FESTIVAL
Elysian Circus
Mearscourt House, Co. Westmeath 4pm (also Sat/Sun) €95/€40 theelysiancircus.com
The festival season continues with this music, art and circus gathering in the midlands. There are more than 150 Irish and international acts on the bill for the weekend including Orbital's Phil Hartnoll, Natty Wailer, Cúla Búla, Rackhouse Pilfer, Entheogenic, King Kong Company and many more. Plenty of non-music sideshows too include theatre performances, workshops, hula-hoopers, jugglers, grafitti jams, yoga and "majick".
COLLABORATION
August Wells
Coughlans, Cork 9.30pm €10 coughlans.ie Also Sat, Limerick; Sun, Dublin
Ken Griffin (formerly of Rollerskate Skinny) and New York pianist John Rauchenberger bring their acclaimed collaboration to Cork for the first time. Those in the know will tell you that Griffin's sonorous baritone and honest words, and Rauchenberger's elegiac piano playing marry odd but beautiful chamber music. Or, as it has been otherwise described, "Sinatra singing Lou Reed songs".
TRAD
Kathleen MacInnes, Dermot Byrne, Brian Finnegan & Mike Vass
Glór, Ennis 8pm €15 musicnetwork.ie Also Sat, Wicklow; Sun, Tipperary; Mon, Mayo; Wed, Sligo; Thurs, Leitrim
Scottish and Donegal music have always made for cosy bedfellows and this Music Network tour promises something very special. Anyone who's been lucky enough to hear Scottish singer Kathleen MacInnes' solo work will know her to be a cool and distinctive interpreter of traditional song. Joined by Altan's founding accordionist Dermot Byrne, and by Flook's flute player Brian Finnegan, the tour is rounded off by guitarist Mike Vass.
ART
Dublin Gallery Weekend
Sep 11-13 dublingallerymap.ie, dublingalleryweekend.ie
Anticipating Culture Night, a weekend focused on galleries: 3 days, 30 contemporary art galleries, 60 events including openings, artist and curator talks, tours, a performance by Nigel Rolfe at Green on Red, late-night openings and workshops, pretty much all free of charge. Headline venues include the RHA, IMMA, the Science Gallery and many more. The free, and excellent, Dublin Gallery Map is available at all locations.
HARDCORE
Pressure V
Dive Bar The Turk's Head, Dublin 11pm €10 facebook.com/pres.sure.94
A killer line-up for the headstrong with Dutch master Djipe leading the way. From Limburg, Jasper Gilissen's blend of industrial hardcore breakcore and thumping drum'n'bass has seen him win many friends and admirers with releases for Peace Off and Deathchant, as well as edgy, thrillng live performances. Buckwild support from Waterford hardcore champ Le Haine and Energy Collective and Dublin South 93.9FM gabber proponent Kushti.
HOUSE
Marcus Worgull
Hangar Dublin 10.30pm €12/€10 soundcloud.com/marcusworgull
An obsession with house music has served Marcus Worgull well. Take a listen to the German producer's beautifully textured work for Innervisions, remixes for The Juan MacLean and others, and his collaboration with Motor City Drum Ensemble's Danilo Plessow for the Vermont album for Kompakt last year and you can hear plenty of examples of his perfectly finessed approach to the groove. Support from Melodic's Mulljoy (AKA Shane Mullin and Simon Kingston) and Zee Ziggy.
TIGER DUBLIN FRINGE
Rebel Rebel
Bewley's Café Theatre @ Powerscourt. Sep 11 6pm, Sep 12 8pm, Sep 16 6pm, Sep 17 1pm, Sep 18 6pm, Sep 19 1pm €13 fringefest.com
In Robbie O'Connor and Aisling O'Mara's new play for Show in a Bag, two of Ireland's leading actors abandon their matinee of Yeats's' Caitlín Ní Houlihan, take their revolvers and march to Dublin Castle.
