POETRY
Poetry Night Reading Series — Art Mantecón and Gilbert Rodriguez
Tonight, 8 p.m., free
John Natsoulas Gallery, 521 1st Street
Tonight’s Poetry Night Reading features two poets. Art Mantecón is a Texas-born, Detroit-raised poet who has been featured in several venues all over California. In 2011, he published a translation of selected poems by Leopoldo Maria Panero after working for several years. The second poet, Gilbert Rodriguez, also works as a playwright whose plays have been performed in Sacramento and Santa Cruz. As always, an open mic session follows the main readers; those interested should show up early to sign up for the list, as it fills quickly.
Dennis Dingemans Author Event at Avid Reader
Saturday, 7:30 p.m., free
The Avid Reader, 617 2nd St.
UC Davis geography professor Dennis Dingemans discusses his book, a history of the UC Davis campus. The book features many photos from the University archives and celebrates our school’s traditions.
MUSIC
Live in Studio A: Out of Place
Tonight, 11 p.m., free
Tune into 90.3 FM
KDVS’s “Live in Studio A” series will feature Out of Place, a rock band from Sacramento, in studio tonight. You can listen to their music and download their album for free at www.outofplacemusic.com.
KDVS Presents FIDLAR // Pangea // Meat Market
Tonight, music begins at 8:30 p.m., $5
Robot Rocket Residence (633 M St.)
Fans of punk and garage music will want to check out this show, which features three great bands. FIDLAR is a garage punk band from Los Angeles that promises to offer a lot of fun and shredding. Pangea is another punk band from Los Angeles, and Meat Market is a punk band from Oakland. Expect a party.
Monterey Jazz Festival on tour
Friday, 8 p.m., $25 – $49 general, $12.50 – $24.50 students
Mondavi Center
Jazz music aficionados are most likely familiar with the Monterey Jazz Festival, which has been around for 55 years. The touring performance brings together several performers who have had long histories with the main festival, including vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater, bassist Christian McBride, pianist Benny Green, drummer Lewis Nash, saxophonist Chris Potter and trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, for a night of great jazz.
THEATER
Birdstrike Theatre Improv Performance
Friday, 8 p.m., free
Kleiber Hall, Room 3
Join UC Davis’s premier long-form improv group for its first of many shows this quarter. Birdstrike Theatre’s improv is different from the short-form improv of “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” as it focuses on characters and scenes instead of props and one-liners. Expect 90 minutes of unscripted hilarity.
Follies
Friday and Saturday, 8:15 p.m.; Sunday, 2:15 p.m.
$18 general, $16 students and seniors
DMTC Performing Arts Center, 607 Pena Dr.
The Davis Musical Theatre Company puts on a performance of a seven-Tony-Award-winning Stephen Sondheim (“Sweeney Todd”) musical about two couples who reunite on the day before a beloved theater is to be demolished. Bev Sykes of the Davis Enterprise describes the show as “youthful enthusiasm and middle-aged regrets mixed together with nostalgia and cynicism, a recipe for a hearty evening of entertainment.”
