“Futurists.” That’s how Scott and Alisha Patterson describe themselves and their artistic collective, Afro House, which launched in Baltimore in 2013.

For the past dozen years, the married creative partners—he’s a classically trained pianist and she’s a professional arts administrator—have been expanding their horizons. From hosting collaborative in-home concerts and a “100 Year Symposium” conversation series to hatching their more recent, multi-sensory, sci-fi space operas, they’ve become an embodiment of the city art scene’s DIY ethos.

Exhibit A: Cloud Nebula, their latest intergalactic odyssey, presented earlier this year at The Voxel. The three-act work fuses music, dance, theater, and film into a cosmic world of love, hope, and Black liberation. Set in a fantastical, futuristic universe, it chronicles the journey of Jakub, a celestial star in human form, as she guides survivors of her dying planet to the luminous oasis of the Cloud Nebula. Along the way, in an all-too-relatable plot line, she’s confronted by Osei, an artificial dark sun which aims to gain power by swallowing their light.

But for those who missed the shows, fear not. Recorded live, the euphoric, funk-infused soundtrack is now available as Afro House’s debut album, and they’ll be performing at Keystone Korner on November 16. Best of all, the Pattersons are only just beginning their explorations, to infinity and beyond.

Scott, you’re a classically trained pianist, while Alisha comes from a background in arts administration. Where does this desire for experimentation come from within you?

SP: I’m often confused about why there is a separation between experimentation and quote-unquote classical music. When I was in school, we studied Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Bach. They’re all innovators. But I grew up listening to and playing all different types of music. My father is a jazz bassist. We love funk. We grew up in church with gospel music. So there’s a hunger for many different sounds in me … At Afro House, we’re futurists. We’re space explorers. We want to boldly go where no one has gone before. I know that’s cheesy, but that’s really us. Musically, we’re always trying to search.

AP: And push boundaries. And not just for pushing boundaries’ sake. But driven by curiosity and always questioning the [status quo].

SP: When you stay too hard in tradition, it can become a mausoleum of what happened before. We’re very much interested in: What’s it going to look like, 100 years from now? I think that’s what it is to be human—to be able to imagine. And if you have just enough power to imagine despair, I choose hope.

Why opera?

SP: Opera can be really big. For us, we are called Afro House. We create futuristic stories about Black people. And one of the things I love about opera is that it lends itself to very gigantic ideas. And it can place Black people in these epic stories, in a way I did not see growing up.

When I was going to school in New York, I went to see Porgy and Bess [which depicts the lives of African Americans in the 1920s] at Lincoln Center. That’s one of the operas I grew up with; my father used to play the music, and the album by Miles Davis and Gil Evans. They were these really big scores, and I just loved it. I wished there was more like it. And I wanted to do that for Black people.

When did science fiction first enter your orbit?

SP: I was eight years old. My aunt took me to see Return of the Jedi. It had just come out in theaters. And it blew my mind. I fell in love with being able to go to another world. For me, film has been the biggest influence. Star Wars. Star Trek. Dune. I love those big space odysseys. And when I started thinking about, well, how can I create stories that are on that scale? Opera stuck out the most as a vehicle.

AP: We’re also raising two Black boys. So we’re thinking about, what role can we play in shaping how they see themselves in the world? How can we help to inform their sense of self by actually producing art that centers Blackness in these vast situations? And us in the future, what could that look like?

And your sons are featured in this performance and on the album—Judah, 14, plays guitar, and Ra, 11, plays saxophone. What was it like creating this together?

AP: It’s been very special to have these experiences with them. This is what we can offer them as parents, whether or not they decide to go into the arts. Like, they now know that it’s possible to do something really big that you’ve never done before. And that a community of people will come together and support that vision. I didn’t see enough of that growing up. And of course, it’s not a big deal to them, they could really care less, but…

SP: We’re old fogies and very uncool. [Laughs.]

Tell us, what is Cloud Nebula?

