Support the Arts: More things to do this weekend

There is no excuse for being a couch potato this weekend! Here's a partial list:

The Kentucky Symphony Orchestra will have 200 people onstage for Mahler's Symphony No. 2, "Resurrection," at 8 p.m. today and Saturday in Greaves Concert Hall at NKU. James Cassidy leads soloists Danielle Walker and Brandy Lynn Hawkins, the Cincinnati Choral Society, Clermont Festival Chorale and the KSO Choral. Tickets: $23-$28, $18 seniors; $10 students. Call 859-431-6216 or click here.

The superb guitarist William Kanengiser performs at 2:30 p.m. Sunday in Gallagher Student Center Theatre at Xavier University. Bill, you might remember, is a member of the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet -- and he's married to a Cincinnati girl. He's playing music by Fernando Sor, Mozart and some interesting newer numbers such as "The Magic Serenade" by Bryon Johanson. Tickets: $12; $9 seniors. Call 513-745-3161.

And don't forget about The Cincinnati Symphony's journey to Middle Earth, 8 p.m. today and Saturday in Music Hall.

The Pops welcomes talented trumpeter Chris Botti at 7 p.m. Sunday in Music Hall.

Or, how about the Grammy-winning Chanticleer, 3 p.m. Sunday at Saint Peter in Chains Cathedral? The superb, 12-voice group presents "My Spirit Sang All Day," with music from Byrd and Palestrina to Poulenc, Barber and Mahler. As always, there will be spirituals, folk songs and perhaps some gospel and jazz. Tickets: $35 in advance; $38 at the door. $15 students. 513-421-2222, www.stpeterinchainscathedral.org.

Don't forget about Cincinnati's under-appreciated jazz scene. The Blue Wisp has a really big event at 9 p.m., tonight only: The Jovino Santos-Neto International Trio, featuring one of the world's finest Brazilian pianists, plus world-class sidemen Jamey Haddad and Roberto Ochipinti. Read about them at www.jovisan.net. The show goes to 1 a.m., $12 cover. On Saturday, it's Brent Gallaher with Erwin Stuckey, Jim Anderson and Art Gore, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., $10.

And at 3 p.m. Sunday, let's all traipse out to the Fairfield Community Arts Center for Louisville jazz saxophonist Ron Jones in concert with his band, the Ron Jones Quartet. It's jazz and blues classics by Irving Berlin, Duke Ellington and more. Tickets: $12. Call 513867-5348 or visit www.fairfield-city.org.

Here's where you'll find me after the Reds game Saturday night: Downtown HopAround. The kickoff event is on Fountain Square, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., with Grand Marshals Mayor Mark Mallory, former Bengal Ickey Woods and funk-music legend Bootsy Collins – and music from The Addisons.

There's free trolley transportation to HopAround sites and the MidPoint Music Festival, 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. You'll find dinner and drink discounts at participating clubs and restaurants. I'm heading for the Cincinnatian, where the Billie Walker Trio holds court all evening, from 6 p.m., but there's great local talent playing all over the city. Click here for more info.