Outside the Spotlight
Outside The Spotlight is a series of jazz and improvised music events in Lexington, KY. We give a home to artists making music that doesn't fit with commercial sensibilities and build an environment where artists and audience can interact more directly.
We want to expand the the availability of this music to anyone who is interested. Performances are at smaller venues and are generally donation / pay-what-you-want.
Our Next Show...
OTS 241 - Friends & Neighbors
Monday, December 1st, 7pm
The Cat's Den
University of Kentucky Student Center
The acclaimed Norwegian jazz quintet Friends & Neighbors embarks on a US tour in November and December 2025, performing eight concerts across the Midwest and the East Coast. Known as one of the most vital and energetic ensembles on the Scandinavian jazz scene, the band combines strong melodies, fierce interplay, and free improvisation rooted in both tradition and avant-garde expression. The group will present music from their latest album «Circles» (Clean Feed, 2024) - a powerful blend of raw energy, melodic freedom, and Nordic lyricism.
Thomas Johansson - Trumpet
Oscar Grönberg - Piano
Jon Rune Strøm - Double Bass
Tollef Østvang - Drums
Note: The Cat's Den is located on the lower floor of the University of Kentucky's Student Center, near the corner of Avenue of Champions and South Limestone in downtown Lexington. Street parking is free from 7pm, and there is a paid parking garage across Limestone (The Cornerstone Garage, where Kennedy Book Store used to be). Be careful if you're parking in a UK lot, as some are controlled 24/7.
Please sign up for our e-mail list to stay up-to-date on all Outside the Spotlight shows!
Coming Soon...
Stay Tuned for information about our 2026 programming!
Please sign up for our e-mail list to stay up-to-date on all Outside the Spotlight shows!
Contact Us
Do you have a group that would like to perform at an OTS event?
Would you like more information?
Have questions?
Welcome to our 2026 giving campaign!
We are excited to announce the start of the 2026 Outside The Spotlight giving campaign! For 23 years OTS has been an all-volunteer organization devoted to bringing out-of-this-world performances to Central Kentucky. Our performances are held in unconventional spaces, designed to be uniquely memorable. We have featured improvising artists from all over the world, multiple MacArthur fellows, and legends from the jazz and free-improv community.
In order to continue this mission and meet the rising costs of production, we have a goal to raise $6000 by January 1, 2026, and we need your support to do it!
This year we have a new option to donate monthly! Please consider making a recurring donation which greatly helps us budget throughout the year. We have several tiers of support and your donation allows us to pay musicians a fair wage without the necessity of a cover charge. Our new fundraising platform allows you to donate through card, Venmo, Apple Pay, and Google Pay, or if you're old-fashioned we still accept cash or check.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, your donation is tax-deductible. 100% of your donation goes towards supporting future OTS events. We greatly appreciate your support, with your help we can meet our goal and keep independent improvised music accessible to fans of all ages and income levels. See you at the next performance!
