Patty Griffin (Music, Wed. 11)
Legendary singer-songwriter, two-time Grammy winner and Americana Music Association Lifetime Achievement award winner Patty Griffin drops by the historic KiMo Theater (423 Central Ave. SW) for a night of stripped-down folk/Americana music. The show starts at 7:30 p.m on Wednesday, Feb. 11. Tickets run $40 to $55 and should be purchased in advance at artsandculture.cabq.gov/13116/13117.
Bitterfest 2026 (Performance, Fri. 13)
If you’re kind of, you know, over this whole Valentine’s Day thing, then Black Wall Gallery & Events (2125 San Mateo Blvd. NE) might have the event you’re in the mood for. Their annual Bitterfest takes over the stage starting at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 13 (lucky Friday the 13th!). This is an all-ages sober event hosted by comedian Mary Bryrd. It features live poetry from the likes of Andrew Torn and “Read or Green Books Dueling Poet Brides.” Music for the night comes in the form of Rebekkah Dreskin-Evans, Amy Rosette, Shoulder Voices, The Space Buns and Jimmy Deveney. A $10 cover gets you in the door, and if you reserve your ticket in advance at blackwallartandproduction.org you get a free swag bag!
Red Velvet (Performance, Fri. 13)
West End Productions is opening its latest play, Lolita Chakrabarti’s theatrical think piece Red Velvet. The play transports audiences to the turbulent backstage world of London’s Theatre Royal in the early 1800s. Edmund Kean, the greatest actor of his generation is unable to go on stage – leaving young American actor Ira Aldridge to take over the title role in Shakespeare’s Othello. But no black man has ever played Othello on the British stage. This stirring historical drama is based on a groundbreaking true story. It runs Feb. 13 through March 1 (Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m.) at the North Fourth Theatre (4904 Fourth St. NW) Tickets (westendproductions.org/buytickets/) are $24 general admission and $22 students.
Hello Kitty Cafe Truck (Food, Sat. 14)
Fans of all things kawaii (Japanese for “cute”) should flock to Coronado Center (6600 Menaul Blvd. NE) for a visit from the Hello Kitty Cafe Truck. This traveling food truck features loads of official Hello Kitty snacks and drinks (expect to consume plenty of pink stuff), as well as fun merchandise bearing the images of your favorite Sanrio characters. (I’m a Badtz Maru guy, myself.) It happens from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 14 between The Container Store and Barnes & Noble. (Just look for the long lines of girls in hair bows.)
Funeral Process Album Release Party (Music, Sun. 22)
Local deathrock favoriteFuneral Process is hosting an album release party at Launchpad (616 Central Ave. SW) on Sunday, Feb. 22 starting at 7 p.m. Also on the night’s bill are Zerobatz, Future Club and Phantom Riot. Admission is a mere $5, and the first 20 people to buy a CD (support your local artists!) get a “ghoulish” goodie bag! This is a 21+ event, so just lurk in the back alley, kids.
Silversun Pickups (Music, Mon. 23)
American alternative rock band Silversun Pickups hits the Sunshine Theater (120 Central Ave. SW) on Monday, Feb. 23 starting at 8 p.m. The “Tenterhooks Tour” (named after the band’s newest album, their seventh since debuting in 2005) features Pure Hex as a special guest. Tickets run$37.50 to $91.50 and can be purchased in advance at tickets.holdmyticket.com/tickets/453929.