This Weeks Day-By-Day Picks

Thursday, March 4, 2004

The conscientious folks at Amnesty International of William Jewell College present an art show called The Sacrificed Patriot today in the Curry Library (500 College Hill in Liberty). The Amnesty group asked that artists contribute pieces “relating to the theme of state-sponsored human-rights infractions.” By “state-sponsored,” they meant “governments willingly allowing human-rights abuses to continue without their intervention.” Hey, that means us, right? Does Guantanamo Bay ring any bells? How about all the suspected terrorists being held at length with no charges against them? Dick Kurtenbach, executive director of Kansas and Western Missouri’s American Civil Liberties Union, talks about these issues and other problems with the Patriot Act at 7 p.m. For details, call 816-407-1268.

Friday, March 5, 2004

Wardrobe rules are a pain in the ass. The belt is supposed to match the shoes. You’re not supposed to mix vertical and horizontal stripes unless you want to give someone vertigo. And when can we start wearing white shoes again? The designers at Tomboy (1817 McGee) don’t care about fashion rules — they’re hosting a spring fashion show weeks before the official beginning of the season. Brooke Poirier, Rachel and Jeanne Hayes, Megan Galant, Christopher Leitch, Laura McGrew and Danielle Des Marteau debut their new designs in three 20-minute shows starting at 7, 8 and 9 p.m. For details, call 816-472-6200. We’ll be there with white shoes on.

Saturday, March 6, 2004

Mr. Wiggles has been breakdancing forever. He’s down with both the Rock Steady Crew and Electric Boogaloo. He has danced on and off Broadway, in films such as Wild Style and Beat Street, on television in Sesame Street and in music videos from Madonna (“Papa Don’t Preach”) to Missy Elliot (“Work it”). Today he brings his moves to a storage building at 2431 Prospect for a rare dance performance, followed by a question-and-answer session, starting at 3 p.m. The unusual appearance by the legendary breaker lets fans get up close for only $11. If you think you’re ready, you can stick around and compete in the first annual Best of the Best, an invitational breakdancing competition judged by Wiggles and other celebrity judges. Dancers compete for $1,000 and an opportunity to personally train with the great one himself. (A $500 cash prize will be offered in a separate popping competition.) For details, call 816-522-1747.

Chucky Lou be pimpin’, dawgs. The A/V club that sponsors cult movie screenings every Saturday night is pushing it to the next level: They’re taking us to the motherfucking drive-in the first week of March. How bad is that? Superbad. The Chucky Lou A/V Club presents Sleaze Under the Stars: The Great American Pimp-Off. The triple feature includes Dolemite, Dolemite II: The Human Tornado (both starring the master of choreographed fight scenes, Rudy Ray Moore) and The Candy Tangerine Man (with John Daniels) at the Boulevard Drive-In (1501 Merriam Lane in Kansas City, Kansas). Weather allowing, the films start rolling at 8, with ticket prices at $10. (If it’s too cold out, the club will move the party inside to the Dickinson Top Two Theater at 5909 Johnson Drive in Mission. In that case, The Candy Tangerine Man will be the only feature, and it will start at midnight.) For details, call 816-471-1190.

Sunday, March 7, 2004

We haven’t actually seen Catechism II — Sometimes We Feel Guilty Because We Are Guilty, the new installment of the Late Nite Catechism. But we do know that Kimberly Richards, an original sister from Late Nite Catechism, returns to offer new observations on the old morality. SUVs, reality television and cloning have no place to hide from this outspoken nun. If we go, it will be to quietly laugh at, not with, the sister in black. Today’s show starts at 2 p.m. at the City Stage in Union Station, 30 West Pershing Road, 816-421-1801.

Monday, March 8, 2004

Usually when the words voter and party appear in the same sentence, party refers to a political allegiance, not a celebration. Well, not this time. The Kansas City chapter of the Missouri Restaurant Association and the Liberty Memorial Association sponsor a voter registration party from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Liberty Memorial in Penn Valley Park. All you need to get in for the free food is a voter registration card or some sort of identification. If you don’t have a driver’s license, bring a school ID, current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck or any kind of government document with your name and address on it so you can establish residency in order to vote. For more information, call 816-784-1918.

Tuesday, March 9, 2004

The great state of Kansas rarely shows up as a setting in literature, at least not in books we want to read. That might be why we’re excited about Scott Phillips‘ Cottonwood. The Wichita-born author created the fictional town of Cottonwood, Kansas, so he could write about all of its criminal behavior, dark comedy and a bit of soft porn. In Cottonwood, everything was fine until a big-time tycoon rolled into town with plans for development. Predictably, growth and change mean trouble for the small prairie town. The story may hit a little close to home for some Lawrence residents with a wary eye on the Wal-Mart. The author visits the Raven Bookstore (8 East Seventh Street in Lawrence) at 7 p.m. The reading is free. To find out more, call 785-794-3300.

Wednesday, March 10, 2004

Crab scratch, open crab flare, higher-pitched flare, orbit, twiddle, transformer, three-click flare and four-click crab. Those aren’t new STDs; they’re patented turntable maneuvers that will undoubtedly be used as ammo at KJHK 90.7’s Spring 2004 Waxclash DJ Battle tonight at Liberty Hall, 644 Massachusetts in Lawrence. Awards go out for the best mixer and the best scratcher. (Last time, DJ Special Pants and DJ Aether won the best mix and best scratch categories, respectively.) Judges will score the competitors and also use a UV meter to measure the audible crowd reaction. Tickets start at $4. Call 785-864-4747 for details.