Wednesday, 5
Unison
ART
Here in Orlando, we've all been brought closer together by the Pulse tragedy. And part of that coming together has been a turning inward – we have become so attuned to our community that it's easy to overlook the fact that the whole world felt this tragedy too, and mourned with us. There have been several art shows of work by Orlando artists reacting to Pulse, but Unison is the first to look outward, to collect images "both heartbreaking and healing" that capture the raw emotions of the days and weeks after. Photojournalists from the New York Times, the Associated Press, Reuters news service, Getty Images and more donated images for the exhibit. Tonight's opening, curated by Snap's Patrick and Holly Kahn and Ryan Julison, is the unveiling of Unison, which will be available for viewing 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday until Oct. 28 at Snap's downtown gallery. – Jessica Bryce Young
7-9 p.m. | through Oct. 28 | Snap! Downtown, 420 E. Church St. | snaporlando.com | free
Wednesday, 5
The Posies
MUSIC
Wednesday is going to be one exceptionally historical night for Orlando indie-rock fans. Two legendary acts – the Posies and Eric Bachmann (Archers of Loaf, Crooked Fingers) – will be doing special intimate performances here, off the usual club circuit and a little on the QT. The Bachmann living room show is already sold out. But the good news is that the Posies secret pop-up show isn't yet. And the potentially great news for game Bachmann ticket holders is that the Posies' full-band concert is only three blocks away at Park Ave CDs, and the local promoters have coordinated so that the Posies will begin about 15 minutes after Bachmann concludes. How's that for community? It's a prime and very rare double-header night of up-close special engagements with canonical hall-of-famers. – Bao Le-Huu
with the Pauses | 8:30 p.m. | Park Ave CDs, 2916 Corrine Drive | 407-447-7275 | parkavecds.com | $20
Monday, 10
Astronautalis
MUSIC
You have not lived until you've heard Astronautalis deliver one of his mid-show freestyles. Driven by audience-suggested topics, words and themes, it's part improv performance, part linguistic exercise and part rap master class, and it's always as jaw-droppingly impressive as it is entertaining. It also shouldn't distract you from the fact that this former Floridian has been releasing albums of increasing complexity and intricacy since 2003. His most recent release, Cut the Body Loose, finds him on the punk-adjacent SideOneDummy label with production by John Congleton (St. Vincent, Swans), so one might expect him to be flexing his more indie-oriented muscles, but instead the album is an electric and straightforward affair, with slashing rhymes flying atop dense, brutalist beats. It's just the sort of album that would be well-promoted with a fantastic mid-show freestyle. – Jason Ferguson
with Ceschi, Factor Chandelier, Transit | 7 p.m. | Will's Pub, 1042 N. Mills Ave. | willspub.org | $15-$17
Tuesday, 11
Against Me!
MUSIC
It’s amazing what being yourself can do. Against Me!’s lead singer and songwriter went from going by Thomas James Gabel to christening herself Laura Jane Grace, and at the same time, the band’s promo pics grew more intimate and friendly, almost as if their main subject felt comfortable getting closer, even smiling – a step that, to this day, must be taken with caution in punk. But the changes have been more than just physical. They’re elevated to spiritual heights in tracks like “Boyfriend” from 2016’s Shape Shift With Me, where Grace laments that a partner isn’t seeing her how she sees herself, for who she is. The themes in this album can probably be traced back to the identity manifesto that was 2014’s Transgender Dysphoria Blues. But how could they not? Important stuff has happened! Original guitarist James Bowman joins Grace in Orlando to support an album that has drawn from experience in themes, but made it back home to Gainesville for its sound. – Adam Manno
with Bad Religion, Dave Hause | 6:30 p.m. | House of Blues, Disney Springs, 1490 Buena Vista Drive | 407-934-2583 | houseofblues.com | $27.50
Tuesday, 11
There Will Be Words Flash Fiction Spooktacular
LITERARY
Urban legend has it that Ernest Hemingway once bet a group of other writers that he could create a spooky short story in less than 10 words, and won with "For sale, baby shoes, never worn." The accuracy of this story has been challenged over time, but the "less is more" credo still rings true, particularly in the horror genre. It's easy to create a bad scary story – anyone who's seen the glut of Saw movies or half-hearted Halloween offshoots can attest to that – and simpler approaches often resonate more deeply with audiences who are used to horror attempts that overwhelm with gore and underwhelm with actual fear. We won't pretend we weren't shaking at the end of the original low-budget Blair Witch Project or after reading The Long Walk, a short story by Richard Bachman (Stephen King's early pseudonym). This week, local reading series There Will Be Words seeks to capitalize on simplicity in horror with their Flash Fiction Spooktacular, where eight writers have 500 words or less to leave you sleeping with the lights on that night. Some stories may leave you in a cold sweat, others may just leave you cold. But you've got nothing to lose by checking it out: maybe someone will even have some baby shoes for sale. – Abby Stassen
7 p.m. | The Gallery at Avalon Island, 39 S. Magnolia Ave.| 407-317-8367 | therewillbewords.com | free
