Entertainment Guide

For week of Jan. 9-15; bands perform from 9 p.m. to close with no cover unless otherwise noted.

Brainerd

Blue Ox Bar

Hazer (rock) Thurs-Sat

Rags (rock) Mon-Wed

Eagles Club

Kenny Jake (variety) Fri

Iron Rail Saloon

Johnny Green and the Green Men (variety) Thurs-Fri

High Noon (country) Sat

Breezy Point

Commander Bar

The Palmers, Fri-Sat

Prime Time Charlie's

Red Dot Garage, Fri-Sat

Blues Train (blues) Sun, 8 p.m.-midnight

Crosslake

Moonlite Bay

Davis, Fri-Sat

Garrison

The Blue Goose

Midnight Highway (country rock) Fri-Sat

Lake Shore

Bar Harbor

Bill Shaw (variety), Thur-Sun, Wed

Little Falls

West Side Bar

Eagle River, Thur

High Noon, Fri

Stoney Jam, Sat

Performing arts

Jo Dee Messina

Jo Dee Messina in concert, 8 p.m. today and Friday, Grand Casino Mille Lacs Events & Convention Center, $39 and $29 at the Grand Casino box office or call Ticketmaster at (651) 989-5151.

Pillager play

Pillager School's Applied Dramatics class will present "The Girl in the Mirror," 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and Jan. 17 and 18, Pillager Performing Arts Area, $4 for adults, $2 for students at the door.

One-act plays

"Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You" and "The Actor's Nightmare," one-act student productions presented by the Theatre Misfits, Central Lakes College, Dryden Theatre, 3 p.m. Jan. 16 and 7 p.m. Jan. 17 and 18, $3, CLC students admitted free.

Just For Kix

Just For Kix performance, 6 p.m. Jan. 23, Emily Charter School.

Gospel choir

Twin Cities Community Gospel Choir in concert, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 25, Tornstrom Auditorium, Washington Middle School, Brainerd, $16 for adults, $12 for students and senior citizens, $10 for children under 12, tickets at Great River Arts Association in Little Falls, Bridge of Harmony or Brainerd Dispatch in Brainerd, call (320) 632-0960.

Hansel & Gretel

Missoula Children's Theatre and Crosby-Ironton students will present "Hansel & Gretel," matinee Jan. 25, Mayberry Auditorium, C-I High School.

Grassroots

Concerts

Rosalie Sorrels in Grassroots Concert, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 31, Nisswa Community Center, $10 at the door.

'Wizard of Oz' audition

Wadena Area Madhatters auditions for "The Wizard of Oz," Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, Wadena-Deer Creek Elementary School, open to ages 6 and older, performance dates April 10-12, 24-26 and matinee April 27.

House Concerts

Acoustic folk music duo Curtis & Loretta in Great River Arts Association House Concert Series, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 31, Pine Edge Inn, downtown Little Falls, $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and students, $3 for children under 12, (320) 632-0960.

Teen Idols

Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits, Micky Dolenz of The Monkees and Gary Puckett of the Union Gap in Teen Idol shows, 7 and 9:30 p.m. Feb. 7, Grand Casino Mille Lacs Events & Convention Center, $15 and $22 at the Grand Casino Mille Lacs box office, call Ticketmaster at (651) 989-5151, contact any Ticketmaster outlet or visit ticketmaster.com.

Jazz musician

Butch Thompson, jazz musician, in Greater Lakes Area Performing Arts concert, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 8, Pequot Lakes School auditorium, call (218) 568-9200 for tickets.

Comedian

Comedian Jeff Foxworthy at Grand Casino Mille Lacs, 4 and 6 p.m. Feb. 23, $29 and $36, call Ticketmaster at (651) 989-5151.

School concerts

Rippleside Elementary School, Aitkin, choirs and bands in winter concert, 7:30 p.m. today, Aitkin High School auditorium, free.

Little Falls High School winter concert featuring Mixed Choir and Concert Band, 7:30 p.m. Monday, Charles Martin Auditorium, Little Falls High School, free.

Staples High School instrumental concert, 8 p.m. Monday, Centennial Auditorium, Staples.

Visual arts

AITKIN

Jaques Art Center

Exhibit by wildlife stamp artists, through Feb. 15.

BRAINERD

Brainerd Public Library

Original oil paintings by the late Lydia L. Novick, founder and first president of the Brainerd Art Club in 1965.

The Crossing Arts Alliance

Printmaking exhibit, featuring local to international prints, including etching, lithography, silkscreen, batik, gravure, mono print and woodcut, through January, 617 Laurel St., downtown, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Thurs.-Sat.

