Weeknights out: Los Lobos, ‘The Sound of (Black) Music’ and artist Eric Theise

Leap Day comes but once every four years. Here’s a sampling of ideas to make the most of that extra February day. Celebrate this rare event with a special appearance by a legendary band or learn how a Bay Area artist created a piece currently showing atop Salesforce Tower. The day before, catch a revitalized spin on “The Sound of Music” through the lens of Black roots music.

‘The Sound of (Black) Music’
Rodgers and Hammerstein’s beloved musical “The Sound of Music” gets a vibrant retelling with Stanford Live’s “The Sound of (Black) Music,” a joyful one-act concert that revitalizes classic songs such as “Do-Re-Mi” and “Edelweiss” through a Black roots music lens, incorporating gospel, funk, soul and Afrobeat sounds. “The production aims to reclaim the legacy of Black music and highlight its central role in shaping American culture,” according to Stanford Live. Vocalists Brianna Thomas, Charenée Wade and more are backed by a lively full band. 
Feb. 28, 7:30 p.m., Bing Concert Hall, 327 Lasuen St., Stanford, $32, live.stanford.edu.

Los Lobos’ Fit Kids Benefit
With rock at its foundation, Los Lobos’ sound draws on a variety of influences, including country, Americana, R&B and traditional Latin genres like cumbia and norteña. Their most recent single, “Rip It Up,” released last summer, embraces a rockabilly sensibility. Their musical versatility and virtuosity have brought the band multiple Grammys over the years, not to mention serious longevity. Late last year, Los Lobos marked their 50th anniversary with a concert at the East L.A. high school where its members met. Los Lobos swings by The Guild to play a fundraiser for Menlo Park-based nonprofit Fit Kids, which aims to ensure that all children “are able to enjoy the physical and mental health benefits of exercise,” according to the organization’s website.  
Feb. 29, 7 p.m. at The Guild, 949 El Camino Real, Menlo Park, $175-$350, guildtheatre.com.

‘Map’ art atop Salesforce Tower
Artist and software developer Eric Theise comes to Stanford’s David Rumsey Map Center to discuss a truly towering achievement. His piece “If Map #5” has been projected during the month of February onto the eight-story digital display atop Salesforce Tower in San Francisco. Theise, whose area of expertise as a developer is in geographic data, used local maps to create the 10-minute looping film. “If Map #5” captures the streets below the tower and the Bay Area landscape beyond it in colorful, shifting patterns, from the long line of the Bay Bridge to the squiggle of Lombard Street. In the talk “Eight Stories High, Comically Lo-Res, Visible for Twenty Miles: Spiraling Maps Atop Salesforce Tower,” Theise discusses his influences, his use of open source technologies and his collaborations with musicians and sound designers.
 Feb. 29, 3:15-5 p.m. at Green Library, Bing Wing, 459 Lasuen Mall, Stanford. Free. events.stanford.edu.