Wednesday 06 – Count Basie died back in 1984, and yet the Count Basie Orchestra continues to tour the world well after the passing of the big-band jazz music that he pioneered. The ensemble, which has been in existence for more than 80 years, is here to promote its latest album, All About That Basie with a concert at 7:30pm at Winspear Performance Hall, 2100 N I-35, Denton. Tickets are $15-20. Call 940-369-7802.
Thursday 07 –Fathom Events seems to have a stranglehold on events broadcast in movie theaters, but Trafalgar Releasing is trying to change that. They’re showing Joni 75: A Birthday Celebration, with musicians such as Kris Kristofferson, Norah Jones, Seal, and Rufus Wainwright paying tribute to Joni Mitchell, at 7pm at various movie theaters. Check Calendar for locations. Tickets are $8.93-10.93.
Friday 08 – Is it too long after the fact to give Brandon T. Jackson a hard time for playing a centaur in those Percy Jackson movies? We’d rather recognize him for his recurring voice role on TV’s BoJack Horseman and for the fact that he comes by here often. He’ll perform his stand-up act Thu-Sun at the Improv, 309 Curtis Mathes Way, Arlington. Tickets are $20-30. Call 817-635-5555.
Saturday 09 – The latest in a string of rock musicians to try to crack the classical concert hall is R.E.M.’s Mike Mills, who will be in town for one night with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra as they premiere his Concerto for Violin, Rock Band, and String Orchestra. Mills will play bass with the orchestra while Robert McDuffie is the featured soloist at 7pm at Bass Performance Hall, 555 Commerce St, FW. Tickets are $55-126.50. Call 817-665-6000.
Sunday 10 – The Stock Show may be gone, but there’s still a rodeo left in Tarrant County over in Arlington. The PBR Global Cup USA pits a team of American riders (all Native Americans this year) against teams from Australia, Brazil, Canada, and Mexico to give this rodeo a distinctly international flavor. The event runs Sat thru today at AT&T Stadium, 1 Legends Way, Arlington. Tickets are $10-82. Call 800-732-1727.
Monday 11 – The TCU-Kansas basketball game will be a huge deal tonight, but we’re writing up the TCU Symphony Orchestra instead. Germán Gutiérrez conducts Shostakovich’s anguished Fifth Symphony and Ginastera’s Dances from Estancia, a Copland-esque cowboy ballet that is nevertheless wholly Argentinian. The concert is happening off-campus, so you won’t have to worry about dodging game traffic. The music starts at 7:30pm at I.M. Terrell Academy Auditorium, 1411 I.M. Terrell Cir S, FW. Admission is free. Call 817-257-7602.
Tuesday 12 – Come by the Amon Carter Museum to see With the Help of Friends, an exhibit that highlights the museum’s stellar photography collection. The works here range from Margaret Bourke-White’s midcentury realism to Joaquin Trujillo’s striking portraits and Jane Hammond’s surreal, dreamlike prints. The show runs thru Jun 2 at 3501 Camp Bowie Blvd, FW. Admission is free. Call 817-738-1933.
