Culture Lust Weekend: Guerrilla Girls, White Buffalo and Diwali

ART & EXHIBITIONS

Unleash your inner archeologist this Saturday at San Diego Museum of Man’s new exhibit, “Strange Bones: Curiosities of the Human Skeleton." Curator Tori Randall focuses on curious and strange aspects of the human skeleton, from how humans modify their own bodies (foot binding) to the effects of diseases like scurvy and syphilis (eek!).

Founding members of the radical (and RAD!) feminist artist group Guerrilla Girls will present a culture jamming evening of performance/workshop on Wednesday at San Diego Mesa College. You don't want to miss this performance by these legendary artists who've fought the feminist fight in posters, art, and performance since way back in the day.

Don’t miss the chance to fill your house with all things modern, from furniture to art, this Sunday at Mod Swap 4. Several mid-century collectors will be present to sell and trade their wares to local swanksters. The open market takes place in the parking lot at the intersection of Kettner and West Kalmia.

MUSIC

Underground gem White Buffalo will perform at Belly Up this Monday. The man behind the music is a singer who tours hard, drinks harder, and jams hardest. This week's concert will be in support of his newest release, “Prepare for Black and Blue."

Get your Ravi Shankar on this Saturday with the opening show of a Soiree for Music Lovers at UCSD’s Conrad Prebys Concert Hall. The celebrated concert series kicks the season off with the world premiere of a sitar concerto composed and performed by sitar master Kartik Seshadri. Also opening at the CPC Hall on Monday is the critically-acclaimed chamber series Camera Lucida. The seven-concert series features players from both UCSD’s music faculty and the San Diego Symphony.

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer John Sebastian gives San Diego a “Lovin’ Spoonful” this Sunday at AMSDconcerts, formerly Acoustic Music San Diego. The Woodstock veteran will grace the Normal Heights venue with one of very few solo concerts in past years.

If you are lucky enough to score tickets, catch acclaimed New York indie band Interpol tonight at SOMA. The group boasts touring members Dave Pajo of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Brandon Curtis of The Secret Machines who, together with the core trio, will present the newly released self-titled album. White Rabbits will open with their signature one-minute wonder songs.

Don’t miss the year's last performance of Lucious Noise this Sunday at Anthology. Conductor John Stubbs and members of the San Diego Symphony will present a Fall/Halloween inspired program alongside the cuisine of Chef Todd Allison.

Get hip with Israeli jazz bassist Avishai Cohen this Monday at the San Diego Center for Jewish Culture’s Garfield Theatre. Cohen, who finds inspiration in works from Bach to Stevie Wonder, will play songs from his latest album “Aurora”. The new album is significant in that it presents Cohen’s decades of bass experience alongside his newfound voice- he has never performed before as a singer.

When Beethoven calls an orchestra “the best in Europe” and Richard Strauss deems them the “the best opera orchestra in the world,” music lovers pay attention. The Staatskapelle Dresden, winner of such staggering praise, is coming to San Diego’s own Copley Symphony Hall this Wednesday. The 460-year-old German orchestra will feature works from both Schumann and their loyal fan, Beethoven.

Top chamber performers Faure Piano Quartett will grace the stage of UCSD’s Conrad Prebys Concert Hall tonight. The group, who have won the highly regarded Duetsche Shallplatten and Parkhouse Awards, will play the music of Mahler, Brahms, and Schumann.

EVENTS

This Sunday the Spanish-style promenades of Balboa Park will transform into passages to India with the beginning of this year's Diwali Festival, the Indian Festival of Lights. Presented by the Mingei International Museum, the opening procession will feature a colorful march of hundreds of people from the nine regions of India, the cuisine of numerous local Indian restaurants, and family-friendly activities like the festival’s traditional lighting of 1,008 lamps.

Explore the joys (and perils) of parenthood tonight at the reading and singing of “Mamas and Papas” at Upstart Crow bookstore and coffeehouse. Not your average bedtime story, the recently released book is a multi-genre text on the treasures and troubles of raising children, edited by local writers.

DANCE

Take yourself on a one-night trip to Southern Spain this Saturday by attending “Flamenco: Pasado y Presente” at SDSU’s Smith Recital Hall. The two-hour concert will feature Pacific Beach dance company Flamenco Arana, which features members of all levels. And, as an added treat, guest dancer Sara Oliver of London, will perform a solo!

Yale Strom and John Malashock present “Chagall: A Dance/Musical” tonight and tomorrow at Oceanside’s Mira Costa College. The performances include many new and extended pieces from the San Diego Rep as well as student performances in dance and music. Malashock Dance and Hot Pstromi will headline the event.