Arts Fuse critics select the best in film, dance, theater, music, and author events for the coming weeks.

By The Arts Fuse Staff

Film

The Independent Film Festival of Boston
through May 3
Various venues: UMass Boston, Somerville Theater, Brattle Theater, Coolidge Corner Theater

The area’s premier film festival for independent film spreads its wings this week. Multiple screenings take place at the Somerville Theater complex, with additional films at the Brattle Theatre and UMass, with losing night at the Coolidge Corner Theater. There are free panel discussions, shorts programs, appearances by directors, actors and producers and evening parties. Like the best independent festivals, IFFBoston is run by volunteers and brings to Boston important films that fly beneath the radar of the commercial cinema. Not to be missed! Passes available. Here are some picks to help begin your schedule. All are at the Somerville Theater unless listed otherwise:

Street Fighting Men
April 30 at 1 p.m.

In a rapidly changing America, where mass inequality and dwindling opportunity have devastated the black working class, three Detroit men must fight to build something lasting for themselves and future generations. Shot over two years in the neighborhoods of Detroit, the film is a modern American narrative; a story of hard work, faith, and manhood in a community left to fend for itself.

Scoring for Television & Film: A Film Composers Panel
April 30 at 3 p.m.
Presented by The Arts Fuse

This writer will host a panel discussion with local composers Mason Daring, John Kusiak, and Sheldon Mirowitz, who will talk about their process and the evolution of their work, provide insight into the development of a successful score, and discuss the challenges of their craft. Free. Details

Dean
April 30 at 7:30 p.m.

Writer/director/comedian Demetri Martin and Kevin Kline star in a comedic tale about a father and son coming to terms with love, loss, and everything in between. Both father and son set out on their own paths to establish a ‘new normal’ as unexpected circumstances and potential new love interests threaten to thwart their plans.

The Little Hours
April 30 at 8:45 p.m.

Father Tommasso hides Massetto, a virile young servant who is fleeing a sadistic master, in a medieval convent. The man works as a hired hand while the nuns Alessandra, Fernanda, and Ginevra lead a simple life. Introduced to the sisters as a deaf-mute to discourage temptation, Massetto struggles to maintain his cover.

Oyate
May 1 at 7:30 p.m.

The film follows two families on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation as they go about their daily activities over the course of a single summer attending rodeos, shooting clay pigeons, and participating in pow wows. Family members get married, have children, and celebrate the 4th of July. All the while, the difficult, often intractable realities of modern reservation life threaten to encroach upon them.

Chuck
May 1, at 7:30 p.m.

He was the pride of Bayonne, N.J., a man who went 15 rounds in the ring with Muhammad Ali. But before all of that, Chuck Wepner was a liquor salesman and father with a modest prizefighting career whose life changed overnight when, in 1975, he was chosen to take on Ali in a highly publicized title match.

Landline
May 2 at 9:30 p.m.
Coolidge Corner Theater, Brookline, MA

Jenny Slate stars in this film about two sisters who suspect their father (John Turturro) may be having an affair. It sends them into a tailspin that reveals cracks in the family façade. They try to uncover the truth without tipping off their mother (Edie Falco) and discover the messy reality of love and sex in the process. Co-written and directed by Gillian Robespierre (Obvious Child).

Band Aid
May 3 at 7:30 p.m.
Coolidge Corner Theater, Brookline, MA

The festival’s closing night Film is from director Zoe Lister-Jones. It is the story of a couple who can’t stop fighting. Advised by their therapist to try and work through their grief unconventionally, they are reminded of their shared love of music. In a last-ditch effort to save their marriage, they decide to turn all their fights into song, and with the help of their neighbor Dave (Fred Armisen), they start a band. A story of love, loss, and rock and roll with some seriously catchy pop hooks to boot.

