Can you smell it? There’s a weird smell in the air. It smells like spring. The weather is teasing us as if it wants to come around. All I can say is that Iowa City doesn’t really care if it wants to come this weekend or next; it’s going to be a busy weekend regardless. I guess everyone has to get stuff in before spring break comes around. For real, I wasn’t kidding about the busy thing. Are you ready? Let’s begin.
THURSDAY
Notes on the Emptying of a City // Public Space One // 8:00 PM // Free, All Ages
Following a talk for the School of Art and Art History, Ashley Hunt will be coming from the South Side to downtown Iowa City to present a project at Public Space One. Entitled “Notes on the Emptying of a City,” it deconstructs the idea of the documentary and travelogue. Featuring Hunt sitting alone, he will construct a narrative of sounds, images, and stories in front of the audience in real time about his work with a group of social activists in post-Katrina New Orleans. Politically oriented and asking questions on race and other pressing political issues, Hunt’s presentation will be a new way to look at the catastrophe that has been a point of pride and disappointment in the American zeitgeist.
Cotton Jones w/ Pepper Rabbit & Skye Carrasco // Blue Moose Tap House // 8:00 PM // $8 Adv, $10 Day of Show; 19+
If the political content of Hunt’s speech sounds way too real to you (I know the feeling after watching Inside Job last week), KRUI is providing a much more mellow option, showcasing three singer-songwriters in the third show of its Low Frequency Series. The headliner for this affair is Cotton Jones. Originally from Cumberland, MD (a lovely part of the country if you’ve never been out there), Cotton Jones is Michael Nau and Whitney McGraw. While this started as a side project for the two, Cotton Jones has become their primary output. They play traditional americana-based songs which are inflected with a psychedelic sensibility, meaning lots of reverb/echo and empty expanses of sound. It’s an compelling sound, one that will contrast well with the orchestral styles of LA-based Pepper Rabbit and the styling of local violin troubadour Skye Carrasco.
Del McCoury Band w/ Burlington Street Bluegrass Band // Englert Theatre // 8:00 PM // $25, All Ages
There isn’t much more that I can say about Del McCoury that hasn’t been said somewhere else. It’s hard to come up with original words for a man whose been playing Bluegrass music for the better part of a half-century. He has fans in Elvis Costello and Bjork (yea, I’m confused a little too), but this is with very, very good reason. His voice is strong and his band is full of good, quality musicians playing traditional instruments. He is old school through and through, reminiscent of AM radio country and bluegrass (read: where both are at their best, even now). Being supported by the Burlington Street Bluegrass Band, this show will be a treat for the local fans of old-time music.
FRIDAY
Gallery Walk // Downtown Iowa City // 5:00 PM // Free
If you are anxious to get outside and take a stroll with your special someone, you’ll still need to dip into places to keep warm because it ain’t quite that warm outside yet. This Friday offers a way to stroll with your better half and stay warm at the same time because it’s a Gallery Walk. There are a number of galleries involved with this walk from AKAR to PS One to The Senior Center. There are maps at all of the locations if you need to find out where everything is. As well, check out the Downtown Iowa City website where there is a considerable amount of information about the artist exhibits that will be on display as well as all of the venues taking part in the event.
Mondo Drag w/ Land of Blood & Sunshine, Brooke Strause, Centaur Noir & Blizzard at Sea // White Lightning Warehouse // 9:30 PM // $5, All Ages
If you haven’t already been made aware, there’s a big ass music festival that’s about to happen in this town called Mission Creek. If you want to know what it’s going to sound like, I HEAVILY recommend you go to this show as everyone save Centaur Noir is going to be playing again at the festival. Mondo Drag’s psychedelic. Land of B&S like to freak out. Centaur Noir likes to party. Brooke Strause brings the folk flavor while Blizzard at Sea will bring the pure heaviness. All of this action for the bargain basement price of 5 bucks down at White Lightning. Check it out after you’ve checked out the local arts on the Gallery Walk.
SATURDAY
Nachte Raho 2011 // IMU Main Lounge // 5:30 PM // $12 Student, $20 Public, All Ages
Nachte Raho is a South Asian dance competition. Schools from around the midwest field teams that can rip it in three popular Indian dance forms: Bhangra, Garba-Raas, and Bollywood Fusion. Each team has to put together an eight to ten minute dance routine. There is a cash pool of $5,000 for winners. If you have never gone to a dance competition like a breaking competition or something like that, it’s really quite a lot of fun. The crowd gets into it, taking sides and talking smack to each other. It’s also totally appropriate to just yell out when people do awesome dance moves. The music is loud and pumps. All in all, it’s a really good time. If you’re not familiar with the genres of dance, each one brings a different flavor to the table but all are fun and interesting to watch. If you need to get filled in on steps, the folks in the audience will tell you what’s up.
Antigone 2.0 // David Thayer Theatre, Theater Building @ UI // 8:00 PM // $5-17, All Ages
If you made the reasonably poor life choice of being a Classics major (I mean, greek mythology is pretty boss after all), you’re probably familiar with Antigone. Written by Sophocles, the play deals with issues of citizens and their relationship to the state. Assuming that you’ve not asked yourself the question, you might be wondering what the 2.0 is all about. Well, this is an interactive version of Antigone. Rather than sitting and watching, the audience will be standing and involved fully in the play, moving about the scene and following various directions. This will be a non-traditional theory to say the least.
As you can see, this is a busy weekend here in Iowa City. Don’t let the coldness stop you. Get out and do something.
~LV
You want to see your event here? Email weekender@littlevillagemag.com with the details!
