THE L#ST B#YS: PAUL ENDRES JR.’S CHILDREN OF THE BURDEN

Endres’s crisply realist, darkly comic paintings have for years spun out an epic dystopian narrative, “The American Burden,’’ set in post-apocalyptic Boston. In this chapter, a Peter Pan-style leader takes control. Pictured: “Conquer.’’ Through Nov. 5. Childs Gallery, 169 Newbury St. 617-266-1108, www.childsgallery.comCATE McQUAID

Pop & Rock

LAURA STEVENSON Blending the straight-talking confessionalism of folk with fuzzed-out guitar heroics, this Long Island-born belter’s 2015 album, “Cocksure,’’ is full of taut, hooky dispatches from the edge. With the emo heroes the Anniversary, who kick off their reunion tour. Sept. 8, 7 p.m. $19.99. Brighton Music Hall. 617-779-0140, www.crossroads presents.com

JASON ALDEAN AND KID ROCK Summer’s twang-filled mega­shows wind down with this double bill, which pairs Nashville’s reigning ACM Artist of the Year (who’s celebrating the release of his seventh album, “They Don’t Know’’) with the Detroit-born rap-rocker-gone-country. Sept. 9, 5:30 p.m; also Sept. 10. Fenway Park. 877-REDSOX-9, www.red sox.com

BLAKE BABIES Born in Duxbury and beloved by college radio DJs, the Blake Babies’ muscular-yet-winsome indie rock set a standard for late-’80s power trios. They’re spending 2016 playing their first shows in 15 years. Part of the multi-day, multi-venue, multi-discipline festival Allston’s Awesome Christmas. Sept. 10, noon, free with RSVP. POP Allston. http://allstons awesomechristmas.com/

Maura Johnston

Folk & World

TIM EASTON Once upon a time, Easton fit comfortably in the singer-songwriter category. Then he moved to Nashville and made the rumbling, stripped-down Sun Studios/Tennessee Three-infused “Not Cool.’’ Now he’s gone from stripped down to built up, with the full-band, elaborate arrangements of his just-released “American Fork.’’ Sept. 11, 10 p.m. Tickets: $10. Atwood’s Tavern, Cambridge. 800-838-3006, www.brownpapertickets.com

FOGHORN STRINGBAND It seems like he just can’t stay away: Caleb Klauder made his way here from his Oregon home at the end of July with his honky-tonk outfit, and he’s already back (and at the very same venue) to play some high-test old-time music with the Foghorn Stringband. Sept. 11, 4 p.m. Tickets: $23. The Burren, Somerville. 800-838-3006. www.brownpapertickets .com

GLEN HANSARD Irish singer-songwriter Hansard gives an idea of his musical coordinates when he says that, growing up in his family home, there was a “holy trinity:’’ Leonard Cohen, Van Morrison, and Bob Dylan, “with Bob sitting center.’’ Folk singer Joe Purdy, who himself sounds a bit like Dylan on his latest, “Who Will Be Next?,’’ also performs. Sept. 13, 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $28-$43.50. Orpheum Theatre. 800-745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com

STUART MUNRO

Jazz & Blues

J.D. PARRAN & HARLEM REUNION The marvelous multi-woodwind player has been at the forefront of avant-jazz since the 1970s, playing with everyone from Anthony Braxton to Nels Cline. He’ll be joined by pianist Alexi Marcelo, bassist Larry Roland, and Boston’s own Syd Smart on drums. Sept. 10, 8 p.m. Tickets: $20. Outpost 186, 186½ Hampshire St., Cambridge. www.outpost186 .com

A PARRIS AFTERNOON Kicking off the 2016-17 Highland Jazz concert series, seasoned singer and Newton native Rebecca Parris will demonstrate her mastery of the Great American Songbook and more, with pianist Chris Taylor, bassist Peter Kontrimas, and drummer Jim Lattini. Sept. 11, 2 p.m. Tickets: $10-$20. Highland Jazz at Newton South High School, 140 Brandeis Road, Newton Centre. 781-237-1917, www.highlandjazz.org

MARCIA BALL Touring in support of her latest CD, “The Tattooed Lady and the Alligator Man,’’ the multiple Grammy and Blues Music Award winner is a rollicking pianist and soulful vocalist versed in the Gulf Coast blues of her native Texas and the New Orleans R&B of her Louisiana youth. Sept. 15, 8 p.m. Tickets: $40. Spire Center, 25½ Court St., Plymouth. 508-746-4488, www.spirecenter .orgKEVIN LOWENTHAL

Classical

OUROBOROS TRILOGY One of the major operatic offerings of the coming season, this ambitious three-opera cycle with libretti by Cerise Lim Jacobs brings together new works by Scott Wheeler and Paola Antonelli with Zhou Long’s “Madame White Snake,’’ which won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2011. Sept. 10-17, Cutler Majestic Theatre. 617-824-8400, www. ouroborostrilogy.org

