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The Big Ticket

Beyond Therapy
Christopher Durang’s wicked humor tackles psychiatry and love. Opening Friday, June 18, 8 p.m. Theatre Central. $10 general, $5 students w/ ID.

E.C. Scott
Sassy, soulful purveyor of the gospel blues. Thursday, June 17, 8 p.m. Brackins. $8.

The High Score w/ Calabi Yau and the Pink Sexies
Local faves. Friday, June 18, 10 p.m. Pilot Light. $5.

Sixth Annual Lavender Festival
Herbs, workshops, crafts, and more. Saturday, June 19, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jackson Square, Oak Ridge. Free.

Vital Vibrations’ Big Big Belly Dance
Enticing dance and Middle Eastern refreshments. Monday, June 21, 8 p.m. Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church. $8 adults, $15 per couple, $5 children, $20 per family.

Unit 9 DVD Release Show
First 20 fans get the DVD free. Saturday, June 19, 9 p.m. O’Charley’s on the Strip. Free.

Three Days Grace w/ Thornley and Instruction
Seriously extreme rock. Tuesday, June 22, 8 p.m. Blue Cats. $13 advance, $15 door.

Honda Hoot Street Party
It’s a hoot even without a motorcycle. Wednesday, June 23, 6-10 p.m. Old City. Free.

Los Lonely Boys
Los Lonely Boys have little reason—and even less time—to mope. The three brothers, bass player JoJo, guitarist Henry and drummer Ringo (his birth name, really), all in their early 20s, cannot possibly be as downtrodden as their name implies. In fact, life for the Texans is looking way up. They’ve merited praise from and collaborations with bigwigs like Carlos Santana and Willie Nelson, and in August they’ll begin touring with the Allman Brothers. Their debut album has scaled the Billboard charts, and they’ve just finished up a gig at Bonnaroo. Having siphoned their musical stylings from a variety of inspirations, their Latino heritage, classic rock collection and a family line rich with innate musical talent, perhaps their “musical burrito theory” best sums up the Boys. As Henry says, “A burrito is a tortilla filled with a bunch of stuff. We are the tortilla. Inside the tortilla we’ve filled it with all the knowledge that we’ve gathered from our influences. We fold it up, and we feed it to the world.” (Ellen Mallernee)
Los Lonely Boys w/ the Mikel Grubb Band • Sundown in the City • Thursday, June 17, 7pm. • Market Square • Free

A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Maybe we can blame Shakespeare for inventing the romantic comedy. He certainly wrote the perfect tagline in: “The course of true love never did run smooth.” In A Midsummer Night’s Dream—in case you’re drawing a blank on which mixed-up lovers these mortals be—Lysander and Hermia take their forbidden love into the forest, where they are pursued by Demetrius and Helena, plus angry fathers, and the angry Duke of Athens. Once there, the forest’s mystical inhabitants can’t help but meddle in the humans’ entanglements, casting spells and playing tricks that cause all kinds of havoc. Directed by Tom Parkhill, the Tennessee Stage Company’s cast of familiar faces mixed with newbies will enchant audiences with this classic tale. And there’s no better way to experience this Dream than outside with the fireflies and crickets...and maybe a true love of your own. (Paige M. Travis)
A Midsummer Night’s Dream • Shakespeare on the Square, produced by Tennessee Stage Company • Friday, June 18, 7 p.m. • continuing thru July 11 • Market Square • Free.

By the Rivers of Babylon Festival
In these times of political conflict and religious strife, it’s easy to feel like you’re at war with a band of amorphous entities whose voices are channeled by every news outlet. There’s the overwhelmingly negative vibe that somebody out there is bad. Even when you can’t point your finger at it, the notion can weigh down your spirit and clog your thinking. Reason, compassion and some festivity can lift this burden. By the Rivers of Babylon is a festival that seeks to break boundaries and forge new connections between members of our community through music, dance, storytelling, food, speakers and film. A variety of local organizations—including Arab American Club of Knoxville, Palestine Club of Knoxville, Local Alliance for Mideast Peace, East Tennessee Progressive Network, Church of the Savior, and other arts and social groups—endeavor to educate, entertain and hold, in their words, “a celebration of cultures in a time of continued turmoil.” (P.M.T.)
By the Rivers of Babylon Festival • Saturday, June 19, 1:30-9:30 p.m. • Sacred Heart Church • Free • Call 604-4548 for info.

Vandermark 5 w/ Atomic
The Vandermark 5 has played in Knoxville a couple of times over the past few years, and its shows have always been phenomenal. The band’s spirit, intensity and adventurousness harken back to jazz of the late ’50s and ’60s, and the music of Davis, Coltrane and Coleman. The five-piece band, headed by Ken Vandermark on reeds, emphasizes improvisational live music. In forming the group, Vandermark also wanted to be able to sound like a large ensemble. The result is a music that is booming and sometimes fierce. The Scandinavian jazz group Atomic opens the show. One critic wrote of them, “...they present pure innovation on behalf of tradition. They are bloodsuckers in one moment, blood givers in the next. They demonstrate a highly developed ability to loosen from the sources without forgetting the reference points.” The show is being held on the fifth floor of the Woodruff Building on Gay Street, above the Downtown Grill and Brewery, which should be ideal for this unamplified (but plenty loud) jazz show. It’s great to see a new venue being tried out. Let’s hope more shows are booked here in the future. The early start time of 8 p.m. is also a plus. (Joe Tarr)
Vandermark 5 w/ Atomic • Tuesday, June 22, 8 p.m. • 5th floor, Woodruff Building • $8