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|  Thursday, September 25, 2008 |
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Art vs. Art
 Sept. 26
The Vogue
How do you feel about watching a painting getting dropped in a tub of acid or split in half with a chainsaw? Does it help that the artists knew, when creating it, that their work could come to such an end?
These are the kinds of questions you may find yourself asking at this raucous event, in which artistic creations are set against each other for fun and profit (and maybe a little blood lust). If you visit the Web site today, Thursday, you can still vote on which of the works will make it to the competition - which moves to the Vogue this year. For details, click here.
Driftwood Valley Music Festival
Sept. 27
Mill Race Park, Columbus
Just a short drive down I-65 - and a remarkably low $10 ticket cost - gets you a full day of top-drawer folk music, honchoed by Tim Grimm, the singer/songwriter whose "Holding Up the World" disc is getting airplay around the country (and in my car). Grimm has put together a strong line-up for this growing annual event, including jazz-influenced Vance Gilbert, blues guitarist Rory Block and Steve Forbert (best known for his hit "Romeo's Tune"). For details, click here.
Bob & Tom Comedy All-Stars
Sept. 26
Murat Theatre
When I moved to Indianapolis a dozen years ago, I was amazed at the amount of comedy club activity going on. The stand-up boom had peaked elsewhere, but it was alive and well and thriving here.
I soon learned why: Bob and Tom. The radio duo, anchored in Indy and broadcasting nationally, have turned the city into a must-stop place for talented touring comedians. And they've gone beyond that, nurturing an expanded family of comedians through frequent appearances on their radio show and at live events around the country.
It would have been easy to overexpose those comics at their home base. Instead, a Bob & Tom Comedy All-Stars show is a rare treat here. So take advantage of a chance to catch sets by Bob Zany, Drew Hastings, Greg Warren, Nick Griffin, Paul Mecurio and Dwayne Perkins. And, of course, appearances from Bob, Tom, Chick and Kristi. For details, click here.
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Leo Kottke and Loudon Wainwright III
Sept. 27
Clowes Hall
Performers with decades of experience never know when they're going to experience an unexpected boost in popularity. For Loudon Wainwright III, it  happened when his early song "Dead Skunk" suddenly became a novelty hit and, more recently, when his quirky tunes were included on the "Knocked Up" soundtrack. But neither of these events - nor his brief run as a regular on "M*A*S*H" - has seemed to change his ongoing commitment to doing his own thing. Which makes the guy even cooler. As does the popularity of his singer/songwriter son, Rufus.
Unfamiliar with his style? To hear a Loudon Wainwright III tune, click here.
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| For Wainwright's gig at Clowes, he's joined by guitar legend Leo Kottke, who you may have heard on one of his many "Prairie Home Companion" appearances. Here's an early clip of Kottke in action.
For more details on the show, click here.
Sweeney Todd
Sept. 30-Oct. 1
IU Auditorium
It's been staged on Broadway, off Broadway, in regional theaters, in opera houses and, last year, in movie theaters. Set to music by Stephen Sondheim, "Sweeney Todd" - the tale of a wronged barber and his quest for revenge - has become a classic. But that doesn't mean that there aren't still ways of exploring the work.
John Doyle's production, which played on Broadway with Patti LuPone as meat-pie-making Mrs. Lovett, sets the show in an asylum, with the inmates acting out the story and playing their own instruments. That decision may have put a few pit musicians out of work, but it certainly got critics' attention.
The tour of that actors-as-musicians version never made it to Indianapolis, so here's the next best thing: A two-day stop in Bloomington by the now non-Equity company. For details, click here.
This week's contest
Good taste may not always be a prerequisite for an arts event, but it certainly helps to be in the mood for some good tasting if you win tickets in this week's contest. We're giving away a pair of tickets to the opening night party for the Indiana State Museum's "Chocolate: The Exhibition."
The Oct. 2 event includes desserts and treats, music by salsa band Orquesta Son, a silent auction and a chocolate diamond jewelry raffle. For a shot at free tickets, enter here. We'll draw one name at random. For more information on the show, click here.
Just to make things interesting, in the response box, make up the name of the least appealing chocolate in a fictional sampler.
Last week, we offered tickets to see Butler University's production of "Phedre." The winner: Lesley Henchon. At that time, we asked you to tell us your favorite Greek person, place or thing. Some of your responses are here.
Make sure to visit www.ibj.com/arts for previews, reviews, blogs and video.
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Art vs. Art. Paint misbehavin'. 
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