BEER, BLUES & BRATS, CROSSROADS URBAN CENTER, Sunday, May 5, 2-6 p.m., $45
Now this is the kind of fundraiser I can get behind; not only can you support a great cause in the grassroots, nonprofit Crossroads Urban Center, but you can have a legitimately great time doing so. The Beer, Blues & Brats throwdown on Sunday afternoon will provide all of the above–tasty brews from Epic Brewing, sausages from Colisimo’s, our local sausage geniuses, and tunes from The Number Ones and The Fourteenth Ward, while belly dancers from the Rubber Room School of Dance will also perform. The event happens at The Community Co-op, 1756 South 700 West in Salt Lake City.
The event runs all afternoon on Sunday, and all of your $45 donation will benefit the Crossroads Urban Center, supporting its efforts to help the underserved in the Utah community through emergency food, diapers, infant formula, clothing and medicine delivered to those in need. The organization is home to a thrift store, and funds emergency needs, holiday food distributions, the Anti-hunger Action Committee, the Coalition of Religious Communities and Utah’s busiest food pantry.
A BEHANDING IN SPOKANE, THE SUGAR SPACE, Friday, May 3-Saturday, May 4 & Friday, May 10-Saturday, May 11, 8 p.m., $12
On a solo trip to New York City a few years ago, a friend tipped me off to the cheap tix to Broadway plays available at matinees, as well as the production of playwright Will McDonagh’s A Behanding in Spokane that was going on at the time, starring Christopher Walken and Sam Rockwell. I loved the dark comedy about a haunted criminal desperately trying to find his hand that had been brutally removed by thug years earlier when he was a teenager, and his interactions with a young couple who claim to have his prized paw. Only later did I find out that McDonagh is the writer behind a series of brilliant plays, as well as films like In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths. Now, Salt Lake City’s Hive Theatre Company is presenting the Utah premiere of A Behanding in Spokane with four performances at The Sugar Space over the next two weekends. You can count on the plot and dialogue being worthwhile, and it should be exciting to see the Hive group tackle McDonagh’s work.
DON WILLIAMS, DEE EVENTS CENTER, Ogden, Friday, May 3, 7:30 p.m., $33-$38
Known in country circles as the “Gentle Giant,” Don Williams is a true legend who doesn’t get nearly the attention later in his career than his successful run as a singer/songwriter would seem to warrant. From the mid-’70s through the early ’90s, Williams had an insane streak of hit singles–all but four of them reaching the Top 10, including songs like “Tulsa Time,” “I Wouldn’t Want to Live If You Didn’t Love Me” and “Just As Long As I Have You.” Williams decided to retire in 2006, but relaxing must not have treated him well, because he came back in 2012 with a new album on Sugar Hill Records called And So It Goes, an excellent collection that stands up to the best of his old catalog. Even so, you never know when Williams might decide it really is time to retire, so I’d suggest a trip to Ogden for this rare Utah appearance.
DAVID SEDARIS, CAPITOL THEATRE, Sunday, Aug. 28, 7 p.m., $32.50-$49.50
Perhaps you’re familiar with David Sedaris via his books like Barrel Fever or Me Talk Pretty One Day. Or maybe you know his audio essays from This American Life. Reading his work and listening to his radio pieces are both fine ways to delve into the man’s humor and style. But there’s something extra that comes with seeing Sedaris in person. His stories come off with more laughter. His interactions with the audience are great. And he always suggests a book to the audience and offers a little book report–something I’ve come to appreciate in the several times I’ve gone to his SLC appearances. It should make for a fine Sunday night, and I imagine there will be some offerings from his new book, Let’s Explore Diabetes With Owls.
CITY WEEKLY MUSIC AWARDS, VARIOUS LOCATIONS, Thursday, April 25-Saturday, April 27, 9 p.m., $5
Every year the good people at City Weekly put together a series of local-music showcases that offer the perfect way for the unfamiliar to get to know some of the best original music Utah has to offer. This year, the alt-weekly moved the event to April, making it all the more comfortable to bounce among venues and check out a wide swath of styles and sounds. This weekend, you have ample opportunity to get yourself educated, or just enjoy some awesome aural artwork.
Here is the rundown of this weekend’s CWMA showcases:
Thursday, April 25 at The Complex: Spirit Master, Marinade, Night Sweats
Thursday, April 25 at The Hotel: DJ Spin-off featuring DJ CWell, Elvis Freshly, J Godina, DJ Electronic Battleship, DJ Bentley
Friday, April 26 at The Urban Lounge: Secret Abilities, Hang Time (pictured), Eagle Twin
Saturday, April 27 at Muse Music in Provo: Book on Tapeworm, Golden Sun, Polytype
Saturday, April 27 at The State Room: Matteo, Mideau, L’Anarchiste
AN EVENING WITH ZAKK WYLDE, THE DEPOT, Wednesday, April 24, 9 p.m., $30/$35 day of show
Anyone who’s seen guitarist/loudmouth Zakk Wylde perform on stage with either Black Label Society or Ozzy Osbourne, doing interviews on friendly outlets like VH1 Classic’s Heavy Metal Show, or pop up in unusual spots like as a voice-actor/guest star on Aqua Teen Hunger Force knows that the man is entertaining as all get-out. Talk to Kevin at The Heavy Metal Shop about a long-ago in-store appearance, and you’ll hear that the man is also a handful. But no matter how you know Wylde’s style, you probably never had him pegged as a literary mind for our times. Even so, he’s penned a book called Bringing Metal to the Children, and on his current tour he’s combining readings from the tome with acoustic performances and Q&A sessions that no doubt will offer some hilarious answers.
Daniel Nailen 