MUSIC
The two-day BeltLine After Dark festival kicks off Friday at 3 p.m. on the Westside Trail. The festival includes pop up performances, acrobatic arts, artisan vendors, a parade and a musical line-up of Afrobeat, Motown, soul and hip hop artists. A concert Saturday at 7 p.m. features Mausiki Scales and the Common Ground Collective, a 15-piece band that explores music styles from South Africa. Free.
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The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra performs Rachmaninov with special guest violinist Leila Josefowicz Thursday and Friday evening at Symphony Hall. But a special treat for both evenings will be the intimate pre-concert chamber concert that starts at 6:45 p.m. Eight members of the ASO will perform works by Mozart, Villa-Lobos and Alyssa Morris. The concert is complimentary to ticket holders; tickets start at $25.
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Valerie June is one of the most fascinating new generation artists with a sound that bridges soul and Americana. Her quirky yet engaging voice combines with songs that always seem to reach the heart of the matter. June has just released The Moon And Stars: Prescriptions For Dreamers, her follow-up to the much-heralded 2022 album Under Cover. June performs Monday at 8 p.m. at City Winery. Tickets start at $40.
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Nickel Creek got off to an auspicious start in 2000 with a debut album produced by Alison Krauss that was nominated for a Grammy Award. The band — mandolinist Chris Thile, violinist Sara Watkins and guitarist Sean Watkins — has gone on to international acclaim. Thile has become noted for his work with Yo-Yo Ma on albums devoted to the music of Bach. Nickel Creek performs Friday at 8 p.m. at The Eastern. Tickets start at $49.50.
BOOKS
Atlanta author Julie Franks is the author of Over the Plain Houses, which was listed as one of NPR’s Best Books in 2016 and garnered her five different literary prizes, including Georgia Author of the Year. Her new book is The Say So, which focuses on how we contend with the rippling effects of the choices we’ve made. Franks will discuss her novel for the Georgia Center for the Book at the Decatur Library Auditorium Tuesday at 7 p.m. The event is free, but registration is recommended. Franks will also discuss The Say So at A Cappella Books June 11 at 3 p.m.
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The Georgia Review published a special issue on Southern Post-Colonial life last spring to celebrate the voices, history and cultures of Diasporic communities. On Saturday at 7 p.m., the literary magazine will host the three winners of its Emerging Writer Fellowship — Aria Curtis, Sadia Hassan and Tanya Rey — for a reading of their works at the Elevator Factory. That afternoon at 1 p.m., Georgia Review editor Gerald Maa will discuss reading, writing and magazines. Both events are free.
THEATER
The Atlanta Fringe Festival kicks off with a preview party on June 7, featuring three-minute sneak peeks of all 28 ticketed Fringe productions. The event is hosted by Fringe veterans Dani Herd and Twiggs at 7 Stages Theatre. Free to attend, but registration is required.
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The 1980s classic Ghostbusters will be reimagined at the Atlanta Fringe Festival venue 7 Stages Theatre on Monday with different groups performing one-fifth of the movie and giving it their own twist. Performers include Havoc Movement, Black AF, The Candybox Revue Burlesque, Beau Brown Puppets and others. Tickets are $20.
FILM+TV
Out On Film is hosting a queer filmmaker night on Monday at Out Front Theatre. The evening will feature an encore of 2022’s Homegrown Shorts program, a Q&A by attending filmmakers and a reception. The event is part of Out On Film’s Filmmaker Fund campaign, and funds will go toward cash prizes and filmmaker travel for this year’s festival. 7 p.m. Free with donations appreciated.
DANCE
The dynamic, all-women drumming and dance ensemble Giwayen Mata will present a full-length performance at Academy Theatre in Hapeville on Friday and Saturday. Their movements and rhythms are always thrilling. The shows are dedicated to the ensemble’s three-year journey in Idle Crimes and Heavy Work, a collaborative project with Dr. Julie B. Johnson, assistant professor and chair of the Department of Dance Performance and Choreography at Spelman College. 8 p.m. Tickets $30 to $60.
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Staibdance will present (MC)2 Moving Culture, Moving Community this weekend at Windmill Arts Center. The biennial event features Atlanta-based dance companies representing different cultures and dance forms such as flamenco, Indian dance drama, traditional works from China and more. The festival encourages cross-pollination and understanding of different cultures. Check out the ArtsATL story about the event. Friday and Saturday 7 p.m. with pre-performance conversations at 5:30 p.m. each night. Tickets $10.
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Underground Atlanta’s First Friday outdoor event this week features dance. Under the direction of local organizations Dance Canvas and VIAUNI, choreographers Akeem Edwards, Billy Hawkains III, Jacquelyn Pritz and Dana Woodruff will each present a family-friendly work. There will be a post-performance conversation with opportunities for the audience to engage. 7 p.m. in the Fountain’s Plaza. Individual tickets are free. Attendees can also reserve a table for five, with complimentary bottle of wine, for $50.
ART+DESIGN
The current exhibit at the Oglethorpe University Museum of Art features Indian Miniatures from the Mehta Collection. This exhibition is held in conjunction with the university’s celebration of the “Year of India and Pakistan” commemorating the 75th anniversary of independence in India and Pakistan. Through June 25. Free.
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Ancient Nubia: Art of the 25th Dynasty from the Collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston opens at the High Museum of Art on Friday. In the eighth century B.C. Nubian kings ruled over one of antiquity’s largest empires. Artisans from this region in the Sudanese Nile Valley created jewelry, pottery, metalwork, furniture and sculpture. The exhibit features more than 200 of these works of art. Through September 3. Free for members; non-members $16.50.
