Thursday, Dec. 8
Martinis & Mistletoe
That sound you hear is not the ringing of bells but the clanging of vodka bottles — it’s time for the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft’s Fourth Annual Martinis & Mistletoe. The holiday event features martinis by Finlandia vodka, appetizers from Martini Italian Bistro and Godiva chocolates. And don’t forget that mistletoe.
For your artistic pleasure, music is provided by the Coterie vocal ensemble, and Holidazzle, featuring the works of more than 100 artists for sale, offers a 20-percent discount for KMAC members (if you can’t make it to the event, the show will be up through Dec. 31). Eat, drink and be merry. —Jo Anne Triplett
Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft
715 W. Main St.
589-0102
www.kentuckyarts.org
Members free, $10 non-members; 5-8 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 9
Jesus and Snoopy need cash
If you have yet to see the comic zine “Jesus and Snoopy” laying among the freebies in coffee shops and record stores all over the city, do yourself a favor and pick one up. ’Tis the good stuff, indeed. But sadly, like most free publications that don’t have financial backing from the country’s largest newspaper chain, they need money to keep going forward (hint, hint). That’s the point of Friday’s show at the Rud, where you’ll find the sensational Scott Carney, Bad Blood and Dan Aykroyd — the latter is “Jesus” gear-shifter Ben Purdom’s band. Shake a few bucks out of last night’s pants and check it out. —Stephen George
Rudyard Kipling
422 W. Oak St.
636-1311
$3; 10 p.m.
21+
Saturday, Dec. 10
Debauchery Records turns 2
And they said it’d never last! Well, nobody said that exactly, but the concept of Debauchery Records — bands pay production and distribution costs on their own albums in order to tag ’em with the Debauchery label — was a risky enough venture to prompt plenty such questions. Two years later, however, things are still hoppin’, as any listener will learn at their second anniversary show this weekend. The whole roster is playing, in this order: John Whitaker, Fire the Saddle, Follow the Train (recently signed to Darla Records, it’s the Train’s last Debauchery hoorah), Pine Club, Adventure (last show), IamIs, Reading and, finally, The Merediths. New arrival Cut Family Foundation will provide between-set tunes. The label’s compilation, Pleased to Please You, which has tracks from all the aforementioned artists, will be available at the show for a discounted $5. Word. —Stephen George
Headliners Music Hall
1386 Lexington Road
584-8088
$5 ($10 for 18-20-year-olds); 7:30 p.m.
18+
Dec. 10-23
‘The Nutcracker’
More than 150 dancers take the stage again this year as the Louisville Ballet presents “The Nutcracker,” the holiday classic based on E.T.A. Hoffman’s story “The Nutcracker and the King of Mice” and featuring the classic score by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. First staged on Dec. 17, 1892, in St. Petersburg, Russia, at the renowned Maryinsky Theatre (and largely ignored for many years), “The Nutcracker” is now performed annually by more than 200 professional dance companies worldwide. The ballet follows main character Clara on a journey through the Land of Snow and the Kingdom of Sweets, along with her Nutcracker Prince. And, of course, there’s the always-anticipated showdown with the menacing Rat King and his army of rodents. In addition, on Dec. 10, 17 and 23, the ballet presents the pre-show event Clara’s Tea Party ($25, which does not include a ticket to the performance), featuring a buffet, gifts for children and more. —Kevin Gibson
Whitney Hall, Kentucky Center
584-7777
www.louisvilleballet.org
$25-$75; times vary
Sunday, Dec. 11
Author Frank X. Walker
As a co-founder of the Affrilachan poetry movement, Frank X. Walker dedicates much of his multidisciplinary artistic talent toward educating the public on the significant amounts of black culture and history that dwell in the Appalachian region. Much of his work focuses on social justice issues, as well as themes of family and identity, and on Sunday, you can experience these themes with your own eyes and ears as Walker reads from his new book of poems, titled “Black Box.” Bear witness to the man who wrote, “If you think makin’ ’shine from corn is as hard as Kentucky coal, imagine being an Affrilachan poet.” —Jonathan Frank
Carmichael’s Bookstore
2720 Frankfort Ave.
896-6950
Free; 4 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 11
Hometown poets
Four local poets will gather to read their work Sunday afternoon at Amazing Grace Whole Foods and Nutrition: Amelia Blossom Pegram, whose latest book of poems is “Beneath the Baobob” (Arable Press, 2005); W. Loran Smith (his latest is “Walking Upright,” Arable Press 2005); Irene A. Mosvold (her chapbook, “Never Trust Where a Cat Sits,” won the Inaugural Fool for Poetry Chapbook Competition); and Edmund August, the founding editor of Arable Press (his latest collection of poems is “Moon Dogs,” published by Wind Publications, 2005). Our fair city has more than its share of talented writing voices, and this is a good chance to see several at once. The event also shapes up as a nice respite from the hubbub of the holiday shopping season. —Cary Stemle
Amazing Grace Whole Foods & Nutrition
1133 Bardstown Road
485-1122
Free; 4 p.m.
Dec. 14-18
Comedians Dominic Dierkes and Dario Konjicija
The saddest thing about comedy is missing the chance to see a great comedian. And just as I can’t foresee who will win the Derby, I can’t guarantee the humor of Dominic Dierkes and Dario Konjicija; however, I can tell you about their pedigrees. Performing since he was just a Memphis teenager, Dierkes honed his talent while at NYU film school and trained in improv at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. Dario, on the other hand, hails from Bosnia, and before he MCs at Comedy Caravan next week, you can witness his interning exploits with Method Man in TLC’s “Going Hollywood,” which debuts Dec. 7 at 8 p.m. TLC airs on Insight channel MM. —Jonathan Frank
Comedy Caravan
1250 Bardstown Road
459-0022
Dominic: Dec. 7-11
Dario: Dec. 14-18
Through Jan. 7
Artists Anne Lindstrom and Fred DiGiovanni
The newly renovated Goodall Gallery has reopened with an exhibition featuring the clay “doodles” of Anne Lindstrom, and the black and white photography of Fred DiGiovanni.
Lindstrom’s totems are the result of her exploration of color and sound. “The two help each other by stretching me in seemingly different directions, which actually are more like inhaling and exhaling, creating a perfect circle of energy,” she says. The “Made in China” series by DiGiovanni is more straightforward, featuring both landscapes and urban scenes, including the architectural beauty of the Forbidden City. —Jo Anne Triplett
Goodall Gallery
329 Stilz Ave.
895-7455
www.goodallgallery.com
Free; Fri.-Sat. 12-6 p.m.
