Continuing our wind-down of the Lawrence music scene, we have Ebony Tusks, a personal favorite from local hip-hop. Marty Hillard is a great showman who brings everything from hardcore rhymes to some heart-wrenching slam poetry and is just a decent guy on top of it all.

Vibralux

In terms of showmanship, there aren’t a lot of acts around here that bring it as hard as Vibralux. Blending old-school heavy metal shock imagery with a gender-bending aesthetic, this is an act that really stands out. It took a little luck to get these shots through the strobes and fog, but it certainly gives an impression of what it’s like to see them in person.

Drugs & Attics

I missed out on seeing local party rock act Drugs & Attics at Field Day Fest, so this was a little catch-up for me. Drugs & Attics is a very high-energy act and I only wish I was quick enough to catch some of the further theatrics on display.

Eems

As I near the end of my tenure here in the Oasis, I’ve been trying to get pictures of acts that I’ve overlooked over the past few years. This weekend was a good one, with a free show at the Bottleneck featuring no fewer than three acts I’d never seen at all. First up is Eems, a rapper-turned-ukulele-player (go figure, huh?) who opened and closed his set with a drumline featuring his younger brothers.

Get Felt @ Cider Gallery

Promised and delivered: Last seen at the White Schoolhouse a few weeks back, Lawrence’s own after-hours puppet theatre the Felt Show made an appearance at the Cider Gallery for January’s Final Friday. This month’s show featured a number of educational vignettes, including self-defense against orange sex monsters, proper use of a bidet, and a master’s course in the fine art of baiting.

The Felt Show @ The White Schoolhouse

Has it been a month? Well, savage cold can have a dampening effect on enthusiasm when you walk everywhere. So on Friday, I opted for the relative comfort of driving, heading to the White Schoolhouse for the return of long-time local act Electric Needle Room. There were plenty of supporting acts on hand, including a brief appearance by Lawrence’s own R-rated puppet theatre the Felt Show. Hopefully I’ll be able to get a chance to capture a full Felt Show performance while I’m still here, but in the meantime, here’s a sampler:

Goodbye, Ovaries-eez

Yet again, I’ve been fortunate enough to have my camera on hand to capture a departing act. This time it was the last performance of the harmonious trio the Ovaries-eez, appearing as part of the Forever Fest showcase (which also included some other previously featured acts including Invisible Public Library and High Westhus).

Lawrence Old-Fashioned Christmas Parade

Parades aren’t normally my thing, but the Lawrence holiday parade has a certain charm to it. It features no motorized vehicles, only horses and carts, plus a lot of period costumes. Most of the riders are from the greater Kansas City area though you’ll also see participants from Nebraska, Iowa, even Wyoming.