IU Auditorium
Tuesday, November 19, 2024, 7:30pm

Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations is the electrifying smash-hit Broadway musical that follows The Temptations’ extraordinary journey from the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.



Nominated for 12 Tony Awards and the winner of the 2019 Tony Award for Best Choreography, it’s a thrilling story of brotherhood, family, loyalty, and betrayal during a decade of civil unrest in America. Set to the beat of the group’s treasured hits, including “My Girl,” “Just My Imagination,” “Get Ready,” and “Papa Was a Rolling Stone,” Ain’t Too Proud tells the unforgettable story of the legendary quintet that Billboard Magazine named the greatest R&B group of all time.

Cost: Starting at $35
Ticket Web Link: am.ticketmaster.com…
Communities: Bedford, Bloomington, Brown County, Columbus, Franklin, French Lick/West Baden, Greencastle, Greene County, Greensburg, Greenwood, Indianapolis, Kokomo, Martinsville, Seymour, Spencer, Statewide, Terre Haute
More info: www.iuauditorium.com…

Bartholomew County Historical Society Museum
524 Third Street, Columbus, IN
Tuesday, November 19, 10am – Saturday, December 21, 2024, 4pm

Visitors are invited to see if there are sables, yachts, or decorations from Tiffany (or maybe a ring) under the Santa Baby tree. Celebrating the iconic 1953 song by Eartha Kitt, this tree will embrace those elements and more. An Indiana Christmas tree will showcase the beauty of the State bird – the cardinal – as it flashes its red feathers against a snowy white tree. A large display featuring five decorated woodland trees is one aspect of Christmas on the Farm. Tucked beneath the trees will be works by Columbus artist Bob Pulley, who grew up in the Midwest. His frequent walks in the woods and along the creeks and rivers etched strong impressions into his memory of the varied forms, colors and textures. His sculptures harmonize perfectly with the woodland-themed trees. The “farm house” part of the display features a cozy fireplace, rocking chair and artwork from the permanent collection. The “barnyard” will be comprised of vintage farm implements from the Henry Breeding Farm. Mod Merry, a mid-century modern theme, will feature a velvet gown from the permanent collection, a silver aluminum Christmas tree and a period Cosco bar cart. The winding staircase will feature snowflakes and icicles. The Columbus Propeller will create the snowflakes on a 3-D printer; last year’s Twelve Days of Christmas display featured ornaments made on their 3-D printer. These are just some of the displays that will fill the two levels of the Museum.

Presenter: Bartholomew County Historical Society
Contact: Diane Robbins
Age Range: Families
Cost: free
Communities: Bedford, Bloomington, Brown County, Columbus, Franklin, French Lick/West Baden, Greencastle, Greene County, Greensburg, Greenwood, Indianapolis, Kokomo, Martinsville, Seymour, Spencer, Statewide, Terre Haute
More info: www.bartholomewhistory.org

Buskirk-Chumley Theater
Sunday, November 17, 2024, 3 – 5pm

Join these five fabulous friends as they embark on a journey through their past, savor the present, and peer into the future on a night out that's wild, hilarious, and utterly unforgettable. You'll discover a piece of yourself in each of their stories!

Critics have hailed it as “Desperate Housewives meets Mamma Mia” (Applause Magazine), “A boisterous, bust-out, bawdy musical revue” (Wisconsin State Journal), “An intoxicating, pulse-pounding experience" (Hollywood Reporter), and “As funny and outrageous as Sex and the City!” (The Advocate).

GIRLS NIGHT is an explosion of energy and a treasure trove of chart-toppers like “Lady Marmalade,” “It’s Raining Men,” “Man I Feel Like A Woman,” “I Will Survive,” “We are Family,” and many more. Prepare to be blown away!

Presenter: Entertainment Events
Contact: BCT Box Office, boxoffice@buskirkchumley.org
Cost: $49 - $69
Ticket Phone: 812-323-3020
Ticket Web Link: buskirkchumley.org…
Communities: Bloomington

Waldron Arts Center
Sunday, November 17, 2024, 2 – 4pm

KEEP BLOOMINGTON WEIRD! Help celebrate our unique community with comedy, satire and music – the audience becomes part of the show!

The Firehouse Follies is a worldwide showcase for the amazing talent we have in Bloomington and South Central Indiana. A live broadcast performance features audio theater plays and sketches by the Mighty Firehouse Art Players, music from Kid Kazooey and the Four-Alarm Orchestra, special musical guest Krista Detor, and poetry created by Indiana's Literary Champion, Tony Brewer. On Sunday, November 17, doors open at 1 p.m., because the Waldron Auditorium has a lounge with a full bar (and things for kids and nondrinkers), and the show is live on the air from 2-4 p.m. Plenty of free parking, so come and join us!

Broadcast and streamed live over WFHB, 91.3 FM and www.wfhb.org .

Will-call will be available for pick up at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater box office until 2:30pm on Saturday 11/16. After that, will-call will be available for pick up at the venue Waldron Auditorium (122 S Walnut St, Bloomington, IN 47404) when doors open for the event.

Online and Buskirk-Chumley Theater sales will end at 2:30pm on Saturday 11/16. If not sold out, tickets will be available for purchase at the door of the venue. Cash and check will be accepted.

Presenter: WFHB
Contact: BCT Box Office, boxoffice@buskirkchumley.org
Cost: $12 - $22
Ticket Phone: 812-323-3020
Ticket Web Link: buskirkchumley.org…
Communities: Bloomington

Waldron Auditorium
Sunday, November 17, 2024, 2 – 4pm

The Firehouse Follies is a worldwide showcase for the amazing talent we have in Bloomington and South Central Indiana. A live broadcast performance features audio theater plays and comedy sketches by the Mighty Firehouse Art Players, music from Kid Kazooey and the Four-Alarm Orchestra, special musical guest Krista Detor, and poetry created by Indiana's Literary Champion, Tony Brewer. The audience becomes part of the two-hour show at the Waldron Auditorium, starting at 2 p.m. November 17, so come and join us! Broadcast and streamed live over WFHB, 91.3 FM and www.wfhb.org

Presenter: WFHB
Contact: Richard Fish
Directed By: Richard Fish
Cast: TBA
Cost: $20 Adult, $15 Student, $10 Child
Ticket Phone: 812-323-3020
Ticket Web Link: buskirkchumley.org…
Communities: Bedford, Bloomington, Brown County, Columbus, Franklin, French Lick/West Baden, Greencastle, Greene County, Greensburg, Greenwood, Indianapolis, Kokomo, Martinsville, Seymour, Spencer, Statewide, Terre Haute
More info: wfhb.org…

Buskirk-Chumley Theater
Saturday, November 16, 2024, 7:30 – 10pm

The Blind Boys are known for crossing multiple musical boundaries with their remarkable interpretations of everything from traditional gospel favorites to contemporary spiritual material by songwriters such as Eric Clapton, Prince, and Tom Waits. They have appeared on recordings with many artists, including Lou Reed, Peter Gabriel, Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, Aaron Neville, Susan Tedeschi, Ben Harper, Patty Griffin, and Taj Mahal.