The Freshman
May 1 at 7 p.m.
Coolidge Corner Theater, Brookline, MA

Harold Lloyd’s biggest box-office hit was this 1925 silent comedy gem, which featured the befuddled everyman at his eager best as a new college student. Though he dreams of being a big man on campus, the freshman’s careful plans inevitably go hilariously awry, be it on the football field or at the Fall Frolic. Berklee College of Music Professor Sheldon Mirowitz and the Berklee Silent Film Orchestra present the world premiere of their new, original score.

The National Center for Jewish Film 20th Annual Festival
May 4 – 21
Various Venues

The National Center for Jewish Film’s festival is an outgrowth of the organization’s work as an independent nonprofit film archive, distributor & exhibitor. Their screenings proffer a vibrant slate of independent films and classic cinematic treasures from around the world. The venues are varied; a complete schedule at a glance can be found here.

Glory
May 7 through 19
Museum Of Fine Arts, Boston, MA

A pitch-black comedy from Bulgaria that presents an engrossing image of a fractured nation: a poor middle-aged man named Petrov has worked as a linesman for the national railway company for 25 years. One day, the man finds piles of banknotes on the rails and, although he’s poor and hasn’t received his small salary for two months, he decides to hand all the money over to the police. The Transport Minister, whose ministry has recently been accused of corruption in the media, takes advantage of Petrov’s good deed and turns him, for PR purposes, into a hero, organizing a media event especially for the occasion. Things go downhill from there — no good deed goes unpunished.

— Tim Jackson

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Dance

Limitless
April 30
Boston Conservatory Theater
Boston, MA

Limitless brings an impressive lineup to the Boston Conservatory Theater: How to Pass Kick Fall and Run by Merce Cunningham; Why You Follow by Ronald K. Brown, accompanied by the Berklee Dancing Spirit Ensemble; Happy Little Things (Waiting on a Gruff Cloud of Wanting) by Aszure Barton; and a world premiere by Yury Yanowsky.

From the Horse’s Mouth
May 5 and 6 at 8 p.m.; May 7 at 7 p.m.
Dance Complex
Cambridge, MA

For those looking for a celebratory event with a wide range of dance styles, head to From the Horse’s Mouth at the Dance Complex. Conceived and directed by Tina Croll and James Cunningham, the production aims to showcase “the heart and history of dance” through an array of dancers and choreographers of all ages and traditions.

Generations in Song and Dance
May 6 at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Medford Senior Center
Medford, MA

The well-known intergenerational troupe Back Pocket Dancers presents two full length performances with music performed by saxophonist Bill Thompson and vocalists Philip Hamilton and Regine Gelin. With performers as mature as 94-years-old, Generations in Song and Dance proffers an engaging medley of dance works merged with storytelling.

— Merli V. Guerra

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Theater

Everyman by Carol Anne Duffy. Directed by Danielle Fauteux Jacques. Staged by Apollinaire Theatre at Chelsea Theatre Works, 189 Winnisimmet St., Chelsea, MA, through May 6.

“One of the great primal, spiritual myths, Everyman asks whether it is only in death that we can understand our lives. A cornerstone of English drama since the 15th century, this new adaptation was presented by the National Theatre in London in 2015.” Arts Fuse review

Paradise by Laura Maria Censabella. Directed by Shana Gozansky. Staged by the Underground Railway Theater, a Catalyst Collaborative@MIT Production, at the Central Square Theater, through May 7.

The world premiere of a new play “about a Muslim-American teenager in the Bronx who wishes to pursue her passion for science and her mentor Dr. Royston, a mysterious scientist forced to teach high school biology.” Starring Barlow Adamson and Caitlin Nasema Cassidy. Arts Fuse review

Barbecue by Robert O’Hara. Directed by Summer L. Williams. Produced by the Lyric Stage Company of Boston at 140 Clarendon Street, Copley Square, Boston, MA, through May 7.

