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Music

A series of major national shows featuring a variety of musical styles are set to take place over the week of spring break. The popular mainstream rock act the Used will be at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium in downtown St. Paul on Sunday, March 20.

The 22nd brings ’80s pop gods Duran Duran to town for a show at the Xcel Energy Center. Though they may be a bit past their prime, they still feel compelled to charge $40ą85 per ticket for the event, so all you diehards had better start saving.

The following day, the legendary blues pioneer B.B. King brings his landmark sound to Minneapolis for a performance at Orchestra Hall on Nicollet Mall. After 80 years and all of the awards and memories, this could be one of the last chances to see the guy in person.

Country superstar Kenny Chesney has rescheduled an earlier show featuring Uncle Kracker and
Gretchen Wilson for the night of Saturday, March 26, at the Xcel Energy Center. You won’t find me there, but hey čI won’t hold it against you.

Beyond these major acts are shows from bands like the odd indie mixture of Fog, who will perform on the
18th at 7th Street Entry, or pop-punkers Matchbook Romance and Motion City Soundtrack the 19th at the Quest. The following Saturday the 26th brings dark-rockers Xiu Xiu to the Triple Rock Social Club, the same night the Midnight Evils play at 7th Street Entry.

Going beyond spring break finds British up-and-comers Bloc Party trying to make their way into the States.
And don’t forget about the plentiful local acts you can see any night of the week at bars and clubs around the Cities.

Nature

(a.k.a. free stuff)

With spring break (fingers crossed) comes spring-like temperatures, giving you the excuse to see all of the natural wonders and parks around the Twin Cities that you have been making excuses for missing all of these years.

For the urban adventurer, there are plenty of sites to see. Good weather means a nice stroll through Como Park, or perhaps a visit to Minnehaha Falls, provided they are unfrozen.

There is always the Mississippi River, especially the paths around the waterfront downtown, St. Anthony
Falls, and the Stone Arch Bridge. Plus, this is the land of 10,000 lakes, so there are a lot of options there if you feel like visiting one.

And, of course, since you are not off traveling, you can just stay here and act like a tourist, doing all of the touristy things around the area that you don’t do because, well, you’re not a tourist: You live here.

There is consumer heaven, of course, the Mall of America in Bloomington. Go now before the casino ruins it all. In Minneapolis and St. Paul, there are plenty of museums to visit, like the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, the Minnesota Historical Society, and the Science Museum.

You could also go to a Timberwolves game. Just because they have given up doesn’t mean you have to.

Downtown Minneapolis is filled with all sorts of night spots to keep the urbanite occupied; just take your pick.

If all of these options still leave you with nothing to do over the break, try a day trip to Wisconsin or Duluth.
It may not be Maui or Paris, but at least it is something different if you are just sick of the Twin Cities.
If you are sticking around, make the most of it. Get out, have fun, even if most of your friends have left.
Someone will still be around to keep you company and make the long week home a little more interesting.
Just don’t expect that someone to be me, because I am getting out of this place.

Theater

If concerts are not your idea of a good time, perhaps area movies and theater can keep you entertained on those free nights at home. A new twist on an old tragedy can be experienced in The Women of Troy at the Pillsbury Machine Shop through March 20. The Brave New Workshop Theatre’s latest improv extravaganza, Martha Stewart’s Prison Jamboree, can be seen on Fridays and Saturdays during the break. And if you had made plans for Tommy Chong: The Marijuana Logs, sorry, it has been cancelled.