Blind Boys of Alabama released 'Echoes Of The South’ on Aug 25, 2023, which finds the Gospel Music Hall of Fame inductees coming home to honor those they've lost on a bold declaration of how far they still plan to go. The eleven-song collection is a portrait of perseverance from a group well-versed in overcoming incredible odds - from singing for pocket change in the Jim Crow South to performing for three different American presidents, soundtracking the Civil Rights movement, and helping define modern gospel music as we know it. Recently, the group's decades-long mission of spreading light and love has taken on even deeper context as they've reckoned with the loss of two of their own, Paul Beasley and Benjamin Moore, both longtime members of the Blind Boys’ tight-knit family. 'Echoes Of The South' is released in their honor - as well as for the group's recently-retired leader, Jimmy Carter - and keeps the Blind Boys' long-held mission statement at its core: “As long as everybody gives all that they have to give and we sing songs that touch the heart, we'll live on forever.”

In 2022, the group had a collaborative recording with Béla Fleck, nominated for a Grammy. The nominated collaboration, "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free," powerfully reimagines the anthem of the Civil Rights Movement, originally made famous by Nina Simone. They also have had collaborative recordings and coinciding tours with both Marc Cohn and afro-pop duo Amadou & Mariam. In 2023, Blind Boys garnered another Grammy nomination for Best Americana Single for 'The Message' featuring Black Violin.

2024 started off the year with a return to the GRAMMY® Awards with three nominations and one win for Best Roots Gospel Album - 'Echoes Of The South.’ This was followed by a sold-out tour in Australia and a sizzling performance with Sir Tom Jones during the Bluesfest Byron Bay (Australia), where video of their rehearsal reached 750K + views in 48 hours on social platforms. The definitive book, titled Spirit of the Century, was released in March 2024. It’s an insider history of the Blind Boys of Alabama, the longest-running group in American music, and the untold story of their world written with band members and key musical colleagues.

Contact: BCT Box Office, boxoffice@buskirkchumley.org
Cost: $40 - $65
Ticket Phone: 812-323-3020
Ticket Web Link: buskirkchumley.org…
Communities: Bloomington

302 S. College Avenue
Saturday, November 16, 10am – Sunday, November 17, 2024, 4pm

Find 100+ local indie artists at the Bloomington Handmade Market, November 16 & 17! Open 10am - 4pm both days at the Monroe Convention Center in Bloomington.

Age Range: All Ages
Cost: Free
More info: www.facebook.com…

Auer Hall, Simon Music Center
Thursday, November 14, 2024, 8 – 10pm

Pianist Paul Lewis is internationally regarded as one of the leading musicians of his generation. His cycles of core piano works by Beethoven and Schubert have received unanimous critical and public acclaim worldwide and consolidated his reputation as one of the world’s foremost interpreters of the central European classical repertoire.

More info: events.iu.edu…

FAR Center for Contemporary Arts
Thursday, November 14, 2024, 7:30 – 9:30pm

Andrew Marlin is a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based out of Chapel Hill, NC. His latest solo record, Phthalo Blue, is out now! The album features all original music by Andrew, recorded around one mic at The Tractor Shed in Goodlettsville, TN. In addition to Marlin on mandolin, the music showcases a slew of frequent collaborators including Stephanie Coleman (fiddle), Allison de Groot (banjo), Clint Mullican (bass), Josh Oliver (guitar), and Nat Smith (cello) - engineered by Sean Sullivan.

Along with this new release, and his three previous instrumental collections (Fable & Fire, Witching Hour and Buried in a Cape) Marlin has produced six albums of original works of American roots music with Watchhouse, has formed the bluegrass group Mighty Poplar (with collaborators Critter Eldridge, Greg Garrison, Alex Hargreaves and Noam Pikelny) and regularly contributes instrumental performances to other artists and albums. He's recently played mandolin on recordings for Zach Bryan, Tyler Childers, Plains, Dead Tongues and Phil Cook. Marlin is also an in-demand producer, and has produced albums for artists including Mipso, Kate Rhudy, Rachel Baiman and Ismay.

Over the last decade, he has toured with all three of his projects throughout the U.S and Europe and appeared on high
profile programs such CBS This Morning's Saturday Morning Sessions, NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert, and headlined sold-out notable rooms including the Ryman and Red Rocks.

Will-call will be available for pick up at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater box office until 4pm on Thursday, 11/14. After that, will-call will be available for pick up at the venue the FAR Center for Contemporary Arts (202 S Rogers St, Bloomington, IN 47404) when doors open for the event.

If not sold out, tickets will be available for purchase at the door of the venue. Cash and card will be accepted. Prices go up the day of the show.

Presenter: Bloomington Roots Foundation, Inc.
Contact: BCT Box Office, boxoffice@buskirkchumley.org
Cost: $30 - $35
Ticket Phone: 812-323-3020
Ticket Web Link: buskirkchumley.org…
Communities: Bloomington

Virtual Zoom event
Thursday, November 14, 2024, 7 – 8:30pm

Sycamore Land Trust and Citizens’ Climate Lobby Indiana present a free lecture and Q&A with Dr. Richard Phillips “From Tree Tops to Deep Roots: The Role of Eastern Forests as Carbon Sinks.” We’ll discuss how eastern forest ecosystems serve as important carbon sinks that can help mitigate rapid climate change, and explore above- and below-ground processes in forests and how they contribute to the land sink for carbon. Dr. Richard Phillips is a Professor of Biology at Indiana University, Bloomington, Director of the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Graduate Program, and Science Director at IU Research and Teaching Preserve.

Presenter: Sycamore Land Trust and Citizens' Climate Lobby Indiana
Contact: Kate Hammel, Communications Director
Cost: Free
Ticket Phone: 812-336-5382
Ticket Web Link: sycamorelandtrust.org…
Communities: Bedford, Bloomington, Brown County, Columbus, Franklin, French Lick/West Baden, Greencastle, Greene County, Greensburg, Greenwood, Indianapolis, Kokomo, Martinsville, Seymour, Spencer, Statewide, Terre Haute
More info: sycamorelandtrust.org…

Waldron Firebay Theatre
Thursday, November 14, 7pm – Sunday, November 24, 2024, 2pm

Hello! I believe I submitted an event previously for this production. The dates have been changed. The new dates are November 14th-24th. Please reach out to me if you do not have a previous submission for Closer by Patrick Marber presented by Eclipse Productions Company on the calendar, or if you have any questions. Thank you!

