Spring Back

April 7–9, 8 p.m.
Warner Main Space


The second installment of a biannual Dance department tradition, Spring Back, will complement November’s Fall Forward as a showcase for student choreographers. Often unpredictable and always exciting, the pieces presented will cover a range of styles and artistic visions.

Psycho Beach Party

April 14–16, 7:30 p.m.
April 17, 2 p.m.
Hall Auditorium


Professor of Theater Matthew Wright directs this mishmash parody of Hitchcock thrillers and 1960s beach movies. The tomboy Chicklet Forrest yearns for acceptance from the Malibu Beach surfer crowd, but her split personalities keep holding her back. She encounters a host of outrageous characters along the way, including a supposed Swedish exchange student and a B-movie actress.

Talib Kweli with Brasstracks


April 15, 8 p.m.
Hales Gymnasium


Celebrated hip-hop artist Talib Kweli will stop by Oberlin on his way to his hometown of Brooklyn. Best known as one half of Black Star — a collaboration with Yasiin Bey (formerly Mos Def), who played at the ’Sco in 2013 — and for his work with superstar producers like Kanye West and Pharrell Williams, Kweli combines the lyrical and political to produce conscious rap. He’ll perform alongside the Lebanon, Ohio group Brasstracks, Oberlin’s And What!? and 16 yr old.

Dido and Aeneas

April 15–16, 7 p.m.
April 17, 3 p.m.
 Hall Auditorium


Henry Purcell’s baroque opera packs a lot of beauty into its one-hour runtime. Based on the fourth book of Virgil’s Aeneid, it has inspired countless interpretations, including one set in a 1950s American high school and an underwater dance performance. This version is presented by the Conservatory’s Historical Performance department in collaboration with Case Western Reserve University.

Brad Mehldau Trio


April 21, 7 p.m.
 Finney Chapel


You never know where Brad Mehldau will take you. The jazz pianist is one of the most versatile in music today, as comfortable covering Nirvana as he is performing classical pieces. He and his longtime trio — including bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jeff Ballard — will perform in Finney Chapel as part of the Artist Recital Series.

Oberlin Spring Folkfest Finale


April 30, 7 p.m.
Finney Chapel


The annual all-day festival dedicated to twangy strings and supple harmonies returns. The event will culminate in a final set featuring Sweet Potato Spoon, Austin Walkin’ Cane and the Hanneke Cassel Band. Admission is free.