Palenke Arts has been a force for good in Seaside since 2016. The non-profit organization’s focus on offering free and low cost arts-based classes and events to many families who would not traditionally be able to afford them is just one aspect of the work that Executive Director/Founder Juan Sanchez, with his multicultural Board of Directors and staff of artists and musicians, has done to provide positive experiences not only for Seaside students, but for Monterey County residents as a whole.

“We aim to address the issue of inequity in the arts by imbuing our programs with high-interest, culturally-relevant offerings that are accessible for everyone,” the mission statement reads.

To that end, on Sunday, Palenke Arts presents Al Firdaus Ensemble, a quintet from Granada, Spain, located in what was the heart of Al-Andalus (a historical map of the Muslim-ruled area of the Iberian Peninsula, 711 to 1492). The group promises to take listeners on a Sufi-inspired musical journey, providing an opportunity to appreciate diverse musical traditions from East and West, rooted in faith, love of the Prophet Muhammad and with an uplifting message in the spirit of human dignity.

Instrumentation includes violin, guitar, percussion, Qanun (a descendent of the old Egyptian harp), and lute, with four vocalists, two lead and two backing. A lot of the information provided on the music dives deep into the history of the Islamic world, which is not exactly my forte. So in the spirit of simplification, the band’s songs explore the relationships between different musical traditions such as Flamenco, Andalusí, Syrian, Celtic and Sudanese music, sometimes blending them. They’ve taken ancient manuscripts and interpreted the lyrics in a way that they would fit into traditional Moroccan melodies. What you’ll hear is a taste of the rich and harmonious musical tradition that echoes the beauty of the civilization that produced great monuments such as the Córdoba Mosque and the Alhambra Palace.

Instead of armchair traveling, come out to support this program that brings a slice of Spanish life you probably wouldn’t even get if you physically traveled there. The event takes place from 3-5 p.m. at the Palenke Arts campus at the International School of Monterey’s Auditorium, 1720 Yosemite St., Seaside. Tickets are $30 and available through www.eventbrite.com. In the search option put in the band’s name Al Firdaus Ensemble. For more information you can visit www.palenkearts.org or call (831) 899-9909. On the website you’ll find a more detailed band biography.

In the next two weeks at the Golden State Theatre there are five nights of eclectic programming. And that is one very big understatement. While I tend to focus mostly on music events, I find this string of programming to be kind of curious and for the curious of mind. To begin with, Thursday is a talk about mushrooms, “An Evening with Paul Stamets, Renowned Mycologist.” The central premise he makes is that habitats have immune systems, just like people, and mushrooms are the cellular bridges between the two. Our close evolutionary relationship to fungi can be the basis for novel pairings that lead to greater sustainability and immune enhancement. That should whet your appetite. Do dig deeper, no pun intended, and visit www.goldenstatetheatre.com for all the details.

Saturday “History That Doesn’t Suck, with Professor Greg Jackson.” Never thought I could learn so much at the Golden State Theatre. In its description you’re asked to skip the classroom and step into a night of American history-telling, live music and multimedia. When did podcasts become live entertainment? Guess it’s a thing now because this is not the only program this week that arose from a podcast. This one evidently comes from the top-ranked history podcast by Jackson and he tells the epic tale of “The Unlikely Union,” “weaving defining moments in American history (1754-1865) into a thrilling narrative of the struggle and triumph of a young nation to form, define and reform itself. Travel back in time through epic storytelling of familiar and unsung real characters from history, and return with real context for today.” Perhaps this is something the American electorate needs to make informed decisions at the polls. Oops, too late. But it’s never too late to learn something new.

Coming up Nov. 21 is something you’re more likely to expect, a night of live music with 10,000 Maniacs. The band has covered plenty of ground in its 35-plus years, from cult-herodom to international stardom, to their current status as a cornerstone alternative band. But the sound and spirit of 10,000 Maniacs remains consistent. That’s good news. The live shows embrace their entire catalogue and the lineup is still anchored by four of the six original members. I can’t speak for the current lineup but in the early-’90s the band appeared at one of the Laguna Seca Days (Daze) rock festivals that Bill Graham Presents produced and it was thrilling to catch Natalie Merchant with the band, just prior to her departure to go solo. The fact the band is still around is impressive in itself. The full story can be found on the venue’s website.

The second podcast spinoff, or maybe more like an everything online spinoff, is Nov. 22, encapsulated in the hilarious “Cat & Nat’s Reckless Abandonment Tour.” You probably don’t have to be a mother to have heard of these two ladies from Toronto. But that is who they’re talking to and about when they get together to dish on all the things motherhood. It started as a way to quash the feeling of isolation they were dealing with as they tended to their broods. They set out to bring women and moms together by hosting dinner parties and events, with wine and without babies. The success they had with the parties in Toronto began to be talked about all over and it lead them to take things to the next level. They broke into the online world to reach more people. Their rapidly growing community of like-minded moms tune in to watch them rewrite the paradigm of “the perfect mom.” Through their virally famous #Momstruths videos, which have garnered hundreds of millions of views, their Facebook Lives and Instagram stories, their best-selling book and iHeartRadio award-nominated podcast, Cat & Nat share everything moms think but are too afraid to talk about.

And to top off this wild and crazy ride, you really don’t want to miss Scott Bradlee’s Post Modern Jukebox The “Ten” Tour. In a nutshell, the rotating collective performs “Today’s Hits Yesterday.” And this is its 10-year anniversary fall tour with a stop at the Golden State Theatre, Nov. 23. New York pianist Scott Bradlee founded the band concept in 2011. Known for reworking popular modern music into different vintage genres, especially early 20th century forms such as swing and jazz, the group continually morphed into different formations, originating from Bradlee’s basement apartment in New York where he and his college friends began shooting videos. He had struggled for years as a jazz musician in New York City before one of his videos of a medley of ’80s songs done ragtime style became popular in 2009. Although originally most were filmed casually in Bradlee’s apartment living room, sets became more elaborate over time. The band has covered songs by artists ranging from Lady Gaga and the Strokes to Katy Perry and the White Stripes. Since their beginnings as a small group of friends making music in a basement, Postmodern Jukebox has gone on to feature 70 different performers and tour six continents. Once again, it all began with posting videos online. It’s one of the primary ways to stardom these days it seems.

All the above shows at the Golden State Theatre except the Paul Stamets Mushroom talk (7:30 p.m. show, doors at 6 p.m.), begin at 8 p.m., doors open 7 p.m. Visit www.goldenstatetheatre.com for ticket information and to purchase yours.