THE WEEK/CITY PICK

Feb. 2 through Feb. 8

Quick Jump to the 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th

All entries must be submitted by noon Friday. Fax 953-1394 or e-mail calendar@dmcityview.com.

thursday02
Gallery Talk
7 p.m.
Des Moines Art Center Print Gallery
Amy Worthen, Des Moines Art Center curator of prints, organized "Small Miracles," a 28-piece collection of works on paper that evoke or allude to the miraculous. Organized as a part of "To All Gates: Rediscover Your Art Center," "Small Miracles" includes traditional representations of miracles from the Old Testament and New Testament, works that go beyond the religious definition of a miracle, and works that, through imagery and technique, produce a sense of wonder within the viewer. "Small Miracles" will be on display in the Print Gallery of the Des Moines Art Center through Feb. 12, but join Worthen tonight in a Gallery Talk as she discusses the exhibit she organized. Admission is free.

friday03

The Big Wu
10 p.m.
Vaudeville Mews
Not many bands can claim that their name came from a reference to Tom Hanks' campy film "Joe Versus the Volcano." Nor should they. But alas, The Big Wu can claim such a statement. Though The Big Wu started as a Grateful Dead tribute band in Northfield, Minn., the group really started to take shape four years later, in 1996, when it began creating original material. And the jam band-loving hippies have been dancing to The Big Wu's take on roots rock - steeped in bluegrass, rock, jazz, psychedelia and R&B - ever since. See the band noodle away tonight at the Vaudeville Mews with opener The Rusted Roofies. Cost is $8 in advance through IowaTix or $10 day of show.

saturday04
Ramsey Lewis Trio
8 p.m.
Drake University's Sheslow Auditorium, Jordan Stage
Legendary jazz composer and pianist Ramsey Lewis earned the title "The Great Performer" not only for his playing style, but also for his genre-bending musical selections that display his early spiritual and classical training. By 1965, he was one of the nation's most popular jazz pianists, topping the charts with "The In Crowd," "Hang On, Sloopy" and "Wade in the Water." He has three Grammy Awards and seven gold albums to his credit and hosts the syndicated radio program "Legends of Jazz with Ramsey Lewis." When he performs at Drake University, he'll be accompanied by bassist Larry Gray and drummer Leon Joyce. Lewis will also conduct a free public workshop Saturday at 1 p.m. as part of the Civic Music Association's music education program. Tickets for his show are $12.50 or $28.50. Call 280-4020.

sunday05
The Gaslights
9 p.m.
Vaudeville Mews
Once described as what it might sound like if Loretta Lynn and Keith Richards were to get in a bar fight, The Gaslights owe as much to those two as they do Hank Williams and Booker T. With a sound that sits somewhere between old, golden Nashville and rock 'n' roll, this four-piece outfit from Kansas City plays music self-described as having "a little twang, a little strut, a little smoke and a lot of soul." See the band laced with American-flavored twang as it plays the Vaudeville Mews tonight. Cost is $5.

monday06
The Toasters
7 p.m.
Vaudeville Mews
Despite what your friends may have told you, ska is not dead. It's alive and skankin' thanks to The Toasters, who have helped keep the scene alive for more than 24 years. The band's eclectic sound has garnered them such off-the-wall comparisons as the "Miles Davis of Ska" and the "Ramones of Ska," having carved out a spot in the genre's history through its 4,000 live shows and 15 albums and DVDs. Having just laid down the makings of yet another album in Spain, The Toasters are embarking on the "2006 Winter Ska Brawl Tour," which will bring them to the Vaudeville Mews. They'll share the stage with openers Go Jimmy Go, Westbound Train, The Slaughterhouse 6 and The Vandon Arms. Tickets are $8 in advance through IowaTix and $10 at the door.

tuesday07
Mike Diesel
8 p.m.
Funny Bone
Perhaps you've seen Mike Diesel in one of his movie and television appearances - like when he was in a re-enactment spot on "America's Most Wanted" or when he was in a crowd scene in "Major League II." Then again, maybe not. Regardless, Diesel is often doing his stand-up - which he's been doing now for a decade - somewhere two out of every three nights of the week, mostly on the East Coast, where he's a regular in the clubs and college venues. He'll perform his personalized, high-energy routine (including a few impressions) at the Funny Bone tonight. Call 270-2100.

wednesday08

Hamilton Loomis
8 p.m.
Blues on Grand
Hamilton Loomis has wisely followed the advice of his mentor, Bo Diddley, when he said, "Innovate, don't imitate." Multi-instrumentalist Loomis began playing drums and piano at age 5 and guitar at age 6. Then he mastered the harmonica. He's been gigging non-stop since age 14, including playing the Delta Blues Festival for an audience of 40,000 by the time he was 17, and he was writing, arranging and performing his own material before he was 18. On top of all that, his first album, "Hamilton," received a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Album of the Year, and Diddley, Johnny "Clyde" Copeland, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown and Albert Collins have all taken this twentysomething under their wings. See why as Loomis plays the Blues on Grand tonight. Cost is $8. CV

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