5 things to do this weekend, 9.25.08

1. Check out the Eric Green Party in a really big show at the Bangor Opera House on Friday. Green and his down n' dirty swamp-tastic blues rock band will play at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $10, and you get the added bonus of seeing the band play on the set for the Penobscot Theatre's production of "On Golden Pond." Blues rock at an old fashioned Maine camp - kinda cool, huh?

2. The Slightly Off Center players present A. R. Gurney's "Sylvia" starting this weekend at the Center Theatre in Dover-Foxcroft. Come see what happens to a middle-aged husband who is depressed about his work and uninspired in life when a beautiful, vivacious, loving dog enters his life? Are the bonds of matrimony stronger than man's best friend? The show is at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and tickets are $12 at the door.

3. There's another punk rock show at the Worker Center on Ivers Street in Brewer this Friday. Megatime, Grendel's Army, Clinic Bomb, the Slum Lords and a reunited Taco Apocalypse will play starting at 5 p.m. and $5 gets you in the door.

4. The Camden International Film Festival is set for this weekend in locations in Camden, Rockland and Rockport. 20 documentary films about everything from the Iraq War to snow shoeing will be shown on Friday, Saturday and Sunday - for more info and for show times, visit www.camdenfilmfest.org.

5. If you feel like traveling southwards, go check out the crazy dance party that is a set from mash up DJ Girl Talk, who will play at 9:30 p.m. on Saturday at the Gray Athletic Building at Bates College in Lewiston. Girl Talk, a.k.a Greg Gillis, has been known to strip down to his skivvies and lead a pack of partyers out into the streets. That's how much fun his sets are. Tickets are $12, and are available at the door or at batestickets.com.

5 things to do this weekend, 9.18.08

1: The 32nd annual Common Ground Fair is set for this Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Unity Fairgrounds. It's the largest fair of it's kind in New England, bringing together farmers, vendors, exhibitors and volunteers to show off the vast array of organic, socially conscious goods and services that we have to offer in our state. That, and there's tons of great music and food to boot. Admission is $10, $8 for seniors and free for kids under 12, and gates open at 9 a.m. all three days. For more information, visit the Maine organic farmers and grower's web site at www.mofga.org.

2: Susan G. Komen's Race for the Cure is set for this Sunday, Sept. 21 starting at 10 a.m. on Front Street on the Bangor Waterfront. Those who wish to run the full 5k race start at 10; a shorter distance 1k walk starts at 10:15. Registration fees start at $20, which of course goes to an incredibly worthy cause - finding a cure for breast cancer. Additionally, on Friday night Susan G. Komen sponsors Blues for the Cure, a big party featuring three blues acts starting at 8 p.m. at Jeff's Catering in Brewer. Tickets are $10 at the door, and bands featured include Sista Sadie, River Bottom Funk and the England Brothers. For more info, visit www.komenmaine.org.

3: Get your metal on at the Kave i Bucksport this weekend, with a show featuring Death Threat, Crown of Kings, Cruel Hand, Bouny By Regret, the Brophy Monster and Thanks for Nothing. Ten bucks at the door, all ages, and it starts at 5 p.m. on Saturday. For more info, visit www.myspace.com/thekave.

4: The International Student's Association at the University of Maine hosts it's semesterly Oronoka party, starting at 10 p.m. Friday at 103 Ultra Lounge in Orono. It's probably the only chance you'll get for the rest of the year to hear dance music from all over the world - from Indian trance to Eastern European house music, from salsa to qawwali. If you like to dance, this is the party you want to go to. Admission is $7, and it's 18 plus, so anyone can go.

5: This isn't exactly eastern Maine, but it's something super cool to do this weekend - and it's something I'm quite distraught over, since I will not be able to make it. Why?, the indie rock-slash-hip hop group on Anticon Records, are playing at the Space Gallery in Portland on Saturday night, along with electro-indie group Alias. Why's album "Alopecia" is one of my favorite albums of the year, and if you feel like taking a trip down south, or will be in that area anyway, I most highly recommend checking it out. Tickets are 8 bucks at Bull Moose Music outlets; for more info, visit www.space538.org.

Neverending Mix, 9.17.08

Three caveats before I say what I am going to say:

1. This video kind of sucks, though it's in the great tradition of the videos for "One" and other epic, long, plot-driven metal videos.
2. Lars Ulrich is still a greedy, whiny jerk, albeit a greedy, whiny jerk that's an ungodly awesome drummer.
3. I use "St. Anger" as a coaster. A coaster for crappy beer.

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, though, here's what I think: "Death Magnetic," the new Metallica album, basically completely rules. They haven't put out a good album since self-titled, and that was 17 years ago, man. The breakdown about 6 minutes into this beast of a single, "The Day That Never Comes," is a glorious, interlocked guitar-packed, thunderous, thrash-y explosion of metal beauty. And it's not the best song on the album. I will never forgive them for their part in setting back digital media several years via their attacks on filesharing, but you know what? Metallica rules. Case closed. Story over. Time to rock out.

