Calendar of Events

Legendary singer, songwriter and performer John Prine will release his highly anticipated new album, The Tree of Forgiveness, April 13 on his own independent label, Oh Boy Records. Produced by Grammy Award-winning Dave Cobb, the album is Prine’s first featuring new material in over 13 years.

In celebration of the album, Prine will embark on an extensive tour that will span throughout 2018, including a very special co-headline concert at New York’s Radio City Music Hall with Sturgill Simpson (solo) on album release day as well as newly announced shows at L.A.’s Ace Theatre, Boston’s Wang Theatre, Austin’s Bass Hall and Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium (two nights). Tickets for the newly added dates will be available for presale beginning Wednesday, February 14 with general on sale starting Friday, February 16. See below for complete details. Every concert ticket sold will include a copy The Tree of Forgiveness (CD only) upon its release.

Recorded at Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A, the album includes ten new songs written by Prine along with co-writers Pat McLaughlin, Roger Cook, Dan Auerbach, Keith Sykes and Phil Spector. Along with Prine (lead vocals and acoustic guitar), Cobb (acoustic guitar, mellotron, claps, kazoo) and Prine’s longtime band, the album features special guests Brandi Carlile (harmony vocals on tracks 2, 4, 10), Jason Isbell (electric guitar on track 7, slide guitar and background vocals on track 9, 10) and Amanda Shires (fiddle and background vocals on track 9, background vocals on track 10).

Tennessee Theatre, 604 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. For information/tickets: 865-684-1200, www.tennesseetheatre.com, www.ticketmaster.com

Knoxville Children’s Theatre (KCT) will hold auditions on Wednesday, October 3 for the upcoming stage production of “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” based on the classic novel by Barbara Robinson. In this hilarious Christmas classic, a couple struggling to put on a church Christmas pageant is faced with casting the Herdman kids: probably the most inventively awful kids in history! You won't believe the mayhem - and the fun - when the Herdmans collide with the Christmas story head on! This delightful comedy is adapted from the best-selling book and has become a holiday staple for theatre audiences everywhere, featuring lots of laughs for audiences of all ages.

The audition will take place from 4:30 PM to 7:30 PM at KCT at 109 E. Churchwell Avenue. Auditions are by appointment only. Auditionees may choose from the following appointment times: 4:30 PM, 5:00 PM, 5:30 PM, 6:00 PM, 6:30 PM, 7:00 PM, and 7:30 PM. Six auditionees will be seen at each appointment time; a maximum of 42 auditionees will be seen.

There at least 19 available roles for actors aged 9 to 17. There are at least five major male roles and five major female roles. There are at least five roles for actors making his/her KCT debut. Auditionees should prepare a SHORT one-minute monologue from a play or novel. The monologue should feature comic timing and a theatrical level of volume and expression. The play’s genre is broad comedy. Choose an appropriate monologue with large theatrical ranges, preferably from a published play. No songs or poems. Monologues will be evaluated on volume, clearness of diction, depth of emotional expression, and comic timing. Ability of physical transformation is a major plus. Auditionees should bring their calendars. All actors will be asked to list all conflicts with the rehearsal schedule. The director will make every attempt to work around conflicts, whenever possible.

Rehearsals will begin on or around Monday, October 15, continuing through Thursday, November 29. No rehearsals will be held from November 21 to 25 in observance of Thanksgiving. Rehearsals are held Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings. Actors should expect to attend most, but not all, rehearsals; conflicts may be listed at audition. Tech rehearsals, on November 25, 26, 27, 28 & 29 are mandatory.

Actors must also be available for all 14 regular performances: November 30 through December 16, Thursdays through Sundays.

Student director Derrick Washington Jr., a senior at L&N STEM Academy, will direct the play. To make an audition appointment: visit http://knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com/register-for-an-audition/ Website submissions only for audition appointments.

You will find some helpful tips for your audition at http://knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com/audition-tips/

Faculty lecture at Pellissippi State explores 1970s funk as music of revolution

What Beyonce brought to Coachella in April, Claude Hardy is bringing to Pellissippi State Community College next week.

Hardy, an associate professor of theatre, will present "Black Power: Funk and Heavy Music from the 1970s" at 11:50 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 3, in the Goins Building Auditorium on the college's Hardin Valley Campus, 10915 Hardin Valley Road.

The faculty lecture, which is free and open to the public, is part of The Arts at Pellissippi State.

"I really like this genre of music, and not a lot of people know about it," Hardy said Monday, as he played vinyl records in the Goins Building Rotunda to drum up interest in the upcoming lecture. "Selfishly, this is a way to get more people to listen to it because this is music people aren't necessarily going to seek out on their own."

Hardy discovered the Afrobeat genre on the now-defunct website voodoofunk.com, which was created by a German deejay who traveled throughout Western Africa collecting Afrobeat records.

Since then there has been a resurgence in the music, helped by artists such as Shawn "Jay Z" Carter, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, who produced FELA! on Broadway in 2009, and Beyonce, who performed one of Fela's songs during her Coachella set this year.