SP: For me, as a creator, a storyteller, it is the future, and a metaphor. The characters are us, and the task is, how do we get to that future that we know is bright?

AP: And it’s not dystopian. It’s a vibrant story of hope. The album is the same way. We want people to put it on and just be able to be nourished and filled with hope.

What inspired the album?

SP: In creating this score, we were thinking about the experience we wanted to give to people, and I wanted to give as much of myself as I can, and be a complete artist and human being. I love orchestral music, but I also like funk, rock, jazz, and soul. I’m very much influenced by Earth Wind & Fire, and one of my favorite things to listen to is their live albums. … We want to do a vinyl eventually. So that you can put that needle on and just let go.

The hottest concerts of the summer are once again upon us, and that’s not just because they always coincide with the season’s warmest temperatures. With the mercury climbing to the high nineties, the 38th annual Artscape festival returns to Mt. Vernon, Bolton Hill, and Station North this weekend with three full days of free art. Every year, we wait on the edge of our seats for the musical lineup, and this year’s headliners don’t disappoint. Each one offers a throwback to different decades—from the local James Brown Dance Party featuring Fred Thomas of the Godfather of Soul’s own 1970s band on Saturday night, to the 1980s British ska-punk of the English Beat on Sunday, to the groundbreaking 1990s R&B trio of SWV on Friday.

But for us, the main event really lies in the festival’s trove of Baltimore talent, with dozens of homegrown acts playing on various stages throughout the weekend. From promising up-and-comers to local scene veterans, we’ve rounded up eight sets not to miss.

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Astronaut Symphony
Afro House is one of the most inventive arts groups in the city these days, with their unlikely musical experiences breaking down any preconceived notions of what concerts can and should be. See for yourself with this futuristic fusion of beat box, opera, punk, and funk, led by AH co-founder, pianist, and composer Scott Patterson. Saturday, Lyric Opera House, 6 p.m.

Caleb Stine & Friends
There might be few better ways to spend a warm summer night than listening to the hearty folk sounds of the city’s Americana spirit guide, Caleb Stine. With more than 10 records under his belt and more than two decades on the local scene, the poetic songwriter draws a loyal crowd and puts on a powerful show, full of heartfelt ballads, toe-tapping ditties, and rolling-thunder road songs driven by acoustic instruments. Saturday, Johns Hopkins University Stage, 8 p.m.

Eze Jackson
From his role as frontman of alternative hip-hop collective Soul Cannon, to emceeing the recurring Bmore Beat Club, to regular solo and collaborative sets across all pockets of the city, Eze Jackson has undoubtedly been one of the most steadfast and hardworking musicians on the Baltimore scene over the last decade. And every third weekend of July, he has hosted an Artscape after-party in Station North, which he’s doing again this Saturday with a release party for his upcoming album, Fool. Tickets start at $8—a surefire steal for what will be a raw, red-blooded set. Saturday, Metro Gallery, 8 p.m.

Kotic Couture
With rapid-fire flows, honey-coated vocals, and a fierce stage presence as seen during the monthly Version queer dance party at The Crown, Kotic Couture has quickly become a rising star of the local rap scene. Escape the heat in the air-conditioned University of Baltimore Student Center for an infectious set as part of the Worlds In Collusion lineup by the High Zero Foundation. One verse in, and we promise: you’ll be hooked. Saturday, University of Baltimore Student Center, Wright Theater, 8 p.m.

MovaKween
This sultry soul singer’s songs are fit for the extreme heat and humidity expected to hit Baltimore this Sunday. Her earthy vocals flit and flutter, snaking around slow, smoldering melodies rooted in R&B, jazz, and soul. Just pay attention to her lyrics, which speak to the cosmos, creative freedom, and feminine energy and empowerment. Sunday, Johns Hopkins University Stage, 1:30 p.m.

