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Three Things To Do This Weekend

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Girl Talk and Wale

SCOPE Productions is bringing a little bit of hip hop — OK, a lot of hip hop — to the University of Iowa Memorial Union on Tuesday night. Chart topping artists Girl Talk (otherwise known as Gregg Gillis) and Wale (pronounced Wall-A) roll into town bringing their East Coast sounds for one exciting night of music. Girl Talk is notorious for putting on a live show with a true party vibe. And Wale is, of course, the self-proclaimed “Ambassador of Rap for the Capital.” With a combination like that, this is one show you don’t want to miss.

8 p.m. Tuesday (05/04), Iowa Memorial Union Main Lounge, Iowa City, $26.50 to $31.50, www.scopeproductions.org

Chalk the Walk

Artists in Mount Vernon will put your childhood sidewalk sketches to shame during the annual Chalk the Walk festival. Two hundred artists will turn First Avenue into an amazing masterpiece with the help of nearly a ton of chalk. There will be an Italian Renaissance reproduction, a scene from the Wizard of Oz (that you can help create) and much more during Iowa’s largest Madonnari Festival.

10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday (05/01) and Sunday (05/02), First Avenue, Mount Vernon, Free, (319) 895-9513, www.visitmvl.com

Maifest

Help usher in spring this weekend at the Amana Colonies’ Maifest. A whole host of activities take place all weekend, like the Middle Mountain Madness off-road 5K (for bikers and runners), the Taste of Amana Colonies European food fair and the Spring Dance in the Festhalle Barn featuring ‘50s and ‘60s music by Coupe DeVille. There also will be maypole dancing.

All day, Friday to Sunday (4/30 to 5/01), Amana Colonies, Free although some activities require admission, www.festivalsinamana.com

Three Other Things:

Taste of Jazz Under the Stars
5:30 to 8 p.m. Friday (4/30)
Class Act @ Kirkwood Community College, 6301 Kirkwood Blvd. SW, Cedar Rapids, $45, (319) 398-5446, www.kcck.org

The Sky’s The Limit: Marvin Cone’s Clouds
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday (5/1)
Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, 410 Third Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids, $5, (319) 366-7503, www.crma.org

Strings Attached
7 p.m. Saturday (5/1)
Orchestra Iowa Chamber Players @ Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1285 Third Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids, $15, (319) 366-8203, www.orchestraiowa.org

3 Things to do this week (end)

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An Evening in Celebration of Wine & Tulips
Saturday, May 9

If you count wining and dining among your interests, then you might be inclined to attend a celebration of the finer things in life on Saturday. The Friends of KUNI/KHKE present the 24th annual An Evening in Celebration of Wine & Tulips this weekend in Cedar Falls to benefit Iowa Public Radio. The event boasts more than 200 imported and domestic wines for sampling, along with a variety of cheeses, breads and fruits to satisfy any palate. A silent auction also will feature an array of artistic pieces and, of course, a selection of wine and accessories. Good music and good company also are on deck. What’s not to love about that lineup?

An Evening of Celebration of Wine & Tulips
6 to 8 p.m. Saturday (5/9), Park Place Event Centre, 1521 Technology Parkway, Cedar Falls, $35 in advance, $45 at the door, www.kuniradio.org

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Dobet Gnahore
Saturday, May 9

For a fresh mix of African musical styles in the Corridor, look no further than CSPS on Saturday evening. Hailing from Côte d’Ivoire, singer, dancer and percussionist Dobet Gnahore is making her Iowa debut this weekend in downtown Cedar Rapids. The singer performs for audiences all over the globe, and is known internationally for her unique melodies, her wide range of rhythms and her engaging live performances.

Dobet Gnahore
8 p.m. Saturday (5/9), CSPS, 1103 Third St. SE, Cedar Rapids, $20 in advance, $24 at the door, www.legionarts.org

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Martini Madness
Friday, May 8

For those who find the right mix of martinis and music to be a great fit, the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art is hosting its
annual Martini Madness event this year at Phelan’s Interiors. Kevin “BF” Burt and the Instigators and soloist Tony Brown will provide the entertainment. Enjoy the tastings, the company, the silent auction deals and the downtown atmosphere – all while benefiting the local art scene and the CRMA.

