SAUSAGEFEST ’07D. STRIKER FEATURING HURTS TO LAUGH AND MAD HAPPY

FRIDAY, 13TH

Rock ’n’ roll FURY and the smell of searing MEAT—why, they go together like napalm and nursery school. Beat on the brats at this greasy extravaganza, which combines sausages on the outdoor grill with a triple bill of death-dealing musical all-beef by-products. “Fuck art, let’s kill!” snarls Hurts to Laugh’s Erik Dail over fuzzed-out tablesaw guitars: on the best tracks, the band’s resulting cicada infestation of noise has some of the Jesus and Mary Chain’s scuzzy grandeur. D.Striker is Jeff Meltesen’s ongoing zine-cum-performance-piece that publishes/performs every Friday the 13th, luckily for us, unluckily for Meltesen’s perpetual trash-talking target Glen Campbell. Mike iLL and Rivka, a.k.a. Mad Happy, deliver percolating electro-pop with skritchy, low-tech hip-hop beats and cheeseball synths: comparisons to Tom Tom Club are not off base, except these Brooklyn scene fixtures put on a much wilder live show. And don’t forget the meat! Iggy Pop lived on sausages for a year; see how many you can wolf down before the crowning of Ms. Sausagefest, a hotly coveted honor indeed. Show time is 9 p.m. The Basement —JIM RIDLEY

MUSIC

THURSDAY, 12TH

CHRIS YOUNG This tall baritone was the biggest consensus winner in five years of Nashville Star, and he’s the victor most likely to sustain a long career. At this point, though, he’s yet to attain that all-important breakthrough at country radio—despite an outstanding first single, “Drinkin’ Me Lonely,” and a decent debut album on RCA. But, as a 22-year-old heartthrob should, he works the Internet and his fan club as diligently and inventively as any Music Row performer. To wit, Young has set up a series of four dates in July and August marketed toward fan club members, Internet surfers and Nashville tourists. His fan club devotees get a discount ticket, and students from Belmont and MTSU can get a discounted fan-club membership at the shows. The Murfreesboro native will show off his laid back, note-bending voice and tradition-leaning songs in the first show of the series. He also appears on the Grand Ole Opry on Friday night. 3rd & Lindsley —MICHAEL MCCALL

VHS OR BETA/THE FEATURES/THE SELMANAIRES The Features have reached an almost Will Hunting-like status in the local music scene. We can’t wait for the day when someone finally whisks them away and gives them the record deal they deserve and medals for all their years of strife. Their influence upon Nashville’s current indie scene is immeasurable (look no further than The Nobility), but they still have their hopes pinned on wrangling the widespread success that’s been so elusive. On the right night, they can still put on a transcendent show, and this is a rare appearance back in their old neighborhood. Louisville’s VHS or Beta know a little something of The Features’ long, barren road, having been around that block a time or two as well. Purveyors of a radio-ready, dance-floor friendliness not a million miles from that of The Killers, they’re due to release their third full-length, Bring On the Comets, in late August. (See the story on p. 38.) Though Atlanta openers The Selmanaires’ treads are not yet as worn as those of their contemporaries, their catchy kineticism should garner a much broader audience (not to mention a better PA) than the one they played for at a recent late night slot at vintage boutique Local Honey. Sweetwater Saloon in Murfreesboro; VHS or Beta also play Mercy Lounge Friday, 13th w/Autovaughn & Plastic Clap —ANDREW J. SMITHSON

MARC BROUSSARD With a big voice that churns gravel and grit, this Louisiana soul shaker just dropped an album of classic R&B older than his 26 years, excepting the original he co-wrote with Nashville’s Radney Foster. Broussard’s band mixes chunka-chunka Stax guitar with Muscle Shoals’ high-drama organ washes, and the highlights come when Broussard alters the arrangements a bit, as in the slower-broiled “I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know,” an Al Kooper tune originally cut by Blood, Sweat & Tears and famously covered by Donny Hathaway. As good as Broussard and band may be, they can’t touch the omnipresent standards by Marvin Gaye, Al Green, Otis Redding and The Staple Singers, nor does he add any new context to “Inner City Blues” or “Love and Happiness.” Other current soul revivalists, such as Ryan Shaw and Ruthie Foster, fare better because they wisely avoid the soul canon. However, for a night of dancing to classic R&B, it’ll be like grooving to an especially fine wedding band. Cannery Ballroom —MICHAEL MCCALL

