Music
Moondaddy performs a pre-release show at Soda Bar, alongside other acts Jackie Mendoza and more. Moondaddy is helmed by multi-instrumentalist Cara Potiker and the upcoming album "Poet Lies" will come out Aug. 18 on the Volar Records label.
Moondaddy's sound is indie, moody and dreamy, evoking Beach House or Cocteau Twins with a synthed-out shoegaze sonic depth.
Details: 7:30 p.m. (doors) on Friday, Aug. 4. Soda Bar, 3615 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights. $12.62.
Thomas Adés is composer-in-residence of La Jolla Music Society's SummerFest, and will hold a "Takeover" in the JAI cabaret-style performance space. Last year's composer takeover with Caroline Shaw was an absolute treat — intimate, inspiring and an incredible glimpse into the mind of a composer and working musician. This year, Adés will spotlight several works and musicians that are informative in his own music, as well as several works of his own ("Arcadiana," "Four Berceuses" from "The Exterminating Angel" and "Four Quarters"). SummerFest music director Inon Barnatan thinks that San Diego is lucky to have Adés here for this program.
"Adés is the number one composer working today, to me. If I had to name one composer that I think will be still played in a hundred, 200, 300 years that is working today, Tom would be at the very top of the list," Barnatan said.
Details: Takeover @ The JAI with Thomas Adès, 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 6. The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, 7600 Fay Ave., La Jolla. $73+
'Noted' Song Swap and Songwriter Challenge features 13 musicians (and one spoken word artist) who submitted a line or two of "long lost" lyrics earlier in the summer. Those lines were then assigned to one of the others to write a song. The resultant songs will be performed in the back room at The Ould Sod on Sunday afternoon. Songwriters include Astra Kelly, Lindsay White, Faith Hwang, Rob Deez and more.
Details: 3 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 6. The Ould Sod, 3373 Adams Ave., Normal Heights. Free (suggested $10 donation).
Dance
Movement artist Giovanna Francisco is currently in residence at Art Produce, and will hold a performance of "Nectar," during an open studio reception this Saturday evening. The performance, which will be in Art Produce's garden, is informed by the creatures in the garden space.
For a little visual art fix while you're there, you can also visit clay and ceramic artist Helena Westra, the current artist-in-residence in Art Produce's Cooler Room.
Details: 7-9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 5. Art Produce, 3139 University Ave., North Park. Free.
Visual art
Cheryl Tall has a new solo exhibition, "Never Land" at Front Porch Gallery. I love Tall's figurative sculptures — there's a curiosity in their faces that seems something out of a whimsical, surreal children's book. Along with sculpture, she's also showing paintings and artist books. "Never Land" brings to mind Peter Pan's Neverland and not growing up, but also ideas of home and belonging.
Details: On view through Sept. 2. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Front Porch Gallery, 2903 Carlsbad Blvd., Carlsbad. Free.
Madison Gallery's "You Should Be Here" group exhibition is now on view at Madison Gallery showing abstract works from four different artists: Santiago Parra, Max Frintrop, Elliott Routledge and Lori Cozen-Geller.
Details: On view through Sept. 15. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Madison Gallery, 320 South Cedros Ave., Ste. 200, Solana Beach. Free.
Closing soon: Don't miss several big exhibitions that are closing this month. At the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego in La Jolla, the Griselda Rosas and Celia Álvarez Muñoz exhibitions close Aug. 13, and MCASD is open late today, Thursday, Aug. 3, with discounted $12 admission from 4-8 p.m. At the San Diego Museum of Art, the "O'Keeffe and Moore" exhibit closes Aug. 27.
Books
Small Press Nite returns to The Book Catapult this weekend. Not-so-hot take: small presses are the lifeblood of the literary landscape, keeping our bookshelves and minds fresh with risk-taking storytelling, captivating characters and sometimes some strange and unusual happenings. It's hosted by Kevin Kearney, and features four writers: Marisa Crane (author of the excellent debut novel "I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself"), Gabrielle Korn, Alissa Bird and Nick Bernal (cofounder of Burn All Books).
The cover of "I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself" is shown with an undated photo of author Marisa Crane.
Details: 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 5. The Book Catapult, 3010-B Juniper St., South Park. Free.
Theater
"Phantom of the Opera" by Ovation Theatre Company opens this weekend, and they claim this is the first community theater production of the musical in North County. This spring, "Phantom" was in headlines after finally ending its 35-year Broadway run, the longest in history. Ovation's production is directed by a husband and wife duo, Pamela Laurent and Scott Gregory, who performed together on the international Broadway tour. The story, from Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel, follows the mysterious, legendary Phantom who lives beneath a Parisian opera house and becomes obsessed with an actress on stage, Christine. Six shows only.
Details: On stage Aug. 4-13. This weekend's showtimes are 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 2 p.m. Sunday. Howard Brubeck Theatre at Palomar College, 1140 West Mission Rd., San Marcos. $32.
"The Merry Wives of Windsor" is the second summer Shakespeare production at The Old Globe's outdoor stage. This retelling, directed by James Vásquez, sets the classic comedy in a 1950s suburb.
Details: On stage through Sept. 3. Showtimes are 8 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. The Old Globe, 1363 Old Globe Way, Balboa Park. $29-$101.
For more arts events, or to submit your own, visit the KPBS/Arts Calendar. And be sure to sign up for my weekly KPBS/Arts newsletter.
