october 16
Guitar Greats: The rock guitar pantheon brings its traveling exhibition of flying fret virtuosity to the Sunrise Musical Theater (5555 95th Ave., Sunrise) for a four-hour rock and blues bash. The promoters of the G-3 Tour, whose uninspired title presumably translates into "three guitarists," need to check their math. The calculated, string-stroking perfection of Grammy Award-winner Joe Satriani is joined by that of Frank Zappa apprentice and White Snake guitarist Steve Vai, teen blues prodigy and Stevie Ray Vaughan heir-apparent Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and the blues interpretations of usually trippy Robert Fripp, the mastermind behind King Crimson. Instead of changing it to G-4, the promoters simply call Fripp a "special guest." He'll play as soon as the doors open at 7:00 p.m., while the crowd filters in. Following the solo performances, the show culminates in a monster jam with all four Gs on-stage. Tickets cost $24.50 and $29.50. Call 954-741-7300. (JF)
Pioneers of Modern Graphic Design: Not just a big, beautiful storehouse full of Micky Wolfson's massive collection of esoterica, the Wolfsonian has grown into a museum that presents some truly thought-provoking exhibitions. That may be why we've been patient while waiting for them to present something new. The time has come. Today the Wolfsonian (1001 Washington Ave., Miami Beach) opens "Pioneers of Modern Graphic Design," up through April 1998. Tracing the history of graphic design from 1890 to 1945, this exhibition features more than 70 posters, books, and objects that demonstrate the interplay between graphic elements (typography, page layout, and illustration) and artistic movements such as arts and crafts, art nouveau, and constructivism. Symbols and techniques utilized by designers to create propaganda in the 1930s and 1940s will also be examined. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday; call 531-1001 for hours. Admission is five dollars. (NK)
friday
october 17
Oktoberfest: Grab your lederhosen and polish up that beer stein. Oktoberfest -- the best global marketing campaign of all time for promoting beer drinking, heavy-duty Teutonic food, and oompah music -- marks its annual Coral Gables incarnation today through Sunday in front of Mozart Stube restaurant (325 Alcazar Ave., between Le Jeune Road and Salzedo Street). Austrian acts Die Edlser and Gifti und die Wahnsinns Five lead the bill of world-class musicians pumping out the polka. Schnitzel, pork shanks, smoked bratwurst, and apple strudel are on the menu, and local chefs will conduct cooking demonstrations throughout the fest. Wash it all down with plenty of German Warsteiner and Bitburger brew. The festivities conclude Sunday with family day. Admission is free. Oktoberfest runs today and Saturday from noon to midnight and Sunday from 1:00 to 11:00 p.m. Call 446-1600. (JF)
Noche Flamenca: Miami is becoming a veritable flamenco hotbed. The passionate notes of flamenco guitarists such as Arturo Fuerte and wannabe Alex Fox can be heard wafting through the air on South Beach and in Coconut Grove; we even have a noteworthy local flamenco dance company, Ballet Flamenco La Rosa. But for the real, straight-from-Spain thing, catch Noche Flamenca tonight and tomorrow at 8:00 p.m. at the Colony Theater (1040 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach). This eight-member, Madrid-based company of dancers, singers, and guitarists has performed to critical acclaim in New York City and Los Angeles. Tickets range from $20 to $25. Call 674-1026 for information. (JO)
Carlos Capelan: In the gospel according to Uruguayan artist Carlos Capelan, wine, milk, and Coca-Cola are "the three holy liquids," and the Miami Art Museum's walls are now covered with them. No licking, please. Capelan is known for dense installations that look like dark attics or archeological sites, filled with piles of books and old sticks of furniture and his own meticulous, mystical drawings. For this show, part of the New Work Series at MAM (101 W. Flagler St.), Capelan dug around his attic, putting works by his father, an amateur painter, on display. The exhibition continues through January 11. Admission ranges from two to five dollars. For more information call 375-3000. (JC)
Pioneers of Modern Graphic Design: See Thursday.
saturday
october 18
Saturday and Sunday in the Park with Art: Another weekend with nothing to do but loiter in an air-conditioned, hermetically sealed shopping mall? Go outside, for goodness sake, and stay there. This ten-year-old, two-day festival at Fairchild Tropical Garden (10901 Old Cutler Rd.) is the perfect reason. A juried fine-art show will take place, featuring paintings, photographs, sculpture, and jewelry by local and national artists, so you can shop! An array of ethnic foods will be sold, so you can eat! Classical, jazz, and Latin musicians will perform, so you can listen! And puppeteers, storytellers, magicians, and face painters will be on hand, so the kiddies can have fun too! Sounding more like the mall every minute, huh? If the whole thing gets too oppressive, escape the crowd by ambling around the gorgeous gardens. Festival hours are 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., both days. Admission is five dollars. Call 238-0703. (NK)
Performing Arts Network Second Anniversary: People might know the Performing Arts Network (PAN) as the place where they attend dance and music classes. But PAN is much more -- namely, a nonprofit coalition of performing artists and arts organizations that facilitates, develops, and promotes -- no surprise here -- the arts. The organization is throwing itself a birthday party tonight at 7:00 at PAN (555 Seventeenth St., Miami Beach) and they want you to attend. The cornucopia of culture will include performances by Ballet Flamenco La Rosa, Drums-N-Unity, Ayabonmbe Afro-Haitian Dance Company, the Bridge Theatre, and many others. Admission is free, but call 672-0552 to reserve a spot. (NK)
Scofflaws and Belmont Playboys: Ska shows seem to be happening every week, and there's no shortage of rude boys and girls attending them. The latest gathering spot for skasters is Squeeze (2 S. New River Dr., Fort Lauderdale), where tonight at 7:00 you can catch the New York-based Scofflaws. The rocksteady octet is most noted for "William Shatner" and "Spider on My Bed," but it has a long set list that will keep you groovin' until the last breath from vocalist and trombonist Buford O'Sullivan. Opening acts are the Savoys and a rockabilly outfit from North Carolina, the Belmont Playboys. The Playboys have been tearing up the club circuit from the Carolinas to New York City for the past seven years; after the Squeeze show, they head south to Rose's Bar & Music Lounge (754 Washington Ave., Miami Beach), opening with Carla Hall at 11:00 p.m. Tickets cost ten dollars at Squeeze (954-522-2151) and five at Rose's (532-0228). (LB)
Pioneers of Modern Graphic Design: See Thursday.
