Thursday
Even if you haven't taken lots of psychoactive drugs, you've probably spent more time than you'd like to admit staring at those screen savers that change shapes based on the music that's playing. PAMM's latest Free Community Night is taking this concept to a new level with Sacred Geometry, a collaborative effort that involves electronic music by artist Ricardo Romaneiro, live projections by Christian Hannon, and classical music performed by the Nu Deco Ensemble. The piece as a whole explores geometry and music as mirroring modalities of space and time. 7 p.m. Thursday at Pérez Art Museum Miami, 1103 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; 305-375-3000; pamm.org. Admission is free.
Aside from the die-hard Luddites of the world, almost everyone can benefit from learning a few things about coding. That's why Wyncode offers ten-week intensives on web developing for those interested in joining the digital age. If you're hesitant to jump in, get a preview with Wyncode Pitch Day, a dual graduation ceremony and pitch presentation from those who recently finished the Wyncode program. Mix and mingle with entrepreneurs and coders before the presentation, and get a taste of Miami startup life. 6 p.m. Thursday at Venture Cafe Miami, 1951 NW Seventh Ave., Miami; 305-720-2422; wyncode.co. Admission is free with RSVP at eventbrite.com.
Dance is as varied as any other art form, with traditions that need minimal skill and disciplines that require years of training. Acrobatics, no doubt in the latter category, is definitely one of the most awe-inspiring skills, although it isn't limited to dance. The Acrobatics Arts Convention provides dancers of varying skill levels and ages the opportunity to learn within this discipline in order to enrich their ability to choreograph and perform. Two days of intensive classes are peppered with parties, competitions, and even scholarship opportunities. 2 p.m. Friday and 6 a.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Fontainebleau, 4441 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; acromagic.events. Admission costs $379 to $438 for all three days and $199 for a single day.
Friday
The Delou African Dance Ensemble is celebrating its 30th anniversary in conjunction with the eighth-annual African Diaspora Dance and Drum Festival (DanceAfrica Miami for short). The ensemble helped catalyze the festival and will honor the legacy of Chuck Davis, founder of DanceAfrica, who died earlier this year. For three days, you can enjoy drum and dance workshops, a marketplace, and a free children's village. Saturday will host the concert and gala that help sustain Delou's year-round work to keep African dance traditions alive in the United States. 4:30 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Little Haiti Cultural Center, 212 NE 59th Ter., Miami; 305-960-2969; adddff.delouafrica.org. Workshop prices range from $10 to $25. Tickets to the concert and gala cost $35.
If you're as frustrated with modern music television as Mr. Jolt and DJ Woozles (or maybe you're just surprised that music television is still a thing), Sound Waves is here for you. Mr. Jolt is a radio host who recruits his plant friend/employee DJ Woozles to resuscitate true music television. After the two drink a strange tea, their studio door becomes a wormhole to an idyllic beach with talking goth dolphins, sand genies, and wall-to-wall music. RSVPs to the show's premiere are maxed out, but you can show up for the rush line or put your name on the waitlist. 11 p.m. Friday at O Cinema Wynwood, 90 NW 29th St., Miami; 305-571-9970; o-cinema.org. Admission is free with RSVP.
Your 2 a.m. existential breakdown might seem interesting to you, but it's actually a rarity for someone to write or perform something that reinvigorates age-old questions like "Who am I?" and "What does it all mean?" Robert Dubac does this with biting social commentary and a sense of humor that doesn't let him take it all too seriously in Book of Moron: If Thinking Were Easy, Everyone Would Do It. The one-man show finds Dubac getting advice from different facets of himself after ending up in a coma and forgetting who he is. 8 p.m. Friday and 4 and 8 p.m. Saturday at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale; 954-462-0222; browardcenter.org. Tickets cost $50.
Saturday
Miami nightlife can feel like an alternate universe where coke heads and Instagram models vie for a clandestine prize given to the Most Extra among us. And if you have a real job where you work all week long, that probably sounds exhausting. SocialXchange is here with the Day La Soul party for Miami professionals, where you can bust out and cut a rug without needing $300 worth of makeup or designer duds. Step onto the rooftop and sip signature Crunk Juice or Day La Soul Punch while watching the sun go down and bumping to throwbacks. 5 p.m. Saturday at the Rooftop at E11even, 15 NE 11th St., Miami; facebook.com/socialxchangemiami. Admission costs $15 to $75.
