Jacksonville Today Arts and Culture Editor Matt Shaw shares his arts and culture picks for the weekend.
Friday
Amplified Avondale
St. Johns Avenue | Historic Avondale
Businesses along Avondale’s main drag, St. Johns Avenue, host a lineup of local musicians and pop-up art experiences for Friday’s Amplified Avondale. Among other scheduled performances, singer-songwriter Tori Nance plays at Shores Liquor, gypsy-jazz group Junco Royals performs at Mellow Mushroom and world-music connoisseur DJ Papi Disco spins at the Casbah Cafe. The event is held from 6 p.m-9 p.m. It’s free to attend, though probably best enjoyed from one of the participating venues’ patios while sipping a drink. More info.
Friday & Saturday
No Exit
Swisher Theater | Arlington
Regional company Lumen Repertory Theatre brings Sartre’s 1944 play No Exit to Jacksonville University’s Swisher Theater, beginning with two performances on Friday and Saturday. An existentialist tale from the French intellectual who popularized the theory, No Exit tracks the story of three roommates cohabiting… well… let’s just say they live somewhere down South. Friday’s public premiere and Saturday’s performance are both at 7:30 p.m. Tickets and more info.
Saturday
Summertime in the City
James Weldon Johnson Park | Downtown Jacksonville
The urban arts festival Summertime in the City comes to James Weldon Johnson Park on Saturday in celebration of hip-hop (which turns 50 years young this year). An open-style rap battle, graffiti exhibition, breakdancing and a lineup of emcees and DJ’s are all planned, as is a live podcast stage hosted by the local MPN Network, which will bring some of Jacksonville’s most-listened-to audio productions to life. The event is from 4 p.m.-9:30 p.m. It’s free to attend. More info.