Tim’s Picks: Back at it
Tim’s Picks: Back at it
Some of the best ideas heading into your Greater Lafayette weekend and beyond.
Support today comes from Purdue’s Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging, presenting the Dance Theatre of Harlem, Jan. 16, at Elliott Hall of Music, in a 2024 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. commemorative event. Powered by Purdue Convocations. For free tickets and group orders, check the details below.
We’re moving slowly into this weekend and baby steps into 2024 with Tim’s Picks. Our man offers this array before taking a week off, as venues catch their breath after the holidays and rev for the rest of the winter.
With that in mind and with five of the best ideas heading into your weekend and beyond, here’s …
By Tim Brouk / For Based in Lafayette
1964 the Tribute, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 5, Long Center for the Performing Arts , 111 N. Sixth St., Lafayette — Rolling Stone called it “the best Beatles tribute on Earth” and 1964 the Tribute has lived up to that bold claim for decades now. This collection of mop tops pay homage to the peak year of Beatlemania: 1964 marked The Lads’ first American tour and the Beatles’ first appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” which was watched by an astounding 45.3% households in America and totaling 73 million people. The Beatles charted 11 top-10 singles that year. On April 4, 1964, the band had the unique feat of having all top-5 places on the Billboard Hot 100 chart — “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “Twist and Shout,” “She Loves You,” “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “Please Please Me,” respectively. Those songs and more are certainly on 1964 the Tribute’s set list. Since the 1990s, 1964 has popped into the Greater Lafayette area here and there. Its last local appearance was a 2014 engagement at the Tippecanoe County Amphitheater. It returns to the Long Center for the first big concert in downtown Lafayette of 2024. $28-$58. Tickets
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Kyle Brooks Quartet, 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 9, People’s Brewing Company, 2006 N. Ninth St., Lafayette — Chicago saxophonist Kyle Brooks has performed all over the Midwest, including Lafayette several times as either a headliner or sitting in with various groups such as local combo Puff N’ Stuff. The young musician studied and performed Indian music and experienced spreading jazz in Mexico to add to his already impressive repertoire. Brooks is a teacher as well, and Lafayette has learned that no matter the format, the saxophone will always bring awe-inspiring chops. This month, he will lead his own quartet in a couple sets back at People’s. $10. Tickets.
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Blackheart Gypsy and Boston Counterpart with DJ Irulan, 7 p.m. Jan. 11, Loeb Playhouse, Stewart Center, Purdue University — Two of the Purdue rock scene’s best will welcome students back to campus while waking them from their winter break doldrums with free, sweet riffs and infectious beats. Blackheart Gypsy and Boston Counterpart cut their teeth in the vibrant West Lafayette house show circuit but are starting to find opportunities outside of those beautiful basement gigs. Why not jump on campus’ second biggest stage — Loeb Playhouse? At it since pandemic-plagued 2020, Boston Counterpart has a guitar-driven sound sure to please fans of The Strokes. The band already has an impressive discography, all available on Spotify. Fresh from its downtown Lafayette appearances at The Arts Federation and Rat Pak Venus, Blackheart Gypsy’s blues-tinged rock ‘n’ roll gets its biggest opportunity yet. One of West Lafayette’s best DJs, Irulan, will warm up the crowd from January’s chill and for rock preparation.
Rock the Guac Benefit Show with Dwarf Among Midgets, King’s Gambit, Echoes from Oblivion and more, 6 p.m. Jan. 13, The Guac Box, 308 State St., West Lafayette — It all started with two young metal heads purchasing the food truck and Tex Mex concept Guac Box a few years ago. Nick Maxson and Austin Hill were everywhere — community festivals, rock shows, downtown Lafayette events or conveniently outside your office building. That signature green truck satiated hunger with tacos, nachos and burritos. A successful, but small, brick and mortar Guac Box in Purdue West could barely contain those zesty flavors and customers from the nearby dorms and its dedicated community following. In November, Maxson and Hill made the bold move to go big. An opportunity within the 308 on State building brought much more space, availability of a full bar and an upstairs space for live music. As the heart, soul and founder of The Doom Room, it was only natural for Maxson to book a banger of a metal show just a couple months after relocating. Proceeds will go to the Guac Box to help recoup the costs of the relocation and food truck repairs. These dudes have been working hard for years and will hopefully reap the benefits of a bustling business as well as the glory of being the first real live music venue on Chauncey Hill proper in almost 20 years, which is pretty shocking (shoutout to AJ Winger’s). Headlining is the triumphant — or perhaps trepidatious — return of the Dwarf Among Midgets, a no-holds-barred metal trio from Kokomo that were very familiar faces in Lafayette several years ago. Weed, orgies and “Full House” are popular sources of song inspirations for this band. Other acts on this big bill include Delaying the Inevitable, Forgotten Ashes (Logansport), The Martian Mainstream (Noblesville), Persevere, Echoes from Oblivion and King’s Gambit. Most of these bands have performed under The Doom Room banner in Lafayette over the years and are charged to help bring awareness to the new Guac Box.
The Ballistics, 9 p.m. Jan. 13, The Spot Tavern, 409 S. Fourth St., Lafayette — Lafayette’s own The Ballistics return to The Spot with a deadly mix of covers and originals in the ‘90s alternative and ‘00s indie rock sonic sweet, well, spot. $7 or pay what you can.
Tim Brouk is a longtime arts and entertainment reporter. He writes here (almost) weekly, tracking things to do for Based in Lafayette.
Thanks, again, to Purdue’s Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging, presenting the Dance Theatre of Harlem, powered by Purdue Convocations, Jan. 16, at Elliott Hall of Music. Get tickets here.
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Tips, story ideas? I’m at davebangert1@gmail.com.