FRIDAY, MAY 17
Dance for People with Parkinson’s, Krannert Center Drama Rehearsal Room (Level 2), 10:00 a.m., free
From the event calendar:
Experience the fellowship of communal dance with instructors Marianne Jarvi and Kate Kuper of Dance at Illinois. If you or a loved one is living with Parkinson’s, join us to explore gentle movement in a safe, welcoming environment. Set to uplifting, familiar music, this 70-minute monthly class may assist with the preservation and improvement of balance, flexibility, and strength. Please dress comfortably for this full-body workshop. This week’s theme is “follow the yellow brick road.”
The Drama Rehearsal Room can be reached most directly from the Yellow and Orange parking garages (off Illinois Street). (MG)
The Company You Keep, Art Theater Co-op, Friday, 4:30, 7:00 p.m. | Saturday-Sunday, 2:00, 4:30, 7:00 p.m.
Starting Friday night, The Art Theater Co-op will be screening Robert Redford’s latest directorial effort, The Company You Keep. In the film, Redford portrays a former Weather Underground member who must go on the run after a journalist (played by Shia Labouf) discovers his true identity. The film will show for a week, giving you plenty of opportunities to see it. The film boasts maybe the best supporting cast of all time, including Susan Sarandon, Julie Christie, Chris Cooper, Sam Elliott, Stanley Tucci, Nick Nolte, and the world’s greatest character actor, Stephen Root. (MG)
Twin City Derby Girls Carwash Fundraiser, Car-X Champaign-Urbana, 5:00–7:00 p.m.
Support your local roller derby league by attending their carwash on Friday, and you’ll be entered into a drawing to win tickets to their bout this Sunday. (TN)
A Light Sleeper, Wei Zhongle, Dr. Responsible, Marathon, Mike ‘N Molly’s, 8 p.m., $5
Chicago’s genre-defying outfit A Light Sleeper heads down from the Windy City for a show at Mike ‘N Molly’s. Hopefully the weather cooperates, so we can finally start to enjoy the beer garden for shows consistently. If you’ve seen them before, you know what you’re in for with A Light Sleeper; if not, it could be a new, interesting experience for you. There are a few other cool outfits joining, including Wei Zhongle, Dr. Repsonsible and Marathon. Mike ‘N Molly’s is a good place to be on a Friday night, so this seems like a good one to point out this weekend. (PS)
Oldboy/Stoker double-feature, Art Theater Co-op, Friday–Saturday, 10:00 p.m./midnight
Okay, you can’t spend all weekend watching movies. But if you’re going to anyway, why not just set up camp at the Art this weekend? The Park Chan-Wook double-feature with neo-noir Oldboy and the new thriller Stoker. Oldboy is a film that I hear about from time to time, but I’ve not managed to see thus far. I think that it’s time. Stoker stars Mia Wasikowska, Nicole Kidman, Matthew Goode, and Oscar nominee Jacki Weaver (SIlver Linings Playbook). Be sure to check out Thom Schnarre’s excellent review of Stoker and go see the film to figure out what’s up with all those damn saddle shoes. (JS)
SATURDAY, MAY 18
Champaign County Humane Society’s Garage Sale, Champaign County Fairgrounds, 8 a.m.–6 p.m.
**Whoops! This isn’t happening until next week.**
This is happening on Friday as well, but who goes to a garage sale that’s not on Saturday? Not me.
Having just moved into a new place recently, I still need some random things and I don’t want to spend a lot of money doing it. Sure, I could look to Craigslist, which I have done, but sometimes, I just want someone to put out a ton of shit I can look through and choose. Plus, paying a small amount for a coffee table is something I’m interested in doing — not shelling out $150 bucks for something I don’t really care that much about. Plus, the proceeds go to benefit the Champaign County Humane Society, which is good, because animals are good. Well, most of them. Who knows, you might pick up something you don’t really need for cheap. That’s always fun. (PS)
Spring Concert: Wayfaring Women, McKinley Presbyterian Church, Saturday, May 18, 7:30 p.m. | Sunday, May 19, 4:00 p.m.
Amasong returns with their annual spring concert, this one devoted to those travelers addicted to wanderlust. This Saturday night and Sunday afternoon, Amasong will “explore songs of seafaring and train travel, of leaving home and joyfully returning, and tell stories of getting ahead together, and of going it alone.”
Songs will be sung in Finnish, Zulu, Taiwanese, English, and even Piratese.
A donation of $15–25 is suggested at the door. (TN)
PechaKucha Night Champaign-Urbana, Krannert Art Museum, 8:20 p.m., Free
This is Volume 12 for PechaKucha in C-U., and the talented and creative presenters look to be a fantastic as they were when I saw Vol. 11 at Parkland last year. If you’ve not seen this event yet, I encourage you to check it out. It’s an awesome good time.
The doors open at 7:45 p.m. and expect mature content. Michael Morgan returns as the emcee and 88.7 WPCD will be DJing throughout the night. (TN)
The Presenters:
- Todd Barnett :: Great Unexpectations
- Jared Fritz :: Life Sentence
- Brian Lee :: Our National Airspace System
- Christina McClelland :: How Llama Club Prepared Me for Life
- David Michael Moore: The Art of Failure
- Eszter Sápi :: Turning the Tables/Thinking Queer Thoughts
- Joanna Strauss :: Facebook Or It Didn’t Happen
- Gretchen Wieshuber :: Beautiful Typography
SUNDAY, MAY 19
Foragin’ 101, Common Ground Food Co-op Flatlander Classroom, 2:00–3:00 p.m., $3 owners/$8 non-owners
Here’s your chance to learn the basics of urban spring foraging around C-U. Common edible and medicinal weeds will be identified, which is going to come in handy when the zombie apocalypse starts or Hunger Games are instituted. (JS)
Damagin’ Dames vs. The ‘Paign, Skateland Savoy, 7:00–9:00 p.m., $8
Sunday’s bout is a rematch of last season’s championship contenders between the defending champs, Damagin’ Dames, and The ‘Paign.
Doors open at 6:00 p.m. Get your tickets here. Kids eight and under are free! (TN)