Thursday, April 11
• Classical music may bring to mind long-dead arrangers with ornate wigs and intense expressions, but the genre is very much alive and evolving. This week, find out where it’s headed as the Asheville Composer Series highlights works by local composers, performed by UNCA faculty and students, at the university’s Lipinsky Auditorium. 7:30 p.m. $5/students free.
• New to the area? Looking to make new friends? Asheville Professional Singles “was created as a way to meet other single people in a casual environment,” according to a Meetup page for the group. “Its goal is to have fun, introduce you to others in your age group, make new friends and enjoy a variety of social events.” Check it out this week as APS meets at Elaine’s Dueling Piano Bar for “drinks and sing-a-longs.” Ages 25-45. 8:30 p.m. Free.
• Local experimental label Headway Recordings presents a night of reverb-drenched atmospheric indie rock and explosive psychedelia with Brooklyn-based Street Gnar, Atlanta’s The N.E.C. and Asheville’s own Nest Egg at Blackout Effectors, 98 N. Lexington Ave., above Forever Tattoo. 9 p.m.
Friday, April 12
• The Classic World Cinema Film Series, a weekly screening hosted at the Courtyard Gallery’s upstairs Railroad Library, 109 Roberts St., River Arts District, presents Marco Bellocchio’s Fists in the Pocket (Italy 1965), the story of “Ale, a deeply disturbed young man subject to seizures [who] benignly decides to murder members of his dysfunctional family for altruistic reasons,” according to an IMDB synopsis. 8 p.m. Free.
• From a UNCA press release for an upcoming dance performance, “This spring’s show, the ‘Interstellar Dance Project,’ includes original choreography in modern, jazz, tap and Middle Eastern styles, with elements of aerial and performance art and inspiration drawn from the NPR Radiolab broadcast ‘Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan’s Ultimate Mix Tape.’” Performances held at BeBe Theatre, 20 Commerce St. Fri., 7 p.m.; Sat., 7 and 9 p.m. $10/$5 students.
• “Last month, we made history by putting on Asheville’s very first late night talk show,” begins a Facebook page for Late Night Show Asheville Tonight! “The results? A Nielsen rating of 0. Fine by us. What do you think we are, sellouts? But for the packed house in attendance, what a show it was. We laughed at the jokes. We moved to the beats. We pet the animals. We had corndogs and Mountain Dew. Oh man, it was good. So of course we gotta do a follow-up. ‘Give the people what they want,’ Red Skelton once said, probably in a funny voice. And give we shall. On April 12, we’re gonna do it bigger, better and weirder. We don’t wanna give everything away, but expect to see some live culinary feats, a little naked skin (oh my!) and an interview with a surprise celebrity who has been rumored to frequent these parts (grind away, rumor mill!). Whoa!” Hosted by Apothecary, 39 S. Market St. 9 p.m. $5.
Saturday, April 13
• Enjoy an educational afternoon outdoors as the North Carolina Arboretum, 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way, hosts The Mountain Science Expo, featuring guided nature walks, an experimentation station, live animal programs and more. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free with $8 parking fee.
• The time for spring planting has arrived and Reems Creek Nursery is ready to help make your green dreams come true. This weekend, it offers a workshop on raised-bed gardening with a focus on strategies to maximize harvest, utilize organic matter and minimize labor. 70 Monticello Road, Weaverville. Free. Registration required: 645-3937.
• “Yes, it’s true, the Burton Street Community Peace Garden is marking its tenth year of feeding our community, and we want you to come celebrate with us,” invites an event page for the anniversary celebration. “We’ll start the afternoon around 3 p.m. by painting the fence mural at Martha Jane’s garden on Bryant Street (you know it needs your special touch), then play a friendly game of kickball, some volleyball, cornhole and maybe even horseshoes as the afternoon unfolds. We’ll provide drinks and various libations (donations accepted) and fire up the pizza oven for some delicious treats. You bring something yummy to share to round out our meal! These gardens survive and thrive because of countless contributions of time, resources and talent over the years.” 47 Bryant St. Free to attend.
Sunday, April 14
• From The Orange Peel‘s website, “Smart Start of Buncombe County is pleased to bring Hobey Ford and His Golden Rod Puppets to Asheville for a performance of Animalia, a child-friendly show that explores the inner workings of the natural world with a wide variety of carved foam animal puppets, set to the music of Paul Winter Consort. The performance venue will allow Ford to have the puppets flying or walking right out over the heads of audience members. Hobey will perform unmasked, in full view, in his roles as emcee, engaged storyteller and puppeteer. Families attending the performance will receive a set of Peeper Puppets, an imaginative, patented set of plastic eyes for hands of any size that, worn in several different ways, turn the bare hand into an innovative, inexpensive and clever hand puppet. Hobey will demonstrate the charm of Peepers and creative ways they can be used.” 101 Biltmore Ave. 4 p.m. $8.
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