A comedy that deals with the members of the O’Mallery family as it gathers “in their local park to share some barbecue and straight talk with their sister. They are the kind of family that comes to an intervention armed with a Taser, even though their own downward spirals rival hers. But that’s only the beginning as familial and cultural stereotypes are stripped away.” Arts Fuse review

The Who and the What by Ayad Akhtar. Directed by M. Bevin O’Gara. Staged by the Huntington Theatre Company at the Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, through May 7.

In this drama from Pulitzer Prize-winning author Akbar, “the brilliant novelist Zarina is writing about women and Islam when she meets Eli, a young convert who bridges the gap between her modern life and traditional heritage. When her conservative father discovers her controversial manuscript, they all must confront the beliefs that define them.” Arts Fuse review

Homebody by Tony Kushner. Directed by Lee Mikeska Gardner. Staged by Underground Railway Theatre at Central Square Theater, Cambridge, MA, through May 7.

“Holding only an outdated guidebook of Kabul, an eccentric and agoraphobic British housewife proclaims her unconsummated passion for the world. She grapples with the rich and turbulent history of Afghanistan, muses about living in the Middle East, confides to us her desire to divorce herself from the complacency of her safe life in London.” Debra Wise stars.

Every Piece of Me by Mary Conroy. Directed by by Zohar Fuller. A BU New Play Initiative production, produced by Boston Playwrights’ Theatre and Boston University College of Fine Arts School of Theatre, 949 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA, through April 30.

Another family dysfunction play: “When Aine returns home to Ireland to introduce her American fiancé to her family, finding her younger sister pregnant, her mother still over-controlling, and her father suffering from a bad heart.”

Faithful Cheaters by Deborah Salem Smith. Directed by Melia Bensussen. Staged by Trinity Repertory Company at the Dowling Theater, 201 Washington Street, Providence, RI, through May 21.

The world premiere of “an uproarious modern comedy for modern marriages. Poppy and Theo are always working. Neither has time to pay attention to their marriage. Luckily, now there’s a nose spray for fidelity! One dose daily and presto: enhanced monogamy! Or so Theo hopes…With the future of their marriage on the line, will a weekend getaway with Poppy’s meddling mothers, spotty cell service, and a bizarre interloper go so wrong it ultimately goes right?” The cast includes Rebecca Gibel, Mauro Hantman, Anne Scurria, Stephen Thorne, and Charlie Thurston with Guest Actor Karen MacDonald.

The Gift Horse by Lydia R. Diamond. Directed by Jim Petosa. Staged by the New Repertory Theatre on the Main Stage at the Mosesian Center for the Arts, Watertown, MA, through May 14.

“A humorous and introspective Boston-area premiere.” The script “follows Ruth, a successful teacher and artist, whose quick and easy wit masks a painful childhood. With the support of her best friend Ernesto and therapist Brian she finally confronts her tumultuous past.”

Peerless by Jiehae Park. Directed by Steven Bogart. Staged by Company One in collaboration with the Boston Public Library at the Rabb Hall, Central Library in Copley Square, 700 Boylston St., Boston, MA, through May 27.

The Boston premiere of Park’s acclaimed black comedy: “Twin high school seniors L and M are dead-set on attending not just an Ivy League school, but the Ivy League school. With their perfect SAT scores, perfect hair, and “perfect” minority status, they think acceptance should be guaranteed. When a rival student emerges with a personal tragedy to make an admissions officer weep, however, the twins will do anything to knock out the competition.” Arts Fuse review of the 2016 Barrington Stage production of the script.

Beckett in Brief, three short plays by Samuel Beckett. Directed by James Seymour. Staged by Commonwealth Shakespeare Company at the Sorenson Center for the Arts at Babson College, 19 Babson College Drive, Wellesley, MA., through May 3.

Actually two Beckett plays (Rough for Radio II and Krapp’s Last Tape) and The Old Tune, Beckett’s “free translation” of his friend Robert Pinget’s 1960 play La Manivelle (The Crank). He turned Pinget’s Parisians (Toupin and Pommard) into Dubliners (Cream and Gorman). A rare opportunity to see this script on stage. Pinget should be better known in this country — his 1962 novel The Inquisitory is marvelous.

