AARON POOLE / AMPAS

Sting plays the House of Blues March 8.

MUSIC

STING In November, the velvet-voiced troubadour-bassist released 57th and 9th, his first album of straight-ahead pop songs after a nearly 15-year detour into higher art forms Middle Age lute music, symphonic reworkings of Police tracks. In its best moments, 57th offers up faded-photograph memories of the wiry New Wave practiced by Stings former band. March 8, 7p.m. $105-$155. House of Blues. 888-693-BLUE, houseofblues.com

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RO JAMES Wielding a sinewy falsetto and a natural instinct for pacing his songs so that they reach a sublime boil, this up-and-coming R&B singer (and nephew of Prince foil Rosie Gaines) combines old-school soul ideals with Soundcloud-era explorations of groove. March 5, 7p.m. $20, $18 advance. Middle East Downstairs. 617-864-3278, www,ticketweb.com

THE BAND PERRY This country trio has always walked on the slightly darker side their stomping 2012 megahit Better Dig Two gives a pop-Nashville spin to the murder ballad while racking up awards and record sales. This intimate show will offer a glimpse of new material; one of those songs, Stay in the Dark, combines twang with the wordless whoops that have plagued the festival era. March 9, 9 p.m. $35. The Sinclair, Cambridge. 617-547-5200, http://www.sinclaircambridge.com

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MAURA JOHNSTON

CALE TYSON Young Nashville country singer-songwriter Tyson has to date released two fine Hank Williams-channeling EPs but is changing things up by going country-soul on his first full-length, due in 2017. He was scheduled to make his area debut a little over a year ago and had to cancel, so heres hoping the second times the charm. March 5, 9:30 p.m. $8. Atwoods Tavern, Cambridge. 800-838-3006. http://www.brownpapertickets.com

GOLDFEATHER Taking its name from singer, violinist, and bandleader Sarah Goldfeather, this Brooklyn-based outfit describes itself as a folk music band meets contemporary classical ensemble, with a dash of cabaret for flavor, and judging from the bands recent debut release, Patchwork Quilt, the music lives up to that billing. March 6, 8 p.m. $10. Club Passim, Cambridge. 617-492-7679. http://www.passim.org

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OUTSIDE THE LINES BENEFIT Aswell evening of music put together for a worthy cause: This benefit for Outside the Lines Studio, a Medford arts-based alternative day program for individuals with developmental and physical disabilities, will feature Sister Kate Taylor and local luminaries Barrence Whitfield, Dennis Brennan, Danielle Miraglia, and Jesse Dee. March 9, 8 p.m. $15. Thunder Road, Somerville. 866-777-8932. http://www.ticketweb.com

STUART MUNRO

VIJAY IYER SEXTET The innovative and ambitious pianist and composer has been a MacArthur Fellow, DownBeat Magazine Artist of the Year, and is now a Harvard professor. His sextet adds horns saxophonists Steve Lehman and Mark Shim and cornet and flugelhorn player Graham Haynes to his trio with bassist Stephan Crump and drummer Marcus Gilmore. March 9, 8 p.m. $50-$60. Sanders Theatre, 45 Quincy St., Cambridge. 617-482-6661, http://www.celebrityseries.org

LADY RIZO The acclaimed cabaret artist is a glamorous and witty singer who has collaborated with a range of artists from Yo Yo Ma to Moby and can make the likes of The Pixies Where Is My Mind sound like a Broadway showstopper. March 9, 8 p.m. $25. Oberon, 2 Arrow St., Cambridge. 617-547-8300, http://www.americanrepertorytheater.org/oberon

THE MAKANDA PROJECT John Kordalewskis invaluable 11-piece ensemble of Bostons finest begins its year by bringing yet another rare visitor to town: the great tenor saxophonist and Boston native Ricky Ford, who early on made his name with Charles Mingus and Mercer Ellington. March 11, 7 p.m. Free. Dudley Library Auditorium, 65 Warren St., Boston. 617-442-6186.

