San Rafael
Linda Perry Rocks Fair
With the recent release of the documentary Linda Perry: Let It Die Here in Bay Area theaters and an upcoming tour with the Indigo Girls, singer, songwriter, musician, record producer and reality TV star Perry is enjoying deepening interest in her estimable oeuvre. The former lead singer of 4 Non Blondes—who has worked as a producer and songwriter for artists including Christina Aguilera, P!nk, Alicia Keys, Adele and Dolly Parton—will lend her talents and presence to Stars, Stripes & Stories—the four‑day Marin County Fair this coming Fourth of July weekend. Perry will perform a Pride Day-themed concert at 7:30pm, Friday, July 3, which is aptly timed for this cultural moment, as pretty much everyone is screaming at top of their lungs, “What’s going on?” Other Marin County Fair concerts feature The Family Stone, Steel Pulse, Pete Floyd, Mustache Harbor, Super Diamond, Fleetwood Macramé and Lupita Infante. The Marin County Fair is open daily from 11am to 11pm, July 1-5, at 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael. For concert times, tickets and more information, visit marinfair.org.
Glen Ellen
The Butterfly Tree
Some botanical spectacles announce themselves with fanfare. Others quietly bloom once every few years. Sonoma Botanical Garden is preparing for a rare mass flowering of Emmenopterys henryi, an exceptionally uncommon Chinese tree prized for its fragrant clusters of creamy white blossoms and distinctive wing-like sepals that flutter like butterflies in the breeze. Considered near-threatened in the wild and the sole member of its genus, the species is a living relic of ancient forests that once spanned the Northern Hemisphere. The garden’s towering specimen—grown from seed collected during a 1996 expedition to China—is expected to flower for roughly three weeks, offering visitors a fleeting opportunity to experience one of the world’s most celebrated ornamental trees in full bloom. Nature, as always, keeps its own schedule. Expected to begin this week and continue for approximately three weeks, weather permitting, at Sonoma Botanical Garden, 12841 Hwy. 12, Glen Ellen. More information at sonomabg.org.
Monte Rio & Penngrove
Double Dose of Dirty Cello
Why settle for just one Fourth of July concert when one can catch two? Dirty Cello celebrates Independence Day with performances at opposite ends of Sonoma County, beginning with a lunchtime set at Wonderland Pizzeria in Monte Rio before heading south for an evening show at the Penngrove Pub. Fronted by virtuoso cellist Rebecca Roudman, Dirty Cello has built an international following by swapping the traditional lead guitar for an electrifying cello, blending rock, blues, bluegrass and Americana into high-energy performances that are equal parts concert and hoedown. Whether one is easing into the holiday or ending it on a high note, the band offers two chances to celebrate with one of the North Bay’s most distinctive live acts. 12:30–2:30pm and 7–10pm, Saturday, July 4, at Wonderland Pizzeria, 20391 Hwy. 116, Monte Rio (free), and Penngrove Pub, 10005 Main St. ($12). More information at dirtycello.com.
Larkspur
The Submarine Show
Two performers. No props. No dialogue. Somehow, an entire undersea adventure emerges. The Submarine Show is an award-winning feat of physical comedy from Bay Area clowns Slater Penney and Jaron Hollander, whose imaginative production transforms bodies, voices and movement into a cast of explorers, sea creatures and improbable characters. When two submariners crash to the ocean floor, the result is a nonstop journey through slapstick, mime, clowning and theatrical invention that has entertained audiences worldwide since its 2009 debut. Hollander, a former Cirque du Soleil performer, and Penney bring decades of circus, puppetry and physical theater experience to a family-friendly show at Lark Theater that proves imagination remains the greatest special effect. 4pm, Saturday, July 11, at Lark Theater, 549 Magnolia Ave., Larkspur. Tickets and more information at larktheater.net.
