On Sunday at 12:30 PM the Oaxaca State Band sets up under the Indian laurel trees in Oaxaca's City's Zócalo, whose open-air cafés often have live marimba, salsa, or flamenco music at night. See the free monthly magazines Oaxaca Times and Oaxaca for event information.
Bastions of macho men and strong spirits, cantinas traditionally aren't places for women. The cantinas in Oaxaca City's Centro Histórico tend to be a bit less rough, but single women should still think twice about going in alone.