Ratscape
Last summer, this DIY music festival returned to Station North after a three-year hiatus, and this weekend, it’s back for another three days of local bands at The Ynot Lot and The Crown. Among dozens of acts, be sure to check on punk quartet Baklavaa and rapper Toyomansi on Friday, hip-hop artists Josh Stokes and DYYO on Saturday, and soul singer Randi, R&B singer Bobbi Rush, and indie bands Shinji and Romantic States on Sunday. Times & locations vary.

Rufus Roundtree & Da B’More Brass Factory
Push off the Sunday scaries with an afternoon powerhouse performance by Baltimore institution Rufus Roundtree & Da B’More Brass Factory on the Main Stage. This high-energy music collective is one of the most fun, feel-good shows in town, fusing funk, hip-hop, soul, and jazz into a Charm City-meets-New Orleans get-down that should incite a second line. Also catch trumpeter Clarence Ward III’s skillful Sunday set on the Morgan State University stage at 6 p.m. Sunday, Main Stage, 1 p.m.

Super City
We regularly rave about the need to see this Baltimore indie-pop band live, and now is your chance, as the well-clad quintet finally takes to the festival’s Main Stage on Saturday afternoon. Stand in awe of their choreographed moves, but also bring your own dancing shoes and prepare to bop, if not outright mosh, along. They’re likely to bring both old favorites, like catchy slow-jam “Artificial Sin,” and new hits, like “High,” to this don’t-miss show. Saturday, Main Stage, 4:30 p.m.

When Afro House stages act one of the performance formerly known as “Afro Punk Ballet,” which sold out shows and received rave reviews when it was performed this past October, audience members may experience a little confusion. The Afro-futuristic opera-ballet being formed on March 28 is now going by the name “Cease & Desist Ballet” following a complaint from the AFROPUNK LLC, (the company behind the AFROPUNK Festival in Brooklyn and beyond).

Afro House managing director Alisha Patterson says the arts collective received a cease and desist letter from AFROPUNK’s legal counsel February 26 and was given just one week to stop all usage of “Afro punk” in their name and promotional materials. In addition to the problems created by being ordered to scrap all their planned marketing efforts just one month before their performance of the ballet at WTMD, Patterson was shocked to learn that the term “Afro punk” was trademarked at all.

“We’ve been working on this piece for the last five years or so, and I believe that Afro punk had been trademarked prior to that, but we didn’t realize that when we selected the name,” Patterson says. “We were so inspired by the movement, the culture, the genre, that honestly it wasn’t even a thought. Kind of like if we would have named like ‘bluegrass ballet.’ Would the bluegrass people come after us? Or, you know, the hip-hop ballet. It didn’t even occur to us.”

The term “Afro punk” originated with James Spooner’s 2003 documentary Afro-Punk, which exposed viewers to the oft-overlooked community of black musicians and fans in the punk, hardcore, and metal scenes all over the country. After the documentary’s success, Spooner led the early festivals, however he dissociated from AFROPUNK after the 2007 festival due to deviation from the event’s punk roots.

As for the trademarking of the term he popularized, Spooner has mixed feelings.

“On one hand, no one was using the name ‘Afropunk’ before my film,” says Spooner. “Now all these people are using in it part because of the festival, which the people in charge worked hard to turn in to what it is. I’ve seen a lot of cool scenes ruined by people using the name for their own agenda, emo and straight edge both come to mind, so I get [AFROPUNK’s] position. On the other hand, I think that trademarks aren’t punk.”

Spooner also points to AFROPUNK’s past issues with inclusivity, including the exclusion of trans performers and staff, and several lawsuits as reasons not to want to be associated with the company, saying that Afro House is getting “a better name and story in the end” from the situation.

In addition to the short-term effects of the name change for Afro House, the changed ads and explanations via social posts and an open letter from the collective, the experience has made Patterson and the rest of the Afro House team reexamine their own situation as an organization named for a genre and larger community.

