Thursday, Aug. 30
‘Dream Revive-All’
When Mercutio tells Romeo (in Shakespeare’s “Romeo & Juliet”) that dreams are “the children of an idle brain, begot of nothing but vain fantasy,” perhaps he was suffering from the same self-deprivation and uninspiration that brings us all down from time to time. If bitterness and melancholy lurks overhead, the Louisville collective theater troupe known as the Soapbox Sirens want to turn that frown upside down and wake that slumbering spirit that’s gone dormant in your soul. With the help of friends like the Troubadours of Divine Bliss, Serpent Wisdom and The Earth Mamas, expect the “Dream Revive-All” to be like an interactive theatrical journey that hopefully reconnects you with your inner muse. And you thought it was just gas. —Sara Havens
Rudyard Kipling
422 W. Oak St.
636-1311
www.soapboxsirens.com
$7; 7 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 31
King’s Daughters & Sons debuts
The word supergroup is so silly in these contexts, so forget I even brought it up. King’s Daughters & Sons is a new band full of familiar faces, and you should base your decision whether to see this show in some part on this list: Joe Manning, Mike Heineman, Rachel Grimes, Todd Cook and Kyle Crabtree. Their music is what you might imagine, but better: A hardened country edge from Manning and smoother indie pop from Heineman, whose voices combine to form much of the melody; gorgeous piano and vocal orchestration from Grimes (of Rachel’s); and the solid brace of the Crabtree-Cook rhythm section, which, if you’ve not heard their lockstep before, you need to. The Fervor opens. —Stephen George
The Pour Haus
1481 S. Shelby St.
637-9611
$5; 10 p.m.
21+
Aug. 31-Sept. 1
5th Annual Worldfest
Did you know more than 80 languages are spoken in Louisville’s schools? And that half of the city’s population growth is from international residents? Makes this Worldfest thing pretty timely, doesn’t it? The annual two-day event will of course include all of the music, food, art and festivities of past festivals, and just before the event kicks off at the Belvedere, 500 people from 65 countries will take the oath of citizenship at a naturalization ceremony at the Kentucky Center. Not to be missed. And of course, they and other visitors to Worldfest will be able to purchase food from 25 vendors representing a wide array of cultures, from French to Thai and back again. The music will be just as diverse and will happen all day both days. And chances are you’ll get to hear quite a few different languages spoken over the course of the event. (Sorry, no pig latin, please.) —Kevin Gibson
The Belvedere
www.louisvilleky.gov
Free; 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
Aug. 31-Sept. 1
Labor Day Musicphest
It’s back-to-school time. Yeah, yeah, we know: Life isn’t fair. But folks, Phoenix Hill’s end-of-summer celebration is here to divert your attention from post-vacation depression. Consider it a last gasp, if you will, as it were, so to speak, before reverting to, or pretending to be, diligent college student. Corralled into this polyglot hoedown is Nashville experimental indie pop outfit De Novo Dahl, jungle rock lovers Moon Taxi, bluegrass practitioners The 23-String Band, and more where that came from. Then relax, you’ve still got Monday off. —Mat Herron
Phoenix Hill Tavern
644 Baxter Ave.
589-4957
www.phoenixhill.com
$10; 8 p.m. (both days)
Aug. 31-Sept. 27
New work at Gallery Janjobe
Painting gets a workout in this group exhibition, further illustrating the point that “painter” as a noun doesn’t describe too much. Helen Heddens, Joy Moeller and Victor Troutman use various types of paint, different techniques and a variety of subject matter to create their artwork.
Heddens is a plein-air painter, taking her equipment outdoors to paint the landscapes of Kentucky. Fruit, flower and vegetable still-lifes are Moeller’s forte. Troutman prefers to show his spiritual side with mystical female subjects.
The show’s opening is from 6-9 p.m. Friday during the F.A.T. Friday Trolley Hop. —Jo Anne Triplett
Gallery Janjobe
Mellwood Arts & Entertainment Center
1860 Mellwood Ave.
899-9293
www.galleryjanjobe.com
SATURDAY, SEPT. 1
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
The production of drag-rock musical “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” won’t hit Actors Theatre until Sept. 11, but you can catch Hedwig and her band, in full costume, at ear X-tacy this Saturday.
The play follows the transgendered East German Hedwig as she follows the man who stole her songs and her heart, but the show is all about the glam-rock band and its songs — and they’ll perform the dirty routines, too.
If the $30 price tag for the play is too heavy, ear X-tacy’s also giving away gift packages with tickets, CDs and DVDs. And if you can’t snag one of those, Actors Theatre will be on hand selling discounted tickets.
Count on hearing “The Origin of Love” and “Tear Me Down” at the free performance, which starts at 3 p.m. —Ryan Real
ear X-tacy
1534 Bardstown Road
452-1799
Free; 3 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 1
Kenny Rogers w/ the Orchestra
Gambler? Hah. An evening where Kenny Rogers gets together with the Louisville Pops Orchestra is set up to take away the gamble that some audiences actually prefer in live performance. You’ll get tunes you already know, and Conductor Jorge Mester will ensure they’re set into an absolutely sumptuous atmosphere. No surprises of any magnitude — Mr. Rogers does not have a version of “I Wanna Be Sedated” that he’s been dying to try onstage with a full string section. You might find a trace of spice (often these orchestra/pop-star events bring out a little via the horn arrangements), but nothing more than if you got paprika burn while biting into a broasted breast at one of Kenny’s restaurants. Bring along your personal “Lucille,” and she’ll melt in your arms this night. —T.E. Lyons
Louisville Palace
625 S. Fourth St.
583-4555
$35-$85; 8 p.m.
SEPT. 1-2
Kentuckiana Cat Club Show
When I started my summer internship at LEO, I thought I’d be mercilessly tracking down sources, surreptitiously taking pictures of blighted fruit in neglected neighborhood grocery stores, digging for facts and exposing social truths in the changing, complex metropolis of Louisville. Instead, this is my last assignment: a staffpick about a cat show.
It’s a safe bet that, of the dozens of cats participating in the Kentuckiana Cat Club 46th Annual Championship and Household Pet Cat Show, not a one will show the least bit of interest.
Nevertheless, the claws will come out when more than 30 breeds compete for top prizes. The show will also have a cat product vendor area set up, selling everything from jewelry to furniture. Plus, cat people can pepper breeders at the show with questions about hot topics like grooming requirements and breed characteristics.
It’s all for a good cause, too; proceeds go to animal community service organizations. —Ryan Real
Kentucky Expo Center West Hall A
937 Phillips Lane
367-5000
$2-$10; 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Through Sept. 5
Meredith Hayden’s ‘Always Blooming’
Just about anyone who paints flowers gets compared to well-known artists of the past, like Georgia O’Keeffe. Meredith Hayden, who works in watercolor and chalk pastel, neither abstracts her flowers nor creates vast fields of blooms. Her flowers fall more into the still-life category, thus moving her closer into the territory of Robert Mapplethorpe’s photographs.
These solitary stems are painted or drawn in strong colors from live flowers, and they take on alternate spiritual meanings. “These flowers symbolize each of us and our struggle to overcome suffering, and bloom in a beautiful way just as we are, where we are,” Hayden explains in her press release.
In these very hot, late days of summer, we need all of the tranquility we can get. Flowers found on the walls of a coffee shop fit the bill. —Jo Anne Triplett
Heine Brothers Coffee
2200 Bardstown Road (at Douglas Loop)
515-0380
www.heinebroscoffee.com
