Here's The Plan!

April 8, 2017

Horsemen of Iowa Clinic - Jim Barkema Bar, 12489 285 St., Mason City. HII is pleased to again be hosting Top Notch Equine Therapy for chiropractic and magna wave care and Carrie Brown DVM for dental services. In addition to this, Jodi Distad of Broadway Farms will be putting on a showmanship clinic in the morning followed by a horsemanship clinic in the afternoon. The day will start at 9am. Auditors are welcome to come watch free of charge. Lunch will be provided. Contact Donna Lubahn at 641-430-8252 to get signed up for the clinic or a time slot reserved for your chiropractic or dental care. 

Feeder Pig Show- North Iowa Events Center(Olson Building), Hwy 122 W, 3700 4^th St. SW (641-435-4482). Event time: 9am-3pm. Feeder pig sale. For more information, contact Kody Trampel at 515-341-0166.

Landscape Designs (ages 6+) - Charles H. MacNider Art Museum, 303 2^nd St. SE (641-421-3666). Event time: 10am-12pm. Explore the techniques of space, depth, and concepts of foreground, middle and background landscapes. Land, city, and seascapes will be the focus of this class. Fee $18/ members $16.

Roller Skating - Roller City, 600 2^nd NW (641-423-2000). Morning Skate: 10am-12pm - A slower pace geared towards younger families, $10 per family. Afternoon Skate: 1pm-4pm - The most popular session for parties and larger groups, $6 per skater. Night Skate: 7pm-10pm - Most popular skating session with Jackpot Dice Game and much more, $7 per skater.

Meet the Artist Reception and Awards - Clear Lake Arts Center, 17 South 4^th St.(Stanton Gallery), Clear Lake (641-357-1998).  The public is invited to the 4^th Annual Re-Purpose Exhibit's Meet the Artists Reception & Awards Ceremony. This exhibit demonstrates that everyone can be an artist. Showcasing the work of area artist who have applied creativity in his/her area of interest and changed the reason for which something exhibits. Two-dimensional and three-dimensional works made from a wide array of unusual found and recycled materials will be on display.  Event time: 11:00am-1:00pm.

Second Hand Cafe - Clear Lake Arts Center, 17 South 4^th St.(Sukup Performing Arts Wing), Clear Lake (641-357-1998). Event time: 11am-1pm. Volunteers at the Clear Lake Arts Center will open the Second Hand Café in the Sukup Performing Arts Wing serving 'small plates' for a small price. The Second Hand Café provides a delicious and affordable dining destination for the community, with all proceeds going to the Clear Lake Arts Center. Combine lunch with a stroll through the gallery, a peek into the Art Studios and browse through the gift shop. All are welcome.

Spring, Easter & Summer Show - Willowbrook Mall, 1631 4^th St. SW. (641-424-4002). Show presented by Browns Shoe Fit, Emerson's at the Willow, Phoenix, and Saxony's Tried & True. Show starts at 1pm.

Free Women’s Self-Defense Seminar - Willowbrook Mall, 1631 4^th St. SW. The Mason City Community Policing Advisory Board has announced plans for a free Women's Self-Defense Seminar event from 2-4pm. Jessica Tierney, Executive Director of American Women's Self Defense Association will present an educational seminar. This seminar will include tips and techniques to employ if you get into harm's way. The Community Policing Advisory Board's goal is to help promote a safer community. Education is one of the keys for keeping citizens safe. All ages welcome. There will be refreshments and door prizes. The event is co-sponsored with the Mason City Police Department. Contact cpab.1997@yahoo.com for more information.

Blues guitarist Matt Woods - Fat Hill Brewing, 17 N. Federal Ave.(641-423-0737). Please join us for an afternoon with roots and blues musician Matt Woods. Matt is a seasoned performer who is excited to share the diversity of roots and blues (traditional delta, hill country and urban electric blues, to gospel, country, and folk music) with Mason City! No cover charge. Event time: 2pm-5pm.