Presenter: Eclipse Productions Company
Contact: Konnor Graber
Written By: Patrick Marber
Directed By: Kate Weber
Cast: Konnor Graber, Jeremy Weber, Patricia Francis, Shayna Survil
Ticket Web Link: www.eclipseproductionscompany.com…

Waldron Firebay
Thursday, November 14, 7pm – Sunday, November 24, 2024, 7pm

Eclipse Productions presents their 4th show! Closer is an intimate story following 4 individuals seeking love and meaning in the world and each other. A romantic comedy that does not go according to plan.

Presenter: Eclipse Productions Company
Contact: Shayna Survil
Written By: Patrick Marber
Directed By: Kate Weber
Cast: Patricia Francis, Konnor Graber, Jeremy Weber, Shayna Survil
Ticket Web Link: www.eclipseproductionscompany.com…
More info: www.eclipseproductionscompany.com

The John Waldron Arts Center
Thursday, November 14, 2024, 5:30 – 7:30pm

Come to the Table celebrates individuals who inspire peaceful conflict resolution, and this year’s guest speaker is the multi-talented Ellise A. Smith!

Using her photography (#VisualActivism), spoken word, and storytelling, Ellise will share powerful experiences that uplift marginalized voices and show us how to break down barriers to create meaningful change. She will challenge us to listen with intention, building bridges and restoring hope.

Please join us for lively companionship, thought-provoking conversation, delicious food, and a great venue! All while raising funds to help the Community Justice and Mediation Center strengthen and expand conflict resolution work in our community!

Presenter: Ellise A. Smith
Contact: Liz Grenat, CJAM Executive Director
Cost: $75.00
Ticket Phone: 812-336-8677
Ticket Web Link: cjmc.betterworld.org…
Communities: Bedford, Bloomington, Brown County, Columbus, Franklin, French Lick/West Baden, Greencastle, Greene County, Greensburg, Greenwood, Indianapolis, Kokomo, Martinsville, Seymour, Spencer, Statewide, Terre Haute
More info: cjamcenter.org

Auer Hall, Simon Music Center
Thursday, November 14, 2024, 5 – 6:30pm

Ik-Hwan Bae was professor of music in violin and chamber music at the IU Jacobs School of Music from 1999 until his passing in 2014. He was born in Seoul, Korea, and made his professional debut with the Seoul Philharmonic at age 12. He studied with Ivan Galamian at The Juilliard School and was busily engaged in concertizing and teaching throughout his career.

More info: events.iu.edu…

Auer Hall, Simon Music Center
Wednesday, November 13, 2024, 8 – 9pm

Brittany Lasch is assistant professor of music in trombone at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. She is also on faculty at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute and serves as principal trombone of the Detroit Opera Orchestra.

Burlingame, CA 94010, United States
Wednesday, November 13 – Thursday, November 14, 2024

After the success of Dental Marketing 2023 in San Francisco we are inviting participants across the globe to attend 42st International Conference on Dentistry & Dental Marketing (Dental Marketing 2024) during November 13-14, 2024 in San Francisco, USA. The main theme of the conference is ‘Modern Dentistry with Gentle Care’ The relative novel nature of the conference and its relevance to the current dental market makes this summit an event to look forward for all the individuals of the Dental Community.

Presenter: Conference Series LLC Ltd
Contact: Elena Tylor
Cost: $499
Ticket Phone: 307-215-1648
Ticket Web Link: dentalmarketing.conferenceseries.com…
More info: dentalmarketing.conferenceseries.com

Ford-Crawford Hall, Simon Music Center
Tuesday, November 12, 2024, 8:30 – 10pm

More info: events.iu.edu…

Auer Hall, Simon Music Center
Tuesday, November 12, 2024, 8 – 9:30pm

More info: events.iu.edu…

Ford-Crawford Hall, Simon Music Center
Tuesday, November 12, 2024, 5 – 6pm

More info: events.iu.edu…

Auer Hall, Simon Music Center
Tuesday, November 12, 2024, 5 – 6pm

More info: events.iu.edu…

Ford-Crawford Hall, Simon Music Center
Monday, November 11, 2024, 8:30 – 9:30pm

More info: events.iu.edu…

Auer Hall, Simon Music Center
Monday, November 11, 2024, 8 – 9:30pm

For Şirin Pancaroğlu, praised by The Washington Post as a “major talent of international caliber,” discovering a variety of musical identities for the harp is a central endeavor. Trained as a classical harpist at the Geneva Conservatory and the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, she is as active in the realms of Turkish music, improvisation, contemporary music, tango, and semi-staged performances as she is in mainstream harp repertoire.

More info: events.iu.edu…

Buskirk-Chumley Theater
Monday, November 11, 2024, 7:30 – 9:30pm

The Natalie Boeyink Jazz Ensemble will commemorate Veteran’s Day with compositions by those who served. Selections include works by Glenn Miller, John Coltrane, Clark Terry, Wayne Shorter, Horace Silver and more.

Presenter: Indiana University Jacobs School of Music Jazz Studies Department
Contact: BCT Box Office, boxoffice@buskirkchumley.org
Cost: Free!
Ticket Phone: 812-323-3020
Communities: Bloomington
More info: buskirkchumley.org…

Buskirk-Chumley Theater
Monday, November 11, 2024, 7:30 – 9:30pm

More info: events.iu.edu…

Morgenstern Books
849 S Auto Mall Rd
Bloomington
Monday, November 11, 2024, 7 – 8pm

The monthly meeting of the Morgenstern Books Murder Mystery Book Club is hosted by bookseller and mystery/thriller enthusiast, Grace!

The read for November is The Enigma of Room 622 by Joël Dicker.

Presenter: Grace Hamilton
Contact: Molly Bowman
Communities: Bedford, Bloomington, Brown County, Columbus, Franklin, French Lick/West Baden, Greencastle, Greene County, Greensburg, Greenwood, Indianapolis, Kokomo, Martinsville, Seymour, Spencer, Statewide, Terre Haute
More info: morgensternbooks.com…

Ford-Crawford Hall, Simon Music Center
Monday, November 11, 2024, 5 – 6pm

More info: events.iu.edu…

Ford-Crawford Hall, Simon Music Center
Sunday, November 10, 2024, 8:30 – 9:30pm

More info: events.iu.edu…

Auer Hall, Simon Music Center
Sunday, November 10, 2024, 8 – 10pm

More info: events.iu.edu…

Buskirk-Chumley Theater
Sunday, November 10, 2024, 7 – 9pm

Warren Miller is going big for 75 years!

Stacked with unbelievable action and unexpected stories, Warren Miller’s 75 will bring fans to powder stashes and chutes around the world, from Canada, Colorado, California, and Utah to Finland, Japan, Austria, and New Jersey.