“Since learning that Afro punk has been trademarked, we’ve wrestled with what it means to trademark a genre and brand a particular experience,” read the open letter penned by Alisha and co-founder Scott Patterson. “We’ve also struggled with what it means to be an organization founded and run by people of color that operates within the confines of capitalism. While we can appreciate the business side of protecting one’s brand, we also understand that the genre of Afro House music belongs to all of us, and therefore should not be owned by a person, business, or institution.”

For now, the future of “Cease & Desist Ballet” is uncertain, and the question of “what’s in a name?” remains partially unanswered. Patterson says she’s unsure whether the new name will stick around or be swapped for something that better describes what they’re trying to accomplish with the piece.

Act one of what is now “Cease & Desist Ballet,” which blends Afro punk, 20th-century French music, and black southern gospel in its soundscape, follows two sisters who take vastly different paths following their brilliant father’s cataclysmic decision. The Afro-futuristic opera-ballet will be performed March 28 at WTMD and is suitable for all ages.

Scott and his collaborators are currently in the process of writing act two, and the collective is looking for residencies where it can perform and workshop it further in hopes of eventually touring with the opera-ballet. In addition to seeking out performance opportunities, the situation has forced Afro House to consider a rebrand to both protect themselves and keep the community accessible.

“We’re considering what the whole rebrand of Afro House would look like and what the extent of that is going to be,” Patterson says. “We really feel like we’ve built a brand for ourselves with name Afro House, so what does that mean to shift and change the name? Not so much our identity, because that won’t change who we are, but what does it mean to change the name? It’s definitely something that we’re going to be doing simultaneously as we continue to develop the opera ballet.”

EAT

Oct. 5: The Local Oyster Anniversary Party

Mt. Vernon Marketplace, 520 Park Ave. 7 p.m. Free.

Somehow, it’s already been three years since one of the city’s best shuckin’ teams started slinging Skinny Dipper oysters and other bay-fresh seafood to hungry crowds at Mount Vernon Marketplace and events around town. This Friday, celebrate their third anniversary in typical Local Oyster fashion with pours by Union Craft Brewing, a live performance by local blues legend Ursula Ricks Project, and, of course, tons of half shells by True Chesapeake Oyster Co.

DRINK

Oct. 5-7: Maryland Fleet Week and Air Show

Locations, times, and prices vary.

Once the anchors drop, it’s time to raise a glass to our city’s nautical history and the U.S., Canadian, and British Naval ships and vessels that will occupy our waters during this week-long extravaganza. Start the Fleet Week festivities on Friday afternoon with a celebration at West Shore Park, featuring brews from local favorites like Heavy Seas, Atlas Bew Works, and Union Craft Brewing. In between behind-the-scenes tours of the docked ships and checking out the Fleet Week Festival at the Inner Harbor, take advantage of this weekend’s seafaring specials like exclusive cocktails at Wit & Wisdom and military discounts at Old Line Spirits.

SEE

Oct. 7-Jan. 6, 2019: John Waters: Indecent Exposure

The Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Dr. Wed.- Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free-$15.

Whether you’re a fan of his outlandish films or you’re still recovering from that infamous scene from Pink Flamingos, there’s no denying that John Waters is a living legend in the city’s arts scene. On Sunday, The Baltimore Museum of Art will unveil this first-ever retrospective of the Pope of Trash’s visual arts career, featuring more than 160 of his provocative photos, sculptures, and video and sound works from the past few decades. From black-and-white stills from his 1970 film Multiple Maniacs to a campaign button that reads “Have Sex In A Voting Booth!” take in this one-of-a-kind exhibition during its opening weekend to get a glimpse into the life and mind of one of Charm City’s most notorious characters.

HEAR

Oct. 5-6: The Afro Punk Ballet

The Peale Center, 225 N. Holliday St. $15-25.

