FRIDAY, NOV. 28
Karass
Zanzabar
2100 S. Preston St., 635-9227
zanzabarlouisville.com
$5; 9:30 p.m.
One sure bet to chase away those post-tryptophan/post-shopping blues awaits you this Friday as the multi-talented, genre-defying Karass takes to the stage. Earlier this year, the group released “Order of Operations,” an EP of collaborations with some of the most exciting artists in the city, ranging from delightful indie to contemplative hip-hop. It’s that unpredictability that they bring to the stage with every performance — you never really know exactly what version of the band to expect, but it will always be high quality. Joining them are O O O, an ambient guitar duo that relies on repeated motifs as a mantra-like chant, a drone that builds from the cacophony of sound and repetition. Also up is Ben Traughber’s mysterious Thing Shape, which ought to make for a diverse show.
—Syd Bishop
November 28 – 30
‘Monstruos en el Closet, Ogros Bajo la Cama’
The Bard’s Town
1801 Bardstown Road, 386-4866
teatrotercerallamada.com
$13; 7:30 p.m. Nov. 28-29, 5:30 p.m. Nov. 30
Spanish-language theater company Teatro Tercera Llamada is performing Gustavo Ott’s “Monstruos en el Closet, Ogros Bajo la Cama” (“Monsters in the Closet, Ogres Under the Bed”) at The Bard’s Town. Ott’s poetic treatment of the Sept. 11 attacks and their emotional aftermath deals with the subject via a series of wonderfully written vignettes in which the Twin Towers themselves personify pain, healing, heroism and hope in deeply personal ways. Every element in this production — costumes, lighting, background music, sets and the acting of Jomaris DeJesus and Haydee Canovas, under the direction of Jay Maria Padilla — meets a high standard of excellence. And the use of supertitles to interpret the spoken Spanish actually heightens the experience.
—Marty Rosen
Friday, Nov. 28, 5 p.m.
Beer and Loathing in Louisville
The Ice House
226 E. Washington St., 435-4418
$45 – $75; 5 – 8 p.m.
Christ, only six more months until GonzoFest 2015. Time to pony up. To wit: Buy a ticket to Beer and Loathing in Louisville, and the funds will go in that mad direction. Hosted by The Monkey Wrench and The Kentucky Guild of Brewers, Beer and Loathing is a gonzo party — beer-drenched by a cadre of the area’s best brewers. There’ll be food by Crushed Ice Events, music by the groove band Theme’s Hunters and the BoogieJuice Funk-n-Horn Band. The best Hunter S. Thompson lookalike will win two tickets to GonzoFest 2015. To help keep gonzo drivers off the road, $10 designated-driver tickets are available, with $75 VIP tickets available for gentry types. Hoi polloi can just relax and get drunk for $45.
—Laura Snyder
SATURDAY, NOV. 29
LOCALS Annual Holiday Pottery Sale
The Clifton Center
2117 Payne St., 896-8480
louisvillepotters.com
9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
The meaning of the acronym LOCALS (Living On Clay And Louisville Soil) tells you exactly who they are. These Louisville ceramicists have an annual pottery sale that is a tradition 39 years in the making. Another tradition is the large crowd of people who attend it. And with good reason: these are high-quality artists working in a variety of styles, from functional to sculptural. The LOCALS are Amy Elswick, Wayne Ferguson, Matt Gaddie, Suzy Hatcher, Tonya Johnson, Laura George Lynch, Laura Ross and JD Schall, who every year invite other clay artists to join them. This year’s guests are Philip Wiggs from Berea, Kentucky, Janet Tobler from Covington, Kentucky, and Louisvillians Sebastian Moh and Tom Thill.
—Jo Anne Triplett
SUNDAY, NOV. 30
Misfits
Diamond Pub (Concert Hall)
630 Barret Ave., 690-7040
diamondpubandbilliards.com
$20 – $23; 7 p.m.
The Misfits are one of the strangest bands in rock history. Not because their music is shocking or anything — we’re way past Ramones-ish horror punk being the lead dog for weird — but it’s their longevity despite Glenn Danzig’s successful departure. It’s the way they’ve built a brand without trying too hard — quasi-rebellious teenagers from the suburbs always seem to find their way to Nirvana, Ramones and Misfits T-shirts. The cult following the Misfits has maintained well after their prime is hard to understand — the only way I can is that they are a hell of a lot of fun.
—Scott Recker
THROUGH DECEMBER 17
‘Simply Louisville’ by Steven Walker
B. Deemer Gallery
2650 Frankfort Ave., 896-6687
bdeemer.com
“Simply Louisville” — I love that title. These new paintings by Steven Walker give viewers the basics they need to enjoy the city. Yet you are not going to see images of urban life but of natural elements that pop up between the concrete and steel. We look down instead of up. Walker explains that his paintings “[highlight] the natural beauty and hidden visual gems throughout the city of Louisville and the surrounding areas. … While Louisville is a thriving city, there are still many remote and undeveloped areas that can take you to a peaceful place in your heart and mind. The simplicity and natural elegance is there between streetlights, on the side of the road and, of course, the parks.”
—Jo Anne Triplett
Through December 27
‘Sixth Annual Under $50 Art Show’
Liberty Tattoo & Art Parlor
2801 S. Third St., 637-4777
facebook.com/libertytattooandart
More than 20 popular Louisville artists will be offering artwork for $50 or less at the Sixth Annual Liberty Tattoo & Art Parlor show. With all proceeds from the sale benefiting the 2015 Louisville Outskirts Festival, you can support local artists and musicians while knocking out your holiday shopping list. The show also kicks off Liberty’s “Kids Activity Drive” to collect art and craft supplies for local children in need. Donations of art and craft items will be accepted in exchange for chances to win a tattoo gift certificate. Bring your item with a receipt and you will receive one chance for each dollar you spend. The drawing will be held on Friday, Dec. 19, and you do not have to be present to win.
—J. Cobb
Through March 14
‘Paths in Nature’
Jane Morgan Gallery
4838 Brownsboro Center, 592-7835
janemorgangallery.com
After our recent arctic weather, we need to be reminded it’s autumn, not winter. The exhibition “Paths in Nature” does that, giving us enough visual clues to help us stop and take off the earmuffs for a while. Jane Morgan is the founder of the Plein Air Painters of Kentucky; the paintings are by 12 artists from the group that is represented by her gallery. Plein air artists work outdoors so that we, the viewers, can hear the rustle of the wind, feel the sun and smell the flowers, just by looking at the work. (It’s rough, but someone has to do it.) Just a few of the artists in the show are Katie Burke, Robert Purol and Catherine Bryant.
—Jo Anne Triplett