Oktoberfest: See Friday.
Noche Flamenca: See Friday.
Carlos Capelan: See Friday.
sunday
october 19
New World Symphony Family Series: In its never-ending quest to lure families to its events, the New World Symphony created its Family Series of concerts. Today's program, "Classical Mambo," may just get Dad out of his Barcalounger and over to the Lincoln Theatre (555 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach) at 3:00 p.m. to shake his hips. Hispanic Heritage Month will be saluted with music from the Americas. Selections include Lecuona's "Malaguena," Bernstein's mambo from West Side Story, O'Farrill's finale from Three Cuban Dances, and our all-time favorite, Hupfield's "When Yuba Plays the Rumba on the Tuba Down in Cuba." Tickets range from seven to ten dollars. Call 673-3331 for more information. (NK)
Pinocchio: So the school psychiatrist said your five-year-old kid's compulsive lying is a sure sign that he's grappling with his identity and you're desperate to help him out? Have we got a play for you. Story Theatre and the Florida Theatrical Association (two organizations that have teamed up for the past twenty years to present live professional theater to children) are putting on a musical production of Pinocchio at 2:00 p.m. at the Jackie Gleason Theater of the Performing Arts (1700 Washington Ave., Miami Beach). Yes, the lively little marionette whose nose grows when he tells lies and who ends up in the belly of a whale will enchant your troubled child no end. And better yet, maybe it will get him to stop lying, lest he end up in some marine mammal's gullet. Tickets cost eight dollars. Call 954-763-8813. (NK)
Pioneers of Modern Graphic Design: See Thursday.
Oktoberfest: See Friday.
Carlos Capelan: See Friday.
Saturday and Sunday in the Park with Art: See Saturday.
monday
october 20
Florida Philharmonic: Minnesota Orchestra music director Eiji Oue (Ay-gee Oh-way) leads the Florida Philharmonic and guest violinist Pinchas "Pinky" Zukerman in nightly performances today through Wednesday as part of the orchestra's Masterworks series. The program will include Rossini's Overture to the Barber of Seville, Brahms's Symphony No. 2 in D major, and Beethoven's Concerto in D major for Violin, during which Zukerman will perform. Renowned as a violinist, he also is extolled as a violist, conductor, and chamber player. Tickets range from $17 to $52 for tonight's concert at Florida Atlantic University Auditorium (off Glades Road in Boca Raton), and $22 to $70 for the concerts Tuesday and Wednesday at Broward Center for the Performing Arts (201 SW Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale). All performances are at 8:00 p.m. Call 930-1812. (JF)
Carlos Capelan: See Friday.
tuesday
october 21
Walt Disney's World on Ice -- Toy To infinity and beyond! Just when the kids had left this catch phrase behind, one of the more ambitious films produced by Disney in the last few years has been turned into an eight-million-dollar extravaganza on ice, playing tonight at the Miami Arena (721 NW 1st Ave.). Choreographed by Olympic Gold medalist Robin Cousins and featuring an international cast of skaters, this show should be tons of fun for the kids -- and the adults who have to pay the entrance fee, ranging from $10 to $18.50. Shows are at 7:30 tonight through Sunday (Thursday's performance will be in Spanish), with matinee shows scheduled for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Call 530-4400 for times and more information. (JO)
Pioneers of Modern Graphic Design: See Thursday.
Carlos Capelan: See Friday.
Florida Philharmonic: See Monday.
wednesday
october 22
Ben Folds Five: Don't be fooled by the name. This quintet is actually an alternative trio from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, whose members play drums, bass guitar, and piano. Pounding a baby grand and occasionally incorporating the odd musical phrase from Gershwin, writer-vocalist Folds creates bouncy, quirky, heartfelt melodies ("Punk rock for sissies," he says) that skewer everything from bohemian pretensions ("Underground") to dreaded family members ("Uncle Walter"). Their eponymous first album garnered favorable notices from critics. The reviews are as positive for their second album, Whatever and Ever Amen. Song titles such as "Angry Dwarfs and 200 Solemn Faces" are evidence that their sense of humor remains playfully ironic. Now they hope this tour will crank up the record sales. Catch BFF at the Carefree Theatre (2000 S. Dixie Hwy., West Palm Beach). Showtime is 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $17. Call 561-833-7305. (NK)
Pioneers of Modern Graphic Design: See Thursday.
Carlos Capelan: See Friday.
Florida Philharmonic: See Monday.
Walt Disney's World on Ice -- Toy See Tuesday.
