The Do List: Listen to Our Event Picks for Sept. 13–19

The weekend is almost here. Hooray!

Looking for things to do? Listen to KQED Arts’ Gabe Meline and Nastia Voynovskaya discuss their event picks at the audio link above, or read about each event below.

Lights On Festival: On Sept. 14 at Concord Pavilion, there’s a chance to check out a new generation of R&B talent. Lights On Festival is an all-day extravaganza curated by rising artist H.E.R., a Grammy-winning singer from Vallejo. She’ll be joined by Ari Lennox, whose personal storytelling and rich voice shine on her recent album, Shea Butter Baby. Jhene Aiko and Daniel Caesar are also on the bill, along with local artists Rayana Jay and Marc E. Bassy. Big festivals can be a bit overwhelming, so Lights On offers an antidote with a tightly curated lineup geared towards a specific music taste. Details here.

San Francisco Fringe Festival: One of the Bay Area’s most beloved theater events is happening at Exit Theatre through Sept. 14. If you’ve only ever been to giant touring musicals, the Fringe Festival is a way to experience the quirkier, more underground side of the theater spectrum. There are 19 short, boundary-pushing plays on tap—with titles like Why My Unicorn Left Me and You’re Good for Nothing, I’ll Milk the Cow Myself. It’s a thrilling example of what theater can be. And often, what theater audiences can be, as you become part of the show, or at least part of the bustle between shows. Details here. 

Jay Som: Jay Som, a.k.a. Melina Duterte, is one of the most exciting indie rock acts to come out of the Bay Area in recent years. She’s from the Contra Costa County suburb of Brentwood, and her low-key, relatable lo-fi pop has earned her a following far beyond the East Bay. Just a couple years ago, she was opening for Mitski at Starline Social Club in Oakland. Now she’s on a national headlining tour that stops at the legendary Fillmore in San Francisco on Sept. 14, promoting her sophomore album, Anak Ko. Details here. 

Expressions of Divinity: At the Triton Museum in Santa Clara, there’s something you don’t see every day: an exhibition of art from the Sikh faith, over five centuries old. Expressions of Divinity contains work from several collections around the Bay Area, focused on the founder of the Sikh faith, Guru Nanak. If you had any doubt of the vast Indian population in the South Bay, consider that on opening day, the museum counted 500 visitors. The show is up through Nov. 3, and there’s an artist reception on Sept. 13. Details here. 

FURY: Remember the movie Mad Max: Fury Road? You know, about the band of rogue adventurers fleeing from an evil cult leader in an apocalyptic desert? Well, there’s a ballet inspired by it called FURY coming to the Tortona Big Top in downtown Oakland on Sept. 13 and 14. Choreographer Danielle Rowe adapted the action-packed, darkly funny film into a thrilling dance performance with original music by the North Bay indie pop band Yassou and composer Kristina Dutton. Details here. 

Blackalicious: In 1999, if you were anywhere in the Bay Area, you heard Blackalicious’ Nia playing out of cars, at bars or restaurants, and especially around a scene that coalesced at the Justice League, a smoky club on Divisadero. On Nia, Chief Xcel’s production is a combination of dusty and futuristic, and MC Gift of Gab is in top form. Blackalicious is excellent live, and they celebrate the album’s 20th anniversary in a show on Sept. 19 at Slim’s in San Francisco. Details here.