Friday, October 30, 2009
"John Porcellino on the Road" @ Wonder Fair
A slide show, book signing, and conversation celebrating 20 years of King Cat Comics & the release of Porcellino's new collection "Map of My Heart." Porcellino was born in Chicago in 1968 and has been writing, drawing, and publishing minicomics, comics, and graphic novels for over twenty-five years. His self-published series King-Cat Comics has inspired a generation of cartoonists. According to cartoonist Chris Ware, "John Porcellino's comics distill, in just a few lines and words, the feeling of simply being alive."
Opening reception for "New Works by Jan Gaumnitz"
Local artist Jan Gaumnitz presents a collection of paintings, photography, prints, and sculpture. Check out our podcast interview with Gaumnitz, wherein she dishes on the Lawrence art scene and it’s wealth of learning facilities and gives some tough love and advice for up-and-coming artists.
Open through Dec. 18.
Levee Town @ The Gaslight
Levee Town is one of Kansas City's most reliable sources of blues, rock, and everything in-between. Their music ranges from covers of Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, Freddie King, Bob Dylan, and Big Joe Turner to home-cooked originals. Check out our podcast interview with Levee Town harmonica player Jimmie Meade.
E.M.U. Theatre presents “Horrorshow IIID”
It survived the zombie massacre of ‘07. It took audiences beyond the edges of sanity in 2008. So what’s left for EMU Theatre to bestow upon hungry hoards of horror fans this Halloween?
It seems that the EMU writers are fighting over the best way to scare audiences with their 3rd annual Halloween show, “Horrorshow IIID." The peeved playwrights will showcase four different Halloween-themed shows, ranging from a kooky comedy to an arabesque and blood-filled look into the depravity of the human condition.
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit @ The Bottleneck
Former Drive By Truckers guitarist turned solo artist Jason Isbell brings his road-tested rock and alt-country sounds to town in support of his new self-titled album.
Yonder Mountain String Band @ Liberty Hall
The bluegrass/jam quartet of Adam Aijala (guitar), Jeff Austin (mandolin), Dave Johnston (banjo) and Ben Kaufmann (bass) play marathon three-hour sets, blending one song into the next and improvising on stage so that no two shows are alike.
Swing Dance Friday @ Camelot
A night of swing dancing and live music. The $7 admission ($5 with student ID) includes a 45-minute East Coast Swing Lesson at 8:30 p.m. Come and go as you like.
David Bazan @ the Jackpot
Check out our podcast preview of this show.
Having officially dissolved Pedro the Lion, songwriter David Bazan returned to his home studio and cut a lovely EP called "Fewer Moving Parts" followed by the poppy and powerful album "Curse Your Branches." Now, the bearded singer is back on the road with a full band that sounds eerily similar to Pedro — which is fine, because that group's lovelorn indie rock is what endeared him to us in the first place.
Hammerlord @ the Replay
It's so hard to tell what's metal these days. Ever since Metallica took its eyes off the prize and Limp Bizkit made us all exclaim "There is no Sataaaan!!!" it's all been a blur. Thankfully, it takes about two hellraising seconds to figure out that Hammerlord is most definitely metal. Earth-scorching guitar leads, double-bass-drum blasts, guttural vocals, lyrics about spilt blood and the "Throne of Azathoth" -- metal like the wolf. Duel lead guitarists Ty Scott and J.P. Gaughan shred their brains out on Hammerlord's debut self-titled LP, and drummer Adam Mitchell (the original "Hammerlord") is a Guitar Center clinic on 'roids.
Fourth of July @ The Taproom
Ranging from tuneful indie folk to jubilant pop-rock, Lawrence's Fourth of July is one of Lawrence's most consistently awesome bands. The group will soon release the follow-up to its celebrated debut album "Fourth of July on the Plains."
And new in movies...
Michael Jackson's This Is It
"This Is It" looks beyond the reconstructed face and spindly body of the late King of Pop and basks in his meteoric light. Culled from more than 100 hours of footage documenting Jackson's preparing for what was to be his farewell concert stand, the film is a privileged peek at the creative process of pop music's Peter Pan.