Martini Madness
7 to 10 p.m. Friday (5/8), Phelan’s Interiors, 728 Third Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids, $50, www.crma.org

 

THREE OTHER THINGS

Birthrites
9 p.m. Friday (5/8)
The Picador, 330 E.
Washington St., Iowa City, $5,
www.thepicador.com
Riverdance
7:30 p.m. Thursday (5/7)
Gallagher Bluedorn
Performing Arts Center, 8201
Dakota Ave., Cedar Falls,
$24-$65, www.uni.edu/gbpac
James Galvin – “As Is”
8 p.m. Thursday (5/7)
University of Iowa Van Allen
Hall, Lecture Room 2, 30 N.
Dubuque St., Iowa City, free,
www.uiowa.edu

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Alpin Hong
Wednesday through Friday, April 21 to 23

Anyone that can play Tetris and the piano simultaneously shouldn’t really need more of an introduction. But, turns out there is plenty more to say about pianist Alpin Hong. The Julliard trained musician won first place in the 2001 Concert Artist’s Guild competition and is a skateboarder, snowboarder and martial artist in his free time. His four-day residency at the University of Iowa includes two free performances – one at the Cedar Rapids Piano Lounge Wednesday and another at the UI Hospitals and Clinics Thursday. His time in Iowa culminates with a Friday concert, presented by Hancher Auditorium, and featuring music by J.S. Bach, Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Liszt, Mendelssohn, Brahms and George Gershwin.

Alpin Hong
8 p.m. Wednesday (4/21), Access to the Artists, Cedar Rapids Piano Lounge, 208 Second Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids, Free.
Noon Thursday (4/22), John Colloton Atrium, UI Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, Free.
7:30 p.m., Friday (4/23), Opstad Auditorium, Iowa City High School, Iowa City, $14 to $28, (319) 335-1160. www.hancher.uiowa.edu.

The Right Now
Friday, April 17

The time could be right now for The Right Now. Vocalist Stefanie Berecz may only be 23 years old, but she has achieved career peaks that performers twice her age never get to experience, like opening for Mary J. Blige and appearing on MTV’s hit series, “Making The Band.” Berecz’s voice, evoking Alicia Keys and Chaka Khan with a unique melodic sensibility of her own, places her at the forefront of new R&B vocalists alongside Keyshia Cole, John Legend and Corrine Bailey Rae. Joining forces with guitarist Brendan O’Connell to form the nucleus of The Right Now, their sound is both contemporary and classic.

The Right Now
9 p.m. Friday (4/17), with The Diplomats of Solid Sound, Iowa City Yacht Club, 13 S. Linn St., Iowa City, $7, www.iowacityyachtclub.com

Vienna Teng
Saturday, April 18

Vienna Teng’s sophisticated, piano-driven chamber folk has everyone from NPR to David Letterman raving. Critics have announced her as the next Joni Mitchell or Tori Amos. Her Cedar Rapids show comes on the heel of an anticipated spring release, “Inland Empire.” Teng likens the collection on her new CD to a mix tape album with a lot of common themes but each song existing in a different world. Songs range from a gospel-tinged testimonial inspired by her Chinese grandmother to a cautiously hopeful shout-out to new President Obama, recorded in settings as varied as a church and a living room, with instrumentation ranging from foot stomps to vintage keyboards to full string orchestra.

