It takes guts to get through this life. And this weekend? Well, perhaps that, too.
From gutsy theater and sports to daring feats of musical fortitude, the next few days will deliver ample opportunities for others to show what they’re made of.
Yes, others. I’ll bet you thought I was going to put you on the spot. No way. That would have taken guts. And, besides, I know which side my bread is buttered on. Read on!
1. Missouri Mavericks Hockey
You know what they say about hockey – well, they say a lot of things. But it certainly takes guts to take part, especially when players throw off their gloves and fight on the ice. Why do they do that? So people will come and watch, I suppose. Which is another thing they say about hockey – you’ve got to see it in the flesh (and blood) to truly appreciate the sport. Have at it, if you’ve got the nerve. Friday, 7:05 p.m. (vs. Tulsa Oilers); Saturday, 7:05 p.m. (vs. Quad City Mallards); Independence Events Center, 19100 East Valley View Parkway, Independence, Mo.; tickets: $21.30-$43.85
2. KC Royal Pub Show
It’s rowdy. It’s bawdy. It’s the oh-so-gusty KC Royal Pub Show, a cross between Renaissance festival-style revelry and the silliest things people can think of to do in the 21st century with a drink in their hand or maybe both hands. Don’t forget that designated driver! According to organizers – although organization may not be the tip of the spear here – the passionate partying will include “toasts, limericks, jokes, games and songs.” Anyone for an ironically rendered “How Dry I Am?” Oh, the hangover. Saturday, 9 p.m.; Uptown Arts Bar, 3611 Broadway, Kansas City, Mo.; tickets: $5.
3. Kansas City Repertory Theatre: An Iliad
Based on The Iliad, Homer’s epic Greek poem from the eighth century BC, An Iliad revisits the violent tumult of the Trojan War through a warrior’s grim perspective. Gutsy stuff, indeed. The show stars Kansas City Repertory Theatre Resident Director Kyle Hatley, so you know you’re in good hands. Prepare for tales of battle that would test anyone’s backbone, which is probably why the Rep wants parents to know that the material, however ancient, is appropriate for ages 13 and older. I can hear the 12-year-olds now: “Aw, Mom!” Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 7 p.m.; Spencer Theatre, 4949 Cherry St., Kansas City, Mo.; tickets: $20-$54.
4. The Savages
See The Savages, the 1997 movie starring the late Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney as uneasy adult siblings, whose only remaining bond is caring for their elderly father with dementia. Then join in a post-screening discussion led by a psychoanalyst and a film professor. It could get heavy in the latest installment of the Plaza Library’s Searching the Psyche Through Cinema series. Peeling back the fragile layers of our complicated minds takes some mettle. And then there’s the film criticism! Try to be gentle. Sunday, 1:30 p.m.; Kansas City Public Library Plaza Branch, 4801 Main St., Kansas City, Mo.; admission: free (RSVP at kclibrary.org/rsvp/24854).
5. Bass Drum of Death
This Mississippi garage-rock outfit’s throbbing bravery is evident on such albums as Stain Stick Skin, High School Roaches and its latest take-that disc, Rip This. The band’s stinging yet serenading songs, including “Velvet Itch,” “Nerve Jamming” and “I Wanna Be Forgotten,” have been featured in movies, TV shows and video games. Should you take the dare and go see these guys? How can you not? Friday, 10 p.m.; recordBar, 1020 Westport Road, Kansas City, Mo.; tickets: $10.
6. Yun-Chin Zhou
Playing solo piano takes pluck. It’s just you behind the 88 keys trying to please a hushed audience that’s hanging on every…single…note. Award-winning Chinese pianist Yun-Chin Zhou will be the brave young one who takes to the ivories in this Discovery Concert presented by the Harriman-Jewel Series. Saturday, 7 p.m., Folly Theatre, 300 W. 12th St., Kansas City, Mo.; admission: free (to reserve seats, visit follytheater.org).
7. Kansas City Restaurant Week
And finally, have a fine time filling up your guts at any of the 160 area eateries participating in the sixth annual Kansas City Restaurant Week. It’s not just your insides that will thank you, either. Local charities get a portion of the money generated from the week’s multi-course $15 lunches and $33 dinners, including Boys Grow, the Children’s Center for the Visually Impaired and Cultivate Kansas City. Today through Sunday; see restaurant menus at kcrestaurantweek.com.
