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The Big Ticket

Dodd Farrelle & the Tin Foil Stars
Roots rock from down Athens way. Thursday, Oct. 2, 10 p.m. Preservation Pub. Free.

Act III
A play about two young playwrights written by two young playwrights. Thursday, Oct. 2 thru Saturday, Oct. 4, 8 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 5, 2 p.m. Clarence Brown Lab Theatre. Free.

The Junior League's Tinsel & Treasure Sale
Crafts, antiques and pre-holiday goodies. Oct. 3-5. Knoxville Expo Center. $6.

Reeltime Travelers
A popular five-piece acoustic string band from Johnson City. Friday, Oct. 3, 8 p.m. Laurel Theater. $6-$8.

John McCutcheon
World-renowned folksinger and storyteller. Sunday, Oct. 5, 7 p.m. Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church. $15.

Eve 6
Pop-punk trio supporting their new disc, It's All In Your Head. Tuesday, Oct. 7, 9 p.m. Blue Cats. $6.

Quintron and Miss Pussycat
The descriptions of this act make it sound like some sort of adult-themed, funk-infused Sesame Street. Organist Mr. Quintron plays music that he calls "electro-bootie rock and roll," heavily influenced by Parliament, techno and hip-hop. That description sounds about right. He uses a full assortment of drum machines and electronic gizmos to build the sound. Miss Pussycat plays maracas, sings backup and orchestrates "highly amusing technicolor puppet shows." Vocals are the weakest part of the music, as neither Mr. Quintron nor Ms. Pussycat can sing all that well. They use their voices almost like percussion, with chants and shouts that give their songs punch and make them all the more danceable. And how can you not like puppets? (Joe Tarr)
QUINTRON AND MISS PUSSYCAT WITH BUTERSHIP AND JAZZ-E (STANDUP COMEDY OF JAMES HENRY) * FRIDAY, OCT. 3, 9 P.M. * THE PILOT LIGHT * $7

Susan Tedeschi
Then-little-known blueswoman Susan Tedeschi had a freehold on the word "potential" three years ago when she was unexpectedly nominated for a Best New Artist award at the 2000 Grammies, alongside Britney Spears and eventual winner Christina Aguilera; Rolling Stone magazine called the nod "a victory for everyone searching for a rock & roll oasis in an arid teen-pop wasteland."
But with such laudings come great expectations, and though her debut Just Won't Burn earned a Gold Record (500,000 sales), studio hold-ups and personal uncertainties delayed the release of her much-anticipated follow-up. Wait for Me, released at the end of 2002, was worth the...wait, however, and grabbed the number one spot on the Billboard blues album chart earlier this year. A critical as well as commercial success, it cemented the reputation of the singer/guitarist who has drawn comparisons to both Janis Joplin (for her raggedly plaintive vox) and Bonnie Raitt (for her sweetly terse slide guitar.)
Tedeschi is married to Allman Brothers axe wunderkind Derek Trucks, who sits in on a couple of songs on Wait. Here's hoping that just maybe the littlest Allman will come along Thursday night and join his lovely wife on stage. (Mike Gibson)
SUSAN TEDESCHI W/ KAKI KING AND JACKIE GREEN * THURSDAY, OCT. 2, 6-10 P.M. * SUNDOWN IN THE CITY * OLD CITY COURTYARD * DONATIONS REQUESTED

First Friday
Like eating several servings of fruits and vegetables each day, working a fair number of arts experiences into your life can be a challenge. What with all the other pressing matters in your day-to-day, it's difficult to set aside time to browse through galleries and take in the brilliance of paintings and sculptures and those things that defy categorization. Experiencing art may seem like a frivolous leisure activity, but it's also good for you and well worth your time.
To make it easier to fulfill your art requirements as suggested by the Arts Pyramid, Market Square merchants have organized First Fridays. During the evenings of every first Friday of the month, galleries and shops like Nomad, Back Room Gallery, Bliss Home + Art, Earth to Old City and Village Marketplace will welcome visitors with refreshments, artists' receptions, and as much art as you can handle. Reruns will have live mannequins modeling their consignment fashions. Plus, if you're game to combine art with performance, The Cuts and Hogman will perform at the Spaghetti Bowl (under I-40 near Blackstock Ave.) with junk sculptures by A1 LabArts and a performance by Side Show Bennie.
A downtown-wide open house brings artists and art-lovers together and gets people talking. We grow closer, understand each other and become better citizens and friends. And even if it doesn't do all these things, it's bound to taste better than beet juice. (Paige M. Travis)
FIRST FRIDAY * FRIDAY, OCT. 3, STARTING AT 6 P.M. * VARIOUS MARKET SQUARE & GAY STREET RESTAURANTS & GALLERIES * FREE ADMISSION, PLUS FOOD & DRINK SPECIALS

Hispanic Heritage Festival
I celebrate Hispanic culture every time I drink a good margarita. If you want a more thorough collection of reasons to praise the culture's artistic and culinary contributions, look no further than the Fifth Annual Hispanic Heritage Festival.
Presented by HoLa (HoraLatina), the fiesta will turn the plaza of the University Center into a marketplace of Hispanic food, crafts, music and dance. Leonardo Ruiz will set your pies to dancing with his renditions of Latin American and Spanish songs—salsa, merengue, boleros, pasodobles, cumbias. Or for a laugh, check out Mexican guitarristas Freddie Estrada and Javier Campos. The performing arts continue with special presentations from Knoxville's own Carpetbag Theatre and New York's Borinquen Dance Theatre (who will perform later that night at the Alumni Gym). And if you've got little cabras, uh, I mean, ni�os, bring them along for dancing and activities. Admission is free, but any proceeds from food and crafts sold go to HoLa's community projects. (P.M.T.)
HISPANIC HERITAGE FESTIVAL 2003 * SATURDAY, OCT. 4, 12-6 P.M. * UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE STUDENT CENTER PLAZA * FREE

Taste Of East Tennessee
Metro Pulse is proud to be a sponsor of East Tennessee's newest tradition, the first annual "A Taste of East Tennessee Food Festival" this Saturday, October 4 at the World's Fair Park. Kimay Bloch, Marketing Manager for WTNZ Fox 43 gets credit for coming up with the idea to create a tastefest , and she describes it as one that can be "easily accessible and affordable for everyone." Featuring fine food from fourteen area eateries, as well as beer and wine for those 21 or older, this will be one of the first major events on the beautifully renovated World's Fair Park. Live entertainment will be provided by area bands, as well as groups from the Knox Performing Arts Center. There's a Children's Play Area for the kids, complete with a train ride will also be a part of the festivities. A Taste Of East Tennessee lasts for 9 hours, and since the Vols are out-of-town, and don't kick off on The Plains until 7:45 that night, you will have plenty of time to gather the family and /or friends, and head downtown! A day full of great food, groovy vibes, good times, and all for a good cause. Part of the proceeds will go to Sertoma Club charities. See you there!
TASTE OF EAST TENNESSEE * SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4 * WORLD'S FAIR PARK * FREE ADMISSION