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...
Special Event: Fundraiser Listening Party featuring Jacob O'Donnell
Thursday November 20th - 6:00pm
Institute 193, Lexington
Join Outside the Spotlight for a night of musical communion. Bring your own LP and mingle with like-minded listeners while we DJ a selection of far-out music. Then stay for a sonic exploration featuring Jacob O'Donnell on electronics-treated saxophone. Come one, come all for the best way to spend a late autumn night in downtown Lexington.This event is the kickoff for our annual fundraising drive, suggested donation $10.Institute 193 is located at 215 North Limestone in downtown Lexington. Street parking is free after 7pm.
Please sign up for our e-mail list to stay up-to-date on all Outside the Spotlight shows!
Coming Soon...
Monday, December 1st
OTS 241 - Friends & Neighbors feat. Fredrik Ljungkvist
The Cats Den
UK Student Center, Lexington
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. For this tour, Fredrik Ljungkvist (Atomic, Fire! Orchestra) steps in as a substitute for André Roligheten, bringing his distinctive voice on saxophone and clarinet to the band’s dynamic collective sound. The group will present music from their latest album «Circles» (Clean Feed, 2024) - a powerful blend of raw energy, melodic freedom, and Nordic lyricism.
Fredrik Ljungkvist – saxophone/clarinet
Thomas Johansson - Trumpet
Oscar Grönberg - Piano
Jon Rune Strøm - Double Bass
Tollef Østvang - Drums
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?
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Welcome to our 2026 giving campaign!
Dear Outside The Spotlight fans,
We are excited to announce the start of the 2026 OTS 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, including multiple MacArthur fellows.In order to continue this mission and meet the rising costs of production, wehave a goal to raise $6000 by January 1, 2026, and we need your support to do it!Our new fundraising platform allows you to donate through card, Venmo, Apple Pay, and Google Pay, and we still accept cash or check.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 need for a cover charge.And as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, your donation is also tax-deductible. 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!
