Welcome to Smile Politely’s run down of weekend events in our fair cities. If you aren’t buried under a stack of recently purchased books (ahem, we still miss you Pages), then you have no excuse (that we can think of) to not partake in at least one of our suggestions. As always, if you have a suggestion for this weekend, add it to the comments thread below. And don’t forget to send us your recommendations for future weekends.
FRIDAY
The Pho King of C-U: Play on enunciations aside, Xinh Xinh Cafe, a recent addition to the Urbana dining scene, celebrates its grand opening today at 3 p.m. Get there to taste samples from owner/chef Shai Hauth’s fabulous array of Vietnamese cuisine. Still unsure? Read Seth Fein’s 5-star review of Xinh Xinh Cafe from last week.
Monkey see: This is the final weekend for The Station’s presentation of the play Monkey. We loved it! $15 Friday/Saturday, $6 Sunday. 8 p.m.
African music, Mexican food, and American beer: The Cowboy Monkey hosts Toubab Krewe (pronounced “two-bob crew”), a quintet from Carolina who plays West African-inspired music — and they don’t suck! They’re quite good, actually. $10, show starts at 9:30.
Two DJs for the price of none: Catch DJ Mertz and DJ LegTwo (aka Larry Gates) at Radio Maria. There’s no cover, and no Rick Astley!
Designers, speak out!: Tonght marks the first time that CUDO (Champaign-Urbana Designer Organization) will have a public event. Head over to Luna at 6 p.m. to find out what it’s all about. If you aren’t a designer, I am betting that it’s OK for you to show up as well. Chances are, you work in a field that needs their services in some capacity, too.
Last chance to preview Oscar nods: The Oscars are Sunday evening (7 p.m., ABC), and the pickings are now slim for those still wanting to catch an Oscar-nominated movie on the big screen. But you can still see Slumdog Millionaire, The Reader, and Milk in local theaters. Showtimes available here.
SATURDAY
Paper, plastic, or CLOTH: Those with grocery lists, don’t forget that the new, fancy County Market is open on Springfield and Fourth. Hey, for some of us, the weekly trip to the grocery store is a noteworthy event!
We are the (Village Green) Preservation Working Group: Have an heirloom that needs to be preserved? Bring it in to the Spurlock Museum, which is hosting “Heirlooms, Artifacts, & Family Treasures: A Preservation Emporium.” From noon to 4 p.m.
Battle of the … Books?: Think you know books? Well, these third to fifth graders will be testing their knowledge as they compete in the semifinals of the Battle of the Books. There will be two sessions at the Champaign Public Library, one from 10 a.m. to noon, and one from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. The finals are next Saturday at the Douglass Branch.
Four bands, five dollars: Shadowboxer presents Wisconsin bands Cedarwell and The Daredevil Christopher Wright (pictured, right), and local folks Mordechai in the Mirror and Carl Hauck for an evening of turned-down goodness. The show starts at 10 p.m., and the cover is $5.
Screw the Badgers! I only have ears for C-U: Okay, in that case, you may want to catch The Chemicals, who haven’t been playing out much lately, with Tractor Kings at Bentley’s. 9 p.m., $3 cover.
The sauce is just too damn good: We’ll only mention this one more time (this week anyway). Get yourself to Black Dog Smoke & Ale House this weekend to sample some of the finest BBQ ever bestowed upon Urbana. On Wednesday, their first full day of business, Black Dog sold out of food. Like, all gone. No more. Now that’s what we call a hit.
SUNDAY
Revenge is a dish best served on Sunday afternoon: Since our men’s team was embarrassed at home by Penn State on Wednesday night, we must turn to the women for a swift butt-kicking of the Nittany Lions. Neither women’s team has apirations for the Big Dance this year; in fact they sit with nearly identical Big 10 records: Illinois at 4–11, Penn State at 4–10. And the Lady Lions just beat us by 18 on their court. Enough with this losing to Penn State in basketball! 2 p.m. at the Assembly Hall.
Robots, ghosts, and comic book heroes: As part of Innovation Week at the university, the First Annual Entrepreneur Film Fest is being held at the Savoy 16 Theaters. For $5 per flick (or $12 for all three) you can watch Robots (12:30 p.m.), Ghostbusters (2:40 p.m.), and Iron Man (5:00 p.m.). It’s been too long since we’ve witnessed a good sliming on the Silver Screen.
Exhibit: Children Just Like Me: Get the kids out of the house on a cold winter Sunday and go to Spurlock Museum, which is offering this ongoing exhibit. The kids can learn about how children from around world live in their daily lives. You might even learn something too. Open noon to 4 p.m., 600 S. Gregory St., Urbana.
Eat it, drink it: This Sunday, head over to Radio Maria for what is sure to be a beer lovers delight. The Capital Brewing Company is hosting a four course / five beer meal for just $40. It’s hosted by brewmaster Kirby Nelson, and, of course, the fine kitchen at one of downtown Champaign’s finest restaurants.
And blood and oil: For a different sort of film series, stop by the Champaign Public Library at 2 p.m. for Blood and Oil, a 52-minute documentary by Michael Klare. It’s part of the AWARE Film Series 2009. (See trailer below.)