It’s hard to believe, but we’re heading into the final weeks of the fall semester, which of course means we’re heading into studying overdrive. Make sure you keep yourself sane this week by closing your books and taking a break to partake in at least one of the following events.
Friday 12/1
Country music’s most controversial group, the Dixie Chicks, are in town tonight for a show at the Gaylord Entertainment Center. See ticketmaster.com for tickets and details.
Singer/songwriter Pete Yorn is also in town this evening, playing an 18+ show at 10 p.m. at Mercy Lounge. See mercylounge.com for tickets and details.
Saturday 12/2
Jacksonville, Fla., natives MOFRO will be bringing their blues/Southern rock/funk music to Exit/In tonight for an 8 p.m. show, along with singer/songwriter Jonah Smith. See exitin.com for tickets and details.
One of Spanish-language music’s legendary artists, Juan Gabriel, is performing tonight at the Municipal Auditorium at 8 p.m. See nashvilleauditorium.com for tickets and details.
Sunday 12/3
Tonight is the final performance of the Nashville Opera’s double-bill staging of Menotti’s “Amahl and the Night Visitors” and Ravel’s “L’enfant et les Sortileges” at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. The matinee begins at 3 p.m. See nashvilleopera.org for tickets and details.
Today also marks the opening of the Holiday Arts Festival in the Sarratt Gallery. A reception will last from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. and will include dance performances by the Vanderbilt Dance Program and special guest artist and singer/songwriter Dana Cooper.
Monday 12/4
Disciples First is sponsoring “A Night of Hope” benefit concert tonight at the Student Life Center. Featuring performances by VIBE, Dave Barnes, the Swingin’ Dores and Danny y Los Cuatro and a speech by Ugandan activist Angela Namatouvu, the event will be raising funds for the Mercy Home for Children orphanage in Uganda. The program begins at 8 p.m. See vanderbilt.edu/disciplesfirst for more information.
Tuesday 12/5
The Vanderbilt Dance Program’s Fall Concert is this evening at the Ingram Center. The show starts at 8 p.m., and tickets are $5 for students.
Lipscomb University is sponsoring a Christmas performance from the Boston Camerata, the nation’s premier early music ensemble. The program will combine early western and Arabic musical traditions, exploring the music of southern Europe and northern Africa. The event starts of 8 p.m. at the Christ Church Cathedral on Broadway.
Wednesday 12/6
The Public Affairs Department’s “Thinking Out of the (Lunch) Box” series continues today with a lecture from Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Nick Zeppos, entitled “Education in America: Past, Present, and Future.” The first 300 people to respond to lunchbox@vanderbilt.edu will receive a complimentary lunch. The lecture is at the Downtown Public Library from 12 to 1 p.m.
Thursday 12/7
The Commodore Cruise: Spa Spectacular is today from 6 to 10 p.m. in the Student Life Center. This exam time stress-reducing event features free food, free massages, free facials and belly dancing and yoga lessons.
If you prefer to relax through more athletic endeavors, head over to Memorial Gym tonight to cheer on the men’s basketball team as they take on Lipscomb University at 8 p.m.
