For Your Ears

Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
Rudresh Mahanthappa presents
“Samdhi”
Outpost Performance Space
210 Yale Boulevard SE
All ages
general $20, members and students $15

Rudresh Mahanthappa, Guggenheim fellow and 2009 Downbeat International Critics Poll winner, is performing his latest project entitled “Samdhi” this Thursday. Mahanthappa was also named Alto Saxophonist of the Year in 2009 and 2010 by the Jazz Journalist Association. His style deviates from the constructs of traditional jazz, weaving sounds from southeast Asia into the music. Translated from Sanskrit, the program’s name means “that which combines or unites” or “the interval between day and night,” denoting the multicultural dimensions of his music.

Oct. 12 at 8 p.m., doors open at 7 p.m.
“Big D and The Kids Table”
“The Have Nots”
“Martial Law”
The Launchpad
All ages
$10

“Big D and the Kids Table” create a cross between ska and punk in its self-produced music. The band, which has more former members than current ones, has maintained a strong DIY ethic since it formed in 1995 in Massachusetts. As is the case with most ska/punk bands, the sound is energetic and free-spirited, though it distinguishes itself with lyrics that reflect band members’ personal lives.

Oct. 17 at 8 p.m., doors open at 7 p.m.
“Grieves and Budo”
“Prof”
“The MC Type”
“Solar One”
The Launchpad
All ages
$13

Grieves and Budo leave out the in-yo-face hip-hop attitude for the most part, fusing rap with other genres like electronica and unconventional accompaniments like trumpet and flute. A self-made man, Grieves flourished in Seattle, spending most of his time honing his craft in a barren apartment, and eventually partnering with Budo, an established local producer in Seattle.

Friday, Oct. 28
“Nosferatu” accompanied by Dorothy Papadakos
The Cathedral Church of St. John
318 Silver Avenue SW
adults $20, seniors $15, students with ID $5

The classic silent film from 1922, “Nosferatu,” depicts a classic blood-lusting creep based on Bram Stoker’s “Dracula,” a Halloween staple. This year, organist Dorothy Papadakos performs a live soundtrack on the largest pipe organ in New Mexico as the film plays simultaneously.

Saturday, Oct. 29 at 7 p.m., doors open at 6 p.m.
Night of the Living Cover Bands 4
The Launchpad
21

This is the fourth year the Launchpad is giving local bands a public platform to take a stab at a big-name band, a scary thought indeed. It’s hard to say whether the locals will breathe fresh life into these established celebrity bands such as the ZZ Top, Cheap Trick, David Bowie, Green Day or Nirvana, or slaughter them mercilessly. Like falling prey to reality television, your level of entertainment depends not necessarily on the stars’ success but on witnessing their public breakdown in the face of cruel and unusual challenges, such as imitating The Doors or They Might Be Giants.