BLUEGRASS NIGHTS AT THE RYMAN FEATURING DOYLE LAWSON & QUICKSILVER WITH CHERRYHOLMES The more things change, the more they stay the same, and few acts make the point more clearly than Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver. The 63-year-old veteran has turned over almost his entire band since last year (and lone holdover Jamie Dailey, a spectacular singer/guitarist, has announced his impending departure), yet the new crew—hotshot banjo picker Joey Cox, fiddler Alan Johnson and singers Darren Beachley and Ron Spears—executes Lawson’s custom blend of hard-driving bluegrass, crystalline harmonies and gospel quartets with the same precision and power that has characterized every lineup since 1978’s original. Rounding out the bill is Cherryholmes, a family group with a new album (Black and White) that documents their preference for improvement over catering to the faithful with shtick, and serves as the best refutation of any grumblings that they haven’t paid their dues. From parents Jere (bass) and Sandy (mandolin) to Molly Kate (fiddle), the youngest of four kids, they’re all serious musicians—and still great entertainers. Ryman Auditorium —JON WEISBERGER

SATURDAY, 14TH

FUSION FEAT. PETER BARBEE, TRENT DABBS, K.S. RHOADS AND MATTHEW PERRYMAN JONES When Peter Barbee last graced the stage at Fusion—an annual mixed-media benefit for the Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation—it was to model green, elfin shoes and other assorted attire during a fashion show portion of the evening. This year, Barbee is putting his winsome musical talents to use instead, joining fellow Nashville singer-songwriters Trent Dabbs, K.S. Rhoads and Matthew Perryman Jones to form a quartet of twenty- and thirty-something evocative alt-pop headliners. All four tend toward the subtler, more nuanced end of the vocal and songwriting spectrum, yet their music is hardly interchangeable. Barbee (a fine guitarist in his own right) crafts pensive, finespun fare, while Jones—who’s brushed up against Christian music in the past, collaborating with acts such as Caedmon’s Call—often imbues his songs with deeply spiritual yearning. Two among the group (Dabbs and Jones) have a pair of solo albums under their belts, and two (Barbee and Rhoads) are still at work on their debut recordings. And since Fusion is billed as a “music and arts festival,” it’s a safe bet that there will be more going on than music (visual art, short films and fashion shows, to be exact). City Hall and Project A Gallery —JEWLY HIGHT

SUNDAY, 15TH

CIRCLE BACK MUSIC LAUNCH/CD RELEASE FEAT. JASON FELLER, KORBY LENKER AND THE COAL MEN Jason Feller says he frequently gets compared to Nebraska-era Springsteen, and after listening to Feller’s new Goodnight Moon, it’s easy to hear why. Acoustic instruments mingle with subtle electronic flourishes to create a moody backdrop for introspective lyrics reflecting deep spiritual yearning. And, yes, Feller’s rough-hewn voice is reminiscent of The Boss, but with a little less gravel. Song titles such as “There’s a Train Coming” and “A Power They Cannot Erase” and lyrics such as “If you believe the dead can be brought to life” suggest Christian themes, but (thankfully) without the hand-waving CCM overtones. Korby Lenker moved to town in April, then a week later took first place in Merlefest’s Chris Austin songwriting contest, earning him an opening slot for some guy named Elvis—the one who’s alive and from England. Like Feller, Lenker accents acoustic-based arrangements with ambient electric touches on King of Hearts and, also like his labelmate, he has a hushed vocal delivery, though he’s even more laid-back. The wacky guitar harmonies on the outro of “If It Is” show that it’s possible to be a sensitive singer-songwriter dude and still be original. Though The Coal Men aren’t releasing a new disc, they’re a good stylistic fit, and all three bands are working with Circle Back Music, a new label/booking/promoting business that’s the brainchild of Kelley McCartney. This town may be flooded with small startup music businesses, but the folks at Circle Back Music seem to be making headway, working with Clare Burson, Amelia White, Katie Herzig and April McLean, among others. And, according to their website, they value social and ecological responsibility as much as music. (Ethics?! Music business?! Can they coexist?! Stay tuned.) 7:30 p.m. at The Rutledge —JACK SILVERMAN