FlipSide Second Saturday, 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, ages 13+, clay animation with Mark Ambroz, $5 per child for non-members, $3 per child for Crossing members, register at 833-0416.

LITTLE FALLS

Family Medical Center Gallery

"Views of the Midwest" by David Kraemer, through January, 811 S.E. Second St.

Morrison County Government Center

"From Many Ways" by Muriel, Carrie and Diana Poehler, through January, 213 S.E. First Ave.

Art workshop

Great River Arts Association art workshop titled "Drawing with the Masters" with Charles Kapsner, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Feb. 24-28, GRAA Arts Center, pre-registration due by Feb. 7, call (320) 632-0960.

Out of town

MINNEAPOLIS

The Children's

Theatre Co.

2400 Third Ave. S.

"The Wizard of Oz," through Saturday, $19-31 for adults, $14-$25 for children, (612) 874-0400.

The Minneapolis Institute of Arts

2400 Third Ave. S.

"Up the Nile: Egypt in 19th Century Photographs," through April 13.

ST. PAUL

Touchstone Energy Place

RiverCentre

Minnesota Sportsmen's Boat, Camping and Vacation Show, Jan. 15-19.

Xcel Energy Center

RiverCentre

Kenny Chesney with Montgomery Gentry and Kellie Coffey, Jan. 25, (651) 726-8240, (651) 989-5151, www.ticketmaster.com.

Bon Jovi with the Goo Goo Dolls, Feb. 25, (651) 726-8240, (651) 989-5151, www.ticketmaster.com.

ST. CLOUD

St. Cloud State University

St. Cloud State University music and theater departments will present "Amahl and the Night Visitors," 7:30 p.m. Jan. 16-17 and 2 p.m. Jan. 18, Ruth Gant Recital Hall, Performing Arts Center, SCSU, $8 general admission, $5 for seniors and students, (320) 255-3223.

DULUTH

Duluth Entertainment

and Convention Center

15th annual Duluth Bridal Show, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, with fashion show at 3 p.m., $5 at the door.

HINCKLEY

Grand Casino Hinckley

Events & Convention Center

Roy Clark and Riders in the Sky, 7 and 9:30 p.m. Jan. 24, $22, call (651) 989-5151 or visit ticketmaster.com.

Ronnie Milsap, 5 p.m. Feb. 16, $28, call (651) 989-5151 or visit ticketmaster.com.

GRAND RAPIDS

Myles Reif Performing Arts Center

Grand Rapids Players will stage "Love Letters," 7:30 p.m. Feb. 7, tickets at Reed Drug, Reif box office or at the door, or call (218) 328-5375.

SANDSTONE

Midwest Country Music Theater

Tribute to the Legends -- Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Dolly Parton and Marilyn Monroe, 3 and 7 p.m. Jan. 18, $15, call (320) 245-2429.

Special events

Heartland Poets

Claire van Breemen Downes, St. Cloud, will present a program titled "Telling Stories: Techniques of Narrative Poetry" at Heartland Poets meeting, 6-10 p.m. Friday, large room, Brainerd Public Library.

Snowshoe workshop

Ojibwe snowshoe workshop with snowshoe makers Eric and Shelley Larson, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, all tools provided, $120 for public, $115 for Minnesota Historical Society members, $105 for Ojibwe band members, pre-register at (320) 532-3632.

Unlimited Learning

Unlimited Learning session will feature Sylvia Graff, independent travel agent, speaking about "Traveling Foibles: Tips and Techniques," 1 p.m. Tuesday, Hallett Community Center, Crosby.

Norwegian author

Sons of Norway will host Arland O. Fiske, author of books on Scandinavian Heritage, 7 p.m. Jan. 17, Trinity Lutheran Church, Brainerd.

International Festival

International Festival, 2-9 p.m. Jan. 18, Staples Motley High School, Staples, including 7:30 p.m. performance by Tou Ger Xiong, comedian, Hmong storyteller, rap artist and cultural diversity speaker, tickets at (218) 894-5120.

Bluegrass jams

Bluegrass jams on first, third and fifth Thursdays of each month at Coco Moon in downtown Brainerd, starting at 6:30 p.m., and every Saturday at Lakes Music in Pequot Lakes, starting at 3 p.m., call Charlotte Curtis at (218) 692-4035 for more information.

String ensemble

St. Francis Music Center string ensemble meets 8-9:30 p.m. Tuesdays at the center in Little Falls, all skill levels, (320) 632-0637.