Catch a diverse lineup of snowsports legends, Olympic hopefuls, world champions, X Games stars, and emerging talents on the big screen this fall, including snowboarders Shaun White, Jeremy Jones, Danny Davis, and Toby Miller, plus skiers Max Hitzig, Lexi duPont, Caite Zeliff, Mark Abma, and Aaron Blunck.

With original segments and unique collaborations, this year’s film will set the tone for the next 75 years of ski and snowboard filmmaking.

Featured Athletes:
Selema Masakela | Shaun White | Caite Zeliff | Jeremy Jones | LJ Henriquez | Max Hitzig | Danny Davis | Parkin Costain | Toby Miller | JJ Thomas | Alex Ferreira | Lexi duPont | Noah Maisonet | Zeb Powell | Daron Rahlves | Connery Lundin | Aaron Blunck | Mark Abma | Cassie Sharpe | Juho Kilkki | Luis Medearis | Cass Jones | Mia Jones

Contact: BCT Box Office, boxoffice@buskirkchumley.org
Cost: $10 - $14
Ticket Phone: 812-323-3020
Ticket Web Link: buskirkchumley.org…
Communities: Bloomington

Recital Hall, Merrill Hall
Sunday, November 10, 2024, 7 – 8pm

More info: events.iu.edu…

Ford-Crawford Hall, Simon Music Center
Sunday, November 10, 2024, 5 – 6pm

More info: events.iu.edu…

Auer Hall, Simon Music Center
Sunday, November 10, 2024, 4 – 6pm

An Afternoon Salon

More info: events.iu.edu…

Metz Carillon, Arboretum Gazebo
Sunday, November 10, 2024, 4 – 5pm

More info: events.iu.edu…

Recital Hall, Merrill Hall
Sunday, November 10, 2024, 3 – 4:30pm

More info: events.iu.edu…

Ford-Crawford Hall, Simon Music Center
Sunday, November 10, 2024, 3 – 4pm

More info: events.iu.edu…

DePauw University Green Center, 600 S. Locust Street, Greencastle, Ind.
Sunday, November 10, 2024, 3 – 5pm

VINEGAR TOM
Thurs.–Sat., Nov. 7–9 • 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 10 • 3 p.m.
Green Center, Moore Theatre

In an isolated, 17th-century rural village a woman’s lover claims she is the devil. Her mother curses at a neighbor. Crops are failing, livestock are dying, and family tensions are brewing. An herbal healer offers help with a pregnancy, and the betrothed daughter of a prosperous landowner refuses to marry. Doctors claim she’s insane and tie her up. Behind it all is the titular Vinegar Tom, a stealthy cat often seen lurking about, boldly plundering barns and milk sheds. Could he be a witch’s imp or the devil himself? Finally, a witch hunter arrives, and no woman is above suspicion.

Presenter: DePauw University
Contact: Suzanne Hassler
Written By: Caryl Churchill
Directed By: Ron Dye
Cost: General Admission: $10; Seniors, Youth and All Students: Free
Ticket Phone: 765-658-6733
Ticket Web Link: dpugreencenter.eventbrite.com
Communities: Bloomington, Brown County, Columbus, Franklin, Greencastle, Indianapolis, Martinsville, Spencer, Terre Haute
More info: www.depauw.edu…

24 N Washington St
Sunday, November 10, 2024, 2 – 4pm

The Owen County Civic Theatre presents "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever," a heartwarming and hilarious Christmas classic. In this fun-filled production, a couple attempts to stage a church Christmas pageant, but things take a wild turn when the unruly Herdman kids are cast. These “inventively awful” children bring chaos and unexpected charm to the traditional Christmas story, creating plenty of laughs and touching moments.

Adapted from the bestselling Young Adult book by Barbara Robinson, this show has become a beloved holiday favorite across the U.S. It offers great roles for both children and adults, with a mix of Christmas carols and loads of laughter—a perfect way to kick off the holiday season!

If you’re looking for something fun and festive to enjoy with the family, this would be a great event to catch.

For anyone interested:
Event Date: November 8-10
Event Times: Friday 7p, Saturday 7p, Sunday 2p.
Location: Historic Tivoli Theatre, 24 N Washington St., downtown Spencer, Indiana
Doors Open: 40 minutes before showtime.
Admssion: $15 adults / $10 students / $5 youth 13 & under

Presenter: Tivoli Theatre
Contact: Andrea White
Cost: $15 adults / $10 students / $5 youth 13 & under
Ticket Phone: 8127148137
Ticket Web Link: ticketing.useast.veezi.com…
Communities: Bedford, Bloomington, Brown County, Columbus, Greene County, Martinsville, Seymour, Spencer, Terre Haute
More info: www.spencertivoli.org

Auer Hall, Simon Music Center
Sunday, November 10, 2024, 2 – 3:15pm

Peter Ellefson is professor of music in trombone at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where he was previously chair of the Brass Department.

More info: events.iu.edu…

Ford-Crawford Hall, Simon Music Center
Sunday, November 10, 2024, 1 – 2pm

More info: events.iu.edu…

Auer Hall, Simon Music Center
Sunday, November 10, 2024, 11am – 12pm

More info: events.iu.edu…

1202 E 38th St, Indianapolis, IN 46205
Friday, November 8, 9am – Tuesday, November 12, 2024, 8pm

Prepare for the ultimate culinary showdown at the 2024 World Food Championships (WFC)!

Over 1,500 chefs, home cooks, and professional teams from around the globe will compete for the coveted title of World Food Champion and a share of hundreds of thousands of dollars in prize money.
From sizzling steaks to decadent desserts, the WFC showcases ten official categories, offering a feast for the eyes and the taste buds. Whether you’re a passionate foodie, an aspiring chef, or just looking for a fun and delicious experience, the WFC has something for everyone.

Event Highlights:
Date: November 8-12, 2024
Location: 1202 E 38th St, Indianapolis, IN 46205
Special Features: Live cooking demos, tasting experiences, and opportunities to meet culinary stars!

Don’t miss out on this exciting event celebrating culinary creativity and excellence. Tickets are on sale now! For more information and to purchase tickets, visit worldfoodchampionships.com.


