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Three things to do this weekend

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Jazz Under the Stars
Thursday, Aug. 27

lakestreetdive

Soak up the stars at Lake Street Dive’s show this week at Jazz Under the Stars. Hailing from Boston, and led by bassist (and Iowa City West graduate) Bridget Kearney, the ensemble creates a blend of jazz, R&B, pop and their own sweet sounds. The Jazz series – in its 22nd season – has been entertaining Corridor music lovers for more two decades. Food and beverages are sold during the show, but you can also bring your own lawn chairs, blankets and picnic. Don’t miss the final installment of the 2009 season.

Lake Street Dive @ Jazz Under the Stars
7 p.m. Thursday (8/27), Noelridge Park, Cedar Rapids, Free, www.kcck.org

Sand in the City
Friday, August 28 to Sunday, August 30

Bill Dow of Billings, Mont., carves detail into a channel catfish head as he works on a sand sculpture for Cedar Rapids' Floodstock. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

Bill Dow of Billings, Mont., carves detail into a channel catfish head as he works on a sand sculpture for Cedar Rapids' Floodstock. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

We may not have ocean-side resorts or miles of coastline beaches in Corridor. But this weekend in Iowa City we do have plenty of sand — and that’s the best part of going to the beach anyway, isn’t it? As a fundraiser for Iowa City’s Summer of the Arts, Bank of the West is sponsoring a weekend-long event for families – Sand in the City. The free event lines Iowa Avenue and Linn Street downtown Iowa City with giant sandboxes, elaborate sand sculptures, live music and kids’ activities. Teams from area business build sculptures and eventgoers will have the opportunity to vote for their favorites. The sand-filled fun will run from Friday (in conjunction with the Friday Night Concert Series) through Sunday.

Sand in the City
10 a.m. Friday (8/28), Saturday (8/29), Sunday (8/30) Iowa Avenue and Linn Street, Downtown Iowa City, Free, www.summerofthearts.org

Cracker @ The Mill
Sunday, August 30

Cracker in New York City in 2006. (Rahav/Photopass.com)

Cracker in New York City in 2006. (Rahav/Photopass.com)

The men who put a new spin on alt-rock in the mid-80s are still rocking today — or more specifically, Sunday at the Mill in Iowa City. Cracker is currently on tour promoting their ninth studio album, “Sunrise In the Land of Milk and Honey.” The group first made a mark on the college-aged MTV crowd 17 years ago, and are still making music that channels late ‘70s-early ‘80s pop-punk rock. Weaving decades of musical experience and plenty of unique style, Cracker is sure to be a one-of-a-kind Corridor show. Doors open at 8 p.m. and Detroit pop band The High Strung is set to open the show.

Cracker
9 p.m. Sunday (8/30), 120 E. Burlington Street, Iowa City, $15, www.icmill.com

Three more things

  • CR Rollergirls – “Death Proof Derby”
  • 7 p.m. Saturday (8/29)
  • US Cellular Center, 370 First Avenue NE, Cedar Rapids, adults $13 in advance, $16 at the door, kids 5 & under free, www.uscellularcenter.com
  • Cedar Rapids Kernels Family Day
  • 2 p.m. Sunday (8/30)
  • Perfect Game Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium, 950 Rockford Road SW, Cedar Rapids, $7-$10, www.kernels.com

three things to do this weekend

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Bret Michaels of Poison
8 p.m. Friday (2/6), Mississippi Moon Bar at Diamond Jo Casino, 301 Bell St., Dubuque, $30 to $75, (563) 690-4800, www.diamondjo.com
Bret Michaels is best known as the star of VH1′s “Rock of Love” dating shows. What’s that? Oh, right. Michaels also is the lead singer from ’80s hair-metal masters Poison. These days, though, chances are more young people know Michaels as a reality TV star than a musician.
But in concert, when Michaels isn’t surrounded by a gaggle of trampy women trying to win his love, he still can rock hard enough to flatten a row of piled-high perms. Poison songs like “Nothin’ But a Good Time” and “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” are hair-metal classics, and Michaels also can pull songs from his new “Rock My World” solo album.

Cracker
8 p.m. Saturday (2/7), Mississippi Moon Bar at Diamond Jo Casino, 301 Bell St., Dubuque, $25 or $35, (563) 690-4800, www.diamondjo.com
Of all of the popular alternative-rock bands of the ’90s, who would have thought Cracker would be one of the few still going strong in the ’00s? Somehow, these rootsy rockers have been able to turn a string of hits – “Low,” “Get Off This,” “Eurotrash Girl” and “Teen Angst (What the World Needs Now)” – into a long-lasting career.
Actually, maybe Cracker’s longevity isn’t so strange. After all, just about anyone who paid close attention to that era of alt-rock probably has fond memories of all four of those songs. Plus, frontman David Lowery wrote the decade-defining lyric of “What the world needs now, is another folk singer, like I need a hole in my head.”

Titus Andronicus
9 p.m. Sunday (2/8), with The Envy Corps and Birth Rites, The Mill Restaurant, 120 E. Burlington St., Iowa City, $6, (319) 351-9529, www.icmill.com
This week’s 3 Things is like the slogan for an adult-contemporary radio station: “’80s, ’90s and today!” Filling the “today” slot is Titus Andronicus, a lo-fi punk band from New Jersey that indie-rock kingpin PitchforkMedia.com has helped introduce to the bearded masses. Don’t get me started on Pitchfork. Don’t.
Anyway, Titus Andronicus seems worthy of the attention, as long as you can get past the fuzzy and scuzzy production of the band’s debut album, last year’s “The Airing of Grievances.” Singer Patrick Stickles’ tortured yowl is reminiscent of Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst, and the rest of the band cheerfully bashes its instruments like it was playing with pots and pans.

3 Other Things
Euforquestra – 9 p.m. Thursday (2/5), Iowa City Yacht Club, 13 S. Linn St., Iowa City, $10, (319) 337-6464, www.iowacityyachtclub.org
Bob Marley’s Birthday Party with Public Property – 9 p.m. Friday (2/6), Iowa City Yacht Club, 13 S. Linn St., Iowa City, $10, (319) 337-6464, www.iowacityyachtclub.org
Tilly and the Wall – 7 p.m. Sunday (2/8), with Porno Galactica and datagun, The Picador, 330 E. Washington St., Iowa City, $12, (319) 354-4788, www.thepicador.com