"Fela was a big influence in his country, having stood up to the government and been arrested a bunch of times," Hardy explained. "He released 25 or 30 albums in the '70s. He'd get worked up and write a politically charged album."

For example, Fela's song "Zombie," which Beyonce covered at Coachella, was about the Nigerian Army coming and taking over his compound, Hardy said.

Hardy's lecture will include history on the bands and songs that he is sharing - "Black Power" by The Peace and "Acid Rock" by The Funkees are two of the tunes on his list - and then the opportunity for the audience to listen to the songs in their entirety.

"We will be playing actual records," Hardy noted. "One of the great things is to just listen; don't worry about the outside world right now."

Hardy's hope is that those who attend the lecture will learn something new.

"I hope they keep their ears open and not settle for what they know, not just the Led Zeppelins and the Pink Floyds, which I love," he said.

For more information on upcoming visual arts, theatre and music events, as well as other upcoming faculty lectures, visit www.pstcc.edu/arts. To request accommodations for this event, call 865-539-7401 or email accommodations@pstcc.edu. Hardin Valley Campus of Pellissippi State: 10915 Hardin Valley Road, Knoxville, TN 37932. Information: 865-694-6405, www.pstcc.edu/arts

The Historic Homes of Knoxville are pleased to invite the public to a luncheon on Wednesday, October 3, 2018, at 11:30 AM at the East Tennessee History Center to celebrate the founding of the City of Knoxville 227 years ago. Steven E. Woodworth, American historian and professor of history at Texas Christian University, will discuss Civil War battles in East Tennessee. Knoxville's key leaders will come together to celebrate and promote the city and its most precious properties, including Blount Mansion, Crescent Bend House & Gardens, James White’s Fort, Mabry-Hazen House, Marble Springs State Historic Site, Ramsey House, and Westwood. Proceeds from the luncheon will benefit the joint marketing activities of the Historic Homes. Purchase tickets through www.hhknoxville.org or by calling 865-523-7543 by September 28.

Steven E. Woodworth is the author, coauthor, or editor of twenty-eight books on the Civil War era. These include Jefferson Davis and His Generals: The Failure of Confederate Command in the West (1990), Davis and Lee at War (1995), Six Armies in Tennessee: The Chickamauga and Chattanooga Campaigns (1998), and While God Is Marching On: The Religious World of Civil War Soldiers (2001). Among his more recent books are a biography of William T. Sherman; Nothing but Victory: The Army of the Tennessee, 1861-1865 (2005); and Manifest Destinies: Westward Expansion and the Civil War (2010), an examination of how territorial expansion during the 1840s contributed to the political crisis that led to the Civil War; and a short study of command in the Battle of Shiloh. He is currently working on a longer work tracing the careers of two civil war military companies—Company E of the 44th New York and Company I of the 5th Texas—and their respective hometowns—Albany, New York, and Independence, Texas—from the years leading to the Civil War until the two companies met each other on the battlefield of Gettysburg. Woodworth teaches history at Texas Christian University.

Marilyn Kallet, the City of Knoxville’s current Poet Laureate, will also present an original piece specifically created to honor the event.

The Historic Homes of Knoxville are uniformly significant in Tennessee’s accession as the 16th state in 1796. Apart from the paramount importance of their preservation, each house museum offers regular tours, events, and educational opportunities that benefit the community at large. For more information on the Historic Homes of Knoxville, visit www.hhknoxville.org.

The luncheon will be held on Wednesday, October 3, 2018 at 12:00 PM at the East Tennessee Historical Society, 601 South Gay Street in downtown Knoxville. Guests may enjoy a meet & greet with Steven Woodworth at 11:30 AM, with the program and luncheon beginning at 12:00 PM. WBIR's Robin Wilhoit will perform the duties of Mistress of Ceremonies. Advance single tickets are $50; a table of ten is $500. Purchase tickets through www.hhknoxville.org or by calling 865-523-7543. Advance reservations are requested by September 28.

Presented by Smoky Mountain Storytellers at Vienna Coffee House at The Regas Building, 318 N Gay St, Knoxville, TN 37917

Donations go to Storytelling Programs. Contact 865-429-1783 or cuznjan@juno.com, or www.smokymountaintellers.org

Reception and gallery walk, Fri Oct 5, 7-9 PM

The Camera Club of Oak Ridge is presenting the 70th Photographic Salon from October 1 to November 2 on the 2nd Floor of the Goff Building at RSCC. The show will feature images by East Tennessee photographers entered into a juried competition in 9 different categories from Abstracts to Wildlife. The opening reception on October 5 has a gallery walk and light refreshments. We are celebrating 70 years of this community event.

On display at Roane State Community College, Oak Ridge Campus, 701 Briarcliff Ave, Oak Ridge - Goff Bldg, 2nd floor. Hours: M-F 7 AM - 10 PM, Sat 8 AM - 5 PM.

Information: http://oakridgecameraclub.org/salon.shtml
Find us on Facebook: “Camera Club of Oak Ridge”

Imaginary Friends, new paintings by Aaron Carroll, will be at Blackberry Farm Gallery at the Clayton Center for the Arts October 1 through 31. The Artist's Recemption will be October 26 at 6:00pm.

