Concerts & Gigs
Restless Leg String Band. Oct. 2. Taking cues from traditional bluegrass music as well as more modern psych-grass and jam-grass, this five-piece acoustic collaboration shapes its own original sound, marked by funky grooves, psychedelic improv jams and uplifting lyrics, all built on an underlying salute of classical overtones. This show will be a tribute and adieu to bass player Joe Schlaak, who is exiting the band. 9 p.m. The Burl, 375 Thompson Road. www.theburlky.com
Fredd C. Oct 8. Up-and-coming local hip hop artist Fredd C. will perform with a slew of special guests. 9 p.m. The Burl, 375 Thompson Road. www.theburlky.com
Gangstagrass. Oct. 9. Widely known for their theme song to the hit FX show “Justified,” Gangstagrass is a down-and-dirty bluegrass-meets-hip-hop project of Brooklyn-based producer Rench. 8 p.m. The Burl, 375 Thompson Road. www.theburlky.com
The Mountain Goats will climb onto the stage Oct. 15 at Manchester Music Hall. Photo furnished
The Mountain Goats. Oct. 15. Led by singer-songwriter John Darnielle, this cult-favorite folk band has been producing music since the mid-’90s, taking a heartfelt approach to songwriting, with lyrics ranging from personal, autobiographical topics such as abuse and substance abuse, to humor and pop culture. 8 p.m. Manchester Music Hall, 899 Manchester St. www.manchestermusichall.com
Marcus King Band. Grammy-nominated guitar phenom Marcus King has been turning heads with his brand of soul-influenced psychedelic Southern rock since he was a teenager. Now in his mid-20s, he projects a wisdom beyond his years and has amassed a significant following. With special guest Leah Blevins. Oct. 20. 8 p.m. Manchester Music Hall, 899 Manchester St. www.manchestermusichall.com
John Paul White. Oct. 21. A former member of the Grammy-winning roots duo Civil Wars, which disbanded in 2014, John Paul White has focused in recent years on his solo career, continuing a straightforward, heartfelt approach to songwriting. 8 p.m. The Burl, 375 Thompson Road. www.theburlky.com
Moon Taxi. Oct. 28. Since forming in 2006, this Nashville-based five-piece alternative indie band has touched upon elements of electronic pop, soul, funk and jam-rock, garnering a loyal base of regional and national fans. The band’s most recent album, 2021’s “Silver Dream,” has been described as a “light, infectious and welcomed temporary relief from the constant burdens of trying to stay normal through a pandemic that regularly seeks to smash many of the little daily pleasures we once took for granted.” With support from Sparkle City Disco. 8 p.m. Manchester Music Hall, 899 Manchester St. www.manchestermusichall.com
Amigo the Devil. Oct. 29. Armed with only his vocals and a banjo/acoustic guitar, the Miami-based artist Amigo the Devil has amassed a dedicated, cult-like following for his morbid yet romantic take on folk music. 8 p.m. The Burl, 375 Thompson Road. www.theburlky.com
Art & Exhibits
“Tufa at Elk Lick Falls “ by Guy Mendes is among the images featured in the Lexington Art League exhibit “What Endures: Photographs from an Uncertain Time,” featuring work by members of the Lexington Camera Club with a handful of special guests. The exhibit is on display at the Loudoun House through Oct. 8. Photo by Guy Mendes
What Endures: Photographs From an Uncertain Time. On display through Oct. 8. After a year of isolation, illness and loss, this exhibit aims to take stock of what has endured in our lives and how that might be depicted in photographs. Following a tradition that goes back 85 years to the beginnings of the Lexington Camera Club, the exhibit of photographs highlights work from 30 members of the organization along with six teenage guest artists from the Northside of Lexington. A screening of the documentary “M & M Smith: For Posterity’s Sake – The Lives and Work of renowned Harlem Renaissance Photographers Morgan and Marvin Smith” will be held on Oct. 8. Gallery hours: Wed.-Sat., 12-5 p.m. and by appointment. Loudoun House, 209 Castlewood Drive. www.lexingtonartleague.org
Horsepower: Artwork Inspired by the Poetry of Joy Priest. On display through Oct. 30. Louisville-based writer Joy Priest’s poetry collection “Horsepower” overflows with visuals: muscle cars, horses, dichotomies of skin, chain-link fences, tires peeling down interstates, bees, the curled flowers of dying spiders, the invisible lines of Louisville and many more compelling descriptions that engage the senses. For this exhibit, presented in conjunction with the Kentucky Women Writers Conference, artists were invited to submit work inspired by the words and truths presented in Priest’s work. Gallery hours: Mon.-Tues. and Thurs.-Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Wed., 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sat., 12-5 p.m. LexArts Gallery at ArtsPlace, 161 N. Mill St. www.LexArts.org