Gabriel by Moira Buffini, Directed by Weylin Symes. Staged by Stoneham Theatre at 395 Main Street, Stoneham, MA, through May 14.

The New England premiere of a “riveting” tale of wartime intrigue and romance: “WWII. German occupied Guernsey Island. When a mysterious man washes up on shore with no memory of who he is, 10-year-old Estelle and her family must decide — shelter this lost stranger or turn him over to the Nazis.” The cast features Thomas Derrah, Georgia Lyman, Cheryl McMahon, Alexander Molina, and Josephine Moshiri Elwood.

Songs for a New World, Music and Lyrics by Jason Robert Brown. Directed by Kyler Taustin. A Brown Box Theater Project production performed at various outdoor venues in Massachusetts, May 5 through 14 (check website for times and locations)

This “breathtaking song cycle, weaves together the stories and voices of a diverse cast of characters in a musical journey that transcends time and space.” Performances are free.

Mary Jane by Amy Herzog. Directed by Anne Kaufmann. Staged by Yale Rep at the Yale Repertory Theatre, 1120 Chapel Street, New Haven, CT, through May 20.

The world premiere of a new play that celebrates reaching out to others: “Mary Jane navigates both the mundane and the unfathomable realities of caring for Alex, her chronically ill young son, she finds herself building a community of women from many walks of life. Mary Jane is Pulitzer Prize finalist Amy Herzog’s remarkably powerful and compassionate portrait of a contemporary American woman striving for grace.”

Desire, plays based on six short stories by Tennessee Williams. Directed by David J. Miller. Staged by Zeitgeist Stage at the Boston Center for the Arts Plaza Black Box Theater, 539 Tremont St in Boston’s South End, through May 20.

The short plays, based on stories by Tennessee Williams, include: The Resemblance Between a Violin Case and a Coffin by Beth Henley, The Field of Blue Children by Rebecca Gilman, Tent Worms by Elizabeth Egloff, Oriflamme by David Grimm, Desire Quenched by Touch by Marcus Gardley, and You Lied To Me About Centralia by John Guare.

My 80-Year-Old Boyfriend, Conceived and Performed by Charissa Bertels. Book and Lyrics by Christian Duhamel. Music and Lyrics by Edward Bell. Directed by Sean Daniels.

The world premiere of a new musical that promises be an inspiration for senior citizens. The plot: “Charissa, a quirky, twenty-something actress, meets Milton, a quick-witted, eighty-something millionaire who loves Schubert, Shakespeare, and Dallas BBQ. From a chance encounter to the unlikeliest of friendships, Charissa discovers there’s much she can learn from her surprising new companion.” The show is based on the true story of performer Charissa Bertels.

By the Book — Broadway and Hollywood Sing Lighter Literature conceived and performed by American Classics at Follen Church, 755 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington, MA on April 30 at the Pickman Concert Hall of the Longy School of Music at Bard, 27 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA at 3 p.m.

A revue of songs culled from “Broadway and Hollywood musical versions of books and plays, including tunes from Mary Poppins, The Wizard of Oz, Mame, Peter Pan, some beloved Disney films, various settings based on Alice in Wonderland, and more.” The singers: Teresa Winner Blume, Christina English, Rachel Davies, Gabriel Pang, Marcus Schenck, and Benjamin Sears. Accompanying at the piano: Bradford Conner.

The Bridges of Madison County by Marsha Norman (book) and Jason Robert Brown (music & lyrics). Based on the novel by Robert James Waller. Directed by M. Bevin O’Gara. Staged by SpeakEasy Stage Company in the Roberts Studio Theatre in the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont Street in Boston’s South End, May 6 through June 3.

