It won’t appear in full-performance until the Tobin Center opens in 2014, but The Opera San Antonio will preview its world class talent in a gala performance that promises to be dazzling. Soprano Patricia Racette, a regular performer at the San Francisco and Metropolitan Operas, and Texas-based tenor Jay Hunter Morris headline with the San Antonio Symphony. Pieces to be performed span opera repertoire from Handel to today, with works by American composer Leonard Bernstein and TOSA artistic director Tobias Picker, and classics by Verdi, Puccini, and Wagner. A rendition of Jerome Kern’s “Ol’ Man River,” by renowned bass-baritone Eric Owens, gives the lineup a populist twist. Also included are Dolora Zajick, Daniela Mack, Alek Schrader, Lucas Meachem, and Lisette Oropesa.

Sami Akbari, who records and performs under the cheeky nom de plume sami.the.great, is possessed by a gentle vocal talent that lends tremendous emotional depth to her sweet and searching pop songs. Lyrically sharp and earnest all at once, as on her latest single “Hear Me Now,” sami.the.great calls upon her diverse life experience — having lived in the Middle East, Virginia, and now Brooklyn — to construct songs that effortlessly incorporate electronics, folky strums, piano, and sometimes groovy percussion in a refreshingly natural manner. Still touring on 2012’s well-received self-titled album, she brings her unique reading of contemporary adult pop music to 502 as something of an anomaly — rarely is an artist so adept at provoking such seemingly conflicting responses as empty smiles, emotional gusts, thought-filled stares, and happy feet. $10, 9pm Thursday, 502 Bar, 502 Embassy Oaks, (210) 257-8125, 502bar.com.  

At the ripe old age of 10, Chloe Chaidez formed Wild Youth, a band that covered songs by Sigur Rós and David Bowie. Now 18, Chaidez fronts Kitten, a Los Angeles-based five-piece inspired by the synth-driven sounds of the Eurythmics and the Pet Shop Boys. With only the EPs Sunday School (2010) and Cut it Out (2012) to their credit, Kitten have played SXSW, toured with Paramore, opened for No Doubt, and garnered praise from Carson Daly and Teen Vogue. Daughter of Mike Chaidez (former drummer for the punk band Thee Undertakers), Chloe grew up listening to Siouxsie and the Banshees and has cited the late Ian Curtis as a stylistic influence. These dark spirits mesh with others in Kitten’s tracks, which fall somewhere between the ’80s-inspired electronica of Class Actress and the dark drama of Bat for Lashes.

Regarded as one of the architects of contemporary R&B, 10-time Grammy winner Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds brings heartfelt and impeccable music for grown folks to the Lila Cockrell stage on Friday. After writing and producing hits for Bobby Brown in the late ’80s, Edmonds joined former bandmate Antonio “L.A.” Reid to create LaFace Records, propelling acts like TLC, Toni Braxton, and Usher into the public consciousness. By the end of the ’90s the young producer was responsible for 42 No. 1 R&B hits and 51 Top 10 Pop hits. A gifted performer in his own right, fans can expect plenty of material from his 11 solo albums, including classics like “Whip Appeal” and “For the Cool in You,” which recall an era of R&B when records didn’t necessarily require 16 bars to make it on the radio.

G. Tomas V presents the sixth edition of SA's "only body art competition." Hosted by Anthony "The Poet" Flores, "Fairytales & Fantasy" features 30 artists (including special guests Oscar Galvan Jr. and Raul Castellanos) creating live art on 30 models, plus music by DJ Techneek (10pm-2am), a live visual performance by Matari Productions (10:30pm), and a photo shoot (11pm-midnight) followed by the presentation of contestants at midnight. Rewarding first, second, and third places with trophies and other prizes, the contest also guarantees winners a spot in the 2014 Beyond the Canvas calendar.

Time — and possibly Dead Horse’s dabbling in death metal on their 1996 album BOIL(ing) — dealt former lead shouter Allen “Alpo” Price a cruel hand. “I can’t sing so good anymore,” Alpo laughingly laments on the recent Making a Dead Horse Live DVD. Their solution? Recruiting a fifth horseman, Michael Argo, who capably injects a menacing presence into the Houston band while remaining true to their hard-earned legacy. The DVD indisputably proves that the reactivated Horse is no desperate cash-grab attempt. The DVD chronicles a riotous Argo debut at the sold-out H-town reunion show in 2011, with a couple of Austin performances (including their Fun Fun Fun Fest set) further cementing the fact the resurrected Horse is as consistent as it is corrosive. With The Cutthroats and Pillcrusher. (See Dead Horse feature at sacurrent.com).