Absent Minded Weird Al Yankovic Snoopy Barnum & Bailey Circus Eastmountainsouth

Thursday, June 19, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Mercury

A/E Features

Don't forget Absent Minded

The third of seven 2003 Lift Ticket benefit concerts capped off the spring season in grand style June 14 at the Summerlin Smoothie King. After rousing performances by local bands The Nomadics, GDB, The Ritual, Over the Line and Jr. Anti-Sex League, young punks Absent Minded were chosen as the battle of bands winner. The concerts will resume in late summer/early fall. Info: 639-6366.

Dare to be stupid

It seems like just yesterday that Al Yankovic gave up his gig as the frontman of Journey (and what a lucky break that was for Steve Perry) to start his solo career. After a short break to free Grenada from the Whigs and a misguided attempt to start a chain of aglet repair stores, he's back on tour. His new album features an Eminem song he's not allowed to do a video for and "Angry White Boy Polka." He'll be tickling the accordian ivories at the Aladdin at 8 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $25-$75. Info: 785-5000.

Oh, that Snoop Dog

Tom Everhart has been doing paintings based on Sparky Shulz's cartoons for some time now. In fact, he's the only artist authorized to do that, so don't any of you dimestore Picassos get any bright ideas. He's putting together prints for a big show for a fall exhibition at the Charles M. Shulz Museum in Santa Rosa, Calif., right here in our own downtown arts district at the S2Art Center. He'll be there working the press Thursday and Friday, so head on down and watch him work and check out the fine prints of his and others' work at the gallery. You can bet your ass that "painter of light" guy won't let you gawk at him working, so enjoy.

More clowns than City Hall

Artist Corita Kent said, "Damn everything but the circus." We don't know why she said that, but these days we're inclined to agree with her. The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus comes to a relatively new venue, the Orleans Arena. Maybe now the smell of fresh paint and styrofoam will finally be replaced with the wholesome pang of elephant shit. The Greatest Show on Earth performs at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 11:30 a.m., 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Orleans Arena, 4500 W. Tropicana Ave. Tickets are $10-$17. Info: 284-7777.

Mountain music

Now we bet you've got that Deliverance riff plonking in your head, making you shiver in terror. Don't run away just yet! Rest assured that Eastmountainsouth's brand of Appalachian music is inviting stuff indeed, equal parts folk earthiness and formal training, created by a duo with Southern roots and cosmopolitan experience. Peter Adams is a trained composer who brings polish and brains to the outfit, while Kat Maslich brings earnest bluegrass flavor to the songs. Put the two together and you've got, well, Eastmountainsouth, a band name with a broken space bar. The duo opens for Tracy Chapman on Tuesday, June 24, at the House of Blues. The show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25 to $45. Info: 632-7600.