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This week, see the world premiere of Pulitzer Prize- and Grammy Award-winning composer David Lang’s new piece drawing from work at Stanford’s School of Sustainability; catch a bluegrass show with Alan Bond and Skedaddle in Mountain View; hear from author Deepa Iyer as she shares her new children’s book in Palo Alto; and go birding at Bair Island. Plus, the virtual launch of Silicon Valley Reads kicks off two months of in-person and online events.
David Lang’s ‘before and after nature’
Pulitzer Prize- and Grammy Award-winning composer and Stanford University alumnus David Lang was commissioned by Stanford Live (among others) to create a new work to present on campus with the music ensemble he co-founded, Bang on a Can All-Stars. Lang combined insights and information he gleaned through meetings with faculty and students in Stanford’s Doerr School of Sustainability and the Environmental Justice Working Group and his own reading on environmental issues to create “before and after nature,” which Stanford Live calls “a meditation on the natural world, both before human existence and after humans are gone.” Lang’s texts and music are joined by video and projections by Tal Rosner at this world premiere event.
Feb. 1, 7:30 p.m., Bing Concert Hall, 327 Lasuen St., Stanford; $16-64; live.stanford.edu/events.
Silicon Valley Reads kickoff
Silicon Valley Reads is launching its 2025 season with a kickoff event featuring a conversation on technology, humanity and the future with authors Fei-Fei Li (“The Worlds I See: Curiosity, Exploration, and Discovery at the Dawn of AI”), Ray Nayler (“The Mountain in the Sea”) and Charlee Dyroff (“Loneliness & Company”), moderated by San Jose Mercury News journalist Sal Pizarro. The in-person event is sold out as of press time but a waiting list is available, as well as access to a livestream. Silicon Valley Reads is a program that encourages community engagement, open dialogue and literacy through selected books and themes relevant to the area. The program offers in-person events at libraries throughout the Peninsula and South Bay, as well as virtual events, through April 8.
Jan. 30, 7-8:30 p.m., Visual & Performing Arts Center, DeAnza College, 21250 Stevens Creek Blvd., Cupertino, and via livestream; siliconvalleyreads.org/calendar.
Alan Bond and Skedaddle
Red Rock’s 2nd Story continues its series of bluegrass shows with a performance by Alan Bond and Skedaddle, a Bay Area band that plays a mix of bluegrass, old-time and original music. Referring to itself as “California Cosmic String Band,” the group’s lineup includes Alan Bond on mandolin, guitar and vocals; Judy Forrest on guitar and vocals; Tom Lucas on fiddle, banjo and vocals; and Bruce Lacey on bass and vocals. Though made up of veteran musicians, this will be the band’s first appearance at Red Rock.
Feb. 1, 7-9 p.m., Red Rock Coffee, 201 Castro St., Mountain View; redrockcoffee.com/2nd-story.
Deepa Iyer
Deepa Iyer is a writer, lawyer and coalition builder whose books include “We Too Sing America: South Asian, Arab, Muslim, and Sikh Immigrants Shape Our Multiracial Future” and “Social Change Now: A Guide for Reflection and Connection.” She also teaches classes on Asian American Studies, social movements and public policy and leads the “Solidarity Is This” podcast. She comes to Palo Alto to present her debut picture book “We Are The Builders!”, about a diverse neighborhood in which everyone works together. The story is told in rhyme, with illustrations by Romina Galotta.
Feb. 2, 3-4 p.m., Mitchell Park Library, 3700 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto; free (books available to purchase); paloalto.bibliocommons.com.
Birding at Bair Island
Peninsula Open Space Trust and Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance host a birding tour at the Bair Island Unit of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Attendees will learn about the birds flocking to this estuary habitat, as well as the history of the now-protected wetlands. Possible birds to be spotted include egrets, terns, stilts, pelicans and perhaps even a peregrine falcon or endangered Ridgeway’s rail. Participants are encouraged to bring their own binoculars but extras are available. The tour takes place over the course of an easy 1-mile walk.
Feb. 2, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Bair Island (meet at Bair Island Trail parking lot), Redwood City; free; openspacetrust.org.
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