River City Chorus Spring Show — North Iowa Auditorium, NIACC, 500 College Drive (641-380-0406). 58th annual showcase of chorus and quartets presents an evening of barbershop. 2pm & 7pm. Admission: $12 advance or $15 at the door for 2pm show, $12 advance or $15 at the door for 7:30pm show. Children 12 and under $3 both shows. Group rates available.

Bruce's Column For April

Three months done, 1/4th of the year gone by just like that. I like this time for a number of reasons, those houses hidden away behind bushes and trees gradually fade from view. Our backyard looks down over a wooded area and stream, as the foliage thickens and disguises the fact that the woods aren't really all that deep and the road and houses are closer than I think.
April Fool's day, I was never much for anything too elaborate just the typical waking everybody up with "you should see all this snow" type of thing.
When I was in the Navy I fooled my folks by coming home a day earlier than they thought.
My favorite gag was one I played on the guys I roomed with in the barracks. I was going home on leave a different time and had to get up and gone by midnight but before I left I set my wind up alarm clock for 3 am and locked the locker...everybody got up and couldn't stop it until it unwound.
Getting to be music tours time again, I'm excited about the bands coming to our area this summer, it seems as though there is another announcement every other day.
Major League baseball resumes and getting to be the time for being out in the yard more, and golf, things that seem so far away in December.
After 18 weeks of spending four hours a week on the air I'm still pleased that it's just all that it is, although I prefer the months with five weekends.
I hope your month goes by without troubles and full of happiness.

Your Dayplanner Needs This

(Courtesy: Globe-Gazette)

 Some music, some comedy - sometimes mixed - along with a little bit of art, and visiting with your friends and neighbors is just around the corner.

Take a look at some of the best entertainment North Iowa has to offer this weekend - and beyond.

Visit MacNider: Off the Clock on Friday

Another session of MacNider: Off the Clock is set for Friday, March 31, at the Charles H. MacNider Art Museum, 303 Second St. S.E., Mason City.

From 5 to 7 p.m., visitors can mingle, view the exhibits, enjoy complimentary wine and appetizers, and listen to music by North Iowa blues guitarist Melvin Lavert.

Currently on display are the exhibits “Mini Masters” 33rd Annual School Art Exhibition in the Center Space Gallery and “The Light Fantastic: Paintings on Glass by John Lyon Paul” exhibition in the Kinney Lindstrom Gallery.

The event is free and open to the public.

Museum hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.

The Commodores bring Rhythm & Blues, Pop and Funk to the Surf

The Commodores, known for their hits "Just to Be Close to You," "Easy," and "Brickhouse," bring their powerful music to the Surf Ballroom & Museum in Clear Lake on Friday, March 31. Doors open at 8 p.m.

Founded in 1968 when they were students at Tuskeegee University, the Commodores were discovered by Berry Gordy. They went on to sell more than 60 million records for Motown, with hits like “Machine Gun” and “Sail On.” In 1986, minus Lionel Richie, they found Grammy recognition with “Nightshift.”

The group continues to record on their own label, "the Commodores," including “Commodores Live,” made during the group's 1997 U.S. tour and released in 1998 along with a TV special.

Tickets are $38 in advance, $43 at the door, available at the Surf Ballroom box office, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, by calling 641-357-6151 or on-line at www.surfballroom.com.

"Sacrificial Landscapes”

Learn about a vanished city near Osage and how it plays into art when Colin Lyons presents "Sacrificial Landscapes” at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 1, in the Salsbury Room at the Charles H. MacNider Art Museum, 303 Second St. S.E., Mason City.

Admission is free, and seating is on a first come, first served basis.

Lyons' talk will include a brief history of Lithograph City, a town that was once located six miles south of Osage, and a discussion on how this enters into his projects.

His recent work fuses printmaking, sculpture, and chemical experiments, pushing the role of the etching plate beyond its traditional boundaries as a re-enactment of the rise and fall of industrial economies. He explores industry through the lens of fragility and impermanence, considering planned obsolescence and the nature of what we choose to preserve.

