There’s a free local band showcase over at the Miniplex tonight at 8 p.m. Come and check out what the scene is up to, as curated by Nailgun (formerly Boat Cop), Manic Moth, Horse and J.D. Garza. If you aren’t in the mood for that scene, today is the beginning of the Exploring our Roots Festival, presented through Saturday by Humboldt Asians and Pacific Islanders in Solidarity at the Arcata Playhouse. There’s a lot to love about the lineup, but for my dime, I’m suggesting No-No Boy, the nom-de-stage of Dr. Julian Saporiti, whose storytelling act includes folk music and projections as a means of conveying a shared history of his own and other Asian Americans. His performance is at 8 p.m., and the $25 admission includes a 6:30 p.m. performance by Hiroya Tsukamoto, a composer and guitarist who mixes it up with many folk and world traditions.