Weäó»re all still a little wet, and the power is still out for way too many Floridians, but we might be ready to start returning to something close to äóÖnormal.äó» And normal, around these parts, includes a hefty helping of great art, music, and theatre. Here are our picks for your getting-over-Irma needs.
Free Museum Day äóñ Saturday, Sept. 23
Wheee! What could be cooler than getting into museums for free? How about getting into more museums for free? In a way similar to sprawling festivals like Art Basel or SXSW, it seems the Smithsonianäó»s annual Free Museum Day has begun to exert its own gravity, encouraging venues that arenäó»t official participants to go with the flow. This year, that includes the Dali Museum, which is free for Pinellas residents, The Chihuly Collection (which is charging $1) and Creative Clay, which will offer free activities for kids.
They join officially free museums including the MFA and the Holocaust Museum, but donäó»t forget to download and print a ticket at the Smithsonianäó»s website. The Tampa Bay Times has a full rundown of official and unofficial participants here.
All day, free.
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Florida Bjorkestraäó»s Buffyfest äóñ Saturday, Sept. 23
The Bjorkestraäó»s orchestral renditions of adventurous pop tunes are becoming a staple around these parts, and theyäó»re not standing still. For this iteration, theyäó»re adapting a musical episode from the TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, complete with a choral group. The audience is invited to dress up and sing along, so itäó»ll be fun.æ And Buffy was the launching pad for Joss Whedon, who now essentially rules the entertainment world, so itäó»ll be educational, too.
$28-$40, 8 p.m.
Palladium Theater, 253 Fifth Ave., St. Pete
New World Brewery Goodbye Blowout, with Zillionaire, Will Quinlan, and Many More äóñ Saturday, Sept. 23rd
Weäó»re Pinellas-centric here, but occasionally great things do happen across the bay äóñ and for years, New World Brewery has been one of them. Now theyäó»re shutting down, at least temporarily, to make room for redevelopment in Ybor City. This epic concert will feature nearly two dozen (!!!) musicians commemorating the top-notch pub, which has incubated great local talent, and been host to innumerable great touring acts.
If you want to get caught up on the whole story, you can read Creative Loafingäó»s loving tribute to New World.
4 p.m. äóñ 2 a.m., $10 (donated to Irma relief)
New World Brewery, 1313 E.æ EighthæAve., Tampa
The Royale Opening Weekend
American Stageäó»s season-opening ode to the beauty and complexity of boxing could hardly be better timed äóñ this monthäó»s bout between Floyd Mayweather and Conor MacGregor was ugly, crass, and utterly captivating. The Royale, written by a scribe for Orange is the New Black, plays out a very similar high-profile bout, but transplants it to the Jim Crow era. That twist is sure to spark debate and contemplation.
Various Dates Through Oct. 15, $39
Raymond James Theatre, 163 ThirdæSt. N., St. Pete
The Psychedelic Furs w/ Bash & Pop äóñ Sunday, Sept. 24
In the news business, this is what they call burying the lede. Headliners the Psychedelic Furs are alt-rock stalwarts who helped carve out a post-postpunk niche for edgy-but-thoughtful rock, and have made a resurgence on tour in the last few years. But Bash & Pop are something slightly more mythical, formed in 1992 by two former members of the legendary Replacements. Their only album, 1993äó»s Friday Night is Killing Me, was a profound slice of American barroom sincerity, and their 2016 resurrection has been widely greeted as a kind of second coming.
8-11 p.m., $35-$65
Capitol Theatre, 405 Cleveland St., Clearwater
