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The Big Ticket

Yonder Mountain String Band
Hot, young bluegrass from Boulder, Colo. Thursday, June 10, 6-10 p.m. Sundown in the City, Market Square. Free.

The Cemetery Club
Theatre Knoxville puts a funny spin on death. Thursday, June 10, 8 p.m., continuing thru June 20, Black Box Theatre. $13.

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
Foot-stomping musical comedy. Friday, June 11, 8 p.m., continuing thru June 20. Oak Ridge Playhouse. $12-$18.

Sidespin
Smooth, funky jazz trio led by Joel Fairstein. Friday, June 11, 10 p.m. Preservation Pub. Free.

John Lee Hooker Jr.
A blend of R&B, jazz and down home blues. Saturday, June 12, 9 p.m. Brackins. $10.

Urban Rituals
Eclectic moves from Circle Modern Dance. Saturday, June 12, 7:30 p.m. Candy Factory Studio 1, seventh floor. $5 door.

The Wiyos
Acoustic stringband with vaudevillian theatrics. Sunday, June 13, 9 p.m. Barley’s. Free.

Harry Connick Jr.
The reigning king of love songs. Sunday, June 13, 8 p.m. Knoxville Civic Auditorium. $66, $51, $36.

Stout
Bluesy roots rock from Memphis. Tuesday, June 15, 10 p.m. Barley’s. Free.

Seven Mary Three, Five-Eight
Post-grunge champions team up with indie rock stalwarts. Wednesday, June 16, 8 p.m. Blue Cats. $10 adv., $12 door.

15th Annual Kuumba Festival
Kuumba is the Ki-swahili word for “creative,” and this festival just gets more kuumba every year. The four-day event celebrates African-American culture for all of its variety: from Senegalese and Gullah cuisine to fried-fish sandwiches; from jazz to hip hop; from the West African moves of the Kuumba Watoto Dance and Drum Company to the modern booty-shaking inspired by national R&B artists K-Ci and Jojo, who will perform Saturday night at Chilhowee Park. Kuumba reveals the exciting diversity of our city like no other annual event. It’s truly a feast for the eyes, the stomach and the spirit. (Paige M. Travis)
Kuumba Festival • Taste of Africa, June 10, 5-9 p.m. Knoxville Museum of Art. $10 • Junkanu Parade, June 11, 6 p.m. Gay Street to Market Square. Free • Kuumba Festival w/ African Market Place and Children’s Village, June 12, 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. and June 13, 12 - 9 p.m. Chilhowee Park. $5 all day or $10 after 5 p.m.

Jen Foster
Back in March, Jen Foster’s “Used Black Cars” was the third most-added song to radio playlists along with Dave Matthews and Lyle Lovett. So why haven’t you heard more about her? Probably because these days if a female singer isn’t Sheryl Crow or the latest American Idol winner, her singles don’t get much airtime. Foster has been lauded by the gay community for “She,” a heartfelt song about a lesbian relationship, and it’s that confessional, open and fun-loving tone that pervades every track of her debut record Everybody’s Girl. Her melodic pop-rock is sweet, sassy, honest and tough. In the mix of teenyboppers and singers more interested in fashion that substance, Foster is a real woman worth listening to. (P.M.T.)
Jen Foster • Wednesday, June 16, 9 p.m. • Preservation Pub • Free.

Lewis Black
In his weekly segment “Back in Black” on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Lewis Black speaks to the political climate nationally and abroad more eloquently and pointedly than most. A graduate of the Yale Drama School, Black empathizes with the day-to-day frustrations of the general public and expresses his understanding through poignant, intellectual yelling. In a recent phone interview, Black ranted on gas prices: “The price of oil is on the rise, people are paying more for gas, and no one is saying anything. That’s just how much people are worn out. The president and vice president used to work for oil companies. Do you think there’s a connection there?” Black develops a majority of his material from simply picking up the newspaper, but he mentions that he stumbles into ideas while performing stand-up comedy on the road. And he won’t hesitate to throw stones at local icons. “The religious singing of ‘Rocky Top’? I actually like the Tennessee Volunteers, but calm down.” (Clint Casey)
Lewis Black “Rules of Enragement” Tour • Saturday, June 12, 7:30 p.m. • Knoxville Civic Auditorium • $30.50