1.
Wednesday, Oct. 1
Spalding U ?Literary Tea Salon
Hillbilly Tea
120 S. First St., 587-7350
Free; 7:00 p.m.
Hillbilly Tea will host Spalding’s Bachelor of Fine Arts monthly Literary Salon. BFA director Merle Bachman says, “It’s a space where writers can share their work in a relaxed setting,” with open mic signups starting at 6:30 and readings at 7:00. “There will be time and space for listeners to ask questions about and discuss what they hear,” says Bachman. “It will also be a way for experienced, published writers to do something a bit vulnerable — share new work.” This week, Sarah Gorham and Jeffrey Skinner are the published writers joining in, with their readings at 7:30. Gorham, president and editor-in-chief at Sarabande Books, recently won the AWP Award in Creative Nonfiction for her new collection of essays, “Study in Perfect.” Skinner, a U of L English professor, is a 2014 Guggenheim Fellowship in Poetry recipient. —Laura Snyder
2.
Thursday, Oct. 2
David Rovics, An Evening of Rebel Voices
The Rudyard Kipling, 939-3698
422 W. Oak St.
$15; 7 p.m.
The songs of social significance and other rabble rousing will take place at The Rudyard Kipling, with David Rovics and JP Wright rousing the rabble. As a member of the Industrial Workers of the World, Rovics is an official Wobbly, and as The Industrial Worker describes, “In that Wobbly tradition of sharp social commentary, David is a master.” Amy Goodman says Rovics is “the musical version of Democracy Now!” or “Sacco and Vanzetti.” If Rovics performs “After We Torture Our Prisoners,” “Song for Hugo Chavez,” “Who Would Jesus Bomb,” or “Sacco and Vanzetti,” I’ll be tickled, well, pink … maybe even red. Cover is $15, but with so many lefties about, you won’t be surprised to hear that no one will be turned away due to lack of funds. —Laura Snyder
3.
Thursday, Oct. 2
The Smoketown Poetry Opera
YouthBuild Louisville
800 S. Preston St.
Free; 6:30 p.m.
With the new Sheppard Square housing development under construction across the street and Lavel White’s documentary, “More Than Bricks and Mortar: The Sheppard Square Story,” playing in the background, poets, DJs and dancers will perform in this poetry opera directed by Theo Edmonds. IDEAS 40203 is producing the event (with YouthBuild) to be just what our city needs: “An unflinching, authentic performance that is at times uncomfortable because of its candor. A work of profound hope. A cool, wet seed pivoting in hot, scorched earth. A bold and refreshing critique of reformist approaches to sustainability and social change. And, ultimately, an honest work of art illuminating a call to integrate social justice into urban planning policy because communities are more than bricks and mortar.” —Laura Snyder
4.
Through Oct. 25
Resurfaced
615 – 621 W. Main St.
citycollaborative.org/popupplaza
Free; hours vary
Food, beverages and festivities all weekend at Resurfaced. The pop-up arts and entertainment plaza (and beer garden) illuminate the vacant aperture where Museum Plaza was designed to rise. City Collaborative, a team comprised of Dave Durand, Rebecca Matheny, Patrick Piuma and Patrick Smith, in conjunction with Louisville Downtown Partnership, have created an inspiring exhibition. Thursdays to Sundays, Resurfaced is a free entrainment destination. Resurfaced’s spirited “urban laboratory” showcases the community’s creativity this weekend with events that include: The Official IdeaFestival After Party and Trolley Hop with Jalin Roze on Friday, performances from Instruments of Hip Hop on Saturday, and Squallis Puppeteers on Sunday. Amenities include free Wi-Fi, a variety of food trucks, beer, wine and Heine Bros. coffee, and endless family-friendly entertainment. —Aaron Yarmuth
5.
Oct. 3 – 4
Nunnlea Craft Fair
Nunnlea Historic Home
1940 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy.
nunnlea.com
It’s autumn in Louisville — the calendar says so, and the weather is cooperating most of the time. Popular words you will hear, along with “look at the leaves” and “where’s my jacket?” are “festival” and “fair.” The biggie, of course, is the St. James Court Art Show. If battling the crowds is not your thing, try one of the smaller fair/festival alternatives. The ninth annual Nunnlea Craft Fair is on the same weekend as St. James, Friday, Oct. 3 from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 4 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Walking through the historic house, built in 1860, is part of the pleasure. Local and regional artists will be set up in the rooms as well as on the porch and yard. An added bonus is the free parking. —Jo Anne Triplett
6.
