Thursday
The Miami International Jazz Fest is back for another year, boasting concerts galore over three days. On the roster are Luis Bofill, O Som do Jazz, Linda Briceño, Yvette Norwood-Tiger, and the Curtis Bros. featuring Ralph Peterson. The shows will go down at Ocho Live Night Club & Lounge, FIU's Wertheim Performing Arts Center, and MDC's Wolfson Campus. You have no excuse to miss out on so much jazziness. Thursday through Saturday at multiple locations in Miami; miamiinternationaljazzfest.org. Tickets cost $10 to $25 for individual events.
No, silly, 10,000 Maniacs isn't a nickname for the federal government. It's the name of an awesome band coming to town this Thursday. In fact, 10,000 Maniacs have been around for nearly 40 years. These days (and since 1994), Mary Ramsey is rocking lead vocals and mastering tunes such as "Because the Night," "Don't Talk," and "Hey Jack Kerouac." 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale; browardcenter.org. Tickets cost $49.50 to $64.50.
The wildly thoughtful and imaginative new exhibit from Laure Prouvost, "They Are Waiting for You," promises to get the ol' brain going. Prouvost's exhibits are generally trippy and multisensory experiences, boasting moving image and sound installations. The preview shots of the exhibit — which includes a glass of water with the words "At night this water turns black" — indicate the trippy streak is still alive. 8 to 10 p.m. Thursday at the Bass, 2100 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; thebass.org. Entry is free with museum admission.
In 2015, the Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival merged with the Fort Lauderdale Gay & Lesbian Film Festival to create the fabulous Outshine Film Festival. Four years later, the movie extravaganza is shining bright. This year's fest features too many inspiring, international, and culturally diverse films to fit in this blurb, but there are quite a few you can see over nine days. Can't make it out in Miami this week? The Outshine Film Festival will hit Fort Lauderdale October 12 through 21. Select showings through April 29 primarily at Regal Cinemas South Beach, 1100 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach; mifofilm.com. Tickets cost $13 per movie.
Finally, the Foo Fighters are coming to South Florida. The iconic rock group's Concrete and Gold Tour kicked off in mid-2017 and has been everywhere — Latvia, Thailand, Fresno, Brazil, you name it. And now it's our turn to hear the classics and newbies in our backyard. From "This Is a Call" to "Big Me" to "Times Like These," it is time! 7 p.m. Thursday at Coral Sky Amphitheatre, 601-7 Sansburys Way, West Palm Beach; livenation.com. Tickets start at $69.
Cuban-American artist, sculptor and painter Ana Mendieta was a bad-ass. Her autobiographical works often carried themes of feminism, identity, and belonging. And now her work is coming to life in musical form at the de la Cruz Collection in the program A Female Force. It's the best of both worlds — art and music — converging in one beautiful piece. After the show, Art Center/South Florida president Dennis Scholl will lead a chat with the show's cast and creative team on all things Ana as well as what inspired such a unique work. 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday at de la Cruz Collection, 23 NE 41st St., Miami; illuminarts.org. Admission is free.
Friday
Cake and candy? Yeah, you're interested. The SoFlo Cake & Candy Expo is a confectioner's dream come true, offering more than 90 classes on perfecting your cake, pie, cookies, fudge, or whatever delicious sweet that's your go-to. And once you've finally perfected your recipes and techniques, you can buy cake and candy supplies directly from the manufacturers onsite at killer deals. Friday through Sunday at Miami Airport Convention Center, 711 NW 72nd Ave., Miami; soflocakeandcandyexpo.com. Admission costs $25 per day or $40 for a weekend pass.
Saturday
Bad Bunny could refer to your pet rabbit who just bit you. Or, in this awesome case, Bad Bunny is an awesome Puerto Rican trap and reggae singer hitting Miami on his first U.S. tour. The San Juan native has paired up with quite a few notable folks since his 2016 breakout, from Enrique Iglesias to Prince Royce to Daddy Yankee. That's pretty damn good for someone with "bad" in his name. 8 p.m. Saturday at American Airlines Arena, 601 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; aaarena.com. Tickets cost $60 to $140.
Fort Myers, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Pierce —Florida is home to a lot of forts. And now there's another one: Fort Rock. This fort is really loud and, yes, it rocks. The annual festival, which moves from Fort Myers to Sunrise this year, packs a hearty lineup. Ozzy Osbourne, Godsmack, Five Finger Death Punch, Shinedown, Stone Temple Pilots, and others are set to blow folks away over two days. Saturday and Sunday at Markham Park, 16001 W. State Rd. 84, Sunrise; fortrockfestival.com. Tickets start at $89 for one day and $159.50 for a weekend pass.
Argentina rocks. Of all the Latin American countries, the genre truly has reverberated most successfully throughout this southern sliver. Soda Stereo was a power trio launched in 1982 that became a Latin-rock legend. Though rock and all other forms of expression were suppressed under the dictatorship of Jorge Rafael Videla, Soda Stereo rose up in a New Wave tidal wave when democracy returned in the early '80s. Though band member Gustavo Cerati passed away in 2014, this week Sono Dynamo will present a tribute to Soda Stereo at the magical 1306 space under the stars. 9 p.m. Saturday at 1306 Miami, 1306 N. Miami Ave., Miami; facebook.com/sonodynamo. Admission costs $20.
Roll out the red carpet — rap royalty is hitting the 305. Ras Kass is a founding member of the hip-hop supergroup the Hrsmn, which also includes icons Canibus, Killah Priest, and Kurupt. Kass has a catalogue that dates back to 1996, and his latest — Intellectual Property SOI2 — dropped in 2016. Perhaps even more impressive than his longevity are his lyrics. He's one of the best MCs in history, and you've just gotta hear it to believe it. 8 p.m. Saturday at Churchill's Pub, 5501 NE Second Ave., Miami; churchillspub.com. Admission costs $20.
