David Byrne is a modern day Renaissance man. The frontman and founder of The Talking Heads, is also a performing and visual artist. With his latest endeavor, “Neurosociety”, he is combining his interest in the arts with his fascination in tech. Speaking of the nexus of art and technology, electronic music producer Derek Vincent Smith, better known as the man behind Pretty Lights, has made a name for himself moving crowds with a blend of dreamy atmospherics, earworm melodies and infectious rhythms. And political comedian Bill Maher comes to town to commiserate about the results of the election.
Patrick Dougherty
Wed, All Day, Free
Palo Alto Art Center
Until recently, motorists travelling along Embarcadero Road near Midtown in Palo Alto may have seen an outcropping of massive wicker huts on the Palo Alto Art Center’s lawn. Reminiscent of the gargantuan nests from Spike Jonze’s hallucinatory adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are, the interactive sculpture garden drew curious adults and playful children to the Art Center for years. The huts (appropriately titled “Double Take”) were recently torn down, but the artist who created them—Patrick Dougherty—has been commissioned to build another set in the same spot. Come watch him work through Nov. 18. (NV).
David Byrne’s Neurosociety
Wed, 11am, $45
Pace Art + Technology, Menlo Park
“The Institute Presents: Neurosociety” could be considered a scientific experiment disguised as a piece of theater. Or, it could be a work of experiential theatre, with scientific bonafides conferred upon it by an extensive list of formidable research institutions. Once you’ve figured out who’s behind it, the whole thing starts making sense. David Byrne, a.k.a. the lead singer of The Talking Heads, has co-created (with tech investor Mala Gaonkar) a Marina Abramović-like performance space combined with a Milgram experiment. Self-knowledge is the goal but it won’t come without some degree of psychological risk-taking. The exhibit runs through March 31. (JE)
Cygne
Fri, 8pm, Free
Red Rock Coffee, Mountain View
Hailing from the foggy hills of Santa Cruz, Cygne studied violin for a decade in New York before embarking on her first European tour. Since returning home she’s performed on the main stages of the Telluride Bluegrass and Rocky Mountain Folks festivals. Her latest album—Live in Altdorf, released in February—was recorded in Switzerland. It deals with themes of melancholy, tracing the somber feeling of summer fading to fall with plucky strings and haunting vocals. Already back in the studio, Cygne recently teased another work in progress, Let It Breathe. “After 250,000 miles, it’s time,” she says. (JT)
Passenger by cygne
Pretty Lights
Fri, 8pm, $40-$45
City National Civic, San Jose
Derek Vincent Smith, better known as the man behind Pretty Lights, has come a long way since his debut in early 2006. Beginning as a duo, the project downsized to a one-man operation after the release of Pretty Lights’ full-length debut, Taking Up Your Precious Time. Since then, the Denver-based electronic music producer has gone on to play huge music festivals—including Coachella, Electric Zoo and Ultra—moving crowds with a blend of dreamy atmospherics, earworm melodies and infectious rhythms. These days, Smith employs a backing band, replete with a drummer, keyboardist and horn section. RIYL: Tycho, ODESZA or The Glitch Mob. (TJ)
Arty
Fri, 10pm, $15-$25
Pure Lounge, Sunnyvale
Today’s academics celebrate Stravinski and Tchaikovski as masters of Russian classical music. In 100 years’ time, perhaps Arty will be hailed as a master of progressive house and trance. A classically trained musician, the young Artyom Stolyarov uses his talents to create massive, spaced-out bangers. He’s rocked the Electric Daisy Carnival, Tomorrowland and Amnesia Ibiza. In 2015, Arty broke through in the U.S. with his full-length debut on Insomniac Records. Appropriately titled Glorious, the 14-song set is calibrated to move dance floors deep into the night, while also keeping an ear turned toward mainstream radio accessibility. (JT)
Bill Maher
Sat, 8pm, $35-$85
City National Civic, San Jose
Known for mixing crude, off-the-cuff observations with political rhetoric, Bill Maher has made a name for himself as one of the most controversial cable TV talk show hosts working today. He is also one of the most successful. His show—Real Time with Bill Maher, which blends Maher’s humor with topical roundtable conversation—has been running for more than a decade and has earned more than 70 Emmy nods. Maher began his career in showbiz as a stand-up comedian—first gaining recognition in the late ’70s. He brings his latest material to the San Jose this weekend. (TJ)
Drip Fest
Sat, 8pm, $10
The X Bar, Cupertino
Organized by San Jose’s very own Yay Area ambassador and Drip Squad founder Traxamillion, this showcase boasts a bevy of hip-hop local talent from up and down the Bay. Headlined by Vallejo emcee Willie Joe—best known for his hard trappin, E-40-featuring slapper, “I’m From The Bay Bruh”—Drip Fest also features up-and-coming artists UC Lil Kayla; Tee Why Entertainment signee BlueJeans; and East Side San Jose rapper Lazy-Boy, who is currently enjoying a wave of YouTube hits on his dope-dealing anthem, “Hella Missed Calls.” Plus Trax puts on a Tech Boom set, featuring needle drops by top South Bay emcees. (JT)
Katherine Levin-Lau
Sat, 11am, Free
Triton Museum, Santa Clara
A master in the art of monotype prints, Katherine Levin-Lau captures the peculiarity of nature’s curious creatures and their interconnection in her latest exhibition. The renowned South Bay portraitist has been working as an artist for more than two decades. A perpetual student of nature, Levin-Lau finds inspiration in the circle of life, and particularly in fish and birds. Over the course of her extensive travels, she’s collected a large library of avian and aquatic imagery, which she recombines into collage-like prints. This exhibit, which runs through February, features artful arrangements of skeletal remains, seeds, butterflies and other organic forms. (JT)