Molly Graham. On display through Nov. 6. A founding member of Blacksburg, Virginia’s Future Economy Collective, Molly Graham is a multidisciplinary artist from southwest Virginia specializing in craft, installation and perfumes. This exhibition, which will feature Graham’s “Smell-O-Vision Pinball Cathedral,” will be the artist’s first solo gallery exhibition. Gallery hours: Wed.-Sat., 11 a.m.-6 p.m. and by appointment. Institute 193, 193 N. Limestone. www.institute193.org
Informed by Nature: Helene Steene, Alex K. Mason, Jennifer Roberts. On display through Nov. 14. This collaborative exhibit will feature abstract multimedia paintings from Helene Steene, an immersive presentation of the process of painter and textile artist Alex K. Mason and a collection of macro photography work, examining the rarely seen intricate details of nature, from Jennifer Roberts. Gallery hours: Fri-Sun., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Headley Whitney Museum, 4435 Old Frankfort Pike. www.headley-whitney.org
Detail from James McGarrell’s painting “Cezanne,” which is part of the exhibit “Space–Bodies–Objects,” on display at the University of Kentucky Art Museum Oct. 12-March 19. Image furnished
“Space–Bodies–Objects.” On display Oct. 12-March 19. This exhibition includes several paintings that locate human or animal figures along with enigmatic objects in varied architectural settings. The spaces depicted combine aspects of inside and out, nature glimpsed through open windows and porticos, and interiors of uncertain scale. Gallery hours: Tues.-Fri. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sat. 12-5 p.m. University of Kentucky Art Museum, 405 Rose St. finearts.uky.edu/art-museum
PRHBTN Exhibition. On display Oct. 15-Nov. 12. Billed as a “radically inclusive salon-style exhibition in celebration of Kentucky visual artists,” this exhibition is produced in tandem with the 10th annual PRHBTN public art/mural festival that facilitates the production of new public murals in Lexington each fall. The annual gallery exhibition takes pride in providing a platform for Kentucky artists of all disciplines, ages, experience, media and subject matter to present and sell artworks in a supportive community setting. An opening reception will take place Oct. 15 from 6-10 p.m. Gallery hours: Wed.-Sat., 12-5 p.m. and by appointment. Loudoun House, 209 Castlewood Drive. www.lexingtonartleague.org/www.prhbtn.com
The Great Cover Up. On display Oct. 19-Dec. 31. This concept exhibition features more than 20 Kentucky artists who were asked to create their own version of a famous artwork that has inspired them. The artists’ versions will be presented alongside a framed image of the original piece. Gallery hours: Mon.-Fri., 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Living Arts & Science Center, 362 N. Martin Luther King Blvd. www.lasc.org
Theater & Performance
University of Kentucky Theatre: “The Thanksgiving Play.” Oct. 14-17. In this satirical comedy by MacArthur Fellow Larissa FastHorse (Sicangu Lakota Nation), four “woke” white artists devise a politically correct and historically accurate play for an elementary school in honor of Native American Heritage Month. What could go wrong? Presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. Thurs.-Sun., 7:30 p.m. Thurs.-Sun., with an additional 2 p.m. matinee on Sun. Guignol Theatre in the Fine Arts Building, 465 Rose St. finearts.uky.edu
Keith McCutchen’s Latin Jazz Experience will perform at downtown Lexington’s Base 249 on Oct. 15. Photo furnished
Origins of Jazz Series: Keith McCutchen’s Latin Jazz Experience. Oct. 15. Lexington-based veteran jazz pianist Keith McCutchen, director of the Kentucky State University Jazz Ensemble, will channel his global travels as a performer and educator into his new quintet, the Latin Jazz Experience, which also features Kirby Davis (tenor sax), Dave Henderson (trombone), Tyrone Wheeler (bass) and Paul Deatherage (drums). 7 p.m. Base 249, 249 E. Main St. www.originsjazz.org
University of Kentucky Symphony Orchestra: Shostakovich “Fifth Symphony” and Joe Baber “Frankenstein.” Oct 29. Featuring 2023 Doctor of Music Arts candidates Sean Radermacher and Merih Erdem Ozden, this performance will include the selections “Short Ride in a Fast Machine” by John Adams, the Kentucky premiere of “Ayin Raksi” by Ahmen Adnan Saygun, Joseph Baber’s “Suite from Frankenstein” and Symphony No. 5 by Dmitri Shostakovich. 7:30 p.m. Singletary Center for the Arts, 405 Rose St. www.singletarycenter.com
AthensWest January Ball: Halloween Edition. Oct. 30. This evening of delightful spookiness, an annual fundraiser for AthensWest Theatre Company for guests ages 21 and up, will feature haunted cabaret performances, encounters with ghostly ghouls, delicious food and drink, and an outrageous costume contest. 7-10 p.m. Black Box Theater at the Pam Miller Downtown Arts Center, 141 E. Main St. (859) 425-2550. www.athenswest.net
ETC.
