Virtual entertainment highlights: Blue Ox Music Fest, radio melodrama, Jeff Daniels

Blue Ox Virtual Music Festival

Friday-Saturday: If a music fest fell in the woods with no audience there to watch it, would it still make a sound? Twin Cities bluegrass vets Pert Near Sandstone will answer that this weekend, when they're raising their usual string-band ruckus for a truly unusual virtual installment of their annual Blue Ox Music Fest. They'll perform live via YouTube and Facebook from the otherwise vacant Whispering Pines campground in Eau Claire, Wis., touting their sophisticated but fun new album, "Rising Tide." They're also raising money for charity and hosting satellite performances from some other would-be Blue Oxers, including Del McCoury, Lissie, Charlie Parr, Sam Bush, Lillie Mae and Them Coulee Boys. (Fri. & Sat., set times TBA at blueoxmusicfestival.com.) Chris Riemenschneider

The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society

Monday: Park Square's latest venture into virtual performance comes in the form of a radio play, as local theater denizens bring to life "The Great God Pan," an 1894 novella by horror writer and mystic Arthur Machen. The recorded production has all the accoutrements of a radio show of bygone days, including commercials and sound effects. It will be presented over Zoom with live introductions and a live post-show discussion. Tim Uren adapted the novel for radio, and performs along with local funny folks Joseph Scrimshaw, Eric Webster and Shanan Custer. It's all a coproduction of the Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society, presented by Ghoulish Delights. (7:30 p.m. Mon., $15, parksquaretheatre.org.)

Sheila Regan

Jeff Daniels

Wednesday: The award-winning actor and sometimes singer is kicking off his nine-city summer virtual livestreaming tour in Minneapolis via the Dakota. Known for the movie "Dumb and Dumber" and his recent Broadway turn in "To Kill a Mockingbird," Daniels has been writing songs for four decades and recorded a dozen albums. The Michigander loves the whimsical ("If William Shatner Can, I Can Too," "Baby Take Your Tongue Outta My Mouth, I'm Kissing You G'bye") with lots of humorous chatter in concert. But he gets serious, too, on such terrific tunes as the twangy "Good on the Bad Side of Town," the Midwestern anthem "Takin' I-94" and the social commentary "Hard to Hear the Angels Sing." A live Q&A will follow. (7 p.m. Wed., $15, dakotacooks.com). Jon Bream

BLUE OX MUSIC FESTIVAL: Virtual streaming with performances by Pert Near Sandstone, Sam Bush, Lissie, Charlie Parr, Them Coulee Boys and more. today-Sat. blueoxmusicfestival.com.

DEUTSCHE TAGE: The Germanic festival goes virtual. Volkslieder Sing-along. 7 p.m. today; Joey Johnson Band. 7 p.m. Sat. gai-mn.org.

THE FRATELLIS: 7 p.m. today. https://bit.ly/3cPcYtR.

MINNESOTA IRISH MUSIC AT HOME: Brian Miller. 7 p.m. today; Conal O'Grada. 3 p.m. Sat.; Sean Gavin, Danny Diamond and Brian Miller. 7:30 p.m. Sat.; Matt Cranitch. 3 p.m. Sat. centerforirishmusic.asapconnected.com.

LIFE OUT LOUD: Buendia Productions' virtual concert series with DJ Jota. 8 p.m. today. Facebook.

TED HAJNASIEWICZ: 10 a.m. Sat. Facebook.

ARENA: 7 p.m. Sat. Facebook.

KELLEY HUNT: With Allena Ross. 7 p.m. Sat. Facebook.

MICHAEL MONROE: 7 p.m. Sat. Facebook.

DHARMA: 8 p.m. Sat. Facebook.

LESLIE VINCENT: 7 p.m. Mon. Facebook and Instagram.

JEREMY MESSERSMITH: 8 p.m. Mon. Instagram.

DARK ENERGY: With Riki, Kris Baha, Endif and Light Asylum DJ Set. 9 p.m. Sat. Facebook.

DAKOTA DAVE HULL: 10 a.m. Tue. Facebook.

CAPRI GLEE ZOOM CHOIR: 7 p.m. Tue. thecapritheater.org.

DAKOTA: Jeff Daniels. 7 p.m. Wed. $15; the Singing Out virtual tour with Heather Mae and Crys Matthews. 8:30 p.m. Thu. $15. dakotacooks.com.

HIP @ HOME: Twin Cities Early Music's series of live performances recorded or streamed from performers' homes and locations without audiences. tcearlymusic.org.

ARTS

ALLEGED THEATRE COMPANY: Livestream performance of "Which Middle Name of 'Philip Seymour Hoffman' Are You?" 7:30 p.m. today. Eventbrite.

ACME COMEDY CO: Bryan Miller, Robert Baril and Corey Adam. 8 p.m. today-Sat. acmecomedycompany.com.

COMEDYSPORTZ: 7:30 p.m. Sat. Facebook.

BRAVE NEW WORKSHOP: A digital comedy series. 8 p.m. Sat. Facebook and YouTube.

MICHAEL'S MONDAY MADNESS: Virtual happy hour with Michael Brindisi, artistic director of Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, and actor Michelle Barber. 5 p.m. Mon. Facebook.

