May 23-25

Bomhard Theater, Kentucky Center

501 W. Main St. • 584-7777

$45+; 8 p.m.

Just like Rihanna, chains and whips excite me. So you would think I would have read E.L. James’ popular “Fifty Shades of Grey” series that made housewives horny from sea to shining sea. It’s on my summer reading list, so don’t get your panties in a wad. Or do. Whatever turns you on. “Spank! The Fifty Shades Parody” is coming to town this weekend to bring naughtiness to the Kentucky Center stage. A parody of the best-selling book, the show mixes musical numbers, sexy striptease performances and lots of spanking in what Chicago Public Radio called “a hilarious satire of practically every trope in popular culture.” Sometimes it just feels good being bad. —Sara Havens

Joe Autry

•GARDENZART

Saturday, May 18 

Hidden Hill Nursery & Sculpture Garden

1011 Utica-Charlestown Road, Utica, Ind.

812-282-0524 • hiddenhillnursery.com

Free; 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

I’m stating the obvious when I say gardens consist of plants, flowers and shrubs. But any respectable garden should have a bit of stone, metal or glass for decoration … in addition to gnomes, of course. Hidden Hill has an 8-acre abundance of the former as well as a good amount of work by area artists. In celebration of local art, they are holding GARDENZART. The highlight of the day will be an onsite chainsaw sculpture by Joe Autry. He’s transforming a lightning-killed oak tree into a flower that will be unveiled at 2 p.m. during the festival. There will also be glass by Chad Balster, ceramics by Jennifer Martin and Caren Cunningham’s garden-worthy stone sculpture, just to name a few of the other works to be on display. —Jo Anne Triplett

Bianca Spriggs

•KY Women’s Book Fest

Saturday, May 18

U of L Ekstrom Library

2301 S. Third St. • 852-6083

louisville.edu/womenscenter/kwbf

Free; 9:30 a.m.

The seventh annual Kentucky Women’s Book Festival at U of L will have more than a half-dozen authors, representing a diversity of successful voices. All workshops and readings, as well as the luncheon (only non-free item on the agenda), take place at the Ekstrom Library. The opening session has Judith C. Owens-Lalude describing how she drew upon sources to compile the stories that inspired her Underground Railroad novel, “The Long Walk: Slavery to Freedom.” Other presenters include journalist Sarah Garland and poet Bianca Spriggs. Through the day to the concluding poetry slam, the presenters will be looking to inspire fellow writers as well as readers — so that women’s voices might find themselves on the published page instead of being, as Spriggs’ verse describes, “What slumbers in an attic or basement/beneath several layers of dust, dreaming/of what it means to remember the light.” —T.E. Lyons

•Bardstown Bound

Saturday, May 18

Highlands

bardstownbound.com

Free; noon

To celebrate its 10^th anniversary of encouraging people to frolic up and down Bardstown Road in the Highlands, the folks behind this month’s Bardstown Bound are going all out with an official Bambi Walk, a sanctioned chicken dance, and a beer and music fest on Saturday. As always, the stores and restaurants along Bardstown Road will offer sales and samples, and there will be a trolley running from 2-10 p.m. The Bambi Walk starts at 1 and is celebrating anyone who graduated high school in 1983, but all are welcome. The chicken dance begins at 5 p.m. at Bardstown and Eastern Parkway. And the beer fest is hosted by Valumarket from 5-9 p.m. Ladies and gentlemen, start your livers. —Sara Havens

Jeff Walz

•Gilda’s Night of a Thousand Laughs

Saturday, May 18

Actors Theatre

316 W. Main St.

gildasclublouisville.org

$75-$125; 6 p.m.

It’s always refreshing when the rich and famous can take a joke at their own expense. Ratchet that respect up a few notches when said VIPs intentionally put themselves in the line of comedic fire for a good cause, which is exactly what Gilda’s Night of a Thousand Laughs is all about. Comedian Tom Mabe will lead a crew of local celebrities in an array of onstage antics to raise money for Gilda’s Club of Louisville, a nonprofit that provides support and services for those battling cancer. In addition to a live comedy show, the event includes an open bar, hors d’oeuvres, a silent auction and after-party. It’s a fitting fundraiser for a charity whose namesake is the great Gilda Radner, the “Saturday Night Live” comedian who died of ovarian cancer in 1989. —Sarah Kelley

