Lifeline: Ten Cool Things To Do in Two Weeks

ZIAD RABIE AND HIS JAZZ QUARTET Photo by Andy Goh 1/6

WEDNESDAY NIGHT LIVE: KWANZAA CELEBRATION

Patterned on African harvest festivals, Kwanzaa takes its name from the Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanza,” which means “first fruits.” The holiday, which runs from Dec. 26–Jan. 1, was launched in 1966 by American Black activist and teacher Maulana Karenga, who centered it on seven principles. The Gantt Center’s celebration focuses on the principle of Ujima, which revolves around sharing struggles and duties as a community, with collective art-making from Kimberly Turner, owner of Elizabeth In Pearls; dance and play powered by Drums 4 Life; and a session about Kwanzaa’s history with Kwanzaa Charlotte. More: Free; Dec. 28, 6:30 p.m.; Harvey B. Gantt Center, 551 S. Tryon St.; ganttcenter.org

JAZZ @ THE GANTT: LEE ODUM QUARTET

The fourth of a monthly music series featuring modern jazz musicians from New York City, Jazz @ The Gantt spotlights woodwinds player Lee Odum. Newton native Odom was transfixed by music after seeing her grandparents’ gospel group perform. After playing clarinet in middle school, high school and at Appalachian State University, Odum moved to New York City, where she played with the city’s jazz titans, honed her improv and performance skills and picked up the saxophone. The New York Times describes her playing as “prayerful and ever searching.” More: $65; Dec. 29-30, 6 & 8:30 p.m.; Harvey B. Gantt Center, 551 S. Tryon St.; ganttcenter.org

MARTEL’S MOVIE MADNESS NEW YEAR’S EVE EVE CELEBRATION

“People always want movies to have a reason for the events to be taking place … but life is random sometimes, so why can’t movies be?” These words of wisdom from actor and filmmaker Ryan Martel (he/they/she) encapsulates their anarchic outlook towards movies. Having directed films such as Martel’s Movie Madness: The Movie, which you can stream courtesy of legendary trash cineaste studio Troma (The Toxic Avenger), Martel often screens creations by local directors along with other unique finds. The entire inspired enterprise seems to be based on expecting the unexpected. More: Donations encouraged; Dec. 30, 7 p.m.; VisArt Video, 3104 Eastway Drive; visartvideo.org

TRIANGLE AFROBEAT ORCHESTRA, QUISOL, ICH

Snug Harbor presents a bill of performers who marry insistent grooves to devotion to community. Led by bassist/composer Vattel Cherry, Triangle Afrobeat Orchestra takes its sonic cues from the polyrhythmic, hypnotic grooves of Afrobeat pioneers Fela Kuti and Tony Allen, then crosses that template with the passion of Nina Simone. Proudly queer pop dynamo Quisol harnesses alt-R&B, electro, soul and unconventional melodies to topics ranging from social movements to personal concerns. Explosive Latin jazz-tinged punk is the domain of ICH, a solo project by Zeta frontman Juan Ricardo Yilo, aka Juan Chi. More: $10; Jan. 6, 9:30 p.m.; Snug Harbor, 1228 Gordon St.; snugrock.com

ROSALIA TORRES-WEINER Photo by Brandon Weiner 1/4

CINE CASUAL FILM SCREENING: ‘THE MAGIC KITE’

Rosalia Torres-Weiner’s short film The Magic Kite traces its origin to the artist’s Papalote Project, a program in which Torres-Weiner encouraged the children to express emotions about losing one or both parents to deportation through the creation of colorful kites. The project spawned an art installation, which then inspired a storybook adaptation, a stage play based on the book, a traveling puppet show version of the play and finally this film adaptation. All are centered on the image of a boy unfurling a kite to release the sorrow of losing a parent. More: Free; Jan. 4, 6:30 p.m.; Mint Museum Uptown, 500 S. Tryon St.; mintmuseum.org

TWELFTH NIGHT: SPIRITS OF THE SEASON

The Charlotte Museum of History’s annual Twelfth Night returns. This year’s theme, Spirits of the Season, emphasizes North Carolina’s long history of distilling and brewing while detailing how secret stills and fast cars shaped the Charlotte region’s profile and economy. The festivities include tastings from local distillers and brewers, themed tours of the 1774 homesite, live music, and a featured lecture about moonshine and bootlegging delivered by author Daniel Pierce. Pierce’s excellent book, Tar Heel Lightnin’, weaves folklore, pop culture, and changing laws to tell the real story of moonshine. More: $10-$35; Jan. 7, 6 p.m.; Charlotte Museum of History; 3500 Shamrock Drive; charlottemuseum.org

JAZZ AT THE BECHTLER: ORIGINAL MUSIC BY ZIAD

Since its inception in 2010, Jazz at the Bechtler, led by Ziad Rabie and anchored by the Ziad Jazz Quartet, has focused on mid-century jazz showcasing local, regional, and national musicians performing arrangements by legendary jazz artists. For the first time, Jazz at the Bechtler kicks off the new year with “A Night of Original Music by Ziad Rabie.” Acclaimed saxophonist and Jazz at the Bechtler artistic director Ziad performs seven of his original compositions, accompanied by drummer Kobie Watkins, pianist Lovell Bradford and bassist Ron Brendle. More: $16-$20; Jan. 6, 6 & 8:15 p.m.; Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, 420 S. Tryon St.; bechtler.org

CHRISTY SNOW BAND

Ordained minister, activist and legendary Charlotte singer/songwriter Christy Snow launched her music career in 1991, with acoustic tunes that spread a life-affirming message about respecting all beings. Thirty-two years later, Snow enters a new stage of music-making with the electric and rocking Christy Snow Band. The all-female band includes Doubting Thomas members Gina Stewart and Brenda Gambill on bass, harmonica and violin, along with guitarist Kim Niption and drummer Rochelle Coatney. The music benefits from all members contributing to the songwriting, while the players add a scalpel-sharp edge to Snow’s innate compassion. More: $12-$15; Jan. 7, 7:30 p.m.; Evening Muse, 3227 N. Davidson St.; eveningmuse.com

A SOLDIER’S PLAY

Forty years after it won the 1982 Pulitzer Prize, A Soldier’s Play once again grabbed the spotlight with a Tony-winning Broadway debut in 2020. A murder mystery set on a segregated Army base in 1944 Louisiana, the show works as both a tense thriller and a compelling character study. A Black officer arrives at the remote base to investigate the murder of a Black sergeant, a man whose internalized racism posed a threat to the Black soldiers in his charge. This ever-timely revival grapples with questions about sacrifice, service, and identity in America. More: $25 and up; Jan. 10-15, 7:30 p.m.; Knight Theater, 430 S. Tryon St.; blumenthalarts.org

GEOFF TATE

When Queensrÿche burst upon the metal scene in the 1980s, the Seattle band was a breath of fresh air in a field dominated by derivative pop metal. Queensrÿche cut loose from the pack with highly technical twin guitar pyrotechnics and co-founder Geoff Tate’s operatic vocals which dialed up the pomp and precision of Queen’s Freddie Mercury. When the band split acrimoniously in 2012, Tate embarked on a solo career that balances the progressive metal of his old band with a mix of modern pop rock styles and ambitious lyrics excoriating shady practices by the finance sector. More: $27-$40; Jan. 10, 8 p.m.; Neighborhood Theatre, 511 E. 36th St.; neighborhoodtheatre.com