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

Maple Syrup Festival
Saturday and Sunday, March 6 and 7

Break out the pancakes, it’s maple syrup time. Drop by the Indian Creek Nature Center Saturday and Sunday morning to take part in the whole sticky experience — from tapping a tree, to gathering sap and processing it into real maple syrup. Breakfast — including pancakes, sausage, juice, milk and coffee — will be served so visitors can taste the fruits, er, syrups, of their labors. Plus there will be musical entertainment while you eat. Sweet!

Maple Syrup Festival
8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Saturday (03/06) and Sunday (03/07), Indian Creek Nature Center, 6665 Otis Rd. SE, Cedar Rapids, $3.50 to $6.50 in advance or $4 to $7 at the door,
(319) 362-0664, www.indiancreeknaturecenter.org

Hollywood Live!
Sunday, March 7

The Englert Theatre is rolling out the red carpet in honor of the 82nd annual Academy Awards on Sunday. Make plans to watch the show live on the big screen with local theater enthusiast Chris Okiishi hosting. There will be movie-themed food, costume contests, grab bags and a silent auction. Guests can cast their own Oscar ballots and vote for best and worst-dressed celebrity. If you can’t make it to L.A. for Oscar night, this is the next best thing.

Hollywood Live!
5:30 p.m., Sunday (03/07), Englert Theatre, 221 E. Washington St., Iowa City, Free but small donations are welcome, (319) 688-2653, www.englert.org

Dervish
Sunday, March 7

Ready to get in the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day (and we don’t mean drinking green beer)? Legion Arts continues their tradition of presenting traditional Irish bands in honor of the upcoming holiday and Dervish won’t disappoint. Just listening to this six-member band — hailing from northwest Ireland — bring their toe-tapping instrumentals and powerful lyrics to the Corridor will make you feel a wee bit more Irish. ‘Tis grand!

Dervish
7 p.m., Sunday (03/07), CSPS, 1103 Third Street SE, Cedar
Rapids, $20 in advance, $25 at the door, (319) 364-1580,
www.legionarts.org

Three other things

Killadelphia: A Mixtape of a City
7:30 p.m. Friday (3/5)
Riverside Theatre, 213 N.
Gilbert St., Iowa City, $12 to $26, 319.338.7672,
www.riversidetheatre.org

JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound
7 p.m. Saturday (3/6)
Blue Moose Tap House, 211
Iowa Ave., Iowa City, $6,
www.bluemooseic.com

Moscow String Quartet
7:30 p.m. Monday (3/8)
Cornell College King Chapel, 660 1st St. SW, Mount Vernon, $10 at the door, $5 for students, www.cornellcollege.edu

K=one guy                  E=other guy                  S=the girl

S: So let me start out by saying I was SO worried. The trailers were misleading and this movie was going to be S-C-A-R-Y!  But was hoping beyond hope that it was like one of my favorite movies, Shaun of the Dead.

K: I went in thinking, “Do we really need another zombie movie?” In the end, I’m glad I didn’t talk myself out of seeing it.

E: The set up is like any other zombie flick.  Virus goes wrong.  People start feasting on each other like a CiCi’s buffet.  A few stay untouched, band together, and try to find some sense of normalcy.

S: The gags and “The Rules” were what kept me engaged the entire time.  I was laughing my butt off!  “The Rules” reminded me of “going to the Winchester to get a pint” in Shaun of the Dead.

E: Rules like 2.  beware of bathrooms… 11. always check the backseat… 3.  always double tap (shoot ‘em in the head twice).  1.  Cardio.  30.  Never be hero.  Rules like that.

K: I enjoyed the zany, dark humor gags of Zombieland and the crazy, way over the top, gory tone of opening the scene. It sets up “The Rules” that Columbus (Eisenberg) follows to stay alive.

E: You had to love the running gag that Woody Harrelson was looking for the last Twinkie on earth.  And, it made S & me run to Hy Vee for some golden cake and creamy filled goodness after the flick.

