Staffpicks

Thursday, Dec. 18
Slate ‘Serial’ Spoiler Special Listening Party Please & Thank You, Record Room
800 E. Market St.
Free; 9 a.m.
Serial Theory & Discussion
Meta
425 W. Chestnut St.
Free; 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Thanks to the creators of “This American Life,” eavesdropping is the new voyeurism. And that’s what listening to the enthralling true-crime murder mystery “Serial” feels like: immensely pleasurable eavesdropping. It’s so captivating, there’s even a Slate podcast about each new “Serial” podcast — a spoiler special — and you can listen with other “Serial” addicts on Thursday morning at Please and Thank You. If you’re like most “Serial” addicts, you’ll still be eager to pontificate, ponder and parody “Serial” by the time happy hour rolls around, and for that pleasure, you can head to Meta for “Serial” Theory & Discussion. But ONLY if you’ve finished Season 1. If not, for god’s sake, start listening … now. —Laura Snyder

Thursday, Dec. 18
‘Give-A-Jam to End Homelessness’ The Clifton Center
2117 Payne St., 896-8480
cliftoncenter.org
$10 – $25; 6:30 p.m.
Thanks to the volunteer musicians (ranging from Hot Rize founder Tim O’Brien to jazzman Dick Sisto, Bibelhauser Brothers, IBMA 9-time Fiddle Player of the Year, Michael Cleveland, Appalatin and more) and restaurants (including RYE, Crave Cafe and the Irish Rover), you can enjoy a night of music and soups while helping the homeless.  O’Brien says, “One of my heroes was the powerful Bluegrass singer and songwriter Ola Belle Reed, whose motto was, ‘We all need each other, whether we know it or not.’ I agree with her and I’m pretty sure that when we help others, we help ourselves.” All funds raised will support Rx: Housing Veterans, the Coalition’s collaborative initiative to end veteran homelessness in Louisville.
—Martin Z. Kasdan, Jr.

FRIDAY, DEC. 19
Care-aoke Christmas Mercury Ballroom
611 S. 4th St., 583-4555
mercuryballroom.com
$12; 8 p.m.
There’s something about the holiday season that makes you want to throw back a few beers and belt out some of your favorite songs in front of a crowd. Maybe it’s cabin fever. Maybe it’s about subconsciously getting the desire to be the center of attention out of our systems so we’re not the prodigal train wreck at forthcoming family events. Any way you look at it, the best way to have some karaoke fun this December is at this Friday’s Care-aoke Christmas, presented by West Sixth Brewing and The Forecastle Foundation. Choose from 100 favorites, while being backed by the live band Karaoke Machine. Pay a little extra and get access to the second floor and, with it, some beer from West Sixth. Proceeds benefit the Forecastle Foundation.
—Scott Recker

Friday, Dec. 19
Unity Dinner with Angela Davis Ky. Center for African-American Heritage
1701 Muhammad Ali Blvd., 778-8130
louisvillepeace.org
$20-$40; 7:30 p.m.
The Kentucky Alliance’s annual Unity Dinner is sold out—a nice reminder that there are plenty of people in our community still interested in the fight for civil rights and social justice. Unless you already have your ticket, you won’t be able to break bread with these good people, who will also be honoring the late Dr. J. Blaine Hudson with the Lifetime Achievement Award. But you may still be able to purchase a ticket to hear Angela Davis deliver her keynote address to the group. Yes, Angela Davis, the groundbreaking, legendary feminist, civil rights activist, leader in the Communist Party, nemesis to Ronald Reagan (who tried to have her barred from teaching at any California university) and hero to many. Right here. Friday. —Laura Snyder

SATURDAY, DEC. 20
Trampled By Turtles Brown Theater
315 W. Broadway, 562-0191
kentuckycenter.org
$30; 8 p.m.
Living in a hip little corner of the bluegrass world, where they’re not afraid to brush right up to the dreamy indie landscape, Trampled By Turtles kind of perfectly hits the zone where the present meets the past. And, obviously, if you’ve heard them, you know I don’t mean that in the cheesy, pop-infused, fictitious Mumford & Sons kind of way, but rather with a more underground, homage-plus-a-fresh-spin angle. They can make songs build and fall, organically and sharply, all while doing a lot that is sonically interesting and challenging. In my opinion, they’re a walking master’s class on taking a proud genre and pushing it in a new direction, without diluting it.
—Scott Recker

