DANCE: The UR Program of Dance and Movement will host a free workshop at Spurrier Dance Studio (Wilson Blvd., behind Susan B. Anthony dorm on University of Rochester River Campus) titled, “Journey through the Labyrinth,” tonight at 6:30 p.m. Get more info by calling 273-5150.
MUSIC: Looking for a quick musical jaunt you can make during lunch but isn't forever away or hours long? Look no further than the Eastman Lunchtime Concerts, held at the 1st Universalist Church (150 S. Clinton Ave.) at 12:15 p.m., leaving just enough time to zip back to work. Enjoy the break in the day.
MUSIC: They say it takes two to tango, and tonight it does: Duo Diorama, a violin/piano duo will be playing tonight at Eastman School of Music (26 Gibbs Street, esm.rochester.edu), giving the Rochester premiere of Robert Morris’s new work “. . . gradually ..” . Music starts at 8 p.m., and admission is free.
ART: Start your holiday shopping at the Holidays at the Vineyard Arts & Crafts Sale, held at Casa Larga (2287 Turk Hill Rd., Fairport) today, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Bring food items for the Perinton Food Shelf food drive. For more information, call 383-1538, 223-4210, or visit casalarga.com.
MUSIC: If your heart is aching for music of days gone by, you may want to check out The Sweetback Sisters. The Brooklyn sextet’s tribute to vintage country embraces styles including honky tonk and western swing, making the band sound like it predates FM radio. Co-lead singers Zara and Emily, aren’t really sisters but their sweet vocal harmonies make them major players in this juke joint opera. The group will be at Abilene (153 Liberty Pole Way, abilenebarandlounge.com) tonight at 8:30 p.m., tickets $10-$13.
LECTURE: David Pollack, professor of Japanese in the University of Rochester's department of modern languages and culture, will give an illustrated lecture tonight on the exhibition “Framing Edo: Masterworks from Hiroshige's One Hundred Famous Views,” currently displayed at Memorial Art Gallery’s Lockhart Gallery. The lecture takes place at 7 p.m. tonight at MAG (500 University Ave.), and is included in the Thursday night reduced admission fee ($2.50-$6). For more information, call 276-8900, or visit mag.rochester.edu.
MUSIC: The Soft Moon began as the intensely introspective solo project of Luis Vasquez in 2009. Hehas since recruited a full cast of musicians, but remains the driving creative force behind the band’s self-described “post-apocalyptic” aesthetic. The Soft Moon catalog has definite roots in the 80’s industrial goth scene (i.e. Joy Division), but beneath this dark, sometimes melodramatic, canopy, there are moments of imposing clarity. Incorporating flashes of early post-punk and the enveloping moodiness of classic darkwave, the group’s sound is eerily epic. Their live performances, accompanied by “immersive video visuals,” offer a complete sensory experience that is at once emotionally expansive and intriguingly insular. Check them out tonight at the Bug Jar (219 Monroe Ave., bugjar.com) at 7 p.m., tickets $8-$12.
LIT: Karen Bergen, author of “Perfect is Overrated,” will be present for a Women’s Fashion Show tonight at the Village Gate (274 N. Goodman St.). The event, which is held as part of the JCC Lane Dworkin Jewish Book Festival, kicks off with wine and tapas with the author at 6:30 p.m., followed by an author presentation, and finishing with an 8 p.m. fashion show. Bring women’s clothing for a drive to benefit Jewish Family Services. Tickets are $42-$45. For more information, call 461-2000 or visit rjbf.org.