For one weekend only, transport to a post-apocalyptic world during this Afro-futurist opera-ballet that challenges popular notions of heroism, morality, and futurism. Produced by rising local performance collective Afro House, this mythical production features soundscapes that flow from sci-fi-esque punk accents to traditional gospel, blues, and jazz sounds to convey the story of a future where the world has been charred by the heat of two suns. Accented by choral accompaniments, the show’s powerful composition takes this awe-inspiring production to a whole new level.

DO

Oct. 5: Made in Baltimore Opening

Industrial Arts Collective, 22 W. North Ave. 5-9 p.m. Free.

Since it appeared at the former Space Camp art gallery back in 2015, this pop-up shop has grown into a locally loved tradition that promotes the best of the city’s maker community. This year, the Made in Baltimore shop will kick off its five-month run by transforming Station North’s Ynot Lot into a makeshift beer garden so shoppers can sip on local brews while browsing through goods from more than 70 area vendors. Stop by on Friday afternoon to shop local and support area makers like B. Willow, Knits Soy & Metal, and Tiny Dog Press.

The Afro Punk Ballet, an Afro-futurist opera written by composer Scott Patterson and Eric T. Styles and choreographer Preston Andrew Patterson, imagines a post-apocalyptic future where the lush blue green of our world is scorched dusty red by the heat of two suns. “There used to be a river here” General Levi (played by Jarrod Lee) bellows with lament over the devastation wreaked by his greatest invention, the creation of a second sun. His miraculous discovery threatens to destroy all life in the galaxy. What compels a man to generate a second sun? His daughters Corfazsia (Jocelyn Hunt) and Jakub (Alicia Wiliams) are charged to answer that question. We, the audience, watch to see if the world will collapse before they can.

Produced by Afro House, the production is described as “an exploration of the crossroads between African spirituality, mathematics, and physics” and it’s set in an indistinct universe sometime in the distant future. The hypnotizing coo of mezzo-soprano Spirit/Legba (Elise Jenkins) pierces the eerie still of the intimate Peale Center. Her face and those of the other chorus members is obscured by intricate laser printed helmets designed by A.W. Nadine Grant. Scott Patterson plays melodic riffs on his red Fender Rhodes from the center of the room.

The soundscapes evoke the familiar ethereal resonance and pulsing punk accents of sci-fi classics like Blade Runner or Fantastic Planet, but also cull from black musical traditions like gospel, blues, jazz, Afrobeat, and hip hop to illuminate the environments of this new world. If Herbie Hancock and Daft Punk had an interstellar love child that was raised on the avant-garde compositions of Sun Ra, the child would create music that sounds something like this, an otherworldly groove that is operatic but also deeply soulful.

Each of Patterson’s intonations are echoed and accentuated with gush worthy choral accompaniments. Spoiler alert: everybody can sang! Their soaring arias describe the woeful destruction of the second sun and humanities imminent demise. Jakub, the youngest daughter of General Levi, leaps and sprints around the scene. Each pirouette channels celestial orbits, or portals that open passageways to future nows and yesteryears. Her movements are a significant feature of her developing powers, gifts that are slowly revealed in Act 1. Her eldest sister, Corfazsia, a military prodigy readies her army for a war that is rumored to be encroaching on their families territory. With a running time of roughly 50 minutes, Act 1 lays the foundation for a dynamic Afro-futurist tale like nothing that you have ever experienced before.

We spoke with the Patterson brothers during a dress rehearsal of the first act of The Afro Punk Ballet about their inspiration, creative process, and why they chose this medium.

The Afro Punk Ballet is currently in development. How far are you from showcasing the full production?
Scott Patterson: We have had the concept for this for about 4 or 5 years and talked about the idea of a piece called Afro Punk Ballet, inspired by the Afropunk movement, not just the festival.

Preston made the point yesterday that, “We are all fighting for a piece of ourselves in the story.” I think our story reflects that. This summer we had a residency at Single Carrot Theatre for a week to work on a preview of a preview. After that preview [we] decided to concentrate on Act 1. We are really trying to build a universe, not just create a new world, but a new solar system, way of being, [and] that takes time.