5 things to do this weekend, 9.12.08

1. Grace Potter and the Nocturnals make yet another Maine appearance this weekend, when they take the stage at 8 p.m. on Friday at the Unity Centre for the Performing Arts. The Tickets are 26 bucks, but they're well worth it, because Potter and her band sound like Bonnie Raitt mixed with James Brown, backed by Booker T and the MGs. They're that good. For more info, visit www.unitymaine.org.

2. If you'd rather try something with a little more locally grown spice in it, item numero dos is the dance party hosted by Primo Cubano, a Portland-based Latin orchestra, set for 7 p.m. on Friday at the American Legion Hall on High Street in Belfast. Primo Cubano play son music, the highly syncopated style popularized by the album and film Buena Vista Social Club. Admission to the dance is $10, and there's a rumba lesson from 7 to 8 p.m. before the band starts.

3. The Penobscot Theatre Company kicks off its 35th season with a season opening production of Ernest Thompson's "On Golden Pond," set for 8 p.m. Friday at the Bangor Opera House. An old married couple, their daughter, her boyfriend, his kid and the mailman square off in a fight to the death over who ate all the strawberries. Aw, I'm just kiddin'! The funny, heartwarming family drama runs this weekend and next, and tickets are available at the opera house box office, or by calling 942-3333.

4. Movie buffs should take a trip down east this weekend, as the new Woody Allen film Vicki Cristina Barcelona screens at 7 p.m. nightly at the Criterion Theatre in Bar Harbor. At 7 p.m. on Saturday, the annual Black Maria Film Festival rolls into town at the Grand Theatre in Ellsworth, showcasing a number of short films from directors from all over the world. Admission is $10; for more info, visit www.grandonline.org.

5. This weekend brings us BangPop!, Bangor's first comic book convention in more than 10 years, and certainly it's biggest. It's set for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday at Spectacular Events center on the Griffin Road in Bangor, and the ten dollar admission gets you in to meet lots of Maine's finest artists and writers in the medium, movie screenings, panels and a whole bunch of vendors selling comics both new and rare. For more information, visit www.bangpopmaine.com.

Lindsey Ray in Target commercial.

You've probably seen this Target commercial on national network television, but did you know that the song in the background was recorded by Lindsey Ray of Belfast? Local girl makes good! Ray, who's living out in Los Angeles working on her burgeoning music career, recorded the song with Tim Myers, a member of the band OneRepublic, for his upcoming EP. Target snagged the catchy little ditty for its new ad campaign. Way to go!

5 things to do this weekend, 9.4.08

1. First off, for some authentic reggae flavor, go check out the I-Tals, who are set to play at 8 p.m. on Friday at the Strand Theatre in Rockland. Since the mid-70's the three piece group has toured tirelessly, bringing its sweet, Jamaican-grown vocal harmonies to reggae fans the world over. Tickets are $20 at the door; for more info, visit www.myspace.com/theitals.

2. Ring 362 of the International Brotherhood of Magicians will hold its second annual Stage Magic Competition on Saturday at All Souls Congregational Church in Bangor. The competition features such astoundingly fantastic local luminaries as the Amazing Wes Booth and his parlor magic, Professor Miller and his Chinese rings, and, visiting from Massachusetts, up and coming magicians Peter Boie. Local legend Dr. Wilson will open the show by climbing the ladder of swords, and middle eastern dancers from Kahaz Productions will complement the program. Admission is $5, and the show starts at 7 p.m.

3. The Ottawa International Animation Festival's traveling film fest stops at the Grand Theatre Saturday night, starting at 7 p.m. 14 short films from some of the finest animators from around the world will be showcased during the program, ranging from the sweet and simple to the truly bizarre. For more information, visit http://ottawa.awn.com.

4. There'll be plenty of pickin' n' grinnin this weekend at the Paul Bunyan Bluegrass Festival, set for Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Paul Bunyan Campground on Outer Union Street. Artists set to play include the Adrians, the Katahdin Valley Boys and Jimmy Gaudreau & Moondi Klein; for more info and ticket prices, visit www.paulbunyanbluegrass.com.

5. And now, for something completely different. Do you like little dogs? Do you like little dogs in costumes? If yes, then it would behoove you to head down to Wienerfest on Sunday at the Boathouse on the Belfast waterfront. Dachshund owners from around the state will bring their hot dogs to participate in races, games, a costume contest and parade. Whether or not you've got your own dachshund, it'll at least be a ridiculously cute afternoon. Dogs in costumes! Come on! The fun starts at noon, and it's a dollar per person and a dollar per dog. For more info, visit www.geocities.com/belfastwienerfest. Don't believe me? Look at THIS:



That dog is either thrilled, or plotting its owners demise.