Cedar Grove
In My Head It All Makes Sense
The BarnThis special one-day event hosted on the outskirts of Hillsborough features art in the mediums of painting, video, sound, projections, text and furniture. The show, held in a converted tobacco barn, includes works by Alex Hatchett, Chris Carver, Sebastienne Smart and Chance Murray, the Barn’s primary curator. (Also contributing to the show is Amy White, a frequent art writer for the Indy.) The title of this year’s event comes from the fact that it celebrates works that aren’t always easily explainablesomething many creative people can likely relate to. The event is from 6 to 11 p.m. at 8800 Rapples Drive, off Highway 86 in Cedar Grove. Admission is free. For more information, contact Chance Murray at 919-619-6371 or chancemurray7@gmail.com. Zack Smith
Chapel Hill
A Spell of Cold Weather
University MallOdysseyStage presents Charles Way’s award-winning play for children about the power of introducing joy into one’s life. When farmers Betty and Bob take in their niece Holly, their lives are turned upside down as Holly discovers that her aunt and uncle have forgotten how to sing, dance or experience any kind of fun. With help from the farm’s fairy, Holly seeks to revitalize the farm, leading to an unforgettable New Year’s party. The play runs about an hour and will be performed at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. today and next Saturday. For more information, visit www.artscenterlive.org or www.universitymallnc.com. Zack Smith
Durham
Carolina Gator Gumbo Band
Papa Mojo’s RoadhouseHigh and lonesome harmonies, mandolin solos, fiddle lines and dobro twangs. Oh, and half-sung in French. It’s not bluegrass, folk or some newfangled Americana or alt-country contrivance, but on Carolina Gator Gumbo Band’s Leona Had a Party, those instrumentsjust as indigenous to Cajun music’s early years and string band and swing eras as they are in Appalachian musicshare center stage with the more familiar zydeco wheeze of accordion on two-steps and Acadian ballads. With training that expands from Louisiana to West Virginian heritage centers and sessions with West African drum masters, the Queen City crew has plenty of chops to pull off well-executed covers, though the songwriting excels on a haunting waltz like “Tattered and Torn.” Cajun and Creole music from Carolina? OK. The show starts at 9:30 p.m., and there’s an $8 cover. Visit www.papamojosroadhouse.com. Spencer Griffith
Chapel Hill
Impossible Arms, Auxes
Local 506Two of the area’s greatest guitar bands handle their raw nerves differently: Impossible Arms, whose Ripped in No Time is one of many jewels in Odessa Records’ Local Rookie of the Year crown, funnels its feelings into bucolic rock songs for the back roads. Carolina kids dosed on Pavement, Neil Young and cheap beer, Impossible Arms lie back to lay their feelings on the table. Auxes, led by Milemarker and Challenger staple Dave Laney, let the tendrils dangle freely. The big band’s razor-sharp guitars and skittering drums sprint with post-punk angularity, suggesting agitation and unrest with every note and beat. The 10 p.m. bill, which includes Des Ark and Pros & Cons, will cost you $6. Visit www.local506.com. Grayson Currin
