“No matter how deep the river, it has a bottom. No matter how high the

mountain, it has a summit.” Here it is– my last entertainment calendar for

the beloved Daily Beacon. I hope I’ve informed the campus community

well. If I missed anything, it probably wasn’t all that interesting anyway.

As they say in Mongolia, “Better a chance encounter than an

invitation.”

LEGENDARY GOSPEL GROUP:

The Fairfield Four performs tonight at the Laurel Theatre. This

quintet will offer an unforgettable evening of five-part harmony. Their

recent CD release, Standing in the Safety Zone, beautifully exhibits

their southern gospel style, featuring classics like “Swing Low, Sweet

Chariot” and “My God Called Me This Morning.” Their voices ring full in a

capella confidence. This is definitely one of the most unique concert

events at the Laurel this season.

The concert is sponsored by McKay Used Books and CDs. Showtime is 8 p.m.

Admission is $11 for Jubilee Community Arts members and students, $14 for

the general audience and $5 for children.

NEW RELEASE FROM LOCALS:

Local band Stem celebrates the release of its new tape Every

One of Us tonight at Manhattan’s. The band just returned from

the Crossroads Showcase in Memphis and has played fraternities from

Tuscaloosa to Chapel Hill. Having experienced more success outside of town,

Stem hopes the tape will turn more people in Knoxville onto them.

“Hopefully the tape will let people know we’re a legitimate music project,”

says bassist Joel Lay.

“If you come to the show, you’re going to see three and a half hours of

original music,” says keyboardist Hooper Stiles. “People keep coming to see

us because they know the’ll see something different.”

Their sound is hard to peg down. “We’re a rock band,” says Lay,” but we’re

experimental — we delve in to lots of things, anywhere from bluegrass to

jazz.”

“We definitely have pop songs, too,” says guitarist Mark Midyett.

The show starts at 10 p.m. Admission is $3.

GEORGIA BAND COMES TO TOWN:

This Saturday, April 29, the Mercury Theatre hosts the Knoxville

debut of a great new band from Marietta, Georgia. East Orange has

been getting a bit of airplay on WUTK, and now they’re ready to bring it to

Knoxville live and in person.

“We’re basically the power-pop kind of thing,” says vocalist Chad Etchison.

This translates to a full, heavy-guitar sound and proper attention to

melody. And trust me, it’s not that hippy crap.

“We’ve never played Knoxville, but we’re looking forward to it,” Etchison

said. “We’ve heard a lot of good things about the clubs and stuff.”

East Orange is gaining notice around the southeast with their latest tape

release, produced by Smashing Pumpkins producer Jeff Tomei.

Also appearing will be those wonderful wackos called the Fun Girls From

Mount Pilot and Knoxville band Leaf.

The show starts at 10 p.m. Admission is $5.

HARAMBEE FESTIVAL:

The Black Cultural Programming Committee presents the

Harambee Festival Saturday, April 29, from noon to 5 p.m. on the

University Center Plaza. All are invited to celebrate cultural

togetherness.

POETRY IN PERFORMANCE:

“Dirt on one’s robe is removed by washing; dirt on the soul — by

words.” There’s no better way to cleanse to soul than by experiencing some

of Knoxville’s best poets in action. As part of the Luminous Word

Series, the Knoxville Writer’s Guild sponsors a reading of

“Performance Poetry” this Sunday, April 30, at the Knoxville Museum of

Art. Adventurous readers include Keith Norris, Leroy

Smith, Leslie LaChance, Debbie Geis, Jennifer

Vasil and Daniel Roop. The reading starts at 2 p.m.

OLD CITY GETS TORTURE KITTY FEVER:

There are no classes next Tuesday, so here’s the plan: the

Knoxville-based, mega-favorite pop-punk rock group called Torture

Kitty will make its Old City debut Monday, May 1, at Manhattan’s

Modern Music Monday. You’ve read all about it, now it’s time to

experience the magic of The Artist Formerly Known as Swifty.

Also performing will be the hard-working 30 Amp Fuse. Admission is

$3. The show begins at 10 p.m.

BIG SUMMER SHOWS ON THE HORIZON:

Kicking off this year’s Hot Summer Nights concert series,

Live, with Pete Droge and Thinking Fellers Union Local

282 will perform on the lawn at the World’s Fair Park on

Tuesday, May 2.

Sunday, May 7, at the Electric Ballroom, the horror show of the year

will feature Danzig, Marilyn Manson and Korn. Check

out the interview in the next issue of the Daily Beacon.

In the Sundown in the Park series, a great bunch of concerts are

happening this summer at the Tennessee Amphitheatre.

Bela Fleck and the Flecktones start the summer off on Thursday,

May 4, at 8 p.m. Special guest Flecktones include Sam Bush and Paul

McCandless. Fleck offers a unique musical performance, featuring his jazz

banjo and the drummitar.

Belly will grace the stage on Tuesday, May 9, at 8 p.m. Their

special guests will be Polara.

Toad the Wet Sprocket, and special guest Rusted Root will

appear Friday, May 19.

Delbert McClinton will perform Saturday, May 20.

KNOXVILLE SYMPHONY:

Rent-to-own spokespersons The Pointer Sisters will perform with

the KSO for the Sea Ray Boats Spring Pops Concert. Tickets, priced

at $35 and $25, are on sale now for the Saturday, May 13, show at the

Civic Coliseum.

ART:

The Candy Factory features several exhibits of regional arts and

crafts. Among these is Tapestry and Weaving by Nancy

Roberson. This show runs through April 29 in the Knoxville Arts and

Fine Crafts Center, on the 2nd floor of the Candy Factory.

The KNOXVILLE MUSEUM OF ART presents Japanese Woodblock Prints

from the Sweet Briar Collection, opening today and showing through July

9.