THE SLOW POISONER According to legend, the late Hasil Adkins heard a Hank Williams record and assumed that the country great played every instrument on it—so Adkins became a one-man band. Andrew Goldfarb has no excuse: since 1996 the San Francisco cartoonist, graphic novelist and musician played in an outfit called The Slow Poisoners, only to go it alone as the last man standing. (Guess he was the fastest poisoner.) Now accompanying himself on tell-tale-heart kick drum and jangly guitar, he plays swampy horror rock (along with the odd Jimmie Rodgers or Bob Wills cover) haunted by bloody hexes and mystic eye-hands. His DIY psychedelia is more poppy, artful and spare than, say, the Cramps’ garage-bound grunge—imagine demos for Marshall Crenshaw’s first album possessed by Roky Erickson—but it gives off the same gleeful EC Comics-meets-Fantagraphics heebie-jeebies of his comics, especially combined with his snake-oil pitchman persona. Yes, for a mere $3, you too can have a bottle of The Slow Poisoner Miracle Tonic, sold exclusively at shows—and if you plan to drink something sold to you by someone named The Slow Poisoner, you don’t need those brain cells anyway. Café Coco —JIM RIDLEY

TUESDAY, 17TH

JOSEPH ISRAEL He was born Joseph Fennel and raised like any other Christian white kid in Fayetteville, Ark. Israel now sports a long beard, dreadlocks and is making reggae music so authentic it has been endorsed and brought to life by the stars of the genre. His debut, Gone Are the Days, was recorded in part at the fabled Tuff Gong studios in Jamaica and features performances by members of Ziggy Marley’s band and guest vocals by big-timers Mikey General and Luciano. Clearly the hope is that Israel can repeat the success of Matisyahu, the Hasidic reggae/hip-hop sensation. Gone Are the Days, steeped in old-school reggae flavor, makes you believe in the unlikely transformation, even as it is easy to recognize that Israel isn’t the most expressive vocalist. Still, when cuts like “Jerusalem” and “Hotta Fire” get cooking, you aren’t thinking the least little bit about the color of Israel’s skin. Exit/In —WERNER TRIESCHMANN

WEDNESDAY, 18TH

BEYONCE Dreamgirls diva, sex goddess, fashion designer, main squeeze of Jay-Z—it takes effort to wade through all the layers of hype and glitz to hear the music made by this modern day superstar/mogul. So it’s a very good thing that she is all over the radio and on ringtones galore. As a performer, Beyoncé is an interesting marriage of hip-hop and arena rock with the old torch R&B being only a small part of her formula. The result is huge songs given life by her otherworldly voice. “Crazy in Love” is going to be played in sports stadiums for the next 50 years, and the siren wails of the blood-pumping “Ring the Alarm” can’t tamp down her booming vocals. Even seemingly small-scale numbers like the irresistible “Irreplaceable,” built on a bed of acoustic guitar strums, jump up a few levels thanks to Knowles’ keen approach. Sommet Center —WERNER TRIESCHMANN

