Pencils Down

SAT 5/15
If we learned only one thing from Animal House, it’s that behavior of any kind, no matter how embarrassing or despicable, is permissible in the context of college. There’s no Day on the Hill to anchor this year’s end-of-semester celebration, but anyone who still has that degenerate, toga-wearing itch can blow off some steam Bluto Blutarsky-style at Saturday’s Finals Week Fest, starting at 1 p.m. in Lawrence’s Burcham Park (Second and Indiana streets). A $7 ticket buys 15 bands, including local superstars Ike Turner Overdrive and Pixel Panda, and well-monikered touring outfits such as Tennessee’s Asschapel and Nebraska’s Wastoid.

Every band gets about 25 minutes to move a crowd of post-exam-addled fans. The only thing missing from the rest of the college experience might be some high-minded rhetoric, but the anti-banking organization Food Not Banks will be responsible for giving some of that away along with its grub, which reportedly comes free of all banking influences. Call 785-856-3981 for more details. — Christopher Sebela

Deconstruction

FRI 5/14

It’s safe to say that U.S. Maple’s music is an acquired taste, a brand of rock-and-roll deconstruction perhaps most palatable for listeners who easily tire of rock’s identifiable formulas and recycled standards. One Amazon.com shopper, wholly dissatisfied after buying U.S. Maple’s 1999 release Talker, described the album this way: “Instrument tuning noise and frantic whisper vocals combine to maim anyone in earshot.” But we know that for many of you out there, this seemingly negative review is a ringing endorsement. U.S. Maple maims ears at the Brick (1727 McGee) Friday night. Tickets cost $8. Call 816-421-1634 for details. — Michael Vennard

Circus Freaks

5/15-5/16

Children love going to the circus. Unfortunately, the circus does not afford the accompanying parents a lot of love. The Moscow State Circus, which performs Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. at Kemper Arena (1800 Genessee), hopes to change that. Its animal-free show was created with adults in mind, though kids are welcome. Labeled a “new age circus,” the 2-hour performance includes Russian acrobats, aerialists and trapeze artists. It’s far from the typical Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey fare — in other words, no lion tamers or ultra-creepy clowns. Instead, the Moscow State Circus attempts to provide the same wondrous excitement you felt as a kid, but with fast-paced, high-energy entertainment that’s just a little more grown-up. Call 816-931-3330 to purchase tickets, which are $20 for adults and $7.50 for children 12 and under. — Annie Fischer