Preston Patterson: We wanted the freedom to create as much as we could. We have been playing around with the idea that this is not earth, our solar system or our time. What we are attempting is to take who we are and put that in another time and space. This is an experiment.

Why did you choose opera as the medium to tell this narrative?
SP: Lots of reasons. I love the way opera is big and able to be big. I felt like that is one thing I feel is missing from a lot of Black narratives in all mediums. I’ve been wanting to see Black people in epic bigness. The cast is currently nine people. I envision the cast becoming 45-50 people. [This] one story is going to spawn dozens of other stories. I wanted to give a genesis.

That means it has to be a really big concept and I feel that opera was one way to tackle that. I wanted to see black opera singers in roles that liberate them and place them as more than marginal characters. We wanted to write stories that we thought were dope.

EAT

Sept. 15: Baltimore Seafood Festival

Canton Waterfront Park, 3001 Boston Street. 12-7 p.m. Free-$105.

Even the impending Hurricane Florence can’t stop Marylanders from one last end-of-summer seafood feast. On Saturday, more than 35 area restaurants and food trucks will take over Canton Waterfront Park to serve up some of the best blue crabs, crab soup, crab cakes, and oysters the Old Line State has to offer. Spend the day checking off our list of must-have bites, jamming to live music by local favorites The Scotch Bonnets and Honey Extractor, and honoring the bounty of the bay from noon until sundown.

DRINK

Sept. 15: Opening of Baltimore Spirits Company

Baltimore Spirits Company, 1700 W. 41st St. 12-8 p.m. Free.

Since opening its doors in June, Union Collective has welcomed four local independent businesses into its booming makerspace, and this weekend, the Baltimore Spirits Company will add its award-winning spirits to the pack. Formerly the Baltimore Whiskey Company, this hometown distillery is celebrating its grand opening with an all-out party featuring drinks and eats from fellow tenants The Charmery, Vent Coffee Roasters, and Union Craft Brewing, as well as tunes by DJ Jack Denning of All Mighty Senators. Take a tour of the new production space, sip on cocktails made with the brand’s signature gin, brandy, amaro, or whiskey, and revel in the much-anticipated opening of this locally loved distillery.

SEE

Sept.14-Oct. 7: Putin on Ice

Single Carrot Theatre, 2600 N. Howard St. Thurs.-Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 3 p.m. $25-29.

In an era when headlines are dominated by claims of “fake news,” Baltimore arts organizations Single Carrot Theatre and The Acme Corporation have collaborated on a project where everything that happens on stage is said to be a lie. This experimental production incorporates made-up ancient texts, falsified scientific data, and manipulated video evidence to present a wacky satirical portrait of Vladimir Putin in a performance that is sure to be one of this season’s don’t-miss events.

HEAR

Sept. 15: Afro House Concert No. 6

Hamilton-Lauraville, address disclosed upon ticket purchase. 7-9 p.m. $25.

To the artists that make up Afro House, a company of performers from across all disciplines and corners of the city, music is the thread that connects us all. For the sixth edition of the collective’s concert series, guests are invited to grab a seat in the living room of a local home to hear the creative ensemble play a fusion of classical, soul, and rock music in an intimate setting. This is a new music experience in Baltimore, led by local composer and pianist Scott Patterson.

DO

Sept. 16: Abell Community Street Fair

3000-3200 Abell Ave. 12-5 p.m. Free.

Home to beloved local spots like The Book Thing and Normal’s Book and Records, this growing neighborhood is one to celebrate. Start your Sunday by watching the annual children’s costume parade stroll down Abell Avenue at 11:30 a.m., and then enjoy an afternoon of sampling eats from local food trucks and brews by Abell’s own Peabody Heights Brewery, exchanging your summer clothes at The Clothing Swap, and browsing works by area artists. Best of all, this year’s fair boasts two stages of live performances, featuring rising acts like James & the Giant Peach and Joseph & The Beasts.