Remember ‘Oz the Great and Terrible’? Turns out he wasn’t such a bad guy. In the end, you might say he was terribly good.
In that spirit, there are things to do this weekend that might well be terrible, but in more than one sense.
Am I being absolutely awful to propose potentially dire diversions? Actually, I’m just being alliterative. But terrible? Now you’re talking.
1. Wavves with Best Coast and Cherry Glazerr
Into noise? How about a headache? C’mon, get with it, you’re not dead yet. Pulses will be activated and terrible fun waits in the night for those willing to explore it when musical shards get shot out by Wavves. These wags from San Diego play fast, loud and messy, yet they seem to be winking all the way, whether getting carried away with alcohol in “Way Too Much,” admitting their brains are damaged in “My Head Hurts” or declaring that everything “isn’t real’’ in “Heavy Metal Detox.” That’s right, everything. If Wavves wore hats, they’d have to tip them to the Ramones and other progenitors of infectious punk with subversively lilting pop roots. 1-2-3-4!
Friday, 8 p.m.; Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland, 1228 Main St., Kansas City, Mo. Tickets: $20.
Pancakes and booze would appear to be a dreadful combination. But placed in the context of Kansas City’s biggest underground art show, Mrs. Butterworth and Johnnie Walker hooking up is as natural as, well, I can’t really think of anything else. Regardless, this purposely curious event lets you check out the far-out work of more than 50 incipient art-makers while sampling a free pancake bar. The drinks will cost you. But a little lubrication couldn’t hurt in appreciating demonstrations of “live” body painting – as opposed to the morbid alternative, which really would be terrible. Keep it legal, people.
Friday, 8 p.m.; 2000 Grand, 2000 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, Mo.; cover: $5 (21 and older).
3. ‘Kansas City Jazz Orchestra: British Invasion’
Rock music purists who like to complain about the cooption of treasured rock classics would have to be masochists to attend the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra’s evening devoted to British Invasion hits. That is, unless such purists found themselves enjoying the orchestra’s swinging versions of the Beatles’ “Norwegian Wood,” the Rolling Stones’ “Paint It Black” and the Zombies’ “She’s Not There.” Then they’d be converts, which might make them feel like terrible traitors to the originals. But that’s their problem. Sometimes growth is painful.
Friday, 8 p.m.; Helzberg Hall, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, 1601 Broadway, Kansas City, Mo.; tickets: $20-$55.
4. ‘The Maiming of the Shrew: A Live Mystery Game’
And you thought it was terrible to just tame the shrew. It might make the Bard wince in his grave, but that’s not going to stop amateur actors from undertaking this Shakespeare-inspired mystery in a most comical way. The roles require no acting experience, but they’re going fast. Request a part as soon as you can by emailing deborahgamm@kclibary.org. Food and drink will be served, and all of those interested are asked to RSVP.
Sunday, 1:30 p.m.; Kansas City Public Library, North-East Branch, 6000 Wilson Road, Kansas City, Mo.; admission: free.
Whatever may or may not have been done to or by country star Blake Shelton in his tabloid-touted divorce from country star Miranda Lambert – as well as his romantic shenanigans with pop star Gwen Stefani, his fellow judge on TV’s singing talent show, “The Voice” – chances are there’s been terrible behavior somewhere in the celebrity strewn mix. Does that in any way make you terrible for wanting to see Shelton at Sprint Center? Let’s hope so. Why be left out of the soap opera?
Friday, 7:30 p.m.; Sprint Center, 1407 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, Mo.; tickets: $47.75.
We’ve all made mistakes. Some of us worse than others. Some of us waaay worse than others. Terrible lapses in judgment and other memorable misfortunes experienced while under the influence will be humorously recounted by local storytellers and acted out by members of the KC Improv Company. As you may have already guessed, “Drunken Personal History” is inspired by Comedy Central’s “Drunk History.” Laugh it up, sots.
Saturday, 10 p.m.; Kick Comedy Theatre, 4010 Pennsylvania Ave., Kansas City, Mo.; cover: $10, $5 with student ID (17 to see the show, 21 to drink).
7. ‘The Chippendales: 2016 Break the Rules Tour’
If rules are made to be broken, does that include the one that says there are no rules? Don’t even try to answer that, unless you want your head to explode. And some heads may do just that when the Chippendales male-stripper extravaganza hosts Kansas City’s interested women and their dollar-bill-bursting wallets. If you think this is terrible, I wouldn’t say you’re wrong. But I wouldn’t say you’re right, either. Some things just are. Enjoy throwing out the rule book, ladies!
Sunday, 8:30 p.m.; Uptown Theater, 3700 Broadway, Kansas City, Mo.; tickets: $22.75-$55.25 (18 and older).
