S1: It's time for Midday Edition on KPBS. On today's Arts and Culture Show , we are talking about trans artists and their work in honor of Trans History Month. I'm Jade Hindman with conversations that keep you informed , inspired , and make you think. We'll profile Frida Ibarra , a trans femme deejay and musician from Chula Vista who uses her journey to promote representation.
S2: I have to hype myself up and say , hey , you're like being visible as a trans person , as a brown person.
S1: Plus , we'll talk about what's happening around San Diego in the weekend preview , and we've got a few movie recommendations that honor trans experiences. That's ahead on Midday Edition. And. August is Transgender History Month in San Diego , and it's an opportunity to celebrate trans and non-binary artists across the region. Today , we're profiling one musician who is making an impact through her art. Frida Ibarra is a cultural worker , composer and a DJ. Born and raised in Chula Vista. She's toured all over San Francisco , LA , San Diego , you name it. She's also worked with San Diego Pride to build inclusive spaces for artists in the LGBTQ plus community. She's here to talk about her journey as an artist , along with trans and queer representation in the music scene. Frida , welcome. Hi. First , let's talk about some of your , like venues that you've performed in. I hear you toured with The Killers , is that right ? Yes.
S2: Um , 2009. Okay. 19 years old. And , um , one of the venues just right here in our backyard Serena. Yeah. So it was a cool opportunity to kind of , um , just experience that really early in my music career. And I like to joke that I kind of peaked at that point , but , um , no , but yeah , it was a great experience , um , to kind of propel my career , if anything. Yeah.
S1:
S2: Um , so local staples such as Kasbah , Belly Up , um , with bands such as the silent comedy Transfer and then after that , that's when I , uh , started to , uh , figure out my next moves. And I moved to San Francisco. That's when I was really embedded in , you know , the queer nightlife scene and performed at various venues , queer clubs such as The Stud , El Reo , which are legacy Venues in San Francisco and the countless , you know , underground raves in Oakland. So I would say it's a pretty diverse , dynamic kind of set of venues that I had performed at.
S1: Yeah , yeah. I mean , and you're from Chula Vista. Yeah. What was it like growing up in the local music scene here ? Yeah.
S3:
S1:
S2: I think that was something I didn't really understand until I came out as trans and queer , really what community was. So overall , I think I was searching for community when I was down here , you know , hence why I moved to San Francisco. However , you know , when I was here , I was able to build a lot of connections and network with folks. But this was before I came out , you know , before I came out as trans and I hadn't really figured out who I really was. So growing up in Chula Vista , you know , and I mean , I think San Diego in general , I wouldn't say there was trans visibility , unfortunately. And I mean that that's also included as to why I was seeking a region that was inclusive of trans folks and where trans folks were visible. So that was about 20 , 2013 when I left. Yeah. And when I started to realize who I was and coming out to myself , coming out to my family and , um , I will say coming back , I've been pleasantly surprised. Yeah. To see that there's been a lot of trans inclusion and community here in San Diego. Right.
S1: Right. And I know you do a lot of work , um , around like representation. And I'm sure that experience spoke to why it's so important. Yeah. Um. But talk. Talk a bit more about that. I mean , why is it so important to have community , especially as a trans artist ? Yeah.
S3:
S2: I mean , community in general is important for I , you know , most people and for human survival , uh , I think experiencing these struggles , experiencing oppression , but also experiencing joy together with folks who understand that experience. Yeah. And that particular experience , um , and also , you know , experiencing that with allies too , I think that's super important. And allies who are there willing to fight for us and willing to be in community with us and really support us in the ways that we need to be supported.
S3: Yeah , yeah , well that's good.
S1: And you're also very active in the DIY scene. Yes. For listeners who might not be familiar with the local DIY scene seen or what that is even.