Vienna Teng
8 p.m. Saturday (4/18), CSPS, 1103 Third St SE, Cedar Rapids, $17 – $20, www.legionarts.org

Three Other Things

Blue Island Tribe and 311
8 p.m. Saturday (4/18)
Fieldhouse, University of Iowa, Iowa City, $32, www.ticketmaster.com

Multimedia Mind-Melter 2.0 w/ Hunab, Insectoid and Dead Larry
8p.m. Monday (4/20)
The Industry, 211 Iowa Ave., Iowa City, www.theindustryic.com

Hawkeye Swing Festival
Various times Friday to Sunday (4/17-19)
Iowa Memorial Union, University of Iowa, Iowa City, www.hawkeyeswingfestival.com

Three things to do over Easter

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Feminists, Freaks and Fairies Opening Reception
Friday, April 10 Photographer Stef Shuster’s latest show, “Feminists, Freaks, and Fairies” is the culmination of seven years of work and will feature protests and portraits across the country, from DC to San Francisco. Stef is a graduate student in the Department of Sociology at the University of Iowa. She photographs to better understand the world and interactions between beings, to show images of underrepresented folk and to give a space for people – many of whom may not normally be thought of as beautiful – the chance to evoke beauty. The University of Iowa LGBT Resource Center will host an opening reception for the show, which will be on display through May 10.

Feminists, Freaks and Fairies Opening Reception
6:30 to 9 p.m. Friday (4/10); University of Iowa LGBT Resource Center, 125 Grand Ave Court, Iowa City; Free; http://imu.uiowa.edu/cultural-centers

Marco Benevento Trio
Sunday, April 12

Marco Benevento is an innovative keyboard player combining rock and jazz, improvisation and just plain weird sounds. Embraced by indie rock, post-jazz and jam-band fans alike, Marco deftly colors his sound with Mellotron, Speak-N-Spell, banjo, a vintage church pump organ and all sorts of circuit bent toys. Marco first earned a multitude of young fans and critical acclaim for his visionary electric keyboard work as one half of post-rock instrumentalists The Benevento/Russo Duo. The acoustic piano takes center stage on his first solo CD, ‘Invisible Baby,’ released last year. On his 2009 release, ‘Me Not Me,’ Marco serves up deliciously warped interpretations of songs by artists like Beck, My Morning Jacket, Leonard Cohen and Deerhoof. As on Invisible Baby, Benevento is joined by bassist Reed Mathis and drummers Matt Chamberlain and Andrew Barr.

Marco Benevento Trio
7 p.m. Sunday (4/12); CSPS, 1103 Third St SE, Cedar Rapids; $14 advance, $17 day of show; www.legionarts.org

Iowa City International Documentary Film Festival
Thursday through Saturday, April 9 to 11

Now in its seventh year, the Iowa City International Documentary Film Festival is an annual festival showcasing independent short (under 30 minutes) nonfiction film and video. The festival, which features documentaries from around the world on a variety of subjects from funny to serious to experimental, was founded with the mission of serving as a catalyst for positive change and fostering dialogue on a range of contemporary issues, both local and international. This year’s festival will screen more than 25 films and includes a kick off party at The Picador and closing party at Bo-James, both on Washington Street in downtown Iowa City.

Iowa City International Documentary Film Festival
5 p.m. Thursday and Friday (4/9, 10) and noon Saturday (4/11), Bijou Theatre, Iowa Memorial Union, University of Iowa, Free, www.idocs.net

Three Other Things

Lunafest: Women’s film festival
8 p.m. Friday and Saturday (4/10, 11)
CSPS, 1103 Third St. SE, Cedar Rapids, $10, www.legionarts.org

10,000 Eggstravaganza
2 to 4 p.m. Saturday (4/11), S.T. Morrison Park, 1513 Seventh St., Coralville, Free, www.thebigegghunt.org

Junior Achievement: Taste of Spring
6 to 9 p.m. Friday (4/9)
Siebke Hoyt Jewelers, 4800 First Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids, (319) 862-1100, www.JAEasternIowa.org

3 Things to do this weekend…

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The Refugees
Friday, April 3Since coming together in 2007, Deborah Holland, Wendy Waldman, and Cindy Bullens have been wowing audiences with their soaring harmonies, indelible musicianship and unforgettable stage presence. With 19 solo albums and multiple Grammy Award nominations among them plus connections that run from Animal Logic to Vanessa Williams to “Grease,” The Refugees are a true folk supergroup. Blending country, rock, folk and Americana, these three women have created an entirely new sound. Their debut CD, ‘Unbound’ was released this January and features the trio on guitars, dobro, bass, mandolin, harmonica, accordion and percussion. The song list includes a mix of innovative new cowrites and fresh arrangements of their previously recorded radio favorites, including “Save the Best for Last,” “Fishin’ in the Dark,” “Spy in the House of Love” and “Jellico Highway.”

