Thursday-
Looking for a way to increase your indie credibility? Danielle Lo Presti’s “Indie By Design” concert is a surefire way to do so. Featuring six San Diego bands, the show gives independent artists a chance to showcase their musical talents. Lo Presti’s band, Danielle Lo Presti and the Masses, performs along with Peter Bolland, the Cat Mary, Carlos Olmeda, Danny Peck and Downboy at Humphrey’s Backstage Lounge at 10:30 p.m. Tickets are $5. For more information, call (619) 224-3577.
Growing up during the Great Depression may not seem like the best subject for a comedic performance, but Neil Simon manages to pull it off. His autobiographical comedy, “Beach,” tells the story of a young boy growing up in a large Jewish family during the Great Depression. The show runs through Feb. 22 at Avo Playhouse. Tickets are $18 to $20. For more information, call (760) 724-2110.
Friday-
It’s a heartbreaking story of friendship, passion and jealousy in George Bizet’s “The Pearl Fishers.” The opera is the story of three friends who reunite to strengthen a fishing village with the help of a virgin priestess. The cast features Toronto actors Isabel Bayrakdarian, Michael Schade and Russell Braun, and Brazilian actor Jose Gallisa. “The Pearl Fishers” plays at 8 p.m. on Feb. 20 and 2 p.m. on Feb. 22 at San Diego Civic Theatre. Tickets are $20 to $140. For more information, call (619) 232-7636
Fans of electronic and dance music can check out Imputer? V.S020.0. To celebrate three years of hosting electronic showcases in San Diego, Imputer? Records will host two free shows. For those aged 21 and up, head on over to Kadan. Young-’uns, however, will have to wait until the show makes its way to the Ché Café next week. Both shows are free and start at 9 p.m. For more information, call (619) 640-2500.
Saturday-
What do you get when you mix punk, metal and grindcore? The Dillinger Escape Plan. Featuring eccentric and wild guitar riffs, heavy drumming and precise musicianship, the Dillinger Escape Plan has been regularly featured in guitar and drum magazines and has a devout following. The band plays at the Epicentre at 7 p.m. For more information, call (858) 271-4000.
There’s more to ballet than Swan Lake, and Ballet Hispanico sets out to prove this. The company mixes ballet, modern dance and everything else under the sun to create movements that are unique and cutting-edge. Not only does it interpret Hispanic dance, but its pieces also feature rhythms of the 1950s and modern DJ club music, among other concepts. The company performs at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido at 2 p.m. Tickets start at $39. For information, call (760) 839-4138.
Sunday-
Spice up your Sunday night with Cajun Fais Do Do, featuring the Grammy Award-winning BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet and the Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band. Blending traditional Cajun music with Tex Mex, New Orleans Jazz and country and blues, the night will get you on your feet and have your fingers snapping. The show starts at 7 p.m. at Mandeville Auditorium. Tickets are $15 to $23. For more information, call (858) 534-TIXS.
Monday-
Paul Kos is one of San Francisco’s most renowned artists, having taken on the political, religious and social issues of the 1960s while becoming a key figure in the Conceptual Art movement. The movement shifted focus away from a piece of art itself to the meaning behind the work. His artwork has now reached San Diego with the traveling exhibition “Everything Matters: A Paul Kos Retrospective,” hosted by the University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film. The exhibition features video and installation pieces spanning three decades. The free exhibit is on display downtown at the Museum of Contemporary Art through May 5. For more information, call (619) 234-1001.
Tuesday-
Take a break from work for a lunchtime concert. Every other Monday, San Diego mini-concerts take place at noon at Lyceum Theatre in Horton Plaza. Bring your lunch, grab a friend and listen to the wide array of music, with everything from opera to jazz. This week, the Joy of Sax Saxophone Quartet performs. For more information, call (619) 236-1980.
Wednesday-
Pablo Picasso broke from tradition when he fashioned a guitar from metal and wire and managed to inspire generations. That’s the theme behind “Generation to Generation: Contemporary Assemblage,” the sculpture and installation exhibition at the Oceanside Museum of Art. Featuring works by Poupee Boccaccio, Irma Sofia Poeter and James Watts, this exhibit pays tribute to artists’ distinctive styles. The exhibit runs through March 21. Tickets are $5. For more information, call (760) 721-2787.
Germany in the 1930s was the time of Hitler, and important in establishing his Third Reich was his ingenious use of propaganda films. Through these infamous films, Leni Riefenstahl became a famed director. His film “Olympia” features footage from the 1936 Olympics in Berlin and is being screened in full at the San Diego Museum of Art. Political spin has been around for a long while, and the film features its dark side. The screening begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10. For more information, call (619) 696-1969.
