My God, it’s full of stars!
Fleischmann Planetarium will offer aspiring astronomers a few opportunities to explore the galaxy this month starting with a small-group guided stargazing tour. An astronomer will give a preview of the constellations that will be observed; then, depending on the weather, the astronomer will either fire up the robotic telescopes, power up the virtual dome and/or head outside to use high-tech telescopes and astrographs to see and image the celestial objects. The planetarium will offer complimentary digital images of the objects as souvenirs of this journey through the stars. Space is limited for these interactive small-group sessions, so purchase your tickets soon. The tour begins at 8 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 18. Stargazers will be in for a treat next weekend when Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus will be visible in the evening sky at the same time. Stop by the planetarium for the Planet Parade Watch Party starting at 8 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 25. Both events will be at the Fleischmann Planetarium and Science Center, 1664 N. Virginia St., at the north end of the University of Nevada, Reno campus. Tickets are $5-$10. Admission is free for planetarium members. Call 775-784-4812, or go to www.unr.edu/planetarium.
The big picture
Arbors Memory Care Community will host My Story: Beyond the Many Faces of Dementia, a photographic exhibition of residents’ portraits by local photographer Jesse Hon. The show focuses on the people behind the photographs and their life stories, according to Amanda Jenkins, Arbors’ executive director. Arts and media humanitarian specialist Joseph Galata will be the featured speaker at this free event which runs from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 21, at Arbors Memory Care Community, 2121 E. Prater Way, on Sparks. Call 775-331-8875, or visit arborsmemorycare.com.
Dig it
More than 200 million years ago, the Great Basin was covered by a shallow sea inhabited by various creatures, including a species of ichthyosaur known as the Shonisaurus popularis. Learn more about this ancient marine reptile in the talk “Monsters From Deep Time: The Life and Death of Giant Nevada Ichthyosaurs.” Paleontologists Neil Kelley and Randy Irmis will discuss new discoveries from Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park and other Nevada fossil sites that shed new light on the lives of Nevada’s state fossil, Shonisaurus. The presentation starts at 6 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 23, at the Nevada Museum of Art, 160 W. Liberty St. Tickets are $15 for general admission, $13 for students and $10 for NMA members. Call 775-329-3333, or go to www.nevadaart.org to register.
Light the fusion
Experimental world-dance fusion and electronic music group Beats Antique returns to Reno after a six-year hiatus. The Oakland, Calif., trio, comprised of David Satori, Zoe Jakes and Sidecar Tommy, is known for its cross-genre music and live shows that mix samples and heavy percussion with tribal fusion dance and performance art. Beats Antique have appeared at major festivals like Coachella, Lollapalooza and Lightning in a Bottle, and have completed multiple national tours, including sold-out headline shows at Red Rocks Amphitheatre near Denver. Electronic dance music duo Dimond Saints opens the all-ages show, which starts at 8 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 23, at Cargo Concert Hall, at 255 N. Virginia St. Tickets are $35-$50. Visit www.cargoreno.com or www.freshbakin.com.
Blues streak
Albert Cummings brings his blend of soulful vocals and electrifying guitar work to Carson City. With a style rooted in the spirit of legends like the late Stevie Ray Vaughan, the blues musician has been active in the music industry for more than 30 years, and has shared the stage with luminaries such as B.B. King, Johnny Winter and Buddy Guy. His career took off with the debut album by his band Swamp Yankee in 1999, followed by his collaboration with members of Double Trouble, Stevie Ray Vaughan’s rhythm section, on his solo debut From the Heart in 2003. With a multi-album deal with Blind Pig Records and a recent release on Provogue Records, Cummings continues to captivate audiences and gain new fans with his mix of blues, rock and country influences. He will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Jan. 24, in the Swan Music Hall at the Nashville Social Club, 1105 S. Carson St., in Carson City. Tickets are $25. Call 775-515-0020, or visit thenashvilleclub.com.
Down with the (love)sickness
Reno Philharmonic’s Classix Series continues with a performance of Hector’s Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique. The French composer wrote the symphony while in the throes of unrequited love for an actress, and each movement of the composition tells the story of a young man’s emotional highs and lows as he attempts to get her attention. The symphony’s final movement, “Dream of a Witches’ Sabbath,” is known for its use of the “Dies irae” melody, which electronic musician and composer Wendy Carlos also used in her film score of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. Cellist Sterling Elliott (pictured) will join the Reno Philharmonic Orchestra for a performance of Camille Saint-Saëns’ Concerto No. 1 for Cello and Orchestra in A minor, op. 33. The program will also feature Maurice Ravel’s La valse. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 25; and 2 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 26, at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts, 100 S. Virginia St. Tickets are $36.50-$112.50. Call 775-323-6393, or go to renophil.com.
Sowing the seeds of love
While some people spend their winter shredding up the slopes, others spend the season planning their spring garden. Get a jump start on planting season by attending several seed swap events next weekend. Master Gardeners of Washoe County invites gardeners of all ages and levels of experience to learn about National Seed Swap Day, and share and collect seeds to use for this year’s garden. Seed swap events will take place from 3 to 6 p.m., Friday, Jan. 24, at Duncan/Traner Community Library, 1650 Carville Drive; 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Jan. 25, at the Sparks Library, 1125 12th St., in Sparks; and 2 to 4 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 26, in the Paiute Room at Spanish Springs Library, 7100A Pyramid Way, in Sparks. All the events are free to attend. Visit events.washoecountylibrary.us/calendar for more information. The University Extension Douglas County Master Gardeners program will hold its fourth annual seed swap event from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 25, in the South Room at the Douglas County Community and Senior Center, 1329 Waterloo Lane, in Gardnerville. A $5 suggested donation is requested. Go to extension.unr.edu/master-gardeners/events.aspx or www.facebook.com/UNRExtensionDouglas.
Trance-formative
Go on sonic trip across the galaxy next weekend with “trance-fusion” group Disco Biscuits. The Philadelphia-based jam band’s latest release is a space opera titled Revolution in Motion. Released in four parts and accompanied by comic book-style 3-D-animated films, Revolution in Motion tells of an alien species set out to discover and study other life throughout the universe. After partying a little too hard and losing track of their mission, the aliens slip through space in a wormhole, arriving at none other than our planet Earth. Vowing to complete their mission, the aliens set out to abduct and study humans with only the Disco Biscuits able to save their own world, and possibly the aliens’ world as well. The band will play two shows, at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 25, and Sunday, Jan. 26, in the Crown Room at the Crystal Bay Casino, at 14 Highway 28, Crystal Bay. Tickets are $45. Call 775-833-6333, or visit www.crystalbaycasino.com.
11 Days a Week is written and compiled by Kelley Lang. Want your event included in 11 Days a Week? Email 11days@renonr.com for consideration. Email advertising@renonr.com for advertising info!
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