Diva*licious Cinq
The annual musical fundraiser Diva*licious (now in its fifth season) may involve drinks and hors d'oeuvres, but the real treat takes place on the main stage when contestants (Carol Duermit, Sara Fields, Murphy Funkhouser, Rachelle Roberts, Bradshaw Call, Andre Ellerby, Ty Shelton and Chuck Taft) vie for audience votes and the ACT Diva title. "Each contestant will sing two Broadway show numbers and the entire group performs several numbers together," says a press release. "The contestant who raises the most money for ACT takes the title and the crown." Friday, May 13, 8 p.m. ($20) and and Saturday, May 14, 6:45 p.m. ($35, includes gala reception). ashevilletheatre.org.
Charlie Hunter Duo
Guitarist/composer Charlie Hunter's bio reads like a soft-focus indie/quirk film: When he was 4 years old, his mom packed the kids into a renovated school bus and drove to California. He took music lessons from Joe Satriani before heading out to Paris at age 18. He returned to San Francisco in time to join Michael Franti's (pre-Spearhead) Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy. Then he spent the rest of the 1990s doing stuff like fronting Garage a Trois, forming his own trio and releasing/appearing on the first of what's now a 30-plus album discography. Hunter appears at Pisgah Brewing with drummer Eric Kalb on Thursday, May 12, 9 p.m. $10 advance/$15 doors. pisgahbrewing.com.
Dub Is A Weapon
The Brooklyn-based band's menacing name might have something to do with the fact that its creator, Dave Hahn, had to pretty much beat back the naysayers in the beginning. Then again, no one had done live dub before. (Dub usually refers to the art of remixing and manipulating existing reggae music by removing the vocals and emphasizing the drum and bass.) Of its sound the band says, "The vibe is trippy, but with a fire and edge that gives Dub Is A Weapon’s music real punch. This is music for serious dance-floor moves, not spacey evenings on the couch." Dub Is A Weapon holds a record release party on Saturday, May 14 at Grey Eagle. 8 p.m., $10 advance/$13 day of show. thegreyeagle.com.
Rattlesnake
According to press, Rattlesnake covers 30 years and "takes us from the Texas prairie to Paris, France and back again." And all 16 characters are played by one actor: John Hardy. But wait. There's more. You've seen one-man plays before but not where the characters (again, 16 of 'em) interact with each other. Main character Sherman longs to be a father. When his romance fizzles and he's rejected by the adoption agency, he retreats to his family's land where he meets a rattlesnake and immerses himself in its world. The plays runs one weekend only at N.C. Stage. Thursday-Saturday, May 12-14, at 7:30 p.m. $15. ncstage.org.
small point of information: re live dub, it’s been a part of reggae from the early 1970s — one major example is Burning Spear, who, ever since the release of “Garvey’s Ghost” album, has on occasion busted out a full-on dub style for entire live performances.