Lyons lives in Iowa City, where he holds the Grant Wood Fellowship at The University of Iowa. For more information, visit www.macniderart.org or call 641-421-3666.

Comedy opens April Fool's Day in Rowan

Catch a "Southern fried trailer park comedy" beginning April Fool's Day at the Iowa River Players Theater in Rowan.

“Doublewide, Texas,” by Jones, Hope and Wooten, opens at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 1, and runs for two weekends. The cast includes actors from Belmond, Clarion, Hampton Latimer and Rowan.

In this fast-paced comedy, the inhabitants of one of the smallest trailer parks in Texas — four doublewides and a shed — are thrown for a loop when they realize the nearby town of Tugaloo is determined to annex them. The mayhem escalates as the residents attempt to secede from Texas and discover a traitor in their midst.

Performances are 7 p.m. Saturday, April 1; 2:30 p.m. Sunday, April 2; 7 p.m. Friday, April 7; 2:30 and 7 p.m. Saturday, April 8; 2:30 p.m. Sunday, April 9. Individual and season tickets are on sale online at www.iowariverplayerstheater.org, the Facebook page, and at the door.

Ah, oui! Springtime in Paris  

Be transported to Springtime in Paris with the Charles City Community Chamber Orchestra on Sunday, April 2.

The concert is set for 2 p.m. at the 500 North Grand Auditorium in Charles City. Admission is free.

Conductor John Chiles (Cedar Falls) will lead the ensemble through a repertoire of music from French composers. Megan Grey, mezzo soprano from Cedar Falls, will perform two pieces from the opera, "Carmen," accompanied by the orchestra, as well as two solo pieces accompanied by pianist Elisabed Imerlishvili, a University of Northern Iowa graduate piano performance student.

Grey, in the Masters of Music program in voice performance at UNI, has had several roles with UNI Opera. She performed with the Chautauqua Opera Company last summer, and will return this summer as a studio artist, as well as playing the role of Proserpina in a Respighi orchestration of Monteverdi's L'Orfeo, a U.S. stage premier of this historic work. She holds an undergraduate degree in voice performance from UNI.

A reception will follow in the lobby with a variety of French pastries for sale. All proceeds will benefit the Charles City Community Chamber Orchestra (CCCCO).

Rock & Roll Photo Exhibit in Minneapolis

Mark Seliger: In my Stairwell Series Portraits of musicians including David Byrne, Diana Krall, Sonic Youth, Elvis Costello, and Bruce Springsteen. Free. Flashlight Vinyl, 1519 Central Ave NE, Minneapolis, Minnesota; 612-558-3838.

Check Out What’s Happening

in Mason City & North Iowa

 March 24 - March 26, 2017

March 24, 2017

Golden Dragon Acrobats - NIACC Auditorium, 500 College Drive (641-422-4188). World-renowned impresario, Danny Chang, and choreographer, Angela Chang, combine award winning acrobatics, traditional dance, spectacular costumes, ancient and contemporary music and theatrical techniques to present a show of breathtaking skill and spellbinding beauty. Show begins at 7:30. Tickets start at $20. Call or order online for tickets at www.niacc.edu/boxoffice

March 24, 2017

Pianopalooza - Dueling for a Cure - Mason City Country Club, 3331 19^th St. SW. Fundraiser for type 1 diabetes - All ticket sales will go to JDRF team Ollie.  For tickets contact Sean (641-420-0847), seank@grahamtire.net or Heidi (641-330-2717) hkkuhl@gmail.com or available at Graham Tire (both locations). Event time: 7:30pm. Tickets $25.00 / $30.00 at the door.