S2: I think it is a scene that is rooted in arts and community , social justice and politics. Really. I think there's this culture in the DIY scene that goes against the mainstream advocates for progressive politics. And , you know , it's essentially the kind of show that you'll see at a random warehouse in City Heights , for example. Um , and the main focus is to showcase our art and our music. The DIY scene here in San Diego has been something that's felt really like what I've experienced in San Francisco and Oakland , because they both have , uh , DIY scenes that are thriving when we're talking about the underground raves. And so , you know , coming back home and seeing that here has been really , really comforting for me. And when we're talking about culture , identities and backgrounds , you know , it's a scene that is really diverse , full of trans folks , full of folks , folks of different ethnic backgrounds and races , and just the space where we all kind of want to have each other thrive artistically. Great.
S3: Great.
S1: So it's a do it yourself , and it's like an underground music scene , basically.
S2: Yeah , underground music , arts , creative , that kind of thing. Yeah.
S3: All of it. Yeah.
S1: All right.
S2: I think , you know , it's funny. I think , you know , performing just outside of my identity and as a person , you know , it's it's scary. You know , it's scary as well , having to get up on stage , having hundreds of people looking at you , or even when there's like two people in the club , you know , them looking at you. It can be overwhelming. And then , you know , I think adding the identity part on top of that is a whole nother layer that is very vulnerable. Mhm. And so you know , having been in band in high school , we , we were taught a lot about performance theory and how to channel that energy , that nervous energy into excitement and the power needed to have a great performance. So thankfully I've taken that from high school band and I use it up to this day , where I use that anxiety and that anxiousness into just having a great performance. And also when it comes to my identity , like , I have to tell myself , I have to hype myself up and say , hey , you're like being visible as a trans person , as a brown person , and you're doing this for yourself. You're doing this for other people who benefit from your visibility. And I like to think of that as like some really meaningful impact I've had in the communities where I've performed. Yeah.
S3: Yeah.
S1: Well , we actually have a clip from something you produced.
S4: Especially just as a film. It's like where the sexualized or like , you know , can't be assumed to like , you know , even be anti-gay. I think there's a Belizean American DJ. It's really important for me to be visible , especially as a bougie American trans woman.
S1: All right. So so that was unrest. Act three. Tell us about what we just heard and the story behind it. Yes.
S3: Yes.
S2: Um , so in 2021 , I was asked to compose the score for a play titled unrest , um , which took place in Oakland. And , um , it , you know , featured queer and trans identities. And for that piece in particular , the idea was to create some sort of sound collage of , you know , well-known trans women DJs across the underground scene. Carly Rose from Berlin , Jasmine Infiniti from New York , San Francisco , and Ariel's and Tina from Chicago. And so in the clip that we heard , they're talking about their experiences as nightlife performers and DJs and what it means to deejay as trans women in these scenes that are predominantly , um , not trans women and predominantly male and cis and white. Right. And so I it was really affirming to compose that piece and hearing their experiences and how they kind of stepped into their power and how that intersects with their performance.
S1: You mentioned earlier that there wasn't much visibility.
S2: Right. And so I think of Laverne Cox on the time magazine's cover 2015 I believe and I. For me , that was such a turning point for trans folks and especially trans women of color , culturally and in the entertainment industry. And so when we talk about the music industry , I think , you know , there's a lot of work to be done generally that I feel really passionate about. And it also ties into how that intersects with San Diego. You know , and sure , San Diego doesn't have the biggest music scene. However , there is a scene here that is fresh with those DIY communities. Um , the gaslamp scene , for example. Gaslamp is not DIY , but there is a scene there. Um , and , you know , throughout the county , I think the way I see is like , why not have ourselves be shown or have some sort of share , some sort of competency and awareness of multiple identities that belong in the music industry , in the entertainment industry. So , you know , it's work that I feel very passionate about in building inclusive spaces for queer and trans folks , for people of color , folks of different abilities. And just to really build a world , a community , an industry that you know , is inclusive of all identities.
S1: That's excellent.