The Refugees
8 p.m. Friday (4/3); CSPS, 1103 Third St SE, Cedar Rapids; $17 advance, $20 day of show, (319) 364-1580; www.legionarts.org

Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival
Friday and Saturday, April 3 and 4

The ninth annual Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival will showcase the work of filmmakers, from across the state and around the country, all with strong connections to Iowa. Of the 70 films submitted, 31 were chosen. These films represent a wide variety of features, shorts, documentaries, music videos, animations and experimental films at student, pro-am and professional levels. Among them a documentary about the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and a short about a 98-year-old woman getting her drivers license renewed. There’s also a full-length feature by Max Allan Collins that has already done well on the festival circuit starring Tom Sizemore (of “Saving Private Ryan” fame) about a hitman lured out of retirement by a big paycheck. The festival also includes seminars and a casting call for “Splatter,” a projects that will be filmed at locations around Iowa including several near Burlington.

Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival
6:30 to 11 p.m. Friday (4/3), 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Saturday (4/4) and 9:30 to 10:30 p.m. Saturday (4/5); Collins Road Theatres, 1462 Twixt Town Rd., Marion; $10 each session or $35 all-event pass; Eddy Awards ceremony free with any other festival ticket purchase; www.crifm.org

Vh1 Save the Music artist, Andy Frasco
Saturday and Sunday, April 4 and 5

From the suburbs of West Los Angeles, Andy Frasco has performed with acts such as, Hellogoodbye, Berlin, Tyler Hilton, Butch Walker, Gavin Degraw and many others. The 21-year-old blues musician has vintage style one could easily imagine resonating off the tin walls of a phonograph. In 2007, Frasco moved to New York and independently produced, arranged, and distributed his debut full-length album “Growth & Progress.” He’s currently performing 50 benefit concerts in 60 days through 33 states for music education programs in the public school system through The VH1 Save The Music Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to restoring music programs in public schools and raising public awareness about the importance of music for our nation’s youth.

Vh1 Save the Music artist, Andy Frasco
8:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday (4/4 and 5); Cocktails & Co., 1625 Blairs Ferry Rd., Marion; $5 Saturday and FREE Sunday; www.myspace.com/andyfrasco or www.andyfrascorocks.com

Three Other Things

Spring Metro Gallery Tour
5 to 8 p.m. Friday (4/3)
Various Locations, Cedar Rapids and Marion, FREE, www.crma.org

Raising Medusa
7:30 p.m. Thursday (4/2, 9, 16), Friday (4/3,10, 17) and Saturday (4/4, 11, 18)
2 p.m. Sunday (4/5 and 19)
Riverside Theatre, 213 N. Gilbert St., Iowa City, $24 with discounts available for seniors and youth, (319) 338-7672, www.riversidetheatre.org

Harmony Hawks Revolutions In Song
7:30 p.m. Friday (4/3) and 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday (4/4)
Theatre Cedar Rapids Lindale, 4444 First Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids, $17 for adults and $5 for kid, (319) 366-8591, www.theatrecr.org

3 Things to do this weekend

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New Kids On The Block
Thursday, April 2 @ 7:30 p.m. and Monday, April 6 @ 7:30 p.m.

They’re no longer young enough to be considered new kids, but the fellas of New Kids On The Block (fondly called NKOTB by fans) are back on our block for the first time in nearly a decade and a half. These days, four of the five Kids have kids themselves. Jordan Knight, Jonathan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg and Danny Wood are all grown up. And so are their fans. But that doesn’t mean they don’t still have the right stuff.

