Music
Las Vegas Bluegrass Festival
Centennial Hills ParkYou bring the yee, we’ll bring the haw, and we’ll have us an old-fashioned bluegrassin’. Music, food, crafts, kids activities, and more. Bands include Run Boy Run, from Arizona, the Blue Canyon Boys, and Trout Steak Revival (above), both out of Colorado. 2-8p, March 24, free, Centennial Hills Park, lasvegasnevada.gov
The Music of 12-Volt Sex. Original singer Matt Gucu gathers a band to relive the heyday of the iconic local outfit 12-Volt Sex. 9p, March 3, $10-$15,
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Lecture
Race and Revenge
Barrick MuseumThe Confederate statue controversies of 2017 might seem like a hundred controversies ago, but they drew from hard racial realities that have been with us for centuries. In this lecture, Air Force Academy English professor Gregory Laski examines “the appeal of revenge for emancipated slaves and their descendants after the Civil War” — a legacy of African-American anger that remains relevant to this day. 7:30p, March 9, UNLV’s Barrick Museum, unlv.edu/calendar
Storytelling
Kevin Kling
Historic Fifth Street SchoolHe identifies with weiner dogs, Kevin Kling says, “because they are the best example of a can-do attitude in a can’t-do body” — a meaningful notion to this storyteller, who was born with a shortened, wristless, thumbless left arm, and then later lost the use of his right in an accident. Nonetheless, he became an in-demand storyteller and playwright, adept at mixing tragedy with comedy. Nice hat, too.
7p, March 10, $20 adults, $10 kids, lasvegasnevada.gov
Literature
Juan Martinez
Black Mountain InstitutePlease welcome back to the stage Juan Martinez, former Las Vegan and author of the 2017 story collection Best Worst American, much praised for its nimble genre-hopping and frisky surrealist groove. He’ll read under the rubric of the Black Mountain Institute’s Alumni Reading Series. 7p, March 19, UNLV’s Rogers Building, room 101, blackmountaininstitute.org
Visual Art
Sean Slattery
Winchester Cultural CenterTitled The First 100 Days, Slattery’s exhibit takes a sly look at the nature of truth, through the unlikely lens of the cartoon character Dilbert. There will be videos of Slattery reading subtly doctored Dilbert strips, mock roughs of fake Dilbert cartoons, and digital animations. As with politicians, his truth-shading runs “from shameless to subtle,” he says. “One could see the show and never see the lies.” Opening reception March 1, through March 30, 702-455-7340
http://redrockcanyonlv.orgFawn Douglas, live art. Watch the Las Vegas Paiute artist create works that draw her cultural heritage into her mixed-media works. 10a to 3p, March 11, Red rock Canyon Visitors Center, redrockcanyonlv.org