Was this musical really necessary? Somebody thinks so. Winner of two 2014 Tony Awards including Best Original Score, the show “tells the story of Francesca Johnson, a beautiful Italian woman who married an American soldier to escape the war, and now leads a simple but dispassionate life on an Iowa farm. On the day her family departs for a trip to the 1965 State Fair, she is surprised by Robert Kincaid, a ruggedly handsome National Geographic photographer who randomly pulls into her driveway seeking directions. A quick ride to photograph one of the famed covered bridges of Madison County sparks a soul-stirring affair for the couple, whose lives are forever altered by this chance meeting.”

— Bill Marx

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Jazz

Dave Rempis/Pandelis Karayorgis
April 30 at 6:30 p.m.
Lilypad, Cambridge, MA.

Wellesley-born Chicagoan Dave Rempis (another regular with the Vandermark Five; see Jeb Bishop, April 23) and Bostonian Pandelis Karayorgis present an evening of “Solos and Duos” (alto sax and piano, respectively).

Vadim Neselovskyi Trio
May 2 at 7:30 p.m.
Regattabar, Cambridge MA.

The gifted pianist Vadim Neselovsky grew up in Ukraine, attended the Odessa Conservatory, and eventually found himself in Boston, at Berklee, where he became part of Gary Burton’s Generations band (with Julian Lage). Neselovsky has technique to spare, but he puts it in service to exploring original ideas blending his classical and jazz interests.

Christian Sands Quartet
May 4 at 8 p.m.
Scullers Jazz Club, Boston, MA.

Pianist Christian Sands has been the centerpiece of Christian McBride’s trio for the better part of a decade. He’s stepping out with a new album, Reach, supporting it with this quartet date, perhaps featuring the band from the album: bassist Yasushi Nakamura, drummer Marcus Baylor, and saxophonist Marcus Strickland.

Bill Childs Quartet
May 5 at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Regattabar, Cambridge, MA.

Pianist, composer, and arranger Billy Childs won wide praise for his Map to the Treasure: Imagining Laura Nyro, with its cast of thousands. He’s returned to the a basic acoustic jazz format with his latest, Rebirth. For this show he’ll be joined by saxophonist Dayna Stephens, bassist Hans Glawischnig, and drummer Ari Hoenig .

AZIZA
May 6 at 8 p.m.
Sanders Theatre, Cambridge, MA.

The supergroup of guitarist Lionel Loueke, saxophonist Chris Potter, bassist Dave Holland, and drummer Eric Harland hits Sanders Theatre for this Celebrity Series concert. Everyone writes for this band, but it might be Loueke’s adaptation of folkloric African melodies and rhythms to jazz-rock beats — not to mention his fluid technique and imagination — that most animates the band’s special fizz.

Ravi Coltrane Quartet
May 6 at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Scullers Jazz Club, Boston, MA.

The youngest child of John Coltrane, now 51, is always compelling, a fine player with a strong book of original material.

— Jon Garelick

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Classical Music

The Marriage of Figaro
Presented by Boston Lyric Opera
April 30-May 7, 7:30 p.m. (3 p.m. on Sundays)
John Hancock Hall, Boston, MA

BLO’s fortieth-anniversary season closes with Mozart’s masterpiece. Evan Hughes sings Figaro, Emily Birsan is Susanna, David Angus conducts.

— Jonathan Blumhofer

First Monday at Jordan Hall
May 1 at 7:30 p.m.
At Jordan Hall/New England Conservatory. 30 Gainsborough Street, Boston, MA

On the program: Monteverdi’s Madrigals Book 8 and Stravinsky’s L’histoire du soldat.

Pianist Marc-Andre Hamelin
May 5 at 8 p.m.
Presented by the Celebrity Series at Jordan Hall/New England Conservatory, 30 Gainsborough Street, Boston, MA

On the program: Haydn’s Sonata in C Major, Hob. XVI: 48; Samuil Feinberg’s Sonata No. 2 in A minor, Op. 2 and Sonata No. 1 in A Major, Op. 1; Beethoven’s Sonata in F minor, Op. 57, “Appassionata”; Scriabin’s Sonata No. 7, Op. 64, “White Mass,”and Chopin’s Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 35.

