Going North

* Polka--The Grammy-winning polka group Brave Combo will perform an installment of the Sings Like Hell concert series at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St., Santa Barbara. Special guests, Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer. Advance, $34.50; day of show, $39.50. 963-0761. Internet: https://www.singslikehell.com.

* Summer Tradition--Music Aca-demy of the West Summer School and Festival, one of the most highly regarded summer education programs in the world, will open its 2001 session Monday. More than 130 young artists from around the world attend the eight-week summer program, which also offers the public an array of orchestra and chamber concerts, opera, master classes and more in a variety of settings. The 55th annual season-opening alumni concert will be held June 30 at 8 p.m. at the Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St., Santa Barbara. The concert--”I Hear America: Celebrating the Wealth and Diversity of American Music”--will feature traditional and contemporary American music and a world premiere commissioned by the academy. For a complete schedule of master classes and performances, call 969-4726. For ticket information, call 969-8787. Internet: https://www.musicacademy.org.

* Theater--The Ensemble Thea-tre Company will open June 29 with Irish playwright Conor McPherson’s “The Weir” at the Alhecama Theatre, 914 Santa Barbara St., Santa Barbara. Set in a rural Irish bar, local men swap ghost stories to impress a young woman from Dublin. Show times: Tue.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 and 7 p.m. Through July 29. $20-$30. 962-8606. Internet: www.https://ensembletheatre.com.

* Acrobats--The Peking Acrobats, currently on a world tour, will make a stop in Santa Barbara for eight performances at the Granada Theatre, 1216 State St. Show times: July 3, 8 p.m.; July 4, 3 p.m.; July 5-6, 8 p.m.; July 7, 2 and 8 p.m.; July 8, 2 and 7 p.m. The famous 26-member troupe was formed in 1952 and features contortionists, jugglers, cyclists, gymnasts and musicians from the People’s Republic of China. Ticket prices range from $35 to $45. 366-6064.s