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The Big Ticket

That w/ The Black Outs
When was the last time you threw your neck out of joint? Thursday, Dec. 16, 10 p.m. $5.

Smokin’ Dave & the Premo Dopes w/ the Haulin’ Oats Boys
Where irony and true sentiment collide. Friday, Dec. 17, 9 p.m. Blue Cats. $6.

Nug Jug
Frank Zappa meets Southern Culture. Friday, Dec. 17, 10 p.m. Barley’s. Free.

The MacDaddies
A local institution. Saturday, Dec. 18, 10 p.m. Preservation Pub. Free.

Captain Suck & the Mediocre Band
If only tomatoes weren’t so expensive� Saturday, Dec. 18, 9 p.m. Brackins. $2.

Nativity Pageant of Knoxville
Keeping the tradition alive. Sunday, Dec. 19, 3 p.m., Dec. 20 & 21, 7:30 p.m. Knoxville Civic Coliseum. Free.

Knoxville Jazz Orchestra Swingin’ Christmas
Holiday favorites that jump and jive. Tuesday, Dec. 21, 8 p.m. Bijou Theatre. $15 general, $10 students.

White Christmas
Enjoy this classic on the big screen. Wednesday, Dec. 22 & Thursday, Dec. 23, 7 p.m. Palace Theatre. $5 adults, free for children under 11.

Modern Dance, Primitive Light
When fire codes nixed the multiplicity of candles that had marked a decade-plus of haunting and romantic mood lighting for Circle Modern Dance’s annual Primitive Light show, the ever-inventive dance company proved it could roll with the punches. Now, with its founding director Mark Lamb pursuing his destiny in New York City, Circle proves again that it’s as agile as ever. Primitive Light is a tradition of the senses: the smell of spicy wassail, echoes of live music, gasps and giggles—all experienced within the warm wooden walls of the Laurel Theater. For 13 years, Circle’s dancers have moved their bodies in response to themes as topical as current events or as random as Easy-Bake Ovens, but one thing’s for certain: at least one moment in every Primitive Light show will feel like it was performed, spoken or sung just for you. (Paige M. Travis)
Modern Dance, Primitive Light • Friday, Dec. 17, 7 & 9 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 18, 7 & 9 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 19, 6 & 8 p.m. • Advanced tickets: $14 general advance, $8 students/seniors • Day of show: $16 general, $10 students/seniors. • Tickets available at Disc Exchange locations and Dancers Shoppe.

A Christmas Wish
Maestro Lucas Richman is looking to start a new holiday tradition. This weekend during the 18th Annual Clayton Holiday Pops concert, he’s premiering his original one-act musical, A Christmas Wish, with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra and hopes to make it a perennial. The first half of the program features traditional holiday fare (Pergolesi’s “Glory to God in the Highest,” Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus”) before charging into A Christmas Wish in the second half. The musical boasts ballet-dancing reindeer, singing elves and jolly ol’ Saint Nicholas, and the story follows a young girl named Tina who wants a ride in Santa’s sleigh more than anything in the world. Give in to the holiday season and get swept away by the Richman and the KSO. (Clint Casey)
Knoxville Symphony Orchestra’s Holiday Pops • Premiere of Maestro Richman’s musical A Christmas Wish • Friday, Dec. 17, 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 18, 3 p.m. & 7:30 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 19, 3 p.m. •�Knoxville Civic Auditorium • $11-$42, half-price for children • Call 291-3310 for tickets and performance times.

SubUrban: Sarah Hobbs
Having fostered a particular obsession with abnormal psychology, Sarah Hobbs thought only of modeling her first solo exhibit around such a subject. The result? An engaging large-scale photography exhibit depicting different forms of obsession, among them perfection and indecision. The theatrical scenes Hobbs has created manage to pull off the amusing quality of being both funny and disturbing. For instance, “untitled (perfectionist)” portrays a desk stacked high with a pile of unused, white paper. Encircling the desk are hundreds of sheets of wadded up paper. “Untitled (obsession)” depicts a chocoholic who has apparently painted his walls with melted Hershey’s chocolate, as evidenced by the mounds of empty Hershey bar wrappers strewn on the floor. (Ellen Mallernee)
SubUrban: Sarah Hobbs • Dec. 17 thru April 3 • Knoxville Museum of Art • $5. Free for museum members and ages 17 and younger. Free admission 5-8 p.m. Tuesdays.