5 Things To Do This Weekend, April 28-30: A little madness in the spring

Skyfoot

1. My big daytime plans this weekend are to go out and purchase lots of flowers and hanging baskets and make the house look pretty. Where are your favorite greenhouses in the greater Bangor area? I know where I usually go, but I want to hear from you. On this lovely spring weekend, on Friday night in Bangor take your pick from either Los Federales at Paddy Murphy’s, Allison Bankston and Hippie Soup at Nocturnem Drafthaus, a screening of the iconic film “Paris is Burning,” at 8 p.m. at the Peace & Justice Center, or up in Orono, Wyld Lyfe at Black Bear Brewing, and an 80s vs. 90s dance party at Woodman’s. On Saturday, it’s the annual Halfway to Halloween costume party with rockers Skyfoot at Paddy’s, there’s the band Piedmont at Nocturnem, and comedian Krazy Jake is at the Downunder Club at Seasons.

2. Friday night in Portland is a jam-packed one, full of great shows of many different stripes. Funk band Kung Fu and West End Blend are at Port City Music Hall, comedian Demetri Martin performs with local comic Ian Stuart at the State Theatre, while hair metal survivors Warrant and Dokken are at the newly-opened Aura. More locally speaking, the Richard James Band and Barika are at Portland House of Music, there’s a triple bill featuring Town Meeting, These Wild Plains and Jesse Ahearn at Empire, songwriter Pierre Bensusan is at One Longfellow Square, there’s some metal with Barishi, Sunrunner, Holy Filth and Megog at Space Gallery, and Voulez Vous Burlesque performs at Geno’s Rock Club. On Saturday, 90s rock legends Boss Hog play with Escapism and Thee Icepicks at Port City, there’s an Adele tribute night at Portland House of Music, folksinger Greg Brown is at One Longfellow Square, there’s a sold-out show from Robert Randolph at Aura, and the Dance Cartel return to perform at the Space Gallery. On Sunday, Lula Wild and Robt Sarazin Blake and the Letters are at One Longfellow Square.

The Crown Vics

3. Friday night in Belfast, the newly-formed Belfast Community Radio hosts dance party fundraiser with DJs Erik Klausmeyer, Doug Bacon and Wylie Fowler at Waterfall Arts, starting at 7 p.m. Also that night, at the Strand Theatre in Rockland, the annual Trekkapalooza, a yearly show benefiting local youth group the Trekkers, showcases local bands playing tribute to lost legends including Prince, David Bowie, George Michael, Merle Haggard and Leonard Cohen. On Saturday, The Tune Squad is at Thresher’s Brewing in Searsmont, Two Dollar Pistol is at Trackside Station in Rockland, songwriters Blue Gene and Cambo are at Rock City Coffee in Rockland, and Buck Curran of Arborea is at Unity College Center for the Performing Arts.On Sunday, Eric Green and Tommy O’Connell play at the Myrtle Street Tavern in Rockland. And don’t forget — across the bay in Bar Harbor, roots act Bella’s Bartok performs with the Crown Vics at the Criterion Theatre.

4. There’s a bumper crop of theater all around eastern Maine this weekend, beginning with opening weekend for “I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti” at the Penobscot Theatre, and Husson University’s spring musical production of “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown” at the Gracie Theatre. It’s also weekend two for both Some Theatre Company’s production of “Spring Awakening” at the Keith Anderson Community Center in Orono, and New Surry Theatre’s “Fiddler on the Roof” at the Blue Hill Town Hall. Cold Comfort Theater in Belfast offers up John Cariani’s “Almost Maine” at the First Baptist Church all weekend, and on Saturday night, Winterport Open Stage hosts improv troupe The Focus Group at Wagner Middle School in Winterport.

5. Seeing as it’s awfully springy this weekend, why not take this opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors? In Bangor, the Bangor Land Trust hosts a grand tour of the Walden-Parke, North Forest and Northeast Penjajawoc preserves, starting at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Walden-Parke kiosk. In Brewer, the Penobscot County Conservation Association hosts a learn to fly fish workshop from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at their clubhouse; admission is $20. In Orland, at 7:30 p.m. at Great Pond Mountain Wildlands you can join a group to look for American Woodcocks; meet at the South Gate on Route 1. Don’t know what an American Woodcock looks like? Look at the below video. Collective Soul soundtrack will not be included at the bird watch.

Emily Burnham

About Emily Burnham

Emily Burnham is a Maine native, UMaine graduate, proud Bangorian and a writer for the Bangor Daily News, where she's worked since 2004. She reports on everything from local bands to local food to all the cool things going on in the Greater Bangor area. In her quest for stories, she's seen countless concerts and plays, been lobster fishing, interviewed celebrities, hung out with water buffalo and played in a ukulele orchestra. She's interested in everything that happens in Maine.