Latest news with #BigEars'
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
No pass? No problem! Free shows and events to check out during the 2025 Big Ears Festival
The Big Ears Festival is back for another year of great music, art and conversation in Knoxville. Although single-day passes have sold out, that doesn't mean you have to miss out. You can still experience incredible performances, moving exhibitions and engaging discussions – for free! From Grammy-winning musicians to intimate artist talks, these events offer a taste of Big Ears' eclectic programming without the cost of admission. And there's something for every music fan, whether you're into jazz, classical, bluegrass, electronic or gospel. A full list of free Big Ears events is available at but here's a quick guide to a few of the free performances and exhibitions to check out during this year's festival. ALL IN ONE PLACE! Our Big Ears guide ensures you won't miss a moment as Knoxville braces for festival weekend The Grammy-winning trombonist and composer is known for her innovative approach to jazz, blending traditional elements with modern improvisation. Vandever has toured internationally with her quartet and has performed with popular artists, including Harry Styles, Lizzo, Japanese Breakfast, Jennifer Hudson and Demi Lovato. Her debut album 'We Fell in Turn' was released in 2023. Time: 4 p.m. Venue: Knoxville Museum of Art | 1050 Worlds Fair Park Drive Yuka Honda, a founder of the band Cibo Matto, is an accomplished electronic instrumentalist, composer and producer. She is a prominent figure in New York City in avant-garde and indie rock scenes. Honda is known as eucademix for her solo electronic projects. Her music spans genres, which she collectively calls 'sensory music.' And according to her Big Ears bio, she has a 'deep fascination with microorganisms and humorously refers to herself as a 'de-composer.'' Time: 6:30 p.m. Venue: Knoxville Museum of Art | 1050 Worlds Fair Park Drive This duo is a leader for the new generations of roots musicians, bringing a fresh sound to bluegrass music through de Groot's band and Hargreaves' fiddle. The duo's award-winning album 'Hurricane Clarice' (2022) 'reflects history, family, literature, live performance and environmental instability in the sounds, feelings, and sensations that permeate their music,' according to the Big Ears website. Time: 1:30 p.m. Venue: Knoxville Museum of Art | 1050 Worlds Fair Park Drive Joyful Noise Recordings brings together its Big Ears-attending artists for a special improvised performance. This rare treat for attendees features Wendy Eisenberg, Greg Saunier, Tall Tall Trees, Kramer and Thor Harris. Time: 3 p.m. Venue: Pretentious Beer Company | 131 S. Central St. The Mivos Quartet specializes in performing contemporary classical music to diverse audiences worldwide. The quartet collaborates with established and emerging composers across a broad range of demographics and compositional aesthetics, striving for a deep and meaningful listening experience for audiences. Mivos operates as a nonprofit organization based in New York City, dedicated to performing, commissioning and collaborating on music being written today. Time: 3:45 p.m. Venue: Knoxville Museum of Art | 1050 Worlds Fair Park Drive Dedicated Men of Zion joins the Knoxville Opera Gospel Choir for evening of 'pure spiritual elevation.' The quartet's sound is rooted in the traditions of gospel, soul and sacred spirituals. The Big Ears site promises 'a performance filled with deep grooves, impassioned call-and-response and an unwavering devotion to the joyful, redemptive spirit of gospel music.' Free tickets can be reserved at Time: 5 p.m. Venue: Knoxville Civic Auditorium | 500 Howard Baker Jr. Ave. Violins of Hope is an exhibition created by Louis Gauci that collects, restores and showcases violins played by Jewish musicians during the Holocaust. Each instrument has been restored and preserved, and each has a physical connection to the hatred, persecution, violence and suffering of the Holocaust. These instruments now serve as powerful symbols of hope and survival. The exhibition will 'guide visitors through the history of the Holocaust, while emphasizing the power of music to foster hope, resilience and acceptance,' according to the Big Ears site. Many of the instruments are in Knoxville this spring for the exhibit and performances by the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra at the Tennessee Theatre April 9. The first Knoxville performance was March 5. Times: Noon-6 p.m. March 26-28 | 1-4 p.m. March 29 Venue: Digital Motif Gallery | 108 S. Gay St. 