FREEDY JOHNSTON Combining a short story writer’s eye with a gift for music that mirrors his songs’ complex emotions, Freedy Johnston stands as one of pop’s finest singer-songwriters. On 1992’s Can You Fly, the Kansas-born performer perfected a humane, rueful take on the tribulations of a “skinny white singer with no more time.” This spring, Johnston left New York City and settled in Nashville, where he’s been recording a covers collection, My Favorite Waste of Time. Early reports indicate the record will be a tour of high-grade pop, with Johnston interpreting songs by the likes of Marshall Crenshaw and Graham Gouldman. Produced by Ed Pettersen and featuring musicians such as steel-guitar wizard Al Perkins, Favorite Waste reaffirms Johnston’s vocal finesse and impeccable taste. He’s been writing, and tonight’s set, part of Douglas Corner’s weekly Americana Tonight! showcase, should include new songs. Also on the bill are Pettersen and David Olney, fine tunesmiths in their own right. Douglas Corner —EDD HURT

LEVON HELM’S RAMBLE ON THE ROAD The Band’s greatness wasn’t simply a matter of Garth Hudson’s magisterial keyboards, Richard Manuel’s pleading vocals or Levon Helm’s air-cushioned drumming. Supreme stylists who ran scared from their roots and paused to look back, The Band might not have had a formal leader, but it’s clear that Helm embodied the group’s spirit, from his Arkansas Delta roots to his canny, slippery singing. After recovering from throat-cancer treatments, Helm began hosting an informal gathering of musicians at his Woodstock, N.Y., studio, and lately he’s been taking the show on the road. Tonight’s performance will feature Ollabelle, a group that includes Helm’s daughter Amy, along with guitarist Larry Campbell, bluesman Little Sammy Davis and guitarist and singer Teresa Williams. They’ll range over some Band classics, a few blues tunes, maybe even a country song or two. Expect some interesting guests to ramble by, too. Ryman Auditorium —EDD HURT

ROBIN THICKE It’s a mistake to write off Thicke as a blue-eyed soul wannabe capitalizing on the popularity of Justin Timberlake. Thicke is largely a self-made artist (despite having celebrity parents)—a soul singer well versed in R&B classics and possessing strong songwriting skills and an evocative falsetto. His debut, Cherry Blue Skies, appeared to be a sure-fire hit—he had media buzz and props from the urban music community to help him avoid the cultural thief tag, and a promotional campaign for Sprite that included his first single “When I Get You Alone.” His first LP is a collection of good neo-soul songs, including one of the great “baby I’m sorry” songs, “Stupid Things,” as well as the funkily laconic “Oh Shooter.” The public wasn’t interested, but The Neptunes’ Pharrell Williams was, and he recruited Thicke, who was staying in the game by writing and producing for other R&B artists. For The Evolution of Robin Thicke, Williams straightened Thicke’s tie and cut his hair, yet left the music untouched. Thicke moves away from the funk of his first record and concentrates on ballads, which, given his wistful vocals, are his strong suit. This time around, the public is interested. Thicke opens for Beyoncé. Sommet Center —MARK MAYS

ILL EASE “Fuck everyone...in Tennessee,” sings Elizabeth Sharp, a.k.a. Ill Ease, on her album All Systems A-Go-Go. Lest anyone inside our drought-stricken borders take offense, it should be noted that Sharp appends her basic sentiment—”fuck everyone”—with similarly blasé venom for those in Washington, New York, Alabama, Utah and pretty much all of the continental U.S. But especially Utah. With fuzzed-out guitars and manic, galloping drums, Ill Ease lets the bad times roll without forgetting to rock, and the resultant haze is the sort you might find yourself stumbling your way through if Giant Drag met Solex on a bender. Live, Sharp is a pedal-stomping, riff-sampling, drum-thrashing one-woman show, and while she won’t throw The Lonesome Organist off the throne of ambidexterity any time soon, she rocks out with a playfully dark and wonderfully flip attitude. The Basement —STEVE HARUCH

