November Music Lineup at the Wexner Center

Immediately on the heels of its grand reopening, the Wexner Center presents a full slate of concerts in November, from local debuts to returning favorites (such as The Bad Plus, Jeff Tweedy, and Andrew Bird). The shows take place in the center’s Performance Space (open again for the first time in months), with one in downtown’s historic Southern Theatre. Tickets to the following shows are available now at the Wexner Center Ticket Office, 614 292-3535, or Ticketmaster, 614 431-3600 or Ticketmaster.com.

THE BAD PLUS Date and time: Sunday, November 6 / 7 & 9 pm Location: Wexner Center Performance Space. Cabaret-style show with tables/chairs and cash bar. Tickets: $16 general public / $14 students & Wexner Center members; Get 2 free tickets by purchasing a $50 Wexner Center membership (offer good only for The Bad Plus) / Ticket includes admission to the 12 1⁄4 Circle Art after Hours Party (8–10 pm in the lower lobby).

Both jazz and rock fans appreciate The Bad Plus’s strong sense of fun and fresh energy—as well as their serious chops. Virtually unknown when they played the Wex in 2002, pianist Ethan Iverson, bassist Reid Anderson, and irrepressible drummer David King, The Bad Plus has since appeared on the cover of Downbeat, opened for the Pixies, and scored a piece for dancer/choreographer Mark Morris, gaining new fans and shaking up jazz traditionalists in the process. The Bad Plus is touring in support of its third CD, Suspicious Activity?, on Sony/Columbia. For more information: www.thebadplus.com.

JEFF TWEEDY with special guest Glenn Kotche Date and time: Wednesday, November 9 / 8 pm Location: Southern Theatre, 21 East Main Street Tickets: $25 all audiences (includes $2 CAPA restoration fee)

Wilco front man Jeff Tweedy performs a special solo show that expands Wexner Center programming to downtown Columbus and the intimate Southern Theatre. Tweedy’s solo set promises the stripped-to-its-essence song craft that is at the heart of Wilco’s expansive sound and his always-canny choices of cover songs. Wilco drummer Glenn Kotche opens the concert with his own solo set. Tickets are going fast. For more information: www.wilcoworld.net.

JAMES CARTER ORGAN TRIO Date and time: Friday, November 11 / 7:30 pm Location: Wexner Center Performance Space; cabaret-style show with tables/chairs and cash bar. Tickets: $16 general public / $14 students and Wexner Center members.

Burly-toned sax man James Carter has been seen in action with several bands here in the past, but this soul-jazz organ trio suits his flamboyant talent to a T. Whether honking and wailing over funky Hammond B3 organ riffs and a powerhouse beat or laying back into a cool groove, Carter and his rootsy, nitty-gritty band will make this cabaret-style show feel like a night at the roadhouse. For more information: www.jamescarteronline.com.

Local debut! KONONO NO. 1 Date and time: Saturday, November 12 / 8 pm Location: Wexner Center Performance Space / Standing-only event Tickets: $14 general public / $12 students and Wexner Center members.

The 12-member Kinshasa-based Konono No. 1 and their debut release, Congotronics, have been the buzz of both the world music and indie music scenes, inspiring incredulous reactions in review after glowing review. Performing on amplified thumb pianos and a startling array of rhythm instruments—many created from salvaged car parts, pots, and pans—they create polyrhythms that are then pushed to the edge of distortion by lo-fi effects and makeshift electronic devices. Konono’s trance-inducing music has earned comparisons to electro-funk pioneers Kraftwerk and reggae dub master Lee Perry. Konono No. 1’s fall 2005 U.S. tour is sponsored in part by Agence Intergouvernmentale de la Francophonie. For more information: http://www.crammed.be/konono

ANDREW BIRD with Head of Femur Date and time: Sunday, November 20 / 8 pm Location: Wexner Center Performance Space / Standing-only event Tickets: $12 general public / $10 students and Wexner Center members.

Chicago-based violinist and singer Andrew Bird first seduced the audience when he appeared at the Wexner Center as the opening act for The Magnetic Fields. His most recent release, The Mysterious Production of Eggs, amply displays his singular knack for combining charmingly poetic dreamscapes, whistling, pulsing rhythms, and haunting violin refrains. Opening for Bird are compatriots and fellow Windy City denizens Head of Femur, who perform intricate orchestral pop with smart and surreal lyrics that will find favor with fans of Arcade Fire and Flaming Lips. For more information: www.andrewbird.net and www.headoffemur.com.

SEASON SUPPORT Major support for the performing arts season generously provided by Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, and The Columbus Foundation.

Significant contributions made by Altria Group, Inc., Morgan Stanley, Nationwide Foundation, and Ron and Ann Pizzuti.

Additional funding provided by the Ohio Arts Council, the Corporate Annual Fund of the Wexner Center Foundation, and Wexner Center members.

Promotional support provided by The Columbus Dispatch, Time Warner Cable, WBNS 10TV, NPR 820 WOSU-AM, and Classical 89.7 WOSU-FM.

Preferred accommodations: The Blackwell Inn.