'Kite Symphony' is an exhibition by musician Roberto Carlos Lange and visual artist Kristi Sword that intersects music, performance and visual art. The project features a series of drawings called Radio Telescope and two films: an experimental visual music piece called 'Star Scores' and a film documenting sculptural interventions from their time in Marfa, Texas. Time: Noon-9 p.m. March 27-29; noon-6 p.m. March 30 Venue: UT Downtown Gallery | 106 S. Gay St. Historian and director of the Knoxville History Project Jack Neely dives into Knoxville's rich and surprising cultural and musical heritage, which includes early blues and country roots to the city's connections with jazz, rock and experimental music. The talk will highlight key moments, legendary artists and overlooked stories that have shaped Knoxville's music identity. Time: 3:30 p.m. Venue: Visit Knoxville Visitors Center | 301 S. Gay St. A panel of acclaimed music critics come together for a lively discussion previewing the 2025 festival. They'll highlight must-see performances and emerging artists to check out and share why they look forward to the Big Ears Festival each year. The panel includes Ann Powers (NPR Music), Nate Chinen (The Gig, JazzTimes), Marcus J. Moore (The New York Times, The Atlantic) and Ashley Kahn ("A Love Supreme: The Story of John Coltrane's Signature Album"). This is the perfect guide to navigating the festival's eclectic musical offerings. Time: 5 p.m. Venue: Visit Knoxville Visitors Center | 301 S. Gay St. Singer-songwriter Dawn Richard and music journalist Marcus Moore dig deep into her artistic evolution and career. Paving her own path, Richard has blurred the lines between R&B, electronic, and experimental sounds. And look to Moore for deep dives into Black music and culture. Time: 12:30 p.m. Venue: Visit Knoxville Visitors Center | 301 S. Gay St. Lance Ledbetter, founder of the Grammy-winning archival label Dust-to-Digital and the preservation-focused Dust-to-Digital Foundation, joins Terika Dean, chair of the Blues Foundation, will discuss the evolving role of archives in the digital age and why these recordings still resonate today. Time: 11 a.m. Venue: Visit Knoxville Visitors Center | 301 S. Gay St. Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter. Email On X, formerly known as Twitter @dturner1208. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Free 2025 Big Ears Festival shows and events in Knoxville
New York Times
26-01-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
‘Googly Eye Bandit' in Oregon Comes Forward
Last month, googly eyes appeared on pieces of public art throughout Bend, Ore. Drivers would rubberneck, befuddled and amused by statues of deer and other sculptures that had been given an irreverent, cross-eyed gaze. The eyes became a sensation, except among frustrated city officials, who paid for their removal. The identity of the person behind the pranks, who became known as the Googly Eye Bandit, was unknown. That is until Jeff Keith came forward to claim responsibility. Mr. Keith, 53, who runs the Guardian Group, a nonprofit focused on disrupting sex trafficking in the United States, said that in mid-December he sneaked into the middle of a roundabout and put the googly eyes on some public art. 'Big Ears' by Joe Halko, a sculpture depicting a family of deer, became googly-eyed — including the little fawn between its mother's legs. 'If Bambi's mom had had those eyes, maybe she'd have seen that hunter coming,' Stephen Colbert joked on an episode of 'The Late Show.' 'I love making people smile,' Mr. Keith said in an interview on Saturday. 'Other people started joining in. I'm not taking credit for all of them. That's the cool part.' Placing the eyes around the city was a 'release' from the nature of his work, he said, adding that he did not know who else joined the effort. Even more googly eyes appeared on statues around Bend. Among other art installations, a six-foot sphere was brought to life and given a touch of whimsy and a red phoenix took on an air of bewilderment. While the pranks got widespread attention, it was left to the city to remove the eyes. 'While the googly eyes placed on the various art pieces around town might give you a chuckle,' the city said on Instagram in December, 'it costs money to remove them with care to not damage the art.' The city paid $1,500 to have the eyes removed while carefully preventing damage to the art, according to its spokeswoman. Some online commenters were frustrated with the city, saying that officials couldn't take a joke and suggesting better uses for the city's budget. 'These googly eyes give me the hope to move forward each day,' one commenter wrote. Mr. Keith, who has lived in Bend for over two decades, said he went to the city offices and offered to pay for the cleanup that but he had not heard back. Bend's communications department did not respond to a request for comment on Saturday about Mr. Keith's offer and whether the city had identified him as the prankster. 'Honestly, they just want to be done with it,' Mr. Keith said of the city. He added that he came forward only after he learned of the potential damage the googly eyes had caused. KTVZ, a local broadcaster, and reported earlier about Mr. Keith being behind the prank. Mr. Keith said that he has been behind other public pranks. He said he placed white balloons around Bend after Americans were captivated by a Chinese balloon that drifted over continental American airspace in 2023. 'I spend 50 bucks a month on my pranks,' Mr. Keith said. 'It's about 10 cents a smile because I know how many people hit our roundabout. It's worth it.' Some cities have embraced the googly eyes. After a campaign and a lighthearted but earnest demonstration by supporters, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority affixed googly-eye decals to some of its trains last year. For a short time, the trains, with their bug-eyed look, bemused and amused riders around Boston.