DAVID CHILDERS/THE GOURDS He’s a little too country for all those indie kids with their Sticky Fingers fetish, and a bit too rock ’n’ roll for grizzled alt-country twangers, but Charlotte, N.C.’s David Childers seems reconciled to his commercial fate, and satisfied with his loyal grassroots following. A lawyer by day, Childers has been making music for 15 years, releasing his eighth album, Burning in Hell, earlier this year. It’s one of his finest releases, full of bustling energy, ranging from touching covers such as Eric Anderson’s “Close the Door Lightly” to the pitiless rock rave-up “Your Crime,” whose vengeance enthusiasm is a touch ghoulish, to the bluegrass-flavored title track. Austin, Texas, headliners The Gourds thrive on offbeat humor, honky-tonk sway and a backwoods ambience that will have you reaching for the moonshine and joining in with their ambling swing. This week they released their latest, Noble Creatures, which continues to build on their groovy, idiosyncratic and immensely enjoyable. Mercy Lounge —CHRIS PARKER

THEATER

PRETTY FIRE This joint effort by the Destiny Theatre Experience and SistaStyle Productions presents Charlayne Woodard’s multigenerational tale of family struggle and triumph. Shawn Whitsell directs the story, which is set in both Albany, N.Y., and KKK-dominated Rosignol Hill, Ga. The talented staff includes Mary McCallum, Tamiko Robinson and Rashad Rayford. Performances are July 13-14 at the Darkhorse Theater. For reservations, call 781-3904. —MARTIN BRADY

SMOKE ON THE MOUNTAIN If you’ve been living under a rock for the past decade, perhaps you’ve somehow avoided exposure to this feel-good Connie Ray/Alan Bailey musical. Set in 1930s North Carolina, Smoke on the Mountain extolls simple Baptist philosophies and the power of gospel song. Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theatre revived the show in 2005. Now, it’s beginning another summer run from July 17 to Aug. 25. Martha Wilkinson returns as director, along with musical director Tim Fudge and four previous cast members—Adam Burnett, Daron Bruce, Amanda Lamb and Andrew Turner. For reservations, call 646-9977. —MARTIN BRADY

ART

“LUCKY 7” TAG’s latest show is a strong survey of the kind of painting, prints and drawings that are the gallery’s bread and butter. “Lucky 7” features work by TAG regulars Erin Anfinson, Nicole Pietrantoni, Lesley Patterson-Marx, Anna Jaap, Mary Sue Kern and Lisa Norris. (The exhibit also includes newcomer Jodi Hays.) Patterson-Marx’s superbly crafted prints make use of a black butterfly as a symbol of mortal dread. Pietrantoni, meanwhile, introduces cut-paper elements into her printmaking, adding an enticing level of texture to her two-dimensional tale-telling. Hays plays with perspective to create narrative tension. “Lucky 7” runs through Saturday, July 28. —JOE NOLAN

“LOOKING AT GOD” Is man truly made in God’s image? Photographer Pradip Malde’s new exhibit at Cheekwood’s Temporary Contemporary gallery suggests the answer might be yes. A professor of fine arts at the University of the South in Sewanee, Malde photographs faces and then crops the prints. As a result, we see only portions of these faces, which look back at us with expressive eyes. (They are the windows to our souls, after all.) Cheekwood hosts an opening reception this Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. The exhibit runs through Sept. 28. —JOE NOLAN

GREG POND AND BJORN STERRI Zeitgeist Gallery shakes up the usually hum-drum summer art season, opening two new shows by challenging, distinct artists. Pond’s new show, “I Feel the Flowers Growing Over Me,” takes its title from a John Keats poem. His art—a mix of sculpture, video and sound—compares his hometown of Winchester, Tenn., with such diverse places as Trenchtown, Jamaica, and the new crater at Mount St. Helens. His goal is to make the familiar seem strange. (We think he succeeds wonderfully.) Norway-based photographer Sterri’s new show, “Memory of Water,” features photos of his immediate family. His art attempts to connect the dots between an actual experience, the record of that experience (in the form of a photograph) and our memory. As the title suggest, these connections are often quite fluid. The exhibit opens with a reception this Saturday from 6 to 8 p.m. The show runs through Aug. 18. —JOE NOLAN

