WEDNESDAY, OCT. 24
Portugal. The Show
For the last five years, Portugal. The Man has been a band without a country. That is, until last summer, when the Wasilla, Alaska, trio played its first homecoming show in the great white north.
“It felt really good going back and realizing, ‘Oh, we do have a home,’” singer John Baldwin Gourley says. “We’ve been such a distant member of all those genres and scenes. We’re just touring and doing our thing.”
Label-less but not spiritless, P.TM closes out 2007 supporting its new album, Church Mouth, and having rocked and rolled their way through a ridiculous number of shows while splitting what little down time they’ve had between Portland and Seattle.
Next year means writing and recording, and Gourley says he can’t wait to get back into the lab. “I think I’ll go insane if I have to hold onto this music much longer.”
Catch them at Uncle P’s before they hibernate. —Mat Herron
Uncle Pleasant’s
2126 S. Preston St.
634-4147
www.unclepleasants.com
$10; 7 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 25
Artist Alfredo Jaar
The international art world began to take notice of Alfredo Jaar’s work after his installation “Gold in the Morning” showed at the 1986 Venice Biennial, the year after he received a Guggenheim Fellowship. Addressing the toil of manual gold mining in Brazil, it included several symbolic images, from photos of peasants and a ravaged landscape in light boxes to a mound of golden nails. Since then, this Chilean-born artist, architect and filmmaker who lives and works in New York has gone on to on to address other social issues — including those such as AIDS and toxic waste-dumping in Nigeria — that involve the oppression, and exploitation and displacement of impoverished populations worldwide.
Jaar, a 2000 MacArthur fellow, visits the Speed Art Museum Thursday to talk about “The Rwanda Project” and his 30-minute film “Muxima.” His film uses different versions of an Angolan folk song to score a montage of scenes that documents the dichotomy of the riches and poverty of Angola and its present and violent history. —Elizabeth Kramer
Speed Art Museum
2035 S. Third St.
634-2700
www.alfredojaar.ne
Free; 6 p.m.
Oct. 25-Nov. 11
‘Parade’
In April 1913, Leo Frank, a Jew from Brooklyn, N.Y., who managed a pencil factory in Atlanta, was arrested and tried for the murder of Mary Phagan, a 13-year-old girl who worked there. The reaction from the community resulted in hysteria and the lynching of Frank. Not a storyline for a musical, you say? Well, playwright and screenwriter Alfred Fox Uhry (“Driving Miss Daisy,” “Mystic Pizza”) and composer Jason Robert Brown thought so and created the musical “Parade.” In 1999, their effort won Uhry a Tony Award for best book for a musical, and Brown a Tony for best score. Now, CenterStage opens its production of “Parade,” which begins with a short scene in 1863 in the midst of the Civil War. It then quickly moves to the Confederate Memorial Day Parade in Atlanta in 1913. What develops is a story imbued with political intrigue, issues of justice, questionable media ethics and romance, giving it rich meaning that withstands the test of time. —Elizabeth Kramer
CenterStage, Jewish Community Center
3600 Dutchmans Lane
450-0660
www.jccoflouisville.org
$12-$18; various times
Friday, Oct. 26
‘Run Like Hell’
This is definitely the strangest way to do a 5K. “Run Like Hell” is a run, walk or crawl through the Highlands that begins at dusk and bends through a few cemeteries. A benefit for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Kentucky — more than a worthwhile cause — the Halloween theme carries through to an after-party, featuring the pop tunes of the Muckrakers, a costume contest and more. To get the full rundown, visit kentucky.cff.org/runlikehell07. Also, dress up. What’s more entertaining than a ghost running through a cemetery in the low light of dusk? —Stephen George
Distillery Commons (starting point and after-party spot)
Lexington Road & Spring Street
326-1371
$30 entry fee/ $10 after-party; 7 p.m. (race), 8 p.m. (party)
All ages
Saturday, Oct. 27
Sara Evans
I like this country lady because she spells her first name the right way — without that blasted “h.” I don’t know how many times my name has been misspelled on trophies, bathroom walls and police reports. Sheesh.
