mao silkscreens. His controversial work—in terms of his approach to nudity as well as his confrontational references to China’s past and present—will receive special treatment at Perez Art Museum Miami. Fourteen of his paintings will be presented in a “salon” format, where they will hang in a 130-square-foot “apartment” built within the existing PAMM space, a throwback to the 1980s-era distrust of official government venues. “History Painting” runs through Jan. 5, 2020.
What: Opening night of “Non-Fiction”
Where: Living Room Theaters at FAU, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton
When: Show times pending
Cost: $7.50-$10.50
Contact: 561/549-2600, fau.livingroomtheaters.com
French filmmaker Olivier Assayas has been one of the major figures in contemporary world cinema since at least the 1990s, and he’s been on an especially fertile roll lately. “Clouds of Sils Maria,” from 2014, and “Personal Shopper,” from 2016, were both slippery explorations of fame—movies entrenched in the zeitgeist but casting a wide net toward matters existential and metaphysical—that made many critics’ annual top 10 lists. On the surface, his new release “Non-Fiction” looks more digestible. It’s a comedy set in Paris’ literary intelligentsia, and like Woody Allen’s “Deconstructing Harry,” it’s about a frustrated writer who turns his private love affairs into barely concealed “fiction,” setting off emotional maelstroms among his circle of acquaintances and lovers. These include Alain, a literary editor (and fellow philanderer) and Selena (Juliette Binoche, receiving copious praise as usual), as an actress on a TV crime drama. “Non-Fiction” plays at least through May 30.
What: Joe Jackson: Four Decade Tour
Where: Olympia Theater, 174 E. Flagler St., Miami
When: 8 p.m.
Cost: $34.50-$89.50
Contact: 305/374-2444, olympiatheater.com
Some musicians might want a breather after completing a rigorous summer tour. Not so for 63-year-old British singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Joe Jackson, who stepped into a studio to record a new album literally the day after his 2018 tour ended. The resulting LP, Fool, is the living legend’s landmark 20th album, and like much of his oeuvre, it’s a delicate balance between the plaintive and raucous, between the studied chops of classical music and the snarky sensibilities of rock. Jackson has always struck me as the missing link between punk and piano pop—between Elvis Costello and Ben Folds—and on this substantial tour, he’ll play tunes that exemplify both, from his breakthrough “Is She Really Going Out With Him?” to his biggest chart-topper, “Steppin’ Out.” Jackson will draw primarily from five albums in his archive, each representing a decade of his storied career.
FRIDAY TO SUNDAY
What: HARID Conservatory’s Spring Dance Performances
Where: Countess de Hoernle Theater, 5100 Jog Road, Boca Raton
When: May 24-26
Cost: $25-$30
Contact: 561/998-8038, harid.edu
A White Lady of legend materializes in a misty garden, interrupting a countess’ plans for marital bliss. A knight-errant’s celebratory feast is halted by a dueling warrior, and a battle ensues. These scenes, from the ballets “Raymonda” and “Don Quixote,” respectively, are two of the most commonly staged professional dance excerpts for a reason: They are technically demanding to perform and exceptionally beautiful to watch. The climactic pas de deux from “Don Quixote,” in particular, has a hallowed provenance, including a cameo in the Oscar-nominated 1977 film “The Turning Point.” This dance, plus two numbers from “Raymonda,” are among the ballet tapas planned for the HARID Conservatory’s annual spring performance. It also will include a brand-new work from contemporary choreographer Mark Godden.
SATURDAY
What: Roar and Pour: Absolute Queen
Where: Palm Beach Zoo, 1301 Summit Blvd., West Palm Beach
When: 4:30 to 9 p.m.
Cost: $11.95-$16.95
Contact: 561/547-9453, palmbeachzoo.org
Returning this month for its annual summer tradition, the “Roar” in this monthly after-hours gathering stands for the sounds you’ll hear on the Zoo grounds, including from tigers, bears, jaguars and ocelots. The “Pour” stands for the beers on tap from Copperpoint Brewing Company. Enjoy the two together by browsing the Zoo’s animal inventory with a draft in hand, along with freshly grilled hot dogs and hamburgers beginning at 5 p.m. By 6:30, it’s time to settle in for a live performance by Absolute Queen, which plays the anthemic rockers and sing-along ballads of Freddie Mercury’s newly repopularized arena rockers.