SATURDAY, DEC. 20
Mammoth Holiday Bazaar 2014 Mammoth Art Studio Warehouse
744 S. 13th St., 758-8338
themammoth.org
12-6 p.m.
I just KNOW you are not done with your Christmas shopping. Because of that, and many other reasons, I’m happy to say the Mammoth Holiday Bazaar is back. You know this art sale. It’s run by some of the same people that gave us “A Very Portland X-MAS” at Nelligan Hall in years past as well as previous Mammoth events. There will be dozens of artists and local retailers. Some of the participants are Made in Kentucky, Sink or Swim Art Studio, Devin French Glass Art and Street Trash Kustom Art & Jewelry. They even offer gift wrapping (I love this little mall touch!). And if you really are finished with your holiday shopping, there will also be music and food.
—Jo Anne Triplett

Sunday, Dec. 21
Eggnog 5K Waterfront Park (near the Belle)
401 W. River Rd.
headfirstperformance.com
$15; 3:30 – 6:00 p.m.
Don your Christmas regalia, whet your palate for some eggnog and brace yourself for some Christmas carols! Sweaty Sheep — a group whose goal is having good fun while helping others and celebrating their faith—is holding its third annual Eggnog-Chug 5K this Sunday to benefit Louisville’s homeless community, some of whom will participate in the 5K. Runners will follow an easy route through Waterfront Park, where Christmas-caroling volunteers will serve them 4 ounces of eggnog at three mile markers along the way. Registration starts at 2:30 p.m.; the concluding dinner and Christmas service are optional.
—Laura Snyder

THROUGH DEC. 24
‘American Honeybees’ by Elaine Ann Crowder garner narrative contemporary fine art
642 E. Market St., 641-8086
garnernarrative.com
Bees are vanishing. While that statement sounds like a bad ‘50s science fiction movie title, unfortunately we know it’s true. Artist Elaine Ann Crowder wants to make sure we get it, stating, “I have simply used art as pathway to convey my viewpoint. Colony collapse is real. Without our bees we don’t have our pollinators and our food system as we know it will stutter and break down.” Or as she so expressly puts it: “Bees are important!” Her highly colorful mixed media work comes from a love of the Impressionists. Largely self-taught, Crowder describes herself as “a student of mistake.” Artists say it’s a “happy accident” when their creativity leads to a pleasant surprise. It works for life in general too. —Jo Anne Triplett

THROUGH DEC. 29
‘Karen Smith,The Artist’ Wayside Expression Gallery
Hotel Louisville
120 W. Broadway, 836-7661
It’s a point of pride for Karen Smith (or for any artist, for that matter) that her first school reprimand stated, ”Karen is always drawing in her writing tablet.” I think mine said I talked too much. Since it’s a standard belief that creativity is innate, Smith’s proclamation that she “loved drawing from the first time I held a pencil to paper” just adds more proof. The bold exclamation of her exhibition title, “Karen Smith, The Artist,” suggests she is proud of her creative ability to draw and paint. “Art has always been my hobby,” she explains. “Since retiring two years ago, I have decided to pursue what I love to do on a full time basis …” The Artist indeed.
—Jo Anne Triplett

THROUGH FEB. 21
‘Color Me Justice’ Local Speed/Speed Art Museum
822 E. Market St., 634-2700
speedmuseum.org
While we eagerly await the reopening of the Speed Art Museum, its satellite location, Local Speed, continues to show provocative and profoundly powerful work. Through its partnership with arts organizations and nonprofits, Local Speed has created Wall Together, an exhibition space designed to bind the community through art. The current show, “Color Me Justice,” features artwork created in conjunction with Maryhurst Academy, the child welfare agency. On display are powerful images reflecting dark truths and a level of visual honesty that only a child can produce. Art is a gateway to self-awareness and a powerful tool for battling our demons. “Color Me Justice” shows how that act of creation can help even a traumatized child find peace.
– Chasson Higdon

This article appears in December 17, 2014.