I've had the good fortune to interview playwright Idris Goodwin twice. Therefore, I know enough to know that I want to be in the audience for Hands Up, a series of seven monologues—one of which is Goodwin's—that create a “personal and political response to the deaths of unarmed black people.” Originally commissioned by The New Black Fest, a NYC-based theater organization, this piece is set to be an unmissable piece in this year's Revolutions Festival. Grab a ticket for Hands Up for $18-$24, and find yourself in the audience on Thursday, March 30, at 8pm or Saturday, April 1, at 4pm. (Maggie Grimason)

Dig Dastgãh, a modal system of scales or instructions for melodic structures used in Persian music: The melodies described by the forms (there are 12 Dastgãhs) are used to elaborate on, balance, modulate and ornament the temporal and tonal direction in musical compositions. In realization this sort of musical complexity is quite as much beautiful as it is sublimely different from the sounds and scales we are used to hearing in Western music. Local players the Alborz Trio—Sourena Sefati (composer/santour), Deborah Leah Ungar (clarinet) and Gregory Gutin (percussion)—have become adepts at this ancient and arcane aural practice. They'll be presenting a recital of Persian music compositions, arrangements and improvisations based on the ideas enumerated in Dastgãh-based music theory on Saturday, April 1, at the First Unitarian Church of Albuquerque. The concert is called The Sound of Peace. Sefati is an expert on the tradition, having performed for a multitude of recordings and concerts in his homeland of Iran before emigrating to the US in 2014, while Ungar and Gutin are longtime members of the local music community, serving as academics and working musicians involved in projects as diverse as the Rumelia Klezmer Band and Trio Andaluz. Tickets range in price from $15-$20; children under 12 may attend for free. (August March)

It's time to celebrate A.R.T.! You know, that great construction project that everyone loves and has already helped the city so much … April fools! It's no secret that A.R.T. has made a humongous dent in the income of businesses along Central. This Saturday, April 1, Winning Coffee, along with other businesses on Harvard, are hosting the April Fools A.R.T. Fest block party to celebrate local patrons as well as the unique area across from UNM. Beginning at 11am, there will be live music, yoga, face painting, aerialists, art, not to mention food and drinks provided by many of the Brick Light District businesses. (Megan Reneau)

Shutterbugs gather up your best pieces and pick some to submit for hanging in the new Bernalillo County headquarters when the gov-peeps move to Alvarado Square, happening now until Monday, August 31. The selected photographs will be printed in a large scale and format. They will be used to create a welcoming environment for county customers, county employees and the general public. Some will be used on the windows of the new Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office suite. The photographs should represent the history and character of Bernalillo County and its people, places, landscapes and unique events in our county. There are some big bucks involved as chosen photographers will receive $1,500, with a limit of one photograph per artist. The chosen photos will become part of the public art program’s permanent collection. There is no fee or age limit required to submit. For more information, visit bernco.gov/community-services/current-call-for-entries.aspx. Ends August 31. (Carolyn Carlson)