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We pride ourselves on providing as comprehensive a list as possible. If you have an upcoming show in Lexington that you would like to see mentioned in our weekly listings, e-mail the details to saraya@smileypete.com with "LIVE MUSIC LISTING" in the subject line, at least 10 days in prior to the event. Visit our comprehensive arts & culture calendar at for more info on these events and others.
Smiley Pete Publishing can neither confirm nor deny that all of the events mentioned in our listings will go exactly as planned. We recommended that you confirm these details with the venue in advance.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18
The Barry Mando Project and The Baja Yeti's Cosmic Charlie’s, 388 Woodland Ave. 10 p.m., 18+, $5. The Baja Yeti's play a blend of funk and jazz that throws back to days past yet also holds a fresh tone. The Barry Mando Project is a local jazz-influenced trio featuring three of Lexington's most talented instrumentalists. Their style is informed by elements of bluegrass, old-time, Americana, and world music.
Open mic hosted by Warren Byrom Al's Bar 601 North Limestone Street, 9 p.m.
April Edwards Album Release Party Parlay Social, 257 W Short St. 7 p.m., April Edwards is a 23-year-old Kentucky singer who cites her influences as Bob Marley, Amy Winehouse and Adele. She's celebrating the release of her debut album "NSA".
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER19
Institute 193 presents Ben Sollee Lexington Opera House, 430 West Vine St. 8 p.m., all ages, $20. This concert celebrates the release of Sollee’s new record, Half-Made Man, and will be Sollee’s homecoming performance in a nationwide tour. All proceeds from the special event will go to further the mission of Institute 193: advancing the careers of contemporary Southern artists and enriching the cultural landscape of central Kentucky. The Appalachian singers Anna + Elizabeth will open for Sollee.
Holler Poets Series #55 Al's Bar 601 North Limestone Street, 7:30 p.m.
Red Barn Radio presents Whistlin' Rufus Artsplace, 161 N. Mill St, $8, all ages, 7 p.m. An old time string band from Louisville, KY featuring fiddle, banjo, mandolin, doghouse bass, and guitar. Each week, Rad Barn radio showcases bluegrass and old-time musicians in a live radio taping open to the public, hosted by bluegrass picker Arthur Hancock of Willie's Locally Known.
Blues Jam Cheapside, 131 Cheapside St., 8 p.m. Every Wednesday night, Cheapside Bar and Grill hosts a blues jam, an open jam with a core house group and more and more guests every week.
Local H and Cooneagle Cosmic Charlie’s, 388 Woodland Ave. 10 p.m., 18+, $10. Having achieved mainstream success with their second album 'As Good As Dead', and fueled by the multi-format hit single 'Bound For The floor', this two man wrecking crew hailing from Chicago are veterans on the alt/post punk scene. They've 'hit the road' with the likes of Stone Temple Pilots, Cheap Trick, Chevelle, and Burning Brides, to name a few. Lexington duo Cooneagle opens.
King's Ransom Parlay Social, 257 W. Short St., 9:30 p.m.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20
The Effin Wilders / Small Batch / Anything But Sue Al's Bar, 601 North Limestone Street, 9 p.m. The Effin Wilders began in a Berea basement, the brain child of two bored coffee jockeys. The band was intended to be a kind of alt country surf hybrid, but has taken its current form from a puree of indie rock and classic country. The Wilders are joined by Small Batch and Anything But Sue.
Rebel Riot Revue Holiday Caberet 2012 Cosmic Charlie’s, 388 Woodland Ave. 18+, $10-$15, 9 p.m. Rebel Riot Revue is back with a full-length holiday variety production featuring never-before-seen burlesque striptease acts, sketch comedy, acrobatics, fire, singing and audience participation for prizes.
The Roosters Crow / Josh Nolan & The Bad Painters / Geordan Brewer Green Lantern, 497 W. Third St., 21+, 9 p.m. A triple bill of local and regional country/Americana inspired songwriting.
Electric Jam Henry Clay Pub, 112 N. Upper St., 8 p.m. Weekly jam sessions presented by the Bluegrass Funk Cooperative. The house band starts the night off with a short set at 8 p.m.; during that time musicians, singers and bands are encouraged to sign up to sit in or get up as a group. Depending on sign-up volume, most slots will range from 3-4 tunes (or 15-20 minutes).
Twiggenburys Natasha's, 112 Esplanade, $5, 9 p.m. Lexington's favorite "Fab Faux" Brits, The Twiggenburys, play favorites (including Christmas music) from decades of Brit-rock, including The Beatles, The Who, Bowie, Rolling Stones, ELO, Pink Floyd, Elton John, Psychedelic Furs... the list goes on, all the way up to Radiohead, The Fratellis and Mumford & Sons.
