Tim’s Picks: 5 ideas for things to do this week
Your guide to five choice picks for your Greater Lafayette week.
Support for this edition comes from the Builders Association of Greater Lafayette, presenting the BAGL Home Building & Remodeling Show Saturday, Feb. 22, at the Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds. Get advance tickets at www.bagl.info.
And now for your weekly dose, it’s …
By Tim Brouk / For Based in Lafayette
“Pretty Woman: The Musical,” 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20, Elliott Hall of Music, Purdue University — You’ve seen the classic 1990 film starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere; now see “Pretty Woman” live on-stage starring Eva Gary as hooker with a heart Vivian Ward and Jack Rasmussen as Edward Lewis, the john with the golden ticket — and wallet — to change the life of the sex worker he is falling in love with. The odd pair must navigate friendships, stigmas and the complicated possibilities of a life together in one of the mothers of all rom-coms. The musical version of the atypical romance is backed by catchy songs written by the one and only Bryan Adams. Yes, that Bryan Adams of “Summer of ’69,” “Cuts Like a Knife” and “Everything I Do” fame. Adams’ music is punctuated by collaborator and lyricist Jim Vallance, who has worked with the Canadian crooner in the past as well as with the likes of Tina Turner, Rick Springfield and the “Prince of Darkness” himself, Ozzy Osbourne. The show was co-written and produced by TV legend Garry Marshall (“Happy Days,” “The Odd Couple,” “The Dick Van Dyke Show”). All of this talent has made “Pretty Woman: The Musical” a smash on Broadway and the touring production should garner rave reviews from Purdue country. $39-$84. Tickets.
Blake “The Entertainer” Guyre, “the ultimate Billy Joel and Elton John tribute,” 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21, Loeb Playhouse, Stewart Center, Purdue — Young tribute artist Blake Guyre earned the nickname “The Entertainer” by going all-in when performing the music of two of the 20th century’s top pop pianists — Elton John and Billy Joel. Guyre’s wardrobe budget is much higher for John than Joel but he pours his heart and soul equally into the music of both legends. Behind his trusty piano, Guyre leads his band through the hits — “I’m Still Standing,” “Benny and the Jets,” “Uptown Girl” and, of course, “Piano Man.” While both artists were filling stadiums during their few tours together in 1994, 2009 and 2010, Guyre reaches back to the youthful enthusiasm both artists displayed coming up in the 1970s. If you’re not a piano person yet, you will be after this show. $20. Tickets.
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The Mound Builders with Ozium, Salivus, Vile Iniquity and DJ Circle T, 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22, North End Pub, 2100 Elmwood Ave., Lafayette — One of Lafayette’s best and most tenured heavy metal bands will turn a sweet 16 this weekend. The Mound Builders — they of mighty ear-ringing riffage — is now old enough to drive and the band’s many fans will be along for the ride. Celebrate by having a mosh as they drive the “Spacevan” to the farthest reaches of the galaxy also known as North End Pub. “I bet we've logged 8,000 to 10,000 miles before we could get a license though,” said Voelz of The Mound Builders’ many travels for shows beyond Greater Lafayette. “We can't wait to turn 18 and finally get the 'rents off our back!” Between the two milestone “birthdays,” expect another record from The MB’s. “We have three songs that are pretty much ready to be mixed and mastered with another six songs that just need vocals and lead parts tracked. We've been trickling out singles this past year and maybe we'll put some kind of physical release out this summer to coincide with a little tour that we are planning. We've got a skeleton route pieced together and hope to hit all our favorite spots over the course of a week including Chicago, Detroit, Cincinnati and Louisville.” Copilots for the night will be young area metal acts Ozium and Salivus as well as Vile Iniquity, a black metal band from Columbus, Indiana. $10.
Slight Detour with Ultimate Dog, 9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22, The Spot Tavern, 409 S. Fourth St., Lafayette — Slight Detour is one of those bands that can play anywhere. The Lafayette rock band has hours and hours of material, which makes it able to perform those three-hour sets at bars. A growing portion of that material is comprised of original tunes, which balance out the band’s initial set of cover tunes. Guitarist Francois Dior described Slight Detour’s take on songwriting as “a mix of grunge, blues, folk punk, surf rock and whatever is handy. The originals mesh genres and influences such as Lumineers, Offspring, Prince, Orange Dog Club, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Van Halen, Doc Watson, just to name a few.” This eclectic sound will be documented by this weekend’s release of “A Little Off Track,” Slight Detour’s debut album. The 11-song record was mostly recorded at Sweetwater in Fort Wayne. It’s nice to see a band steadily grow, finding its sound and songwriting while still getting the name out there with cover-friendly bar gigs. Dior noted that more Slight Detour originals are at the ready. “We do plan on doing all original music. We have a second album in the making already and a few songs that are already dribbling into yet a third album,” Dior reported. “We love to create new fresh music. Everybody in the band has a say, the chemistry is insane, and everybody in the band just loves and respects each other. It’s quite the family.” Indianapolis dreamy alt pop act Ultimate Dog will open. $10.
Puppy Pals LIVE!, 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 22, Long Center for the Performing Arts, 111 N. Sixth St., Lafayette — Puppy Pals creator Wesley Williams was just a teenager when he started his comedic canine stunt show with his best four-legged pal, Cash, a rescue dog with a talent for tricks. As the years passed, Williams added more dogs — and more fans. The young performer trained his dogs for the stage and enjoyed a string of sold shows before landing on “America’s Got Talent” in 2020. Williams and his pooches impressed the judges and viewers enough to place top-2 in the quarterfinals of the reality show’s 15th season. A great mix of silly and pup agility, Puppy Pals will have the audience howling. $19-$29. Tickets.
Tim Brouk is a longtime arts and entertainment reporter. He writes here (almost) weekly, tracking things to do for Based in Lafayette.
Thanks, again, for support for this edition from the Builders Association of Greater Lafayette, presenting the BAGL Home Building & Remodeling Show Saturday, Feb. 22, at the Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds. Get advance tickets at www.bagl.info.
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Tips, story ideas? I’m at davebangert1@gmail.com.
Lots of great options! I'm going to see the Ballistics at Ace's on Saturday night. We caught them at the Mosey last year and they're fun and energetic with a great mix of 80s tunes. We'll be dancing all evening!