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The Big Ticket

Christmas Day
We're for it! Thursday, Dec. 25. All day long.

Tree Recycling
Shred that gorgeous tree into mulch. Friday, Dec. 26, all day. Ijams Nature Center. Free.

The Knoxville Track Club's New Year's Day 5K.
Work off that hangover fast. Thursday, Jan. 1, 9:30 a.m., Volunteer Landing. $20 to register; free to watch.

Donald Brown & Michelle Porter
Raising money and awareness for the National Conference for Community and Justice. Monday, Jan. 5, 8 p.m. The Max at Giant Panda.

Lonesome Coyotes
Local rock led by Maggie Longmire. Friday, Jan. 9, 5:30 p.m. Knoxville Museum of Art. $8 general, $5 KMA members & students.

Shawn Mullins with Jen Foster and Mitch Rutman
Mullins is like Nashville with a tan. Friday, Jan. 9, 9 p.m. Blue Cats. $8 advance, $10 door.

Venezuelan Swing
Ay-yi-yi! Me gusta! Need an escape from the family? Looking for music this holiday season that doesn't reference reindeer, snowmen or frightful weather? Fairbanks proudly presents the smooth Latin stylings of Venezuelan Swing in celebration of Fiesta de Navidad.
The three-member outfit is the first group to play authentic Latin music in Knoxville and specializes in Salsa and Merengue from Venezuela, Puerto Rico and Colombia. Expect a full night of dancing (the band will be playing until 3 a.m.), and unwrap a unique opportunity to soak up a little Latin American culture. (Clint Casey)
VENEZUELAN SWING * FRIDAY, DEC. 26, 11 P.M. * FAIRBANKS * $10

Michelob Ultra Bash/Trent Summar & Scott Miller
Scott Miller has a tradition of ringing in the new year in Knoxville that goes back more than 10 years now. From those crazy solo gigs at Hawkeye's, to the rowdy V-roys' bashes, and now with his band The Commonwealth, Miller always mixes in surprises with a great performance to send out the year. But it should be no surprise to anyone that Trent Summar & The New Row Mob, the opening act for this year's New Year's Eve Bash in the renovated Marriott lobby, will put on a performance that will pack the dance floor from the first note that drops from the stage. With a musical style described as "a place where country-meets-rock, a place where Hank Williams, Jerry Lee Lewis and The Rolling Stones converge," Summar (former lead singer for the band Hank Flamingo) and his band will be the perfect appetizer for Miller's main course of Americana rock 'n' roll that will usher in 2004. Get ready to get you a belly full! (Benny Smith)
THE MICHELOB ULTRA NEW YEAR'S EVE BASH * SCOTT MILLER & THE COMMONWEALTH WITH TRENT SUMMAR & THE NEW ROW MOB * WEDNESDAY, DEC. 31, 8 P.M. * KNOXVILLE MARRIOTT LOBBY * FOR TICKET AND HOTEL PACKAGE INFORMATION CALL 521-0000. PROCEEDS BENEFIT SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK

Flow
Jean-Pierre Gauthier's exhibit at the Knoxville Museum of Art could be described any number of ways: an aural playground; a no-hands band; a multi-media exploration of sound and space. His sculptures are electrified musical instruments that play themselves like robots in an inhuman orchestra. An elongated horn hangs suspended from the ceiling. A spindly wire brush whisks across a drum head. The instruments respond to sensors in the exhibit space so that as you and other curious visitors move around the room, the instruments honk, tap, shudder and clatter. (Go ahead, run around like a little kid. I won't tell.) The show—which is two separate installations, Anima (2003) and Sporadic Exchange (2000-2003)—continues in the upstairs room with more wires, cables and disembodied noises. These works by Gauthier, a sound designer based in Montreal, were recently shown at his first solo gallery exhibition in New York. Luckily, we don't have to go that far to experience art so progressive and fascinating. (Paige M. Travis)
FLOW * EXHIBITS BY JEAN-PIERRE GAUTHIER * THRU FEB. 1 * KNOXVILLE MUSEUM OF ART * $5 ADMISSION; FREE ON TUESDAYS, 5-8 P.M.

Knoxville Drops Its Ball
I hate New Year's Eve. It's my worst holiday. I hate it so much I wrote something similar in this space last year. Yet, here I am, dreading this damn holiday again. I hate it because there's nothing spontaneous about it, and because the ritual seems so empty, and because I am alone. There it is. My perfect New Year's Eve would be spent quietly with a handful of friends, enjoying great food, great wine, and good company. But nobody stays in on these nights. Luckily for me, there are two gatherings this year where I can be surrounded by lots of friends and hear some great music. This show at Barley's is sort of a laidback anecdote to New Year's Eve fanfare. Oh, I'm sure there'll be a countdown and party buzzers and kisses. But for entertainment you get to listen to five great, young bands, none of which have much of a taste of pomp or ceremony. My favorite of the bunch, Dixie Dirt, is at a creative peak right now. Recent demos they recorded are astounding—hopefully they'll release something soon. They could carry this show on their own, but when grouped with these other four great bands, the $5 cover is hard to beat. Divorce provides herky-jerky rhythms reminiscent of the late '70s post punk of Pere Ubu, Gang of Four or Lilliput. The Rockwells offer smart, bouncy British-influenced garage rock. The Cuts and Slick create just the sort of unbridled energy you need to kiss a wretched year goodbye or help carry over the vibes of a good one. There's a raffle so you can win a date with the band of your choice. I'll likely spend the evening jumping back and forth between here and Scott Miller's show. If you see me brooding in a corner somewhere, don't worry. It's just this horrible holiday. Tomorrow's a new year. (Joe Tarr)
KNOXVILLE DROPS ITS BALL * DIXIE DIRT, SLICK, DIVORCE, THE ROCKWELLS, THE CUTS * WEDNESDAY, DEC. 31, 7:30 P.M. * BARLEY'S TAPROOM AND PIZZERIA * $5