Seriously gratuitous references to past songs aside, NKOTB is trying to make a comeback and they know what their fans want. Classics like 1988s Hangin’ Tough and 1990s Step By Step. Those are the songs that inspired today’s 20- and 30-somethings to scribble “I heart Donnie” in their NKOTB Trapper Keepers. And the group promises to deliver. So tight roll those jeans and rock the side ponytail, tickets are still available.

New Kids On The Block
7:30 p.m. Thursday (4/2), i wireless Center, Moline, $28.50 to $65, www.iwirelesscenter.com
7:30 p.m. Monday (4/6), Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines, $27.50 to $65, www.iowaeventscenter.com

Mission Creek Music Festival
Wednesday, April 1 to 5 @ Various venues, downtown Iowa City

Downtown Iowa City is about to be overrun with Mountain Goats, Fruit Bats, Bowerbirds and Liquid Swords. It’s not just another Saturday night on the Ped Mall. It’s part of the ambitious lineup for the fourth annual Mission Creek Festival, packing music, art and literary events into nearly every performance space, nook and cranny in the city over five days – six if you count the pre-festival party at the Mill at 9 p.m. Tuesday. The event’s biggest act hits the stage at the Englert Theatre at 8 p.m. Wednesday, when rapper GZA/Genius from the Wu-Tang Clan performs his seminal “Liquid Swords.”

Mission Creek Festival
Wednesday through Sunday (4/1 – 5), various Iowa City venues, cost varies by concert or $50 all-access festival pass, http://missionfreak.com/festival/

Paramount Theatre Reopening Benefit Concerts
Thursday, March 26 @ 7:30 p.m. and Wednesday, April 15 @ 7:30 p.m.

Like many local performance groups, the Cedar Rapids Community Concert Association, lost a favorite performance venue when the Paramount Theatre was ravaged by the Floods of 2008. The group, which has been a part of Cedar Rapids since 1930, used to play five shows a season to packed houses at the Paramount. And they miss it. So, they’ve organized two concerts to raise money for the cause. One-hundred percent of the net balcony seating revenue will be donated to the Paramount reopening fund. The first concert will present Side Street Strutters, a Walt Disney World show band. This seven-piece ensemble pays tribute to the big band music of Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington and Count Basie. The April concert will feature The Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra’s greatest hits. The group includes a 16-piece orchestra under the direction of trombonist Bill Tole with vocalist Nancy Knorr of the Pied Pipers.

Paramount Theatre Reopening Benefit Concerts
7:30 p.m. Thursday (3/26) and Wednesday (4/15), US Cellular Center, 370 First Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids, balcony tickets $5 for student and $10 for adults, (319) 363-1888 or www.uscellularcenter.com

Three Other Things

Matthew Pearl, author, reads from latest novel, “The Last Dickens”
7 p.m. Thursday (3/26)
Prairie Lights, 15 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City, FREE, streamed live at http://writinguniversity.uiowa.edu

Tom Jackson, photographer
1 p.m. Sunday (3/29)
Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, 410 Third Ave. SE, FREE, www.crma.org

Tangovia
7 p.m. Saturday (3/28)
Wesley Center, 120 N. Dubuque St., Iowa City, $5, www.tangovia.com

Three things to do this weekend

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Three Things

Cedar Rapids Rollergirls Beverage Tasting
Thursday, March 19 @ 5:30 p.m.

Toss one back with the most bad ass gals in town. The Cedar Rapids Rollegirls have selected an assortment of their favorite beverages from Italian sparklers to Irish stout to wet your whistle.
Even if you don’t agree with their selections, w wouldn’t suggest telling them. These ladies wo have been ripping up the flat track and the competition for the past year. They’ve bouted against teams like the Mid Iowa Rollers in Des Moines, Quad City Rollers in Davenport and Sioux City Roller Dames in Sioux City. Once you’ve had a drink with the ladies, catch them in action against the Springfield Rollergirls April 11 at 7 p.m. at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids.

