Our week begins with the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. Most government offices, banks and schools are closed, but there’s a day of programs at Davidson College. Town Boards in Davidson and Cornelius both meet Tuesday night, and the citizens’ group Widen I-77 also meets Tuesday. There’s lots of live music this week, beginning Wednesday with a special show Wednesday at The Birdsnest in downtown Davidson, featuring ukelele player and singer Heather Mae, singer-songwriter Bethel Steele and cellist-vocalist Sarah Clanton Schaffer. Davidson College Jazz Ensemble gives a free concert Friday with percussionist Adam Snow. And Davidson College and Davidson Community Players Connie Co. present the kids’ show “Jack and the Beanstalk.” Read on for the details.

On the big screen, Our Town Cinemas has “Gangster Squad,” “Les Miserables,” “This is 40″ and “Zero Dark Thirty.” Opening Friday, it’s “Lincoln,” and “Silver Linings Playbook.” See showtimes at right on this page. Read the full story

Davidson Community Players’ the Connie Company and the Davidson College theater department will present the children’s adventure story “Jack and the Beanstalk,” Friday through Sunday, Jan. 25-27, at Cunningham Theater Center Barber Theatre, off North Main Street in Davidson. Read the full story

Rusty Knox says music is his “second career,” and if there were a way to pay the bills just by playing, he’d give everything up to do it. He’s got a new album out, “Judgement,” a follow-up to his 2009 recording “Reason Why.” He sat down with us at Summit Coffee the other afternoon to talk about the new recording, which he says came from a difficult 12 months during which several people around him passed away.

Listen to an audio interview between Rusty Knox and David Boraks of DavidsonNews.net. Click the play button to start. Can’t see the player or hear the audio? CLICK HERE> (MP3, 6 min. 48 sec.)

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One of the perks of living at Lake Norman is its proximity to the vineyards of Yadkin Valley and beyond. Just a short drive over the lake and straight up I-77 sit several wineries that call that area home. Each year one of these, Raffaldini Vineyards & Winery in Ronda, offers quarterly seasonal wine dinners that are not to be missed, the first of which for 2013 takes place this coming Saturday, Jan. 19. Unless you already have a ticket, though, I’m afraid you’ll have to sit it out, because it’s sold out. But you can still plan a visit for another event, such as a cooking demonstration, a visit with the wine maker or the Spring Wine Dinner in April. Read the full story

Live music tops the schedule of events this weekend, from opera to a classical trio, and an open mic night at Kadi Fit to a CD-release party for Davidson’s Rusty Knox Saturday at Summit Coffee. Warehouse Performing Arts Center has one more performance Thursday of “The Last Five Years,” a concert version of Jason Robert Brown’s contemporary musical about the five-year life of a marriage. There’s a winter tailgate market Saturday morning at Davidson Farmer’s Market, and local residents plan a Day of Service Saturday at Ada Jenkins Center. Meanwhile, Davidson College’s basketball teams have several games, including the annual Kicks from Cats fundraising night Saturday, when College of Charleston plays the men’s team at Belk Arena.

On the big screen, Our Town Cinemas has “Gangster Squad,” “Les Miserables,” “This is 40″ and “Zero Dark Thirty.” Opening Friday, it’s “Lincoln,” and “Silver Linings Playbook.” See showtimes at right on this page. Read the full story

By ALEX LUNSFORD
DavidsonNews.net

Mooresville-based The Maws played at the Battle of the Bands hosted by Tremont Music Hall in Charlotte on Saturday. The Maws are a four-man experimental-punk rock band. Their influences are other noise/punk rock groups such as The Ramones, Wavves, and Green Day.

“Honestly, we’re a jam band,” says 18-year-old guitarist Allen Worthley. “We just play until we hear something that meshes. We kind of go for that off sound. We don’t want to sound exactly like the mainstream media. We’re a garage band, so we’re going to sound like one. That makes it fun.” Read the full story