TUESDAY
What: Kraftwerk
Where: Olympia Theater, 174 E. Flagler St., Miami
When: 11:30 p.m.
Cost: $58.50-$78.50
Contact: 305/374-2444, olympiatheater.org
As much a performance-art project as a band, forever-futuristic Krautrock pioneers Kraftwerk have spent more than 45 years contemplating the synergy of man and machine—sometimes on custom- or self-made instruments. Acts as far-flung as Blondie, Coldplay and Nicki Minaj have famously cited or sampled Kraftwerk’s music, which helped create the nascent genres of techno, hip-hop and electronica. What exactly is a 3D concert? It’s hard to say exactly, but the only remaining original member of Kraftwerk, Ralf Hutter, told Rolling Stone “We translated our performances to 3D, and in surround sound, kind of like 3D sound.” No word whether glasses will be required. And if you’re wondering about the late show time? There’s an 8 p.m. show too, but it’s been long sold out.
THURSDAY
What: Opening night of “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum”
Where: The Wick Theatre, 7901 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton
When: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: $58–$62
Contact: 561/995-2333, thewick.org
Ancient Rome was a pretty violent place, but in this enduring Stephen Sondheim musical from 1962, it’s a libidinous hothouse of hilarity. Drawing inspiration from the farces of the early Roman playwright Plautus, Sondheim and book writers Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart created a breezy sex comedy set among three rambunctious houses in a Roman neighborhood. In one, the slave Pseudolus seeks to win his freedom by helping his master woo his beloved; in another, the proto-pimp Marcus Lycus purveys courtesans for the locals; and in the other, the elderly Erronius forever searches the land for his two children, who were kidnapped by pirates 20 years earlier. Fourteen characters engage in all manner of madcap hysteria—plagues that cause their victims to smile endlessly, sleeping potions that only work when combined with the sweat of mares, ersatz funerals, mistaken identities and plenty of slammed doors and brilliantly awful puns. The show’s opening number, “Comedy Tonight,” was later re-popularized in “The Birdcage.” It runs through Nov. 1.
FRIDAY
What: Opening night of “Rosenwald”
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
In a time of increasing nativism and racial division in our political discourse, this documentary about former Sears Roebuck president Julius Rosenwald feels as much like a prescient plea for unification as a historical biography. A high-school dropout whose entrepreneurial spirit propelled him to the top of one the country’s historic corporations, Rosenwald was more than a savvy businessman. After reading memoirs by Booker T. Washington and William Henry Baldwin Jr., this son of an immigrant Jewish peddler became invested in another oppressed minority: African-Americans. Devoting his fortune to the social and educational welfare of underserved blacks in the segregated South, Rosenwald oversaw the construction of 5,300 schools during the early 20th century, and his foundation inspired the minds and careers of creatives ranging from Gordon Parks to Ralph Ellison to Langston Hughes. Considered by critics as a riveting and vital portrait, “Rosenwald” currently boasts a 96 percent “Fresh” ranking on Rotten Tomatoes. Kemper will appear for a live Q&A following the 4:45 p.m. screening Oct. 2 at Living Room Theaters; the film also opens Friday at Regal Shadowood 16.
What: Oddball Comedy and Curiosity Festival
Where: Perfect Vodka Amphitheater, 601-7 Sansburys Way, West Palm Beach
When: 5 p.m.
Cost: $25-$92.75
Contact: 561/795-8883, livenation.com
Combining the laid-back, party-on-the-lawn ambience of a rock festival with the laughs quotient of more than 20 nights at the Improv, this unique fest produced by comedy kingmakers Funny or Die brings a slate of a top-billed, mostly alternative comedians to the amphitheater stage, beginning early evening and running well into the night. The headliners are Aziz Ansari, the observational “Parks & Recreation” wunderkind and the author of an enlightening guide to 21st century romance; and Amy Schumer, the comedy world’s Dionysian It Girl and star one of the best sketch comedy series in recent history. Be sure to arrive early for the undercard acts, most of whom have filled theaters on their own, including Anthony Jeselnik, Dave Attel, Bridget Everett, Jay Pharoah, Jim Norton and John Mulaney. There will be food trucks and special drinks to lubricate your funny bones, and we especially can’t wait to see the event’s promised “roaming troupe of misfit performers.”
What: The Jesus & Mary Chain
Where: Olympia Theater, 174 E. Flagler St., Miami
When: 8 p.m.
Cost: $40-$75
Contact: 305/374-2444, olympiatheater.org
This booking at one of Miami’s most surprising indie-music hubs is arguably even more interesting than Kraftwerk earlier this week, because I cannot recall J&MC ever visiting South Florida. Formed by Scottish brothers Jim and William Reid in 1983, the band is responsible for making noise-rock palatable, marrying a feedback-drenched aesthetic with a honeyed pop sensibility. It’s been a remarkable 30 years since the Jesus and Mary Chain released its debut album “Psychocandy,” a record that hasn’t aged a day; its sonic fingerprints are all over the past three decades of indie music. To celebrate, J&MC will play the album in its entirety, preceded by a curated selection of other hits.
SATURDAY
What: Stitch Rock
Where: Old School Square Vintage Gymnasium, 51 N. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach
When: Noon to 6 p.m.
Cost: $5 (free for children 12 and younger)
Contact: rockthestitch.com
There aren’t many places you can find a gaggle of demented-looking plush dolls, heart-shaped plaque depicting smooching skeletons, pieces of octopus jewelry and an airbrushed likeness of Bryan Cranston in “Breaking Bad,” all sharing the same offbeat oxygen. But Delray is a town weird enough to support a cash-and-carry indie craft fair like Stitch Rock, now entering its ninth venerable year. All of these items and much, much more lined the tables of some 80-plus vendors in recent years, drawing lines around the block for what has become the Vintage Gymnasium’s signature annual event. And we haven’t even mentioned the copious T-shirts, pins, coasters, records, pinup paintings, homemade jams and plenty of cupcakes, both decorative and edible. The vendors often have as many safety pins on their bodies as in their craftwork, and at least half the items in the gym look like they wandered from a Tim Burton set. For unique gifts, we can’t agree more with the event’s tagline: “Skip the Mall, Shop Indie!”
MONDAY, OCT. 5
What: Cindy Crawford
Where: Miami-Dade College’s Chapman Conference Center, 300 N.E. Second Ave., Building 3
When: 7 p.m.
Cost: Book purchase of $53.95 allows entry for three
Contact: 305/442-4408, booksandbooks.com
Twenty years ago, Forbes named Cindy Crawford the highest-paid model on the planet—a pinnacle achieved at the height of the golden age of the supermodel, through hundreds of photo shoots from outlets ranging fromPeople to Playboy, Harper’s Bazaar to Vogue. Now, with her 50th birthday less than six months away, Crawford is reflecting on her storied career, touring the country behind her coffee-table memoir Becoming. Accompanied by exclusive photographs spanning her career—some of them from Crawford’s personal archives, others shot by fashion titans Irving Penn, Richard Avedon and Annie Leibovitz—Becoming sees the distinctively moled superstar reflecting on her life and career thus far, from her self-conscious early shoots to her feelings about motherhood and turning 50. At this special appearance, Crawford will be interviewed by local NBC news personality Jackie Nespral.
