Arts Warehouse celebrates the First Friday Art Walk, a magician with a nu-metal aesthetic tours Boca, and South Africa-born DIY rockers hit West Palm Beach. Plus, Joe Jackson and more in your week ahead. *NOTE: All July Fourth-related events are posted in a separate blog.
WEDNESDAY
What: Joe Jackson
Where: The Parker, 707 N.E. Eighth St., Fort Lauderdale
When: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: $141.01 (resale only)
Contact: 954/462-0222, browardcenter.org
A graduate of that unofficial school of witty, punky late-20th century English songwriting that also includes Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, and Robyn Hitchcock, Joe Jackson has released a whopping 23 albums since his auspicious 1979 debut Look Sharp! That album, spawning hits like “Is She Really Going Out With Him?” and the acerbic “Sunday Papers,” still resonates across four generations. While Jackson’s hair may by whiter some 46 years later, the cuts on his latest album Hope and Fury are similarly quirky and infectious. Expect to hear a handful of its tunes and a broad selection of audience favorites (“Steppin’ Out,” “It’s Different For Girls”) and covers (David Bowie’s “Scary Monsters” has been an encore staple) at this tour.
FRIDAY
What: Opening night of “When only the void stood between us”
Where: Arts Warehouse, 313 N.E. Third St., Delray Beach
When: 6 to 9 p.m.
Cost: Free
Contact: 561/330-9614, artswarehouse.org
This weekend is not only Fourth of July weekend—it also marks this month’s First Friday Art Walk, always a reason to explore the city’s vibrant arts scene with after-hours gallery tours and occasional wine and nosh. For Arts Warehouse, Friday marks the first opportunity to absorb “When the void stood between us,” an exhibition of installations and watercolors from South Florida artist Keren Kroul. Also an arts educator, Kroul brings a worldly sensibility and a global compassion to the fragile medium of watercolor; she was born in Israel to an Argentine father and Israeli mother, and she grew up in Mexico and Costa Rica. Her abstract work, reflecting various memories, histories, and geographies, addresses generations of loss and longing leading up to the violence of today’s world.
What: Art After Dark
Where: Norton Museum of Art, 1450 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach
When: 5 to 10 p.m.
Cost: $10 adults and seniors, $5 students
Contact: 561/832-5196, norton.org
This week’s Art After Dark program at the Norton is embracing the 250th anniversary of the United States with a headlining performance from The Vocalitas. This Florida-based female vocal trio conjures The Andrews Sisters, the World War II-era vocal group that warmed America’s hearts during a tumultuous time. But like fellow vintage explorers Postmodern Jukebox, their musical palette extends to the hits of the ‘80s, ‘90s, and today. The Vocalitas take the stage at 7:30 p.m. in the Norton’s Great Hall. Art After Dark also includes docent tours of Norton exhibitions “60 Seconds: Polaroids From the Collection” and “Recognition of Art by Women: In Retrospect”; an Open Studio creativity session; and a 6 p.m. presentation from Erica Grant, director of curatorial affairs at the Historical Society of Palm Beach County on Palm Beach County, on the region’s cultural history.
What: The SoapGirls
Where: Respectable Street, 518 Clematis St., West Palm Beach
When: 7 p.m.
Cost: $17-$20
Contact: sub-culture.org/respectable-street
Noemie and Camille Debray, the sisters who perform as the alternative rock duo SoapGirls, embraced an early form of show business by the age of 8, when they were selling soap for charity on the streets of South Africa (hence their band name), and sang to customers while on the job. By ages 14 and 15, the Debray daughters had secured a Universal Records deal as a dance-pop act, but their current aesthetic is miles apart from that start in the sleek pop world. As SoapGirls, they have embraced a punkier, more aggressive but still melodic sound that they term “revolt rock,” combined with a provocative and indefatigable stage presence. They tour almost nonstop, building a global audience despite pursuing a truly independent recording career of four self-released DIY albums. All open-minded listeners are welcome.
SUNDAY
What: Dan Sperry
Where: Boca Black Box, 8221 Glades Road, Boca Raton
When: 3 p.m.
Cost: $38.50-$43.50
Contact: 561/483-9036, bocablackbox.com
With his black leather apparel, pasty white face paint, and preference for stage blood and shock theatrics, Dan Sperry looks like he could be touring with Marilyn Manson—with a soundtrack to match. But Sperry is, in fact, a magician, and his hands are as deft as his presentation is blunt. In fact, his getup is probably an essential part of his talent for misdirection, which has manifest over a 20-plus-year career that has seen him perform at some of the world’s most esteemed concert halls—Carnegie Hall, the Sydney Opera House—as well as on Broadway, as part of the hit magic show The Illusionists. “His illusions leave audiences both amazed and unsettled,” per a disclaimer spoken prior to his performance on the CW’s Masters of Illusion in 2025. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!
For more of Boca magazine’s arts and entertainment coverage, click here.
