A&E

There's fun in the sun all summer long

As the dog days of summer drag on, and the infamous southern Indiana humidity rises, you may find the temptation to kick back in your La-Z-Boy, soak up the air conditioning and catch up on cable television's brain-draining smorgasbord of entertainment nearly impossible to resist. But a summer spent in Bloomington without enjoying her considerable natural resources is a summer wasted indeed, and the Parks and Recreation Department has prepared a tempting array of free entertainment that will keep your weekends booked from now until the leaves begin to turn.

Band offers unique style

IU student-based bands provide numerous entertainment and nightlife options. However, these bands tend to remain notably similar in content and style. Laborius Clef, an up and coming local band, challenges this commonality with a diverse sound and variety of instruments and influences.

A weekend of entertainment

The Queen of the Blues is coming to Bloomington. Koko Taylor, who had her first hit, Wang Dang Doodle, more than 35 years ago, is still on the road, and Friday she's bringing her Blues Machine to the Bluebird, 216 N Walnut St.

WHAT A DRAG

Angie Stevens stands in front of a massive powder-smeared mirror, staring at her thickly glossed pout. Running her hands through her artificial, but stunning, hair, she sways her hips to the beat pulsating through the dressing room floor. Upon realizing a reporter and photographer are in the room, she bellows for security. "Angie" is one of the five drag queens getting ready to perform Monday night at Bullwinkle's, 201 S. College Ave. The dressing room is a whirlwind of last-minute efforts to primp, spray, tape and tuck everything perfectly into place.

Club Night a 'success'

The 16th annual Live From Bloomington Club Night featured a variety of bands at a variety of clubs. While the total amount of proceeds going to the Bloomington Food Bank still has not been tallied, the organizers of the event agree that it was a success. "I think it went really well. There were a lot of people out at the bars and the clubs," senior Kristin Holtz, assistant director of Union Board's Live From Bloomington committee, said. "I would say it was definitely successful. We heard from the bands -- they were having a good time. The volunteers had a lot of fun. And the club owners thanked us afterward."

'Buffy' to host MTV Movie Awards

Sarcastic comic Jack Black and comely "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" star Sarah Michelle Gellar have been tapped to host the MTV Movie Awards show.

IU's a cappella groups recognized

Since 1995 Hot Lips Records has put out a Best of College A Cappella CD, and it has become a major competition among college a cappella groups. Tracks on the album are selected from the nearly 200 college a cappella cds that are produced each year. This year both of Indiana University's award winning a cappella groups, Straight No Chaser and Ladies First, made it onto the album.

Dark Star: Not your regular cover band

Monday night seven musicians graced the stage at Axis Nightclub, not claiming to be the Grateful Dead, but certainly sounding like them. Dead fans crowded the dance floor as Dark Star Orchestra played tunes by the legendary band. Hailing from Chicago, Dark Star Orchestra is a band devoted to playing Dead tunes. Not merely a typical cover band, DSO covers sound as well as song. With stunningly similar vocals, John Kadlecik, assumes the role of Jerry Garcia on lead guitar, while rhythm guitarist Rob Eaton nearly clones Bob Weir both vocally and physically.

An interactive experience

Rainbow Brite. 1998 in Canada. Popples. The taste of salt water. My little brother in a blue sled on Christmas. These are some of my memories. Elements from the mind such as memories, passion and discovery form to make the new SoFA Gallery exhibit come to life in front of the visitor's eyes.

Pageant entertains, excites crowd for hours

Sir Elton given 'Hero' status

LONDON -- Honored for his efforts to help those living with AIDS and HIV, Elton John said he was fortunate not to have contracted the disease. "As a gay man, I'm very lucky not to be infected," he told ITV News Wednesday. "My concern nowadays is that young people think they are invulnerable, but they're not." John was interviewed after the U.K. Coalition of People Living with HIV and AIDS gave him its Hero Award Wednesday night. The honor acknowledged his contributions to the fight against HIV and AIDS through the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

Karl Denson's Tiny Universe returns to Bloomington

For most people, college is a major turning point in their lives, a time to determine one's occupational destiny. Music fans everywhere can thank their lucky stars that jazz musician Karl Denson chose his wisely. At age 20, he put down a stethoscope and picked up the sax for good, switching from veterinary school to music composition while a student at Cal State Long Beach. "It just made sense," said Denson. At 7:30 p.m., he will bring his own blend of hypnotic jazz and infectious funk to the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave., in a Union Board-sponsored concert.

The art of hairstyles displayed in exhibit

Are wigs, headgear, combs, pins and barber shops signs art? "Hair in African Art and Culture," a new exhibit that opens at the IU Art Museum today, has successfully proven just that.

This Weekend's Calendar Events

Student performs in 'A Chorus Line'

Friends and colleagues use one word repeatedly to describe Amy Birnbaum and her singing talents -- amazing. Birnbaum, a 20-year-old sophomore, will appear this weekend in a production of "A Chorus Line" at the John Waldron Arts Center, 122 S. Walnut St. A native of Long Island, N.Y., Birnbaum began performing professionally during high school. She started by reading Backstage, an industry trade magazine full of audition information and tips for amateurs. She took a homemade demo CD to famous Manhattan cabarets such as Don't Tell Mama, Danny's, Firebird and Skylight. Her persistence paid off when Birnbaum landed a gig as the youngest regular performer at Don't Tell Mama.

Playwrights to hold showcase

The Bloomington Playwrights Project's School of Dramatic Arts is holding its first showcase this weekend, featuring plays written and performed by students in the School's classes. The BPP established SODA last fall to give Bloomington residents of all ages a chance to develop their dramatic writing, acting and production skills in a friendly environment. Students as young as 7 and as old as 60 enrolled in a wide range of classes that included Introduction to Playwriting, Directing and Cabaret Class. After the success of the fall classes, a second round was held this spring, and the hard work of the students in those courses have resulted in the plays shown in this weekend's showcase.

Performers help cause

This Saturday, a unique fund raising event for the Bloomington Playwrights Project (BPP) will unfold at 312 S. Washington St. The PERFORMathon, a collaborative effort amongst community performers, visual artists and musicians, will provide the public with a smorgasbord of entertainment and the opportunity to support the BPP.

The 'Bay' Favorite

If ever a friend or acquaintance visits the San Francisco Bay Area, particularly the East side of the bay, I tell them that the search for cheap and cheerful meals stop at Lilly's Chinese restaurant on Monterey Avenue in Berkeley. It is the apotheosis of quality: unpretentious service, heaping plates of delicious, fresh food, comfortable seating, and the constant buzz of happy chatter. When I am in Bloomington, I regularly dream of their crisp scallion pancakes, roast duck (a plate that must keep local cardiologists buying Tuscan villas -- but worth every bite), and vegetarian dumplings. But when visiting in the summertime, my visit is incomplete without a bowlful of their noodles.

Artwork focuses on societal transition to mobility

In a world where people are more concerned with where they have been and where they are going, little notice is given to the transition between the two -- the present. Artist and MFA sculpture student Richard Saxton has captured a sense of the present in his works, which feature the fusion of connection and isolation. His works embody the connection between one place and another, one time and another, one idea and another, but those connections are isolated in place, time or idea.

Delectable Dipping

For those who have let it lapse, Valentine's Day is a celebration worth reviving. Many people, of course, have less than pleasant memories of the day they were left without a sweetheart, a card or worst of all, chocolate. The trick is to transform Valentine's Day into your own day of merriment. I suggest an intimate party of very good friends, lots of fizzy beverages and an armful of favorite videos. And for the ultimate combination of sensual and celebratory events, make it a fondue party.