S2: Just finished my last final last night. Um , and so , you know , I think kind of just building those skills They're networking with my cohort mates and the various guests that we speak with , for example. And , you know , I think kind of venturing into LA and see what it has to offer , I see myself as being multi-regional in a sense where I want my roots cemented here in San Diego. I feel like I owe something to San Diego in a sense , because it's given me life , it's given me land , it's given me the air , you know ? Um , and so , you know , while I venture into LA , I want to make sure that , you know , I'm not separating myself from my homeland , from my home city. And , I mean , we can even go as narrow as Chula Vista , you know , like , hey , what's happening here or what needs to happen. So yeah , I when it comes to like my career , I , I want to include I want to pursue dei work and access work in the music industry. Um , going to these , you know , top companies like universal , Wasserman , Sony Music , etc. , and instilling some sort of competency for intersectional identities and how they deserve to thrive in the music industry and not just keeping it at the status quo. Wow.
S3: Wow. Yeah. All right.
S1: Well , I've been speaking with composer and DJ Frida Ibarra. Frida , thank you so much for joining us. Thank you. Coming up , our movie critics join the discussion with their film recommendations for Trans History Month.
S5: It offers an up close and personal look at one individual's kind of coming of age story , and hopefully that will make audiences more accepting of those who choose to transition. But it's a lovely documentary.
S1: Hear more when KPBS Midday Edition returns. Welcome back. You're listening to KPBS Midday Edition. I'm Jade Hindman. As you heard earlier , Transgender History Month is well underway in San Diego , so our midday movie critics have decided to highlight some films that reflect trans representation on the big screen. Once again , we welcome KPBS Cinema Junkie , Beth Accomando. Beth. Hello. Hello.
S5: Hello.
S1: And also movie. Wallace. Podcaster. Yazdi. Yazdi. Hello. Hello.
S3: Hello. Greetings.
S1: So representation. It is a journey. and Beth Tran's representation started with some films that are very problematic and even offensive.
S5: Yeah , you could say trans representation had a very problematic birth when it started. So I do want to reference a couple of early films , because I think it's really important to see where this trans representation began , because it's necessary for both context and also to see how far we've come and how far are we still may need to go. So Edwards , Glen or Glenda in 1953 is probably the first US film to depict a trans character , and although Ed Wood desperately tried to make this a sympathetic portrait , he ended up using language that is offensive and hurtful today. Similarly , the 1970 film The Christine Jorgensen Story , which tells the real life , gender affirming surgery of the title character , is also clumsy and awkward in tackling its subject. The ad campaign in particular for that film was offensive in terms of its sensational and exploitative language regarding transitioning. But I will note that there are two films that started to mark a move toward positive representation. I'll call these one step forward , two step back films because although they do some things well , there are still some issues with them. So in terms of trans representation in films , there is the 1982 film The World According to Garp , in which John Lithgow plays a trans woman who is possibly the most sane and positive character in that crazy movie of otherwise kind of off kilter characters. And then Terence Stamp as Bernadette , the aging trans woman in Priscilla , Queen of the desert. And here's a little scene with her.
S6: But it sounds strange way that takes care of us. I don't know if that ugly wall of suburbia has been put there to stop them getting in or us getting out. Come on. Don't let it drag you down. Let it toughen you up.
S5: So while these trans characters were depicted with affection and empathy , both trans women were played by cisgender men. And that's something that the trans community has been vocally critical of. And that is also changing in terms of what Hollywood is looking towards in terms of actors. But I do think these films mark a move forward if it's still a bit flawed. Hmm.
S1: Well , Yazdi , you have a foreign film. Chile's A Fantastic Woman , which won the Academy Award for best foreign film. It's actress Daniela Vega became the first openly transgender presenter at the Oscars. Tell us about this movie. Yes.
S3: Yes.
