Hey, classical music fans: If you want to catch conductor/violinist Pinchas Zukerman down here, this may be your only chance. See, he also had some gigs arranged with a local orchestra that recently disappeared into thin air. You know who we're talking about, and you know if you ponied up any dough to help save them. Whatever it was, it wasn't enough! Anyhow, courtesy of the Concert Association of Florida, Pinky will be playing it safe and bringing along Canada's National Arts Centre Orchestra, of which he is the musical director! They'll do tunes by Beethoven and contemporary composer Denys Bouliane. Showtime is 8:00 p.m. at the Jackie Gleason Theater of the Performing Arts, 1700 Washington Ave., Miami Beach. Tickets range from $20 to $75. Call 305-808-7446. (NK)
Friday 11/7
Forget about the rotten economy. Erase all thoughts of war and corporate greed in the oil fields of Iraq. Life is cruising along just fine, as long as you keep the windows rolled up tight, the air conditioning set to chill, and your car stereo blasting. There's nothing like a car or good curvy woman to make your world a better place. When you have both, a bitching hot rod and a hot bitch, then you are in a true delusory heaven. Both can be found in abundance at the South Florida International Auto Show, where you can fantasize about the more than 1000 different vehicles on display while ogling the hot car models. Check out the show's Million Dollar Alley with megaspeed beauties with names like Ferrari, Lamborghini, Lotus, and Aston Martin guaranteed to make your existence more bearable. The show opens at 5:00 tonight and runs through Sunday, November 16, at the Miami Beach Convention Center, 1901 Convention Center Dr. Tickets cost ten dollars for adults; three dollars for children. Call 305-941-5950. (JCR)
Saturday 11/8
Venerable Miami art maven Barbara Gillman brings her Gallery back to where she began: the Design District. There from 1979 to 1992, Gillman represented and showed the finest local, national, and international artists -- Robert Thiele, Purvis Young, Janet Paparelli, Roy Lichtenstein, Frank Stella, and Andy Warhol. After migrating to Miami Beach for a few years and then to Mark Soyka's 54th Street Station for a short stay, the Barbara Gillman Gallery will open at 3814 NE Miami Ct. from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. with a reception for "Rosenquist in Florida: Major Prints." The show features the amazing work of major-league Pop artist James Rosenquist, who is currently enjoying a massive career retrospective at New York City's Guggenheim Museum. Admission is free. Call 305-573-1920. (NK)
Sunday 11/9
Those who are wondering what the world will be like after a Free Trade Area of the Americas agreement is put into action may want to check out the Amelia Earhart Park Farm Village Folk Music and Craft Festival. There you can glance at a perfect blend of cultural influences working and playing together on a farm to create harmony. The farm village's barn, town meeting hall, and babbling brook hark back to the settler days of the U.S. Juxtaposing the Norman Rockwell picture are banana groves and sugar cane stalks (all grown in the village) as well as a mélange of musical sounds that combines Peruvian wooden flutes, Jamaican reggae, and Appalachian bluegrass music. Considering the crowd that shows up will likely be Latino (the park is in Hialeah), the event should be an example of what can happen if we all work together. The festival starts at 10:00 a.m. at Amelia Earhart Park, 401 E. 65th St., Hialeah. Admission is free; parking will cost you four bucks. Call 305-685-8389. (JCR)
Monday 11/10
If George W. Bush were into German industrial music he'd be listening to Deutschland's dark, drabby, and politically conservative electro-rockers KMFDM. Their guitars drip attitude as the smirky Dubya does during press conferences. Their vocals are angry, as el Presidente is when sly reporters ask trick questions such as "How long are we going to be in Iraq?"And their followers tend to congregate in dismal, unsavory hordes that have trouble swallowing pretzels. Hell, we bet the commander in chief got an advanced autographed copy of the band's latest release, World War III, which KMFDM is promoting on its current American tour. We hear that Jenna and Barbara are groupies. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. at the Venu, 100 SW Third Ave., Fort Lauderdale. Tickets cost $20. Call 954-727-0950. (JCR)
Tuesday 11/11
Have you hugged any soldiers, current or former, lately? Well, maybe you should consider it since they're busting their butts halfway across the globe, making the world safe for democracy or something, and you're just sitting on your ass safe and sound in the U.S. reaping all the benefits! Okay, if you aren't the touchy-feely type and prefer to send an embrace from a respectful distance, you could attend one of what should be many Veterans Day Parades taking place around town today. Uh, yes, it's Veterans Day, kids. One such possibility is the wingding on Homestead's Krome Avenue, thrown by the chamber of commerce's military affairs committee and kicking off at noon. High school bands, marching units, and some military jet action are promised. Admission is free -- like our country, dammit! Call 305-247-2332. (NK)
Wednesday 11/12
Every day is Halloween for the cult of Anne Rice. The queen of the modern gothic spook novel will "appear" at Books & Books (265 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables) thirteen days after All Hallows Eve. She's in town pushing her latest vampire epic, Blood Canticle, which features the return of yummy vampire protagonist Lestat, once the epitome of evil, now longing for purity and love. The bookstore has planned a lovefest for Rice complete with music, victuals, tarot readings, and a staff photographer ready to snap your picture with the author. Keep in mind that vampires don't show up in pictures. Rice will only sign copies of her books that are bought in the store. So forget about bringing your dog-eared paperback of Interview With the Vampire, which you've only read 1000 times. The fun starts at 6:00 p.m. Admission is free. Call 305-442-4408. (JCR)
