While students scramble to squeeze in last-minute papers, memorize a Rolodex-worth of biology note cards and work through old problem sets, breaks are in dire need, and staying on Duke campus just won't cut it. For those who need to take a breather or are fortunate enough to dodge the woes of having four finals crammed into Hell Week, look into the shows (Arcade Fire!) that are taking place in and around Durham. Fact: there is more to this city than Ninth Street and Shooters. For those of you sticking around for the summer, don't look so miserable just yet-. Below are highlights of some local events taking place in the next couple months.
Change does rock
Even Canadians love Barack Obama. Rock giants Arcade Fire and Chapel Hill-locals Superchunk will be playing for the Obama Early Vote Rallies in Greensboro and Carrboro, May 1 and 2 respectively. Dubbed the "Change Rocks" concert, Obama is encouraging college students to partake in One-Stop Early voting, which allows unregistered and first-time voters to register and vote all at once. Tickets are free, but they must be picked up at one of the early-voting locations designated on Obama's North Carolina Web site. As Win Butler of Arcade Fire stated, "This is a defining moment for this country. We want to encourage people to get up, get out and go vote." Rocking out to politics has never sounded so good.
Carrboro Town Commons, 301 W. Main St., Carrboro, N.C., gates open at 1 p.m.
Giving locals love
Need a break from the studying tomorrow night? Cat's Cradle is hosting Club is Open, a free monthly showcase of local musical talents sponsored by Wootini. This is a great venue to discover up-and-coming indie acts of the Triangle area. This month, Luego, Birds and Arrows and Gray Young will be playing, covering everything from southern rock to folk pop.
Club is Open starts at 9 p.m. Cat's Cradle is located at 300 E. Main St. in Carrboro.
Durham does diversity
The 39th annual Bimbe Festival brings together music, food and crafts to demonstrate Durham's cultural diversity. The concept of the festival is centered around that of Bimbe, an African harvest celebration in which villagers come together and give praise for a successful yield. There will be an eclectic mix of music, ranging from jazz to blues to Carribean, while the dance events highlight African-American traditions. In addition to a musical showcase, a variety of local hand-made crafts and food will be sold.
Bimbe Cultural Arts Festival will take place from May 17-18 at Durham Athletic Park.
Dance, Dance
For those looking for a little more class than So You Think You Can Dance?, Duke University will host the American Dance Festival, an acclaimed modern showcase that highlights top dance repertoires from performers all around the world. To commemorate its 75th anniversary, ADF is focusing on modern dance's past and present masterpieces for the first time. To accomplish this encompassing theme, two or more companies will share the stage for each performance in a series that they call "Split Scenes." 60 works and 37 companies will be featured, including newly commissioned world-premiers, reconstructed classics and ADF debuts. For the first time since 1982 the Japanese Festival will be included, which offers a wide-range of Japanese pieces, including new work from Dairakudakan and Kochuten. Less formal events such as musicians and faculty concerts supplement the dance showcases.
American Dance Festival will take place June 5 to July 19 in Reynolds Industries Theater, Baldwin Auditorium and Page Auditorium. Tickets go on sale May 5.
Getting a taste of the city
To experience a more polished and sophisticated array of cuisine (the Faculty Commons doesn't count), the Taste of Durham Festival offers a slice of refinement and a nice break from campus eateries. It's sponsored by the Community Chest, a locally-oriented non-profit. International wine and beer tasting and local chef demonstrations are among some of the exciting events taking place. Adding to the variety of food is a showcase of music, including performances fro m renowned New York City Latin group Jose Conde y Ola Fresca and Ashville-based 10-piece ensemble The Afromotive.
Taste of Durham takes place May 24 at The Imperial Center, 4309 Emperor Blvd., Durham. Tickets are $4 pre-sale and $6 at the door.
Cartoon convention hopes to Animaze
Closet Naruto fans, get excited: Animazement 2008 is coming to town. Anime may not be the first thing that comes to mind when "The South" is mentioned, but the Pokemon craze had to be satiated somehow. Since 1998, the convention has been drawing in anime fans with panels and workshops that span from voice-acting, learning Japanese to costume construction (yes, you know you want to look like a cute Asian with overly-spiked hair). Whether you're a diehard fan or just want to use their game room to play video games, mark down Animazement on your calendar.
Animazement will be held at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel and Convention Center in Durham from May 23-25.
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