San Diego's Top Weekend Events: The Music Of May

This is KPBS Midday Edition . I am today. Happy Cinco de Mayo. This is a Mexican holiday. Gives a festive labor to a musical weekend. Joining me is arts editor, Nina Garin . Hello. Let's begin by explain what Cinco de Mayo is not. Is not Independence Day. That is actually in mid-September. Cinco de Mayo is not a thing in Mexico. It is a holiday that Americans have taken ever. It has its own energy here. It certainly does. There are Mexican team celebrations happening all through the weekend. Let's start with the most popular one, Fiesta Old Town Cinco de Mayo. That is the most -- this celebration. It brings over 100,000 people over Saturday and Sunday. Please take the trolley. I really like it. There is music. There is dancing. There is food at a marketplace. You know, if you are going to do a San Diego event, this is a good one. A lot of people are looking for something smaller than that. Tonight, there is one at sparkles Pavilion in Balboa Park. Is family-friendly and it is free. Is music and it has the jazz ensemble also. That is a great thing for a free event for families. You have punk rock options? Yes. You want to do a 19 theme, there is a punk band that has -- it is called Mariachi El Bronx . Than they are having a celebration with a group called the La Diabla band. Now, we move from the music of Mexico to the music of Canada. You are going to tell us about a popular Canadian chamber group. The St. Lawrence string Quartet, they are a Canadian group and they formed in 1989. They have residencies at Julliard just met Juliet and yell but they are now the Quartet of Stamford. They direct the chamber music program there. What makes them stand out what They make modern music choices. They play with a dramatic flail. They collaborate with composers. You brought a thick lip. Let's listen to the St. Lawrence string performance. [ music ] That is the St. Lawrence string Quartet. What can people expect tonight? Tonight, there is an international mix. There will be Beethoven, American John Adams and this composer. The St. Lawrence string Quartet forms -- performs tonight at UC San Diego? Yes. Onto something different. This is from classic to indie rock. The flaming lips is in town. This is a band that formed in the 1980s. They have had a long career. They were popular in the 1990s with the song she don't use jelly. They were on the show Beverly Hills 90210. They have evolved into a complex and experimental art program. You have seen this band. What are the live shows like? It is colorful and magical. There is a lot going on. I have seen it where the singer gets in a giant inflatable ball -- ball unrolls into the audience. He had a period where he asked members to show up wearing animal costumes and dance on stage. I went to a show and there was a giant explosion of confetti and I am still taking pieces of it out. [ Applause ] We should mention and many people might know this band because of the musical that they wrote for the Playhouse. Yes. They did a musical, the pink robots. That was in 2012. It was based on an album. It was a dream where a girl battles robots. The direction for the play was notable. If you saw it, you will remember it. Let's take a listen. Before we leave, you said it was not easy finding a clip for the band. Why not? They have been around for a long time. They are so prolific. I decided to choose a song that best represents them which is a mix of whimsy and also serious. This is the song. [ music ] The flaming lips perform Sunday at the observatory in Northpark. I have been speaking with Nina Garin. Happy Cinco de Mayo. Happy Cinco de Mayo.