Kaleidoscope

[ kaleidoscope ]

folk

Whether solo, with the band Pentangle, or in a duo with John Renbourn, Scottish legend Bert Jansch has had an inestimable influence on his fellow guitarists, starting with the '60s folk revival. Nick Drake, Paul Simon and Donovan have all said as much. To this day, he has a gift for writing contemporary thoughts into melodies and arrangements that sound like they've existed forever. Recently he's opened for Neil Young, so seeing Jansch solo in a more intimate space, like Johnny Brenda's on Wednesday (Dec. 8, johnnybrendas.com), is a rare treat.

—Mary Armstrong

craft fair

If you're trying to shop local this holiday season, a good place to start is Winterfest. Wednesday's artisan holiday show at Mugshots (Dec. 8, mugshotscoffeehouse.com) is rife with gift-worthy knickknacks like handmade jewelry, sustainable threads and hand-blown glassware — all made by native crafters and sold with the intention of stimulating the local economy. For your own stimulation, enjoy local snacks, beer and wine sold by neighboring fooderies.

—Joel Maison-Gaines

experimental

A banjo/harmonica duo with names like Woody Sullender and Seamus Cater inevitably conjures images of overalls and rocking chairs, pickin' and grinnin' on some front porch in the Ozarks. These acoustic experimentalists — who play the Powel House Wednesday (Dec. 8, bowerbird.org) — may hear that train a-comin', but it travels through tunnels carved by radical rethinkers of folk traditions; the roots-raga of Henry Flynt and the Gothic Americana of George Crumb are definite antecedents for the twosome's rich explorations.

—Shaun Brady

think tank

Philly native Dan Berger, author of The Hidden 1970s: Histories of Radicalism, will moderate a panel discussion Monday (Dec. 6, moonstoneartscenter.org) with mostly local activists including Barbara Easley Cox of the Black Panther Party, Michael Simmons of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and Sharon McConnell of the October 4th Organization. Panelists will talk about the history of activism in Philly , while shedding light on their respective organizations and what they've learned. "The main thing," says Berger, "is how rich and diverse the 1970s were, especially in Philadelphia."

—Sean Kearney