•‘More from the Street’ 

Through May 18


Galerie Hertz


1253 S. Preston St. • 581-8277

billyhertzgallery.com

Post-Derby, as our city fades out of the sports spotlight, there is something left behind: garbage. Thankfully, after seeing the show at Galerie Hertz, you may see the refuse from a new and charming angle. Tom Pfannerstill creates detailed paintings on carved wood, replicas of rubbish found by the artist. Simultaneously, you’ll admire Pfannerstill’s painting expertise and the power of packaging design. An entertaining way to question value, Pfannerstill’s striking results will have you yearning to take one of these treasures home. —Mali Anderson

•WonderFest 2013

May 18-19

Crowne Plaza Hotel

830 Phillips Lane

wonderfest.com

$25; 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Perhaps it’s the “Big Bang Theory” effect, or perhaps it’s just natural selection, but whatever the case, nerd culture seems to be at its zenith. Suddenly, it’s cool to be uncool. (Shame this couldn’t have happened when I was in seventh grade.) WonderFest, which happens this weekend at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, is a shining example of nerd culture at its best. From artists to writers to designers to actors, you can rub elbows with folks such as visual effects artist Lee Stringer, who has worked recently on “Iron Sky” and “Star Wars: The Clone Wars.” Also scheduled to appear are Lee Meriwether, who played Catwoman in 1966’s “Batman: The Movie,” and Sara Karloff, granddaughter of Boris Karloff, will show rare home movies and behind-the-scenes footage of the man who brought Frankenstein’s monster to the big screen. There will also be vendors, workshops and much more. —Kevin Gibson

Catherine Irwin

•‘Vera Causa — From Nick With Love’

Sunday, May 19

Irish Rover

2319 Frankfort Ave. • afsp.org

$8; 3 p.m.

The fourth annual “Vera Causa” (“true cause”) fundraiser to benefit suicide prevention, education and awareness features some great music, food and drinks, in addition to a silent auction and raffle. The music starts at 4, with performances from Oscar Parsons, Scott Carney, Catherine Irwin, Silver Tongues and the Junk Yard Dogs (and sound by Zanzabar’s Joe Seidt). Money raised will go to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, which places educational materials and programs in Kentucky schools, in tribute to the life of Irish Rover server Nick Weisen. So head down to your local tavern to enjoy some of the finer things while also making an impact on this otherwise uneventful Sunday afternoon. —Peter Berkowitz

•Mary Gauthier

Sunday, May 19

Uncle Slayton’s

1017 E. Broadway

uncleslaytons.com

$15; 8:30 p.m.

Singer-songwriter Mary Gauthier counts the likes of Bob Dylan and Tom Waits as fans of her work, and with one listen you know why — her music carries incredible emotional weight, often speaking to us collectively as much as individually. And then there are her characters: “nuns in blue jeans” (“Drag Queens in Limousines”), murderers (“Karla Faye”), orphans (“Blood is Blood”) and bums (“The Last of the Hobo Kings”), all of whom are featured on her latest release, Live at Blue Rock. She’ll have the whole lineup with her, along with her own searing voice, topped off with some “Mercy Now.” Just be sure to bring your hanky (and an extra for the poor wretch next to you who forgot his) — and better make that G&T a double while you’re at it. —Jason Howard

April 24-May 4

The Bard’s Town

1801 Bardstown Road

thebardstown.com

Times and prices vary

It’s Derby … again. Time to booze it up on mint-flavored bourbon and go outside in hats you wouldn’t be caught dead in the other 364 days of the year. Just like the rest of us, The Bard’s Town is spreading the celebration out again this year with their special “12 Days of Derby” — for 12 nights leading up to what some consider the most exciting two minutes in sports, The Bard’s Town will host a different themed event. The nights will consist of things like “Funny Cide of Louisville Comedy Contest,” “The Great Creamboat Face” (I’m fairly convinced that has little or nothing to do with pornography), or The Stable Brown Party (it’s a Halloween party in May). For details on all the events that take place over the 12 nights, check out their website. —Brent Owen

Times and prices vary

It’s Derby … again. Time to booze it up on mint-flavored bourbon and go outside in hats you wouldn’t be caught dead in the other 364 days of the year. Just like the rest of us, The Bard’s Town is spreading the celebration out again this year with their special “12 Days of Derby” — for 12 nights leading up to what some consider the most exciting two minutes in sports, The Bard’s Town will host a different themed event. The nights will consist of things like “Funny Cide of Louisville Comedy Contest,” “The Great Creamboat Face” (I’m fairly convinced that has little or nothing to do with pornography), or The Stable Brown Party (it’s a Halloween party in May). For details on all the events that take place over the 12 nights, check out their website. —Brent Owen

Thursday, April 18

Kentucky Center
501 W. Main St. • 584-7777
kentuckycenter.org
$39.50+; 7:30 p.m.

