Sheila E.

The Sheila E. of the mid-80s continues to linger in the mind as an image of the future. Back then, she dazzled as the perfect mouthpiece for throwaway Prince tunes like “Erotic City,” “A Love Bizarre,” and “The Glamorous Life,” perfectly suited for the robotic exoticism of E.’s post-racial beauty, flimsy (but tuneful) voice, and impeccable Latin drumming. In fact, these slices of metronomic funk draped in chintzy keyboards still sound like transmissions from the yet-to-come, hitting a sweet spot of pop, electro and lite-soul that no subsequent artist has since been able to achieve. Fortunately, Sheila continues to be a phenomenal drummer and bandleader.

Sat., May 31, 8 p.m., 2014