Follow on social media for the latest updates and behind-the-scenes action:
Facebook: World Food Championships
Instagram: @worldfoodchampionships
Twitter: @WorldFoodChamp

Ticket Web Link: www.indianastatefair.com…
Communities: Bedford, Bloomington, Brown County, Columbus, Franklin, French Lick/West Baden, Greencastle, Greene County, Greensburg, Greenwood, Indianapolis, Kokomo, Martinsville, Seymour, Spencer, Statewide, Terre Haute
More info: worldfoodchampionships.com

The Studio Theater
4 Carter Green
Carmel, IN 46032
Ongoing through Sunday, November 17, 2024, 3pm

She Loves Me is a euphoric holiday-themed romantic comedy with a soaring score that shares its source material with the classic movies “The Shop Around the Corner,” “In the Good Old Summertime,” and “You’ve Got Mail.” Amalia and Georg work together at a modest Hungarian parfurmerie and have disliked each other from the very beginning. He thinks she’s stuck up, and she thinks he’s arrogant and mean. But each rapturously writes to a lonely-hearts pen pal when the workday is done, and it doesn’t take long for the audience to see that they’re in love without realizing it. Inevitably through some of the most iconic songs in the musical theatre canon ("Vanilla Ice Cream", "She Loves Me", "Will He Like Me?"), Georg and Amalia discover the truth as well and rejoice in their love for each other at the story’s sweet and musically delightful conclusion. Music & Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick and Jerry Bock by Joe Masteroff. Directed by Richard J. Roberts.

Thursday, Nov 7 & 14 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov 1, 8, 15, at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov 2, 9, 16 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Nov 3, 10, 17 at 2 p.m.

 

Presenter: Actors Theatre of Indiana
Cost: starting at $49
Ticket Phone: 317-843-3800
Ticket Web Link: thecenterpresents.org…
Communities: Bedford, Bloomington, Brown County, Columbus, Franklin, French Lick/West Baden, Greencastle, Greene County, Greensburg, Greenwood, Indianapolis, Kokomo, Martinsville, Seymour, Spencer, Statewide, Terre Haute
More info: atistage.org…

202 E 6th Street
Ongoing through Saturday, December 28, 2024

Senior cords, decorated corduroy pants and skirts popular with high school and college seniors, are a unique piece of Hoosier heritage. This exciting exhibit guest-curated by Kelly Richardson (Director of IU Sage Collection) follows their history from their Purdue University origins through their high school heyday in the 50s and 60s and up to their contemporary revival in bespoke fashion brands like BODE.
Exhibit is currently open and closes Dec. 28th

On view at the Monroe County History Center
202 E. 6th St
Bloomington, IN 47408
Visit monroehistory.org for hours, pricing, and parking information.

Presenter: www.monroehistory.org
Contact: Sarah Rosenkrans
Age Range: All Ages
Cost: $2 adults, $1 kids, free for members and ages under 5
Communities: Bloomington
More info: www.monroehistory.org

Rose City Rollers commemorates 20 years by hosting the sport’s global championships on their home turf. by Courtney Vaughn

Twenty years ago, Kim “Rocket Mean” Stegeman put an ad on the back page of the Portland Mercury. She didn’t have a business to advertise. She had nothing to sell. 

“My phone number was on the back of it for three months, and it said ‘Want to play roller derby?’” Stegeman recalls. “I would personally just answer phone calls and round up people.”

She and a handful of friends met at Club 21 and flirted with the idea of starting a roller derby team. Before long, they invited anyone interested in skating or volunteering to meet at Colonel Summers Park. 

“I think at that first meeting it was more than 60 people. It was like, that boom moment,” Stegeman says, reminiscing about a wild idea that birthed, in 2004, Portland’s first incarnation of a modern roller derby league, the Rose City Rollers.

“Largely it was women in their mid-20s, a lot of us who were kind of starting careers,” Stegemen says. “But I think we all had kind of a sense of a need for community and just to have something that was really our own, our thing to be passionate about.”

Stegeman and her friends didn’t know their scrappy roller derby league would evolve into an international juggernaut with four championship wins. Rose City Rollers is now the largest derby league in the world, with four home teams, two adult all-star teams, a recreational team, and nine youth teams.

This weekend, Rose City Rollers’ Wheels of Justice all-star team will compete for a fifth championship win, when Portland hosts the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) Global Championships. The event includes 16 games over three days, with 13 teams competing in a single-elimination tournament. The prize? A metal sculpture of a roller skate and track known as the Hydra Trophy. 

It marks the first roller derby championship tournament since 2019. WFTDA paused all sanctioned competitive play during the Covid-19 pandemic—waiting until leagues across the globe could safely return to the sport and had the resources to do so. 

Now in the league’s 20th year, Rose City Rollers are strong contenders to take the Hydra, but competition is fierce. 

“Everyone is so focused on that tournament and so dedicated to do all this fine-tuning to get there next weekend and to take the Hydra home again,” says Nicole “Bonnie Thunders” Williams, a team captain for Wheels of Justice. In the weeks leading up to the championship games, the team is refraining from major strategy changes. Instead, they’re adjusting a few elements based on a few expected opponents. 

Williams is no stranger to the WFTDA Championships. She is to roller derby what Tony Hawk is to skateboarding. This weekend’s tournament will round out her 19th season playing roller derby, and if her team prevails, it’ll mark her eighth championship win.

Modern roller derby is a game of simultaneous offense and defense, played on a flat oval-shaped track. Each team has five skaters on the track at a time, with one skater from each team—the jammers—both racing through packs of players (called blockers) for up to two minutes at a time. The first jammer to make it past all four opponents gets lead advantage, meaning they can call off the two-minute jam whenever they want. 

Jammers skate laps around the track, scoring a point for every opponent they pass on each lap. Skaters mash and tangle their bodies together to block each other, knock each other out of bounds, or muscle their way past to block the other team’s jammer from scoring.

It’s one of few sports with no ball or object of play. The only goal is to field a jammer—who can make it past a wall of opponents with help from her blockers—in what is usually a grinding, grueling exercise of strength, skill, and strategy. 

The sport requires remarkable endurance and agility. Portland’s all-star skaters spend their season practicing three nights a week in a converted airplane hangar in the parking lot of Oaks Amusement Park. Each practice is a cacophony of referee whistles and wheels grinding against a sport court track. On off days, skaters try to fit in at least one cross-training workout a week.

Despite flat track roller derby’s relatively recent emergence, the sport has evolved significantly over the past 20 years. Rules have changed, and strategies have transformed game play. Most visibly, the game attire worn by skaters no longer includes tiny shorts, funky knee-high socks, or fishnets. The sexualization and personal flair that used to permeate women’s roller derby leagues largely died out. 

“I think the focus has turned to the athleticism of it all,” says Tina “Beans” Tyre, co-captain of Wheels of Justice. “When I first started, it was really badass to do this sport. I remember we made dresses out of long t-shirts that we put frills on the bottom of, because it was playing off a theme, as opposed to being athletic."

The DIY ethos began to fade as derby became more competitive, elevating the sport to eventually getting coverage on ESPN. 

“I’ve really enjoyed—especially being a bigger skater—feeling myself as an athlete in a sport that’s taken more seriously every single year,” Tyre adds.

