Sonic Boom
FRI 2/18
Fans describe their favorite musicians as "artists," but that's often a stretch. More deserving of the title are the aural experimentalists in Urban Culture Project's Conditions of Sound, which showcases pieces that twist notes and noise into sociopolitical statements. Pat Alexander's "Ghetto Disaster Sound Clash" uses the combative drone of portable stereos to illustrate tensions between developed nations and Third World countries. Andrea Flamini's "Melodrama No. 10 (Macbeth)" translates a segment from the play into Morse code before broadcasting it on a shortwave frequency. More than a dozen other participants share their work, starting at 5 p.m. Friday at the Boley Building (1130 Walnut), and Mark Southerland and Oz McGuire perform at the reception at 9. Call 816-221-5115. -- Andrew Miller
Roll these Bentleys
FRI 2/18
The Independent Film Coalition suffered a low turnout for its Bentley Film Festival last December, what with the holidays and such. But because the group thinks the fest's 8-mm submissions were "by far the best ever," moviegoers have a second chance to catch a screening at 7:30 p.m. Friday at #8 Gallery (1600 Locust, 816-916-8121). The recently rehabbed art space is the oldest standing firehouse in Kansas City, built in 1885 to store the horse-drawn water pumps, hoses and reels for the now-defunct station. It's very cool -- but very small -- so arrive early to score a seat. -- Annie Fischer
