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

Andi Clay (aka Motley Cruel), 37, Cedar Rapids
Founder @ Cedar Rapids Rollergirls

Andi Clay

Walking up to the National Guard Armory, where the Cedar Rapids Roller Girls are holding their usual Tuesday practice, it seems entirely appropriate to hear Motley Cruel (aka Andi Clay) addressing her team like a drill sergeant. It also makes perfect sense that despite the rock music blaring from the radio in the corner, they all listen attentively to every word she says.

After being on three different teams in three years, Andi knows the ins and outs of this surging sport. It’s a tough game and the girls who play it are just as tough, whether they be pivots (scorers), jammers (guides) or blockers. Andi has experience at all positions, but usually takes the “brains” role of a pivot.

“I’ve had a broken hand, a fractured tailbone, a shoulder out of socket and three concussions. The one that hurt the most, though, was the fractured cheek bone,” Andi says. “In the first five minutes of a bout, a girl hit me so hard that when it was over, I needed a neck brace. I played on adrenaline the rest of the time anyway. There is nothing you can do about a broken face.”

Originally from Bloomington, Ind., Andi played for the Bloomington Bleeding Heartland Flatliners. When her husband was transferred to Rockwell Collins in Cedar Rapids, she began traveling to Des Moines to practice with the Mid-Iowa Rollers. Soon, she decided to start her own team. After hooking up with the like-minded AJ Renegade from Ely, the two made up fliers and began distributing them around town. Word of the team spread and they had to cap the number of girls at 30.

The team has become so popular that beginners now have to try out to join. The Cedar Rapids Rollergirls are now broken down into three sub-teams the Helldorados, Bombshell Cartel and Demon Dolls. They practice Sundays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Andi scouts for natural talent like footwork, quickness and of course, the ability to give and take a hit.

“Pack awareness is key,” Andi says. “If you don’t know how to fall, you’re going to hurt yourself.”

They held their first Cedar Rapids bout in October. Nearly 2,000 people filled the US Cellular Center. Another 900 came to the second in November. In March, all three Cedar Rapids teams are gearing up for a mixer with Des Moines, Clinton’s Big Mouth Mickies and the Quad City Rollers at the US Cellular Center. They’re also planning a scrimmage against the North Stars from Minnesota…

Andi has big designs for the future, including an all guys team. Now, the male skaters are used as referees. But a few are looking for a chance to battle.

“I would love to have a coed team,” Andi says. ”But at this point we can easily take the boys.”

– Justin

DID YOU KNOW: Scores in roller derby are often in the hundreds and penalties are almost constant.

WHAT SHE CAN DO FOR YOU: The Rollergirls are holding tryouts Sunday from 4 to 6 p.m. at Superskate, 5100 Northland Ave NE, Cedar Rapids. They’re looking for “some bad ass girls who think they have what it takes to be a derby girl.” Girls need to be at least 18 years old. For more information, e-mail Andi at motley.cruel@hotmail.com or go to www.myspace.com/crrollergirls