• Portrait of Aja, a woman with blue braided hair styled in an updo, wearing long pink beaded earrings and a gold necklace, with floral tattoos on her chest, gazing thoughtfully to the side against a deep teal background.
JUL 2026 30 THU 7 pm
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American Routes | USA
aja monet | the color of rainEpstein Family Amphitheater
  • Tickets: $40–45
  • UCSD Student: Free via SSO
Bites & Beverages

About

“The writer and community organizer offers up a fluid mix of jazz and poetry that evokes the spirit of 1990s spoken-word scenes.”—New York Times

Surrealist blues poet aja monet returns to ArtPower with the color of rain — a waking-dream intervention for a world on the edge of fascism.

Co-produced with Justin Brown and Meshell Ndegeocello, the album moves fluidly across jazz, soul, hip-hop, and R&B, refusing category or definition. Rather than laying poetry over fixed arrangements, monet works in close conversation with the music—shaping phrasing, cadence, and tone as each composition breathes and shifts.

An evolution from her GRAMMY-nominated debut when the poems do what they do, this sophomore album reaches deeper—conjuring experiment, interiority, and the Black Arts Movement’s living legacy. If the first album was a gentle altar call, the color of rain is an impassioned call to arms. Choose your weapon wisely. The pen is the sword—and music sharpens the blade.

 

Community Partner: Future Is Color

Artist Links

Details

Doors at 6:00 pm

Bites & Beverages

Food and drink will be available for purchase in the venue. Please note: Food vendors are cashless.

Getting Here

The Epstein Family Amphitheater is located at 9480 Innovation Ln, La Jolla, CA 92093.

Take the Trolley: The amphitheater is located next to the Blue Line Trolley, UCSD Central Campus Station. For more information about the trolley, visit the MTS website >

Parking

The closest parking structure is Gilman Parking Structure. UC San Diego requires parking permits 7 days a week. Permits can be purchased at permit machines or through the Parkmobile App. Visit UC San Diego Transportation for information on where to buy your permit, and costs.

What Can I Bring To The Show?

You may bring in empty refillable water bottles, small personal bags (16” x 16 “ x 8”). All bags are subject to search by security officers. We encourage that you dress in layers and for those who have tickets to the General Lawn Section to wear shoes without heels. 

Prohibited Items

Additional prohibited items include: strollers, large backpacks, flags, tobacco products, alcohol, cans, bottles, ice chests, picnic baskets, lawn furniture, weapons of any kind, umbrellas, pets, hula hoops, musical instruments, laser pointers, bicycles, and skateboards.  Cameras with a detachable lens of any kind and professional recording devices are not allowed, including GoPros. Scooters, skateboards, roller skates, and other recreational wheeled equipment are not permitted at the Epstein Family Amphitheater. UC San Diego is a smoke-free campus. 

If you have questions, please contact amphitheater@ucsd.edu

Can I bring Lawn furniture, cushions, or blankets?

For the safety and comfort of all, you may not bring lawn chairs or furniture. The lawn is quite steep and not safe for lawn chairs. You can bring in personal seat cushions, blankets, or seating, as long as they fit your personal space and lie flat on the ground (no legs, no hard structure). We encourage the same for the stone bench seating areas on both General Admission and reserved seating shows.

Fees

Ticket prices are inclusive of fees.

More Info

If you need additional information and/or assistance, please contact artpower@ucsd.edu.
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