1.
<music>
Wednesday, Aug. 20
William Hooker Trio
Dreamland
810 E. Market St.
dreamlandislouisville.org
$10; 7 p.m.
The William Hooker Trio plays like “Interstellar Space” era John Coltrane on fire, like jazz with a mission. That mission happens to be at Dreamland Wednesday, Aug. 20, as the trio light the room up with their particularly bombastic interpretation of jazz, that while often explosive is always interesting. Adding to that Coltrane comparison, Hooker imbues his music with an undeniable spirituality. This music best experienced live and without pretense, but never loses sight of its momentum. The fact that Hooker has collaborated with indie greats Nels Cline and Lee Renaldo certainly informs his performance, that he is not afraid to explore the noisier side of things. Opening is solo sets by Christopher Tignor on violin and electronics, and Alexander Turnquist on guitar. The show starts at 7 p.m., and will start on time. —Syd Bishop
2.
<music>
Wednesday, Aug. 20
Grace Adele & ?The Grand Band
Decca
812 E. Market St.
deccarestaurant.com
Free; 8 p.m.
Nashville artist Grace Adele is bringing her classic country sound to NuLu restaurant Decca, which is becoming synonymous with good music, as well as good food. With more of the subtle finesse of Patsy Cline than the firebrand antics of Loretta Lynn, Adele plays a type of country music that seems lost to the sands of time, sweet but not saccharine, extolling easy times and a slice of blue collar life. Adele’s songs can skew almost to a ragtime bent, less flashy riffage and more musical restraint, a testament to the craftsmanship of her backing band, the Grand Band. The multi-talented Chase Potter is opening the show, with music in a vein like Andrew Bird or Ben Sollee, virtuosic without losing any pop flare. The show, per usual, is free. —Syd Bishop
3.
<film>
Wednesday, Aug. 20
Atis Rezistans ?& Art21
21c Museum
700 W. Main St.
21cmuseumhotels.com/Louisville, 217-6300
Free; 7-9 p.m.
21c Museum is showing two films, “Atis Rezistans: The Sculptors of Grand Rue” and “Art21” featuring Kara Walker. “Atis Rezistans: The Sculptors of Grand Rue” is a 2008 award-winning documentary featuring the Haitian art group Atis Rezistans. Directed by Leah Gordon, the film highlights the creative community that lives near Port au Prince’s main street, the Grand Rue. Many contemporary Haitian artists are from the area. This episode of the excellent series “Art21” is “Starting Out” with Kara Walker, who is well-known for her exploration of race and gender. She discusses what she says are “the many challenges that young artists face today, (encouraging) them to take responsibility for changing negative conditions in the art world.” —Jo Anne Triplett
4.
<book>
Thursday, Aug. 21
The Cure for the Common Book Club
Carmichael’s Bookstore
2710 Frankfort Ave..
carmichaelsbookstore.com, 896-6950
Free; 7 p.m.
Everyone’s coming back from the beach as Labor Day approaches—and it’s time to put away those lightweight beach reads. Or maybe the right ticket for stimulation is to switch over to a genre offering new literary adventures that you can share with your friends. Carmichael’s knows just what works to keep book clubs thriving, and so the Frankfort Avenue location is holding the third annual “Cure for the Common Book Club” event. There’ll be multiple presentations on how to juice up your club’s meetings. You’ll hear about 60 titles. Give Jodi Picoult some time off; maybe you’re due for a non-fiction treasure like “The Philadelphia Chromosome.” Free and open to anyone in a book club or looking to join a book club with free books, giveaways and refreshments to boot. ?—T.E. Lyons
5.
<theater>
Friday, Aug. 22
‘Proof’
The Bard’s Town
1801 Bardstown Rd.
thebardstown.com, 749-5275
$15-$18; 7:30 p.m.
Louisville Repertory Company performs David Auburn’s award-winning play “Proof” at The Bard’s Town Friday, Aug. 22, through Sunday, Aug. 31. Recipient of the Tony Award and the Pulitzer Prize in 2001, “Proof” tells a story of mathematical genius and mental illness, both of which 25-year-old Catherine (played by Julie Streble) has inherited from her father, Robert (played by Brad Castleberry). Catherine’s fears come to a head over a long weekend when she is visited by her estranged sister Claire (played by Lenae Price) and one of her father’s former students, Hal (played by Cory Hardin). Comedy, drama and romance are all present as a paradigm-shifting proof is discovered in one of the 103 notebooks preserving Robert’s brilliant work. —Laura Snyder
6.
