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The Big Ticket

Table Manners
Comedic actors chew the scenery with their mouths open. Opening Friday, Aug. 13, 8 p.m., continuing thru Sept. 11. Theatre Central. $10 general, $5 students w/ ID.

Dane & Taylor
Acoustic duo with a spiritual bent. Friday, Aug. 13, 7:30 p.m. New City Café. $5.

Malcolm Holcombe
You never know what will happen, only that it will be stunning. Saturday, Aug. 14, 10 p.m. Barley’s. Free.

Beckey Burr
Help Burr seek her fortune in Nashville. Sunday, Aug. 15, 8 p.m. Bullfeathers Café West. $5.

Wine Fair
Taste a variety of wines at this shindig. Sunday, Aug. 15, 4-7 p.m. The Fairbanks. $35 adv., $50 door. Dinner is separate; call 766-0767 for reservations.

Clay Aiken w/ Cherie
An American idol and a French superstar. Tuesday, Aug. 17, 8 p.m. Thompson-Boling Arena. $45, $35.

Oneida w/ Franklin County and Divorce
Didn’t Divorce break up? Guess not. Wednesday, Aug. 18, 10 p.m. Pilot Light. $5.

Sage
It was more than 10 years ago, the last time I sloughed into some wretched Cumberland Avenue beer hole and witnessed the wonder that was Sage, one last night of drink and debauchery and enough head-banging Bic-flicking hair-metal godhead majesty to make Riki Rachtman sheer his poodly tresses in a spasm of anguished humility.
That show was one for the ages, a fitting send-off for Knoxville’s longest-running and most successful metal outfit ever, and the Gawds of Rawk were surely pleased.
But hold the phone, Bubba, ‘coz Sage is back for a reunion show more than a decade in the making—Screamin’ Doug Shock, guitar gods Travis Wyrick and “Super” Dave Akers, four-string animal Rob Martin and skinsman supreme Vic Ilagan, sharing the same stage for the first time since Kurt ‘n’ Eddie flushed heavy metal out of the rock mainstream like the leavings from yesterday’s Run to the Border.
The boys are a few pounds heavier now, and maybe a few tresses lighter, too. But be assured that the sound and fury of Sage will be diminished not one iota for this reunion of well-rested rock titans, the likes of which may truly never be seen again. Secret devil sign! (Mike Gibson)
Sage • Official Wingfest Afterparty • Friday, August 13, 9 p.m. • Blue Cats • $7 door, $5 w/ Wingfest ticket stub or college ID.

The Jamie Baum Quartet
You may have never heard the term “jazz flutist,” but that’s just what Jamie Baum is, in addition to being a progressive, adventurous composer of ensemble pieces that blend a loose, improvisational jazz style with a classical music sensibility. Back in her grad school days in Manhattan, Baum was inspired by Igor Stravinsky, Bela Bartok and Charles Ives, and now she quotes the famous composers on her just-released CD Moving Forward, Standing Still. There is athleticism here and playfulness, too. Scaling down her recording septet, Baum will perform as part of a quartet, which will include our very own Donald Brown on piano, plus David Slack and Jeff Hirshfield. Baum’s compositions come alive with urban sophistication and the freshness of a cool rain. (Paige M. Travis)
The Jamie Baum Quartet • Friday, August 13, 5:30–8 p.m. • Knoxville Museum of Art • $6 general, $3 KMA members and UT students w/ ID.

Chelle Rose
After perfecting a mild-mannered approach to the soulful Southern tunes she’s been writing the past few years, Chelle Rose is plugging it in. The Loudon County native’s debut disc, Nanahally River, earned her a reputation as one of Nashville’s more literate and thoughtful composers of Appalachian ballads—imagine a more mountainy Kim Richey. But lately, Rose is causing quite a stir in unflappable Music City by trading in her sensible shoes for sharp-spurred, shit-kicking cowboy boots. The tunes on her upcoming new album won’t abandon her thinking woman’s take on feelings, but it’ll probably remind listeners that a woman should know how to rock as well as she can croon. (P.M.T.)
Chelle Rose w/ Cole Slivka • Saturday, August 14, 9:30 p.m. • Patrick Sullivan’s • $10.

Breaking Benjamin
Breaking Benjamin’s second CD We Are Not Alone isn’t the sophomore failure that so many new bands fall victim to. In fact, the band’s newest contribution is significantly more lyrical and instrumentally sound than Saturate, the quartet’s 1992 debut. From thefirst track (and hit single) “So Cold” to its grand, smashing finale, BB provides listeners with an array of powerful rock sounds blended masterfully with both uplifting and imaginative lyrics. Witnessing BB is like taking a heavy dose of musical Prozac; their performances are pure, positively charged electric energy. Vocalist/guitarist Ben Burnley, lead guitarist Aaron Fink, bassist Mark James Klepaski and drummer Jeremy Hummel put on an impressive show like no other. (Noah Bowman)
Breaking Benjamin with Crossfade and Copper • Tuesday, August 17, 7:30 p.m. • Blue Cats • $12 adv., $14 door.