Amarillo Sod Poodles: The Soddies open their home season by mining for victories over the Midland RockHounds. (Tuesday through Sunday; Hodgetown, 715 S. Buchanan St.; ticket prices vary; 806-803-9547)
Comedy Night with Andy Offutt Irwin: The touring comedian offers a dinner show for Windows on a Wider World at Reed Beverage. (6 p.m. Tuesday; tickets $40; 3701 S.E. 25th Ave.; 806-350-9599)
Amarillo College Piano Series: Beloved Borger-native pianist John Bayless makes a long-awaited return home for this installment of Art Force’s concert series. (Apologies for an earlier, incorrect date.) (7:30 p.m. Tuesday; AC Concert Hall Theatre on the Washington Street campus; free; 806-371-5340)
“Beautiful Disaster”: Dylan Sprouse and Virginia Gardener star in this romantic drama, getting a two-night screening. (7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; Cinemark Hollywood 16, 9100 Canyon Drive)
“Renfield”: Nicolas Cage and Nicholas Hoult team as Count Dracula and his titular assistant in this horror comedy. Also opening: Toni Collette comedy “Mafia Mamma,” horror film “The Pope’s Exorcist” and anime film “Suzume.” (Opens Thursday; Cinemark Hollywood 16, 9100 Canyon Drive; and Cinergy, 9201 Cinergy Square)
Power of the Purse: Inspirational speaker Elizabeth Smart headlines this annual fundraiser for the Laura W. Bush Institute for Women’s Health. (11:30 a.m. Thursday; Amarillo Civic Center Complex Heritage Ballroom, 401 S. Buchanan St.; 806-414-9941)
Tom Buechi: The one-man Amarillo band offers evening music at Panhandle Greenhouse’s beer garden. (5 p.m. Thursday; 11900 S. Washington St.; 806-622-2683)
“The World of Lore” with Aaron Mahnke: The popular history podcaster brings creepy true stories to a live audience for the Distinguished Lecture Series at West Texas A&M University. (6 p.m. Thursday; Legacy Hall in WT’s Jack B. Kelley Student Center; tickets $15; 806-651-2412)
“The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”: Enjoy special 20th-anniversary screenings of this magnificent epic. (7 p.m. Thursday and April 19; Cinemark Hollywood 16, 9100 Canyon Drive)
“The Father”: Amarillo Little Theatre closes out its Adventure Space season with this devastating drama about a patriarch’s decline. (7:30 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday; continues April 20-23; 2751 Civic Circle; ticket prices vary; 806-355-9991)
Ri Wolf and Chad Miller: The Texas country singers will swap songs at Golden Light Cantina. (9 p.m. Thursday; 2908 S.W. Sixth Ave.; cover; 806-374-9237)
Tommy Gallagher: The Amarillo country singer returns to the stage for an acoustic show at Smokey Joe’s. (8 p.m. Thursday; 2903 S.W. Sixth Ave.; 806-331-6698)
Clay Gibson: The young Texas country singer headlines the latest Red Dirt Media Thursday at Hoots Pub. (9 p.m. Thursday; 2424 Hobbs Road; no cover)
Welcome Back to Sunset: At long last, Sunset Center reopens with an evening of food, music and tours of the totally renovated art galleries. (6 p.m. Friday; 3701 Plains Blvd.; 806-354-8802)
“Alice in Wonderland”: Tumble down the rabbit hole in Lone Star Ballet’s new, original ballet based on the children’s classic. (7:30 p.m. Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday; Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts, 500 S. Van Buren St.; tickets $14 to $44; 806-378-3096)
Chamber Music Amarillo: The Harrington String Quartet and the principal string players from the Amarillo Symphony join forces as CMA continues to celebrate its 25th anniversary. (7:30 p.m. Friday; Amarillo Botanical Gardens, 1400 Streit Drive; tickets $40; 806-376-8782)
Tom Buechi: The Amarillo singer-songwriter slings songs at Bomb City Distillery. (8 p.m. Friday; 306 S. Cleveland St.; 806-220-2662)
The Tweeks: The Amarillo party band brings a night of fun to Smokey Joe’s patio. (8 p.m. Friday; 2903 S.W. Sixth Ave.; 806-331-6698)
Wrestle Resurrection: Watch out for flying barstools when Bomb City Bar Fights takes over Whiskey River. (9 p.m. Friday; 4001 S.W. 51st Ave.; cover $10 or $20 VIP; 806-367-6163)
Hayden Baker: The Texas country rocker plans to shred the stage at Golden Light Cantina. (9 p.m. Friday; 2908 S.W. Sixth Ave.; cover; 806-374-9237)
