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Miko Marks
Her music has country roots — and she’s appeared more than once at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry — but Bay Area Americana singer-songwriter Miko Marks draws her high-energy, hard-driving sound from a variety of influences, including blues, gospel and soul. Her vocals run the gamut, too, in stirring belters and smooth, bluesy ballads alike. She’s a favorite on local stages, and her latest album, “Feel Like Going Home” is close to home, in a way, released by East Palo Alto-based label Redtone Records. Earthwise Productions features Marks in a free concert in Palo Alto
July 26, 2-4 p.m., at Mitchell Park Bowl, 600 E. Meadow Drive, Palo Alto; free; eventbrite.com.
Summer Classics with the Redwood Symphony
The Redwood Symphony closes its summer season with “Summer Classics,” celebrating the breadth of orchestral repertoire. The program spans three centuries of orchestral music, from Sergey Prokofiev’s Overture on Hebrew Themes to Ludwig van Beethoven’s spirited Symphony No. 1. Pianist Louise Costigan-Kerns joins the orchestra for Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 26 (“Coronation”) in an arrangement by Timo Andres. A free pre-concert talk at 6:45 p.m. gives concertgoers the opportunity to learn more about the composers and music behind the program.
July 25, 7:30 p.m. at Cañada College, 4200 Farm Hill Blvd., Redwood City. app.arts-people.com.
Leonardo@Djerassi Open Studios
For 40 years, the Djerassi Resident Artists Program has brought artists from around the world to a mountain ranch a dozen miles from downtown Woodside to work in a serene natural space. Partnering with the Leonardo organization, Djerassi hosts an annual five-week residency that brings scientists, technologists and researchers together with artists to experiment and create projects that “explore the intersections of art, science, technology, and the humanities,” according to an event description. Djerassi will hold an open studios day where visitors can meet the residents and view their work. Regular admission was sold out at press time, but VIP tickets were still available, which in addition to the open studio event, include complimentary lunch and a cocktail reception.
July 25, 11 a.m.- 3 p.m. at Djerassi Resident Artists Program, 2325 Bear Gulch Road, Woodside; $20 regular admission is sold out; $250 VIP tickets; djerassi.org/events/openstudios2026.
Michael Wolff
Pianist, composer and bandleader Michael Wolff brings the summery and bright rhythms of Latin jazz master Cal Tjader to Meyhouse Palo Alto. He will pay tribute to Tjader, with whom he performed early in his career — in fact, Wolff left music school early for the opportunity, according to his bio. Wolff has performed with a variety of artists and bands including Sonny Rollins, Sheila E., Duke Ellington Band, Count Basie Orchestra and Nancy Wilson — and served as Wilson’s music director. He’s backed a who’s who of the music world, including Ray Charles, B. B. King, Patti La Belle and Whitney Houston. Perhaps most unusually, he also shared the stage in 1992 with then-presidential candidate Bill Clinton, who showed off his prowess with the sax during an appearance on the “Arsenio Hall Show,” for which Wolff served as bandleader. For his Meyhouse show, Wolff is joined by a quartet featuring Gary Brown, bass; Scott Amendola, drums; and Ray Obiedo, guitar, to perform tunes inspired by Tjader’s music in addition to some of Wolff’s own compositions.
July 25, 5 and 8 p.m., at Meyhouse Palo Alto, 640 Emerson St., Palo Alto; $48 ($38 early bird admission; meyhousejazz.com/paloalto.
Community Arts Day open house
The Community School of Music and Arts will host its annual Community Arts Day open house, inviting the public to its Mountain View campus for a free day of drop-in activities and arts programming. Visitors can experiment with instruments, listen to live music, explore digital arts activities and contribute to collaborative public artworks. They can also learn more about CSMA by touring the facilities and meeting with instructors behind the school’s year-round programs. The event is designed for all ages, and guests are welcome to arrive at any time and explore at their own pace.
July 26, 10 a.m.- 2 p.m., at the Finn Center, 230 San Antonio Circle, Mountain View. arts4all.org.
Con Funk Shun
EPACENTER wraps up its first concert series with a longtime Bay Area band that lives up to its name, bringing irresistibly danceable funk to the stage. Con Funk Shun, which formed in 1969 in Vallejo, made its name with songs like the brassy high-energy of “Ffun,” the disco-heavy groove of “Got to Be Enough” — and the slow burn of “Love’s Train,” which was covered a few years ago by Bruno Mars.
July 26, 5 p.m., at EPACENTER, 1950 Bay Road, East Palo Alto; $55.20 general admission/$25 for East Palo Alto residents (with proof of ID at entry); eventbrite.com.
