Brazilians reimagine the Fab Four, Mizner Park celebrates the end of summer, and a Jane Goodall doc opens in IMAX. Plus, Wu-Tang Clan & Nas and more in your week ahead.
THURSDAY
What: Opening day of “Jane Goodall: Reasons For Hope”
Where: Museum of Discovery and Science IMAX Theater, 401 S.W. Second St., Fort Lauderdale
When: 10:15 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
Cost: $24-$27
Contact: 954/467-6637, mods.org
Watch enough news, both local and national, and it’s easy to feel that the apocalypse is nigh—especially as it regards our ecosystem. But, like David Byrne’s “Reasons to Be Cheerful” initiative, this new documentary featuring global treasure Jane Goodall offers an alternative to the doom and gloom. In “Reasons For Hope,” we follow the 89-year-old activist and adventurer as she travels the world to discover and trumpet positive news on the environmental front, from the migration patterns of the northern bald ibis to the re-introduction of the American bison on indigenous grounds to one state’s pioneering embrace of renewable energy. The movie, which runs a lean 45 minutes, also features indelible imagery from Goodall’s formative years as a chimpanzee researcher. The ticket price also includes full Museum of Discovery and Science access.
What: “Hurricanes!” lecture
Where: Historic Paris Hall at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 188 S. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach
When: 6:30 p.m.
Cost: $10
Contact: 561/274-9578, delraybeachhistory.org
It’s been a fortunate hurricane season for South Florida so far this year, but we are always knocking on wood and crossing our fingers. After all, as this lecture will vividly remind us, it has not always been thus. Delray in particular was on the receiving end of some catastrophic ‘canes in the first half of the 20th century, and this presentation from Delray Beach Historical Society Archivist Kayleigh Howard will cover the major weather events that battered our coast from 1903 to 1947. There will be tales of shipwrecks, triumphs of the human spirit, and tragedies endured during the era of segregation, all of it supplemented with never-before-seen photos and narratives from the Historical Society’s archives. Enjoy light refreshments with the cost of admission.
FRIDAY
What: Wu-Tang Clan & Nas: N.Y. State of Mind Tour
Where: Hard Rock Live, 1 Seminole Way, Hollywood
When: 8 p.m.
Cost: $75-$105
Contact: 866/502-7529, seminolehardrockhollywood.com
Though remembered fondly as a ‘90s rapper—his stirring 1994 debut Illmatic is one of the foundational albums of this influential decade of hip-hop—Nas has never gone away, remaining in the popular-music firmament while staying true to his conscious East Coast rap vernacular. So potent, in fact, is the music of the middle-aged Nas that he took home his first Grammy for Best Rap Album in 2021, and in 2022 his rhymes helped the character of Ruth Langmore, in “Ozark,” grieve the murder of her cousin. The son of a jazz cornet player, Nas is known as a “rapper’s rapper,” but he’s also a musician’s musician, performing with generous horn and string sections. In this “N.Y. State of Mind” tour, he’ll co-headline with equally important rap royalty, the Wu-Tang Clan, whose own auspicious debut, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), was inducted into the National Recording Registry in 2021, and launched solo careers for all nine of its original members. Do not overlook the opening act in the too-small font: It’s De La Soul, the legendary standard-bearers of progressive rap whose music is loaded with truth, whimsy and more samples than a weekend trip to Costco.
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY
What: Blues Beatles
Where: Arts Garage, 94 N.E. Second Ave., Delray Beach
When: 8 p.m.
Cost: $45-$50
Contact: 561/450-6357, artsgarage.org
This five-piece Brazilian blues band, formerly known as Today, was hatched almost by accident, when guitarist/vocalist Marcos Viana would noodle around with bluesy takes on the Beatles during rehearsal breaks. These experiments eventually evolved into the unorthodox tribute band it has become. Unafraid to transform many of the sacred cows of the Beatles’ catalog—“Yesterday” is a slow-burning but undeniable blues scorcher, and “Eleanor Rigby” is all but unrecognizable in parts—the Blues Beatles is a further, genre-bending testament to the Fab Four’s pliable melodies and international appeal.
FRIDAY TO SUNDAY
What: Boca End of Summer Festival
Where: Mizner Park Amphitheater, 590 Plaza Real, Boca Raton
When: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Cost: $12-$15
Contact: bocaendofsummerfestival.com
Saturday marks the first day of autumn, and after months of unbearable heat, we’re thrilled to say sayonara to another Florida summer. Send the season out in style with this family-friendly festival in Mizner Park, which features carnival rides and games, music, a petting zoo, craft vendors, a beer garden and plenty of on-site food vendors. If you’re looking to adopt a pet, this weekend’s festivities make for a perfect time to shop around, as Justin Bartlett Animal Rescue and Rachel’s Gate will be on hand with adoptable pets; both are also charity partners of the End of Summer Festival, with portions of ticket sales benefiting these noble nonprofits.
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