Ethiopian jazz, roots and funk music has enjoyed a well-deserved appreciation in the West for the last two decades, due in part to several reissues and compilations from the ’60s and ’70s making their way to the right record collectors and tastemakers. Qwanqwa is a quintet from the nation’s capital of Addis Ababa, and represents the new generation of Ethiopian musicians building on the fantastic sounds of the past and creating new tunes for those of us lucky enough to catch an earful. You can be among that group tonight at 9 p.m. at the Miniplex, and I highly suggest you snag a $20 advance ticket, as I cannot guarantee how many $25 door spots will be available the night of.
If you didn’t make the list for that one, fear not. There’s another hot show going down at the Outer Space. And it starts at 7 p.m., so you might even be able to double-dip! Nighttime is the “cosmic folk” solo act from Los Angeles of one Louise Goodman, who will be in good company with the indie folk pop and global forest tones of local supporters Wild Abandon and Die Geister Beschwören ($10-$20 suggested).
This article appears in Summer of Fun 24.