K: Zombieland is essentially a road trip movie while parading the zombie movie genre. Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin each bring certain flair to their performances that keep the viewer engaged.

S: I loved Emma Stone in Superbad anyway but her rocker-chic look and kick-ass mentality was even better in this movie than that one.

E: And, for once, two really strong female characters in a creature feature.  That’s rare.

K: What made me really crack up unexpectedly was a terrific, out of the blue cameo by a legendary comedic actor towards the second half. The hilarious buzz worthy scene alone is worth seeing Zombieland!

S: I SO agree.  However, the end of the scene was the only thing that kind of made me a little uncomfortable.  I didn’t think it was quite the right end.

E: I think you’ve both said too much.  You’ll just have to see it for yourself (hint:  it’s not Russell Crowe, but he is the butt of a great joke).

K: Kudos for director Ruben Fleischer & the screenwriters for their creative vision for a fresh take on zombie movies.

S: I’d see this again and again and again and…

E: The ending was a little too Scooby Doo (monsters in an amusement park), but look past that for lots of laughs, a couple buckets of blood, a few one liners you’ll keep saying, and one last Twinkie.  So nut up or shut up and go see this thing.

Recommendation: Full Price for zombie movie geeks, Shaun of the Dead groupies and dark comedy fans.  Matinee if you really hate zombies.

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

We’re all guilty of it. The only time you take a minute to enjoy the attractions and activities the community has to offer is when you have out-of-town guests. So here’s a few opportunities to see the area from a new resident’s perspective. Perhaps you’ll discover something new. Learn about area organizations focused on making this community the best if can be at the Corridor Welcome Reception on Monday. And go explore some of the places and people that make this area unique.

Get acquainted

Corridor Welcome Reception
Information: www.eihra.org

New community members and established residents who want to get reintroduced to the Corridor, should attend the The Corridor Welcome Reception. The free night of networking will be an opportunity for employers, cultural organizations and citizens to unite for a diverse, welcoming Corridor. Sponsoring organizations – Access Iowa, Diversity Focus, the Eastern Iowa Human Resources Association, the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance, Professional and Technical Diversity Network, Cedar Rapids Downtown District and the Cedar Rapids Area Convention and Visitors Bureau – will have information booths and the Professional and Technological Diversity Network will make a special announcement.

The event is Monday (4/6) from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at CSPS, 1103 Third St. SE, Cedar Rapids. Complimentary appetizers, beer and wine will be served. An RSVP in encouraged to get an accurate count for food and drink. To RSVP, go to http://eihra.org

Get inspired

Abby Jones Art Gallery Opening
Information: www.myspace.com/abbyjonesart and at http://abbyjonesart.mosaicglobe.com

Abstract expressionist painter Abby Jones will showcase her latest works at a gallery opening at the Paul Engle Center for Neighborhood Arts. Jones, who studied under artist Hugh Lifson, professor emeritus at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, also cites the paintings of fellow abstract expressionists Jackson Pollock and Steve Joy as influences on her style. Abby says: “I am fascinated with the basic scientific principle that energy is neither created nor destroyed. Energy changes form, from potential energy to kinetic energy and back. I explore the threshold of change – when potential energy becomes kinetic energy. That energy exists in the creative process of art making as well as life. Hear more from Abby at the opening.

The gallery opening is at the Paul Engle Center for Neighborhood Arts, 1600 Fourth Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids, Saturday, April 4 from 2 to 4 p.m. Refreshments will be provided.

Get moving

Tango Nuevo and Body Awareness
Information: Elie @ (319) 363-1818

Learn to Tango and move your body in one (or both) of two classes offered at CSPS in Cedar Rapids and the Wesley Center in Iowa City. The first, Tango Nuevo will introduce the concepts of the most recent and modern style of tango, Tango Nuevo. It’s traditional tango with a lot of improvisation and freedom of movement. This is a foundation class is suitable for dancers of all styles and levels including beginners. No partner necessary. The second class, Body Awareness, will teach a variety of Western and Eastern body awareness techniques and low impact exercises to achieve a proper body alignment, balance, flexibility and strength. All ages and abilities are welcome.