Being insufferably arrogant can get you into trouble in real life, but Bill Maher has made a career of it, both in his standup and as the host of his talk show. That's not an unfair assessment; one of his books is titled A Funny Look at How Everybody but Me Has Their Head Up Their Ass. If you're into that sort of thing, the 61-year-old will perform his standup two nights in a row at the Fillmore. Saturday tickets are sold out, so grab your seats while you can. 8 p.m. Saturday and 8:30 p.m. Sunday at the Fillmore Miami Beach, 1700 Washington Ave., Miami Beach; 305-673-7300; fillmoremb.com. Tickets cost $59.50.
Need something to laugh about? Have no fear. Have-Nots Comedy has you covered. This Saturday, it'll present the 2009 Comedy Central South Beach Comedy Festival winner, Ken Miller. The North Carolina native and Army vet has not one, not two, but nine brothers. When not touring comedy competitions, he spends his time writing jokes in Orlando. To get better plugged into Miller's comedy, check him out on NickMom. 8 p.m. Saturday at Open Stage Club, 2325 Galiano St., Coral Gables; havenotscomedy.com. Admission costs $15 to $40 plus a two-drink minimum. Ages 18 and up.
There's something about the way cold carbonation cuts through tablespoons of lard and beef fat that drives foodies crazy, in a good way. Which is why you should take the opportunity to celebrate this brilliant combination at the Coral Gables Grill Fest. The focus is on bacon, beer, and barbecue, although other bites and libations will be available for the weaker among us. Live music and kids' activities are promised, and admission is free if you register online. Onsite admission will be donated to the Coral Gables Firefighter's Benevolent Association. 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday on Alhambra Circle between Le Jeune Road and Salzedo Street in Coral Gables; thebeerbaconfest.com. Admission is free with online registration and costs $10 at the gate.
August 6 is Jamaican Independence Day, the day in 1962 when the lush tropical island removed itself from the grip of its British colonizers. So why not celebrate it a day early in wild Jamaican style at the #PangeaMiami Summer Water Party at the massive RC Cola Plant in Wynwood? Besides honoring the Caribbean nation, you can also let the two onsite fire trucks douse you in agua, drink unlimited amounts of booze, and experiment with water guns, water balloons, and whatever other pool toys are available to wet those bikinis and Speedos. 6 p.m. Saturday at the RC Cola Plant, 550 NW 24th St., Miami; twitter.com/pangeamiami. Admission costs $20 for women and $35 for men.
The City of Miami Gardens and the Health Foundation of South Florida have teamed up to present Live Healthy Miami Gardens Week. The Healthy in the Gardens Festival kicks off seven days of events that cover everything from better eating and fitness to health-care registration. The fest will offer bounce houses and face painting for kids, free health screenings, cooking demonstrations, and live performances courtesy of Miami Gardens Got Talent. 11 a.m. Saturday at Rolling Oaks Park, 18701 NW 17th Ct., Miami Gardens; livehealthymiamigardens.com. Admission is free.
Puerto Rico probably isn't the first place you'd think to find a reggae band, but neither is England, and UB40 is still a thing. The members of Cultura Profética have been making Spanish-language reggae for more than 20 years on the Island of Enchantment, and they show no signs of stopping. Their socially conscious and politically engaged lyrics don't stray far from the genre's roots, so get your Moog synth fix at their one-night stop in Miami. 8 p.m. Saturday at the James L. Knight Center, 400 SE Second Ave., Miami; 305-416-5970; jlkc.com. Tickets cost $28 to $68.
Sunday
Not everyone wants to party when they're wasted and acting a fool, never remembering what their good time was all about. Some people would rather go "where music and workouts meet to party." And that place is the Workout Music Fest, hosted by Tony Thomas Sports. Pump up your bon-bon through dance and discipline with the help of fitness coaches and sounds spun by live DJs. Then you and your new buff pals, along with Lululemon ambassador Amy Dannheim, can wind down from the iron-pumping party with some yoga on Jungle Island's private beach. 11 a.m. Sunday at Jungle Island, 1111 Parrot Jungle Trail, Miami; facebook.com/workoutmusicfest. Admission costs $20.
