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The Big Ticket

Boo! at the Zoo
Fun tricks ‘n’ treats for tots. Thursday, Oct. 21-24 and 28-31, 5:30-8 p.m. Knoxville Zoo. $5 per person ages 3 and up.

Garage Deluxe
Rootsy down ‘n‘ dirty rock for your weekend. Friday, Oct. 22, 10 p.m. Barley’s. Free.

Sheila Kay Adams
Storyteller, banjo player and keeper of the Southern ballad tradition. Friday, Oct. 22, 8 p.m. Laurel Theater. $10-$12.

EG Kight
Country singer turned blues crooner. Friday, Oct. 22, 9 p.m. Brackins. $10.

Clarence Creek w/ Local Scars and Soul Sinner
Rockin’ the Ballroom like the good ol’ days. Friday, Oct. 22, 9 p.m. Electric Ballroom. $5.

Sweet & Hot: The Music of Harold Arlen
The Tennessee Valley Players perform favorites like “Stormy Weather” and “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Friday, Oct. 22, 8 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 24, 3 p.m. St. John’s Cathedral. $15.

Adam Hood
Southern rock with a pleasant drawl. Saturday, Oct. 23, 10 p.m. Downtown Brewery. Free.

Vic Chesnutt
A graduate of Athens, Georgia’s pivotal new wave scene that spawned the B52s, REM and Pylon, Vic Chesnutt started out as an earnest, if somewhat typical member of the skinny tie and wraparound shades set. He hung with the usual suspects of the Athens scene and played in all of the now legendary dives.
A disastrous alcohol related car accident in 1982 left Chesnutt paralyzed at 18. Lesser souls would have dropped music immediately. Instead, Vic soldiered on, later relating that in the aftermath of the crash, he found a “whole new way of listening to and approaching music.”
Since the mid-‘80s, Chesnutt has released a slew of critically acclaimed albums, appeared as a guest on recordings of other artists and toured the world several times, along the way becoming one of America’s most acclaimed songwriters. Diverse and highly esteemed artists such as Michael Stipe, Tom Waits and Fugazi’s Ian MacKaye have all sung his praises.
When it comes to presenting the music of despair, nobody does it better than Chesnutt, but his oeuvre couldn’t be qualified as “downer music” by any stretch of the imagination. Sometimes his lyrics are a bit oblique, but the lush melodies can captivate anyone.
The upcoming show is a rare opportunity to experience Chesnutt’s power firsthand. This one will probably be a bit laid back—an ideal opportunity to experience Chesnutt’s poetic vision in the flesh. (John Sewell)
Vic Chesnutt • Thursday, Oct. 21, 8 p.m. • Blue Cats • $12

Mexico City Blues
Jack Kerouac’s work has inspired many a wayward college dropout to cut loose and head for the highlands of Mexico. But his beatific, riotous accounts also have the ability to take one on a woozy, whimsical trip while sitting in an easy chair or on a barstool. On Sunday, a gaggle of local bohemians will gather in the spirit of Kerouac for a literary orgy of poetry and music to celebrate the 35th anniversary of his death. The Karma Thieves, a band of notorious local readers, will include Shane Chuvalas, Greg Congleton, Jack Rentfro, Glen Glover, Kari Hoffman, Jack Neely, Dave Phillips and Sara Schwabe. The musical component, dubbed The Polyphonic Prophets, will include Nathan Barret, Barry “Po” Hannah, Greg Horne, Harold Nagge, Dave Nichols and Dirk Weddington. They will perform the entire 242 choruses of Kerouac’s poem, Mexico City Blues. Can you dig? (Molly Kincaid)
Mexico City Blues • Sunday, Oct. 24, 3 p.m. • Urban Bar • $5 donation requested

Tennessee Artists Association’s 2004 Juried Art Show
Although art can cross numerous cultural and physical boundaries, it’s particularly immediate and intimate when its subject matter is local in origin. Take for instance George A. Rothery Jr.’s painting of the old Customs House. The way the shadows ripple across the building’s white face and up the inviting steps�it’s a familiar sight for anyone who lives, works or visits downtown Knoxville. Perhaps that’s what inspired this year’s juror, Leah Marcum-Estes, to give Rothery the third-place ribbon. Rothery is donating “Customs House Shadows” to the East Tennessee Historical Society, perhaps for permanent exhibit in the place it portrays. The painting, as well as the many others selected for the Tennessee Artists Association’s fall show, is on display for the rest of the month. Take a minute to make a sensory connection. (Paige M. Travis)
TAA’s 2004 Juried Art Show • Monday thru Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays, 1 to 5 p.m. thru Oct. 30 • East Tennessee History Center, Gay Street • Free