March 24 & 25, 2017

Anansi the Spider - Stebens Children's Theatre, 616 N Delaware (641-424-9802). Box office open 1-5pm weekdays. Tickets are $11 for adults/$8 for 18 and under. The trickster, Anansi, angers the sky god, Nyame; first by stealing his proverbs, then by falling in love with his daughter, the beautiful Aso. Nyame requires the spider to prove his worth by passing an impossible test. A comical story with many a universal truth. www.stebensct.com 

March 24, 2017

Fantastic Fridays Roller Skating - Roller City, 600 2^nd NW (641-423-2000). Kick off the weekend with roller skating from 7pm-10pm. Check Roller City's Facebook page for weekly themes and events! www.myrollercity.com

March 25, 2017

Roller Skating - Roller City, 600 2^nd NW (641-423-2000). Morning Skate: 10am-12pm - A slower pace geared towards younger families, $10 per family. Afternoon Skate: 1pm-4pm - The most popular session for parties and larger groups, $6 per skater. Night Skate: 7pm-10pm - Most popular skating session with Jackpot Dice Game and much more, $7 per skater. www.myrollercity.com

March 25, 2017

Pollock & Pizza - Charles H. MacNider Art Museum, 303 2^nd St. S.E. (641-421-3666). Pollock was famous for his abstract action paintings. Lean about the Pollock technique and create an abstract painting of your own, on canvas. Pizza will be served. Event time: 10am-1pm. www.macniderart.org

March 25, 2017

School Art Show Reception - Charles H. MacNider Art Museum, 303 2^nd St. S.E. (641-421-3666). Tthe annual School Art Exhibition to celebrate Youth Art Month (March).  Honoring both the imagination of students as well as the dedicated and resourceful work of art teachers in the schools. This year’s show features the artwork of elementary school students. Visit this fun and creative exhibition and see what future generations of artists are creating right now! On Saturday, March 25, at 1 p.m. we will celebrate the students’ accomplishments and recognize their dedicated teachers. Award Certificates will be handed out at 1:30 p.m. www.macniderart.org

March 25, 2017

Pictures & Discussion on the Rotary Cannonball - Mason City Public Library (Muse Norris Classroom), 225 2nd St. SE  (641-423-5328). The Friends of the 457 will give a program in pictures and lecture on the Rotary Cannonball restoration, preservation and the construction of the Cannonball Gardens. This is an opportunity not only to learn about one of Mason City's most popular attractions, but also find out how you can have a part in helping preserve this Mason City Treasure. Event time: 2-3:30pm.

March 25 & 26, 2017

Knights of Columbus Bowling Tournament – Mystic Lanes,  Hwy 122 East.  Expected to bring 60 teams of bowlers competing for top honors during the month of March. Visit www.iowakofc.org for more information.

March 26, 2017

Spring Figure Skating Show - North Iowa Events Center, 3700 4^th SW (641-424-3547). The North Iowa Figure Skating Club will present their spring show – “One Rink Circus” -  at 1:00 & 7:00 PM. Tickets available at the door - $10 adults, $5 children ages 4-12. Children 3 and under are free.

March 26
Indoor Archery Series – Mohawk Archery Club, 840 12^th NW (641-430-5498). 300 Round, lines starts Saturday at 10am & 1pm; Sunday at 1pm. www.mohawkarchery.org

Music And Art Around The Area

MARCH 24

The Lumineers

Grammy-nominated American folk group The Lumineers, best known for their hit single “Ho Hey,” makes a stop at Wells Fargo Arena, with special guests Kaleo and Susto. Their music has been heard in “The Walking Dead” and “Mockingjay,” when founding members Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites wrote the music for “The Hanging Tree.” In 2016, The Lumineers released their second album, Cleopatra. 7 p.m. 730 Third St. Tickets are $29.50$59.50 at HyVeeTix.com.

MARCH 25

Vintage in the City

Shop-hop to 11 Des Moines vintage shops during the 5th Annual Vintage in the City event. Score unique finds and enjoy specials and refreshments at West End Architectural Salvage, Found Things, Vintage No. 35, Hinge, Preservation, Funky Finds, CJ Design Co., Hank’s Fuzzy Guitars, Reclaimed, Porch Light and Raccoon River Fork Trading Co. Visit the Vintage in the City Facebook page for a map of the businesses.   10 a.m.-5 p.m.

