Tim’s Picks: Some ‘Spooktacular,’ some not so much
Tim’s Picks: Some ‘Spooktacular,’ some not so much
Briscoe at Purdue's Loeb Playhouse. Jim Lauderdale at People's. Green Room Rockers keep rolling. And more. Five of the best ideas heading into your Greater Lafayette weekend.
Thanks for sponsorship support today from Purdue Convocations. From comedian and playwright Tina Fey, MEAN GIRLS tells the story of a naïve newbie who falls prey to a trio of lionized frenemies. Entertainment Weekly calls the show “a MARVEL: dazzling and hilarious” and New York Magazine cheers, “MEAN GIRLS delivers with immense energy and a wicked sense of humor.” Oct. 26 at Elliott Hall of Music - GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!
And now, with five of the best ideas heading into your weekend, here’s …
By Tim Brouk / For Based in Lafayette
Briscoe, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 12, Loeb Playhouse, Stewart Center, Purdue University —Truett Heintzelman and Philip Lupton were just teenagers when they won over 6,000 new fans as their band, Briscoe, opened for Noah Kahan last spring at Elliott Hall of Music. The Austin, Texas, pop duo returns to Purdue as deserving headliners. Briscoe promotes a feel-good, eclectic musical vibe which borrows heavily from the laid-back and lush sounds of 1960s and ’70s rock, folk and funk. The group performed in Indianapolis this summer at the Hi-Fi and have opened for the likes of Dave Matthews Band, My Morning Jacket and Tame Impala. $15. Tickets.
Halloween Spooktacular Mini-Con and Creepy Karaoke, 6 p.m.-midnight Friday, Oct. 13, The Arts Federation, 638 North St., Lafayette — The word “spooktacular” gets tossed around too nonchalantly these days. Just because your yarn sale or library card signup campaign happens around Halloween, doesn’t make it spooktacular alone. You must bring the scary, and that’s exactly what the Indiana Filmmakers Network is doing this weekend — on Friday the 13th no less. This free, eerie event will gather professional special effects and makeup artists and designers from around the state, as well as paranormal investigators Shaun and Rocky Fourman. Horror movie fans will get to meet these behind-the-scenes gurus of gore and see how the (blood) sausage is made, so to shriek. Free tarot card readings will be available, and prepare those vampiric vocal cords for some seasonal karaoke. How many attendees will croon “Monster Mash?” Attend to find out — if you dare
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Sheeza and Jennasen, 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 13, Digby’s Patio and Pub, 133 N. Fourth St., Lafayette — One of my favorite Indianapolis bands from the last several years, manners, please., performed its final show last weekend. It’s unfortunate, but the band had a great run, which included an appearance at The Spot Tavern in 2018. Less than a week later from that finale, vocalist and synthesizer player Jennasen will mark her solo Lafayette debut, sharing the stage with Lafayette singer-songwriter extraordinaire Sheeza. While alone on stage, Jennasen’s electronic beats, grooves and vocals create a full sound that is catchy and danceable. Her stage presence and energy are infectious.
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Green Room Rockers with Marc Ridge, 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14, Digby’s Patio and Pub, 133 N. Fourth St., Lafayette — Ah, 2006. We had the public debut of Facebook, Britney Spears and Kevin Federline’s tearful divorce, and former Vice President Dick Chaney’s accidental shooting of his quail-hunting partner’s face. But some good did occur that year: the birth of one of Lafayette’s best 21st century bands, Green Room Rockers. Rising from the punk scene, vocalist and keyboardist Mark Cooper, guitarist and saxophonist Ron Shoemaker, drummer Perry Clark, and a host of bassists, horn players and other musicians over the years created a dynamite sound that blended ska, reggae, rocksteady and soul music. During the band’s peak, I considered Green Room Rockers to be in the top-5 ska acts in the nation. The soulfulness of the music and especially within Cooper’s voice pushed them far ahead of by then boring third wave punk ska acts far and wide. This weekend’s rare Lafayette show marks the band’s 17th anniversary. Green Room Rockers served as one of the pillars of the late ‘00s local scene — still a watermark we hope to reach again — and is still active today, although most shows are in the Chicago area where about half of the band resides. This show should be a knockout and a rare chance to tell Cooper and the dudes “skanks” for the music and memories.
Jim Lauderdale, 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 17, People’s Brewing Company, 2006 N. Ninth St., Lafayette — It’s rare Lafayette can welcome a Grammy winner and even more rare when that artist performs in such intimate confines as People’s Brewing Company. Walking the tightrope between bluegrass and country music, singer-songwriter Jim Lauderdale has released more than 30 albums since the 1980s. The 66-year-old from North Carolina earned the Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album in 2002 for his collaborative effort with the legendary Ralph Stanley, “Lost in the Lonesome Pines.” Lauderdale was nominated for several other Grammy Awards as recent as 2014. On the songwriting side, Lauderdale penned tunes that were later recorded by the likes of Gary Allan, George Strait, Patty Loveless, Vince Gill and even Elvis Costello. Check out his documentary before you check out his live set next week. $20. 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 today from Purdue Convocations, presenting MEAN GIRLS, Oct. 26 at Elliott Hall of Music – Get your tickets here.
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Tips, story ideas? I’m at davebangert1@gmail.com.