Oct. 3 – Nov. 22
Steven Ciezki
Flame Run at Glassworks
815 W. Market St.
584-5353
flamerun.com
Murano, Italy, is the home of Venetian glass, with a history that goes back to the 13th century. This highly revered glass, renowned for its color and technical difficulty, is the spiritual jumping off point for Steven Ciezki’s creativity. Venetian glass may have a long history but Ciezki doesn’t — he’s 25 years old. Yet he’s working hard at his glass and has already come up with something that catches our attention. His towers — composed of rectangles, triangles and squares — are cleverly designed to … shift before our eyes. “I create three-dimensional geometric glass objects that produce perceptual illusions through spatial ‘drawings,’” he states. “Each piece, when viewed from a particular monocular vantage point, coalesces into the semblance of two-dimensional representation.” The opening is during the Oct. 3 First Friday Trolley Hop beginning at 6 p.m. —Jo Anne Triplett
7.
Through November
‘Deconstructing Melancholy’ by Aleksandra Stone
garner narrative contemporary fine art
642 E. Market St., 641-8086
garnernarrative.com
Through self-portraits and staged images, Aleksandra Stone explores self-perception, relationships and other aspects of contemporary life. By wrestling with her demons in such a public way, the photographer diminishes their power over her. Stone’s solo exhibition, “Deconstructing Melancholy,” takes the viewer on her latest journey of self-discovery. “I think that my project has gotten harder over time only because I have begun to dread and fear the inevitable,” she explains. “I know that one day I will have to take that picture, the one that will leave me so exposed that it will truly be a portrait of me. Until then, I dance around the subject.” The gallery will host a reception during the Oct. 3 First Friday Trolley Hop from 6 – 9 p.m. —Michael Jones
8.
Thursday, Oct. 2
Surviving the Great Zombie Apocalypse
Kentucky Center for the Arts
501 W. Main St.
3 – 4 p.m.
Those champing at the flesh for AMC’s season 5 premiere of “The Walking Dead” (Oct. 12) might want to groan, drag their leg and stumble down to the IdeaFestival tomorrow afternoon. Mathematician Sarah Eichhorn and neurobiologist Andrea Nicholas — both professors at the University of California, Irvine — will present “Surviving the Great Zombie Apocalypse,” an exploration of how math and science can save us from the zombie hordes. Whether it is mathematics to understand the dynamics of disease spread, or biology to devise ways to stop viruses, or physics to find the best defenses, Eichhorn and Nicholas use the zombie metaphor to take a serious look at how these ideas apply to present-day natural disasters and disease epidemics, much like the current outbreak of the Ebola virus in West Africa. —Kevin Hyde
9.
10.
Oct. 4 – 5
Louder Than Life Festival
Champions Park
2050 River Rd.
louderthanlifefestival.com
Ticket prices vary; 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
The biggest music event in Louisville since Forecastle. Where better to hold a “Music + Whiskey + Gourmet Man Food” festival than the place GQ named the nation’s manliest city? Where mosh pits meet mash spirits, the peaceful park by the Water Tower will host three dozen loud-only performances, including Judas Priest, Volbeat, Limp Bizkit and Five Finger Death Punch. With special emphasis on Kentucky cuisine, you’ll need to shout your food order before soothing your throat with premium bourbons from more than a dozen of Kentucky’s finest distilleries. And if you’re in it for the full marathon music experience, maybe pump the brakes with over a dozen craft beers — always appropriate for a festival of thunderous fun. Plus, LEO wouldn’t point you in the wrong direction. —Aaron Yarmuth
11.
Monday, Oct. 6
Steve Gunn
Dreamland
810 E. Market St.
dreamlandislouisville.org
$10; 7 p.m.
Steve Gunn is bringing his brand of experimental Americana to Louisville with guests, duo Mary Lattimore/Jeff Zeigler, the day before releasing his new album, “Way Out Weather.” To put it simply, this is a show for those who like their music autumnal. The title track of “Way Out Weather” is cool, sparkling and reassuring. It speaks of a life well traveled and well loved. It is easy to hear his various influences in his sound, but to give more credit to them than Gunn does would be to do him a disservice. His voice is clear and shows his experience, and as the weather turns to cool and breezy fall-like conditions, Gunn’s music plays like a salve for weary summer hearts. Forget that the show is on a Monday — I promise a more soothing Tuesday for having gone. —Erica Rucker
12.
Through Oct. 9
‘Uncertain Seasons’ by Julio Cesar
Revelry Boutique Gallery
742 E. Market St., 414-1278
revelrygallery.com
Julio Cesar is an intellectual painter who knows his soul. A follower of Surrealist masters Rene Magritte and Salvador Dali, the Cuban artist has been showing at Revelry Boutique Gallery since his arrival in Louisville in 2012. His latest exhibition there, “Uncertain Seasons,” comes on the heels of his participation in the Louisville Visual Art Association’s Open Studio Weekend. Surrealism is often described as the art of fantastical dreams — but our dreams are based in reality, and representational art is where Cesar excels. He’s a technical powerhouse. “When I am creating, I feel locked up in a cage with clouds,” he exclaims. “They help me to hold onto the tightrope of real life and feel the exact balance.” Doesn’t that sound just like something a surrealist would say? —Jo Anne Triplett