S7: So this film from Chilean director Sebastian Lelio , tells the story of an older man who is happily living with his partner , a trans woman , Marina , played by Daniela Vega , in the lead performance , and the man unexpectedly dies and the film tracks how those around her treat Marina because she's a trans woman , the hospital staff , the man's ex-wife and grown children. They are all embarrassed by her and want no part of her in the final rites for this man. So the film makes the case that even if a trans person can themselves be self-possessed and willful and have pride in their sense of self , all of that can take a beating when the world around you , in this case a rather affluent society in progressive Santiago , if they're reluctant to accept you. And the film has been accused of defining its main trans character only in the context of the man in her life and not providing any history about her. But I would argue that that's exactly the point of the movie , that we do not need to know her history to grant her empathy. One of the things I really love about this film is that the filmmaker often taps into the surreal to make literal of what the main character is going through , and there is a lovely scene where she literally is swept off the street by a gale of wind , pointing to how her existence is being brushed off the ground by those around her. And this little piece of music plays.
UU: From life through. Funeral meanings and beyond.
S1: All right. Well , Beth , you have a recent documentary that you want to highlight , and it's last year's chasing Chasing Amy.
S5: That's right. So I love this film for a lot of reasons. It starts with 12 year old Sam Rogers watching Kevin Smith's 1997 film Chasing Amy , and fell in love with it because it offered comfort to a queer kid who didn't know that there were any other gay movies out there to watch. So he wanted to make a sort of fan documentary exploring his love for Smith's film. And here's a little bit of the trailer to kind of set the tone of the film.
S8: I'm directing a project about the legacy of Chasing Amy as an LGBTQ film. You find the film to be authentic to the LGBTQ community.
S9: I find it authentic to the straight dude who fall for a queer woman community no longer being a lesbian by meeting the right man.
S10: That's going to be controversial.
S11: Ben Affleck's goatee was a bad idea.
S5: So the film begins with Roger's fandom for Smith's film. Then it develops into a thoughtful exploration of gender and why many in the LGBTQ community don't like the film. And ultimately , it becomes a very personal and sweet coming of age story for Rogers , who actually transitions during the course of making the film and also comes to terms with his queerness. So I love it for being sincere and intimate and sweet , but also willing to consider a lot of painful questions and to be brutally honest at times. And it offers an up close and personal look at one individual's kind of coming of age story , and hopefully that will make audiences more accepting of those who choose to transition. But it's a lovely documentary.
S1: All right. Well , Yazdi , you also have a recent film to highlight this one from Pakistan. What is it ? Yeah.
S7: So the film is Joyland one word. And it was Pakistan's entry for consideration for Best Foreign Film at last year's Oscars. And it tells the story of a man from a traditional Muslim family in that country. His wife is expecting their first child , and he's unable to land a job until he takes up employment working as an assistant to a small time entertainer who does dance routines for the local crowds to make a living years later.
S12: With the local.
S13: Come theater manager.
S7: Only thing is that this entertainer is a trans woman , and very tentatively , he builds a relationship with her. And while this movie makes the case of how difficult it is , particularly in some societies , such as in India and Pakistan , for people to , you know , accept trans characters , this movie also looks at this man and how his inability to understand his own feelings and understand his own gender identity and his attraction. What kind of collateral damage that has on his family. And the movie is really devastating , and kind of suggesting that it's not just the responsibility of the trans people , but even those around them , because otherwise you'll pay a big price if you fail to kind of make that that step towards empathy.
S5: So the other thing I think that's interesting about this film is it's not just looking at this trans woman , but also the other characters in the film in terms of gender identity , because the sister in law ends up being forced to quit her job in order to get pregnant and have a child , and that seems to have a devastating effect on her as well. So it looks broadly at kind of how society sort of restricts and limits people.
S3: Well , and.
S1: Beth , you have a film from this year. I saw the TV glow , which has generated a lot of interest and discussion.
S5: Yes it has. So I saw the TV glow along with The Matrix can be watched with or without a trans lens. So the matrix , for those who may not be aware , was made by the Whiskey Brothers , who then transitioned into the Witchy Sisters. And a lot of the film , if you watch it through a trans lens , takes on different meaning. And so both these movies , I feel like , become much richer in terms of how they play and play out is trans allegories if you look at them that way. So in I saw the TV Globes , Owen and Maddie are teenagers who bond over their obsession with a TV show called The Pink Opaque , which is taken sort of from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Here's a little clip from the film.
