Enjoy East End Events in Peace Before the Summer Rush

Don’t let summer have all the fun this year. As we’re running out of non-summer time to relish before the crowds arrive, we might as well enjoy ourselves. Luckily, there’s plenty to do on the East End, here are some highlights:

Keb’ Mo’ and His Band will be at the Westhampton Performing Arts Center on Saturday, May 19 at 8 p.m. With three Grammy Awards Keb’ Mo’ is one of the most decorated living blues artists. The visionary roots-music storyteller draws heavily on the old-fashioned country blues style with touches of soul and folk. He writes much of his own material and is a master of acoustic, electric and slide guitar. His skilled musicianship and varied musical styles have earned him a legion of loyal fans. 76 Main Street, Westhampton Beach. 631-288-1500, whbpac.org

You’ll have until May 20 to catch East End Collected4 at the Southampton Arts Center. Thirty artists in total—some whose names you’ll recognize, others who might be new—are featured in the exhibition curated by yet another East End artist, Paton Miller. As part of the exhibition, on Saturday, May 5 at 11 a.m. visitors will have a rare opportunity to receive an amazingly meditative sound bath and deep relaxation mindfulness meditation that will melt away stress and leave them feeling calm and recharged—surrounded by art. On Friday, May 18, from 4–6 p.m. educators from the Children’s Museum of the East End will host a free, interactive mixed-media drop-in art workshop for families with children. The closing weekend—May 19 and 20—will see a concert by Mambo Loco and a Curator and Artists Gallery Tour and Toast. 25 Jobs Lane, Southampton. 631-283-0967, southamptonartscenter.org

Redefining Forms, a new exhibition of paintings and drawings by Rockville Centre native Francis Klaess, is on display now at Greenport Harbor Brewing Company. The exhibition features a collection of Klaess’s abstract paintings, juxtaposed against his paintings inspired by the Atlantic Ocean and his drawings of insects, fully illustrating the artist’s exploration of the relationship between internal and the external, tangible and the ineffable. The works include nautical maps, cutout words and lines of text from books and other sources, along with expressive mark making with layers of paint. Enjoy the show, then have a drink. 234 Carpenter Street, Greenport. 631-477-1100. greenportharborbrewing.com

Guild Hall’s 80th Annual Artist Members Exhibition—the oldest non-juried museum exhibition on Long Island and one of the few non-juried exhibitions still offered—runs through Saturday, May 19. This community-centered exhibition is an opportunity to celebrate the artists who live and work right here on the East End. In total, this year’s lively and vibrant exhibition features 383 local artists from every level, exhibiting more than 400 works in every medium. Also stop by the Guild Hall Yard Sale on Saturday, May 12 from 9 a.m.–2 p.m. 158 Main Street, East Hampton. 631-324-0806, guildhall.org

See the great titles of tomorrow at Bay Street Theater’s 5th Annual New Works Festival. The three-day festival starts on Friday, May 4 at 8 pm with Medea: A Rock Musical written by The Kilbanes and directed by Reggie D. White, a contemporary adaptation of a classic tale that uses rock music and an innovative performance style that is part concert, part theatrical performance to explore the beginning of a woman whose end we know all too well.

On Saturday, May 5 at 2 p.m. theater-goers will see A Seagull in the Harbor written by Emily Mann and directed by Stephen Hamilton. This rendition of Chekhov’s classic play, The Seagull, features bright, contemporary language and a modern East End setting that brings the classic story close to home.

On the same day at 8 p.m., The Prompter, written by Wade Dooley and directed by Scott Schwartz, gets its chance on the stage. This new work follows veteran actress Irene Young, who, after a 40-year absence, is returning to the Broadway stage. But now, she can’t do it alone; so, the production hires a young actor to be her prompter.

Last but not least, on Sunday, May 6 at 3 pm the Jennifer Maisel­–written, Will Pomerantz–directed, Eight Nights, which tells the story of the lives that inhabit an apartment from 1949 to 2016, takes the stage. 1 Bay Street, Sag Harbor. 631-725-9500, baystreet.org

Get a taste of summer at Suffolk Theater with That 70s Band Summer Preview on Friday, May 4. From Earth, Wind, and Fire and KC & The Sunshine Band to The Commodores, That 70s Band plays all the disco and funk hits of the decade. Blending the rhythm and blues the fifties were known for with the sounds of soul that rocked the sixties, The Drifters are synonymous with classic R&B and are hitting the Suffolk stage on Saturday May 5.

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member and founder of The Byrds, Roger McGuinn, brings his distinct sound on Saturday, May 12. Jay White, internationally acclaimed for his astounding portrayal of Neil Diamond and his renditions of all of Diamond’s hits, brings his America’s Diamond show (approved by Neil Diamond himself) to Suffolk on Friday, May 18. The legendary Jefferson Starship returning to Suffolk Saturday, May 19. All shows listed begin at 8 p.m. 118 East Main Street, Riverhead. 631-727-4343, suffolktheater.com

You can always see Roy Lichtenstein’s monumental sculpture, Tokyo Brushstroke I & II simply driving by the Parrish Art Museum. Inside, the special exhibition, Image Building: How Photography Transforms Architecture, a comprehensive survey that explores the dynamic relationship between architecture, photography, and the viewer, is now on view. The exhibition is Organized thematically into “Cityscapes,” “Domestic Spaces” and “Public Places” examining the relationship between contemporary and historical approaches to photographing buildings in urban, suburban, and rural environments. 279 Montauk Highway, Water Mill. 631-283-2118, parrishart.org

Art-lovers will get a special opportunity in May when Sag Harbor’s Reynold Ruffins will show a series of paintings at the John Jermain Memorial Library. Ruffins’s current works are preceded by a career as an illustrator and designer, which includes being a founding member of the world-famous Push Pin Studio. Fans and soon-to-be fans alike can meet Ruffins at the artist reception on Saturday, May 12 from 2:30–4:40 p.m. 201 Main Street, Sag Harbor. 631-725-0049, johnjermain.org

Sylvester Manor’s 2018 Summer Concert Series pops off with two shows on Saturday, May 12 (6 p.m. and 8 p.m.) by the New Acoustic Band. The band features Karl Schwarz, Gregory Morgan and David Barnes and was built around the sounds of traditional acoustic blues and spiritual tunes. They perform the music of the Reverend Gary Davis, Robert Johnson, Sam Chatmon, Mississippi John Hurt and the like. The Sylvester Manor Farmstand also opens May 12 at 9 a.m. So come for the fresh produce, stay for the tunes. 80 North Ferry Road, Shelter Island. 631-749-0626, sylvestermanor.org

For more fun pre-summer events visit DansPapers.com/Events.