Thursday, 14
TroyBoi
MUSIC Straight out of London's underground dance scene comes TroyBoi, whose trap tracks bring Venue 578 a taste of the purest uncut filth that's pumping out of the veins of dubstep's birthplace. Perfect for both the most basic of betches and the glitchiest of tweakers, TroyBoi blends the best of hip-hop and EDM into a homogenized fusion of booming 808s, crackling high hats, popping claps and earth-shuddering breakdowns. The man himself is relatively unknown in the game but he's recently gained notoriety for tracks he's collaborated on with Flosstradamus, Diplo and Nina Sky. Though arguably more in tune with the zeitgeist of EDM styles, TroyBoi's breadth of artistry is evident in his experimental and progressive tracks inspired by melodies derived from African and Middle Eastern influences. Expect pulse-pounding builds peaking at weightless drops that land into grinding grooves accompanied by high-tech LED special effects. – Justin Braun
10 p.m. | Venue 578, 578 N Orange Ave. | venue578.com | $10-$15
Friday-Monday, 15-18
Otronicon v.11
EVENTS Remember when being a techie meant that nobody understood you? You were the one who knew how to build websites from scratch and write your own code and you knew, at least in a general sense, what a simulator was for. Tech is no longer an oddball hobby or obscure vocation – being a techie is a hobby, a career aspiration, an obsession. And Orlando is home to events like Otronicon, a tech showcase and digital-media industry event now in its 11th year, to give even the Luddites amongst us a chance to check out some of the cool developments in technology and perhaps gain some basic skills. Prove that you are as smart as a fifth grader at a coding workshop or a robotics seminar (seriously, some of these workshops are for kids as young as 6 – you better work to keep up); wander through the "Medical Sim City," where you can find out what cutting-edge technology is making its mark on healthcare; or take part in the Game Jam, where game designers can participate in a competition to create the best interactive experiences. There's even an Otronicon After Dark event on Friday and Saturday nights, where you can drink craft beer in the BART Lounge and connect with other techies. – Erin Sullivan
10 a.m. | Orlando Science Center, 777 E. Princeton St. | 407-514-2000 | otronicon.org | $19.95 per day
Friday, 15
Ani DiFranco
MUSIC Ani DiFranco's résumé can be pretty intimidating to those who have never seen her live. The lauded songwriter started her own label, Righteous Babe, before she was legally allowed to drink, and has worked with everyone from folkies Pete Seeger and Utah Phillips to jazz saxophonist Maceo Parker to the legendary Prince. But anyone who has seen the diminutive dynamo play live can tell you that she focuses on connecting with her audience first, then impressing them with a frenetic fingerpicking style and songwriting that has garnered her accolades from everyone from the National Organization for Women to the Woody Guthrie Center. Labelmate Hamell on Trial, known as much for his humorous interludes as his fiery take on acoustic punk, opens. – Thaddeus McCollum
with Hamell on Trial | 7 p.m. | The Plaza Live, 425 N. Bumby Ave. | 407-228-1220 | plazaliveorlando.com | $25-$35
Saturday-Sunday, 16-17
Central Florida Scottish Highland Games
EVENTS Sponsored by the Scottish-American Society of Central Florida, these annual games mostly involve moving heavy shit, whether that means lifting a boulder and carrying it as far as you can or trying to chuck a telephone pole end over end, but the real fun happens on the adjacent field, where Highland dancing, bagpipers, border collies and other entertainments abound. There's a slew of heritage tents where you're invited to learn about your Scottish roots (if you have them), meet very distant relatives, and read through Scottish history and maps of various famous clans. There's even a real-life quidditch tournament, which consists of possibly stoned college kids chucking balls at each other while holding brooms between their legs. Bring cash, as there's no point being Scottish and sober at the same time and you'll want to refill your pitcher from Dunedin Brewery's taps multiple times without getting hit by ATM fees. – TM
