Tim’s Picks: Motorin’ into 2026
Your guide to what’s going on. First edition of a new year.
By Tim Brouk / For Based in Lafayette
Lafayette Winter Market, 8 a.m.-noon Saturday, Jan. 10, Lahr Atrium, 117 N. Fifth St., Lafayette — Fresh for 2026, a monthly series of Winter Markets will be held in downtown Lafayette to help get us through the cold weather doldrums. Running January-April, these markets will feature some familiar faces and fare from the weekly downtown summer markets along with local acoustic musicians providing the shopping soundtrack. For this weekend’s debut event, the first 50 shoppers will receive a free Winter Market tote bag, which will be perfect for all the produce, treats and handmade crafts you’ll be taking home. Next up: Feb. 7, March 7 and April 4.
Classic Albums Live — “Led Zeppelin II,” 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10, Long Center for the Performing Arts, 111 N. Sixth St., Lafayette — Classic Albums Live is a large, unique collective of tribute show musicians that concentrate not only on one band but on one album. Since 2003, this entertainment entity has pushed out the tributes, concentrating less on costumes and impressions and putting more energy into the music, man. Classic Albums Live currently has “Abbey Road,” “Dark Side of the Moon” and Bob Marley’s “Legend” tours out on the road. Downtown Lafayette will draw “Led Zeppelin II” this weekend. The high-powered show will feature golden vocals by Nick Walsh, who gives proper justice to Robert Plant’s legendary vocals, and guitar tones would make Jimmy Page proud. For fans of Led Zep, just close your eyes and experience hits like “Ramble On,” “Whole Lotta Love,” and “Livin’ Lovin’ Maid” in a proper live format. $35-$67. Tickets.
“The Hobbit,” 7:30 p.m. Jan. 16 and 17; 2:30 p.m. Jan. 17 and 18, Civic Theatre of Greater Lafayette, 313 N. Fifth St., Lafayette — Civic Theatre’s first show of 2026 will feature a youthful, compact retelling of “The Hobbit,” the classic J.R.R. Tolkien children’s tale that introduced us to the world of Middle Earth and all of its fantastical characters and creatures. Directed by Neil Radtke, Civic Youth Theatre’s take on the novel will be a condensed 60-minute play that still features our hero Bilbo Baggins (played by Nolan Gorski), the wise Gandalf (Gunnar Berger) and Gollum (Ellie Boszor), who wants the “precious” Ring more than your kid wanted a Labubu for Christmas. $16.50. Tickets.
Night Ranger, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 16, Long Center, 111 N. Sixth St., Lafayette — Hard rock fans of a certain age will be “motoring” to downtown Lafayette to catch multiplatinum recording artists Night Ranger make its Long Center debut. The band led by bassist and vocalist Jack Blades and drummer and vocalist Kelly Keagy had a string of hits back in the 1980s, led by the unmistakable power ballad “Sister Christian.” That tune, which was inspired by Keagy’s little sister Christy, spent 24 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1984, peaking at No. 5 on the charts. The song had a major resurgence later with memorable appearances in films like “Boogie Nights” and on TV shows like “South Park.” Night Ranger also scored hits in “Don’t Tell Me You Love Me” and “(You Can Still) Rock in America.” For now. $70-$92. Tickets.
Murder Burger, Sleigher, Emulsified and Lyra, 7:45 p.m. Jan. 16, North End Pub, 2100 Elmwood Ave., Lafayette — The Doom Room will help kick off 2026 with a rare all-local bill of four furious bands. On the heels of the 2025 Random Band Challenge, Murder Burger and Sleigher will join forces. The two eclectic acts are examples of bands formed at previous Doom Room Random Band Challenges that stayed together and perform somewhat regularly. The musicians clicked to the benefit of local metal fans. Also performing will be death metal powerhouses Emulsified and Purdue University metal heads Lyra. $10.
Concrete Chicken and The Cheswicks with THIS, 8:30 p.m. Jan. 17, North End Pub, 2100 Elmwood Ave., Lafayette — Two bands that cut their teeth at Purdue house shows that graduated to the Lafayette bar venues will headline a show of youthful indie and psyche rock. Something called THIS opens.
Tim Brouk is a longtime arts and entertainment reporter. He writes here (almost) weekly, tracking things to do for Based in Lafayette.
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