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Brandi Carlile
Singer-songwriter, composer and activist Brandi Carlile’s music tells quite the story. Her sound draws on many genres, from a heart-rending twang of country to tender folk to powerful rock, all underscored by Carlile’s impressive vocals that even at their most vulnerable are still mighty. Her work has garnered 11 Grammy Awards, including one for Best Country Song with The Highwomen, a supergroup she formed in 2019 with Maren Morris, Amanda Shires and Natalie Hemby. Carlile also has two Emmy Awards for her work on children’s TV. Her collaboration in 2024 with Elton John on “Never Too Late,” the theme song for his documentary of the same title, earned an Oscar nomination and led to the two artists recording a joint album, “Who Believes in Angels?” She is also a bestselling author and co-founded the social justice charity Looking Out Foundation. OUT Magazine named her Icon of the Year in 2023. Carlile released her eighth studio album, “Returning to Myself,” in 2025. She performs at Stanford’s Frost Amphitheater joined by Irish musician CMAT.
Sept. 19, 6 p.m., at Frost Amphitheater, Stanford; $118-$606; live.stanford.edu.
Myra Melford Splash Trio
What sounds might an abstract painting evoke if it were music? Here’s a chance to find out — in a way. Jazz pianist and composer Myra Melford ‘s Splash Trio, which also features bassist Michael Formanek and drummer/vibraphonist Ches Smith, takes inspiration from the works of American abstract expressionist painter Cy Twombly. As an event description notes, “Melford doesn’t attempt to directly translate Twombly’s work in sonic form; instead she approaches her own musical language via techniques and processes similar to those employed by the artist … .” The result is music that celebrates spontaneity through both composition and improvisation. Earthwise Productions hosts a concert with this unique trio.
Sept. 18, 8 p.m., at Mitchell Park Community Center, 3700 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto; $20; .eventbrite.com.
Books and Bunnies
Families can hop on over to Kepler’s for a fun morning of stories about brave bunnies with children’s authors Alan Barillaro and Dashka Slater. Barillaro’s illustrated middle-grade novel, “Bunns Rabbit,” tells of a young bunny born with unusually small ears — something that the rabbit community takes as a bad omen. When she ventures beyond the neighborhood, she finds an exciting wide world of possibilities, and a way to help her family. Slater’s “The Wild Season,” also aimed at middle-grade readers, takes inspiration from a true story about a group of abandoned pet rabbits found in a San Francisco park, and how the community came together to aid them.
Sept. 19, 11 a.m., at Kepler’s Books, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park; $6.24-$11.49 admission only (family ticket packages including one book for $27.24 or or both for, $51.39 are also available); keplers.org.
Beethoven Piano Sonata Cycle
Beethoven wrote 32 piano sonatas throughout his life. During the 2026-27 season, pianist Gilles Vonsattel will perform all of them for Music@Menlo and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. It’s a first in the history of these organizations, and a major undertaking that captures Beethoven’s development as a composer. For his Sept. 19 concert at Music@Menlo, Vonsattel will perform two of the composer’s earlier sonatas, Nos. 10 and 11, as well as the later Sonata No. 29, a pivotal and demanding work also known as “Hammerklavier.’ And for those who would appreciate an even deeper dive into Beethoven and his music, Vonsattel is presenting a companion lecture series for each of his concerts, complete with live performance excerpts. On Sept. 18, audiences can learn more from him about Sonatas Nos. 10, 11 and 29, including their backstories and what musical innovations they represent.
Lecture Sept. 18, 7 p.m.; $10-$25; Concert Sept. 19, 4 p.m., $35-$70. Both events take place at Menlo School, 50 Valparaiso Ave., Atherton; musicatmenlo.org.
Tommy Emmanuel
Grammy Award-winning acoustic guitarist Tommy Emmanuel wasn’t born with a guitar in his hand, but his longstanding music career is pretty much the next best thing. Having started touring with his family’s band at age 6, he has been immersed in music most of his life, and he has the chops to show for it. From a young age, Emmanuel admired master fingerpicker Chet Atkins, who would soon become a mentor and collaborator. He launched his solo career in his early 20s, and released a series of well-received instrumental albums. He has collaborated with other guitar greats, such as Les Paul, Mark Knopfler and Joe Walsh. Emmanuel has headlined Carnegie Hall and the Sydney Opera House and performed for a massive worldwide audience at the 2000 Olympics, held in his homeland of Australia. He recently released “Living in the Light,” his first solo album in 10 years, and on Oct. 2, will release “The Endless Road,” a documentary about his life and work. Jack Tuttle and Scott Gates will open for Emmanuel’s show at The Guild Theatre.
Sept. 23, 8 p.m., at The Guild Theatre, 949 El Camino Real, Menlo Park; $47-$107; guildtheatre.com.
Also this week:
Ke Huy Quan
Ke Huy Quan is an Oscar-winning actor (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) who started his Hollywood career as a child in the 1980s with “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” and “The Goonies” before largely disappearing from the acting world until his notable, Academy Award-earning comeback. In his memoir “Never Say Die,” he tells his life story, from his early years as a Vietnamese refugee to his show business adventures. The book, according to Kepler’s website, is “a love letter to the movies and people that shaped him, and a powerful testament to never giving up on your dreams.” Kepler’s hosts him in conversation with author Gene Luen Yang at the Santa Clara Convention Center.
Sept. 23, 7 p.m., presented by Kepler’s Books at the Santa Clara Convention Center, Santa Clara; $58.74-$79.74; tinyurl.com/KeHuyQuanKeplers.
Visit our Fall Arts Preview, which highlighted this event, and where you will find more author talks, concerts, art shows, plays and other events coming up this fall, from now through Thanksgiving.
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