Western Artists/ African Arts exhibition currently showing at

the KMA runs through May 21.

Other current KMA exhibits include:

East Tennessee Art Currents I, a show of “significant” work being

produced in this region, showing through May 28.

Primal Impulse: German Expressionist Art from the Fischer, showing

through June 4.

Watercolor Now, selected works by 45 of America’s leading watercolor

artists, showing through May 21.

FILM:

The UT Film Committee, which consistantly brings the finest in

contemporary and classic films to campus, is ending this semester with a

bang and a bump and that damned Forrest Gump.

Sure, we’re all sick of Gumpisms by now, but the actual movie under all

that hype is pretty darned good. Shows tonight and Saturday, April 29, are

at 7 and 9:30 p.m. in the University Center Auditorium. Admission is

the usual low, low price.

On Sunday, April 30, the Committee presents Vanya on 42nd

Street, the new film starring Wallace Shawn. Showtimes are at 7 and

9:30 p.m. at the Clarence Brown Theatre.

THEATRE:

The Clarence Brown Theatre Company presents Lettice &

Lovage, starting May 4 at 8 p.m.

This comedy by Peter Schaffer tells the story of Lettice Douffet, an expert

on Elizabethan cuisine and medieval weaponry. Through her unique

world-view, she helps awaken her neighbors from their dreary lives — with

hilarious results. Rumor has it this play is even better than the recent

Dracula rock opera!

The play runs through May 20. For ticket information, call

974-5161.

The West Side Dinner Theatre, located at 12801 Kingston Pike in

Farragut, currently features Seance Fiction, an original

comedy by Knoxville playwrite Mark Hatmaker. The play is about Lou,

who disappeared seven years earlier in a bizarre sledding accident. He’s

been declared legally dead, and his wife is besieged by ill-suited suitors.

As these things go, Lou turns up alive and none too happy about the

situation. UT student Michael Dubov plays Lou. The play runs

Thursdays through Saturdays until April 29.

The buffet starts at 6:45, the play at 8:15. For reservations call

966-8768. Cost is $18 per person for both dinner and the play, but “liberal

discounts” are available for groups of 10 or more.

The Bijou Theatre hosts a Theatre Knoxville production of Neil

Simon’s Broadway Bound, the finale to his trilogy which began

with Brighton Beach Memoirs and Biloxi Blues. The play will

presented May 12, 13, 18, 19, 20 and 21 at 8 p.m. A special Mother’s Day

matinee will be held at 2 p.m. on May 14. All seats are reserved at

$12.

CAN’T STOP THE MUSIC:

FLAMINGO’S— on Cumberland Ave.:

The Great Indoorsmen perform tonight at 10 p.m.

Kings of the Killer Fish will perform Saturday, May 29, at 10

p.m.

LUCILLE’S— in the Old City:

The Marcus Shirley Group performs tonight at 10 p.m. Admission

is $2.

Donald Brown and Early Bird perform Saturday, April 29, at 10 p.m.

Admission is $2.

Werner and Schmidt perform Sunday, April 30, at 7 p.m. Admission is

free.

The Rocky Wynder Quartet performs Tuesday, May 2, at 9:30 p.m.

Admission is $2.

KNOXVILLE MUSEUM OF ART:

Tonight’s Alive After Five concert features Evon Easley,

performing from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Admission is $5, or $2.50 for

students.

MANHATTAN’S— in the Old City:

Stem appears tonight at 10 p.m. See the close-up above for

details.

Torture Kitty performs at 10 p.m. Monday, May 1, along with 30 Amp

Fuse. Admission is $3.

Vehicle of Expression will appear Wednesday, May 3, at 10 p.m.

Admission is $3.

R.B. Morris and Internal Herd will appear at 9 p.m. Admission

is $6.

MERCURY THEATRE— on Market Square:

Burning Grass, Malice In Wonderland and Soulskin appear

tonight at 10 p.m. Admission is $5.

A Punk Rock Fest is scheduled for the Mercury at 1 p.m. Saturday,

April 29. No specific band info was available.

Fun Girls From Mt. Pilot, East Orange and Leaf perform

Saturday, April 29, at 10 p.m.

Craw will perform at 10 p.m. on Wednesday, May 3. Also appearing

will be Hypertribe and Numskull. Admission is $5. The show is

all ages.

A Five and Dime Showcase at 8:30 p.m. on Friday, May 5, will feature

Van Gogh’s Ear, Leaf, Crop Circles and Plug.

Admission is $4.

TOMATO HEAD— on Market Square:

Immigrant Suns will perform at 10 p.m. on Friday, May 12. This

multi-folk quintet offers “a whirlwind journey around the globe” in its

music. I’ve listened to the CD and it’s pretty darned good. Admission will

be $4.

OPEN MIC READINGS:

“Anger overcomes one person. Intelligence — a thousand.” You’ll find

plenty of angry intelligence at these live spoken-word venues.

NEW AND EXCITING: Strap-On Poetry Night: every other Wednesday (or

so) at 7:30 p.m. at the 11th Street Expresso House.

The Torch Coffee House: Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. Admission $1.

Ivory’s: Mondays at 9 p.m. Call 588-6023 for sign-up.

Gryphon’s — Rus’ Romper Room: Tuesdays at 9 p.m. Free.

Java, a Coffee House: Tuesdays at 8 p.m. Free

Manhattan’s: Tuesdays at 8 p.m. (7 p.m. sign-up). Free.

“If you have a tail, wag it; if you have a mind use it.” If you have an

event you’d like included in The Daily Beacon Entertainment

Calendar, don’t mention it to me — like Doug, I’m outta here!

Instead, send the info to Room 5 of the Communications Building, or call

974-0646. We’ll see what we can do about it this summer.