&bsp;Red Dog jams with a new friend.Last weekend was jammed packed with wonderful artistic events. I couldn&squo;t be everywhere at once, but I was happy with my adventures. If you missed the Tryon Arts & Crafts Fall Festival, be sure to stop into the TAC Gallery at Harmon Field and at least visit their current collection. Simply Irresistible has a lively variety of interesting art and even if you missed meeting some of the artists last weekend Kathleen is always happy to share their work with you at the Gallery. If you missed Frank Vignola & his Rhythm Machine, well, you just better hope that they are invited back soon. I have never seen a standing ovation erupt in the middle of the first set. Then again, I&squo;ve never seen fingers fly so flawlessly in harmony over strings at lightning speed as when they played a medley of Scheherazade and Flight of the Bumblebee. Thank you to Chris Farrell for booking such high class talent for our community. The next show in the series will be the Cashore Marionettes on November 15. However, don&squo;t miss the first show of the Tryon Concert Association next week as they welcome Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Chamber Ensemble to the Tryon Fine Arts Center Thursday October 30 at 8 p.m. Get involved with the arts this week. Start planning your submission now for the Tryon Painters & Sculptors 2008 Member Show at Tryon Fine Arts Center. Whether or not you&squo;re currently a member, you can become a TP&S member November 12 when you deliver your submission between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Entries are limited to no larger than 30&dquo; x 40&dquo; and one painting or sculpture per member. They ask that the paintings are dry and ready to hang with wire. Between now and then meet and greet the folks of TP&S at the benefit concert Fuse Fest next Sunday November 2 at 7 p.m. If you prefer playing with words, Lanier Library is requesting entries for the Sidney Lanier Poetry Award. This new annual award is open to poets from North and South Carolina whose work has not been previously published in book form. There will be a separate award category for high school students. Deadline for submissions is February 15, 2009 so start polishing up those poems now. More information is available at the website www.lanierlib.org or by visiting the Lanier Library. Tonight bring your instrument or voice, or both, to join the Blues Jam at Elmo&squo;s Too in Columbus. Red Dog & the Dog Fight Blues Band welcomes Polk County&squo;s own Jennifer Prince back from Nashville for a fun evening of live music where everyone is allow to join the jam. They get cooking at 6:30 p.m. If you prefer to sit back and enjoy the show you might also catch Jon Shain at the Purple Onion in Saluda tearing up some down home folksy blues at 7:30 p.m. I was reminded of Bob Dylan listening to him on myspace, but at the same he has a unique polish and style to his vocals that sets him apart and has recently won him the title of 2008 Triangle Blues Society Challenge winner. Friday, the 3rd Upstairs Artspace Silent Art Auction will begin. The auction includes quality artwork donated from the community. Bidding will be open Friday through next Saturday November 1 at 5 p.m. Saturday gets lively with Mardi Gras Blues Show Band at Purple Onion starting at 8 p.m. &bsp;Or, get out your dancing shoes for Southern Pointe at Saluda Mountain Jamboree 8-11 p.m. Then start planning your costume for the Masquerade Ball next Friday, October 31 benefiting Saluda Medical Center with dinner at 7:30 p.m. and music from Sound Factory 8-11 p.m. Speaking of next Friday, did you know that Saluda, Columbus, Tryon, and Landrum will all be offering Halloween strolls? Saluda starts first at 3 p.m. followed by Columbus at 4 p.m. with costume contest at 4:30 p.m. Tryon kicks off at 5 p.m. and Landrum will continue until 9 p.m. Each town will offer its own unique take on the evening with shops open for trick or treating. Take some time this week to get creative with the kids building costumes. Then, wouldn&squo;t it be fun to load up a van full of all your favorite characters and make a county wide adventure out of the evening? Don&squo;t forget to check the music calendar listings for other opportunities to hear live music during the week from the great local talent in this community. &bsp;