E-Mail This Article to a Friend Party hard The best Best Music Poll party ever, plus words of wisdom from Andrew W.K. and more

Best Music Poll party

Plans are still in the works for the massive 16th Annual FNX/Phoenix Best Music Poll party on Lansdowne Street June 3. We have, however, assembled a line-up of bands that could be your life, including the Violent Femmes, the re-formed Presidents of the United States of America, the Rapture, the Stills, the Von Bondies, Fire Theft, Just Jack, Stellastarr, Laguardia, Elefant, the Lot Six, the Explosion, and the Unseen. More bands will be announced soon, so keep an eye on the Phoenix and an ear to WFNX 101.7 FM. Tickets go on sale this Saturday, April 24, at 10 a.m. at all Ticketmaster locations, or call (617) 423-NEXT. And remember, this is your last week to vote for your favorite local and world-famous artists in the Best Music Poll — you can find the ballot in News & Features or at thephoenix.com or fnxradio.com. The deadline for sending in your vote is April 28.

Back up the mountain

Opportunities to expose mass audiences to folk music are pretty few and far between, but producer T-Bone Burnett may have figured out a winning formula. The Civil War epic Cold Mountain gave Burnett a chance to produce a soundtrack that’s done for shape-note singing what his soundtrack for O Brother, Where Art Thou? did for bluegrass a few years back, and now he’s combined the performers from both efforts in a package that expands upon the concept of the superb Down from the Mountain Tour that followed O Brother. Instead of a quick-paced, two-hour stage show, the Great High Mountain Tour is an all-day festival that gives you a chance to catch longer sets by all involved. It’s anchored by the angelic Alison Krauss and her band Union Station, with dobro wonder Jerry Douglas, ancient bluegrass singer Ralph Stanley, the Whites, the Cox Family, the Nashville Bluegrass Band, and Norman and Nancy Blake, plus Cold Mountain’s Tim Eriksen, Riley Baugus, Dick Powell, the Reeltime Travelers, and the Sacred Harp Singers. (Jack White, alas, is sitting this one out.) They’ll all descend on FleetBoston Pavilion on Memorial Day, May 31, at 3 p.m. Tickets are $35.50 to $57.50; call (617) 931-2000.

Cactus fracas

Vermont native Moses Pemberton makes modern dance that actually looks like fun, with humor, bright colors, zaniness, and an athleticism that appeals to sports fans as much as to æsthetes. He’s choreographed everything from the Winter Olympics to a work called Baseball and has freelanced for the Joffrey as well as Disney. His troupe Momix has been filmed in IMAX 3-D — anything less would have undersold the impact — and on May 6 he brings it to town for the Boston premiere of his new Opus Cactus, a rumination on the American Southwest. Performances are May 6 at 7:30 p.m., May 7 and 8 at 8 p.m., and May 9 at 3 p.m., all at the Cutler Majestic Theatre, 219 Tremont Street in the Theater District. Tickets are $25 to $45; call (617) 876-4275.

The Wolf speaks

An actual excerpt from a recent mass e-mailing from the one, the only, Andrew W.K.: "This is Andrew W.K. writing this e-mail. I just wanted to e-mail everybody and say YES! Yes is what I’m yelling right now! Very loud and with as much force as I can gather. Can you hear me? I’m yelling it right now, top volume! It’s in your brain, and it’s jamming around the skull! It feels good and gooey in here! So, how about this upcoming tour? Right? This thing is going to be totally insane, awesome, and fun-full-force! I seriously want this to be the time of our lives! Do you know what I mean? This has got to be the one. THE ONE. This time, right now . . . or never. THIS IS IT! This tour is called ‘THE NEVER ENDING SPRING BREAK PARTY TOUR!’ You know when you had the best day of your life? You know how great you felt? Remember how the blood flowed? Remember the pleasure? Remember that sensation of your entire body feeling full and perfect? That is what the tour is for." How can you not love this guy? Plus, we think he might need the money. And he’s bringing the Locust. They’ll be at the Matrix, 275 Tremont Street in the Theater District, on May 21. Tickets are $18; call (617) 931-2000.