MARCH 27

An Evening with Billy Collins and Clint Smith

Two renowned poets with very different styles will co-deliver the 38th installment of the Martin Bucksbaum Distinguished Lecture Series at Drake University. Billy Collins is a former U.S. Poet Laureate (2001-2003) whose work has seen critical acclaim and popular appeal; his last three collections have broken sales records for poetry. Clint Smith is a 2014 National Poetry Slam Champion whose two TED Talks, “The Danger of Silence” and “How to Raise a Black Son in America,” collectively have been viewed more than 5 million times. 7 p.m., The Knapp Center, 2601 Forest Ave. Free. More information at www.drake.edu/ bucksbaum.

 MARCH 28

‘Beauty and the Beast’

This dance interpretation of the story of “Beauty and the Beast” explores the symbolism and lessons found throughout the fairy tale. Performed by Malandain Ballet Biarritz, it features aesthetic movement, celebrating sensuality and humanity. Come an hour early for a pre-dance talk and learn more about the dance company, and stay late for a question-and-answer session with the dancers. 7:30 p.m. Des Moines Civic Center, 221 Walnut St. Tickets are $15-$61 at desmoines performingarts.org.

George Thorogood and the Destroyers Classic rocker and icon George Thorogood and his longtime band the Destroyers have released 16 studio albums, crashing into the rock scene with their self-titled 1977 Gold Album. Just try not to sing along with songs like “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer,” “Get a Haircut” and “Bad to the Bone.” 7:30 p.m. Hoyt Sherman Place, 1501 Woodland Ave.

Tickets are $36-$76 at hoyt sherman.org. For every ticket sold, $1 will be donated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

‘Shakuntala’

StageWest Theatre Company welcomes Gateway Dance Theatre to their Scriptease series at the First Unitarian Church with its production of the beloved, classic tale. Be swept away and transported on a magical journey to the land of India and a tale of love and beauty. 7 p.m., 1800 Bell Ave.

Admission is free and open to the public (suggested donation of $5).

 MARCH 29

Kris Kristofferson

Beginning his career as a country songwriter, Kris Kristofferson penned such hits as “Me and Bobby McGee” and “Help Me Make It Through the Night,” before embarking on his own musical career. The three-time Grammy Award winner has released 29 albums, including as a member of The Highwaymen with Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings. Hear him in a live acoustic performance at Hoyt Sherman Place, 1501 Woodland Ave. 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $45-$75 at hoyt sherman.org.

MARCH 30

Las Cafeteras

All children of immigrants, the L.A.-born Las Cafeteras have wowed audiences with their live performances and unique blend of punk, hip-hop, beat music, cumbia and rock. Their goal since starting the band in 2008 has been to document histories of their neighborhoods through music. Experience them live at the Temple Theater, Tenth and Locust St. 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $26-$36 at desmoines performingarts.org.

MARCH 31

Kansas

Kansas is one of the most iconic rock bands in history, with more than 30 million records sold worldwide and more than 200 weeks on the Billboard charts in the 1970s and ’80s. See them perform live, including their 1 million-selling singles, “Carry on My Wayward Son” and “Dust in the Wind,” when they make a stop at Hoyt Sherman Place, 1501 Woodland Ave. 8 p.m.

