Devo set for major Meltdown

Devo is on its way to the East Bay.

The highly influential new wave band — which formed in Akron, Ohio, in 1973 — is set to headline the first day of the Mosswood Meltdown festival in Oakland. So, turn on out on Saturday to hear Devo perform such fan favorites as “Girl U Want,” “Planet Earth, “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” “Secret Agent Man,” “Uncontrollable Urge,” “Gates of Steel,” “Freedom of Choice” and, of course, “Whip It.”

Looking beyond Devo, the Mosswood July 19 lineup also features Osees, Exploding Hearts and other acts. The Sunday bill — yes, Mosswood Meltdown is a two-day affair — is topped by legendary riot grrrl act Bratmobile and also boasts Shannon and the Clams, La Luz, Oakland vocalist Kreayshawn and more.

Devo’s Mosswood Meltdown appearance is part of the band’s ongoing (and lengthy) farewell tour. Fans will have yet another chance to wave goodbye to Devo when it returns to the Bay Area for a performance on Oct. 16 at Shoreline Amphitheatre at Mountain View. That South Bay date is part of a co-headlining run with The B-52’s, the Athens, Georgia pop-rockers who are also in the midst of an ever-extending farewell jaunt.

Details: Mosswood Meltdown runs 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; two-day festival passes start at $176.28, single-day VIP tickets are $227.83 for Saturday and $135.05 for Sunday; mosswoodmeltdown.com.

— Jim Harrington, Staff

Tune into Radio Day

Who said radio is dead? In one Bay Area city — the charmingly locked-in-time Alameda — the more-than-a-century-old medium is given a celebratory bash that gets bigger and more elaborate with each passing year.

The 2025 Radio Day by the Bay Festival, taking place July 19 at the headquarters of the California Historical Radio Society, fetes radio broadcasting’s golden age and its hopefully bright future. What will be “on the air?” Well, there’s a live jazz orchestra to keep the crowds swinging and live radio plays to deliver suspense and thrills. An auction offers the chance to own vintage gems like a 1950s “Lone Ranger” AM radio and a wood-paneled Zenith shortwave from 1939.

The radio society is giving tours of its museum with all its Inspector Gadget-type widgets and gizmos — be sure to check out the “Ham Station,” which does not feature smoked meat. And there’s a surplus-electronics sale, a boombox-building contest and food trucks, all set to the melodious commentary of local radio hosts Hoyt Smith and Sylvia Chacon.

Details: Event takes place 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday at 2152 Central Ave., Alameda; http://chrsradio.org/radioday

— John Metcalfe, staff

‘My Fair Lady’ returns to roots

Forget the simmering romance that you might think of when you remember the 1964 movie musical “My Fair Lady.” Think instead of “Pygmalion.”

San Francisco Playhouse’s altogether delightful production of the musical, while complete with Lerner and Loewe’s familiar songs, takes its gravitas not from Hollywood but from George Bernard Shaw’s original play and the 1938 movie version that followed.

You know the story: Professor Henry Higgins makes a bargain with colleague Col. Pickering that he can take a raggedy street girl — Eliza Doolittle, whom he encounters selling flowers in Covent Garden — and transform her, basically move her up a few classes, by turning her screechy Cockney into the dulcet tones of a duchess. We watch Eliza grow into a lady, we follow her relationships with the three men in her new life and we see how confirmed bachelor Henry Higgins is ultimately changed by his interaction with her.

S.F. Playhouse’s large-cast play is a treat for all the senses: songs accompanied by a small backstage orchestra (music direction by Dave Dobrusky); a big, impressive rotating set (designed by Nina Ball); terrific performances both comic and emotional; a few great singing voices (Jillian A. Smith’s pure soprano as Eliza, and Nicholas Tabora’s wistful “On the Street Where You Live” as the smitten Freddy); and Abra Berman’s dazzling period costumes. And wait for the ending — it might surprise you, but it’s exactly right.

Details: Through Sept. 13, San Francisco Playhouse, 450 Post St., San Francisco; $52-$135; sfplayhouse.org.

— Jean Schiffman, Bay City News Foundation

Heist movie makes for escapist fun

In “Suspicious Minds,” the heist itself is downright silly — snatching a bejeweled $240 million tiara right off a bride-to-be’s noggin’ during a swanky rich-and-famous tropical destination wedding.

But the cast — Silvia Alonso as sexy thief Amber and Álex González as her smoldering colleague and romantic counterpart — are so good looking, your glasses almost steam up. So if you’re in the mood for a pleasant enough time-waster that’s packed with stunning vacation-ready locales, PG-13 flirtations, squabbling newlyweds and a batch of thieves (including a gymnast) seeking to stick it to the ultra-rich Mexican oil tycoon Emilio Villegas (Asier Etxeandia), kick back and let it all in. Logic goes overboard from the start of this slick, superficial Spanish production that bounces from Las Vegas (a peppy little dance number between the two principals dressed as Marilyn and Elvis serves as a high point) to the family’s sigh-worthy private island.

Everything gets played too broadly, which kills some of the joy that could have been had here, but this is worthwhile entertainment that demands absolutely nothing from your grey matter.

Details: Six episodes, now available on Hulu and Disney+.

— Randy Myers, Correspondent

Classical picks: Music@Menlo, Zimmer’s greatest hits, bach

The Bay Area’s classical music scene doesn’t take summers off — far from it. With festivals, special events and more on the calendar, here are three can’t-miss attractions coming our way.

Music@Menlo: Founded in 2003 by the dynamic husband-and-wife directors cellist David Finckel and pianist Wu Han, this annual chamber music festival always draws an impressive roster of top artists to the Bay Area. With the company’s 23rd season opening this weekend, “Constellations: Ensemble Magic” features events including 40 performing artists in seven mainstage programs, Carte Blanche concerts, pre-concert talks and much more. Details: Friday through Aug. 9, Menlo School’s Spieker Center for the Arts, Menlo Park; $25-$90; musicatmenlo.org.

Movie Music: So many great works by classical composers find their way into the films we love, and composer Hans Zimmer has proven one of the most prolific. This week, selections from his movie scores, including “Gladiator,” “The Lion King” and others are center stage in “Movie Music of Hans Zimmer.” The event is presented by the San Francisco Symphony in two locations, with special guest contralto Sara Couden as soloist. Details: 7:30 p.m. today at Frost Amphitheater, Stanford University; 7:30 p.m. Friday at Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco; $69-$199; sfsymphony.org.

Bach in Carmel: One of the top attractions of this year’s Carmel Bach Festival comes this weekend, with a performance of Bach’s Mass in B-Minor. This towering work is a specialty for the organization, and this year’s soloists are soprano Clara Rottsolk, mezzo-soprano Guadalupe Paz, tenor Brian Gieble, and bass-baritone Dashon Burton. Details: 3 p.m. Sunday; Sunset Center, Carmel; $37-$98; bachfestival.org.

— Georgia Rowe, Correspondent