The sport has evolved in other ways, too. It’s become one of the few athletic spaces that welcomes queer, trans, and non-binary skaters. WFTDA-sanctioned leagues are open to skaters who identify as women or gender expansive. 

Athletes acknowledge that roller derby culture isn’t perfect. Transphobia still rears its head, but largely, homophobia and transphobia are taboo within the sport. 

Competitive roller derby is more than a hobby, and more than a sport. It’s a subculture, a way of life. Skaters say it’s a heavy commitment, but one that comes with a tight-knit community. 

“This community is so beautiful at times,” Tyre says. “I have gone through break-ups and had people to live with, people who pick you up when you’re down. In roller derby, a lot of people say ‘roller derby saved my life’ or ‘roller derby saved my soul,’ and I think it’s true for a lot of people who have joined this community and stuck with it for years and years.”

In many ways, roller derby has managed to both mirror and shape the culture of Portland. 

Stegeman says 20 years ago, Portland’s young demographic and cheap rental market made the city primed to support roller derby. 

“When somebody called Portland ‘a place where 30-year-olds go to retire’ that felt very on-brand for us,” Stegeman, now the executive director of the league, says while recounting the early and mid-aughts. “Because there was an amazing, emerging art scene, and there was just unbelievable amounts of live music going on. On any given night, you could leave the house with $25 and be out for a night and have a great time. There was so much interconnection that it was really a natural place for us to have something like derby.”

Decades later, it’s given thousands of people–predominantly women and girls–a place to try out something new, challenge themselves, and make friends along the way. For many, roller derby’s impact is immeasurably deeper.

“I think a lot of people who joined learned a lot about their sexuality and gender through derby, and having a supportive community that was open to queer people being part of it,” Williams says. 

Eight days before the upcoming tournament, Stegeman’s nerves are raw. There are countless tasks and boxes to check before November 1. For instance, she and the Rose City Rollers crew still have to disassemble the track in the league’s practice space at Oaks Park and haul it to the Veterans Memorial Coliseum, where it will be reassembled by a team of volunteers. 

The league partners with Travel Portland and Sport Oregon to gauge the economic impact and tourism connected to the international tournament. Last time Portland hosted the WFTDA Championships in 2016, it generated an estimated $1.5 million in economic impact to the city. This year is likely to surpass that. 

Rose City will host teams from Australia, France, Canada, and Sweden, in addition to US teams from Los Angeles, Denver, New York City, Atlanta, St. Louis, and Jacksonville, Florida.

Despite its global reach, derby still has a long way to go before it could be considered mainstream. For now, the sport maintains an interesting hybrid status: It’s played by amateur, unpaid athletes, but still fills major sports arenas during championship events. For the most part, skaters say that’s a good thing. 

It might be a sport relegated to counter culture, but  Stegeman no longer has to blast her personal phone number on the back of the Mercury to recruit new skaters. 

Women’s Flat Track Derby Association Global Championships take over Veterans Memorial Coliseum, 300 N Ramsay Way, Fri Nov 1-Sun Nov 3, schedules and tickets at wftda.com, $30-$225, all ages

by Anonymous

Please vote as if you want stress to become eradicated. Please vote as if a solution to gentrification is needed to be found. Don't let the disaster capitalists continue to have the loudest voices in the room. Please vote to free us from private equity's grip. Please vote that bouncing forward not resilience can become an aftermath of any disaster. Please vote that the new form of feudalism is not okay and should not continue. . Please vote to continue to capturing consensus in the public sphere. Please insert yourself into the public sphere as much as you can after the election so the consensus model can truly expand. Thanks for the read! xoxox

by Wm. Steven Humphrey

If you’re reading this, you probably know the value of the Mercury’s news reporting, arts and culture coverage, event calendar, and the bevy of events we host throughout the year. The work we do helps our city shine, but we can’t do it without your support. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support!

GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! ????

Look, it's time for two things: VOTING and NAIL-BITING. We're T-minus five days from the November 5 election, so (if you haven't already) it's time to fill out your ballot! Need help? Then check out the Mercury's Election Issue (in more than 500 spots around town) which comes complete with all our endorsements AND our handy-dandy voter cheat sheet! I can't help you with the nail-biting... but I can provide some NEWS.

IN LOCAL NEWS:

• Police have revealed more about the Ballot Box Bomber (igniter?) who dropped incendiary devices into election boxes in Portland (harming three ballots) and Vancouver (destroying 475). Cops previously identified the make and model of the car—a Volvo S60—and says the suspect is likely a "Caucasian male, 30-40 years of age, very short hair or balding, thin to medium build, thin face, wearing a dark shirt, highly knowledgeable in both metal fabrication and welding." A reward of $2,500 has been offered for information that leads to the arrest of the individual, who police say may strike again. 

• In other election news, city leaders are freaking out over the possibility of civil unrest on election night if an authoritarian despot takes office with the intent of dismantling democracy and making life a living hell for anyone other than his supporters (which is to say, wealthy business leaders and Christian nationalists). Portland Police officers plan to work 12 hour shifts starting on election day, outgoing DA Mike Schmidt is promising criminal prosecutions for those who commit violence and/or the destruction of property, and the county is freeing up jail beds. And of course, Portland's shadow mayor—Andrew Hoan of the Portland Metro Chamber (AKA Portland Business Alliance)—is once again being platformed by local media, and blaming protesters for Portland's shitty reputation when it was his own allies in the millionaire and political class who in 2020 cried like babies to Fox News and the New York Times that Portland was "dead" and a hellhole, because they weren't getting the tax breaks they felt they were entitled to. Reminder that while there definitely a small group of violent a-holes mixed in with the thousands who were righteously protesting police violence against people of color, most of the so-called riots were not riots, and that these cynical attempts by the city (and its business rulers) to curb free speech is exactly why we don't want Trump in office. Stop being fooled.

Independent Audit: Portland has done almost no oversight of business districts that could criminalize homelessness

Lame duck City Council: Let’s give them a 10 year contract extension!

????‍????????‍????????‍????https://t.co/WaNF5JnDqP

— Portland for All (@PDXforAll) October 30, 2024

• Oregon's largest gas utility, NW Natural, is on the receiving end of two lawsuits alleging they use greenwashing tactics to hide the negative environmental impact of natural gas, while knowingly disenfranchising customers and contributing to the climate crisis. Our Taylor Griggs has the details.

Oregon’s first romance-only bookstore is now open in Portland https://t.co/vRKgRyRWa9

— Ryan Haas (@ryanjhaas) October 31, 2024

• Big news: Our own Rose City Rollers derby team will be hosting the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association Global Championships this weekend, right here in Portland! Our Rollers will also be competing for their fifth straight championship win. Trust me, I've attended one of these championships and they are a goddamn BLAST. Interested in going, and learning more RCR's very interesting history? Check out this banger of a story from our own Courtney Vaughn.