Gannin Fremin & CCREV: The young Oklahoma rock band headlines a show with locals Luke Koepke & The Bad Habits at Hoots Pub. (10 p.m. Friday; 2424 Hobbs Road; cover)
Lone Star Reptile Expo: Enter the snakepit and check out all sorts of critters at this annual expo. (10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday; Amarillo Civic Center Complex North Exhibit Hall, 401 S. Buchanan St.; admission $10 adults, $5 children; 806-378-3096)
“Der Rosenkavalier”: “The Met: Live in HD” continues with this livestream of the gorgeous Strauss opera. (11 a.m. Saturday; Cinemark Hollywood 16, 9100 Canyon Drive)
Steel’N Time for Pups: This car, truck and bike show at AutoNation Chevrolet will raise funds for Gracie’s Project. (11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; 2200 E. Interstate 40; 806-654-5599)
Second Chance Prom: Comedian Cleto Rodriguez headlines this annual fundraiser for Martha’s Home, featuring food from some of Amarillo’s best restaurants, a wine pull and plenty of dancing. (6 p.m. Saturday; Amarillo Civic Center Complex North Exhibit Hall, 401 S. Buchanan St.; tickets $75 each, $140 couples; 806-372-4035)
Songwriters in the Round: Amarillo tune slingers Ronnie Fleming, Kelly Gazzaway, Jen Williams and Mike Fuller swap songs at Chalice Abbey. (7 p.m. Saturday; 2717 Stanley St., Suite A; $15 donation; 806-576-2480)
Tom Buechi: The one-man band offers dinner music at Metropolitan–A Speakeasy. (7:30 p.m. Saturday; 9181 Town Square Blvd., Suite 1201; 806-242-0117)
Tennessee Tuckness: The Amarillo songstress brings her silky vocals to Smokey Joe’s. (8 p.m. Saturday; 2903 S.W. Sixth Ave.; 806-331-6698)
itsnotdelores: The Amarillo DJ spins their final show at Golden Light Cantina with help from Rupert the Duke, THE PRFZR, Clyde, Luucy and Jo Mama. (9 p.m. Saturday; 2908 S.W. Sixth Ave.; cover; 806-374-9237)
Charlie Shafter and Matt Martindale: The sensational singer-songwriters reteam for a song swap at Hoots Pub. (10 p.m. Saturday; 2424 Hobbs Road; cover)
“The Big Lebowski”: Pour yourself a White Russian and head to the 25th-anniversary screenings of this cult classic. (4 and 7 p.m. Sunday and 7 p.m. April 20; Cinemark Hollywood 16, 9100 Canyon Drive)
“The Seaside Library” Book Tour: Author Brenda Novak’s national tour via Airstream rolls into Burrowing Owl Books in Canyon for an appearance with Amarillo author Jodi Thomas. (6 p.m. Monday; 400 15th Street in Canyon; 806-452-8002)
Next Generation Band: The young Amarillo rock band takes the stage at Big Jim’s Pizza Co. (formerly La Bella on Olsen). (7 p.m. April 18; 3801 Olsen Blvd., Unit 9; 806-352-5050)
Jaret Ray Reddick: The Bowling for Soup frontman will swap songs with Remy DeLara and Travis Roberts at Golden Light Cantina. (8 p.m. April 18; 2908 S.W. Sixth Ave.; cover; 806-374-9237)
Ongoing
Amarillo Museum of Art: The museum highlights top young artists at its annual AC/WT Student/Faculty Exhibition, through April 23. (2200 S. Van Buren St.; 806-371-5050)
American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame & Museum: Dig into equine history with the museum’s archive collection, on view through July 29. Plus, learn more about the Hispanic roots of Lone Star cowboy culture in “Vaquero: Genesis of the Texas Cowboy,” on view through April 21. (2601 E. Interstate 40; 806-376-5181)
Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum: Enjoy “Objects of Enchantment” through April 30 and Georgia O’Keeffe-inspired “On the Edge of the Plains” through January. (2503 Fourth Ave. in Canyon; 806-651-2244)
The Simulated Universe: Amarillo’s newest attraction is this immersive art experience a la Meow Wolf. (noon to 9 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays; 1215 S.W. 10th Ave.; reservations required; 832-690-7731 or thesimulateduniverse@gmail.com
Author
Chip is the senior communications specialist at West Texas A&M University. A Canadian High School graduate and award-winning journalist, he has covered arts and entertainment in Amarillo since 1998 and is a member of the Amarillo Convention and Visitor Council arts committee. He is a 2020 Golden Nail Award winner and a 2017 National Philanthropy Day award winner. He is a member of the national GALECA critics group, has seen every Best Picture Oscar winner and watches way too much television.