mission freak!

We’re deep into March Madness, but this weekend we’ll be turning our calendar into April and looking forward to some certifiable April insanity: Mission Creek 08 is just around the corner, less than a week away. With that on our radar, it’s hard to justify hitting the town too hard this weekend, but there’s still plenty of stuff going on to keep you occupied as you pine away for the likes of Cursive, Dan Deacon, Bon Iver, Neva Dinova, and many, many more. Just don’t go out too hard - we’d like you all to save something for next weekend, which starts on Wednesday, like that Hey Mercedes song. Apologies for looking forward so much - we’re just a little excited round these here parts, understand? ‘Til then, keep one eye on your bracket and the other on your liver. We’ll have a Final Four come Sunday. Who ya got coming through this weekend?

Thursday
Throw Me The Statue w. Brooks Strause / The Redstone Room, Davenport, IA / 8pm, $5
We already told you about this one, but we promise it’ll be worth the trip. Besides, it’s an early show so you’ll surely be back before the Picador’s dance party is spent. Alternately, you could always save your money and put it toward a Mission Creek festival pass.

Friday
The Forecast w. The AKAs, the Dig Angees, Red Lining Aspects / Yacht Club / 4pm, $7, ALL AGES
It’s an early all-ages show featuring Peoria’s emo/power-pop rock stars the Forecast. We’d be lying if we said we knew a whole ton about any of these bands, but with synth-rockers the AKAs on board as well, we anticipate a night, er, afternoon of fist-pumping anthems. Plus, you’ll be back in plenty of time to buy your festival pass.

Saturday
The Diplomats of Solid Sound CD Release Show / The Picador / 9pm, $6
It’s a new record from the Dips and their first featuring their trio of impeccable singers the Diplomettes. Details are forthcoming, but we can tell you that it’s coming out on an eclectic Italian label called Record Kicks. All of that is extraneous, though. We’d go anyway. Don’t forget it’s not too late to buy your festival pass.