Greetings Weekenders!
Is it just me, or does this fall weather seem to have everyone just a little too blissed out? Alright fine, that’s cool, let’s focus on the positive: The world is beautiful. This week’s Weekender is about creating beauty and doing all that we can to preserve the life-sustaining forces of nature that surround us, embrace us, literally keep us alive.
THURSDAY
Chalk it down to 350! – A creative event for the environment | Ped Mall (by the playground) 3:30-5:30 p.m. | FREE
Many of you have heard about 350.org – the global campaign to reduce CO2 in the atmosphere to 350 parts per million. For several months 350.org has been helping to coordinate and inspire groups worldwide to hold climate change “work parties” on October 10, 2010 (10/10/10) that will reduce carbon emissions all over the planet.
We know the science, and we know it’s serious. So, this Thursday, Iowa City will turn its attention to 10/10/10 a few days early with a simple, childlike celebration of this beautiful world: Drawing 350 flowers all over the ped mall with chalk, just like back in the day. Why? Because flowers are pretty. The world is pretty. And we like it.
Take a moment this afternoon to make something lovely and think about all we have to lose if we don’t get our act together.
FRIDAY
This Friday, the weather people are calling for a high of 79 and a low of 53, with a 0% chance of rain. Now, I don’t like to do this, but this right here is an order: Don’t stay home. Go outside. Walk downtown, look at art, and you can dance if you want to. The beauty is indoors, outdoors, happening right before your eyes:
Gallery Walk | Downtown Iowa City | 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. | FREE
More than 20 downtown locations–all the galleries plus lots of unconventional locations like restaurants and boutiques–will have shows up starting this Friday, so take a stroll with your sweetie and enjoy all the beautiful visual art by local, national and international artists.
Two new galleries will be participating as well: Arts Iowa City in their new location (basement of the Wells Fargo, on the ped mall) and realist Matt Sissel’s studios and gallery will open this Friday in the hall mall.
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Live Hip-Hop | Gabes | 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
LV Contributor and maker of the 2010/319/local hip-hop mixtape Clarence Johnson will be spinning records live for John Dope and Ion in a throwback celebration of live art hip-hop. Answer hip-hop trivia questions and win 12″ vinyls!
The Gathering of the Gulls | Public Space ONE | 7 p.m. | FREE
PS One always has visual art on display, so they will celebrate the gallery walk with one of the oldest forms of performance art: Storytelling.
This Friday, October 8th, The Seagull Society is meeting again and you are invited. The Gathering of the Gulls is a monthly performance of stories told live, without notes. All are welcome to come listen or tell a story and be inducted into the society. It’s the time of year for scary tales to give you goosebumps! So come to PS1 with a spooky, creepy, or logic-defying story to share, or just come listen.
Joe Jack Talcum | The Mill | 9 p.m. | $7
Finish the night with an intimate set by Joe Jack Talcum of The Dead Milkmen. With Sam Locke Ward and the Boo-hoos opening and DJ Super Rusty spinning the vinyl during set breaks, when I say intimate I don’t mean slow, boring and cozy, I mean like, totally awesome party time and cozy.
SATURDAY
SEANCE | Blue Moose Tap House | 10 p.m
Starved for super sick electronica that is not mash-up based? Yeah, I hear ya.
DVS1 (Devious 1)
Rather than giving limiting names to the genres he plays, he describes the music as beats, rhythms, textures, and colors. His philosophy is that the genre distinctions themselves aren’t important—the emotional content of the music is. This focus is readily apparent in the way he moves crowds—both literally and figuratively by fusing together sounds that paint coherent, evocative, and powerful moods that are always appropriate for the time and place he is playing.
With DVS 1 this weekend will be some of the biggest names in the eastern Iowa electro scene. If you remember the Rotation days at the old Gabe’s, you’ll be stoked to see these acts:
DJ Uplift
Matt Rissi (DJ Sonar)
Jethro
SUNDAY
Bike, Walk and Act for 350 | Pentacrest | 2-4 p.m. | FREE
Several local organizations will be putting on an “eco festival” designed to let people know about local groups they can work with to decrease carbon emissions in Iowa City. The event will be followed by a 3.5 mile bike ride / walk.
Click here for full event details at 350.org
Have a great weekend!
~LV