S14:
UU: I , I.
S15: I think that I like TV shows.
S5: So superficially , the film seems to be about angsty teenagers struggling to fit in and figure out who they are. But the film develops this beautiful , surreal visual style that's equal parts seductive and ominous. And writer director Jane Schoenberg made the film just after she decided to come out as trans , and at one point Cronenberg employs imagery of being buried alive. And so this is a horror trope that we all recognize , and that taps into a universal fear of how it feels to be suffocated under the weight of all this dirt. But in this case , it's not just the fear of physically being buried alive , but it's also the fear of kind of burying , hiding , suffocating , or killing a version of yourself. That's true. Or to who you are. And so I saw the TV glows ends on what I feel is a really heartbreaking note , but you can also read something positive in it as well , because one of the characters does embrace their true self while the other represses it. So it's not entirely tragic , but there are scenes that will break your heart. Overall , though , I think the film reflects a really exciting step forward in the sense that it's trans artists being able to tell their own stories in ways that feel fresh and honest and authentic. Yazdi.
S1: Yazdi. We have a film that is positive and hopeful , and it is a film from this year that documents one person's story of transitioning under some unique circumstances. Let's hear some of the trailer for transition.
S16: Teddy and I am spending a lot of time with this Taliban unit. Last year he met her , and as we get drawn deeper into their world , there are things about ourselves that I have to be very careful not to reveal.
S17: I think I am the first person to have the testosterone injection in a meeting room.
S7: So transition is a 2024 documentary about a photojournalist from Australia who , in the early 2000 was stationed in Afghanistan for five six years , filing reports for The New York Times and many other news media , and very committed to staying there and continuing to kind of build ties with the Taliban there and , you know , find more stories. And while while this photojournalist was there , they realized they could not live one more day in their skin and they had to transition. And so they decided to transition while they were in Afghanistan. Now , if you think it's difficult to transition , you know , in a progressive country like the US , imagine how much more difficult it might be , you know , someplace else such as Afghanistan. I mean , there are scenes of him going to abandoned buildings in an empty conference room where this doctor is quietly coming in and he's lying over the conference room while he's getting testosterone injections. So , you know , it really speaks to , you know , the peril at which what we think right now might be easy to do in some countries , you know , that you have to do how much more difficult it might be elsewhere. The movie also does a wonderful job in kind of demonstrating these very complex ethical decisions. He is very committed and wants to stay in Afghanistan and that's very noble. But by virtue of him having transitioned as a man , he's now putting those around him at tremendous risk , because if the locals found out that he was a trans man , he would , you know , there could be fatal consequences. So it asks all these questions about what you owe yourself , what you owe those around you. It's ultimately a very positive story. And this lead character is such good company. You know , I could I could just be with them and listen to them talk for hours. It's , you know , it's streaming on all the usual streaming options. It's definitely worth checking out. The movie is called transition. Wow.
S3: Wow.
S1: Definitely a thought provoking movies that you all suggest. I want to thank you both very much for sharing these films about trans representation. Once again , our midday movie critics have been KPBS , Cinema Junkie , Beth Accomando and movie Wallace podcaster Yazdi. Steve Villa. Thank you.
S18: Thank you , thank you.
S1: Still ahead , we'll hear about an adaptation of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra. Plus your weekend preview.
S19: There was something about the cutting of that script that made me want to explore the show through Cleopatra's perspective.
S1: KPBS Midday Edition returns after the break. You're listening to KPBS Midday Edition. I'm Jade Hindman. A new play gives us a closer look at a familiar character , Cleopatra. It's an adaptation of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra by former local playwright and actress Joy Yvonne Jones. The play is a multimedia , one person show performed by Jones , with a little help from a few audience members. This new adaptation centers the life of the tragic but powerful Egyptian queen , and Jones's script reveals more of Cleopatra's interior life and influence on politics. The play celebrates Cleopatra as a black woman , and the setting is informed by the African diaspora. It's on stage at Moxie Theater , co-produced by Moxie and Loud Fridge Theater Group and directed by Andrea Agosto. Joy Yvonne Jones sat down with KPBS arts producer Julia Dixon Evans to discuss the play. She started out by asking Jones about what made her want to tell Cleopatra's story in her own way.