DANCE

NASHVILLE IN MOTION A new non-profit arts organization under the direction of choreographer Jennifer Harwell, Nashville in Motion aims to boost Music City’s contemporary dance scene through collaboration with top local songwriters and country music artists. The company’s inaugural event, at the Belcourt Theatre at 7 p.m. July 16, features the country act Thompson Square providing musical accompaniment, with vocals from veteran country music singer Ty Herndon. This effort is similar to Nashville Ballet’s recent “Bluebird Cafe at the Ballet” series. In fact, Harwell has tapped into the talents of such key ballet artists as Timothy Rinehart Yeager, Kathleen Cruz and Paul Vasterling for her group’s debut. The ensemble cast also features members of the ballet’s front-rank company. Tickets are available online at belcourt.org and at the door. —MARTIN BRADY

FILM

PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE “Inspector Clay’s dead. Murdered. And somebody’s responsible!” The late Edward D. Wood Jr.’s 1959 magnum opus has it all: alien attack by Hasbro flying saucers; wrestler Tor Johnson as a hulking zombie; a final screen appearance by Bela Lugosi, who died before filming (Wood cleverly got his wife’s chiropractor to stand in, holding a cape over his face); unimpeachable expert testimony from Criswell the psychic; and dialogue of rib-tickling absurdity. “My friend, can your heart stand the shocking facts of—grave robbers from outer space?” It screens free at dusk Saturday, projected outside on the wall in the Belcourt’s parking lot as part of the theater’s “Second Saturday Summer Sci-Fi Series at Sundown.” Bring blankets or lawn chairs, and be sure to arrive early for a bonus episode of the busted ’70s cop show Nashville 99. —JIM RIDLEY

HITCHCOCK WEEKEND CLASSICS: SUSPICION That nice Cary Grant wouldn’t be capable of murder, would he? His wife Joan Fontaine sure thinks so, and in this 1941 thriller Alfred Hitchcock sucks us right into the void with her, using his prodigious technical command to create a suffocating atmosphere of sexual paranoia. (Critic Dave Kehr pointed out how the director builds menace around Grant by not showing how he enters a shot: suddenly, he’s just there in the scene.) The studio nixed Hitchcock’s boldly nasty original ending, but this is still worthy of better than its marginal reputation. It plays Saturday and Sunday afternoon at the Belcourt. —JIM RIDLEY

MOVIES @ MAIN: DEFENSE OF THE REALM Hawks in Britain and the U.S. conspire to manipulate the media and squelch dissent, shrewdly reasoning that the press will go for the distraction of a sex scandal instead of a sinister miasma of shady alliances. Nope, it’s not a documentary: it’s an overlooked British thriller from 1987 starring Gabriel Byrne, Greta Scacchi and Denholm Elliott. Projected from DVD, it shows 6:15 p.m. Thursday at the downtown Nashville Public Library, free and open to the public. —JIM RIDLEY

$6 MAN A homeless widower and his daughter try to stay alive on the streets of Nashville on just $6 a day in the latest film from Hendersonville writer-director Jon Russell Cring—the fifth in his attempt to write, produce, shoot and premiere 12 feature films in 12 months. (Somewhere in Japan, the prolific Takashi Miike’s jaw just hit the floor.) It makes its world premiere 7 p.m. Thursday at Gallatin’s Palace Theater, 146 N. Water Ave.; if you can’t make it out, you can order the DVD from extraordinaryfilmproject.com. —JIM RIDLEY

THONG GIRL 3: REVENGE OF THE DARK WIDOW Next month, you too can audition to become the next Thong Girl, as actress Leah Adcock is hanging up her undies. See what you’re getting into this Thursday, as dance club Tribe Nashville hosts a free screening of the Thong Girl feature at 8 p.m. Also on the bill: the original four-minute “Thong Girl” short that started it all. Thongs for the memories, Leah! —JIM RIDLEY

