JULY 19-26
Short films, Blue Skies, a funny young dude
<COMEDY AND MORE>
So, what’s up at Comedy Caravan these days? Glad you asked … ’cause there’s plenty. Tonight the club starts “Show Your Shorts,” a new series highlighting local and regional filmmakers. Also, Mike Armstrong headlines today through Sunday. On Monday, it’s the latest installment in Blue Sky Kentucky’s “American Caravan” series, with a listening show featuring country-folk talents Jeff Black and Kim Ritchie. From Sunday through next Wednesday, July 26, the Caravan welcomes Steve Hofstetter, a quickly rising 27-year-old whose first book, “Student Body Shots,” is garnering tons of national attention. Hofstetter was first published at 15; he became widely known during his days at Columbia U., and he’s written for Maxim and ESPN and appeared on programs like “Ed,” “Law and Order” and “Last Comic Standing.” In short, he’s in the forefront of comedy these days, one of those “I saw him on his way up” sorta talents (www.stevehofstetter.com for more info). —Cary Stemle
Comedy Caravan
1250 Bardstown Road
459-0022; www.comedycaravan.com
JULY 20-21
Arts Electronic’s Evolutionary Girls Club Exhibit
<FILM>
Members of the Evolutionary Girls Club (EVO), a worldwide, eclectic collective of artists, scholars and activists, will bring their unique mixed media artwork and lectures to the Clifton Center. This organization strives to give voice to the voiceless through art and social activism, with members in many countries between the United States and Japan. The aim is to create an inclusive global artist community, or, as described on the group’s Web site, “to work together to inform and expand each other and their surroundings.” On Thursday, Arts Electronic plays host to a screening of the documentary “Resisting Paradise” by Barbara Hammer at the Clifton Center, as well as other assorted video artworks by more than a dozen EVO filmmakers. The artists primarily utilize digital media to display photography, artwork, video and books with expectedly diverse styles and themes related to social awareness. The events continue on Friday, with a series of lectures by EVO founder Erica Eaton, and EVO members Rachel Siegel and Carolyn Tennant. These women are professors and well-traveled digital artists, working and teaching throughout the country and abroad. The lectures are free to the public. —Nathan Thacher
Clifton Center
2117 Payne St.
456-0738
www.evolutionarygirls.com
www.artselectronic.com
July 20: $5, 8 p.m.; July 21: Free, 7-9:30 p.m.
<PICNIC!>
JULY 21-22
St. Agnes Parish Carnival
<PICNIC>
Love good food and fun times? Then join the folks at St. Agnes for one of the largest church picnics in Louisville. A parade kicks off the annual picnic and carnival on the 19th. Midway mania follows on the 20th featuring traditional carnival rides, mild gambling, drinking and, of course, winning stuffed animals. Along with the usual fair treats, patrons can also enjoy a fish dinner on Friday or a fried chicken dinner on Saturday. There’s also live entertainment along with games, raffles and a hole-in-one contest with a grand prize of $100,000. —Stephanie Salmons
St. Agnes Parish
1920 Newburg Road
451-2220
Free; 6-10 p.m.
JULY 21-23, 25-26
48-Hour Film Project
<FILM>
The 48-Hour Film Project began in 2001 as a sort of cinematic movable feast. This year it comes to Louisville for the first time. The fest is international in scope and visionary in its ideals. Aspiring filmmakers from anywhere and everywhere are expected to gather and spend two days — and two days only (July 21-23) — writing, shooting, editing and scoring films, which will then be shown at Village 8 Theaters. If it sounds like the indie film equivalent of “Cannonball Run” — the event, not the movie — well, there’s probably a good reason. Contestants will receive a character and props, dialogue and ideas, and get turned loose upon the community at 7 p.m. Winners will compete in future contests with other 48-Hour finalists culled from similar events in 30 cities in the United States, France and Australia. Expect kamikaze improvisation and at least a few winners. —Paul Kopasz
Village 8 Theaters
459-1262 or (202) 427-7795
www.48hourfilm.com
Screenings (July 25-26) $7; 7 & 9:15 p.m.