8 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday, 8:45 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday | Central Winds Park, 1000 E. State Road 434, Winter Springs | flascot.com | $20-$25 Saturday, $15-$20 Sunday
Saturday, 16
A Night of Fire
ART The heat is on tonight at Crealdé's fifth annual Night of Fire, an evening of art activities and demos that's crowned by a live bronze pour. In addition to the molten metal, there will be warming accompaniments like a raku pottery firing, a light-painting photography display and a storytelling session around a bonfire. Also on hand: live music, refreshments and a plethora of grilled foods. – Jessica Bryce Young
5-8 p.m. | Crealdé School of Art, 600 St. Andrews Blvd., Winter Park | 407-671-1886 | crealde.org | free
Saturday, 16
Functionally Literate Presents Matthew Salesses and Kristen Arnett
LITERARY FuncLit is back with its first event of 2016, and it's a doozy. Matthew Salesses has five published books to his name – Roxane Gay (Bad Feminist) called his recent novel, The Hundred-Year Flood, "epic and devastating and full of natural majesty" – as well as writing for basically your whole morning blogroll: Salon, The Toast, The Millions, The Rumpus, NPR's Code Switch and the New York Times' Motherlode. We presume he'll be reading from one or both of his upcoming books: an essay collection, Own Story, and a novel, The Murder of the Doppelgänger, are TK in 2016/2017. As for local writer Kristen Arnett, well, we can't decide between her essay "The Body, Forever" (on Burrow Press Review) and her flash-fiction "How to Eat Chicken Wings" (in the Guardian) to nominate as the most electrifying thing we read last year. So we pick both. Go get lit! – JBY
7 p.m. | Lowndes Shakespeare Center, 812 E. Rollins St. | functionallyliterate.org | free
Saturday, 16
The Color Run
SPORTS Sweat, island-themed paint and endorphins mix together at the Color Run this weekend at the Central Florida Fairgrounds. "The Happiest 5K on the Planet" brings its Tropicolor World Tour to drench you in color and island smells as you prance through an inflatable musical paradise. The run also highlights Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, a nonprofit organization that helps feed people in Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Volusia counties. Before you get plastered in paint, remember to wear white clothing. Here's some free advice: take a pair of sunglasses. – Monivette Cordeiro
9 a.m. | Central Florida Fairgrounds, 4603 W. Colonial Drive | thecolorrun.com | $39.99
Sunday, 17
Southern Fried Sunday 10-Year Anniversary
MUSIC Southern Fried Sunday celebrates 10 years of pickin' and grinnin' this Sunday with a daylong anniversary hootenanny featuring an outdoor stage of local and touring acts headlined by Reverend Horton Heat and Unknown Hinson sharing a double-wide two-hour set. The red-eyed revelry kicks off early with local punks the Hamiltons, followed by accordion-wielding pub-core pirates the Kidney Stones. Then kick up your heels to the WildTones regional rockabilly before the honky-tonk tunes of Giddy Up Go round out the local lineup. Next comes Russian-American party band Igor & Red Elvises, whose "Siberian surf-rock" pairs nicely with several shots of vodka. Then Nashville Pussy gets down and dirty with some of the hairiest Southern metal you'll ever hear. The redneck revival comes to a frenzied climax when Unknown Hinson, aka Stuart Barker, voice of Early Cuyler on Adult Swim's Squidbillies, performs his original country parodies backed by Reverend Horton Heat himself, one of music's most famous rockabilly revivalists. (His song "Psychobilly Freakout" shredded fingers on Guitar Hero 2.) Southern barbecue dinner is available from area food trucks, and entrance to the late show featuring the Woolly Bushmen, Milka and Riverbottom Nightmare Band is included with the ticket price. – JB
with Reverend Horton Heat, Unknown Hinson, Nashville Pussy and more | 1 p.m. | Will's Pub, 1042 N. Mills Ave. | willspub.org | $10-$15