Here's The Weekend Hookup

 

March 17, 2017

Fantastic Fridays Roller Skating - Roller City, 600 2nd NW (641-423-2000). Kick off the weekend with roller skating from 7pm-10pm. Check Roller City's Facebook page for weekly themes and events! www.myrollercity.com

Mom & Me: Jewelry and Tea - Clear Lake Arts Center, 17 S. 4th St., Clear Lake(641-357-1998). Participants will make beaded bracelets, and then wear their newly-created jewelry to a special tea party. This event is for all ages, can be mothers and daughters, grandmothers and granddaughters, neighbors and special friends. Event time:1:30-3:30pm. Cost is $25 per couple, with all supplies and tea party included. Call or stop in to register. www.clartcenter.com

Eric Gales with Anthony Gomes - Surf Ballroom, 460 N Shore Dr. Clear Lake (641-357-6151). It's well documented that Eric Gales was a child prodigy and heralded as the second coming of Jimi Hendrix when he released his debut album. The Eric Band in 1991 as a 16 year old on Elektra Records. It was the first of 10 albums on a major label. Doors open at 8pm. Ticket price $20 Adv. / $25 Door. www.surfballroom.com

Travel & Adventure Film Series “The Soul of India”– NIACC, 500 College Drive (641-422-4358). Films that appeal to a wide audience of travelers. Beautiful scenery, out-of-the-ordinary locations, various cultures, and people depicted throughout the films. Tickets may be purchased at the door: $5 adults/$3 student; Season ticket for $20. Starts at 7PM. www.niacc.edu/

St Patrick's Day Party - Place2B, 116 N. Federal Ave (641-590-3918). No cover - MUST BE 21 - ID REQUIRED. $1 Jello Shots, $3 Shots, & $6.00 Green Beer Pitchers - Don't miss out on the party! http://bit.ly/2n7LJS3

March 18, 2017

Roller Skating - Roller City, 600 2nd NW (641-423-2000). Morning Skate: 10am-12pm - A slower pace geared towards younger families, $10 per family. Afternoon Skate: 1pm-4pm - The most popular session for parties and larger groups, $6 per skater. Night Skate: 7pm-10pm - Most popular skating session with Jackpot Dice Game and much more, $7 per skater. www.myrollercity.com

Julian Lawrence Gargiulo (Steinway Pianist) - NIACC Auditorium, 500 College Drive (641-422-4188). Gargiulo, pianist, composer, and recording artist was named a Steinway Artist in 2014. His musical performance will be sure to impress as he received his Doctor of zMusical Arts degree at the University of Maryland (Rodriguez). Show begins at 7:30. Adult tickets $25/Students $10. Call or order online for tickets at www.niacc.edu/boxoffice

North Iowa Sportsmen's Adventure - Iowa Regular Baptist Camp, 1600 E Lake Street, Ventura, Iowa. Doors open at 2pm. Guests can choose from 8 different workshops such as smallhouse, Cost $15 to two for $20. After March 10, price goes up to $20 per ticket.

Afternoon with Authors - Fat Hill Brewing, 17 N. Federal Ave. (641-423-0737). Please join us for a cozy afternoon with local authors! Five local writers will be joining us to mingle, drink beer, sign, and sell their books. There will be a giant table of free books (feel free to bring donations). There will be a raffle for gift cards to Book World. Information about book club, writer's club and sign-up sheets will be available. Time: 2pm-5pm. http://www.fathillbrewing.com/home

Dancing for Downs (March 18 & 19)- Surf Ballroom Surf Ballroom, 460 N Shore Dr. Clear Lake (641-357-6151). Come join us for a night of dancing, food, games and a silent auction all to help support those with Down syndrome and their families! Event is from 5PM-9PM. Admission is $5 in advance or $10 at the door. Tickets are available for sale at Hyvee East and Hyvee West or on-line at http://www.dsa-nci.com

Indoor Archery Series (March 18 & 19) – Mohawk Archery Club, 840 12th NW (641-430-5498). 300 Round, lines starts Saturday at 10am & 1pm; Sunday at 1pm. www.mohawkarchery.org

Knights of Columbus Bowling Tournament (March 18 & 19) – Mystic Lanes, Hwy 122 East. Expected to bring 60 teams of bowlers competing for top honors during the month of March. Visit www.iowakofc.org for more information.

March 19, 2017

Archery Lessons - Mohawk Archery Club, 840 12th NW (641-430-5498). Archery lessons following the tournament - 3:30-6:00pm. www.mohawkarchery.org