• Oh, and HAPPY HALLOWEEN (to those in my coven who celebrate). For those planning on trick-or-treating tonight, you better find matching raincoat to go with your Sexy Chipotle Fork costume—the weather forecast calls for steady rain during the prime candy grabbin' hours.

Looking for fun on election night? Join your friends at Mississippi Studios for the Mercury's official election night watch party—hosted by the hilarious Alex Falcone and Shain Brenden! (And what? IT'S FREE!)https://t.co/OXyBltoyPr

— Portland Mercury ???? (@portlandmercury) October 29, 2024

IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS:

• And because it's impossible to think about anything else, here's your roundup of ELECTION HEADLINES:

"Trump says he would 'protect' women, 'whether the women like it or not'"  • "Dems see signs for optimism in gender gap in early vote" • "At least a quarter million cancel Washington Post subscriptions after non-endorsement, report says" • "MAGA activists say the election is rigged, vow to overturn the results if Trump loses" • "Trump and Johnson hand Democrats an 11th-hour lifeline" • "Election officials are outmatched by Elon Musk’s misinformation machine" • "Trump transition official says RFK Jr. wants to force vaccines off the market" • "Harris’s momentum in California energizes House Democrats, rattles GOP"

President Biden and ... guess who ?! ????
First Lady Jill Biden dressed as a panda for a White House Halloween event @WUSA9 pic.twitter.com/NvFLgt1x4j

— Lorenzo Hall (@LorenzoHall) October 31, 2024

• The Los Angeles Dodgers are the newest World Series champions after defeating the New York Yankees 7-6 last night in a five game series. It was a stunning comeback for the Dodgers who were behind 5-0 in the third inning before the Yankees committed three errors and the Dodgers came roaring back in the fifth and eighth innings to seal the deal. 

• In a show of impotent masculinity, North Korea launched a test of their new long-range test missile that has the ability to reach the US mainland. The test launch was in obvious response to Washington's announcement that the North Korean dictatorship was sending troops to Ukraine to aid the Russians.

SNL is Brat https://t.co/EMld5xBEU6

— Pitchfork (@pitchfork) October 31, 2024

• A blast from the somewhat recent past (though it feels like a million years ago): The star of Tiger King, Joe Exotic, has announced he is engaged to a fellow inmate in a Texas prison, where he's serving a 21-year stretch for hiring a hitman to kill competitor Carole Baskin, as well as multiple counts of wildlife crimes. 

• And finally... if this actually happened at museums—I WOULD GO ALL THE TIME.

@anakins85 #thedramaisreal #grabsomepopcorn #thatsart ♬ original sound - All ???? No Shade!

See how well YOOOooooOOOOu score on this week's Halloooooweeeeeen-themed trivia quiz! (I am a ghost, if you didn't guess.) ???? by Wm. Steven Humphrey

HELLOOOOO, BRAINY HUMAN! It's time once again to put your brainy-brain to the test with this week's edition of POP QUIZ PDX—our weekly, local, sassy-ass trivia quiz. And in this edition, we're testing your knowledge on a variety of HALLOWEEN-related topics including creeeepy Trump statues, ghost cars (and stores!), and Portland's most HAUNTED locales! OoooOOOoooooh! (That is the sound ghosts make, I'm given to understand.) ????

But first, how did you do on our previous, special edition ranked choice quiz? Super good, and I'm confident you are ready to vote if you haven't already! And in case you're wondering, here's how Portlanders ranked who should be our next mayor. (At least we know who should run next time!)

OKAY, TIME FOR A NEW QUIZ! Take this week's quiz below, take our previous pop quizzes here, and come back next week for a brand spankin' new quiz! (Having a tough time answering this quiz? It's probably because you aren't getting Mercury newsletters! HINT! HINT!) Now crank up that cerebellum, because it's time to get BRAINY!

Create your own user feedback survey

Did you enjoy that? Take our past Pop Quizzes HERE!

Plus, Nils Frahm and More Event Updates for October 31 by EverOut Staff

It’s Halloween! Treat yourself to tickets to see Tyler, The Creator on his Chromakopia tour. Country pop princess Kelsea Ballerini has also announced a stop at Moda Center next spring. Plus, Berlin-based pianist, composer, and producer Nils Frahm will set up his elaborate vintage gear at the Schnitz. Read on for details on those and other newly announced events, plus some news you can use.

MUSIC

Amyl and The Sniffers: Cartoon Darkness Tour
Crystal Ballroom (Mar 25, 2025)

Ashe: The Trilogy Tour
Revolution Hall (June 17, 2025)

Daily Bread – Flash Flood Tour
Wonder Ballroom (Mar 22, 2025)

Allee Willis was your favorite artists’ favorite artist decades before Chappell Roan. Allee Willis was a truly fascinating, wildly-creative artist who worked almost exclusively behind the scenes. She was your favorite artists’ favorite artist decades before Chappell Roan. Allee Willis: creative force behind the Friends TV Show Theme, Dangerous Woman to Soviet newspapers Allee Willis: Creative Force, Dangerous Woman, Queer Songwriter Behind Friends' Theme Further Proof That Friends Is Queer-Coded by Melissa Locker

Whether you watched the show or not, you can probably hum the theme song to Friends. Do you know who wrote it for the Rembrandts? And "September"—the Mercury's second favorite song—do you know who co-wrote that with Earth Wind and Fire's Maurice White?

Not to sound like a weird TV pitchman, but what if I told you they were written with the same person. Specifically,  Allee Willis—who was once dubbed “the most dangerous woman in the world” by Pravda, the the official newspaper of the prelapsarian Soviet Union.  

Willis is the star of a new documentary, The World According to Allee Willis, which celebrates its Oregon premiere at the QDoc Film Festival on November 16. The doc is worth your time to burnish your bar trivia skills, but also because Willis was a truly fascinating, wildly-creative artist who worked almost exclusively behind the scenes. She was your favorite artists’ favorite artist decades before Chappell Roan.

Willis had insisted on documenting her life, since 1978, long before reality TV was a thing, so there's plenty of her archival video found in the film. "I've always known that my final art piece would be someone putting together the trail I've left behind," she says in one clip. 

In 2019, Willis died at age 72, and director Alexis Manya Spraic became responsible for following that trail. Spraic intersperses the footage with a cavalcade of famous faces—Paul Reubens, Lily Tomlin, Cyndi Lauper, Pamela Adlon, Paul Feig, Sex and the City director Michael Patrick King, Devo’s Mark Mothersbaugh, as well as—somewhat inexplicably—billionaire Mark Cuban. Their interviews confirm that Willis really was a Hollywood power player, even if you don’t know her name.

