u/EdGrimley

hey all, the Woodland Art Fair is this weekend! it’s gonna be hot, but it’s a great community event. Hope you can make it!

Also, if you can ride your bike to the park, please do. They have a free bike check (near the tennis courts) so yout bike will be safe. Traffic during the art fair is pretty crazy, and riding your bike helps!

Friends, please join Outside the Spotlight as Philadelphia-based Bark Culture returns for a free ($10 suggested donation) show this Friday, August 14 at Lexington Scottish Rite (553 Rosemont Garden). We are very excited to have Bark Culture returning again this year, as past shows have been big hits! This will be a show you can bring your less-musically-adventurous friends to, and they will have a good time. Please come, and bring a friend (or two)!

Local cello performer Holden Bitner will open the night, with music starting around 7pm. If you can't come until a little later, don't sweat it. This is a relaxed environment and all are welcome!

Poster for OTS 248 - Bark Culture and Holden Bitner

Bark Culture is a Philadelphia-based trio led by vibraphonist Victor Vieira-Branco, featuring Joey Sullivan on drums and John Moran on bass. The band is touring their new record, "The Giant is Awkward," released on June 5th, 2026.

“The Giant is Awkward” is five pieces that mirror the prismatic nature of a sound Vieira-Branco has been tirelessly crafting with the group since 2021. The band’s 2024 debut, “Warm Wisdom”, received high praise, with New York Times jazz critic Hank Shteamer listing it among his top debuts of 2024, as well as landing a spot on Bandcamp’s Best of Jazz for September 2024.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks5jWMzIDKQ

Holden Bitner

Bitner is an accomplished orchestral musician, currently pursuing his doctorate in cello performance at the University of Kentucky with professor Benjamin Karp. Bitner has performed with the Lexington Philharmonic, Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, Lexington Chamber Orchestra, as well as many other regional orchestras as well as performing with groups Fomo Sapien and Lava Lamb.

Hi friends. I love live local music!

I am collecting music videos from Lexington bands on https://livefromlexington.com and would love to add some more. If you have links to music videos (or even good live performances) from Lexington bands that I don't already have, could you reply here with the link(s)?

Y'all. Outside the Spotlight is proud to present an all-star lineup of Chicago experimental jazz on Monday July 13th, 7pm at 21c in downtown Lexington! Tim Daisy has performed at many Outside the Spotlight events, so you probably recognize him. Ken Vandermark has also been making crazy sounds at OTS events for years. This show brings them together again, with Allen Moore and Ishmael Ali. Wait... Sax, Drums, Cello, and Turntables?! Emphatically YES! Come to 21c on Monday and find out what that sounds like! This is a celebration of Tim's 50th birthday, so there might even be cake. The show is on the 2nd floor and all-ages. Donations are appreciated, as OTS pays all performers and runs off donations. Hope to see you there!

Vandermark/Daisy/Moore/Ali: Tim Daisy's 50th Birthday Tour

VDMA is Chicago drummer Tim Daisy's 50th Birthday Tour Ensemble; a powerhouse quartet representing the vanguard of Chicago's renowned avant-garde and experimental music community. Organized by veteran percussionist Tim Daisy to commemorate his milestone 50th birthday, the group is intentionally designed as a multigenerational bridge linking different eras of sonic exploration.

It unites iconic, long-established stalwarts of the movement with some of the city's most forward-thinking, emerging creative voices. By merging traditional acoustic instruments like reeds, cello, and drums with modern turntablism and electronics, the quartet blurs the lines between free jazz, noise, and electroacoustic composition.

https://preview.redd.it/ymgqj2ygogch1.png?width=820&format=png&auto=webp&s=0c542930af81ccb4ac68b44986781a57592c8062

The VDMA Ensemble is...

• Ken Vandermark (Reeds): A MacArthur Fellow and cornerstone of the international jazz and free-improvised scene.
• Tim Daisy (Drums/Percussion): A prolific composer, bandleader, and rhythmic anchor who has shaped the Chicago sound for nearly three decades.
• Allen Moore (Turntables/Electronics): A dynamic sonic artist utilizing vinyl surface noise, pitch manipulation, and electronic textures.
• Ishmael Ali (Cello): A versatile cellist and electronic musician pushing the boundaries of contemporary string improvisation.

A new student housing development is being proposed near campus. This one is in the Woodland Triangle area, near Woodland Park. The affected properties are:

• 201-235 Woodland Ave (Dalhaus Fudge, ThunderKats Skate Shop, other retail)
• 475 East Maxwell St
• 477 East Maxwell St
• 488 East High St
• 496 East High St (old Ramsey's, current Sassy Bleu)
• 498 East High St

Affected Area

The developer is Titan Investments and they are seeking a zone change to construct this mixed-use building with ground-floor retail. It is "student housing", and I'm not aware of the parking garage plan, if any.

There is a meeting at Woodland Christian Church this Thursday (yes, 2 days notice) May 28th at 6:30pm where the developer will present their plan and answer questions.

If you have opinions on this development, please plan to attend!

Note: This is not the zone change meeting with the city council. It's just a meeting with the developer that's requesting the zone change.