The Weekender: June 12–14

Posted in CULTURE to The Weekender by Smile Politely Editors on Friday, June 12, 2009 at 6:00 am

The weather's heating up, and so are the deals...

FRIDAY

Something for your punk ass: Head out to the McKinley Foundation (809 S. Fifth St.) for the best punk that $5 can buy, from Massachusetts' O.F.C., Wisconsin's Class Conviction, Chicago's Evil Empire, and C-U's own We Must Dismantle All This! The show starts at 7 p.m.

Really. Go see this movie:  OK, so the weather is great, and you should be in your garden and riding bikes and hiking in parks. Whatever. We get it. But The Hangover is playing at the Beverly and Savoy, and while we don't normally endorse these types of films playing at the big bad multiplexes, this one is laugh-out-loud-funny-as-shit good. Go see it. You will laugh, and that is just as good as sunshine.

OKCrazies: The Highdive, in a rare moment of awesomeness, is presenting what might arguably be the show of the Summer tonight, with Norman, Oklahoma's Starlight Mints and Headlights-tourmates and BFFs, Evangelicals. Expect everything from beautiful melodies to screeching guitars to years of pent up aggression from living in a state like Oklahoma. It oughtta be awesome. Doors at 7 p.m.

SATURDAY

Can you believe it's been 144 years already?: Celebrate Juneteenth at Douglass Park and the Douglass Branch Library (504 E. Grove St.) from noon to 3 p.m. There will be "games, contests, trivia, prizes, and refreshments," and it's all free.

Can you believe it's already the Second Saturday?: OK, so maybe not as relevant as Juneteeth above, but the UBA (that's Urbana Business Association to you) has developed a unique way to capitalize on all the downtown traffic on Saturday mornings with their "Second Saturday" promotion. Vendors will be lined up and ready to sell, and that should be a good way to fulfill what's just below...

Spend a couples sawbucks in downtown Urbana: Brian McKay of Art Mart Foods came up with a really great way to weather the economic storm and decided to share it with his neighbors. Instead of promoting his own business (which historically does quite well), he has developed Downtown Urbana 20/20, a new concept that suggests that local consumers spend $20 a week for the next 20 weeks in downtown Urbana. Think on it, and it won't take you long to recognize just how quickly that alone could stimulate the local economy in one shopping district of our fair cities. We're in! How about you?

Bruiser saves the day: Historically, the live music selection at downtown Champaign's Street Fest's are about as interesting and unique as a Sarah Palin stump speech. But things are evidently improving, and we'll let this week slide thanks to Bruce Rummenie and his band of swingin' hepcats. Yep. Brusier and the Virtues will be taking their 1940s-style jazz and swing influenced blues to the streets on Saturday and it's all free of charge. Take a look at the rest of the Summer schedule here.

SUNDAY

Hey whitey, wash all that bad Chief karma away: First Mennonite Church in Urbana is hosting a Native American Restorative Justice Study every Sunday in June and July from 11:15 a.m. to noon. This course "provides a bridge-building opportunity to express respect for our land's original occupants and their descendants."

We have lakes?: We do have lakes. Little ones, anyhow. Spend the day at Homer Lake just east of town, and remember why it's a good thing to be outside and lay on grass, just doin' nothing. Or maybe cast a line and catch a fish or twelve? To get there, take 74 East and get off at Ogden. Go south on IL-49 and take a right on Homer Lake Rd. If you can't find it from there, well, we can't do much else for you.

Wait. Did we insinuate something about the Park District?: Evidently, they don't consummately suck because on this day, you can get your ass movin' for real-style at Douglass Park to the Mary Clark Revue, one of the finest singers in all the land, who is so old school, you can't even find anything about her online. No lie. She'll be running through some of the greatest R&B and Motown songs ever recorded, and she'll be doing it live, and yes, for free. No excuses, except maybe that wrong turn you took getting to Homer Lake. Yeesh!