They're back. The crew of Baltimore's fabulous interdisciplinary art mavens and ineffable imps of uncategorizable experiences takes over part of the city-this year the area bound by the H&H building, Current Gallery, and the 14Karat Cabaret-for the Transmodern Festival, four solid days of performance art somethingorother and heaps of smiles. Turn elsewhere in this issue to read more about Rooms Play (stage link), the fest's curatorial ambitions (art link), and its smorgasbord of sound shenanigans (Music, p. 18). Or just show up and take it all in with your brain unsullied by the insipid words of some alt-weekly hack. Just know you're in for something inspired. You may see: high-drag puppetry from Los Angeles' Marsian (pictured). You may see: Martha Colburn's 2010 "Dolls vs. Dictators" short. You may be karmically soothed by: Carly Ptak's "Antidote to Apocalypse." You may be involved in: Inju Kaboom's audience-participation piece "I Screen, You Scream." What you probably won't see is somebody singing Hoobastank's "The Reason"-though if you do, please, for the love of all that is unholy, videotape and share, because a Transmodern artist covering such an abomination is probably the only way it wouldn't make you wanna retch. Times at venues vary each night. Visit transmodernfestival.org for each night's full schedule and tickets. Festival pass $30. Individual nights $12. Tickets available at the door, but if last year is any indication, nights do sell out early. (Bret McCabe)