SunFest returns with its best lineup in years, Arts Warehouse brings the Argentine Rainforest closer to home, and a Fab Four tribute makes it “Rain.” Plus, José González and more in your week ahead.
TUESDAY
What: “To Be As a Cloud: Recent Acquisitions”
When: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: NSU Art Museum, 1 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale
Cost: $10-$16
Contact: 954/525-5500, nsuartmuseum.org
The De La Cruz Collection, amassed by prominent art lovers Rosa and Carlos De La Cruz, had been a staple in Miami since it opened to the public in 2009. That era ended with Rosa’s death at 81, earlier this year, with most of the couple’s art holdings auctioned by Christie’s—save for such gifts as those bestowed upon NSU Art Museum, a longtime recipient of the Da La Cruz’s support. “To Be As a Cloud,” which opened late last week, is comprised of the latest gifts from De La Cruz to the museum, including nine foundational works from Cuban-born Miami artist José Bedia, whose bracingly original paintings explore spiritualism, colonialism and other subjects. The 10 additional contemporary artists represented in “To Be a Cloud” include Dawoud Bey, Theaster Gates and Ana Mendieta. The exhibition runs through July 28.
WEDNESDAY
What: Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles
When: 8 p.m.
Where: Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach
Cost: $30-$110
Contact: 561/832-7469, kravis.org
The Beatles tribute-band community remains divided over the best way to honor the Fab Four’s legacy: Just be yourselves but play the Beatles’ music as accurately as possible, or impersonate John, Paul, George and Ringo using period costumes and instruments? Rain definitely takes the latter approach, but with enough serious musical chops and a deep enough song catalog to impress the technical purists in the former camp. The band offers a chronological time warp of the Beatles’ progression, from the boy band pop of their “Ed Sullivan” breakthrough to John Lennon’s still-unheeded lament to “Give Peace a Chance.” In between, these immaculate impressionists play upwards of 30 songs over two hours of multimedia special effects, with lesser-played tunes like “The Fool on the Hill” and “Tomorrow Never Knows” alongside “Hey Jude” and “Come Together.”
What: José González
When: 8 p.m.
Where: Miami Beach Bandshell, 7275 Collins Ave., Miami Beach
Cost: $56.65
Contact: 786/453-2897, miamibeachbandshell.com
A Swedish-born singer-songwriter of Argentine heritage—his parents fled that country’s military coup d’état in 1976—José González has established a distinctive, if not exactly prolific career. He’s released just four albums in 20 years, each of them anchored by his elliptical, hypnotic acoustic guitar, and by lyrics that trade easy sentiment for poetic provocation. His 2021 single “Head On,” for instance, rhymes “value extractors” with “power snatchers” and “pervert incentives” with “nepotism.” González sings in three languages, and in some ways his music is as much a hybrid as his cultural makeup, evoking the swaying bossa nova of Antonio Carlos Jobim, the restless quaver of Elliott Smith and the cryptic lyricism of Bob Dylan in equal measure.
FRIDAY
What: Opening night of “In-Situ”
When: 6 to 9 p.m.
Where: Arts Warehouse, 313 N.E. Third St., Delray Beach
Cost: Free
Contact: 561/330-9614, artswarehouse.org
South Florida and Northern Argentina may be on opposite sides of the equator, but the two regions share a fundamental trait: They are classified as “twin” Subtropical Humid climate zones. This exhibition furthers the connection between our artists and those of our South American “sibling.” With “In-Situ,” named after the scientific process of conducting experiments in their original study location, five working Argentine artists from the Asawi Artist Immersion program will bring the Atlantic Rainforest, in all of its majesty and fragility, to life on the walls of Arts Warehouse, complemented by South Florida-inspired works by seven of our local artists in the Back Room Gallery. Explore the opening of these exhibitions as part of Delray’s First Friday Art Walk, in which most of the downtown area’s galleries and cultural centers will stay open late, often with wine and cheese samples. “In-Situ” runs through July 30.
FRIDAY TO SUNDAY
What: SunFest
When: Starts at 5 p.m. Friday, noon Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday
Where: The Waterfront at Downtown West Palm Beach
Cost: $60-$82 for one day, $95-$170 for three-day pass
Contact: sunfest.com
Rock, new wave, country, hip-hop and reggae—not to mention many acts that fuse these genres—will be well represented across three stages at this year’s SunFest, which encompasses the festival’s strongest lineup since the pandemic. Top-tier headliners include Nelly, rapper Yung Gravy, a country two-fer with Cole Swindell preceded by Dylan Scott, rock icon Billy Idol and alternative-pop favorites Third Eye Blind. The festival has tripled down its efforts featuring local music, with an entire stage devoted to a wide range of Florida artists. There’s even a fourth floating stage, the “Electronic Barge,” featuring DJs for the entire breadth of the festival (and beyond), as well as the return of the Creative Arts Village, showcasing the wares of local artisans.
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