Five successful albums, a handful of No. 1 songs and a stint on “Dancing with the Stars” last year have given Sara permanent elbowroom in the “Wal-Mart country” genre. If you frequent local karaoke joints, you’re more than familiar with her biggest hits, including “Born to Fly” and “Suds in the Bucket.” I’ll admit, I’ve got some Sara on my iPod. Deal. —Sara Havens
Louisville Palace
625 S. Fourth St.
361-3100
$37.75; 8 p.m.
SATURDAY, OCT. 27
Exile on Elm Street
Eric Whorton has listened to Exile on Main Street so many times over the last 17 years, it’s become his own personal soundtrack. On Saturday, he and members of the blues-rock group El Roostars roll those tumblin’ dice and play, in its entirety, the classic 1972 Rolling Stones double album.
Given the length and significance of Exile, you’d expect long, brutal rehearsals, and while they’re not exactly winging it — six months of coordination and elbow grease have gone into the show — that couldn’t be further from the truth.
“Our whole philosophy is, ‘Let’s try to do as little rehearsing as possible,” Whorton says. “Each time we come together, it should just happen.”
Among those featured in the 10-piece band is singer Rachel Hagan, formerly of Waterproof Blonde. If you can’t get enough satisfaction from this show, head to Seidenfaden Café (1134 E. Breckenridge St.) for an after-party with all-Stones karaoke. —Mat Herron
Headliners Music Hall
1386 Lexington Road
584-8088
www.exileonelmstreet.com
$10; 9 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 31
Eddie and the F#@k Munkys Halloween Show
Eddie and the F#@k Munkys, the self-proclaimed “best band ever,” celebrates not only Halloween next Wednesday at the Highlands Tap Room, but also a personal milestone: the Munkys’ 300th consecutive Wednesday at the cozy pub on Bardstown Road. Each Wednesday, Mike Chandler and Derrick Manley, the founding Munkys, have been hosts of an open-mic night there since 2001, and this Halloween culminates a run of consistency in a league with that of Cal Ripken or Brett Favre. The celebration will feature a costume party (naturally), prizes, bizarre — and hilarious — original music and, of course, the F#@k Munkys’ classic take on the Halloween hit “Monster Mash.” —Kevin Gibson
Highlands Tap Room
1279 Bardstown Road
459-2337
www.officialfuckhead.com
Free; 10 p.m.
Through Oct. 31
‘Ceremonial Vessels: Melding Two Cultures’
The title of Marie-Elena Ottman’s ceramic exhibition is the perfect explanation of her work. Ottman, who currently lives in Crestwood, grew up in various locations in America and Panama. Her hand-coiled vessels in earthy colors reflect her culturally rich upbringing through the use of two entities, usually stylized birds, which may be a bit at odds with the other. This dichotomy reflects her own life of cultural “melding,” giving her the background to make this unusual and creative display of ceramics. —Jo Anne Triplett
Jane Morgan Studio & Gallery
4838 Brownsboro Center (in the Arcade)
592-7835
www.janemorgangallery.com
Through Nov. 4
‘Dreaming in Color’ by Dean Kennedy
Many an artist has made a good living exploring their inner world. This “art of the mind,” composed of dreams, fantasies and personal thoughts, even was the basis of the art movement Surrealism. The trick is making a connection with the viewers with something that is so personal.
Dean Kennedy’s oil paintings give us a peek into his inner world, and it’s a fantastic place to be. Central figures are surrounded by colors that pop and patterns that conceal — it’s a bit busy in his “other” world. But in all that busyness are hidden objects and human faces. His work is not casual or quick to grasp, thus requiring time on the part of viewers.
Kennedy comes from an award-winning career in advertising. This is his first fine art exhibition, and with this introduction, I believe he has made that all-important connection. —Jo Anne Triplett
Gallery at the Brown
335 W. Broadway
583-1234, ext. 7174
www.brownhotel.com