The classes are each six consecutive weeks. Cost is $42 or $30 for students. Tango Nuevo in Iowa City is Fridays (started March 27) from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. and in Cedar Rapids Sundays (started 3/29) from 2 to 3 p.m. Body Awareness in Iowa City is Fridays (started 3/27) from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. and Cedar Rapids Sundays (started 3/29) from 1 to 2 p.m.

We’ve got talent.Cedar Rapids may be nearly 2,000 miles from the theatrical meccas of Hollywood and New York, but there’s a lot of talent between the Rockies and the Mississippi right here in Eastern Iowa. Need proof? Head to Broadway Maybies, the annual fundraiser for the Young Parents Network, Friday or to CSPS Saturday and Sunday for performances by two area playwrights.

Broadway Maybies
@ First Assembly of God, Cedar Rapids
Information: (319) 364-8909 or www.youngparentsnetwork.org

Every year for nearly two decades, locals have gotten on stage and acted a fool all for a good cause. This year is no different. Young Parents Network will present the 19th annual Broadway Maybies talent show and fundraiser Friday (3/27). Tim Boyle and Scott Schulte will emcee the show featuring acts from area companies. Proceeds from the event will support the early childhood initiatives of Young Parents Network, an agency dedicated to the prevention of adolescent pregnancy and building successful families in Benton, Cedar, Dubuque, Iowa, Jones and Linn Counties. Buy raffle tickets for packages including gift certificates to local restaurants and sporting events in advance at www.youngparentsnetworkorg Tickets are $ each or 6 for $5. You do not need to present to win.

The annual show is at 7 p.m. Friday (3/27) at First Assembly of God, 3233 Blairs Ferry Rd. NE, Cedar Rapids. Tickets are $10 general admission and will be available at the door or in advance at Mercy Medical Center Gift Shop or St. Luke’s Gift Shop. e $10 for the show.

Local playwrights
A night of original theater @ CSPS, Cedar Rapids
Information: (319) 364-1580 or www.legionarts.org

Legion Arts presents two new works by Eastern Iowa playwrights: “My Father’s Imaginary Friend” by Monica Leo of West Liberty and the premiere of “Cedar Rapids Famous” by Joe Jennison of Cedar Rapids. Both plays offer a humorous view of prejudice and ask if we really are as open-minded as we claim to be. “My Father’s Imaginary Friend,” told through puppets, is the story of Leo’s parents and their immigration experiences. Leo is founder and lead puppeteer of Eulenspiegel Puppet Theatre, based at Owl Glass Puppetry Center in West Liberty. “Cedar Rapids Famous” is a one-act comedy set in and around Cedar Rapids in the summer of 2007, during the 22-and-a-half hours when same-sex marriage was briefly legal in Iowa. Jennison is executive director of the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance, a group of 100-plus arts and culture organizations in the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City area.

See both plays Friday and Saturday (3/27 and 28) at 8 p.m. The plays are appropriate for audiences high-school aged and older. After the performances join the artists for an informal reception. Tickets are $13 in advance and $16 day of show. Student rush tickets priced at $5 go on sale one hour before the show.

Get Out

Granted. In this particular economy it can be hard to part with hard-earned pennies. But, if you’re hurting for cash, so are your favorite charities and non profits. This weekend, take the opportunity to do some good and have a good time doing it.

Get your chocolate fix
Dessert Gala and Silent Auction
Information: Jessica Haerther (319) 560-3731 or jkhaerth@coe.edu

Eat chocolate for a good cause. Join the women of Coe College’s Delta Delta Delta chapter for their Annual Dessert Gala and Silent Auction. All proceeds from the evening benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the Heart Connection Children’s Cancer Programs of Des Moines. Gourmet desserts donated from local restaurants will be served during the silent auction, which includes items donated by area businesses as well as themed baskets donated by sorority members.

