You’re going to need a fast car – and probably a clone – to take advantage of all the arts awesomeness taking place this weekend.
Start this morning (Feb. 21) by rushing over to Pellissippi State’s Hardin Valley Campus. Rhonda and Sparky Rucker are leading a celebration of World Justice Day, “Let Freedom Ring,” focusing on the songs that have been popularized by social-justice movements. The program is from 10:45 a.m. to 12:05 p.m. in the Goins Building Auditorium.
At 7 tonight at Pellissippi’s Clayton Performing Arts Center, the Knoxville Jazz Youth Orchestra will perform with special guest Jamie Simmons.
The Lonetones play tonight at Barley’s. (Photo via Facebook)
You can tell your friends you were on the radio and also hear great music by the Lonetones if you head to the Six O’Clock Swerve at Barley’s in the Old City tonight. Wayne Bledsoe hosts this Thursday-night tradition, which airs live on WDVX. (Your contribution is whooping and applauding the band.)
Tonight is also the debut of the Farragut Songwriters Showcase, created in honor of the inaugural Tennessee Songwriters Week. Hana Rothenberg, Kelsi Walker and Shayla McDaniel will perform at 7 p.m. today in a focus on female songwriters. Kevin Mahoney, Chris Long, Roger Alan Wade and Shea Redhorse will perform in a songwriters-in-the-round show at 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 23. The Casual Pint in Farragut is hosting.
At 7:30 tonight, Central Cinema, 1205 N. Central St., will present the Tennessee Archive of Moving Image and Sound’s monthly event. Instead of pulling from its own archive, TAMIS will show “Pioneers of African-American Cinema,” works from the Library of Congress and the Kino/Lorber archives. The event is free. Info.
“The Senator’s Wife” runs through Sunday.
The Tennessee Stage Company’s world premiere production of C. Robert Jones’ “The Senator’s Wife” concludes this weekend at the Historic Southern Railway Station, 306 W. Depot Ave. The romantic comedy set in the political world is part of the TSC’s New Play Festival. Shows are at 8 p.m. today through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 24. Tickets.
If star-crossed love and murder are your thing, you’ll love “Lucia di Lammermoor,” presented by the Knoxville Opera at the Tennessee Theatre. Shows are at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 22, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 24. Set in 16th century Scotland, Donizetti’s opera concerns innocent Lucia, who falls in love with her clan’s enemy but is forced into an arranged marriage by her brother. Murder and madness ensue. Tickets and info.
The 50th Jubilee Festival takes place Friday-Sunday, Feb. 22-24, at the Laurel Theater, 1538 Laurel Ave. Great roots music starts at 6:30 each night. Info.
Family entertainment doesn’t get better than “Mary Poppins Jr.,” and the Knoxville Children’s Theatre will perform it Feb. 22-March 17. The bad news is, opening night is already sold out. The good news is, you have through March 17 to see it.
If you haven’t seen “A Man Who Thought in Color: The Pat Roddy Collection” at the Emporium, time is running out. The show ends Saturday, Feb. 23. Not coincidentally, that’s also the date for the auction of the collection, which will benefit the Arts & Heritage Fund. The silent auction starts at 5:30 p.m. and closes at 6:15 p.m. The evening also includes a reception and live auction. Call 865-523-7543 to RSVP.