FRIDAY, February 24th
Champaign-Urbana Band Lotto 2017, Ghost Planet, 7:30 p.m., $5 suggested donation
This unique battle of the bands features a group of local musicians and non-musicians who were picked to play together via a lottery. Seven bands were formed, each one tasked with writing and performing fifteen minutes of new material with bandmates who might be complete strangers. This show will be the fruit of their efforts, and all proceeds will go to benefit the UP Center of Champaign County. There’s no telling what will come out of this show, but it’s bound to be a blast. (JM)
Grand Ambassador w/ ZXO, Discoverer and Cardboard Hilltop, Cowboy Monkey, 10:00 p.m., $5, 19+
Local music makes its way to Cowboy Monkey in fine fashion on Friday night, featuring the return of pop-rockers Grand Ambassador, with support from the always-interesting ZXO. For five bucks and four bands, I’m not entirely sure it’s possible to beat this deal. (BH)
SATURDAY, February 25th
Meet a greyhound, Rural King Champaign (913 West Marketview Drive), noon to 3 p.m.,free
American Greyhound, a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to finding homes for unwanted greyhounds, will be set up at Rural King with some pooches on hand for you to meet and hopefully (!) take home and incorporate into your family. My aunt and uncle had a greyhound when I was a child. She was a rescue, a former race dog, and the sweetest creature I think I’ve ever met. If nothing else, take an opportunity to meet one of these striking-looking dogs. Photo from Facebook. (JH)
Disney’s Lion King Jr., The Virginia Theatre, 2 p.m., $12
Champaign Park District’s Youth Theatre is giving me the chance to catch a matinee, support children in the arts, and see the convergence of visual and theatre arts. For the show that is famously made possible with some incredible puppetry, the cast of 60 young actors have made more than 100 masks to be used. Going to these types of shows is also going to get more important as more programs are de-funded, so this should be a fun chance to help out. (RK)
The Art of Yellowstone Science, Urbana Free Library, 3:30 p.m., free
Check out these stunning photographs of Yellowstone National Park and learn about the science that creates the natural pieces of art told by Professor of Bruce Fouke from the Geology and Microbiology department at U of I. (SL)
Insect Fear Film Festival, Foellinger Auditorium, 6 p.m., free
In it’s 34th year, the Entomology department delivers another year of “art that incorporates entomology and any iconic University of Illinois imagery.” There will be exhibits of exotic insects from around the world, an insect petting zoo and a film, “2 Lava 2 Lantula,” rated TV14 and “Caved In,” rated R. (SL)
Ben Folds and a Piano, The Canopy Club, 7:30 p.m.
Okay, yes, this show is sold out. However, it pays to keep watch online and elsewhere, because you never know what might become available. Stay on the alert, because the piano rock virtuoso Ben Folds puts on shows straight out of your 90s-kid dreams. He’s done a lot since “Brick,” though, and the two of you should catch up. (JM)
Go to the opera: Viva Verdi!, Krannert Center, 7:30 p.m., $35 or less
After you circle the Canopy for an hour or so before the Ben Folds show, hoping to score a ticket, take that cash you were going to give the scalper and have a totally different experience. Verdi wrote tragedies featuring unscrupulous lovers featuring catchy tunes that entire countries sang under their breath for centuries. Ok, so maybe it’s not that different. Violetta definitely wouldn’t give you back your black t-shirt. (RK)
Our Landmark, Winder, Loose Cobra, 9 p.m.
A couple of newer projects that have come about over the last year or so, Our Landmark (members of Wicked Walls) and Winder will perform out at the Loose Cobra in Tolono. If you find yourself wanting to check out some good rock music and drink Blatz, you should definitely consider the Cobra this weekend, responsibly of course. (PS)
SUNDAY, February 26th
Host an Oscar’s party, your house, 7:30 p.m., prices vary
Maybe you don’t really care about the Oscars, but the event is an excuse to get together with friends and eat some food. If you do care about the award show, there are bound to be opportunities to cheer and jeer. Order some food from your favorite place, invite the friends you actually like to your house, eat the food, drink the drinks, have a good time. If the show sucks, put on a good movie. I’m partial to take out from Golden Harbor, Maize, or Koh-i-noor, but you can also have food delivered from My Thai, Watson’s, and/or Jarling’s. You can also consider sharing some sammies from Cheese & Crackers. Don’t forget to stop by Triptych or Riggs earlier in the day to have your growlers filled. Photo of Maize’s veggie nachos by Jessica Hammie. (JH)
Watch Illinois basketball vs. Nebraska, 6:30 p.m., anywhere with a television.
Who needs the Oscar’s when you can watch a slightly-above-average pair of teams face off in a game that is largely inconsequential? What an easy sell that was, right? (BH)
Do your homework about the Urbana Mayoral Election, free, anytime
If you’re a resident of Urbana, there’s a Mayoral Election coming up on February 28th. If you haven’t done so yet, read up on the candidates, the issues, watch the debate, and get informed before Tuesday hits. (PS)
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All event information is accurate to the best of our abilities, but sometimes we make mistakes and sometimes event information, times, prices, etc., change after we look them up. Whenever possible, we’ve provided a link to the original event page; you should always double-check the source before you make any firm plans. Thanks for your understanding.