In advance of a book signing in Louisville a few years ago, humorist David Sedaris took the time to chat with LEO over the phone. And as expected, the conversation darted in unexpected directions, with the humorist rattling off absurd (yet weirdly believable) tales, like the time he sampled a woman’s breast milk via champagne flute at a yard sale. Such outrageous hilarity is par for the course with Sedaris, who will share his biting satire, hysterical stories and imaginative wit with fans at the Kentucky Center. The celebrated author will read excerpts from his collection of acclaimed written works, including his recent, “Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary” — think Aesop’s fables, only funnier, and much more bizarre. —Sarah Kelley

Saturday, Jan. 26

The Bard’s Town
1801 Bardstown Road • 741-6838
facebook.com/DamagedGoodsImprov
$10; 7:30 p.m.

Remember the segment on “Whose Line is it Anyway?” when audience members would throw out phrases or suggestions, and the improv comics and actors would have to create a bit on the spot? Yep, that’s the heart of improv, and Saturday you can get in on the act at the Bard’s Town when local improv troupe Damaged Goods presents “Cats Blastin’.” Comprised of local comics/actors Parker Bowles, Stefan Gearhart and Rocky Williams, Damaged Goods will bring down the house with their wit and quickness — and sometimes even their crassness — for two solid hours. In their words, come out and watch them turn your suggestions into “comic gold.” Oh, and the Bard’s Town has pretty good food, too, so come for dinner. —Kevin Gibson

•Organic Comedy Show

Saturday, Jan. 5

The Bard’s Town
1801 Bardstown Road
thebardstown.com
$10; 8 p.m.

Not since “The Comedians of Comedy Tour” nearly a decade ago has there been a movement within the industry with so much buzz as “The Organic Comedy Tour.” Spearheaded by Jarrod Harris (L.A. Weekly’s Top Comic to watch in 2012) and Ryan Singer (Rolling Stone’s “Comic Who Should Be Big”), the two friends are bringing their show (and subsequent tour film) to shoot at The Bard’s Town on Saturday. The documentary they are making as they crisscross the country will be an in-depth portrait of the rising movement of comedians who are coming up outside the conventional comedy club system. The show will also feature Louisville’s Dave Bizanes, Raanan Hershberg and Darren Rogers. —Brent Owen

•Opposable Thumbs

Saturday, Jan. 5

ZaZoo’s
102 Bauer Ave.
$3; 9 p.m.

Sometimes it’s all about showing up. Because the new self-titled album from Opposable Thumbs will be released Jan. 5, I can confidently declare it to be the best album I’ve heard all year. Don’t mistake that for faint praise or a mere silly joke — it’s a damn good album I expect to still be amongst my favorites a year from now. The now-quintet sounds as fresh as a baby’s first coo as they skillfully roll through a collection of melodically vital post-punk, reminiscent in the best ways of Devo, Pere Ubu and Wire. No wonder they call themselves “a slice of organized chaos.” Fellow local punk new originals Hal Dolls and the more experimental and collegiate Plastic Melodies open the night. —Peter Berkowitz

•‘Downton Abbey’ Premiere Party

Sunday, Jan. 6

The Brennan House
631 S. Fifth St.
thebrennanhouse.org
$10 ($5 for Preservation Louisville members); 8 p.m.

