Tim’s Picks: Whatcha wanna do?

Five of the best ideas heading into your Greater Lafayette weekend and beyond.

Dave Bangert

Feb 08, 2024

Thanks today to sponsor Purdue Convocations, presenting Counterpoint with pianist Conrad Tao and tap dancer Caleb Teicher. Blending Tao’s idiosyncratic harmonic mastery with Teicher’s contemporary and percussive tap dancing, Counterpoint threads together stylistically varied, landmark pieces into one cohesive thought. Audiences can expect these to include Aria from Bach’s Goldberg Variations, Arnold Schoenberg’s Five Piano Pieces and Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. Join us at Counterpoint, Thursday, Feb. 8, Loeb Playhouse. BUY TICKETS

And now, with five of the best ideas heading into your weekend and beyond, it’s this week’s …

By Tim Brouk / For Based in Lafayette

Lafayette Symphony Orchestra Lollipop Concert, 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 9, Long Center for the Performing Arts, 111 N. Sixth St., Lafayette — The annual Lafayette Symphony Orchestra (LSO) family event will give kids a sweet taste of classical music. With LSO assistant conductor José Valencia at the conductor’s podium, the Lollipop Concert will feature selections from the “Harry Potter” films, “Star Wars” maestro John Williams’ “Olympic Fanfare and Theme,” and snippets from composers Aaron Copland, Gabriela Lena Frank and more. Bring the kids an hour early (6 p.m.) for the Instrument Petting Zoo. This prelude allows kids to get their hands on some instruments while learning about their role in beautiful symphonic music. $5. Tickets.

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Dope Sweater, Lusso, Interesting Bricks and Whirly Birds, 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 9, North End Pub, 2100 Elmwood Ave., Lafayette — A mixtape of punk(ish) rock will be on display Friday night on the North End Pub stage highlighted by Dope Sweater making its Lafayette debut. The young garage-psyche-punk act from Indianapolis has played just about every club and house venue their city has to offer and has amassed a strong cache of recordings and fans along the way. Interesting Bricks is a math rock band from Chicago that features distorted trombone as a major part of its sonic madness. Whirly Birds is an indie rock act with emo tendencies plucked from the Purdue University house show scene, and Indianapolis/Lafayette power pop kings Lusso will make its North End debut after several excellent engagements at The Spot Tavern. $10.

UPTOWN: Motown Remixed, 7:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 12, Long Center for the Performing Arts, 111 N. Sixth St., Lafayette — A young R&B trio from New York City will give its take on music from the Motor City and beyond next week. Pulling from the traditions of doo wop groups of old, Motown and modern vibes, UPTOWN presents a tight show of tunes from today and yesteryear in front of a live band. The singers’ pitch-perfect vocals are only matched by their impressive choreography. The show has the blessing of Rick Sheppard of The Drifters (“Under the Boardwalk”), calling UPTOWN’s set a “testimony to the genius of the producers, writers and artists of years gone by.” $25 and $29. Tickets.

Fat Tuesday Bash with Ebony and the Ruckus, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 13, Knickerbocker Saloon, 113 N. Fifth St., Lafayette — Mardi Gras never sounded better when local soul-funk band Ebony and Ruckus return the Knickerbocker, this time to celebrate Fat Tuesday. The bar will be dishing out gumbo while Ebony and her band churn out jams past and present. Ain’t Lent yet! $15, $25 for gumbo dinner and the show.

“Love/Sick,” 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 14, and continuing 7:30 p.m. Feb. 15-17, Feb. 22-24, and 2:30 p.m. Feb. 17, 18, and 24, Civic Theatre of Greater Lafayette, 313 N. Fifth St., Lafayette — Love gets put through the spin cycle in this show of romantic highs and lows by John Cariani. “Love/Sick” consists of nine short plays that revolve around romance and are each slightly twisted in their own way. Directed by Brian Tyrrell, the show features the acting talents of Ben Getz, Kyle Brown, Neil Radtke, Daphne Escalante and more. Brown portrays Bill in “Uh Oh,” where a couple is experiencing boredom, and Kevin in “Forgot,” where busy lives made a couple forget they planned on having a baby. Other stories include the concepts of love at first sight, saying “I love you” for the first time, cold feet at a wedding, an affair and losing who you are when you have kids. “Each section of the show is intertwined with common threads that show how we all deal with the struggles of love no matter what stage of the relationship we are in,” Brown said. $24-$30. 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 to sponsor Purdue Convocations, presenting Counterpoint with pianist Conrad Tao and tap dancer Caleb Teicher, Thursday, Feb. 8, at Loeb Playhouse. Get tickets here.

Thank you for supporting Based in Lafayette, an independent, local reporting project. Free and full-ride subscription options are ready for you here.

Tips, story ideas? I’m at davebangert1@gmail.com.

Based in Lafayette, Indiana

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