Ambient indie-pop and summery surf sounds take over Boston in the second half of August.
By Thomas Samph
August 13, Deerhunter at Royale
At a Deerhunter show, the sight of frontman Bradford Cox’s skeleton-like figure striding on to the stage through a thick mist (sometimes wearing a dress) is as ethereal and spooky as his band’s [...]

By J. R. Carroll
Now that we’ve reached the midpoint of the festival season, the early summer festivals have wrapped up or are in their final weeks, and some of the late summer festivals have firmed up their rosters.

Photo by 18 Brumaire
The ageless Newport Jazz Festival returns to Rhode Island the weekend of August 6–8 under [...]

By J. R. Carroll
Vacation time? Not for the musicians of New England. An amazing amount of live music this month, not a little of it free and open to the public.
Photo by Denise Sullivan
Treme trombonist and vocalist Glen David Andrews bridges gospel and New Orleans jazz at Johnny D’s in Somerville, MA at 9 p.m. [...]

By Justin Marble
August 4, “Best of the Oughts” at the Brattle: Putting together a list of the best films of the decade is quite difficult, and putting together a film series might be even tougher. But the Brattle appears to have done a good job, pulling in a mix of Hollywood and indie films for [...]

By Helen Epstein
If you want a country theater experience, complete with magical valley and stream and a freight train in the distance, go to Chester, MA this month. Chester Theater Company’s The Nibroc Trilogy is a winner and will culminate on the final two Saturdays of the season (August 14 and 21) with the [...]

The summer season winds down with (too) many of the usual crowd-pleasers, enlivened by a couple of world premieres, a re-vamping of an Oscar Wilde warhorse, and an encounter with non-being, courtesy of Edward Albee.

By Bill Marx
The Taster by Joan Ackermann. Directed by Tina Packer. Staged by Shakespeare & Company at the Founders’ Theatre, Lenox, [...]

By Caldwell Titcomb
August 3: The Old West Organ Society presents the award-winning, young organist Jacob Street in a program including works by Buxtehude, J. S. Bach, and Mendelssohn. He will also play music by Jean Langlais (1907-91) and Gaston Litaize (1909-91). At Old West Church, 131 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA, 8 p.m.
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By Peter Walsh
Charles LeDray, Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), Boston, MA, July 16 through October 17
New York sculptor Charles LeDray is known for making very, very tiny things—especially men’s clothing—with fanatical precision and craftsmanship. Something about them fascinates. A British critic has compared his elaborate, Liliputian arrangements to “the model tankers and cruise ships [...]

July Music/Musica en Julio/Musica em Julho
By Thomas Samph
With the temperatures peaking into the 90s in New England, here is some pop music that’s meant to be enjoyed in the heat. These acts (with the exception of one) all have their roots in warmer places: Latin music infused with funk and jazz, Spanish electronic dance music, [...]

By J. R. Carroll
Not going away doesn’t mean you have to stay at home; there’s plenty of live jazz within easy reach.
The summer jazz festival season goes into high gear this month (watch for a Midsummer Festival Update in mid-July), but even if you’re stuck with another “staycation” this year, local and regional artists will [...]