Kentucky native and newgrass pioneer Sam Bush headlines this year’s Moonshiner’s Ball, taking place in Rockcastle County Oct. 7-10. Photo furnished
Moonshiners Ball. Oct. 7-10. Taking place about 75 minutes south of Lexington, this annual music festival returns for a weekend of live music, camping and fun for all ages. Following the loose tagline “folk by day, funk by night,” the festival features a diverse and robust music lineup, with performers including Sam Bush, Moon Hooch, Ernie Johnson From Detroit, The Commonheart, Rainbow Girls and many more. The family-friendly BYOB festival was created by the Lexington-based band Blind Corn Liquor Pickers and also features workshops, kids’ activities, bonfires, arts and crafts vendors, and food trucks, in addition to three days of live music. All attendees will receive a rapid antigen COVID-10 test before entering the festival grounds, provided in partnership with Wild Health. Visit the website for the full schedule, tickets and information. Rockcastle Riverside, 4211 Lower River Road, Livingston. www.themoonshinersball.com
Waveland 50th Anniversary Celebration. Oct. 9. This year marks 50 years since the historic Lexington homestead Waveland became a Kentucky state historic site. Today, the site maintains a former plantation home that’s considered to be one of the finest examples of Greek revival architecture, two gardens, a public park, gift shop, museum and tours that focus on the history of Waveland, including the enslaved people who once lived there. 2 p.m. Waveland State Historic Site, 225 Waveland Museum Lane. www.parks.ky.gov
Tree Week. Oct. 9-16. Produced by The Urban Forest Initiative, this week-long event celebrates trees and the many ways they impact our lives. Participants can take part in a variety of activities throughout the week, including a community tree giveaway at Greyline Station (Oct. 9), yoga among the trees of Ashland: The Henry Clay Estate (Oct. 10), a Lexington Cemetery Conifer Walk (Oct. 13), group hiking trips, webinars, workshops and more. Visit the website for the full schedule of events and more information. https://ufi.ca.uky.edu/treeweek
The Lexington Alano Club Celebrity Golf Classic. Oct. 17-18. The Alano Club, a non-profit organization that provides a safe, sober and supportive environment 365 days a year serving individuals seeking recovery from addiction, will host its inaugural celebrity golf tournament, dinner and live and online auction in conjunction with the launch of a capital campaign to refurbish the organization’s 30-year plus home. The dinner will take place 6 p.m. Oct. 17 at the Campbell House (1375 S. Broadway), and Hall of Fame jockeys Steve Cauthen, Pat Day, Sandy Hawley, Chris McCarron, Darrel McHargue, Don Pierce, Laffit Pincay Jr., Alex Solis and Jacinto Vasquez, along with Hall of Fame pro basketball player Dan Issel, will be auctioned off to play with golf teams the following day. Other former University of Kentucky athletes and Keeneland jockeys will be participating, along with special guest Miss Kentucky 2009 Maria Montgomery. More details at www.alanoclassic.com.
Day of the Dead Celebration. Oct. 23. The annual Day of the Dead/Dia de los Muertos Festival features live music and dance, traditional foods, hands-on crafts, a candlelight parade and an exhibition of altars in the Old Episcopal Burying Ground. Each year this community event brings together individuals, groups, students and teachers from both the Latino and non-Latino communities. 1-5 p.m. Livings Arts & Science Center, 362 N. Martin Luther King Blvd. 859-252-5222. www.lasclex.org
Actors Bruce Campbell and Ted Raimi have appeared together in a variety of productions in the “Evil Dead” franchise. Both will appear at this year’s Scarefest, taking place Oct. 22-24 at the Central Bank Center. Photo furnished
Scarefest Horror & Paranormal Convention. Oct. 22-24. The nation’s largest horror and paranormal convention, Scarefest celebrates its 13th installment this year, with dozens of exhibits, vendors, seminars and meet-and-greets with celebrities from the horror, sci-fi or paranormal genre. This year, special guests include actor and director Bruce Campbell, actor Ted Raimi (“Evil Dead,” “Army of Darkness”), actress Leanna Quigley (“Night of the Living Dead”) and many more. Visit the event website for the full lineup, additional Scarefest-related events taking place throughout the weekend and other details. Fri., 4-9 p.m., Sat., 11 a.m. - 8 p.m., Sun., noon-5 p.m..; Central Bank Center, 430 West Vine St.