Exsultemus
May 6 at 2 p.m.
At the First Lutheran Church of Boston, 299 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA

The exquisite voices of Exsultemus partner with the luscious viols of
Nota Bene directed by Sarah Mead to bring you Capricornus’s Jubilus Bernhardi, gorgeous settings of 24 spiritual texts by Bernard of Clairvaux, a 12th-century French abbot known as a fiery preacher of the Crusades.

Boston Symphony Chamber Players and pianist Leif Ove Andsnes
May 7 at 3 p.m.
At Jordan Hall/New England Conservatory, 30 Gainsborough Street, Boston, MA

On the all-Russian program: Stravinsky’s Octet for flute, clarinet, two bassoons, two trumpets, and two trombones; Sofia Gubaidulina’s Garden of Joys and Sorrows, for flute, viola, and harp; Weinberg’s Sonata for solo double bass, Op. 108; Shostakovich’s Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor, Op. 67.

— Susan Miron

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Rock, Pop, and Folk
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Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band with Greg Klyma
April 30 (show at 7)
Thunder Road, Somerville, MA

Led by Josh “Reverend” Peyton, this Indianapolis trio features a washboard as one of its main instruments. Its latest in a long string of albums dating back to 2003 is The Front Porch Sessions, which came out last month. Among its 11 tracks are several originals and covers of recordings by early 20th century blues artists Furry Lewis and Blind Willie Johnson.

Bob Mould with Drew O’Doherty
April 30 (doors at 7, show at 8)
The Sinclair, Cambridge, MA​

As well-résuméd in alternative rock as Steve Winwood is in classic rock, singer-songwriter and guitarist Bob Mould has been a member of 80s hardcore trio Hüsker Dü, the grungy Sugar in the 1990s, and a highly fecund solo artist since 1989. With so much to draw on, Mould is sure to leave out a few favorites but guaranteed to not disappoint when he performs at The Sinclair on April 30.

The Damned with The BellRays
May 4 (doors at 6:30, show at 7:30)
Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA

The Damned’s Nick Lowe-produced debut album, Damned Damned Damned, was the first punk album released on the other side of the Atlantic. With original members David Vanian and Captain sensible in tow, The Damned is celebrating its 40th anniversary with an extensive nationwide tour that includes a sold-out stop at the Paradise Rock Club.

Old 97’s with Nicole Atkins
May 4-5 (doors at 8, show at 9)
The Sinclair, Cambridge, MA

After reuniting in 2014 for Most Messed Up, the Old 97’s returned in February with the new Graveyard Whistling, which includes songs such as “Bad Luck Charm,” “She Hates Everybody,” and “Turns Out I’m Trouble.” Among the guests on the album are Brandi Carlisle, Butch Walker, and Nicole Atkins, the last of whom will open both of the band’s Sinclair shows on May 4 and 5.

Walter Sickert & the Army of Broken Toys with Scarlet Sails and Radiator King
May 4 (doors at 8, show at 9)
ONCE Ballroom, Somerville, MA

The Arts Fuse’s Scott McLennan described Walter Sickert & the Army of Broken Toys’s 2013 album Soft Time Traveler as “modern psychedelic rock stripped of the jam-band baggage and upending current folk-rock conventions.” Sickert and co. have released several albums since that one, including this year’s Wake Up Your Head. At the time of this writing (the morning of April 22), the group’s entire discography was available for as little as $6.75 on its Bandcamp page. The two supporting acts at the band’s ONCE show on May 4 will each be celebrating new releases of their own.

Darlene Love
May 6 (doors at 5:30, show at 7)
Lynn Auditorium, Lynn, MA

Legendary singer and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Darlene Love has become a regular presence on the increasing vibrant North Shore live music scene in recent years. Having played two consecutive annual Rock the Holidays shows at The Cabot in 2015 and 2016, Love will perform at the larger Lynn Auditorium on May 6.

