What's Happening This Weekend
It's no joke: Spring brings fun both in the usual and surprising ways. The annual Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C., is under way, the NCAA Final Four happens this weekend and the Sony Ericsson Open comes to a close in Miami. But there is also a very controversial hip-hop troupe of teens performing in Ponoma, Calif., bake sales happening across the country to aid Japan, a Mormon musical and a St. Stupid parade in San Francisco.
Clearly the only way to combat bad news is with sweet treats. To help raise money for the victims of Japan’s recent earthquake and tsunami, Bakesale for Japan will be held Saturday at locations across the country, with proceeds going to Peace Winds Japan.
This year’s buzziest museum reopening in New York was the Museum of the Moving Image, which received a dazzling $67 million makeover. The Astoria museum features excellent movie exhibits plus a swank new theater that showcases restored film classics and one of New York City’s most creative lineups of indie flicks, old and new. This weekend is a good example: The series "Adrift in America" (April 1–3) features the thought-provoking films of indie director Kelly Reichardt, who will be in attendance on Friday night to discuss her films. Also starting this weekend is the series, "Spring Training," of great sports documentaries.
Come early to wander the museum and fully appreciate its sleek new look, which the New York Times aptly summed up as a “...face-lift that might even put Hollywood cosmeticians to shame.”
What’s that sound? Americans of a certain age will know it when they hear it: It’s the sound of Buffalo Springfield reuniting and hitting the road. Together with the Byrds, the short-lived ‘60s band helped create the California folk-rock sound. It also launched the careers of Neil Young and Stephen Stills. Young, Stills and fellow surviving bandmate Richie Furay reformed for a charity gig last year, and now they will tour for the first time in 43 years. Tickets go on sale today for June shows in Oakland and Los Angeles. They’ll also play Santa Barbara before heading to Bonnaroo. And there are hints of a wider tour to come in the fall.
Have a blooming good time at one of the nation's most storied celebrations. D.C. is certainly at its loveliest in the spring: The weather is temperate, the green grass on the Capitol's lawn reemerges and of course the cherry trees unfurl their buds.
Although this spring is chillier than most, the florets will be out (the festival planners promise) and the parades, lantern walks, fireworks, music, baseball games and more will proceed as planned through April 9.
Mormonism… funny? Sweet Jesus, yes. If you think South Park is hilarious, you’ll collapse with laughter (and be totally offended at least a half-dozen times) at The Book of Mormon, the wicked new musical from Trey Parker and Matt Stone, co-creators of South Park, and Tony Award-winner Robert Lopez of Avenue Q.
On paper, the premise seems straightforward: Two young Mormon missionaries are sent to Uganda to save the souls of the locals. In execution, it’s anything but. There’s the dance number featuring cameos by Jeffrey Dahmer and Genghis Khan. The tribal general whose name is so naughty it can’t be printed here without blacking out most of the letters. And, the ribald skewering of the Lion King, so that you’ll never, ever be able think of “Hakuna Matata” the same way again. In short, it’s so good you may almost want to convert to Mormonism. Almost.
If you're in the mood to cut out of work early this April Fool's Day, why not slip into San Fran's 33rd Annual St. Stupid's Day Parade as it passes by your office? Put on a ridiculous hat and blend in with the fools as they make their pilgrimages to various sites throughout the Financial District, including the venerable Leap of Faith at the Plaza of the Holy Lug Nuts.
No musical act has seen more of a meteoric rise in press recently than Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All (often shortened to Odd Future or OFWGKTA), a Los Angeles-based hip-hop collective whose recent string of high-profile live performances -- from a much heralded appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon to packed sets at South by Southwest -- have launched the group into mainstream consciousness.
Adored by critics and legions of fans for their subversive lyrics and showmanship, derided by others for the often obscene and offensive content of their songs, few acts in recent years have been as compelling and game-changing as these young (most are in their teens), ultra-talented, self-aware rappers. The group takes the stage April 1 at The Glass House in Pomona, Calif., and will be one of the most sought-after tickets at the Coachella
Just like "Two and a Half Men," Charlie Sheen has become fine art. Starting this Friday night, Hyaena Gallery in Burbank will make that the literal truth with "Winning," a group art exhibit dedicated to the man who has given the world a brand new lexicon for losing it.
Start with "Afro-Sheen," the Charlie portrait that re-imagines him as with 70s style and a massive Afro, then move on to "Hot Shots," a faithful drawing of the Warlock's pose from the film of the same name. But make sure to take your time with "Aladdin Insane," which replaces David Bowie with Sheen on the former's Aladdin Sane album cover.
The final weekend of the college basketball calendar features the sport's centerpiece event. Houston is the host for Final Four, and the teams that take the court at Reliant Stadium April 2 form one of the most unlikely Final Four fields in the history of the NCAA Tournament. Connecticut and Kentucky -- two of the sport's blue bloods -- meet in one semifinal, upstarts Virginia Commonwealth and Butler in the other. The winners advance to the national championship game April 4.
Connecticut and Kentucky have rosters filled with high school All-Americans and future NBA players (Connecticut guard Kemba Walker was selected as an All-American this week), while the other half of the bracket showcases two of the game's young, rising coaching stars -- VCU's Shaka Smart and Butler's Brad Stevens.