Raised in Detroit as Alta Willis, the artist admits that growing up in the shadow of Motown influenced her work. She also did a stint in New York where she wrote her one and only album, Childstar, which had “great reviews and zero sales.” Eventually Willis moved to California because “if she was going to starve to death, she was going to do it in the sun.” ["Not me!" -Portland creatives.]

Willis lived on welfare in that sun, until "Godmother of Soul" Patti LaBelle heard her music, and kickstarted Willis’ songwriting career. Then came Earth Wind & Fire and “September,” the track that made Willis a songwriting star.

"Allee said she was lucky to meet us. We were lucky to meet her, too,” the group's bassist Verdine White says in the film. “That was life-changing for all of us.”

Earth Wind & Fire followed the success of "September" by co-writing another hit “Boogie Wonderland” with Willis, helping her become the music industry’s go-to “rock doc” who could fix up a song and turn it into a hit. 

In addition to being a wildly successful songwriter, Willis was also an art director and set designer, creating the backdrops for Debbie Harry music videos, among others. She continued to collaborate on songs, behind the scenes, and won both a Grammy and a Tony for her work on the musical The Color Purple.  The Friends theme was nominated for an Emmy, but didn't win.

While Willis was able to find professional success, that never quite translated into financial solvency. She also faced challenges in her private life—partially because she was queer at a time when it was extremely difficult to be open and out. She struggled with loneliness for much of her life, Lauper says during one of the film's interviews.

Willis did eventually find love, and then had to contend with the near-universal struggle of balancing work, creativity, and her personal life. When you’re looking at The World According to Allee Willis, it's a wild,  wonderful, and sometimes painful view, but well worth watching.

The World According to Allee Willis screens as part of QDoc Film Festival at Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy, Sat Nov 16, 4:30 pm, $12, tickets here. Some streaming starting Nov 22. Visit alleewillisdoc.com for more.

by Suzette Smith

The Mercury provides its readers with interesting and useful news & culture reporting every single day. If you appreciate that, consider making a small monthly contribution to support our editorial team. If you read something you like, something you don't like but are glad to know about, and/or something you can't find anywhere else consider a one-time tip. It all goes in the same pot and it all goes to the editorial team. Thanks for your support!

Good Morning, Portland! When they told me a bat could be beautiful I didn't believe, but now I believe.

IN LOCAL NEWS:
• As October comes to a close, so too does the Bureau of Land Management’s annual Bat Beauty Contest, which asks where the "most stunning bat photographed on BLM public lands" can be found? It's Oregon, motherfuckers! For the third year running WE HAVE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BAT. YES! Despite J. K. Rowling's tarnished-as-hell legacy, we can still celebrate this feisty male hoary bat, Hoary Potter. It's also worth noting that this is the second year a bat photographed by wildlife technician Emma Busk took top beauty honors. Busk wrote, "anyone who knows me knows that I’ve been wanting to photograph a hoary bat,"—a sentiment we can all echo.

BLM's most beautiful bat is from Oregon, and I love him. pic.twitter.com/T8qQgsz5kT

— Suzette Smith (@suzettesmith) November 1, 2024

• There's also terrible news, unfortunately. Yesterday evening, a shooting at Vancouver Mall, in Vancouver, WA, killed one person and injured two in the building's food court.  A witness who spoke to KOIN described "a harrowing scene, as the shopping center was full of kids trick-or-treating." So far, police have said they do not have a suspect in custody and the person may still be armed. They told KOIN they were reviewing surveillance footage, but have not yet released a description of the shooter.

• Oh my god, Clark County are you okay? KPTV reports that Clark County Elections Office is warning voters to beware of unofficial ballot boxes. Unofficial ballot boxes are not illegal in Washington! (This also appears to be true of Oregon!) Clark County Elections encouraged voters official ballot return locations.

• The Oregonian is returning to broadsheet size, they announced yesterday in a post that did not explain what that is for readers who didn't go to graphic design school / work in at newspaper with some old dude named Phil. Somewhat surprisingly, Willamette Week's Nigel Jaquiss stepped in to clarify. Tabloid is hotdog style fold; broadsheet is burger. Both WW and the Mercury are hotdogs. The New York Times is burger fold.

• NPR's Up First weirdly tried to do a report on Vice President Kamala Harris "highlighting Trump's own language and using it against him," as if that's somehow something of which to be critical? Gave me the vapors of the new Hasaan Hates Portland sketch from this week:

• In two week's the city's beloved queer documentary festival QDoc will host the Oregon debut of The World According to Allee Willis, which explores the complicated life of a queer "song doctor" who co-wrote not only Earth, Wind and Fire's "September," but the Friends TV show theme. Check out Melissa Locker's review of the film.; she says it's not to be missed!

• Did you take this week's local news quiz? 

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IN NATIONAL NEWS:
• Atlanta rap star Young Thug, born Jeffery Williams, finally walked free last night, after pleading guilty to "six counts, including possession of drugs and firearms... leading a criminal street gang and conspiracy to violate the RICO act, the state’s racketeering law," the New York Times reports. As part of the plea, the judge sentenced Williams to a total sentence of 40 years, but commuted the five years of prison time to the two and a half years that Williams has already served. Williams will remain on probation for 15 years, and will "be required to stay away from metro Atlanta for the first 10 years of his probation." He is also required to take random drug tests, make anti-gang presentations for children's organizations four times a year, perform 100 hours of community service a year, and "refrain from promoting gangs or being around known gang members." The ongoing Young Slime Life (YSL) court proceedings—which caused NYT's Joe Coscarelli to ask "is YSL was a record label, street gang, or both?"—have stretched into what is now the longest trial in Georgia history. Despite three other plea deals this week, it appears the trial will continue with the two remaining co-defendants.

• Mark Zuckerberg dressed as Fran Lebowitz for Halloween, and that's just what happened.

Mark Zuckerberg dressed as John Wick for Halloween but I thought it was Fran Lebowitz pic.twitter.com/zdXaomOMPR

— Meech (@MediumSizeMeech) November 1, 2024

• You're going to see some stuff today about "explosive new audio" recordings where Donald Trump speaks candidly to the reviled Jeffrey Epstein about his White House Staff and his disdain for the position itself. It's only really on the Daily Beast, the podcast of journalist Michael Wolff, and a few other sites. I'd rather wait til a super solid source gets it—seems like maybe they're holding off because they're checking it?—but the story is out there. Don't sound like anything particularly new, but people are saying "October surprise" because they want attention.

• Also in weird news about guys we already thought were corrupt, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito is apparently pledged to some secretive religious traditionalist organization. That tracks.

• Flashback to this masterpiece, which has been floating around the zeitgeist all week.