Entertainment Guide

Live music

For week of April 25-May 1; bands perform from 9 p.m. to close with no cover unless otherwise noted.

Brainerd

Blue Ox Bar

Magic Box (rock) Thur-Sat

Boom Candle (rock) Mon-Tue

Ded Walleye (rock) Wed

Eagles Club

Whiskey Logic (country rock) Fri

Iron Rail Saloon

Bottom Feeders (country rock) Thur

Fast Ed (rock) Fri-Sat

Wayne Renn Band (country) Wed

Breezy Point

Commander Bar

Mick Sterling, Fri-Sat

Prime Time Charlie's

Ice Breaker, Fri

Crosslake

Moonlite Bay

Hazer, Fri-Sat

East Gull Lake

O'Madden Pub (Madden's Resort)

Paul Berget (variety) Thur-Sat

Preston & Paulzine (variety) Mon-Wed

Garrison

The Blue Goose

24/7 (variety) Fri-Sat

Lake Shore

Bar Harbor

Steve Anderson (variety) Thur-Sun, Wed

Little Falls

West Side Bar

Free Ride (variety) Thur-Sat

To Be Announced Wed

Nisswa

The Nisswa Grille

Lee Bone (variety) Thur-Fri, 6-10 p.m.

Performing arts

CLC concerts

Central Lakes College vocal concert, 7:30 p.m. today, Dryden Theatre, Brainerd campus; CLC Community and Jazz bands in concert, 7:30 p.m. May 14, John Chalberg Theatre, Brainerd campus.

Boys' Choir

Central Minnesota Boys' Choir in concert, 7 p.m. today, Lakewood Evangelical Free Church, Baxter; Friday, Staples Elementary School (morning), Washington Elementary School in Alexandria (afternoon), 7 p.m., Trinity Lutheran Church, Arden Hills.

Variety show

Habitat for Humanity Variety Show featuring the Swingin' Sertomans and Jeff and Julie, 7 p.m. Friday, Tornstrom Auditorium, Washington Middle School, Brainerd, $12 in advance, $15 at the door, tickets at Habitat for Humanity office, The Brainerd Dispatch, Brainerd Area and Nisswa chambers of commerce.

Grassroots series

Folk singer-songwriter Jim Miller in Grassroots Concerts series, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nisswa Community Center, $10 for adults, $5 for children at the gate, which opens at 6:30 p.m.

Heartland Symphony concerts

Heartland Symphony Orchestra, featuring winners of Youth Auditions and Young Composer competition, in concert, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Tornstrom Auditorium, Washington Middle School, Brainerd, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Little Falls High School, call (320) 632-0960 for ticket information.

School events

Franklin Junior High School and Mississippi Horizons students of Brainerd will present "Oz," 8 p.m. today, $4 for adults, $1 for students, free for children 5 and under, tickets available at the door.

Brainerd High School Drama Club will present "Antigone," 7 p.m. today-Saturday, BHS Little Theatre, $4.

"My Fair Lady" concert by Staples-Motley High School choirs, 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, Centennial Auditorium, Staples, call (218) 894-5416 or 800-213-6877 for tickets.

Isle High School presents "Grease," 7:30 p.m. May 3-4, 2 p.m. May 5, Isle School auditorium, $5 in advance, $6 at the door, call 676-3101 or 676-3172.

Aitkin High School Concert Choir to present annual Pop Concert, 7:30 p.m. May 3, high school auditorium, featuring the choir, the Madrigal Singers, an advanced bell choir, senior soloists and selected duets and other ensembles, $2.

On stage at CLC

"The Diary of Anne Frank" opens May 2 at Central Lakes College for eight-performance run in John Chalberg Theatre, Brainerd campus, 855-8199 or 800-933-0346.

Guitarist at New York Mills

Kent DuChaine in concert, 8 p.m. May 3, New York Mills Regional Cultural Center, (218) 385-3339; Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Woodwind Quintet, 8 p.m. May 11; Ring of Kerry, 8 p.m. May 24.

House Concerts

Guitarist-singer Steve Cloutier in Little Falls House Concerts series, 7:30 p.m. May 3, Jason's Casual Dining, $7 at the gate.

Great River classical

Great River Strings Ensemble in concert, 7:30 p.m. May 4, Cascade United Methodist Church, Deerwood, and 2 p.m. May 5, St. James Catholic Church, Aitkin, free admission.