<culture>
Saturday, Aug. 23
CONNECT 2014
Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest
2499 Clermont Rd., Hwy. 245
bernheim.org, 6:24-10:24 p.m.
$5 members, $10 non-members
Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest likes to “connect the dots” that are art, music, science and nature. For four hours (two hours prior to sunset to two hours after sunset), Bernheim’s Lake Nevin will be the place to be. There is always so much happening at CONNECT that it’s hard to stand still (they call it “spontaneous creative chaos”). Interested in stargazing? The Louisville Astrological Society will be there with telescopes. The Kentucky Science Center will show up too. There’ll be plenty of music, with three bands, including the main musical attraction, none other than Bonnie “Prince” Billy. Last year they introduced CONNECTglow and it’s back again with its prize-winning entries. The sculpture challenge results in, well, just about anything that doesn’t need a generator or AC power. —Jo Anne Triplett
7.
<benefit>
Saturday, Aug. 23
Battle of the Bands
Diamond Pub and Billiards Concert Hall, 630 Barret Ave., 690-7040
diamondpubandbilliards.com
$5 donation; 6:30 doors
Two bands whose hearts are as big as their sound battle it out at Diamond Pub and Billiards’ Concert Hall. We’ve all spent $5 in really stupid, regrettable ways — this is our opportunity to not let those Abraham Lincolns be spent in vain! Plus, it will be entertaining. The Clark Band, playing on behalf of Clark Memorial Hospital, and The Remedy, playing for Baptist Health, will combine to stage a must-see music attraction for the Louisville community, and a stand-out effort for an urgent cause that affects all of us. And speaking of affecting us all, if you are not aware, these bands can jam to six decades of cover songs, so bring your parents, grandparents, and kids… if they are 21 or older. All proceeds benefit the American Heart Association Heart Walk. —Aaron Yarmuth
8.
<culture>
Sunday, Aug. 24
Kentucky State Fair
Kentucky Exposition Center?937 Phillips Lane
kystatefair.org
$10 adults, $6 kids
Sunday, Aug. 24, is the last blast of the Kentucky State Fair, your last chance to gorge yourself on deep-fried Oreos, banter with the carnies and gape at the astounding sight of every variety of farm animal. You can play bingo and enjoy an astounding array entertainment, including Neecha’s Amazing Doberman Show; a FMX (Freestyle Motocross) stunt show; a draft horse and mule pull; and the Richard McHargue Cloggers. In between acts, you’ll need to wet your whistle and fill your gullet. I recommend Mike Linnig’s Tropical Tent which kicks off the day at 11 a.m. with a George Jones impersonater and keeps it comin’ all day right up to the adult karaoke finals starting at 7 p.m. VooDoo Avenue shuts ‘er all down in the Budweiser Tent with a 8:15 p.m. show. —Laura Snyder
9.
<music>
Tuesday, Aug. 26
Bitchin’ Bajas ?and Ted Tyro
Dreamland
810 E. Market St.
dreamlandislouisville.org
$7; 7 p.m.
I promise you Bitchin’ Bajas will defy your expectations. In fact, I am so confident in that statement that I am certain they are currently defying those same expectations. While their name would imply some sort of rocked-out fair-tent music, like every scruffy moustache-wearing hesher singing songs about Camaros, this is far and away not that. That they released an album named “Bitchitronics” may put you on the right path, the path taken once before by Robert Fripp and Brian Eno some 40 years ago on a journey into the depths of ambient. And that’s exactly what Bitchin’ Bajas do. What you’ll get is some of the best ambient currently being made. Joining them at Dreamland this Tuesday are lo-fi legends Ted Tyro, whose basement contrived tunes are unparalleled. — Syd Bishop
10.
<art>
Through Aug. 30
‘Constructions’
CRAFT(s) Gallery
572 S. 4th St., 584-7636
craftslouisville.com
The Huffington Post recently gushed that Audrey McGraw, the 12-year-old daughter of Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, can really sing. Well, when you have two parents with the singing gene, odds are you’ll be able to carry a tune. Same thing’s happened here in Louisville. Harlan Strummer Welch-Scarboro, the 11-year-old son of art people Karen Welch and Scott Scarboro, is a creative kid. “Constructions,” his first solo exhibition, features his new work. You might be thinking, “He’s got old work?” As a multimedia artist, Welch-Scarboro’s past group exhibitions could make a grown artist jealous: art in the Little Big Show at the MacRostie Art Center in Minnesota, Louisville’s Good Folk Fest and the world’s largest art car show, the Houston Art Car Parade, where he won the second place contraptions award. —Jo Anne Triplett