Set List

Where to go. What to hear.

Jazz Harpists at Grace Baptist Church

“Jazz” and”harp” sound like they’ll mix about as well as oil and vinegar, but in the hands of virtuosos Park Stickney and Rudiger Oppermann the sound of “extreme harp” is surprisingly non-harplike. It sounds like everything else, though: Spanish guitar, synth jazz, high-strung bass blues. As impressive as it is weird, these two have been spreading the word around the world, from their debut at the, yes, World Harp Congress in Geneva to the fair River City. Listen for strains of Miles Davis and even Sting, April 7 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $5-$15 at Plan 9 or Coppola’s Deli or call 741-5888.

Karla Bonoff at the Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen

Singer-songwriter Bonoff has penned tunes for Linda Ronstadt and Bonnie Raitt, and her song “Tell Me Why” became the title song for Wynonna Judd’s second album. So to say she’s had an influence on the world of strong female voices is a bit of an understatement. She’s been in the orbit of folk and country since the ’70s and has toured with John Prine, J.D. Souther and Bonnie Raitt. She’s performing in the final concert of the 2005 Music Connection Series at the Cultural Arts Center with Kenny Edwards, April 9 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $22-$25. 261-6200.

Rick Epping at In Your Ear Studios

Continuing the theme of uncommon instruments and the people who love them, the JAMinc house concert series presents Richmonder Rick Epping, a former All Ireland Harmonica Champion, performing at the studio April 12 before he packs up his mouth organs and moves to Ireland. Epping has traveled the world for Hohner Harmonica Company, developing his blend of blues, old-time and Celtic sounds. Ever heard of the XB-40? Epping designed this new harmonica and will be putting it through its paces starting at 7:30 pm. Doors are at 6 p.m. Tickets are $15. 320-7067.

Pere Ubu at the Byrd

Pere Ubu’s arthouse synth-rock sound has developed a cult following in the last 30 years for its outsider status in the evolving world of rock. So it’s appropriate that the Richmond Moving Image Co-Op has recruited the group to perform during the screening of Roger Corman’s own cult masterpiece, “X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes,” the finale of the James River Film Festival. The sci-fi camp is undercut with sound effects, dialogue and music that yield a whole new creature for fans to get culty about. The show starts April 9 at 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $12-$15.

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