GIGS & CONCERTS
University of Kentucky's Singletary Center for the Arts will host jazz outfit The Bad Plus on March 3. Photo furnished
The Bad Plus. March 3. High-wire experimental unit, The Bad Plus brings its restless, genre-defying approach to a program featuring collaborators Chris Potter and Craig Taborn, drawing inspiration from Keith Jarrett’s American Quartet. 7:30 p.m. Singletary Center for the Arts, 405 Rose St. www.scfatickets.com
J. Roddy Walston. March 5. After years fronting the rock outfit J. Roddy Walston and the Business, which dissolved in 2019, Walston is now touring with a group called The Automatic Band, continuing his tradition of piano-driven rock songs steeped in classic soul, bar-band grit and Southern bravado. 8 p.m. The Burl, 375 Thompson Rd. www.theburlky.com
Barry Manilow. March 9. A master craftsman of pop songwriting, Barry Manilow delivers a hit-packed set spanning decades of piano-driven ballads and arena favorites, performed with the polish and warmth that turned his catalog into a shared cultural memory. 7 p.m. Rupp Arena, 430 W. Vine St. www.rupp.com
Grammy-nominated saxophonist and composer Immanuel Wilkins will perform at the Singletary Center for the Arts on March 12. Photo furnished
Immanuel Wilkins: Blues Blood. March 12. Rising jazz saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins presents “Blues Blood,” a deeply personal project weaving together jazz, spoken word and history, shaped by themes of lineage, Black identity and collective memory. 7:30 p.m. Singletary Center for the Arts, 405 Rose St. www.scfatickets.com
Vinyl Richie: Studio 54. March 14. Local outfit Vinyl Richie will spin a disco-fueled night inspired by the iconic Studio 54 era, packed with dance-floor classics and funk grooves. 8 p.m. The Burl, 375 Thompson Rd. www.theburlky.com
Enjoy yacht rock classics with the genre's Crown Prince during an 'Evening with Christopher Cross,' Mar. 17 at the Lexington Opera House. Photo furnished
An Evening with Christopher Cross. March 17. Known for singles that include “Sailing” and “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do),” the grammy-winning singer-songwriter who has been performing for more than four decades will bring his smooth melodic rock to the Opera House. 8 p.m. Lexington Opera House, 401 W. Short St. www.lexingtonoperahouse.com
Yonder Mountain String Band. March 19. These veterans of the modern bluegrass movement fuse traditional picking with rock energy and extended improvisation, helping redefine what contemporary string music can sound like. 8 p.m. Manchester Music Hall, 899 Manchester St. www.manchestermusichall.com
Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives will perform at the Kentucky Theatre on Mar. 19 as part of the Troubadour Concert Series. Photo furnished
Troubadour Concert Series: Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives. March 19. Country and roots icon Marty Stuart leads his longtime band through a set steeped in classic Americana, sharp musicianship and reverence for tradition. 7:30 p.m. Kentucky Theatre, 214 E. Main St. www.kentuckytheatre.com
Singletary Center Expansive Sounds: Chuck Johnson and Clarice Jensen. March 21. Two acclaimed experimental composers present a collaborative evening of immersive soundscapes and textured string-based compositions. 7:30 p.m. Singletary Center for the Arts, 405 Rose St. www.scfatickets.com
Railroad Earth. March 21. Known for blending bluegrass instrumentation with folk storytelling and jam-band exploration, Railroad Earth delivers sprawling sets built on narrative songwriting and communal energy. The genre-spanning regional outfit Hot Brown Smackdown will open. 8 p.m. Manchester Music Hall, 899 Manchester St. www.manchestermusichall.com
Journey: Final Frontier Tour. March 22. Arena-rock legends Journey brings soaring vocals and timeless anthems like “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Any Way You Want It” and “Faithfully” to a career-spanning live show built for sing-alongs. 7:30 p.m. Rupp Arena, 430 W. Vine St. www.rupp.com
Ark Band: Bob Marley Tribute. March 22. Ohio-based reggae group Ark Band will honor Bob Marley’s enduring legacy with faithful, high-energy renditions of reggae classics rooted in messages of unity, resistance and joy. 7 p.m. The Burl, 375 Thompson Rd. www.theburlky.com
Pat Metheny. March 25. One of jazz’s most influential guitarists, Pat Metheny brings decades of innovation across jazz, fusion and experimental music to an intimate evening highlighting his expansive musical language on this tour celebrating his album, “Side-Eye III+.” 8 p.m. Lexington Opera House, 401 W. Short St. www.lexingtonoperahouse.com
Paul McDonald and the Mourning Doves will perform at The Burl on Mar. 26. Photo furnished
Paul McDonald and the Mourning Doves. March 26. Americana songwriter Paul McDonald brings roots-driven songs and soulful storytelling backed by the Mourning Doves. 8 p.m. The Burl, 375 Thompson Rd. www.theburlky.com
ART & EXHIBITS
LexArts HOP. March 20. Downtown galleries, project spaces and pop-up venues open their doors for Lexington’s monthly art hop, featuring new exhibitions, artist talks and live demonstrations across multiple locations. 5-8 p.m. Various locations. www.lexarts.org
Works by Morgan Hardigree will be on display through March 13 at 2nd Story art gallery as part of Gnatland: Neon Organisms of the New Age exhibition. Image furnished
