THURSDAY
What: Barrel Aged and Rare Beer Holiday Extravaganza
Where: Funky Buddha Lounge and Brewery, 2621 N. Federal Highway
When: 4 p.m. to close
Cost: Free
Contact: 561/368-4643, thefunkybuddha.com
Like certain Disney DVD releases—or, in previous eras, the McRib—many of the best craft beers are available for a limited time only. Funky Buddha has a habit of releasing some of its most delectable libations for short seasonal runs, building up anticipation during the other three-quarters of the year. And some brews, like the drafts offered at this holiday party, might only be available for a day. So consider this Barrel Aged and Rare Beer Extravaganza the Funky Buddha’s Christmas present to its Boca imbibers, offering craft enthusiasts the opportunity to try such Buddha imprints as the barrel-aged rye whiskies Morning Wood and Snowed in; barrel-aged wheat wine; Coconut Rum Oak Aged Pineapple 7 Minutes in Kevin; and the ever-elusive Maple Bacon Coffee Porter. Guest drafts available for the evening include Bourbon County Stout 2015, Prairie Christmas Bomb, Jolly Pumpkin Noel de Calabaza and many more. A “Stout Pack” and “Sour Pack” will be raffled to lucky winners, and the Florida reggae/funk act El Dub will perform after the festivities.
FRIDAY
What: Opening day of “A Ballerina’s Tale”
Where: Living Room Theaters at FAU, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton
When: Show times pending
Cost: $6.50-$9.50
Contact: 561/549-2600, fau.livingroomtheaters.com
If the rarefied, somewhat elite world of classic ballet has a bona fide pop-culture superstar, it’s Misty Copeland, the extraordinary ballerina with the unusual body, who only began dancing at age 13 and just this year became the first African-American woman ever to be named principal dancer of the American Ballet Theatre. Along the way, she has expanded her cultural footprint to include celebrity spokesperson, inspirational public speaker and Broadway dancer—to say nothing of touring alongside Prince. She narrates her life story in “A Ballerina’s Tale,” a documentary directed by one of our nation’s experts on African-American artists of all genres, Nelson George. Funded by more then $54 thousand in Kickstarter donations, the film begins with archival footage of Copeland learning the ropes at a ballet studio, on through her difficult ascension in a largely Caucasian field and her wondrous recovery from a potentially debilitating leg fracture.
What: Y100 Jingle Ball
Where: BB&T Center, 1 Panther Parkway, Sunrise
When: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: $51-$251
Contact: 954/835-8000, thebbtcenter.com
For pop music fans, the holiday season is eternally associated with this gathering of the year’s brightest chart-topping luminaries, and this winter’s Jingle Ball festival is especially eclectic, celebrating what Rolling Stone recently called “pop’s strange 2015.” After all, the headliner, The Weeknd (pictured), is a Canadian solo R&B powerhouse born Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, who writes dark and throbbing songs about sex and experiments with samples from the punk and indie music worlds. He’ll make for a jarring contrast with some of the other acts on this five-hour extravaganza, including teen pop sensation Demi Lovato, Jonas brothers alumni Nick Jonas and DNCE, pop-punk upstarts 5 Seconds of Summer, Swedish singer-songwriter Tove Lo, and Shawn Mendes, who established his knack for inventive covers on six-second Vine videos. As the breadth of this Grammy-nominated talent attests, it’s certainly not the worst time in the world to listen to pop music.
What: “A Well-Strung Christmas”
Where: Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 S.W. Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale
When: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: $35-$75
Contact: 954/462-0222, browardcenter.org
Don’t objectify them based on their bods: The four buff hunks in the cheekily named Well-Strung could easily be Abercrombie models or extras from “Magic Mike XXL,” but there’s musical virtuosity behind the pecs and dreamy eyes. They comprise an accomplished string quartet which, in its efforts to merge the high and low arts, combine classical music standards with today’s pop songs. Their tunes ran the gamut from Bach to Adele, with some of the men taking vocal duties. The catcalling ladies in the audience should know that the men in Well-Strung happen to be gay, a fact that they often discuss during their shows, giving their concerts a cabaret-vaudeville vibe. Perhaps their current tour will be a bit more buttoned-down, given that it’s a Christmas concert. But then again, can a group called Well-Strung ever really be buttoned-down? Expect the group’s sense of humor to shine through “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,” George Michael’s “This Christmas,” “Silent Night” and much more.
What: Pink Talking Fish
Where: Revolution Live, 100 S.W. Third Ave., Fort Lauderdale
When: 8 p.m.
Cost: $29
Contact: 954/449-1025, jointherevolution.net
It sounds like the name of a lost Dr. Seuss book, but Pink Talking Fish is actually a hybridized tribute band honoring the music of three iconic acts: Pink Floyd, Talking Heads and Phish. On paper, it makes little sense. Trey Anastasio’s goofy jam-band noodling, David Byrne’s ironic post-punk precision and Roger Waters’ transcendent classic-rock bombast don’t seem to share the same musical playgrounds, let alone sandboxes. But great live music doesn’t exist on paper, and this impeccably tight quartet is rising on the strength of its surprisingly effective mash-ups, whether it’s sandwiching Talking Heads’ “Making Flippy Floppy” and Phish’s “Piper” in between the intro and outro of Pink Floyd’s “Run Like Hell” or discovering unlikely 20-minute medleys like the “Time/Ghost/Psycho Killer” performance at this year’s Wanee festival. Open-minded listeners will appreciate the band’s imaginative concoctions.
SATURDAY
What: Boca Raton Boat Parade
Where: Intracoastal Waterway, from the C15 Canal south to the Hillsboro Bridge
When: 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Cost: Free
Contact: 561/367-7073, myboca.us
Be one of the thousands of spectators expected to attend this 39th annual holiday tradition sponsored by the City of Boca Raton. Personal sailboats and megayachts alike—ranging from 10 feet to 100 feet—will be decked in lights and decorated with floats to celebrate the season. The bridges at Spanish River, Palmetto Park and Camino Real will be lifted and held up for 30 minutes to accommodate the tricked-out vessels, and you can check out ceremonial fireworks at special viewing areas in Red Reef Park and Silver Palm Park.