S19: Years ago , with the small theater company New Match Collective , I did a production of Antony and Cleopatra with a cast that was made up of all underrepresented genders , and there was something about the cutting of that script that made me want to explore the show through Cleopatra's perspective , I was never really satisfied with the way that Shakespeare ended her story. And last summer , I moved back to Texas with my family because my husband had ended his military career and I found myself with time. Usually when I have time on my hands , I create a new project. And I came back to Cleopatra. The first iteration of this script was just the Shakespeare text. It was just me breaking down , taking away all the other characters and dealing with her words. And again , coming back to that feeling of not being satisfied with how Shakespeare ends her story and honestly , how Shakespeare has created this woman. She's very , almost manic in the Shakespearean text. And I felt like there was so much more to her that we didn't get to explore. So I started doing more and more research and then looking into my own writing and why I resonated so much with this character. So I started to include little bits of my poetry where I felt like the story was lacking , and then it kind of took on its own life , and one thing led to another. 36 pages later , we have this beast of a show.
S20: I also want to talk about how this play is interactive. In the script , you ask the audience questions , but then there's this element of improvisation after that for you. What are those moments like on stage ? Terrifying.
S19: Um , it makes it uniquely theatrical because it's also a multimedia piece. And I wanted to make sure that even though it's a one person show , that the audience doesn't really have the opportunity to sit back and disengage. And with the messengers being audience members , you never know what they're going to do. You never know if this is someone's acting debut and they want to milk that moment for as long as possible. Or if another person is so invested in the show that they forget that they're even a messenger. So it brings us back to theater and being on our toes and like , problem solving in the moment. And I really enjoy it. In my opening speech , I've added that it's live theater. Pay attention. You might. You know , this performance is unique to you , unique to today , and it's never going to be the same.
S20: And at some point in the play , Cleopatra gives birth kind of on stage during a monologue. How do you pull this off ? And also why does her motherhood matter ? In the story.
S19: We pull this off with incredible lighting and uh , shadow work. This was actually , uh , the birth of caesarean was one of the challenges of producing this particular show , because we had the idea and no idea how to do it. I will add tastefully and with collaboration and some quick choreography from the team and beautiful lighting from Sammy , our lighting designer , I think is a beautiful tableau moment. And for me , as a mother , it was important because we don't often talk about the changes that women go through after giving birth and not even just giving birth. Becoming a mother. The world's expectations of us change all the shiny parts of us that people are used to seeing. All of a sudden our secondary or are. Expected.
S21: Expected.
S19: To be put on the backburner , but we are still ourselves now with another human that we must care for. And so much of Cleopatra was about her legacy. And from the research that I had done about Cleopatra , a lot of her moves , the things that she did were to continue her family's legacy , to continue her legacy. And a huge part of that is children. There is no legacy if you don't have any children or have someone to pass it on to.
S20:
S19:
UU: I put a spell on you. Because mine.
S19: That really had me in a chokehold. Oh , I just love that song. And it fits the themes of this show. Cleopatra is really endearing , and people love to be around her and see her and talk about her. But the song is also so haunting and beautiful , so it comes in and out throughout the show. Alice Smiths I Put a Spell on You. Our theme for the music has been black music that is old but also remixed. We have some Lauryn Hill. Nina Simone. Aretha Franklin done by in Vogue. The burlesque scene that's in this show is giving him something he can feel sung by and Vogue , and that is such a party. It is such a vibe.
S20: I'm wondering what else that you want audiences to take away from Cleopatra's story.
S19: I want audiences to engage with her as a human , to see through me this black woman experience things fully , sometimes make terrible decisions. I want them to see her fall in love and and feel pain and just accept her as her fully extravagant , beautiful self as a human and come to the show ready to jump in and play.