Cedar Rapids Rollergirls Beverage Tasting
5:30 p.m., Thursday, March 19, Benz Beverage Depot, 501 Seventh Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids, $10, (319) 365-2556 or www.benzbeveragedepot.com
Occidental Brothers Dance Band International
Saturday, March 21 @ 8 p.m. and 9:10 p.m.

Founded by guitarist Nathaniel Braddock, the multiracial Occidental Brothers Dance Band International mixes their backgrounds in traditional African music, jazz and underground rock to bring the classic sounds of Central and West African dance music to life.
Years ago Braddock traveled from small-town industrial Michigan and the punk rock of Sonic Youth to a nondescript outbuilding of a small-town vinyl collector in Ghana. It was later, when he was teaching a guitar class on ‘80s underground pop songs, that he realized that the pop song followed a similar chord progression as the older highlife Sikyi (pronounced SEE-chee) style he’d heard in Africa and his band were reviving. The result is an unabashed of African and American styles.

Occidental Brothers Dance Band International
8 and 9:10 p.m., Saturday, March 21, CSPS, 1103 Third St. SE, Cedar Rapids, $14 advance or $17 day-of-show, (319) 364-1580 or www.legionarts.com

Equinox 2009
Friday, March 20 @ 7 p.m.

Mei-Ling Shaw Williams celebrates spring with another celebration, this one in mixed media. EQUINOX 2009 is a collaborative, creative celebration of the Vernal Equinox. There will be poetry by Joel Craig, Sarah Dodson, MAKE Magazine of Chicago, Nick Twemlow and Dean Williams. See performances by Elizabeth Bergman, Pieta Brown, Kellie Everett, The Killer Apps (Kembrew McLeod and Loren Glass), Hagan Myers and Sacred Harp. View art by John Coyne, Josh Doster, Kathryn Scanlan, Matthew Schettler, Mei-Ling Shaw Williams, Ben Villmain and Cortnie Widen. The event is supported in part by the Iowa Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Equinox 2009
7 p.m., Friday, March 20, Public Space ONE, 115 East Washington St., Iowa City, FREE, mshawwilliams@gmail.com or www.myspace.com/publicspaceone

3 Things to do on St. Paddy’s Day

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Wylde Nept
Tuesday, March 17 @ 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Eastern Iowa’s premier Celtic pub band has been entertaining the day’s kilt-wearing masses for years, playing traditional and original songs suitable for both hoisting a pint and dancing a jig, preferably at the same time.
Singer Westan James and his band mates definitely know how to host an Irish-themed party, and you can bet they’re going to put on a great show. Read a profile of the band and hear clips of their music at www.HooplaNow.com
There are two chances to hear Wylde Nept this St. Paddy’s Day. Start your day off with the band on the Z 102.9′s Morning Show with Schulte & Swann at 7 a.m. If that’s too early, head to 1st Avenue LIVE, 3701 First Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids at 7 p.m.

Wylde Nept
7 p.m., Tuesday, March 17, 1st Avenue LIVE, 3701 First Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids, $10, www.1stavelive.com

SaPaDaPaSo Parade
Tuesday March 17 @ 1 p.m.
For many regional residents, Irish or not, St. Patrick’s Day means drinking green beer, watching the SaPaDaPaSo parade in downtown Cedar Rapids. This year marks the 34th annual parade organized by, SaPaDaPaSo (named for the first two letters of the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade Society) the non-profit volunteer-run organization that organizes Cedar Rapids annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
The first parade lasted four minutes and was a block and a half long. The parade, always held on March 17, regardless of weather, draws tens of thousands of spectators and winds throughout downtown.

