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UNID@S is a performance that brings together artists from 3 states—California, Arizona, and Baja California, Mexico. The performance includes a fusion of M A L U’s violin sounds mixed with electronica; a call for equity, projections of Hugo Crosthwaite’s visual art with visual director Kijohote; a call for freedom from discrimination, Pita Zapot’s contemporary dance; a call for protection under law and the whispering voice of a poet, Zale; a call for equal rights. UNID@S will open in the silo courtyard with a multi-instrumentalist Maki & Delion performing saxophone, clarinet and voice, a second opener in the silo room by Medical Grade performing a hardcore-analog set and will close in the silo courtyard with Katja, a violist with electronica. The Silo Room on Instagram Visit: https://thesocietyofmastercraftsmen.com/index.html

Ever stress-eaten cupcakes at a PTA meeting? Had an existential crisis on a trampoline? Fantasized about quitting your job mid-Zoom? Then grab a front-row seat at "Park Bench Confessions," a new staged reading from the What Next? Collective. Saturday, May 10, 2025 at 4 p.m. (Doors open at 3:30 p.m.) at National Comedy Theater located at 3717 India St, San Diego Tickets: $25 Talk-Back/Q&A: Immediately following at Shakespeare’s Pub, just down the street Directed by Jena Joyce and set in the fictional Friedland Park, this hilarious and heartfelt collection of five short plays serves up comedy, catharsis, and a whole lot of “Yep, been there.” Written by San Diego-based playwrights and performed by a knockout cast of local actors, "Park Bench Confessions" dives headfirst into the invisible labor women take on—at work, at home, in their bodies, and in each other’s business. The show features a talented cast of local San Diego actors, including Julie Alexandria, Isabel Canzoneri, Susan Clausen, Maria Costello, Blair Hatch, Lucinda Moaney, Analia Romero, and Naomi Welsh. Featured San Diego based playwrights include Lindsey Salatka Julie Alexandria Melissa Jordan Grey Lolo Moreno Ines and Caroline Gilman More Info

The Harlem Gospel Travelers are not from Harlem. They came to Harlem, however, from far-flung corners of the five boroughs of New York City, and it was in Harlem, that legendary center of African-American culture, that they found their voices. Since its conception, they have focused on creating music that uplifts, inspires, and spreads the message of love. The Harlem Gospel Travelers on Facebook / Instagram

Chrissy Nguyen leads the KPBS Arts & Cultures team, overseeing multimedia arts coverage across digital, audio and video platforms. She manages projects like the weekly arts newsletter and KPBS' arts and culture podcast The Finest, working to celebrate and amplify San Diego's creative community.

Kneebody is keyboardist Adam Benjamin, trumpeter Shane Endsley, saxophonist Ben Wendel and drummer/bassist Nate Wood. The band has no leader or rather, each member is the leader; they’ve developed their own musical language, inventing a unique cueing system that allows them each to change the tempo, key, style, and more in an instant. The group met in their late teens while at The Eastman School of Music and Cal Arts, became fast friends, and converged together as Kneebody amid the vibrant and eclectic music scene of Los Angeles in 2001. Since then, each band member has amassed an impressive list of credits and accomplishments over the years all while the band has continued to thrive and grow in reputation, solidifying a fan base around the world. The group’s first full-length album, Chapters, mixes deep grooves and deft melodies with a wide range of guests, including Becca Stevens, Gretchen Parlato, Michael Mayo, Gerald Clayton, and Josh Dion. Kneebody on Facebook / Instagram

Ken Marino and David Wain met at NYU in 1988 where they co-founded the legendary sketch comedy group THE STATE. They stayed friends and collaborators over the years, working together on movies like Role Models, Wet Hot American Summer, and Wanderlust and TV shows like Children’s Hospital, Medical Police, and of course The State. Ken also has acted in literally every television series, and currently stars on The Other Two (HBO) and Party Down (Starz). They are ALSO middle-aged dads and wannabe rockstars. So recently they got together with a group of other old friends (some dads, some not; some middle aged, some not) and started jamming, playing a diverse songbook of classic rock, pop, Motown, alt, New Orleans, favorites from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. When clips of these jam sessions went viral on social media, it led to some sold-out live shows in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Middle-Aged Dad Jam Band on Instagram / Youtube Visit: artpower.ucsd.edu/event/middle-aged-dad-jam-band/

For Phil Cook, it all started with piano. A prolific songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, solo artist, and in-demand musician whose collaborations have run the gamut of genre—as a founding member of beloved band Megafaun to work with The Blind Boys of Alabama, Bon Iver, Kanye West, and Hiss Golden Messenger, to name a few—Cook has always been a musician’s musician. A sweet and affable presence whose musical dexterity elevates every project he touches, Cook’s musical output and true sound has been hard to pin down. Phil performs from his stunning new album, Appalachia Borealis—a deeply personal and profoundly poignant suite of compositions that captures the emotional range of a full and open existence—chronicling a path of endurance and a way forward. Largely inspired by bird songs, Appalachia Borealis features Phil on the piano, the “foremost love of his musical life”. Phil Cook on Facebook / Instagram

Master of satire and one of today’s most observant writers addressing the human condition, best-selling author David Sedaris returns once again with his acerbic humor, social commentary, and outlandish stories. Slashing through cultural euphemisms and political correctness, he will delight the audience with twists of humor and intelligence as he shares both published stories and works-in-progress. Come early or stick around post-performance for Sedaris’s legendary book-signing sessions. Visit: artpower.ucsd.edu/event/david-sedaris-2025/ David Sedaris on Facebook / Instagram

Saturday, May 3, Sunday, May 4 & Monday, May 5: At Casa de Bandini, it’s happy hour all day, every day during the Cinco de Mayo fiestas. Savor limited-time menu favorites like the Enchiladas Bandera and the “Mayorita” – their famous margarita blending with guava purée. Plus, enjoy hourly tequila specials featuring Cazadores, Don Julio, Casa Noble and Casamigos. The festive environment continues with live music by Mariachi Zapopan, Tinku Duo and Mexican folkloric dancers. Casa de Bandini on Facebook / Instagram

Saturday, May 3, Sunday, May 4 & Monday, May 5: Casa de Pico will celebrate Cinco de Mayo with live trios, mariachis, ballet folklorico and special giveaways on tequilas like Don Julio, Casamigos, Teremana, Espolòn and Hornitos, and beers, Corona and Modelo Especial. Get in the spirit with the Carnitas Enchiladas Verdes – juicy pork enchiladas with salsa verde topped with pico de gallo, guacamole and frijoles de la olla. Casa de Pico on Facebook / Instagram