Fans of avant-garde and anarcho jazz-punk will thrill to Thollem Electric at The Kosmos (1715 Fifth Street NW) tonight. Part-time Nuevo Mexicano pianist and vocalist Thollem McDonas tickles those Fender Rhodes ivories pink—nay, fuchsia—and his lyrics, vox and analog sound manipulation may induce frisson. McDonas is touring solo in support of international avant-punk outfit Tsigoti's new release, Read Between the Lines … Think Outside Them, and In the Valley of the Cloudbuilder, the debut full-length of Bad News from Houston, his revelatory collaboration with Deerhoof's John Dieterich. Consort Un-Caged opens the gig with  percussion, flute and effects-centric art-rock and Tuia Cherici's Manucinema films screen as real-time avant wallpaper. This all-ages concert starts at 8 p.m., and 10 bucks gets you in. The Kosmos • Fri Apr 12 • 8 pm • $10 • View on Alibi calendar

• support local NM talent (cavemanrod) [ Sat Apr 13 2013 11:28 PM ]
  

We have Swans' leader and Young God Records founder Michael Gira to thank for bringing the psych-tinged, harmony-laden, folk-inflected experimental rock of akron/family to the mainstream. The group's new album, Sub Verses, is slated for an April 29 release on Dead Oceans, and it's a thoroughly engaging release. akron/family will undoubtedly grace their Duke City audience with glimpses of this homespun yet futuristic full-length tonight at Low Spirits (2823 Second Street NW). East Los Angeles-based M. Geddes Gengras explores electro-acoustic phenomena, process-based sound design and digital/analog concrète music and has collaborated with the likes of The Congos and Sun Araw. Gengras opens what promises to be a concert of rarefied beauty and depth. The 21-and-over recital starts at 9 p.m., and tickets are $12. Low Spirits • Tue Apr 9 • 9 pm • $12 • View on Alibi calendar

Whether you're an advocate for environmental protection, or a fan of art in general, the Blue Trees Project at Tingley Beach will certainly satisfy your craving to save the planet and see something beautiful at the same time. The project is an installation that promotes energy conservation and celebrates Earth Day. In an effort to raise awareness, Australian artist Konstantin Dimopoulos will hold lectures from April 7 to 12. However, the installation will be up and running tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Taking part in the event is Tree New Mexico and Albuquerque's Public Art Program, bringing the love of art and nature back to a city that prides itself on being both naturally and aesthetically beautiful. The event is free and open to the public. Tingley Beach • Fri Apr 12 • 10 am-5 pm • FREE • ALL-AGES! • View on Alibi calendar

If it’s April, there is probably a good chance that someone somewhere is publicly reading a poem to a rapt audience. After all, April is National Poetry Month, and Albuquerque celebrates it with a gusto usually reserved for hot-air balloons and green chile. So as the inaugural Book Talks Series kicks off at the Kimo Theater, it only seems fitting that some of the best poets in town will appear live for this celebration. Tonight, there will be a no-holds barred conversation between poetry legend Jimmy Santiago Baca (whose books include A Place to Stand, Healing Earthquakes, Black Mesa Poems, Martin and Meditations on the South Valley and others) and local poet extraordinaire, Jessica Helen Lopez (author of Always Messing with them Boys). Tickets are only $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $5 for students, and can be purchased at the Kimo Box Office, online or by phone at 886-1251.  KiMo Theatre • Fri Apr 12 • 8 pm • $10 • View on Alibi calendar

Cobra//group first materialized in the high desert in 2004. Nine years later, what may be the Southwest's largest “non-classical nor mariachi” band continues conjuring an unorthodox, radical sound. In 2010, three massive tracks were recorded by 18 members under their new nom de guerre, Death Convention Singers. To create this latest, self-titled work, 10 bass guitars, two drum kits, a banjo, a clarinet, a turntable toy and a violin were all jacked into an enormous mixer and deejayed using the board’s mute function. I dug this album, but Brujasis my all-time favorite entry in their catalog; listen to it in the dark, and you'll see what I mean: bit.ly/dcsbrujas. Naming all the members takes up too much dead tree space, but at least 15 of them are slated to perform. This concert takes the vs. format to a whole new level with simultaneous improv performances by DCS-adjacent projects: Alchemical Burn, Bigawatt, Fando, (H)Ohm, I CUM DRUMS, Ipytor Gavyen Machislav, Lionhead Bunny and TAHNZzz. Out-of-this-world opener Space Station Gusher meshes Gusher, Uranium Worker, Heyisayfuckyou and more. This 21-and-over gig cranks up at 9 p.m. on Friday, March 29, and admission is only five bucks. Launchpad • Fri Mar 29 • 9 pm • $5 • 21+ • View on Alibi calendar

