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 all-ages venues and are generally pay-what-you-can donation-based admission.

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DONATE TO OTS

Help us keep the action coming!
Click here for information about how support OTS.

Please consider supporting our local peer music series:
Origins Jazz Series and Jazz at the Library.

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Our Next Show...

OTS #249 - Jon Mueller w/ Zeus, Again

September 30, 2026
Location TBD
6:30 Doors. Show starts at 7 p.m.
All-ages. $10 Suggested Donation.

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Please sign up to our email list to stay informed about upcoming Outside the Spotlight shows!

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Coming Soon...

OTS #250 - Tashi Dorji & Listening Party

October 27, 2026
Institute 193 | 215 North Limestone
Show starts at 7 p.m.

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Please sign up for our e-mail list to stay up-to-date on all Outside the Spotlight shows!

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Do you have a group that would like to perform at an OTS event?
Would you like more information?
Have questions?

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Thanks to everyone who contributed to our 2025-2026 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.

Your donations help us to continue supporting independent artists while making performances available to all.

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.