WHAT:WHERE: Institute 4 Creativity ($5)
WHEN: Monday, August 8th at 9 p.m.
Bands from NYC, Nashville and Massachusetts are coming out to play with a few locals for this one. A screamo and punk show is a fantastic way to open up a week.
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WHAT: Fiona Kimble w/ Stocksmile, Mercy Bangs, and Ivan Catron
WHERE: Indepedent Media Center ($5-$7 sliding scale donation)
WHEN: Tuesday, August 9th at 7 p.m.
Visiting band Stocksmile like to call themselves “angular bummer punk.” Find out exactly what that means at this show, as they are accompanied by Fiona Kimble and other local indie faves.
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WHAT: C-U Bands and Fans’ Original Artists Night
WHERE: The Rose Bowl (probably free with donations suggested)
WHEN: Tuesday, August 9th at 8 p.m.
According to the event page, this is a night that showcases original artists and their work. Otherwise, I’m honestly not sure what this event is all about, but it’s intriguing. Plus, it’s always fun to take in music at Urbana’s country-fried dive.
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WHAT: Danami/Cii La’Cole/Gr8sky/BlackMage
WHERE: Independent Media Center ($7)
WHEN: Thursday, August 11th at 8 p.m.
IMC is hosting an all-ages evening of hip-hop that’ll shake things up. Danami is a versatile hip-hop artist who hails from Detroit, and he’ll be there to support these budding C-U rappers.
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WHAT: Kris Lager Band
WHERE: The Accord ($8 advance/$10 door)
WHEN: Thursday, August 11th at 9 p.m.
You may remember seeing the Kris Lager Band at this year’s Blues, Brews and Barbeques Fest. They had such a good time that they decided to come back for another show as soon as they could. Come take in some more summer with this feel-good rock band.
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WHAT: Bach’s Lunch Summer Concert with Paul Hinson
WHERE: West Side Park (free)
WHEN: Friday, August 12th at 12 p.m.
This session of Friday Lunch Concerts will be in downtown Champaign and feature Paul Hinson on the Highland Bagpipes.
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WHAT: Mother Nature, Adia Victoria
WHERE: The Accord ($8 advance/$10 door)
WHEN: Friday, August 12th at 9 p.m.
Adia Victoria’s sound is bluesy and dark, with an R&B background and a southern flair. She’s atypical, and so are T.R.U.T.H. and Klevah, who make up C-U’s hip-hop duo Mother Nature. These three are strong, authentic women that put on no airs, together in an excellent combination to make a show worth your while.
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WHAT: Champaign-Urbana Days
WHERE: Douglass Park (admission is free)
WHEN: Friday, August 12th from 6 – 9 p.m. and Saturday, August 13th from 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
C-U Days is an annual event that features all sorts of family-friendly activities. Friday will feature a “drive-in” movie, and Saturday will have live music to accompany food, sports, and lots of other activities. There will also be a basketball tournament with a $500 cash prize.
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WHAT: Mabel’s Night
WHERE: Brother’s Bar and Grill ($17 advance/$20 door)
WHEN: Saturday, August 13th at 7 p.m.
Brother’s will be taken over on Saturday and given a blast from the past – It’ll become Mabel’s again for an evening, and be filled with the rock and power pop sounds from the 1990’s and before. At least six musical acts will be there to jam out and wax nostalgic. This event is key to a local project: a documentary on music in C-U over the years. Filming will be happening. When you attend, you’ll be making yourself part of that history. A can’t-miss event.
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WHAT: Staghorn/Hikes/Discoverer/Pretend I’m Not There/Krelboyne
WHERE: Blips and Chitz ($5)
WHEN: Saturday, August 13th at 8 p.m.
This super-new show house will have a stacked bill on Saturday with five bands. These bands are largely different flavors of folk: ambient, indie, instrumental, and even “math-folk.” Since most of them are touring acts, this will be the only chance you’ll have to catch them at at once.
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WHAT: Dry Heave/Posture/Undone
WHERE: Ghost Planet ($5)
WHEN: Sunday, August 14th at 6 p.m.
Three punk/rock bands are going to fill up this newbie show house for an early gig on Sunday. That means you can tear it up and even get home early enough to not be super groggy at work the next day. Sweet!