BOOK

GUSTAVO ARELLANO Why do Mexicans wear clothes when swimming? Steal grocery carts? Cut in line? Despise Guatemalans? Gustavo Arellano’s new book, !Ask a Mexican!, based on his syndicated column of the same name, answers questions about Mexican American culture with eloquence, good-natured insults and wit. Arellano pulls out all the stops to puncture obnoxious racist stereotypes—one memorable response mentions Saddam Hussein, Chris Rock, Zapata, the Oakland Raiders, Rwandan genocide and Cortés in a single paragraph. And he’s not above parrying inquiries like “Why does Mexican food always make me shit?” with hilarious curtness: “Because it wants to leave your gabacho ass as soon as possible.” As Arellano consistently affirms, Mexicans are cheerful, hardworking, fiercely loyal, sexy, resourceful—and occasionally guilty of a little racist stereotyping of their own. Why do Mexicans hate Guatemalans? Partly because Guatemalan tamales are so delicious, the Mayans outclassed the Aztecs, and Guatemala’s national bird (the quetzal) is prettier than Mexico’s. But it’s mostly because of their irritating habit of flocking illegally across their own northern border: Guatemalans are “the Mexicans of Mexico—and who doesn’t hate Mexicans?” Arellano reads at Davis-Kidd Booksellers on July 12, 6 p.m. –FERNANDA MOORE

LORRAINE LOPEZ In her 2002 collection Soy la Avon Lady and Other Stories, Vandy English professor Lorraine López showed a deft and slightly brutal sense of humor. Her tales of the chaotic lives of an array of (mostly) Mexican American characters often have a dose of cruelty lurking right behind the chuckles: “My sister dated Lebanese twins, both butchers, and I’d hoped she’d marry one and throw me the leftover. They were so darling in their matching bloodstained aprons.” López, a former middle school teacher, takes a straighter and more serious approach to barrio life in her novel for young adults, Call Me Henrì, which appeared last year. Its teen protagonist, Enrique, tries to keep his dreams alive while dealing with everything from an abusive parent to gang violence. López is a recipient of the Marmol Prize for Latino Fiction, and Sandra Cisneros has praised her mastery of storytelling. López will read from her work at 7 p.m. July 17 at Austin Peay State University, UC 303. A book signing and reception will follow. –MARIA BROWNING

TELEVISION

LES PAUL: CHASING SOUND The electric-guitar innovator and father of multitrack recording gets a warm salute from cinematographer-director John Paulson and some of the century’s hottest players, from Keith Richards and B.B. King to Jeff Beck and Bonnie Raitt. Using archival stills, interviews and clips of heroes such as Django Reinhardt and jazz pianist Art Tatum, Paulson traces Paul’s rise from Wisconsin hillbilly bands to smash success with wife/partner Mary Ford, letting folks like historian Walter Carter testify to Paul’s inestimable influence on modern recording and the development of the solid-body electric guitar. The many celebrity guests treat Paul with deference, but the best clip is of Paul, now 92, in his weekly residency at the New York jazz club Iridium—where, despite arthritis, his fingers coax every ounce of plaintive longing from “Over the Rainbow.” The “American Masters” presentation airs 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 11, on NPT Channel 8, repeating overnight at midnight and 3 a.m. July 12. —JIM RIDLEY

REVOLUTION ’67 It may have been 1967, but it wasn’t the Summer of Love in Newark, N.J., where the police beating of a black cab driver named John Smith touched off an open revolt that led to 26 deaths, hundreds of injuries, and six days of rioting amid escalating paranoia. Director Marylou Tibaldo-Bongiorno interviews those who were there—residents, journalists, National Guardsmen, activists—and combs through news coverage for a look at life during wartime in America’s inner cities. The documentary airs 8 p.m. Thursday on NPT Channel 8 as part of PBS’ excellent P.O.V. series. —JIM RIDLEY