Born in the USA

With all due respect to the other performers at this event, you want to go for two reasons: (1) Local rapper Khingz kicks ass; he’s not afraid to be sexy and nerdy in the same song (case in point: “Blaq Han Solo”). And (2) Victor LaValle should be one of your favorite young novelists. His The Ecstatic is a frenetic mindfuck, and Big Machine is a ghost story haunted by race. What Khingz and LaValle will do with the theme—patriotism, immigration, and Bruce Springsteen?—is anyone’s guess, but it is guaranteed to be awesome. (Hugo House, 1634 11th Ave, 322-7030, 7:30 pm, $25)