The following is the March 5 edition of Cultural Capital, an arts and entertainment newsletter written by Abridged contributor Chris Macias. Want it sent directly to your inbox? Sign up here.
Abridged by PBS KVIE is all about serving readers with public service journalism that’s both free and accessible. In that spirit, the upcoming 2026 Free Museum Weekend is the perfect place to start this week’s Cultural Capital. Twenty local museums are participating on Saturday and Sunday, from the Crocker Art Museum and California State Railroad Museum to the Locke Boarding House and Maidu Museum.
But you need to act fast. Tickets are free but pre-registration is required, and that window closes at 5 p.m. on Thursday.
Meanwhile, we’re up for another bustling week of local arts and entertainment. We’ve got live music from a powerhouse vocalist, a progressive approach to orchestral music and a battle of heavy metal bands. You’ll also find picks for visual arts, a family-friendly night of theater and much more to keep you entertained and inspired.
Here we go!
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In your inbox every Thursday, Abridged's entertainment newsletter from Chris Macias highlights things to do in the Sacramento region.
Enjoy a stellar night of showmanship and swing
The details:
- Black Box Theatre at the Fair Oaks Performing Arts Center, 7991 California Ave., Fair Oaks
- 7 p.m., March 7 (Saturday)
- $35
The last time Cultural Capital caught up with Peter Petty, the longtime Sacramento band leader was owning the stage at the Torch Club’s David Bowie tribute, full glam-rock regalia and all. Petty is a classic showman with gigantic vocal pipes and equally formidable stage presence, whether he’s rocking through Bowie’s “Suffragette City” or Cab Calloway’s “Minnie the Moocher.”
Petty brings his six-piece jazz orchestra to the Black Box Theatre on Thursday, with an up-tempo revue of jazz classics and original tunes. Plan for a few curveballs as well, including the premier of a swing rendition of “Ohio,” the seminal protest song by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.
Come out and see how Petty performs under the motto of “There are no small rooms.” His shows burst with Sacramento star power and push jazz traditions into new realms of fun.
See a chamber orchestra that challenges the status quo
The details:
- Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, 523 Mrak Hall Drive, Davis
- 7:30 p.m., March 5 (Thursday)
- $51.50-$103.50, with discounts for UC Davis students, faculty and staff
Don’t look for a conductor when Sphinx Virtuosi take the stage tonight at the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts. The acclaimed chamber turns orchestral hierarchy on its head, with an approach that emphasizes shared interpretation of works and collective leadership.
The 18-member group, comprised of Latino and Black musicians, performs a repertoire that spans from Sergei Prokofiev to living composers such as Jessie Montgomery and Carice Assad. Open your ears and enjoy this evolution of orchestral music.
Head to Davis for a fun night of ‘Horrors’
- Davis Musical Theatre Co., 607 Pena Drive, Davis
- 7:30 p.m., March 6 (Friday)
- $22
Feed me, Seymour! The Davis Musical Theatre Co. kicks off its run of “Little Shop of Horrors” on Friday, with performances running through March 29. “Little Shop of Horrors” remains a family favorite since the 1980s and its popular film adaptation. Revel in the Motown-flavored music and kooky plot based on a bloodthirsty plant.
Headbang at a battle of the bands
The details:
- Old Ironsides, 1901 10th St., Sacramento
- 7 p.m., March 6 (Friday)
- $10
To paraphrase AC/DC: “It’s a long way to the top if you wanna rock ‘n’ roll” — and perhaps nab a spot at one of the world’s mightiest heavy metal festivals. Bands from throughout Northern California will duke it out Friday at Old Ironsides in the first round of “Wacken Metal Battle.”
The triumphant band will move to further rounds, with a final champion earning a spot at Wacken Open Air, a festival in Germany headlined this year by Judas Priest and Def Leppard. Come out and throw some horns for the bands you like best.
Savor a visual feast of contemporary art
The details:
- Timeless Thrills Gallery, 3714 J St., Sacramento
- 6 p.m., March 7 (Saturday, opening reception)
- Free entry
Amine Rastgar’s paintings flow with a sense of street energy and escape. His influences as avid cyclist with an early background in graffiti come to life through his solo exhibition, “Present Day Babylon,” which opens Saturday at Timeless Thrills Gallery.
You’ll find vibrant cartoonish elements, including dog figures that are a thread in his work, that reflect broader themes of mortality and the madness of modern life. Dig in to the sense of movement and visual punch of the exhibition, which runs through April 18.
More events you won’t want to miss
Let’s keep it going with bonus picks for this week and beyond:
- First Friday at the Warehouse Artists Lofts in Sacramento’s R Street Corridor on March 6.
- Drop Dead Red’s farewell show at Harlow’s in Midtown Sacramento on March 6.
- Dorothy Meets Alice, Or, The Wizard of Wonderland at Sutter Street Theatre in Folsom from March 7-29.
- Ton of Tone Festival at Blue Goose Event Center in Loomis on March 7.
- Sacramento Choral Society performs Dvorak’s Requiem at Downtown Sacramento’s SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center on March 7.
- Out the Way on J at Sacramento Memorial Auditorium on March 7. Read more about it in this story from Natachi Mez, a new Abridged Community Reporter.
Before I go,
It’s just a matter of months until the heavy metal masses head to Discovery Park for the Aftershock festival. Yesterday’s lineup was announced with My Chemical Romance, Wu-Tang Clan and Tool among the headliners for its Oct. 1-4 run. We’ll keep tabs on Aftershock along with other festivals headed our way in the coming months.
Stay in touch at christo916@gmail.com to recommend events and artists you’d like to see in Cultural Capital. Rock on!
Chris Macias is a regular contributor, writing Cultural Capital for Abridged.