Dinner concert

Staples Area Men's Chorus presents 25th anniversary Dinner Concert, 6 p.m. May 5, T. Maxwell's Restaurant, Staples, call (218) 894-5416 or 800-213-6877 for ticket information.

Walker concert

Singer/songwriter Scott Krippayne in concert, 7 p.m. May 5, Walker-Hackensack-Akeley High School in Walker, $7 for adults and free for those 18 and under at Living Water downtown office center in Walker or call (218) 547-1919.

Fishing Opener concert

Grand Casino Mille Lacs presents concert series during the Fishing Opener weekend, including Jan and Dean & the Surf City Allstars at 7 and 9:30 p.m. May 10, and Tommy James & the Shondells, Grass Roots and The Turtles at 4 p.m. May 12, $11 and $18 for May 10, $32 and $42 for May 12, (651) 989-5151; country singer Clay Walker, June 20.

Mille Lacs Community Theater

Musical "A Family Portrait," May 10-11, Onamia High School, and May 18-19, Isle High School.

Paul Bunyan season

Paul Bunyan Playhouse, Bemidji, opens ticket sales for its 52nd annual summer season, offering "The Robber Bridegroom" June 12-23, "The Last Night of Ballyhoo" June 26-July 7, "The Compleat Wrks of Wllm Shkspr" July 10-14, "Beauty and the Beast" July 17-21, "Sylvia" July 24-Aug. 4, and "The Wizard of Oz" Aug. 7-23, $57 and $60, (218) 751-7270.

Visual arts

LITTLE FALLS

Morrison County Government Center

K-12 student show, through April, downtown.

Family Medical Center Gallery

"Student Voices" exhibit, through April, 811 Second St. S.E.

AITKIN

Jaques Art Center

Woodblock artist and illustrator Betsy Bowen exhibit, through Saturday, downtown Aitkin.

Ripple River Gallery

"Clay, Paper, Scissors" featuring artists Jim Loso and David Norstad, through May 5, rural Aitkin.

BRAINERD

Brainerd City

Watercolors by Helen Smith and Phyllis Frankum, through April.

The Crossing Arts Center

Artists of Minnesota "Spring Exhibition," 1-4 p.m. Saturday and 1-3 p.m. Sunday, 617 Laurel St.

PINE RIVER

Watercolor workshop

Watercolor workshop with Rose Edin, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Tuesday, First Lutheran Church, Pine River, call (218) 587-2080 to register.

Out of town

ST. PAUL

Ordway Center for the Performing Arts

345 Washington St.

Minnesota Opera presents "Don Carlos," May 11-19 with evening and matinee performances, $27-$86, (651) 224-4222.

Palace Theatre

Downtown

Brave New Workshop's "Flanagan's Wake" runs weekly Thursday-Sunday, (612) 332-6620.

Science Museum of Minnesota

120 W. Kellogg Blvd.

Features several exhibits, Omnitheater films and 3D laser show, including "Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure," through mid-June, (651) 221-9444.

MINNEAPOLIS

Minneapolis Institute of Arts

2400 Third Ave. S.

"High Touch" exhibit by Minnesota artists Laura Stack and Anne Sugnet, through May 5, (612) 870-3131.

Historic Orpheum Theatre

Downtown

"Blast," today-Sunday, (612) 673-0404.

Guthrie Theater

Vineland Place

"The Canterbury Tales," through Sunday, $16-$44, (612) 377-2224.

DULUTH

"Nyanja! Africa's Inland Sea" exhibit, featuring crocodiles, pythons and spiders, through May, Great Lakes Aquarium, 353 Harbor Drive, (218) 740-3474.

Gordon Lightfoot in concert, 8 p.m. May 5, DECC Auditorium, downtown, $23 and $26, (218) 727-2121.

ROYALTON

Northwoods Opry presents classic country singer Bill "Whisperin'" Anderson in concert, 1 and 6 p.m. May 12, American Legion Post 137, $22-$38, (320) 355-2696.

FARGO

Creed in concert, 7:30 p.m. Monday, Fargodome, $48.50, (701) 235-7171.

SANDSTONE

Midwest Country Music Theatre presents Johnny Rodriquez in concert, 3 and 7 p.m. Saturday, $15, 888-729-1033; Connie Lee, May 11.

Special events

Poet laureate reading

League of Minnesota Poets poet laureate Maxine Russell of Brainerd joins other area poets in a reading, 2 p.m. Friday, library at Central Lakes College, Brainerd campus, 855-8129 or 800-933-0346, extension 8129.

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.