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The Big Ticket

Bruce Greene
One of the country's finest old-time fiddlers accompanied by lap dulcimer player Don Pedi. Friday, Jan. 23, 8 p.m. Laurel Theater. $8-$10.

Pat Ramsey Band
Blues harmonica player who fired up Johnny Winters' 1978 White Hot Blues. Friday, Jan. 23 and Saturday, Jan. 23, 9:30 p.m. Sassy Ann's. $5.

Appetite for Destruction
The East Coast's premier Guns 'n' Roses tribute band praised for its visual and aural authenticity. Friday, Jan. 23, 9 p.m. Blue Cats. $8 door, $6 with college ID.

YWCA Race Against Racism
Run for a good cause. Saturday, Jan. 24, 12:30 p.m. registration, 2 p.m. race. $25.

Jescoe
Funky rock. Saturday, Jan. 24, 10 p.m. Prince Deli & Sports Bar.

Ailey II
Alvin Ailey's junior company of young, African-American modern dancers. Wednesday, Jan. 28, 8 p.m. Bijou Theater. $20. (Call 656-4444 for tickets.)

Copper with ShadowWax
Heavy rock that's nice and local. Wednesday, Jan. 28, 8 p.m. Blue Cats. $5.

The Ghosts
For a band that's not a joke band, The Ghosts' between-song banter is particularly hilarious. And their between-banter songs are seriously good as well. A little bit country, a whole lot rock and roll, these stalwarts of the Knoxville scene still know how to play too loud to too few people and have a damn good time. In a recent lawyer-sanctioned interview, band members Crackbaby and He Who Cannot Be Named revealed the reasons why everyone should come out to their next gig, the debut of bassist Professor Richard Flaccid, R.E. (Paige M. Travis)

What's it like to be a classic Knoxville band that's been around longer than most?
He Who: We finally got some gigs. When all the other local bands broke up then the club owners had to resort to hiring us. Also, the longer you stay around the more original our band starts to sound because everyone has forgotten about all the bands we copied because they have broken up or are washing dishes with us at our day jobs.
Crackbaby: Well, Classic really. It kinda feels like Joe Cocker.

How do you keep things fresh on stage?
He Who: Various sanitary products we get from Walgreens.
Crackbaby: Extra Booze.

Do you ever regret changing your name from the Holy Ghosts to the Ghosts?
He Who: We got struck 12 times by lightning, and I am not even gonna mention the plagues we endured before we changed the name so...no.
Crackbaby: It happened when we all went to an atheist retreat and became "unborn"-again.
He Who: We may change it back in hopes of playing a private party for John Ashcroft. He promised us he would cover up all the nude statues for us, so we said okay.
Crackbaby: Satan thought it a little ironic that his house band was called "holy."

Anything you'd like to say to your fans?
He Who: Yes...will you two help me move my couch?
Crackbaby: How's about Dungeons and Dragons this Sunday?
THE GHOSTS * FRIDAY, JAN. 23, 10 P.M. * MANHATTAN'S * $3.

The Passport Again
With their shared members, The Passport Again and The Rockwells have disparate sounds, but compliment one another flawlessly. The level of comfort between members resonates throughout the Passport Again's moments we couldn't recapture. With cozy harmonies and accessible lyrics, Jonathan Kelly's generally understated (though occasionally splashy) drumming accents and punctuates Tommy Bateman's pensive, sincere vocals. Unfortunately, the band seems destined to remain a side project of a side project (Bateman lends himself to three bands in addition to the Passport Again). The potential for the unlikely rock quartet could be staggering, if only its members had a longer attention span. (Clint Casey)
THE PASSPORT AGAIN WITH GLOSSARY, THE DAMN CREEPS AND MODERN MACHINES * SATURDAY, JAN. 24, 10 P.M. * PILOT LIGHT * $5.

First Lego League Robot Demonstration
Lego blocks were the coolest when I was a kid. My brother and I made houses, castles, forts, boats—but we never built real, working robots. Legos have come a long way in 20 years, particularly in the hands of the kind of brainy, ingenious kids who will be competing in the First Lego League Robot Demonstration. Teams from across the state have spent eight weeks constructing a robot to complete a Mission to Mars—this year's challenge—which includes dusting a solar panel, building structures and moving ice cores across rugged terrain. Two Knoxville teams topped the rankings at a statewide competition in December: the Hawks of Hardin Valley Elementary and Sci-Bots of Superior Home Schoolers. With an actual Mars mission currently in progress, Saturday's robot demonstration is your chance to visualize what modern space researchers must be experiencing as their own little robot (probably not made of Legos) rumbles across the alien terrain for the sake of science. (P.M.T.)
FIRST LEGO LEAGUE ROBOT DEMONSTRATION * MISSION TO MARS CHALLENGE * SATURDAY, JAN. 24, 10 A.M.-3 P.M. * AMERICAN MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & ENERGY * OAK RIDGE * FREE.