Stay safe out there, kids!
FRIDAY
The day the bikes took over: Meet at the Alma Mater (just southeast of the intersection of Green and Wright) at 5:15 p.m. for Critical Mass.
High art, low bar: You normally wouldn’t think of Mike ‘N Molly’s to be the place to see a brand new art show, but this weekend it is. Elise Putnam will be premiering a whole new series of work that is comprised of drawings and soft sculptures. So, grab a pint of Guinness and take in something different. It runs from 7 to 10 p.m.
The new bar in town is the old bar in town, kind of: So the new Blind Pig Brew Pub is open for business this weekend. Located at 120 N. Neil in downtown Champaign, the new pub is supposed to have a similar vibe to the old pub (which is also still open). While the brew pub isn’t yet ready to serve its own beers, they will be serving several draught beers including Rogue Dead Guy, Bells Amber Ale, Blanche de Bruxelles, and Old Style.
Waiting around for a real summer blockbuster: If Angels and Demons, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, Star Trek, Monsters vs. Aliens, Terminator, and X-Men aren’t your thing, then you may find Roger Ebert’s advice to ring true about Ramin Bahrani’s new film Goodbye Solo: “Wherever you live, when this film opens, it will be the best film in town.” The director who brought us Chop Shop now delivers a film about the intersecting paths of a Senegalese cab driver and a good ole Southern boy. (At the least, it probably beats what’s playing at the Gibson City drive-in: Up and Night at the Museum.)
SATURDAY
Plenty of “Chief Forever” t-shirts available: Fill a bag with weird clothes for just two bucks from 8 a.m. to noon at St. Matthew’s Catholic Church (1303 Lincolnshire Dr.). Their garage sale started Thursday night, but let the wheat be separated from the chaff first, and show up late.
Paying homage to the waves: Just a couple weeks ago we were bemoaning the fact that this town didn’t have a surf rock band. Lo and behold, we discovered Jorge & Thee S Words. And it turns out there’s at least one more surf rock band in town, too. This Saturday, Mike & Molly’s hosts a couple instrumental surf rock bands — The Madeira and The Cocktail Preachers — in a show sponsored by WPGU’s Surfabilly Freakout show. 9 p.m., $5.
Six-stringed intimacy: One of the more underrated and unknown duos in the world will be performing an intimate set together in Canopy’s Void Room this Saturday. Goran Ivanovic and Andreas Kapsalis take the stage at around 10 p.m., and from what we can hear, it won’t be anything you want to miss. $10 at the door.
Eat and do it well: Prairie Fruits Farms will be hosting a meal entitled ‘Celebrating Spring” for just $70 on Saturday. So you could eat it, or you could save an entire village from starvation. Your choice.
Or, a more affordable option: The Channing-Murray Foundation is hosting The Farmers’ Table from 7 to 9 p.m. on Market Saturdays at the Red Herring. It’s $20, which is a lot less than $70. The Farmers’ Table buys the best produced at the Market and prepares it that evening. Reservations are required, so call Erin at 217.840.9388 or stop by the Tiny Greens booth at the Market on the Square.
SUNDAY
Strumming in the park: Morgan Orion and Madeline Ava are having a picnic concert at Carle Park in Urbana, starting at 2 p.m. Bring a basket and a blanket and enjoy.