SaPaDaPaSo Parade
1 p.m., Tuesday, March 17, downtown Cedar Rapids, www.sapadapaso.org


Bar2Bar 5k
Sunday, March 15 @1 p.m.
A 5K? Between bars. We know what you’re thinking. Don’t think of it as a run. Think of it as a distance journey. Really, what does it mean to “run” anyway? The Bar2Bar 5k is really more like a fast walk. A fast walk from Mahoneys to Paddy O’Rourkes to J.M. O’Malley’s to the Homeport to Just Jule’s to The Green Gable and back to the Irish District (Mahoneys and Paddy’s).
Their motto: Social Drinkers with a Running Problem, says it all. The race isn’t sanction or have a cost. Organizers just ask that you bring cash, drinking toasts and Irish spirit.

Bar2Bar 5K
1 p.m., Sunday, March 15, Mahoneys, H Ave NE & 16th St NE, Cedar Rapids, FREE, www.bar2bar.org

Three Other Things

Patty Larkin
8 p.m. Thursday (3/12)
CSPS, 1103 Third St SE, Cedar Rapids, $17 advance, $20 day show, (319) 364-1580, www.legionarts.com

Karan Casey Band, St. Patrick’s Day show
8 p.m. Saturday (3/14)
CSPS, 1103 Third St SE, Cedar Rapids, $19 advance, $22 day of show , (319) 364-1580, www.legionarts.com

Asteria and My Hidden Track
noon to 3 p.m. Tuesday (3/17)
Volume, 329 2nd Ave., Cedar Rapids, www.myspace.com/volumecr

Three things to do this weekend

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Walking the Wire: Monologues at Riverside
Thursday through Saturday, March 5 to 7 @ 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 8 @ 2 p.m.

Mom’s mac and cheese. A big slice of chocolate cake. Thanksgiving turkey. We talk about it, read books about it. There’s even an entire network dedicated to it. It’s true. America’s obsessed with food.
So it makes sense that The Riverside Theatre chose food as the topic for its tenth annual “Walking the Wire: Monologues at Riverside.” The quiche the dog ate? A holiday cooking fiasco? Nothing is off-limits, as their team of actors recount favorite food stories from playwrights across the country and right here in Iowa.

Walking the Wire: Monologues at Riverside
7:30 p.m. Thursday through Sunday (3/6 to 3/8), Riverside Theatre, 213 N. Gilbert St., Iowa City, $12 to $24, (319) 338-7672, www.riversidetheatre.org

 

The Beggarmen
Sunday, March 8 @ 8 p.m.

Get your St. Patrick’s Day fix a week early with the Iowa City acoustic quartet The Beggarmen. Each member of the group, Brad Pouleson, Keith Reins, Tara Dutcher and Keith Dutcher, first picked up an instrument as a young child. In the intervening years they’ve dabbled in different genres, from classical to jazz to rock and roll, and with various instruments. The result is a group that performs traditional Celtic music as well as original compositions on the fiddle, guitar, tin whistles, mandolin, uilleann pipes and bodhran (the Irish frame drum).
They will be joined on stage by lively Irish step dancers, including Amy LeMieux who received her training from the McNulty School of Irish Dance and the World Academy of Irish Dancing. The concert is part of the Free Community Spotlight Series and the The Beggarmen encourage audience members to bring an item for donation to the Iowa City Crisis Center.

The Beggarmen
8 p.m. Sunday (3/8), The Englert Theatre, 221 East Washington St., Iowa City, FREE, (319) 688-2653; www.englert.org

 

Orquesta Alto Maiz benefit concert and dance
Sunday, March 8 @ 5 p.m.

Orquesta Alto Maiz, an eleven-piece Latin jazz dance band that plays everything from merengue to samba to cha-cha-cha, salsa, calypso and boleros, will perform a benefit concert for occassional-bandmate Edwin Custodio, who fell from the roof of a 3rd story building in December, shattering his pelvis and ankle, as well as breaking his leg and elbow.
At 5 p.m. join in group dance lessons. Then from 6 to 8 p.m. practice your dance moves to the tunes of Alto Maiz and from 8 to 9 p.m. DJ Edwin Alvarado will play salsa, merengue, bachata, punta and reggaeton.

