Saturday nights are full of possibility. After a week of paper-pushing, required readings and sandwich-making, C-U has provided a scrumptious buffet of live music to perk up your weekday blues. The only problem — you might have to make a decision or two. Or you could just put on your walking shoes and attempt to attend all three shows.
I recommend the latter.
The Courtyard Café provides yet another amazing free show this evening featuring Common Loon, Those Darlins and Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin. If you have yet to experience Common Loon, now is the time. The folks at Smile Politely have been shaking in their boots just thinking about their upcoming album release. It will certainly be one to look forward to.
Those Darlins are a trio of badass young ladies from Tennessee guaranteed to banter with the crowd and hopefully sing about getting drunk and eating chickens. If there is any female-fueled group to challenge your idea of pop music and show you a good time, this is the one.
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin hails from Springfield, Mo. and is signed to Champaign’s own Polyvinyl Records. Their pop love letters will make your feet twitch and your bones wiggle until you find yourself busting out moves you never knew you had.
For those of you with a taste for some Saturday night Cowboy Monkey, My Werewolf Diary’s Elzie Sexton hits the stage at 10 p.m. His solo acoustic act mixes rock and folk into an inevitably ethereal set. Focus on the lyrics through his gruff pipes and you will be pleasantly surprised.
The Beets are up next with their version of pissed-off slow pop. They work well as the middle child between My Werewolf Diary and Vivian Girls, blending the wafting sadness of Sexton and the rough punk of the girls.
The second trio of badass girls of the night comes on at midnight. The Vivian Girls may have only been a band for a hair over two years, but they have received major praise and have become an overnight success from Brooklyn. Five bucks is a slim price to pay for seeing a real rock show.
Last, but certainly not least, is Urbana’s own Sweetcorn Festival. During the daylight hours, head over to downtown Urbana to check out Zoo Improv, CUperstars, Prairie Dogs and Big Grove Zydeco. At 11pm you can tune into funk band WAR hopefully playing “Low Rider” on repeat the whole night.
To see? Or not to see? I think you know the answer.