Will bratty Lady Mary manage to derail her impending nuptials? Will the sad sap Edith stop being such a buzz kill? Will the pants-wearing Sybill be forever shunned now that she’s carrying the chauffeur’s baby? Find out in style at the “Downton Abbey” season three premiere party at The Brennan House, a splendid setting to experience this juicy BBC drama. The evening kicks off with a tour of the 144-year-old Victorian mansion and its thousands of artifacts, followed by tea, cakes and sandwiches, as well as red wine to sip on while you soak in this sophisticated British soap. And for those die-hard “Downton” fans, there will be a costume contest, so dig out those corsets, tuxedos with tails, and hunting tweeds. —Sarah Kelley

Dec. 6-9

The Improv
Fourth Street Live
improvlouisville.com
$20; various times

Earthquake is one of the funniest people on the planet. In fact, he earned his name one night, many moons ago, when he told a joke so funny the planet actually spit molten lava through its nose crust. And from that show to this one, the comedian formerly known as Nathaniel Stroman has been deemed Earthquake. (True story.) In the years since those mythological early days, Earthquake has gone on to appear all over television and radio, including “The Howard Stern Show” and HBO’s “Def Comedy Jam,” and he has earned supporting roles in comedies like “Barnyard,” “The Longshots” and “Clerks II.” Earthquake returns to Louisville this weekend at The Improv with jokes so funny they can only be judged on a Richter scale. —Brent Owen

Friday, Nov. 2

The Bard’s Town
1801 Bardstown Road
thebardstown.com
$10; 10 p.m.

Tired of the political rhetoric yet? And by “rhetoric,” I mean the bullshit that has been inundating your cerebrum from every direction mass media can seem to muster. If you’re filled to the gills with bovine excrement, then hit The Bard’s Town Friday for a send-up of the two presidential candidates we’ve gotten to know so well this election season. As usual, the roast is brought to you by the crew at Young, Dumb, and Full of Comedy, with Sean Keller as ol’ Mitt and Sean Smith as POTUS. As usual, they will have a classy dais of their esteemed comrades, like Sarah Palin, The Ghost of Osama bin Laden, Rush Limbaugh and Bill Clinton. —Brent Owen

•‘Light in Her Eyes’

Saturday, July 28

Louisville Free Public Library, Iroquois Branch
601 W. Woodlawn Ave.
lfpl.org
Free; 1 p.m.

“A woman is a school. Teach her and you teach a generation,” is the tagline to the documentary, “The Light in Her Eyes.” Shot just before the Arab Spring and political upheaval currently under way in Syria, the 2011 film from Julie Meltzer and Laurie Nix offers a rare view into the normally closed lives of women in the country. It follows a female preacher named Houda al-Habash as she operates a Qur’an school for girls, bucking a long-held societal belief in Syria that women do not have a place in the Mosque. Saturday’s screening concludes the Iroquois Library’s month-long celebration of the Arab-American experience. Also running Saturday is the exhibit “The Way I See It: Art through the Eyes of Refugee Children and Youth,” which closes July 31. — J. Christian Walsh

•Del Shores

Sunday, July 29

Red Barn at U of L
2301 S. Third St.
louisvillelgbtfilmfest.com
$20; 7 p.m.

Think of playwright/comedian Del Shores as the gay male version of Kathy Griffin — both love to dish on everything gossipy and juicy from Hollywood during their shows, especially reality TV. Shores’ latest national tour — “Naked. Sordid. Reality.” — stops here Saturday night at U of L’s Red Barn and is sponsored by the Kentucky Fairness Alliance and the Louisville LGBT Film Festival. Shores has dabbled in theater (“Southern Baptist Sissies”), film (“Sordid Lives”) and TV (“Queer as Folk”). While the show starts at 7, there will be a silent auction before at 6 p.m. A limited number of VIP tickets are available, so check the website above. Proceeds benefit the Louisville AIDS Walk. —Sara Havens

Friday, July 27

The Bard’s Town
1801 Bardstown Road
thebardstown.com
$10; 10 p.m. & midnight

Since his introduction in May 1939, in issue No. 27 of “Detective Comics,” Batman has been shot, prodded, punched and poked in valiant efforts to keep the streets of Gotham safe. But on Friday, the crew over at The Young, Dumb, and Full of Comedy Show will find out if, after all of that, he can survive a roast. In the upstairs theater at The Bard’s Town, comedians like Lindsay Boling and Jake Reber, with Will Hardesty emceeing the festivities — along with comic-book staples like The Joker, Catwoman and Batman’s longtime houseboy Robin — will gather to pay long-earned disrespect to their friend (or foe, depending on what the case may be). And after the “loving” tributes this crew has offered to past roast subjects like Jesus, Abraham Lincoln and Hitler, Gotham will most certainly never look at Bruce and Bat in the same way again. —Brent Owen