Mighty Wind

2/27-2/28

Modern dance seems to be all but exploding in the college town heretofore known for basketball, home brew and William S. Burroughs. “For a place of this size, there’s a lot going on,” says dancer and choreographer Ellie Goudie-Averill. She and a healthy smattering of her peers demonstrate some of that activity at the Prairie Wind Dancers Choreographer’s Showcase this Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the Lawrence Arts Center, 940 New Hampshire Street.

Dance companies and choreographers from neighboring states — including Reach, a movement collective from Overland Park, and Atrek Dance Collective from St. Louis — present their diverse styles for what has become an annual event sponsored by the Arts Center’s resident dance company.

Goudie-Averill calls her contribution to a performance by Lawrence’s Bowery Dancers Excerpts of an Orange because “it’s sweet and little.” But she also dances for Prairie Wind. “The best part is, it allows dancers to have their own input,” she says. “There’s a lot of creative freedom.” Call 785-843-2787 for more information.— Steve Walker

Tough Love

SUN 2/29

Metalheads are historically preoccupied with matters of death, destruction, beer and weed, so you might understand our surprise when we saw that four Kansas metal bands were combining forces for charity. When bands like Dark Matter, My Fathers Gun, Human Ritual and Metalurgy are described as being “brutally heavy” and creating “a firestorm of beautiful aggression,” can you blame us for scratching our heads over the fact that they’re playing a benefit show for the Muscular Dystrophy Association? It all made sense after we listened to a few of their songs, though. These guys are all super pissed off, and their music reflects that blood lust, but they’re pissed off at injustice, prejudice and hypocrisy. The brutality begins at 6 p.m. at The Granada (1020 Massachusetts Street in Lawrence) and costs $6. For details, call 785-842-1390. — Michael Vennard

Bang the Drum

SAT 2/28

Rhythm is the word of the day this Saturday at Union Station’s Science City, 30 West Pershing. African, Caribbean and South American percussion styles bounce around the museum as Bird Fleming and the Traditional Music Society present a sneak preview of the Pick Up the Beat world music series scheduled for Fridays in March. A Brazilian percussion concert in the style of Carnaval, complete with bass drums, bells, shakers, snares and whistles, starts at 11 a.m.; an African presentation begins at 1 p.m. If you can’t resist the urge to drum, workshops follow each performance. For details, call 816-460-2020.— Vennard