Poster Children in a play?

The Station Theatre ­— a longtime staple of great theater in central Illinois — has again decided to blur the lines between local theater and local music. This time around, the Celebration Company is presenting The Crimes and Confessions of Kip Knutzen, written by Deke Weaver, a professor in new media at UIUC. Weaver also performs in the show, alongside Isaac Bloom and Zoe Schwartz, with direction from Jayne Wenger. What does any of this have to do with local music? Well, nothing until Poster Children enter into the picture. Members Rick Valentin and Rose Marshack are also performers in the show, creating a musical backdrop for the play. The duo was asked to compose original music to be debuted during the show (along with cover performances of some well-known songs). Marshack said about the play, “It’s kinda like the movie Fargo, but it’s about kids playing hockey and getting stoned and magical powers and talking pheasants and all types of really insane stuff!”
The show will run tonight, Friday and Saturday of this week at the Station Theatre (223 N. Broadway, Urbana). Tickets are $12 for Thursday and $15 for Friday and Saturday, and curtain is at 8 p.m. each night.
Another great spot to be tonight is the Canopy Club, which is hosting a showcase of some of the best hip-hop-oriented acts in the area. That’s right, there is great hip-hop from right here in town. As often as I hear it flowing from car speakers or see kids freak out when it’s played on a jukebox or by a DJ, it’s a little odd to see none of those people at a show like this. Krukid (arguably the most popular rapper in CU and coming off a near-perfect performance as Kanye West at this year’s Great Cover-Up) will headline the event, which begins at 9 p.m., so there is time to fit in all five acts. Also appearing are Curb Service (Larry Gates), Agent Mos, Cornbread, and Jonah and Science Ninja Team. Five acts for only five bucks. Seriously, get your ass to the Canopy.
Mike ‘n Molly’s is the hot spot on Friday, presenting Terminus Victor in the upstairs room. Terminus, another Great Cover-Up performer this year (with the balls to take on Elliott Smith’s songs and make them into their own), were recently named one of the top 10 unsigned bands in the country by athome.com. Archives of the Future — another Mark Baldwin (Lovecup, Mezzanines) project — is also set to perform as is Chicago rock band The Silents. The Silents will be doing a weekend tour in support of their new record, Sleepwalker. The show will begin at 9 p.m., and the cover charge is TBA.
Slightly Stoopid, a band whose name makes me hate them more than their music does, will play an early show at the Canopy Club Saturday (more info at canopyclub.com). But instead of dealing with all of the bros in visors and music made by Kyle, Miles, RyMo, O.G., DeLa, and C-Money (seriously, it’s listed that way on their page), you could do any number of things. As previously mentioned, the Station Theatre is hosting an excellent show. Down in Savoy, Pages for All Ages is hosting a 7 p.m. show from Grass Roots Revival. You could enjoy live music while shopping for a book. Amazing. And local band The Confines is releasing a new CD at 7:30 p.m. at the Highdive, which could be a good time (even if the band’s MySpace page really is myspace.com/theconfines420. Ugh).
Sunday, Sunday, Sunday. I say it three times like a monster truck rally announcer to emphasize the fact that there are three great shows happening this Sunday. At 7 p.m., Aroma Café will present a rare Sunday evening acoustic show featuring Moose, Wyoming’s own Cary Judd. Judd has made many stops in CU in the last five years, appearing at Pygmalion Music Festival and in shows alongside acts such as Matt Wertz and Elsinore (back when they were elsinore). He tours as a solo act, enlisting guitar pedals and a snare drum to help him fill out his sound by creating live loops. Check him out at myspace.com/caryjudd. He will be joined Sunday by Kayla Brown (with this columnist backing her up). The show is free, though tips for the touring act are encouraged (or buy one of his CDs!), and for all ages.
Over in Urbana at 8 p.m., the Iron Post will offer Casados, the Hathaways (Kate and James) and Ben Campbell ($5, all ages) while the Canopy Club will provide the room for Carl Hauck’s CD release show (with Baby Walrus, Underpaid Packy and Signals). 9 p.m., $5. After all of this madness, we can all go to the Highdive to CHILLAX.

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