PARK SQUARE THEATRE: "The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society." 7:30 p.m. Mon. $15. parksquaretheatre.org.

HUGE THEATER: "Show X Rerun," previously performed shows. 8 p.m. Mon. YouTube.

THEATER THURSDAY: Previous recordings of Landmark Center's history plays. Noon. Thu. landmarkcenter.org.

LIBRARY HAPPY HOUR: A discussion of pop culture and irrelevant topics. Hosted by Hennepin County Public Library. 5 p.m. Thu. hclib.bibliocommons.com.

MELAKU BELAY: The leader of Fendika discusses Ethiopian performance culture. 7:30 p.m. Thu. Cedar Cultural Center Facebook and YouTube.

GROVELAND GALLERY: "House & Universe," works by Michael Banning. Also new work by Kristie Bretzke. Ends June 30. grovelandgallery.com.

INTERACT CENTER FOR VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS: "We Are Not Disposable," a virtual exhibition of works by 44 artists responding to public perceptions about disabilities. shop.interactcenter.org. Ends Aug. 1.

THE M @HOME: Online engagement from the Minnesota Museum of American Art, including short videos of the current exhibition, "A Choice of Weapons, Honor and Dignity: The Visions of Gordon Parks and Jamel Shabazz." mmaa.org.

MSP FILM SOCIETY: "Virtual Cinema," selected films. mspfilm.org.

MINNSKY THEATRE: "Pokeus Hoekus," a free digital "Hocus Pocus" parody. YouTube. Ends June 14.

OMNIFEST AT HOME: View films from the Science Museum of Minnesota's annual film festival, including "Dinosaurs Alive," "Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs" and "Wild Ocean." smm.org.

OPEN EYE FIGURE THEATRE: "The Learning Fairy." Ends June 30. openeyetheatre.org.

TRYLON CINEMA: Online streaming of feature films. trylon.org.

WALKER AT HOME: Online archive of dialogues, live artist talks and film retrospectives. "Faye Driscoll: Come On In" online experience. Jewelry & Accessory Makers Mart through Sun. walkerart.org.

WAM@HOME: Virtual art tours of the Weisman Art Museum's collections, kid-friendly activities and livestream videos. wam.umn.edu.

FAMILY

ANOKA COUNTY LIBRARY: Live storytimes. 10:15 a.m. weekdays. Facebook.

RAMSEY COUNTY LIBRARY: Virtual family storytime, 10:30 a.m. today, Mon.; baby storytime, 10:30 a.m. Wed.

COMO PARK ZOO & CONSERVATORY: "Como Live," zookeeper and gardener talks. 1:30 p.m. today, Mon.-Thu. Also a virtual tour of the spring flower show. comozooconservatory.org.

SASSY LASSY TRIVIA: 7 p.m. Sat. Facebook.

ST. PAUL PUBLIC LIBRARY: Storytime. 10:30 a.m. Tue.-Thu. Facebook.

THREE RIVERS PARKS: Naturalist Storytime. Noon today; Nature's Classroom. 10 a.m. Mon.-Fri.; Storytime With Mississippi Gateway. 10:30 a.m. Mon.-Fri.; Storytime in the Barn. 10 a.m. Mon.; Activities to Try. 11 a.m. Mon.; Kits & Cubs Nature Class with Freddy the Fox. 2 p.m. Mon.; Make It Monday. 3 p.m. Mon.; Skill Builder. 11 a.m. Tue.; Try It Tuesday. 1 p.m. Tue.; E-Co Art for Kids. 3 p.m. Tue.; Stump the Naturalist. 10:15 a.m. Wed.; Farm-to-Table Cooking With Kids. Noon Wed.; Wildlife Wednesday. 1 p.m. Wed. Facebook.

WASHINGTON COUNTY LIBRARY: Storytime and early literacy programs. 10:30 a.m. weekdays. Facebook.

URBAN EXPEDITION: A virtual sampler of the music, traditions and crafts of Senegal and Sierra Leone. Ends Tue. landmarkcenter.org.

VIRTUAL TRAIN DAYS: A six-part video miniseries highlighting memories of St. Paul's Union Depot, including interviews with railroad experts and train history. Also activities for download. uniondepot.org/traindays.

BOOKS

VIRTUAL FOLD-ALONG: The Minnesota Center for Book Arts leads a class. 11 a.m. today. Facebook.

Shadow puppet workshop. 1 p.m. today; Soman Chainani, author of "The School for Good and Evil Series." 10 a.m. Sat.; Katherine Arden, author of "Winternight" trilogy. 7 p.m. Tue. wasecalesueurlibraries.com/festival.

WILLIAM KENT KRUEGER: "This Tender Land," in conversation with Leif Enger. 5 p.m. Sat. Magers & Quinn Facebook page.

BLACK WRITERS OPEN MIC: 6 p.m. Mon. nextchapterbooksellers.com.

JACK ZIPES: "The Castle of Truth" and "Johnny Breadless." 7 p.m. Tue. Magers & Quinn Facebook page.

MARY LOGUE: "The Streel." 7 p.m. Tue. Crowdcast.