Hot Picks for August 1: HAIM in concert

HAIM perform Thursday at The Wiltern. (Photo: Gerry Maceda/Special to The Desert Sun )

FRIDAY

MORE THAN A FEELING: When it comes to the most successful debut albums in rock history, few topped Boston. Released in the summer of 1976, the group’s self-titled release was the brainchild of Tom Scholz, an MIT-educated engineer who dabbled in songwriting and production. The album, featuring vocalist Brad Delp, has sold over 17 million copies worldwide thanks to classic rock staples like “Peace of Mind,” “Rock & Roll Band,” “Foreplay/Long Time” and, of course, “More Than a Feeling.”

Delp passed away in 2007 but guitarist Scholz is still at the helm, and on Friday Boston performs at The Show in Rancho Mirage.

• Boston in concert, 9 p.m. The Show at Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa, 32250 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage. Information: (760) 321-2000, http://hotwatercasino.com/theshow.

SATURDAY

TRIBUTE TO A TRAVELIN’ BAND: Creedence Clearwater Revival was an unlikely favorite in the psychedelic ’60s. Originally called the Golliwogs, the band was formed by brothers Tom and John Fogerty, Stu Cook and Doug “Cosmo” Clifford in El Cerrito. But unlike their Bay Area contemporaries (Jefferson Airplane, Santana, the Grateful Dead), CCR specialized in a rootsy Southern sound dubbed “swamp rock.” Between January 1969 and December 1970 the group charted no less than five top-10 albums, featuring the classics “Down on the Corner,” “Proud Mary,” “Bad Moon Rising” and many others. Two years later the group disbanded.

On Saturday, Randy Linder performs a tribute to Creedence at Sporlight 29.

• A celebration of Creedence Clearwater Revival, 8 p.m. Spotlight 29 Casino, 46200 Harrison, Coachella. $20. Information: (800) 585-3737, Spotlight29.com.

SATURDAY-SUNDAY

HE’S EXPECTING YOU: Sometimes a character is so iconic it’s hard for audiences to accept the actor in another role. Gavin MacLeod has appeared in over 20 films and countless TV shows (“The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “McHale’s Navy”) but will forever be known as Captain Merrill Stubing from “The Love Boat.” It’s a connection the Palm Springs Walk of Stars honoree continues to embrace while taking on new acting projects.

This weekend, MacLeod will perform staged readings of George Eastman’s “Happy Hour” in Rancho Mirage.

• “Happy Hour,” 7 to 9:30 p.m. Coachella Valley Repertory Theatre, The Atrium, Rancho Mirage. $20. Information: (760) 296-2966, cvrep.org.

WEDNESDAY

ART WALK THIS WAY: Outdoor events in the valley tend to dry up during summer, but not the Backstreet Art District Art Walk. After the sun goes down Wednesday, meet local artists, see working studios and enjoy fine art galleries. You might even find that must-have piece that speaks to your soul.

• Backstreet Art District Art Walk, 6 to 9 p.m. Backstreet Art District, 2600 Cherokee Way, Palm Springs. Information: (760) 485-3983, http://backstreetartdistrict.com.

THURSDAY

SISTER ACT: The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is all about discovering new artists, and although HAIM released its debut EP in 2012, sisters Este, Danielle and Alana were new to me when they performed on a hot afternoon this year at the Outdoor Theatre. The trio pulled off a scorching hard-rocking set that almost made me forget the oppressive heat. Almost.

On Thursday, HAIM takes the stage at a slightly cooler, way more intimate venue: The Wiltern.

HAIM in concert, 7 p.m. The Wiltern, 3790 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles. Information: (213) 388-1400, http://livenation.com.

WEDNESDAY

PLAY IT AGAIN: Woody Allen has made about one film per year since 1966’s“What's Up, Tiger Lily?” Some are classics (“Manhattan”) and others not-so-classic (“The Curse of the Jade Scorpion”), but at age 78 the director shows no signs of slowing down.

One of Allen’s most acclaimed movies is “Annie Hall,” which earned four Academy Awards in 1978 and the late Roger Ebert called “just about everyone’s favorite Woody Allen movie.” It stars Diane Keaton in the title role (her real last name is Hall), singer Paul Simon and of course the filmmaker himself.

See “Annie Hall” again or for the first time Wednesday at the Tolerance Education Center.

• Free movie Wednesday featuring the film “Annie Hall,” 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Tolerance Education Center, 35147 Landy Lane, Rancho Mirage. Information: (760) 328-8252, http://toleranceeducationcenter.org.

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