Baseball, board games and Buffett

This weekend offers an eclectic mix of events, from the sixth annual Dam Jam Music Festival to a mini gaming convention for kids and a Jimmy Buffett patio party to a psychedelic comedy show. There’s also plenty more live music beyond Dam Jam, a few Lugnuts games, a cooking class and much more.

For Friday evening’s live music, we have country and rock cover musician Carl Pawluk at Harrison Roadhouse and the Christopher Minami jazz quartet at East Lansing’s Ann Street Plaza, both at 6; singer-songwriter Taylor Taylor and variety cover band Roadside Attraction at Lake Lansing Park South at 6:15; hip-hop duo Klokwerk E and a host of other emcees at Mac’s Bar at 6:30; ‘90s alt-rock cover musician Shqane Gruesbeck at UrbanBeat, blues and rock musician Justin Deason at Mash Bar, Main Street Dueling Pianos at Lansing Brewing Co. and jazzy indie-folk group the Dangling Participles at Lansing Shuffle, all at 7; Frog and Koop of blues-rock band Frog & the Beeftones at Red Cedar Spirits at 7:30; blues guitarist and vocalist Walter Trout at Grewal Hall at 224 and Taylor Taylor at the Peanut Barrel, both at 8; funky cover group Sloan & the Filthy Animals at the Green Door at 9; and variety cover band Geech at Mash Bar at 10. Saturday evening, we have acoustic ‘90s cover band Moth Duster at Mash Bar and Grady Hall & the Disciples of Funk at the Green Door, both at 9, and classic-rock and grunge band V.A.S.E. at UrbanBeat at 10:30. Ending the weekend on Sunday is Red Cedar Spirits’ weekly Sunday Jazz show at 6 p.m., indie-pop bands sister/sibling and Archie at the Avenue at 7:30 p.m. and Mac’s Bar’s weekly Harmony Sundays DJ show at 9 p.m.

For even more live music, the Dam Jam Music Festival runs 6 to 11 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday at the Brenke Fish Ladder, featuring a packed lineup of Michigan bands playing a variety of genres. Admission is free — those planning on attending can pre-register here.

Art displays on view this weekend include an exhibit by local ink and watercolor artist Andrew Schultz at the Haslett Library’s Bookend Gallery, which is open noon to 4 p.m. Friday and noon to 2 p.m. Saturday; “Foreign Bodies” and “Always Different, Always the Same” at the Lansing Art Gallery, which is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday; “Eye Witness,” “Seeing in 360 Degrees: The Zaha Hadid Design Collection,”“DOOMSCROLLING” and the 2024 Art, Art History, and Design Faculty Triennial at the Broad Art Museum, which is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday through Sunday; “Figuring It All Out: An Artistic Study of the Human Figure” at the Art Williamston gallery, which is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday; and "Let's Give Them Something to Talk About,” an exhibition of photography and paintings by local artists Doug and Susan Smith, at the Okemos Library, which is open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.

If you’d like to get creative yourself, the Broad’s Chill Out with Art event 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday will offer a koozie-making craft as well as free cold treats.

If you haven’t made it out to see it yet, Williamston Theatre continues its run of “Predictor” 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Events for the kids this weekend include opportunities to visit with live animals at either 10 a.m., 11 a.m. or noon Saturday at the Charlotte Community Library; a mini gaming convention 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the East Lansing Public Library, featuring crafts, miniature painting, tabletop role-playing games and more; Potter Park Zoo’s Twilight Adventures 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, featuring a self-guided scavenger hunt, conservation education stations, s’mores and games; and a firefly-themed campfire program 7 p.m. Saturday at Harris Nature Center, featuring learning activities, s’mores and a guided walk.

The Lansing Lugnuts will take on the Great Lakes Loons in a three-game series 7:05 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 1:05 p.m. Sunday at Jackson Field. To purchase tickets and view the promotional events at each game, visit the Lugnuts’ website.

Village Crafters will hold a crafter-to-crafter supply sale 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Union Street Center in Eaton Rapids. Lunch will be available for purchase.

Keys to Manifestation will host its monthly game night 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, and Unity Spiritual Center of Lansing will host its monthly euchre and game day noon to 2 p.m. Sunday. Both events welcome participants to bring their favorite games to share, as well as food and beverages.

Visit Lansing Brewing Co. 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday for a Parrothead patio party, featuring Jimmy Buffett tunes and themed food and drink specials. Attendees are encouraged to wear Hawaiian shirts.

Lansing Roller Derby will hold an orientation for its adult basic skills boot camp 6 to 9 p.m. Sunday at Court One Training Center in East Lansing. The boot camp will run twice weekly from July 25 to Nov. 21.

The Allen Neighborhood Center will host a mapo tofu cooking class with chef Na Zhang of Hong Kong Restaurant 2 p.m. Sunday. Both a vegan and a traditional pork option will be available.

Finally, comedian Shane Mauss will bring his psychedelic comedy show “A Better Trip” to the Fledge 4:20 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Backed by live visuals and animations, the show “brings laughter and enlightenment through humorous and vivid storytelling about the worlds of science and psychedelic culture,” according to a press release. 

Whatever you choose to do, I wish you the best of weekends.

(Have an event? Be sure to list it free at lansingcitypulse.com/calendar. Think it’s worth at least a short story? Send a news release to nicole@lansingcitypulse.com for consideration.)