JULY 21-29
‘Great American Sex Play’
<THEATER>
Finnigan Productions’ third annual original production dealing with a thought-provoking and controversial social issue opens Friday at Actors Theatre. The issue raised by the “Great American Sex Play” is — sure enough — sex. The story is set in a not-so-distant American future in which six citizens respond to a sexual survey from the government and are scrutinized for their sexual behavior. It is a satirical, voyeuristic look at sexuality and the implications our society assigns to it. The production contains adult language, sexual situations and nudity and is not recommended for children under the age of 17. The shows are scheduled for July 21-22, 28-29 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $12.50 and can be purchased at the Actors Theatre Box Office. —Michael Lichvar
Actors Theatre of Louisville
316 W. Main St.
584-1205
$12.50; 8 p.m.
SATURDAY, JULY 22
Library Idol Finale
<COMPETITION>
All week the Louisville Free Public Library is hosting competitions in order to pinpoint the best of the best in local teen talent. The winners of branch competitions will perform in Saturday’s finale for the title “Library Idol.” Participants are not limited to singing but may choose their form and even audition in groups. Judges include Mike Shannon from WDJX-FM, Julia Youngblood from the Kentucky Center and Tim Glasscock, director of vocal studies at the Youth Performing Arts School and artistic director of the Louisville Chorus. Emceeing is public radio’s James Bickers. The grand prize is a plethora of movie tickets — enough for the winner(s) and 30 friends. Consider the event a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend a citywide teen talent show, hosted by a real star — the library. —Jessica Farquhar
Main Library
301 York St.
574-1620
www.lfpl.org
Free; 1 p.m.
SATURDAY, JULY 22
The Clark Brothers
<MUSIC>
Guitarist Mickey Clark has likely forgotten more music than most Louisville musicians will ever know. A veteran of the original (pre-rock) Greenwich Village folk scene, Mickey has known everyone from Dave Van Ronk, Mama Cass, Townes Van Zandt and David Crosby right on up to Bob Dylan, and he’s played with most of them (including a relatively lengthy stint as Townes’ guitarist).
These days he mostly plays with his brothers Bill and Del as a bluegrass-leaning acoustic trio. There is plenty of high energy and picking prowess on display, and admission is free. The Clarks are some of the last remaining authentic ties between the current Louisville music community and the glory days of original 1960s folk and rock. —Paul Kopasz
Captain’s Quarters
5700 Captains Quarters Road
228-1651
Free; 8 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 26
Tanya Tucker
<MUSIC>
“The Woman Who Survived Glen Campbell” is one title she might hold, but that just doesn’t do justice to Tanya Tucker. In some respects she’s the proto-Shelby Lynne — a non-apologetic, wizened survivor of Nashville stardom at an early age. Tucker kept somewhat close to the mainstream of country, though, even as she found it more convenient to set up her own label and shifted her time to emphasize touring instead of the album-a-year regular recording grind. She’s aged gracefully but with feistiness (you could ask Glen about the latter), including admirable devotion to non-celeb priorities (for instance, she’s been a champion horse rider) and accepting the demands we put on celebs today (the inevitable reality show). This is a good time to see Tucker, just after she’s released a fine live disc. –T.E. Lyons
Coyote’s
116 W. Jefferson St.
589-3866
7 p.m.; $37
THROUGH SEPT. 1
‘Emerging Artists’
<ART>
An exhibition featuring unknown artists is similar to a treasure hunt. It gives viewers a chance to discover art few know about, with the added possibility of making the artist “your own.” The Louisville Visual Art Association is giving all you art explorers the opportunity to see the work of three young emerging artists at their auxiliary gallery inside of Chase Bank.
Julia Leidner, Gina Portelli and Douglas Turner are all recent BFA graduates from the University of Louisville. In the process of finding their creative voices, their paintings and prints express what they want to say at this moment in their lives. Go find out if they speak to you. —Jo Anne Triplett
Chase Gallery
416 W. Jefferson St.
896-2146
www.louisvillevisualart.org
Free; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri.