Entertainment Guide

For week of May 1-7; bands perform from 9 p.m. to close with no cover unless otherwise noted.

BRAINERD

Blue Ox Bar

Corey Stevens (blues) with opening act Scooter and the Kickstands, 9:15 p.m. today, $10

32 Below, Fri-Sat

Cafe Giardino's

Cliff Veronick, pianist, and Cleo Kuelbs, vocalist (soothing jazz), Fri 5-8 p.m.

Eagles Club

Muddy Water, Fri-Sat

Iron Rail Saloon

Preston & Paulzine, Thu

Jester's Quest, Fri-Sat

Wayne Renn, Sun, Wed

BACKUS

Willard's

Blues Train (blues) Sun, 7-11 p.m.

BREEZY POINT

Commander Bar

Reeling in the Years, Fri-Sat

Prime Time Charlie's

Baby Grand, Fri-Sat

GARRISON

The Blue Goose

Midnight Highway (variety), Fri-Sat

LAKE SHORE

Bar Harbor

Steve Anderson (variety), Thu-Sun

LITTLE FALLS

West Side Bar

Free Ride, Thu-Sat

Performing arts

BRAINERD

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.

'The Shadow Box'

Presented by Central Lakes College Theatre, 7:30 p.m. today-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, Dryden Theater, $5 public, free for CLC students, 800-933-0346.

BHS bands

Brainerd High School bands in concert, 7:30 p.m. today, Tornstrom Auditorium, Washington Middle School, $3 for adults, $1 for students.

'Wiley and the Hairy Man'

Central Lakes College Reader's Theatre, 10 a.m. Saturday, Dryden Theatre, $2, 855-8202.

Piano recital

Students of Helen C. Anderson, 5 p.m. Sunday, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 418 18th Ave. N.E., free.

Latin dancing demonstration

Michelle and Oscar Gonzalez of Fred Astaire Dance Studio, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday, CLC cafeteria.

U.S. Air Force Heartland

of America Band

7 p.m. Monday, Tornstrom Auditorium, Washington Middle School, sold out.

Concert Chorale,

Chamber Singers

Presented by Central Lakes College, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Tornstrom Auditorium, Washington Middle School.

Piano festival

Central Lakes College students, 3 p.m. May 10, Tornstrom Auditorium, Washington Middle School.

Jazz & Community

Band Concert

7:30 p.m. May 13, Chalberg Theatre, Central Lakes College, $3 adults, free for CLC students and children 12 and under.

AITKIN

Great River Strings

7:30 p.m. Sunday, St. James Catholic Church.

CROSBY

Mass Band Concert

Crosby-Ironton School Instrumental Music Department, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Woock Gym.

CROSSLAKE

Great River Strings

2 p.m. Sunday, Evangelical Free Church.

DEERWOOD

Great River Strings

7:30 p.m. Saturday, Cascade United Methodist Church.

LITTLE FALLS

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.

Spring dance recital

7 p.m. May 8, Charles Martin Auditorium, Little Falls Community High School.

String ensembles

The New String Ensemble and Beginning String Ensemble, 7:30 p.m. May 9, Sacred Heart Chapel on the Franciscan Sisters Campus.

Spring choral concert

7:30 p.m. May 12, Little Falls High School, free.

Spring recitals

7 p.m. May 16, 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. May 17, 1 p.m. May 18, St. Francis Music Center.

Spring band concert

Concert Band, Wind Ensemble and Jazz I, 7:30 p.m. May 19, Little Falls High School, free.

NISSWA

'Joseph and the Amazing

Technicolor Dreamcoat'

Performed by the Jubilation Youth Choir of Bloomington, 7 p.m. Saturday, Lutheran Church of the Cross Celebration Center, freewill offering.

Grassroots Concert Series

Priscilla Herdman, 7:30 p.m. May 9, Nisswa Community Center, $10 adults, $5 children 12 and under. Food shelf donations welcome.

ONAMIA

Grand Casino Mille Lacs

American Indian Powwow and Arts & Crafts Show, Sunday, free.

American Indian Dance Theatre, 8 p.m. May 9, $10 at (651) 989-5151.

Country singer Lorrie Church, dinner theater concert, 7 p.m. May 14, $25 at (651) 989-5151.

Comedian Jay Leno, 7 and 9 p.m. May 28, $35 and $45 at (651) 989-5151.

PEQUOT LAKES

Stand Your Ground

Men's quartet from Crown College, 9 a.m. Sunday, Grace Methodist Church, www.standyourground.net.

PIERZ

'Westward Woah!'

Pioneer Elementary School play, 9:45 a.m. today, 7:30 p.m. Friday, school gym, free, (320) 468-2591.

Axel & the Wheels

Country music, 8 p.m.-midnight Friday, Pierz Ballroom, $5, proceeds go to Humane Society.

PINE RIVER

Fine arts festival

Monday, Pine River Elementary School Performance Gym, (218) 587-4000.

'Fiddler on the Roof'

Performed by students at Pine River-Backus High School, May 15-18, (218) 587-4000.

Fine arts concert

Pine River-Backus High School Band and Choir, 7 p.m. May 27.

STAPLES

Men's chorus

Staples Area Men's Chorus 26th annual dinner concert, 6 p.m. Sunday, T Maxwell's Restaurant, (218) 894-3742.

Visual arts

BRAINERD

Brainerd City Hall

Fifth and Laurel streets

Art by Virginia MacArthur and Phyllis Frankum, through June.

Central Lakes College

Evelyn Matthies mixed media exhibit, "Retro, Etc.," CLC Gallery, through May 16.

Amateur photo exhibit "Water, Water Everywhere," through May 9, outside library.

The Crossing Arts Center

617 Laurel St.

Carol Hanson's Hand Dyed and Printed Fabrics Exhibition, through June 6.

Kid's art exhibition, starting May 20.

Porthole Gallery

712 Washington Street

John Thomas Proctor, exhibit, through Monday.

Brainerd Public Library

Artwork by Helen Smith and Irene Donahue, sponsored by Encore Arts Association, through July 3.

AITKIN

Jaques Art Center

Student Art Exhibit, through May 24.

Native American Art Exhibit, May 30-July 26.

Ripple River Gallery

Cyrus Swann, clay artist, and Marlon Davidson & Don Knudson, mixed media, through May 11.

GARRISON

Garrison Art Show & Sale, May 25. Contact Anne Manly at (320) 692-4060 or Haddie Hadachek at (218) 764-3296.

LITTLE FALLS

Great River Arts Center Gallery

Charles Kapsner's "Drawing the Essence," charcoal and graphite drawings, through Friday, free.

Morrison County

Government Center

"Simply Nature" by Mary Tuomi, today-May 31.

Family Medical Center Gallery

"Inspirational Sights" by Deb Vander Eyk, today-May 31.

Charles A. Weyerhauser

Memorial Museum

Morrison County Historical Society Quilt Show, Friday-Sunday.

PIERZ

Rolling Plains Art Gallery

"The Art of Today: Artists from Minnesota and North Dakota," touring exhibit, May 13-19.

Out of town

MINNEAPOLIS

May Day Parade and Festival

Presented by In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre, 1 p.m. Sunday, 26th Street and Bloomington Avenue.

'Antigone'

Presented by Children's Theatre Co., promenade style, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays May 9-24, Intermedia Arts, 2822 Lyndale Ave. S., $7 teens, $12 adults, (612) 874-0400, www.childrenstheatre.org.

Art-a-Whirl

Art festival featuring the works of more than 300 artists in and around the Northeast Arts District, 6-9 p.m. May 16, noon-8 p.m. May 17, noon-5 p.m. May 18. For more information, call (612) 788-1679.

ST. PAUL

Jackson Street

Roundhouse Museum

Thomas the Tank Engine visits, today-Sunday, (651) 228-0263, www.mtmuseum.org.

CHANHASSEN

Minnesota Landscape

Arboretum

Dave Rogers' "Big Bugs" exhibit, Saturday-Sept. 28; grand opening May 17. Gate admission $7.

COLLEGEVILLE

"Cantus," choral concert featuring "Casey at the Bat" and "Suite from the Lord of the Rings," 2 p.m. Sunday at St. John's University. Call (320) 363-3577 for tickets and information.

HINCKLEY

Grand Casino Hinckley

Events & Convention Center

Country musicians Travis Tritt and Marty Stuart perform at 8 p.m. May 17 at outdoor amphitheater. The show will open with a fireworks display. Tickets are $25, $32 and $39 and available at the Grand Casino Hinckley and Grand Casino Mille Lacs box offices, or through Ticketmaster at (651) 989-5151.

MAHNOMEN

Shooting Star Casino

Tracy Byrd, 7 and 9 p.m. Saturday, $7-$22, 1-800-313-7469, www.starcasino.com.

NEW YORK MILLS

Regional Cultural

Center Gallery

Art de Cielo featuring handmade kites by Twin Cities artist JoAnn Weber, through May 10.

Special events

BRAINERD

Library speaker series

Lauren Nickisch will talk about her play, "Hephzebeth, Woman of Iron," 7 p.m. today, Brainerd Public Library as part of library's First Thursdays Speaker Series, free.

Arts and Crafts Show

More than 150 exhibitors, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. May 10, Brainerd High School, free admission.

CROSBY

Arts & Crafts Fair

and Women's Expo

Art vendors and learning sessions, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Hallett Community Center, free admission, (218) 546-2616.

LITTLE FALLS

Spring gymnastics recital

7 p.m. Wednesday, Little Falls High School, free.

Used book sale

May 8-10, Carnegie Library, free.

Stories with Joan

Story readings for kids ages 3-5, 12:30 p.m. May 12, Carnegie Library, free.

Classes/workshops

BRAINERD

The FlipSide: Second Saturdays

Art workshop for kids, 10 a.m.-noon second Saturday of the month, Crossing Fine Arts Center, $5 per child (non-members), $3 per child (members), limited to first 20 registrants, 828-5372.

'How to Audition

Professionally'

Theater audition class with Lauren Nickisch and Nancy Waller, 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Crossing Fine Arts Center, $30, $5 discount for Crossing members, 828-5372.

Make Mother a Card

Class, 11 a.m. May 10, Paul Bunyan Nature Learning Center, $1.50 admission.

The FlipSide: Printmaking

Ages 3-5, with Wendy Olson, 10 a.m.-noon May 10, Crossing Fine Arts Center, $5 per child (non-members), $3 per child (members), limited to first 20 registrants, 828-5372.

Creating Tools

for Surface Design

Stamp, stencil and silkscreen, with Carol Hanson, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. May 17, Crossing Fine Arts Center, $40 plus approximately $25 material fee.

LITTLE FALLS

Artist workshop

Charles Kapsner, "Drawing with the Masters," 10 a.m.-4 p.m. today and Friday, Arts Center, Little Falls. Call 632-0960.

ONAMIA

Mille Lacs Indian Museum

Loom design workshop, noon-4 p.m. May 10, $25 general public, $20 Minnesota Historical Society members.