Orquesta Alto Maiz benefit concert and dance
5 to 9 p.m. Sunday (3/8), Karma, 616 Second Avenue SE, Cedar Rapids, $15 in advance at Karma and $20 at the door, (319) 538-5172, www.salsaband.com or www.crsalasa.org

Three other things

Richard Shindell
7 p.m. Sunday (3/8)
CSPS, 1103 Third St SE, Cedar Rapids, $17 advance or $20 day show, (319) 364-1580, www.legionarts.com

Juan de Marcos & the Afro-Cuban All Stars
presented by Hancher
7:30 p.m. Tuesday (3/10)
West High School Auditorium, 2901 Melrose Ave., Iowa City, $21 to $40, (319) 335-1160 or 1 (800) HANCHER, www.hancher.uiowa.edu

Great wines under $20
5:30 p.m. Wednesday (3/11)
Benz Beverage Depot, 501 Seventh Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids, $10, (319) 365-2556, www.benzbeveragedepot.com

Three things to do

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Darius Rucker
8 p.m. Friday (2/27), Mississippi Moon Bar at Diamond Jo Casino, 301 Bell St., Dubuque, $30 to $75, (563) 690-4800, www.diamondjo.com
Hootie! Well, no, not exactly. Darius Rucker was the frontman for rootsy ’90s rockers Hootie and the Blowfish, but his name is not and never has been Hootie, even though that’s what everybody calls him. Rucker should take pride in the name, since Hootie songs like “Hold My Hand” and “Only Wanna Be with You” are modern-day classics.
These days, Rucker has fashioned himself as a country singer with his new solo album, “Learn to Live.” Not surprisingly, considering how close Hootie’s music was to country anyway, the album is a hit, and Rucker has elevated himself back into mainstream popularity. Just don’t call him Hootie.

 

Duncan Sheik
8 p.m. Tuesday (3/3), with Lauren Pritchard, CSPS, 1103 Third St. SE, Cedar Rapids, $28 or $32, (319) 364-1580, www.legionarts.org
The first single Duncan Sheik ever released, 1996′s “Barely Breathing,” became a massive hit and put the New York singer-songwriter on the map. Since then, Sheik’s career has taken a turn toward Broadway, as he wrote the music for the Tony Award-winning rock ‘n’ roll musical “Spring Awakening” in 2006.
Sheik still has Broadway on his mind with his new album, “Whisper House.” Not only is “Whisper House” the next entry in Sheik’s discography as a singer-songwriter, it’s also in the process of being adapted to the stage for a musical of the same name. Sheik is a major talent whose show shouldn’t be missed.

Alice Sebold
7:30 p.m. Wednesday (3/4), Main Lounge, Iowa Memorial Union, University of Iowa, Iowa City, free, (319) 335-3255, http://lectures.uiowa.edu
By now, you’ve probably read “The Lovely Bones,” Alice Sebold’s hugely popular 2002 novel. Even if you haven’t read it, you probably know that it’s about a girl who observes her family from heaven after she’s raped and murdered. Good luck not bawling at the part where her beloved dog joins her in the afterlife.
“The Lovely Bones” is being turned into a movie that’s schedule to be released this December. “The Lord of the Rings” auteur Peter Jackson directs, with a sterling cast led by Saoirse Ronan, Rachel Weisz, Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci and Susan Sarandon. Wow. Talk about Oscar bait.

3 Other Things
1964: The Tribute – 8 p.m. Friday (2/27), The Englert Theatre, 221 E. Washington St., Iowa City, $34 or $39, (319) 688-2653, www.englert.org
Louis C.K. – 8 p.m. Saturday (2/28), Mississippi Moon Bar at Diamond Jo Casino, 301 Bell St., Dubuque, $30 to $50, (563) 690-4800, www.diamondjo.com
Po’ Girl – 8 p.m. Wednesday (3/4), The Mill Restaurant, 120 E. Burlington St., Iowa City, $10, (319) 351-9529, www.icmill.com

– Eric