A FAR CRY The intrepid conductorless string orchestra kicks off its 10th-anniversary season with a typically wide-ranging program — works by Haydn, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Steve Reich, Norman Dello Joio, and Kip Jones — played in its home base of Jamaica Plain. Sept. 10, 4 p.m., St. John Episcopal Church, Jamaica Plain. www.afarcry.org

BACH, BEETHOVEN, AND BRAHMS SOCIETY The chamber orchestra, which formed earlier this year in the wake of the now-defunct Boston Classical Orchestra, launches its first full season with works by its three namesakes: the “Air’’ from Bach’s D-major Orchestral Suite, Beethoven’s “Eroica’’ Symphony, and the Brahms Violin Concerto, with the excellent young violinist In Mo Yang as soloist. Sept. 11, 3 p.m., Faneuil Hall. 866-811-4111, www.bbbsociety.org

DAVID WEININGER

ARTS

Theater

MARJORIE PRIME Jordan Harrison’s drama is set in the near future, when technology enables 85-year-old Marjorie to sustain memories of her past with the help of a “Prime’’ that is an exact replica of her late husband as he was six decades earlier. Featuring Sarah deLima as Marjorie. Cast also includes Barlow Adamson, Lee Mikeska Gardner, and Alejandro Simoes. Directed by M. Bevin O’Gara. Sept. 8-Oct. 9. Nora Theatre Company. A Catalyst Collaborative@MIT Production. At Central Square Theater, Cambridge. 617-576-9278, ext. 1, www.centralsquare theater.org

SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE Peter DuBois directs the Pulitzer-winning musical by Stephen Sondheim (music and lyrics) and James Lapine (book) about art, artists, and obsession. Featuring Adam Chanler-Berat and Jenni Barber. Sept. 9-Oct. 16. Huntington Theatre Company. At BU Theatre, Boston. 617-266-0800, www.huntingtontheatre.org

DON AUCOIN

NOTES FROM THE FIELD: DOING TIME IN EDUCATION In her new solo show, Anna Deavere Smith explores the school-to-prison pipeline, shedding light on a system that sets little children on a path to the penitentiary. Playing a myriad of characters, Smith gives a virtuoso performance, and while the piece has some gaps and breaks for an earnest yet frustrating audience discussion, it is chilling and timely and addresses critical issues that cannot be ignored. Through Sept. 17. American Repertory Theater, at Loeb Drama Center, Cambridge. 617-547-8300, www.americanrepertorytheater .orgPATTI HARTIGAN

Dance

24-HOUR CHOREOFEST This one intensely focused evening of dance-making offers six local dance companies the chance to explore the creative process — their own and their peers’. Audiences can watch the process unfold via livestream, then join the creators in the studio for culminating performances Saturday at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Hosted by Luminarium Dance Company. Sept. 9-10. $15. Dance Complex, Cambridge. 617-477-4474, www.luminariumdance .org

ISLAND MOVING CO. The Newport-based contemporary ballet company takes its penchant for site-specific dance to the docks of Fort Adams, as well as the decks and rigging of the city’s new tall ship, the “Oliver Hazard Perry.’’ The production, “Second Star to the Right: A Tale of Hook and Pan,’’ is set to an original score by Tobias Andrews and features company dancers as well as community members. Sept. 8-10. $95. North Pier, Fort Adams State Park, Newport, R.I. 401-847-4470, www.island movingco.org

TANGO IN THE PARK Just two more weekends to enjoy this summer tradition of tango dancing under the stars on the Rose Kennedy Greenway. It starts at 6 p.m., with a short performance at 6:45 p.m. Newbies can take advantage of a free group beginner tango lesson by Ultimate Tango at 7 p.m., then try out moves to a DJ mix of traditional and alternative tango tunes. Sept. 10. 6-9 p.m., Free. High Street and Atlantic Avenue. 347-228-7856, www.bostontangointhe park.comKAREN CAMPBELL

Galleries

JOSH JEFFERSON: SHABOOPIE Jefferson’s big paintings and smaller collages reference heads, but that’s merely a launching pad for abstraction. For the paintings, he built a giant brush to make great, sweeping gestures, filling heads with color, strokes, and frothy layers. Through Oct. 29. Steven Zevitas Gallery, 450 Harrison Ave. 617-778-5265, www.stevenzevitasgallery.com

JOLT: GUNS, RACE, AND IMMIGRATION Pondering hot-button issues, Jordan Kessler’s photographs explore what guns mean to Americans; James Montford’s mixed-media works isolate astronauts of color in deep space; Yu-Wen Wu twines metaphor and data to track immigration. Through Oct. 6. Trustman Art Gallery, Simmons College, 300 The Fenway. 617-521-2268, www.simmons .edu/trustman