You can accomplish a lot in 12 hours. Read a hearty book. Drive to Raleigh, North Carolina. Or enjoy a wickedly long and awesome 12-hour set from Miami's own Danny Daze. Beginning at 11 p.m., Daze will take folks on the Space Terrace on a wildly spacey electronic journey. Be sure to stretch and drink some Red Bull to prepare for this dance marathon. 11 p.m. Saturday at Space, 34 NE 11th St., Miami; ticketfly.com. Tickets cost $10 to $30.
To attract more locals to Baywalk, the Miami Downtown Development Authority awarded a grant to Socialxchange Miami to bring their Full Moon & Paddleboard Party to life. The free event will happen at Museum Park, where you can find DJs and live music, hippie vendors, food trucks, and the rippling bay at night. Bring blankets and get ready to paddleboard ($40 for one person) or kayak ($45 for two people) at sunset on vessels provided by Virginia Key Outdoor Center. The cost includes a memorabilia photo and celebration cocktail. 7 p.m. Saturday in Museum Park, 1075 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; socialxchangemiami.com. Admission is free.
Can't make it to Burning Man? Skip the trip to the desert and enjoy a day at Love Burn. The one-day affair is a Burning Man regional event that is partnering with O, Miami Poetry Festival. Together they will light the sky with fireworks, put a flame under fire dancers' asses, and turn a 30-foot wooden globe and hands of love sculpture into cinders. The free-spirited BYOB party O, Burning Love Miami will take place in Virginia Key Beach Park. The festivities begin at sunset, and there will be poems read aloud. Camping is not allowed, and visitors must clean up before they leave. 7 p.m. Saturday in Virginia Key Beach Park, 4020 Virginia Beach Dr., Miami; theloveburn.com. Admission costs $35.
Poor Charlie Brown. He can never catch a break. Even his holidays are sad. While Charles Schulz captured these feels on the page and screen, Clark Gesner did so on the stage with You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. The classic musical will be performed at Actors' Playhouse Musical Theatre for Young Audiences and features everyone from Snoopy to Lucy, Linus, and Schroeder. This is one theatrical performance both kids and parents can get behind. 2 p.m. Saturday at Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre, 280 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables; actorsplayhouse.org; 305-444-9293. Tickets cost $20.
What's better than a movie with a superhero? One with a whole bunch of superheroes. That's what made The Avengers a huge hit. Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, and the rest of the gang are back to fight the evil Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War. You can root for these fantastical, costumed characters at CMX's Breakfast and Movie. Get stuffed at the buffet and breakfast taco bar while watching the flick on its premiere weekend. Breakfast is the meal of champions, after all. 9 a.m. Saturday at CMX Cinemas, 701 S. Miami Ave., Miami; cmxcinemas.com. Tickets cost $40.
Florida Grand Opera knows a good score when it hears one. This week, FGO will perform Florencia en el Amazonas, an opera based on Gabriel García Márquez's writings. The great magical realist writer could inspire a brick to bloom. Daniel Catán wrote about a Brazilian soprano starlet who sets off on a magical quest to her homeland in the Amazon. This imaginative story and notable performance by Ana María Martínez will captivate you. 7 p.m. Saturday at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; arshtcenter.org. Tickets start at $25.
Sunday
When Art Basel came to Miami Beach, it brought not only a world of visual-arts culture but also some odd related dramas. A new play written by Hilary Bettis, directed by Michel Hausmann, and commissioned by Miami New Drama — Queen of Basel — gives one view of this evolution of the city. It looks at power, class, and desire through the lens of tragedy. The play is a Miami revamp of Strindberg's classic Miss Julie set during Miami Art Week at a luxurious hotel. Find out what happens to the spoiled Julie. 3 or 7 p.m. Sunday through May 6 at Colony Theatre, 1040 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach; miaminewdrama.org; 305-674-1040. Tickets cost $40 to $65.
Monday
Thirsty for only the best booze in the city? Hit up Zest Miami's Pop-Up Bar Competition. Its 12 weekly rounds and one final competition offer the tasty talents of bartending duos. Each will craft their own cocktail menu at the Zest Miami bar in Brickell. But this isn't just about the libations — it's about creativity beyond the cocktails. Last year's champ made a Harry Potter-themed bar; this year, Zest insiders say, expect one honoring Rick and Morty. 6 p.m. Monday at Zest Miami, 200 S. Biscayne Blvd., Miami; facebook.com/ZestMiami. Admission is free.
Tuesday
Heavy rock is staying strong in the hands of Josh Homme and his bandmates. Queens of the Stone Age started ruling riff-laden rock in Palm Desert, California, in the late '90s. The band continues to triumph. It has played with big names in guitar, from Billy Gibbons to Dave Grohl. Its latest album, 2017's Villains, had the group partnering with Mark Ronson too. So if you live to rock and you love to dance, QOTSA will get you on your feet and your head rocking with its Villains World Tour stop. 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Bayfront Park, 301 N. Biscayne Blvd., Miami; ticketmaster.com. Tickets start at $18.
Wednesday
James Comey brings forth, in many American hearts, feelings of both annoyance and appreciation. He's a thorn in Trump's side, but also, he might have cost Hillary the election. In his new book, A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership, he aims to explain himself. Comey is on tour with the controversial memoir and headed to the Arsht Center for what is sure to be memorable night. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; arshtcenter.org. Tickets cost $45 and include a copy of the book.