Boogie G and The Titanics Parlay Social, 257 W. Short St., 9:30 p.m.
tadoo lounge sessions with Palisades / Low End Duo / Maggie Lander & The City Smiley Pete, 434 Old Vine St., all ages, 6 p.m. First up is the Low End Duo, their cello and bass set will get you all warmed up for an extravaganza of music. Palisades is hyper-literate post-punk/power-pop, drawing on influences ranging from Elvis Costello to Big Star to early REM. Their tadoo lounge session will be their first ever acoustic set, featuring guests Eric Smith from Killer Meteor, Robby Cosenza of Fanged Robot and These United States and Tom Martin of The City! The night finishes with Maggie Lander & The City's original jazz-rock fusion with material ranging from smokin' swamp rock to uptown jazz rock. The sound comes from a blend of distinct vocals supported by electric violin, tenor sax, guitar, piano, keyboards and jazz percussion.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21
Big Fresh / The Reva Dawn Salon / The Idiot Glee Four / Harlan Land of Tomorrow, 527 E. 3rd St., $5, 8 p.m. Celebrate the Mayan Apocalypse with Lexington pop favorites Big Fresh and Idiot Glee (now playing as a four-piece). Nicholasville's Harlan also plays along with local "cluster-folk" act, The Reva Dawn Salon.
Devine Carama presents...Life's Journey Unplugged Al's Bar, 601 N. Limestone, 9 p.m.
End of the World Party with Ford Theatre Reunion and Friends Cosmic Charlie’s, 388 Woodland Ave. 7 p.m., 18+, $10. Local avant-circus-punk-vaudeville outfit Ford Theatre Reunion has planned one heck of an End of the World Party, with performances scheduled from a slew of friends.
Best Friend Band Green Lantern, 497 W. Third St., 21+, 9 p.m. Fun local garage pop that suits the Lantern's diveness perfectly.
Scott Said & Backroads Henry Clay Pub, 112 N. Upper St., 8 p.m. Rock/country.
Driftwood Gypsies Lynagh's Pub, 384 Woodland Ave., 21+, 10 p.m. Folk/blues/rock.
The New Now: Christmas Show Natasha's, 112 Esplanade, $8, 9 p.m. Lexington's own acoustic jazz folk band, The New Now, will be sharing their interpretations of a variety of traditional, jazzy, and bluesy Christmas Songs.
Superfecta Parlay Social, 257 W. Short St, 9 p.m. Superfecta expertly covers music ranging from jazz standards, fusion jazz, 60’s Motown, 70’s funk, 80’s dance, R&B, classic rock, current top 40, and more.
Angela Perley & The Howlin Moons Willie's Locally Known, 805 N. Broadway, 9 p.m. Perley's music is nostalgic and heavily influenced by old-time country roots and rock and roll.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 22
The Tall Boys and Driftwood Gypsy Al's Bar, 601 N. Limestone, 9 p.m.
Relic Delic / Sundown Service / Big Noise Cosmic Charlie’s, 388 Woodland Ave. 10 p.m., 18+, $7. With influences ranging from funk to rock to blues and a little craziness in between, Relic Delic brings an energized form of groove that is reminiscent of the past.
The Jivehounds / The Prognosticator / Beatrice Green Lantern, 497 W. Third St., 21+, 9 p.m. Blues/rock
The Bunch / The Breedings / Jon Curtis Henry Clay Pub, 112 N. Upper St., 8:30 p.m.
Nick Stump's Blues All Stars Natasha's, 112 Esplanade, $10, 9 p.m. Nick Stump's songs have been called "the most literate songwriting since Kris Kristofferson" by Blues Access Magazine. His song "Deep Mine Blues" has been on two Grammy nominated albums, including the compilation, "Music of Coal" and Larry Cordle's CD, "Murder On Music Row." With Lexington greats Keith Hubbard, Rex Hart, George Neel, and Tom Green.
Superfecta Parlay Social, 257 W. Short St, 9 p.m. Superfecta expertly covers music ranging from jazz standards, fusion jazz, 60’s Motown, 70’s funk, 80’s dance, R&B, classic rock, current top 40, and more.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 23
Scourge of the Sea Cosmic Charlie’s, 388 Woodland Ave. 10 p.m., 18+, $7. Disbanded Lex folk group Scourge of the Sea get back together to play a special holiday show Featuring Matt Duncan, Andrew English (Englishman), Robby Cosenza (The Fanged Robot), Justin Craig (These United States), Duane Lundy (Chico Fellini), Warren Byrom and more.
Heather (dictated text) : Ben Durham & Robert Beatty live reading and performance Institute 193, 193 North Limestone, 8 p.m. Ben Durham and Robert Beatty will debut their collaborative sound performance, Heather (dictated text), on Sunday December 23rd at 8pm. The source material for this project is a cassette tape recording of Durham dictating the text from Heather, the 24th portrait in his ongoing series of drawings created entirely with handwritten text. Neither the recording nor the text, which is no longer visible in the finished drawing, has ever been presented publicly.
Harmonica Red and the New Heard Natasha's, 112 Esplanade, $5. 8 p.m. George Heard, aka Harmonica Red, is a legendary live performer and international recording artist who has performed with, toured with and recorded with some of the true heavyweights of the Blues, Jazz, Country and Rock worlds, including such diverse artists as Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Little Feat, Lee Oskar and WAR, The Meters, Dr. John, Asleep At The Wheel, Commander Cody, and David Alan Coe.
To get his unique and extraordinary sound, Red stacks his Lee Oskar Harmonicas on top of one another, "two or three at a time, sliding between them [to get] notes you can't make on a single diatonic [harmonica]..."
Bruce Lewis / Lee Carroll / David White Parlay Social, 257 W. Short St., 9 p.m. A lively whoop-de-doo from a local trio to celebrate the Holy Days.
MONDAY, DECEMBER 24
Chris Campbell Duo Parlay Social, 257 W. Short St., 8:30 p.m. Country/rock.