CATE McQUAID

Museums

DELLA ROBBIA: SCULPTING WITH COLOR IN RENAISSANCE FLORENCE Approximately 50 objects, mostly from US collections (but including a few choice loans from Italy), present the beautiful and moving work of the della Robbias, the Florentine family famous for inventing a glazing technique that produced durable whites and bright colors for their celebrated Renaissance sculptures. Through Dec. 4. Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave. 617-267-9300. www.mfa.org

AMERICAN IMPRESSIONIST: CHILDE HASSAM AND THE ISLES OF SHOALS The great American Impressionist painted the rocky shoals of Appledore Island off the coast of Portsmouth, N.H., over three decades. The exhibition presents 40 oil paintings and related watercolors, all made between the late 1880s and 1912. Through Nov. 6. Peabody Essex Museum, East India Square, Salem. 978-745-9500. www.pem.org

SPLENDOR, MYTH, AND VISION: NUDES FROM THE PRADO Twenty-eight Old Master paintings, representing the nude, on loan from Spain’s great museum. Includes work by Titian, Tintoretto, Rubens, Velazquez, Ribera, and Poussin. All but four have never previously been seen in the United States. The Clark is the show’s only venue. Through Oct. 10. Clark Art Institute, 225 South St., Williamstown. 413-458-2303. www.clarkart.edu

SEBASTIAN SMEE

EVENTS

Comedy

BOSTON COMEDY ARTS FESTIVAL This festival, which runs through Sunday, features stand-up, sketch, and improv performers like Aparna Nancherla, Jonathan Katz, Jenny Zigrino, and Kevin McDonald of Kids in the Hall. At ImprovBoston and the Cambridge Public Library. Sept. 8-11. Various times and locations. See www.bostoncomedyarts.com for details. 617-576-1253.

THE GAS The weekly stand-up show is part of Allston’s Awesome Christmas celebration this week, featuring Katie McCarthy, Nick Ortolani, Emily Ruskowski, Tawanda Gona, and Andrew Durso. Hosted by Rob Crean. Sept. 9, 7 p.m. $12. Great Scott, 1222 Commonwealth Ave., Allston. 617-566-9014, www.greatscottboston.com

ERIN JACKSON The former “Last Comic Standing’’ semifinalist is a sharp, relatable comedian who jokes about common occurrences — teaching her mother to text and “make’’ a selfie, being a (potential) sports mom, and breaking up over the holidays. Sept. 10, 8 p.m. $20. Nick’s Comedy Stop, 100 Warrenton St., Boston. 617-963-6261, www.nickscomedystop.com

 Nick A. Zaino III

Family

Food Truck Rodeo School’s trying to tell us that summer’s over, but we’re not having it. Grab your kids and head on down to this fun festival, which will feature live music and serve up all the classics: pizza, grilled cheese sandwiches, ice cream, and more. Sept. 9, 6-10 p.m. Free. Union Point, 495 Shea Memorial Drive, Weymouth. 617-249-1105. www.unionpointma.com

Meow Mile 5KBy partaking in this 5K, you can help the Gifford Cat Shelter make sure kittens have a safe place to go. All family members — even the furry ones — are welcome to walk, run, or pounce to the finish line. And to top it off, it’s all happening along the beautiful Chestnut Hill Reservoir Trail. Sept. 10, 9 a.m. $30 per participant, $5 per pet. Chestnut Hill Reservoir Trail, intersection of St. Thomas More Drive and Chestnut Hill Driveway. 617-787-8872. www.firstgiving.com/55949/ gifford-cat-shelter-2016-meow- mile-5k

Hamiltunes Boston at the Mosesian Don’t throw away your shot to sing along to the hit Broadway show. Dress up in your favorite costume and get ready to tell all your friends you were in the room where it happened, the Charles Mosesian Theater. Sept. 12, ages 12 and up. 6 p.m. Free. The Arsenal Center for the Arts, 321 Arsenal St., Watertown. 617-923-0100. www.arsenal arts.orgCarly Sitrin

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

Sept. 15 Adele at TD Garden www.ticketmaster.com

Sept. 18 Young the Giant at House of Blues www.live nation.com

Sept. 20 Don Henley at Blue Hills Bank Pavilion www.live nation.com

Sept. 24 Meghan Trainor at Blue Hills Bank Pavilion www.live nation.com

Sept. 24 Puff Daddy, Lil’ Kim, and French Montana at TD Garden www.ticketmaster.com

Sept. 29 Chance the Rapper at Blue Hills Bank Pavilion www.live nation.com

Oct. 1 Alessia Cara at Orpheum Theatre www.ticketmaster.com

Oct. 1 Lauryn Hill at Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre www.ticketmaster.com

Oct. 6 R. Kelly at TD Garden www.ticketmaster.com

Oct. 12 Christine and the Queens at Paradise Rock Club www.ticketmaster.com

Sonia Rao