S1: And that was playwright and actress Javon Jones , whose adaptation of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra is on stage at Moxie Theatre through September 11th. Julia , that sounds like a really exciting play to go and see.
S20: It's the , the verse , but also with really modern language and ideas. It's really wonderful. There's a lot of humor there in those new pieces , too. Um , and the staging is where she's really made the story her own. Um , it also gives us more of a glimpse into this woman's inner world. There is this birth scene. It's all really incredible. And , yeah , there are shows every day this weekend and it'll be on stage until September 11th. This is at Moxy in Rolando , just off of El Cajon Boulevard. Fantastic.
S1: Fantastic. I just love that. Well , let's talk about what else is going on this weekend. Next up is contemporary ballet with the Rosin Box project. Tell us about that show. Yeah.
S20: Yeah. So this is their annual debuts show , which is all about new choreography and their resin box project is this contemporary ballet company. So you'll see movements and styles that are more like contemporary dance , more expressive , but you also see a lot of the same structures of ballet , like the foot positions. And sometimes they're wearing pointe shoes as well. It's just really expressive and athletic and a ton of room for creativity in the choreography. And this is something , this creativity , something that the Rosin Box project is really good at. They're going to have a big immersive piece by company founder Cali Harley Tapatio and also a couple of commissions. One of them is from the company's dancer Katy Spagnola , also Emily Adams , and then a collaborative duo known as flock. So a total of four world premieres in one night. And there's two performances , actually Saturday and Sunday at California's Center for the Arts , Escondido. And they're also going to do a virtual stream option that will start being available next weekend. Excellent.
S1: Excellent. It's the closing weekend of Summerfest at the La Jolla music society , and you've told us about a couple of shows throughout this month long festival of chamber music.
S20: There is one more concert on Friday night. They're performing Beethoven's Serious Quartet and then English composer Frank Bridge's Cello Sonata , but they're also going to perform Samuel Coleridge Taylor's Clarinet Quintet in F-sharp Sharp minor. This has Anthony McGill on clarinet , and we're listening to that right now. It's a lovely piece. And McGill , this is actually Anthony McGill playing right now in a recording. He is principal clarinet at the New York Philharmonic and is their first African-American principal in the orchestra's history. And he's been a regular at Summerfest the past few years. He's kind of made a creative home here. There's also a special prelude concerto at 630 , and then the main concert begins at 730. This is Friday night to close things out for Summerfest.
S1: I really enjoy the sound of that clarinet. All right , well , let's stick with music for one more. And the popular music world , what are some shows on your radar.
S20: So there's a couple this weekend. Tonight , LA based indie band Idaho is back. I think it's been about 13 years since they put out new music , and they're going to play a show at Soda Bar with locals cancan. They also just dropped a new EP this summer. This is KenKen. Song.
UU: Song. Could be.
S22: You asked us if.
UU: We can and we can.
S20: And then on Saturday afternoon , they're having a free Americana music and arts festival at UCSD Epstein Family Amphitheater. This project was founded by Latin Grammy nominated band Making Movies , and they are trying to redefine what we think of as American music. And this is their track , No Tickets.
UU: To a three year old school in the woods.
S20: And then on Saturday night at the Comet Theater , we have silent Haunt and breath. Comet theater is this theater inside a recording studio in City Heights. You have to buy your ticket in advance and you only get the address once you get your ticket , because seating is so limited there. Um , So Silent is a goth post-punk band from Mexicali. I love their sound. I'm still listening to their 2021 full length album. It's called Modern Hate and this is a track called end.
UU: Called show your souls. Watch what you say.
S1: And you can find details on these and more arts events. Or sign up for Julia's weekly newsletter at pbs.org. Smart's I've been speaking with KPBS Arts producer Julia Dixon Evans , as always. Thanks , Julia.
S20: Thank you. Jade.
UU: Stuck to you.
S1: That's our show for today. I'm your host , Jade Hindman. Thanks for tuning in to Midday Edition. Be sure to have a great day on purpose , everyone.
