With work, family, and children being born, who has the time to find out about the best shows happening in Champaign-Urbana? No need to fear, because the editors here at Smile Politely have taken care of it. Here are the must-see shows of the week:
When: Monday April 13
What: Copeland with This Providence, Paper Route and Brooke Waggoner
Where: Canopy Club, 5 p.m., $12 advance / $15 at the door
Of all the “emo” bands out there still trying to raise Braid and At The Drive-in from the dead, Copeland is perhaps the finest of them all. Their emphasis is on melody and guitar inter-play, and that makes a much stronger case than the bands that rely on power chords and screams.
When: Monday April 13
Where: Canopy Club, 9 p.m., Free
Come see EOTO (featuring Michael Travis of The String Cheese Incident) create totally live, totally improvised break beat/ trip hop tunes for totally free tonight at Canopy.
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When: Thursday April 16
What: Good Night & Good Morning
Where: Parkland Art Gallery, 6 p.m., Free
Perhaps the most under-rated band in Champaign-Urbana, the local duo will be setting the perfect mood from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. to see some Parkland student art pieces for the Art and Design juried exhibition. Their use of vibraphone will make an AmAnSet fan pray for a return.
When: Friday April 17 – April 19
What: IMC Fest 2009
Where: Independent Media Center, 6 p.m., cover TBA.
30 local artists will take to the IMC stage over the course of this three day festival. All money raised will go to the great programs run out of the Independent Media Center like Books to Prisoners and WRFU. The full lineup and schedule can be found on the event’s website.
When: Friday April 17
What: Mhondoro Rhythm Success meets Bolokada
Where: Canopy Club 7:00 p.m., $5
Performing as part of the Boneyard Arts Festival and the newly formed Krannert Center District’s KCD Fridays, Mhondoro Rhythm Success has recently expanded their scope to include one of the most interesting drummers to call Champaign home. Bolokada joins the already high-energy grooves of Mhondoro this Friday. Cover is silly at $5.
When: Friday April 17
What: Those Darlins and Angie Heaton
Where: Highdive, 7:00 p.m., $5
Regarded as the best band from Murfreesboro, Tenn., Those Darlins have been described thusly: “The Carter Family and Black Lips somehow channeled through three lovely, badass chicks from Tennessee.”
Sample lyric: “If you can’t handle crazy, go ahead and leave / If you don’t want a wild one, quit hangin’ round with me.”
When: Saturday April 18
What: Record Store Day at Exile on Main St.; Slew of local bands
Where: Exile on Main St., 1:00 p.m., Free
Record Store Day was created by a group of concerned music store owners and employees in 2007 to help bring more visibility to the namesake shops growing extinction. Mike Ingram has outdone himself by booking a badass show at the downtown shop, Exile on Main St. Facebook page here for details.
When: Saturday April 18
What: Love Me Electric, The Insecurities, Mark Rose, The 22
Where: Cowboy Monkey, 9: 30 p.m., $7
The 22, one of the area’s newesr student bands, will open for Mark Rose of Spitalfield fame as well as Lucky Boys Confusion’s Stubhy Pandev’s new band The Insecurities. Saturday night is the perfect time to give in to guilty pleasures. And yes, The 22 refers to the extremely popular and relevant MTD busline on campus.