Gnatland: Neon Organisms of the New Age. On display through March 13. This immersive exhibition pairs neon-saturated works by Morgan Hardigree with biomorphic assemblages by Jason Kash, creating a glowing environment that explores transformation, mutation and material play. Gallery hours: Tues.-Fri., 1-5 p.m.; Sat.-Mon., by appointment. 2nd Story, 522 W. Short St. www.2ndstory.art
A collection of photographs of Lexington by local photographer Jonathan Jonathan, who utilizes in-camera multiple exposure to create surreal images, is on display at the Lexington Art League through March 27. Image furnished
Jonathan Jonathan: Surreal Lexington 2025: A Year in Photos. On display through March 27. Working exclusively with in-camera multiple exposure large-format photography, local photographer Jonathan Jonathan layers light and time to reimagine Lexington as a surreal landscape shaped by myth, memory and playful mischief. Gallery hours: Wed.-Sat., noon-5 p.m., and by appointment. Loudoun House, 209 Castlewood Dr. www.lexingtonartleague.org
Meg Mitchell’s “A Fragile Unfolding.” On display through April 3. Meg Mitchell builds a digital environment inside a physical installation, using game-development tools to create a world with no goals or “winning” — just drifting ice islands, light beams and an ambient soundscape that turns wandering into the point. Gallery hours: Tues.-Fri., 1-5 p.m.; Sat.-Sun., and by appointment. 2nd Story, 522 W. Short St. www.2ndstory.art
“Extended Family.” On display March 4-April 4. Serving as an introduction and a sampling of work reflecting shared histories and fresh perspective, the first exhibition in the new gallery opening in the space formerly occupied by New Editions Gallery features Lexington artists who previously exhibited at New Editions, alongside Louisville artists who currently show with the Louisville location of WheelHouse Art. Gallery hours: 12-5 p.m., Wed.-Sat. WheelHouse Art, 500 W. Short St. www.wehelhouse.art
Greg Reynolds: “Double Life.” On display March 13-April 25. Institute 193’s newest solo exhibition brings together two long-term photographic projects by Kentucky-born photographer Greg Reynolds: “Evidence,” intimate images of his Kentucky family and home, and “Possibly Maybe,” portraits of men that span friends, strangers and lovers across New York City and Berlin. A former youth minister raised in a Southern Baptist culture, Reynolds came out in his 30s and spent four decades documenting the parallel worlds he inhabits, creating work that is deeply personal and visually striking. Gallery hours: Wed.-Sat., 11 a.m.-6 p.m., by appointment. Institute 193, 215 N. Limestone Ave. www.institute193.org
ETC.
University of Kentucky Opera Theatre: “Nation of Others.” March 6-8. This contemporary operatic work explores identity and displacement through bold staging and modern composition. Fri.-Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m. Lexington Opera House, 401 W. Short St. www.lexingtonoperahouse.com
This year's Alltech Lexington St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival will take place downtown on Mar. 14. Photo furnished by the Bluegrass Irish Society
Alltech Lexington St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival. March 14. Downtown Lexington turns green with a full-day celebration of Irish culture. The annual parade and free outdoor festival features traditional pipe and drum bands, Irish dancers, and live sets from local favorites and visiting Irish acts. The day kicks off at 10:45 a.m. with the Blessing of the Keg and continues with music, food and family-friendly festivities throughout the afternoon. Henry A. Tandy Centennial Plaza and Fifth Third Pavilion. www.lexingtonstpatsparade.org
Lexington Taco Week returns
Lexington Taco Week. March 9-15. More than 20 local restaurants will feature chef-driven, off-menu tacos all week long. Each participating restaurant will feature a special $8 taco plate for one week only. For a full list of participating restaurants, taco descriptions, and other details. visit www.cravetacoweek.com or download the Lexington Taco Week app.
Studio Players: “The Diary of Anne Frank." March 19-Apr. 5. A powerful theatrical adaptation of Anne Frank’s wartime diary unfolds through intimate staging and nuanced performances, bringing one of history’s most personal accounts of courage and confinement to the stage. Fri., Sat. and opening night, 7:30 p.m. Sun., 2:30 p.m. Carriage House Theatre, 154 W. Bell Ct. www.studioplayers.org
“Chicago: The Musical.” March 20-22. The long-running Broadway classic returns with its razor-sharp satire of fame, corruption and celebrity justice, set to a jazz-infused score packed with iconic numbers like “All That Jazz” and “Cell Block Tango.” Fri., 7:30 p.m; Sat., 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Sun., 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Lexington Opera House, 401 W. Short St. www.lexingtonoperahouse.com
Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame. March 30. This annual event coordianted by the Carnegie Center for Literacy & Learning is designed to recognize outstanding Kentucky writers and to educate people about the state’s rich literary history and culture. This year's class of inductees includes Silas House, Jeff Worley, Marcia Thornton Jones and Debbie Dade, all of whom will br present at the ceremony, free and open to the public. 7 p.m. Kentucky Theatre, 215 E. Main St. carnegiecenterlex.org