Bar Review at Velveteen Rabbit
Help the Boyd School of Law’s Organization of Women Law Students raise money for cash-strapped nonprofit Shade Tree while catching performances by Blair Dewane and Chani Leavitt, The Wayside, Heidi Guinn, Paige Overton and more. Partial proceeds from the evening’s exclusive cocktail will benefit the shelter, and donations will also be accepted. September 14, 8 p.m. –Leslie Ventura
The Yawpers at Backstage Bar & Billiards
This Denver trio’s just-released concept album, Boy in a Well, tells the tale of a French child abandoned during World War I … but you don’t need to sort that out to shake your body to The Yawpers’ howling psychobilly. With The All-Togethers, Cletus and Mexican Sweat. September 14, 8 p.m., $10-$12. –Spencer Patterson
Genderfest at the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada
A black transgender woman is shot and killed by St. Louis police. Another trans woman is murdered outside a nightclub in, of all places, San Francisco. A small business owner in Illinois mocks trans people with signs posted in his front window. A transgender male corrections officer is denied the right to use the men’s restroom in Iowa. A trans man is forced to expose his prosthetic penis to a police officer to prove he hasn’t shoplifted from a New Jersey store. Reports of rising homelessness among—and calls to suicide hotlines by—trans youth abound. And trans servicepeople are set to be banned from serving in the U.S. Armed Forces under an order from President Trump.
These summer headlines—among many others—underscore the need for Genderfest, a three-day forum and convention aimed at giving trans and gender diverse folks—along with its allies in the community—information, guidance and support largely through discussions. Workshop topics include trans youth and parenting (most occurring on Thursday), trans fertility and family planning, medical/health and legal concerns, romance and family and religion. There will also be conversations regarding trans history and safety (the latter led by Metro) and three keynote speeches. Chatter at Genderfest won’t be limited to podiums and panelists, though, as networking and social opportunities cap each day, like Saturday’s Trans Prom—a celebratory end to one of the most important events on the local LGBT calendar. September 14-16, Free, for schedule information visit thecenterlv.org/genderfest. –Mike Prevatt
Yule Opening Reception at UNLV's Grant Hall Gallery
“It isn’t about Christmas.” That’s what artists and UNLV MFA candidates Jennifer Henry and Christopher Jones want you to know their new collaborative art show, Yule. “It’s about all the signs we recognize without looking … our obligatory relationship with the ephemerality of seasonal festivity and what we’re supposed to do with all this stuff when it’s over,” the artist statement explains.
Even though the show doesn’t focus on “the most wonderful time of the year,” Henry says the visual arc “relies heavily on iconoclastic Christmas regalia,” with a performance using an inflatable Santa and lots of wrapping paper. Will you still get that holly jolly feeling in the middle of September, or will it just reveal the absurdity of our treasured capitalist traditions? “It’s a bold abstraction of the ideas of mass celebration,” Henry says, “and what happens when you remove those things from that time of year.” September 15, 6 p.m., Exhibit up through September 20, free. –Leslie Ventura
Bike-In Movie Night at Huntridge Circle Park
Begin the evening with an open-air screening of the terrific 1979 coming-of-age comedy Breaking Away—then hop on your bike for a group ride through the streets of the Arts District and Fremont East. You could hardly ask for more perfect double feature. September 16, 6 p.m., Free, facebook.com/blinkingman. –Geoff Carter
Danez Smith at UNLV
In his just-released collection, Don’t Call Us Dead, award-winning Minnesota poet Danez Smith examines both the anxiety and beauty of being non-white and queer in America today—a noteworthy, relevant choice to kick off BMI’s Emerging Writers Series. September 20, 7 p.m., Free, Beverly Rogers Literature & Law Building, Room 101. RSVP at bit.ly/2w186S1. –Mike Prevatt