Jamaica's independence calls for a special musical treat. The reggae singer Beres Hammond is headed to the Broward Center for the annual holiday. He'll show off his smooth, sensual, soulful, and vibing lovers-rock sound that has been charming audiences since the '70s. The Grammy-nominated singer will croon tunes such as "Tempted to Touch," "I Feel Good," and "Putting Up Resistance," bringing the real Jamaica to the shores of South Florida on the Take Time to Love tour, also presenting the Harmony House Musicians and DJ Inferno. 7:30 p.m. Sunday at Au-Rene Theater at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale; browardcenter.org; 954-462-0222. Tickets cost $35 to $125.
Monday
If you like your beer hoppy as hell, you're in luck. Monday is National IPA Day, and the suds you dig will flow like water at the lovely Angler's Hotel in South Beach. You can snag $2 Lagunitas and $1 bottomless fries flavored with Old Bay, with which to soak up the brew. The charming boutique hotel just a couple of blocks from the Atlantic will be even more charming once you've caught a cheap buzz. 5 p.m. Monday at the Angler's Hotel, 660 Washington Ave., Miami Beach; anglershotelmiami.com; 786-594-5811. Admission is free.
There is a science not only to making beer but also to tasting it. At least that's according to Wynwood's Concrete Beach Brewery. Its brewmasters will initiate you into the study of beer tasting at Brew House Rock: Pour Taste. Be sure to bring your best palate and enjoy that perfect pun. 8 p.m. Monday at Concrete Beach Brewery, 325 NW 24th St., Miami; concretebeachbrewery.com; 305-796-2727. Admission costs $5.
Tuesday
There was a time in the late '90s when teenagers of discerning tastes all over the world prayed for the moment when the dazzling Debbie Harry and spirited Shirley Manson would perform on the same stage. Ask and you shall receive — about 20 years later in this case. The frontwomen of Blondie and Garbage are bringing their bands on the road with the Rage and Rapture Tour. Along with special guest Deap Vally, they're promoting the recent release of Blondie's Pollinator and Garbage's Strange Little Birds. Doc Martens and Chucks will dirty the floor this Tuesday at Hard Rock Live, bringing tears of joy to indie rockers' eyes and a sway to their black-clad hips. 7 p.m. Tuesday at Hard Rock Live, 1 Seminole Way, Hollywood; seminolehardrockhollywood.com; 866-502-7529. Tickets cost $50 to $90.
Steely Dan frontman Donald Fagen is a musical legend of the highest order. He's so beloved he can start a new band, Donald Fagen and the Nightflyers, with younger musicians and still get a gig at the Fillmore. The group got together in Woodstock, New York, Fagen's home, and until this 25-date tour has been playing New York's Hudson River Valley. 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Fillmore Miami Beach, 1700 Washington Ave., Miami Beach; fillmoremb.com; 305-673-7300. Tickets cost $49 to $198.
Not since the Use Your Illusion tour in 1993 have Guns N' Roses' Axl Rose, Slash, and Duff McKagan performed together onstage. So the title of this go-round, Not in This Lifetime, is a not-so-subtle jab at the trials and tribulations of the most popular rock outfit of the '80s. The three hair-band legends will be joined by keyboardist Melissa Reese. And they sure are taking advantage of this lifetime by making 130 stops around the world. Welcome to the Miami jungle, GNR. 6 p.m. Tuesday at Marlins Park, 501 Marlins Way, Miami; ticketmaster.com. Tickets cost $35 to $343.
Wednesday
The Psychedelic Furs' enduring 1982 hit "Love My Way" begins with the line "There's an army on the dance floor." The band has its own army of fans who will always find it in them to dance to the Furs' classics. The British band formed in 1977 is best known for that tune off its Todd Rundgren-produced album Forever Now and for the original version of "Pretty in Pink," which inspired the John Hughes movie of the same moniker. So if you have a hankering for '80s tunes and a deep desire to join the dance-floor army, check out the Furs at Culture Room. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Culture Room, 3045 N. Federal Hwy., Fort Lauderdale; cultureroom.net; 954-564-1074. Tickets cost $32.