KEVIN LOWENTHAL

BOSTON BAROQUE Christina Day Martinson, the orchestras immensely talented concertmaster, takes a solo turn in a specialty of hers: the complete cycle of Heinrich Bibers virtuosic Mystery Sonatas. March 10, 8 p.m., Jordan Hall. 617-987-8600, http://www.bostonbaroque.org

MUSICA SACRA The chorus performs Israel in Egypt, Handels biblical oratorio on the story of the Exodus. A portion of the ticket proceeds will be donated to the International Institute of New England, which provides aid to immigrants and refugees. March 11, 7 p.m., First Church in Cambridge, Congregational. 617-349-3400, http://www.musicasacra.org

LONGWOOD SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA The orchestra, drawn from Bostons medical community, welcomes pianists Peter Serkin and Anna Polonsky for two of Bachs Concertos for two pianos and orchestra. The suite from Stravinskys Firebird is also on the program. March 11, 8 p.m., Jordan Hall. 617-987-0100, http://www.longwoodsymphony.org

David Weininger

ARTS

EDWARD II Sexuality collides with power politics in this brooding, sensual, and suspenseful production of Christopher Marlowes 16th-century drama, streamlined and contemporized by the ever-artful director David R. Gammons. Maurice Emmanuel Parent delivers a powerhouse performance as the monarch whose passion for his male lover sets in motion deadly machinations by a pair of noblemen. Through March 19. Actors Shakespeare Project at Charlestown Working Theater, Charlestown. http://www.actorsshakespeareproject.org, 866-811-4111.

BRECHT ON BRECHT A trenchant collage of excerpts from works by German playwright-poet Bertolt Brecht, tweaked by director Jim Petosa to give it an anti-Trump thrust. The versatile cast includes Christine Hamel, Carla Martinez, Jake Murphy, and Brad Daniel Peloquin, with piano accompaniment by musical director Matthew Stern. Through March 5. Copresented by New Repertory Theatre and the BostonCenter for American Performance. At Black Box Theater, Mosesian Center for the Arts, Watertown. 617-923-8487, http://www.newrep.org

THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME Amath-genius teenager sets out to solve the murder of a neighbors dog, only tobecome embroiled in the secrets and lies ofhis own family. Simon Stephenss Tony-winning stage adaptation of Mark Haddons best-selling novel is directed by Marianne Elliott. March 7-19. Production by National Theatre presented by Broadway in Boston. At Boston Opera House. 800-982-2787, http://www.broadwayinboston.com

DON AUCOIN

THE NIGHT OF THE IGUANA Tennessee Williamss last critical success takes us to the Pacific coast of Mexico, where a former Episcopal minister, a newly widowed hotel owner, a 40ish Nantucket spinster, and her 97-year-old poet grandfather endure a dark night of the soul and try to escape their demons, even as the title lizard tries to escape the roasting pan. With a high-powered cast including Bill Heck as the minister, Dana Delany as the widow, Amanda Plummer as the spinster, and James Earl Jones as the poet, this Michael Wilson-directed production is well acted and easy to watch, though those who like their Tennessee Williams desperate and harrowing may find it a little too easy. Through March 18. American Repertory Theater at Loeb Drama Center, Cambridge. 617-547-8300, http://www.americanrepertorytheater.org JEFFREY GANTZ

BODYTRAFFIC One of the contemporary dance worlds most acclaimed repertory troupes returns to Boston with a program of four area premieres: excerpts from Richard Siegals jazz-fueled The New 45; Joshua L. Peughs playful A Trick of the Light; Once again, before you go, choreographed by RubberbanDance Group founder Victor Quijada; and Private Games: Chapter One by Anton Lachky. March 10-12, $36-$40. Institute of Contemporary Art. 617-876-4275, http://www.worldmusic.org

BOSTON YOUTH MOVES DANCE COMPANY The highly respected dance education program for teens showcases its most committed young dancers in a concert of jazz, tap, contemporary, and theater dance. The program includes works by artistic directors Jeannette Neill and James Viera, as well as original pieces by guest choreographers Andrew Winans and Laura Vinci de Vanegas. March 10-11, $20-$25. Boston University Dance Theater. 617-523-1355, http://www.bostonyouthmoves.org

FINDING HEAVEN UNDER OUR FEET: MAKING MODERN DANCE Chris Engless new documentary focuses on Weber Dance. The filmmaker traveled with the company for a residency in Alaska and followed the troupe during the creation and premiere of Of Looms and Lilies. The film ties those experiences into the roots of modern dance and the power of community cultural engagement. World premiere. March 9, $10. Somerville Theatre, Somerville. 617-625-5700, http://www.weberdance.com

KAREN CAMPBELL

EVELYN RYDZ: FLOATING ARTIFACTS Rydz photographs tiny bits she finds washed ashore, organic and plastic scraps carried by currents and refashioned by the ocean biosphere. She blows the images up, turning the wee debris totemic and starkly alluring. Through May 21. Tufts University Art Gallery, 40 Talbot Ave., Medford. 617-627-3518, artgallery.tufts.edu

CAMILLE UTTERBACK: ENTANGLED The digital artists interactive installation translates viewers movements into painterly projections on a large screen. It runs concurrently with Cybernetic Serendipity, which revisits the first digital art exhibition, staged in London in 1968. Through April 22. Emerson Urban Arts: Media Art Gallery, 25Avery St., 617-824-3895, http://www.emerson.edu/urban-arts/media-arts-gallery