The event is Saturday from 6 to 8 p.m. in Gage Memorial Union, Coe College, 1220 First Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids. Admission is $15 for the public and $5 for students. Tickets are available at the door or through the Coe College box office.

Get reading
Readers and Writers Rebuild
Information: Peggy Heysse at (319) 365-6304 or pheysse@gmail.com

Read books for a good cause. Internationally acclaimed authors will read from their works to raise money for the Cedar Rapids Public Library Foundation. Authors include, former Iowa Poet Laureate Marvin Bell, Lan Samantha Chang, John D’Agata, James Galvin, David Hamilton, Christopher Merrill, Pulitzer Prize winning novelist Marilynne Robinson and Cole Swensen. Books signed by these authors will be available for silent auction. Live music and refreshments provided.

The event is Saturday (2.28) from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Perrine Gallery of Stewart Memorial Library, Coe College, 1220 First Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids. Admission is $20. Reservations not required, but seating is limited.

ThreeThings
Mark Olson & Gary Louris
8 p.m. Thursday (2/19), CSPS, 1103 Third St. SE, Cedar Rapids, $17 or $20, (319) 364-1580, www.legionarts.org
For fans of The Jayhawks, the reunion of Mark Olson and Gary Louris is huge. The Jayhawks, led by the two Minneapolis singer-songwriters, were one of the most critically acclaimed alternative-country bands of the ’90s. The group even scored a minor hit with the 1995 song “Blue.”
Olson left The Jayhawks shortly thereafter and eventually embarked on a solo career. Louris continued with the band, but the spark was gone. Now, more than a decade later, Olson and Louris are back together with a new album, “Ready for the Flood,” which finds the duo’s lush combination of folk, country and roots music still intact.

Mason Jennings
8 p.m. Friday (2/20), The Englert Theatre, 221 E. Washington St., Iowa City, $22, (319) 688-2653, www.englert.org
Doesn’t Mason Jennings’ name make him sound like a big deal? He has no relation, though, to more famous Jenningses like Waylon (outlaw-country legend), Shooter (Waylon’s son) and, um, Peter (longtime news guy). Still, Jennings has been making a name for himself since the late ’90s as a solid singer-songwriter.
These days, Jennings is doing his singing and songwriting for Brushfire Records, which is owned by mega-popular surf-folkie Jack Johnson. Jennings released his seventh album, “In the Ever,” last year, his latest collection of smoothly funky acoustic songs.

William Elliott Whitmore
9 p.m. Saturday (2/21) and 6 p.m. Sunday (2/22), The Picador, 330 E. Washington St., Iowa City, $10, (319) 354-4788, www.thepicador.com
Move over, Shawn Johnson. William Elliott Whitmore is ready to become Iowa’s new golden child. OK, so the probability of a barrel-voiced folk singer (Whitmore) becoming more popular than a sprightly gymnast (Johnson) is slim. But Whitmore, who has lived his entire life on a farm outside Montrose in southeast Iowa, definitely is worthy of some local love.
Here’s why: After three albums spent perfecting his dark, bluesy style of folk music, Whitmore now is recording alongside the likes of Tom Waits, Billy Bragg and Neko Case on Anti- Records. Whitmore’s new album, “Animals in the Dark,” already has received loads of national and international attention. Keep an eye on this guy.

3 Other Things
Toby Keith – 7:30 p.m. Sunday (2/22), Wells Fargo Arena, 730 Third St., Des Moines, $35 or $49.75, (866) 553-2457, www.iowaeventscenter.com
Lea Vandervelde reads from “Mrs. Dred Scott” – 7 p.m. Wednesday (2/25), Prairie Lights Books, 15 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City, free, (319) 337-2681, www.prairielights.com
These Arms Are Snakes – 9 p.m. Wednesday (2/25), with Darker My Love, All the Saints and Private Dancer, The Picador, 330 E. Washington St., Iowa City, $8, (319) 354-4788, www.thepicador.com

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