•Rock the Night for Youth
Sunday, April 15
Stevie Ray’s Blues Bar
230 E. Main St.
louisvilleyouthgroup.com
$10; 3 p.m.
The obstacles of adolescence — peer pressure, unrequited crushes, chemistry homework, bad skin — can make being a teenager seem unbearable. For LGBT youth, this tumultuous time is made even more difficult when bullies belittle them for being “different.” That’s where Louisville Youth Group comes in, providing a welcoming space for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender teens to socialize and learn they are not alone. On Sunday, you can rock out to live music all day long to raise money for this grassroots organization. LEO’s Bar Belle is hosting the event, which features Robbie Bartlett, She Groove, Huh Robots, Troubadours of Divine Bliss, and The Blue Umbrellas. A few local food trucks will be serving up tasty fare out front to keep the masses well fed as they imbibe for a good cause. —Sarah Kelley
•‘Monkey Mocha Fantastique’
Saturday, April 14
Sunergos Coffee
306 W. Woodlawn Ave.
Free; 6:30 p.m.
You have been honing your craft in obscurity, waiting for just the right moment to unfurl your mettle on a grand stage. Your nerves: fireproof. Your hand and eye remain steady, even in the heat of battle. You’ve toiled in the trenches, but now know you have what it takes to lock horns with the battlefield’s deftest competitors. You are Louisville’s most fierce latte artist! You will claim your crown at the Sunergos Coffee Arena Saturday as non-combatants, er, non-baristas, congregate for the premiere of “Monkey Mocha Fantastique,” a 15-minute artwork of the digital variety with moving pictures and audio. Local filmmaker William Wallace will be on hand with cast and crew to discuss their production and, undoubtedly, the awesomeness of coffee. —J. Christian Walsh
•Sam McPheeters
Saturday, April 14
The Green Haus
2227 S. Preston St. • 636-4141
Free; 7:30 p.m.
Today’s young punkers do realize that, when they get older, they will probably write books and/or form new bands inspired by their sudden, newly discovered love of outlaw country — right? Sam McPheeters made a big name for himself with his bands Born Against, Men’s Recovery Project, and Wrangler Brutes, and through his label, Vermiform. Now he’s making his name as a prose writer: writing essays and columns for Vice, The Village Voice and other non-lamestream outlets; founding his upcoming literary magazine, Exploded View; and authoring his first novel, “The Loom of Ruin,” about “an angry, angry, angry man.” He’ll read from and discuss the novel along with Kentucky proud Brett Eugene Ralph, the punk singer turned poet and country-rock singer, and younger scribe Jake Snider, a rising talent. And while you’re here, enjoy some succulents and well-loved couches. —Peter Berkowitz