PROTECTED TREES NEW WORK BY JOEL JANOWITZ Struck by the street-level byproducts of sewer work in his Cambridge neighborhood, Janowitz made paintings and prints documenting the strange juxtaposition of trees and the materials needed to safeguard them. Through April 7. Gallery 344, Cambridge Arts Council, 344 Broadway, City Hall Annex, Cambridge. 617-349-4380, http://www.cambridgema.gov/arts/publicart/gallery344

CATE McQUAID

AN INNER WORLD: SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY DUTCH GENRE PAINTING An intimate show of intimate scenes. The seven paintings on view highlight artistic innovation in the city of Leiden, led by Gerrit Dou. The delicately brushed works depict figures at quiet moments. Through Sept. 17. Clark Art Institute, 225 South St., Williamstown. 413-458-2303, http://www.clarkart.edu

A CURIOUS NATURE: PAINTINGS BY SHELLEY REED In her dramatic, fierce, and luxuriant black-and-white works, the painter recontextualizes details from 17th- and 18th-century Northern European art, addressing contemporary and timeless themes of humanitys connection to nature. Through June 4. Fitchburg Art Museum, 185 Elm St., Fitchburg. 978-345-4207, http://www.fitchburgartmuseum.org

MARK WETHLI/PIPER CUB Conceptual art, model, or fan-boy obsession? Wethli has re-created by hand the legendary small aircraft, built in the mid-20th century and flown during World War II, using pine, birch plywood, and recycled Piper Cub parts. Through May 14. Center for Maine Contemporary Art, 21Winter St., Rockland, Maine. 207-701-5005, http://www.cmcanow.org CATE McQUAID

EVENTS

SOMETHING BIG WITH JOHN CONROY Washington, D.C., native Conroy, who trades in both every-day-observational humor and more socially aware material, headlines this edition of the monthly showcase with Petey DeAbreu and Xamin Garza. March 9, 7 p.m. $13-$15. The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Somerville. 617-684-5335, http://www.therockwell.org

BETHANY VAN DELFT Boston comedian/storyteller/model/mom Van Delft, who also hosts the Artisanal Comedy show at Dorchester Brewing Company the last Wednesday of each month, tops the bill on this showcase, with Maya Manion and others. March 11, 7:30 p.m. $20. Dick Dohertys Comedy Den, 184High St., Boston. 800-401-2221, http://www.dickdoherty.com

THE LAST LAUGH: LATE NIGHT COMEDY Each Saturday night, ImprovBoston hosts a late-night, off-color comedy show with a different theme, depending on the week. The second Saturday is Late Night Longform, featuring a naughtier-than-normal version of longform improv. March 11, 11:30 p.m. $10. ImprovBoston, 40 Prospect St., Cambridge. 617-576-1253, http://www.improvboston.com

NICK A. ZAINO III

CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATION AT HARVARD SQUARE Ifyou missed out on all the Chinese New Year fun in late January, dont worry, there are still festivals to be had. Continue to celebrate the year of the rooster with parades, arts, crafts, and tons of delicious food. March 5, 12:30-3:30 p.m. Free. Hong Kong Harvard Square, 1238 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. 617-864-5311. http://www.harvardsquare.com/celebrate-chinese-new-year-harvard-square

PAJAMA PARTY If your toddler cant seem to settle down on Friday night prior to bedtime, take him or her to the Childrens Museum of Easton pajamas and all for some music making and relaxing craft time. March 10, 5-7 p.m. Free with museum admission. Childrens Museum, 9 Sullivan Ave., North Easton. 508-230-3789. childrensmuseumineaston.org/pajama-party/

KERPLUNK! If you enjoyed (or still enjoy) Choose Your Own Adventure books from your own childhood, let your kids experience that same feeling of power when they decide what the characters on stage will do at Kerplunk! March 11, 11 a.m. $5-$10. The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Somerville. 617-684-5335. http://www.catalystcomedy.com/kerplunk/ LEXI PEERY

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

March 22 Fishbone at The Sinclair axs.com

March 23 The Knocks at Royale axs.com

March 24 They at Middle East ticketweb.com

March 28 Vince Staples at Paradise Rock Club ticketmaster.com

March 30 Saba at Brighton Music Hall ticketmaster.com

April 2 Chris Brown and 50 Cent at TD Garden ticketmaster.com

April 5 Gucci Mane at House of Blues concerts.livenation.com

April 7 Lionel Richie and Mariah Carey at TD Garden ticketmaster.com

ALEX FRANDSEN

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