RL Griffin at RL's Blues Palace II (Photo by Danny Fulgencio)

RL Griffin at RL’s Blues Palace II (Photo by Danny Fulgencio)

Jan. 6-27
Elvis’ birthday
El Ranchito celebrates The King every Wednesday in January. Make reservations for the Elvis impersonation shows and contests from 7:30-9 p.m.
El Ranchito, 610 W. Jefferson, 214.946.4238, elranchito-dallas.com, $5

Sign up for our newsletter!

* indicates required

Jan. 5
Social justice films
Two prison documentaries are on tap for this month’s first Tuesday social justice film series. “Overcriminalized” is a short film about mentally ill and homeless people being jailed. And then “Released” is about the difficulties of reentering society after leaving prison and the high prison recidivism rate in America.
Unitarian Universalist Church of Oak Cliff, 3839 W. Kiest, firsttuesdayfilms.org, free

Jan. 10
Online portfolio class
Fulfill a New Year’s resolution with a class at Oil and Cotton. Ryan Rushing guides small-business owners, artists and freelancers through creating an online portfolio, blog or shop from 3-6 p.m. Jan. 10. Other classes this month include sewing basics, leatherworking, portrait watercolor, calligraphy and paper marbling.
Oil and Cotton, 817 W. Davis, 214.942.0474, oilandcotton.com, $40-$145

Jan. 12
Local letters
Representatives from independent book publishers New Directions Publishing Corp., Archipelago Books, Open Letter Books and Deep Vellum Publishing come to the Wild Detectives for a 7:30 p.m. talk.
The Wild Detectives, 314 W. Eighth, 214.942.0108, thewilddetectives.com, free

Jan. 16
Rocky Horror
Let’s do the time warp again, y’all. The Texas Theatre brings a live shadow cast for a 10 p.m. screening of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” Don’t forget the toast.
The Texas Theatre, 231 W. Jefferson, 214.948.1546, thetexastheatre.com

Jan. 20-21
Colin Hay
After huge success in 1980s pop music with Men at Work, Colin Hay reinvented himself in a solo career that has produced 11 albums. He plays a two-night stand at the Kessler.
The Kessler Theater, 1230 W. Davis, 214.272.8346, thekessler.org, $25

Jan. 22
Jacob Metcalf
Our neighborhood’s own singer/songwriter hosts an album-release party for his new one, “Fjord.”
The Kessler Theater, 1230 W. Davis, 214.272.8346, thekessler.org, $15-$25

Jan. 23-March 6
Outsider art
Oak Cliff-based artist Andy Don Emmons opens a show, “Shabby Saints and Rusty Hoodoo Blues,” with a reception from 6-9 p.m. Jan. 23. The show offers paintings and sculptures made of materials Emmons found living on his ancestral family farm in East Texas: bones, wire, plastic toys and red iron-ore rocks twisted together to make “hoodoo talisman.” The show also includes sculptures and masks of mythological beings carved out of old cedar trees. Emmons says the aroma of fresh-carved cedar alone is worth a visit.
Mighty Fine Arts, 409A N. Tyler, 214.942.5241, mfagallery.com, free

Jan. 24
Jazz at the TeCo
Lee Ritenour and Elan Trotman perform shows at 7 p.m. and 9:45 p.m.
The Bishop Arts Theatre Center, 215 S. Tyler, 214.948.0716, tecotheater.org, $60-$65