Borne of cinder blocks and sweating creatives, new micro-venue the Tannex (1415/17 Fourth Street SW) hosts Annah Anti-Palindrome during its grand unveiling weekend. Based in the Bay Area, Anti-Palindrome is a writer, queer-femme antagonist and nontraditional sound artist. In performance, she uses her own body and items like a looping system, kitchen utensils, a blood pressure cuff, gas masks, raw eggs and so on. Solo “dream/witch house/soul” project Lady Uranium and trickster act The Jeebies rep New Mexican weirdness. Experience a triad of experimentalists at Burque's newest art, music and film venue, the Tannex, tomorrow. This all-ages concert kicks off at 8 p.m., and the cover is $5. While you're there, check out the growing zine library and a wicked bathroom mural by co-founder ¡Brapola! (Samantha Anne Carrillo)  The Tannex • Sat Mar 23 • 8 pm • $5 • View on Alibi calendar

The Christmas after I turned five, all I asked for was an American Girl Doll. No more, no less. My wish was granted that cold morning, and Samantha Parkington joined the family. Over the years, that doll was seriously loved. So much so that when my Mom took me on a trip to Chicago for my 10th birthday, Samantha had to stay behind at the American Girl Place Doll Hospital to get a head transplant (yes, that's a thing in the doll world). In 2001, American Girl began producing a "Girl of the Year" doll that could only be purchased that year. 2013's doll, Saige Copeland, is the second doll to hail from the Land of Enchantment (the first, Josefina, is described as living on a rancho near Santa Fe). Saige is described as "A spirited girl whose passions inspire action, who lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the hot air balloon capital of the world." Tomorrow, Miss Haven, who hosts a weekly story time at the Barnes and Noble on the Westside, invites enthusiasts to come "meet" the latest addition the American Girl family. The free event runs from 11 a.m. to noon. Barnes & Noble, Westside • Sat Mar 23 • 11 am-noon • FREE • ALL-AGES! • View on Alibi calendar

Aux Dog Theatre Nob Hill is proud to present the Southwest Premiere of the Tony Award nominated Best Play, VENUS IN FUR by David Ives through March 31st. The production is directed by Kristine Holtvedt, head of the Acting Program at Purdue University. One of the hottest properties Off and On Broadway for the past three years, VENUS IN FUR was hailed by The New York Times as "seriously smart and very funny." Aux Dog Theatre Nob Hill is among the theatres that have been given the rights to produce this acclaimed work in its first round of regional productions. VENUS IN FUR is a naughty sort of comedy, one that has a slightly kinky, dangerous flair but with a flip side that's elegant, erotic and infused with sexual heat. The play is also a tour-de-force for the two actors who play several characters and switch gender roles. The play chronicles the adventures of Thomas and Vanda (played by Sheridan Johnson & Brennan Foster). Thomas is a frustrated playwright/director; Vanda is an actress. And when Vanda arrives at an audition, the pair find themselves catapulted into a full-blown wrangle of gender-play and role-switching that underscores the act of power play between the sexes. Call 254-7716 for tickets or buy them online at auxdog.com. Shows are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm; Sunday matinees at 2 pm, and tickets run between $10 and $18. Aux Dog Theatre • Fri Mar 22 • 8 pm • $10-$18 • View on Alibi calendar

Courtesy of SFUAD

The Santa Fe University of Art & Design (SFUAD) Contemporary Music Department will present contributing faculty member Gerry Carthy in concert on St. Patrick’s Day on the SFUAD campus. Carthy will perform traditional Celtic music assisted by SFUAD’s Celtic Ensemble, which he directs as an instructor at the school. Carthy, born in County Mayo on the West Coast of Ireland, plays a variety of instruments including banjo, guitar, tenor guitar, tin whistle, saxophone, fiddle, mandolin, bouzouki and contributes vocals. Inspired by the folk revival of Irish music in the 1960s and 1970s, he spent 10 years playing music in sessions around Galway. Carthy is also one of the founding members of the traditional Irish session at the Crane Bar, which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary—the longest running session in Galway. Tickets to the event are free for SFUAD staff and students and $10 for the general public. SFUAD is located on St. Michael's Drive in Santa Fe on what was formerly the campus of the College of Santa Fe. Santa Fe University of Art and Design, Santa Fe • Sun Mar 17 • 3 pm • $10 • View on Alibi calendar

MIKEYPAGE10 (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

What's larger than a leprechaun, smaller than an Irish pony and much cuter than a sack of potatoes? A Great Dane, of course! And what better way to spend St. Patty's day than supporting these gentle giants and their feline friends? Join the Justice Great Dane Rescue and F.A.T. KATZ organizations for the "Larger Than a Leprechaun" Foster-A-Thon and Animal Rescue Fundraiser. Learn more about fostering adoptable dogs and cats and enjoy goodies, giveaways, prizes, vendors and face and body art with the Dancing Dolphins. These beasties may not have the luck of the Irish on their side, but adorableness is just as effective, right? Boofy’s Best for Pets • Sun Mar 17 • Noon-4 pm • FREE • ALL-AGES! • View on Alibi calendar