LISA DENTON: You know, Barry, there are some words that'll get me off the couch pretty quick - shoe sale, chocolate festival, pony rides.
A concert coming up Sunday at Track 29 has one of those magic words. If I told you it's called the Soul Spectacular Tour: Karl Denson's Tiny Universe Presents a Ray Charles Boogaloo Dance Party, I bet you could guess which word I mean.
BARRY COURTER: Hard to pass up a "boogaloo," isn't it? But "Ray Charles," "dance" and "party" grab my attention also, so all of them together pretty much guarantees a good time.
Denson has been here a couple times over the years and always brings the party. He toured for years with Lenny Kravitz, playing saxophone, and was a founding member of The Greyboy Allstars. His Tiny Universe has a huge soul and funk sound, and, if watching videos of earlier Soul Spectacular shows is any indication, their show at Track 29 will be cosmic.
LISA: A cosmic Tiny Universe show. I see what you did there.
There are a couple of gospel shows worth noting, too. The Sacred Harp Choir from Liberty Baptist Church in Henagar, Ala., will be at LaFayette (Ga.) Presbyterian Church on Thursday. They sang in the movie "Cold Mountain."
And the Gaither Vocal Band will be at Memorial Auditorium on Friday. That group can claim some of the best voices in Southern gospel - and also Bill Gaither.
I kid. I'm a big fan of the band, which features David Phelps, Mark Lowry, Wes Hampton and, usually, Michael English, though I don't think he's appearing at this show.
BARRY: That's funny. I've interviewed Gaither a couple of times, and I think he would howl at that also.
And Barking Legs continues its monthlong 20th anniversary celebration with a big multimedia, multi-artist extravaganza Thursday through Saturday at the Dodds Avenue venue. Several people have collaborated to combine some old Robert Johnson and Allman Brothers tunes with dance, food and some original Tim Hinck magic.
We like to brag on ourselves for being an arts town, and Barking Legs owners/directors Ann Law and Dr. Bruce Kaplan deserve a lot of credit for opening our eyes and minds to artistic things we didn't have here two decades ago.
LISA: They really have taken Chattanooga's arts scene in some unexpected directions. Hats off to both of them.
Get event details every Thursday in ChattanoogaNow or online anytime at www.ChattanoogaNow.com.
Contact Lisa Denton at ldenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6281. Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.