Weekly Planner
Boyz II Men
These R&B hitmakers are renowned for their silky smooth soul sound and a number of hit pop singles. Throughout the ’90s, the then-quartet churned out slow jams that resonated across middle-school gymnasiums and radio airwaves. Covers of popular songs like “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday” and “In the Still of the Night” were instant sensations in their day but they joined some elite company when their single “On Bended Knee,” replaced their previous No. 1 song, “I’ll Make Love to You.” Details: 8 p.m. Friday, Sept 2. Wild Horse Pass Casino, 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd., Chandler. $55-$115. 800-946-4452, wingilariver.com. — Anthony Sandoval
Jen Kirkman
Kirkman,Times Myself” bestselleralso who starsis “I thein Cana author Netflix Barely of originalTakethe New Care comedyYorkof special “I’m Gonna Die Alone (And I Feel Fine).” Kirkman is also a regular on numerous late night shows like “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and her weekly podcast “I Seem Fun: The Diary of Jen Kirkman” is typically in the top 100 on iTunes. Details: Sept. 1-3. 7:30 p.m. Thursday; 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Friday; 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday. Stand Up Scottsdale, 5101 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. $10 and $15. 480-882-0730, standupscottsdale.com. — Alison Stanton
‘Or,’
Aphra Behn, a spy who became England’s first professional female playwright in the 17th century, inspired this playful comedy by Liz Duffy Adams, which opens the 2016-17 season for Southwest Shakespeare Company. Using 20th-century vernacular, the playwright draws a connection between the cultural earthquakes of the 1660s and the 1960s. Details: Friday, Sept. 2, through Saturday, Sept. 17. Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main St. $15-$44. 480-644-6500, mesaartscenter.com, swshakespeare.org. – Kerry Lengel
Tedeschi Trucks Band
Susan Tedeschi had already earned five Grammy nominations by the time she and her husband, slide guitarist Derek Trucks, joined forces, bringing home a best-blues-album Grammy for their first joint effort, “Revelator,” which felt a bit like Derek and the Dominoes as fronted by a woman, blending blues and soul with occasional hints of a ’70s soft-rock vibe. And they’re still going strong two albums later, touring on “Let Me Get By,” which inspired a Pop Matters writer to rave that it’s “finally the record that capitalizes on the promise this collective has had from the start.” Details: 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 2. The Pool at Talking Stick Resort, 9800 E. Indian Bend Road, Scottsdale. $25-$100. 480- 850-7734, talkingstickresort.com. — Ed Masley
‘The Velocity of Autumn’
A feisty 79-year-old stocks up on improvised explosive devices to stop her kids from moving her out of her home in this comedy from iTheatre Collaborative. Estelle Parsons starred in the 2013 Broadway production. Fun fact about the prolific playwright Eric Coble: He was born in Scotland but raised on the Navajo and Ute reservations in the American Southwest. Details: Friday, Sept. 2, through Saturday, Sept. 17. Herberger Theater Center, 222 E. Monroe St., Phoenix. $20. 602-252-8497, herbergertheater.org, itheatreaz.org. – Kerry Lengel
Saboten Con
The ninth annual Saboten Con is the largest anime convention in Arizona, with about 28,000 attendees in 2015, according to their website. Attendees can enter cosplay contests, buy anime and manga merchandise in the vendor hall or choose from over 100 panels. Saboten has 18 special guests, including Los Angeles-based anime and video-game voice actor Kyle Hebert who is known for Wreck it Ralph/Street Fighter, Naruto and Bleach. All ages are welcome. Details: Friday-Monday, Sept. 2-5. Registration starts at 10 a.m.; pre-registration is Thursday, Sept. 1, 7-10 p.m. Sheraton Downtown Phoenix hotel, 340 N. Third Street, Phoenix. $50 for full event membership; $15-25 daily memberships. 480-428-2776, sabotencon.com. — Samantha Incorvaia
‘3C’
Nearly Naked Theatre resurrects the ’70s sitcom “Three’s Company” as a black comedy that deconstructs the homophobic culture of the era. (After the play’s 2012 premiere, writer David Adjmi had to go to court to establish that, as a parody, “3C” doesn’t infringe on the copyright of one of the most mocked series in television history.) Details: Saturday, Sept. 3, through Saturday, Sept. 24. Phoenix Theatre, 100 E. McDowell Road. 602-254-2151, nearlynakedtheatre.org. – Kerry Lengel
MAC & Company
Founded by dance teachers Micaela Church and Li Pei Khoo in 2014, MAC & Company is looking to make an impact on the Valley’s small but passionate contemporary-dance scene. Their next concert, dubbed “2.5,” features new and reimagined works as well as a musical performance by resident composer Jeffrey Ouper. Details: 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 3. Tempe Center for the Arts, 700 W. Rio Salado Parkway. $15. 480-350-2822, tempe.gov/ tca. – Kerry Lengel
Drake
Since topping the rap charts with his triple-platinum breakthrough single, “Best I Ever Had,” Aubrey Drake Graham has sent five titles to the top of Billboard’s album chart — including the quadruple-platinum “Take Care” and two mixtapes in 2015, “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late” and “What a Time to Be Alive,” his collaboration with Future. That he’s done it with some of the most intriguing mainstream rap songs of the new millennium only makes it that much better. Details: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 6. Talking Stick Resort Arena, Second and Jefferson streets, Phoenix. $44.75-$144.75. ticketmaster.com. — Ed Masley
‘In the Heights’
The 2008 Tony Award winner for best musical was the first hit for “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda and proved that hip-hop and show tunes can make a happy marriage. It’s about a Dominican-American neighborhood in New York fighting to preserve its identity from gentrification. Details: Wednesday, Sept. 7, through Sunday, Oct. 2. Phoenix Theatre, 100 E. McDowell Road. $30-$80 (subject to demand pricing). 602-254-2151, phoenixtheatre.com. – Kerry Lengel