Clayton Center for the Arts: 502 East Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville, TN 37804. Information/tickets: 865-981-8590, www.ClaytonArtsCenter.com

All Month at Halls & Burlington Branch Libraries

Calling all muggles and wizards! The Knox County Public Library celebrates 20 years of Harry Potter magic with an array of special Harry Potter-themed events. Be a part of Camp Hogwarts at Halls or join the muggles at Burlington for some wicked wizardry for all ages the entire month of October.

Camp Hogwarts @ Halls Branch

A History of Magic
Monday, Oct. 1 | 6 PM
Literary discussion and trivia night for adults!

Care of Magical Creatures
Thursday, Oct. 4 | 4 PM
(K & up) Ijams Nature Center will lead a "Magical Creatures" program. Registration required. Call 922-2552.

Creatorspace: Wandmaking 101
Tuesday, Oct. 9 | 4 PM
(10 & up) Introduction to wandmaking. We'll also have snacks. Registration required. Call 922-2552.

Tri-Wizard Trivia Tournament and Costume Ball
Tuesday, Oct. 23 | 6 PM
(10 & up) Wear your most fabulous Halloween regalia! Halloween snacks and prizes will abound.

Harry Potter Lego Club
Saturday, Oct. 27 | 3 PM
(K & up) Harry-themed LEGO play.

Harry Potter Party
Monday, Oct. 29 | 4 PM
(All Ages) Come dressed as your favorite Harry Potter character and enjoy crafts and snacks!

Magic for Muggles @ Burlington Branch

Harry Potter Game Night
Thursday, Oct. 18 | 5:30 - 7:45 PM
Join us for a special edition of Burlington Game Night featuring Harry Potter games. Bring your wizard friends!

Harry Potter Adult Coloring
Monday, Oct. 22 | 5:30 - 7:45 PM
You're never too old to color! Burlington has the best coloring books around, from nature to Harry Potter.

Harry Potter Party: 20 Years of Magic
Monday, Oct. 29 | 5:30 - 7:00 PM
Put on your wizard robes for a Harry Potter extravaganza celebrating 20 years of magic! Prizes awarded for best costumes. For witches & wizards of all ages. To register, call 525-5431.

www.knoxlib.org

October 1-6 is Community Appreciation week at Angela Floyd Schools. Free trial dance and music lessons for new and current students. Please call either location to secure your spot!

Angela Floyd Schools: West Location
10845 Kingston Pike
Knoxville, TN 37934
865.675.9894

Angela Floyd Schools: North Location
6732 Jubilee Center Way
Knoxville, TN 37912
865.947.9894

https://www.angelafloydschools.com/

In a pre-conference event that’s free and open to the public, Chakaia Booker and master printer Justin Sanz from the Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop will be working on a set of mono prints.

Dates: October 1-3 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the UT Printshop, located in Room 241 of the Art and Architecture Building, 1715 Volunteer Boulevard.

Since the early 1990s, artist Chakaia Booker has been creating elaborate sculptures made of recycled tires to make statements on human diversity, environmental awareness, globalization, industrialization, and other topics. One of her recycled tire sculptures, titled Renegade, currently stands in Cradle of Country Music Park at the corner of Knoxville’s Gay Street and Summit Hill Drive. It was installed during the summer of 2018 as part of the Art in Public Places exhibition hosted by Dogwood Arts.

Now the Knoxville community will have a chance to meet and hear from Booker as she visits Knoxville for the 2018 Mid-South Sculpture Alliance(MSA) conference, being hosted by the UT School of Art. The three-day conference, featuring works by Booker and several other artists, will include a wide array of activities, with talks and lectures which are free and open to the public as well as workshops, demonstrations, and mentoring sessions that require registration and a fee. For more information about the Mid-South Sculpture Alliance Conference, including a full event schedule and a map of venues, visit the MSA website. Links available at https://news.utk.edu/2018/09/26/ut-to-host-conference-featuring-internationally-acclaimed-sculptor

Opening reception Sep 29, 7-9 PM with gallery talk at 6:30 PM and awards at 7 PM

Open Show is the Art Center's annual juried mixed media exhibition focusing on exceptional work being produced in our area. Anyone may enter. There are no size, media, or geographic limitations - it is open to all artists of all media.

Oak Ridge Art Center, 201 Badger Avenue, Oak Ridge, TN 37830. Hours: Tu-F 9-5, Sa-M 1-4. Information: 865-482-1441, www.oakridgeartcenter.org

Reception: September 28, 6:30 – 8:00 PM - Free and open to the public. Everyone is welcome to attend, meet the artists and enjoy complementary refreshments.

The Knoxville Watercolor Society will be exhibiting recent artwork from its members. KWS is an active group of regional artists who work primarily in water media. Membership is juried, and new artists are encouraged to apply for membership. Additional information is available online at: knxvillewatercolorsociety.com

Exhibit viewing hours: Hours: Tu & Th 9-5, W & F 10-5, 2nd-4th Sa 10-1. Fountain City Art Center, 213 Hotel Ave, Knoxville, TN 37918. Information: 865-357-2787, www.fountaincityartcenter.com