— Blake Maddux

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Roots and World Music

A Freiche Nach: A Concert of Music by Abe Schwartz feat. the Jumbo Knish Factory
May 3
Tufts University, Medford, MA

The Tufts klezmer band, led by accordionist MIchael McLaughlin, pays tribute to one of the greatest early 20th century Jewish bandleaders.

The Translatic Sessions
May 3
Orpheum Theater, Boston, MA

American dobro player Jerry Douglas and Scottish fiddler Aly Bain have for years presented an annual tour of Ireland and the UK that brings together masters of Celtic and American roots music. Now they are bringing the show to the US for the first-time, with a cast that includes Roseanne Cash, Mary Chapin-Carpenter, and the Milk Carton Kids.

The Conqueror Worm Suite feat. Ben Holmes & Patrick Farrell
May 5
Arts at the Armory Cafe, Somerville, MA

Trumpeter Holmes and accordionist Farrell are well-known to klezmer fans. But tonight they’re doing something different: a multi-media presentation based on an Edgar Allan Poe poem featuring projected animated illustrations by visual artist Natalie C. Sousa.

Gospel fundraiser
May 7
Lincoln Congregational Church, Brockton, MA

Brockton’s Lincoln Congregational has often been the home of quartet-style gospel programs, largely thanks to its pastor Rev. Houston Crayton Jr., who is a member of one of Boston’s first families of gospel music. On this afternoon, Nashville’s Joy Boyz (formerly the Gospel Midgets and still calling themselves “the smallest men in gospel”) perform along with excellent regional favorites like New Haven’s Deacon Lou Dobbs and Boston’s Spiritual Encouragers. The Men of Lincoln house quartet are also not to be missed.

The Zombies: Odessey and Oracle
May 9
The Wilbur, Boston, MA

On their last visit to town we talked to Rod Argent of the Zombies right before the iconoclastic British psychedelic band came to town performing its classic LP Odessey and Oracle in its entirety. Now the band is reprising that tour with four original members — as well as an opening set in which the group’s current incarnation play a mix of new and classic tunes. In his review of the 2015 show Fuse rock critic Brett Milano noted how lead singer Colin Blunstone’s range and depth had actually improved with age and said the night “wasn’t great because it brought back memories or evoked a bygone era; it was great right now.” The show is rescheduled from a March date that was postponed due to illness.

— Noah Schaffer

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Author Events

Lisa Feldman Barrett
How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain
May 3 at 7 p.m.
Newtonville Books, Newton Centre MA
Free

The prevailing wisdom on the origin of emotions is that they are hardwired into the brain. Barrett, a professor of Psychology at Northeastern, begs to differ. Her new book describes a revolution in the theory of emotions, using new research to suggest that emotions are formed in the moment, created by core brain functions that develop over a lifetime.

Richard Ford
Between Them: Remembering My Parents
In conversation with Christopher Lydon
May 5 at 6 p.m. (Doors open at 5:30)
Brattle Theatre, Cambridge MA
Tickets are $27.50 including the book, or $5 without

The author of the engaging Bascombe trilogy has written extensively about the intricacies of family life, so it makes sense that he would have a new memoir to read and discuss with Radio Open Source’s Christopher Lydon. Ford is a superb raconteur, and this book has him digging deep into his curious family history, so it should be a memorable evening.
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Alex Beam
The Feud: Vladimir Nabokov, Edmund Wilson, and the End of A Beautiful Friendship
May 9 at 7 p.m.
Newtonville Books, Newton Centre MA
Free

Two of America’s literary heavyweights, Nabokov and Wilson were perfectly suited to each other — both were immensely gifted and worldly writers and critics, but their penchant for criticism ended up getting the best of their historic friendship. Beam tells the story of their amusingly pedantic falling out, which in its time was the literary controversy of its day. Arts Fuse Review

— Matt Hanson