Iowa State forward Craig Brackins celebrates a three-point bucket during the first half, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2009 at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa.

Men’s Basketball: KU vs. ISU

Is it time for KU vs. K-State yet? While we’re counting down the days until our two Top-10 Kansas teams square off (Jan. 30 in Manhattan), KU must take care of business and beat a feisty Iowa State team on its home court. Craig Brackins and his all-business mohawk went off for 42 points against KU last year, and he’s once again leading the Cyclones in scoring. There’s no such thing as an easy road game in the Big XII.

“The Sorrows of Young Werther” @ Swarthout Recital Hall

Jules Massenet’s opera “The Sorrows of Young Werther” tells the sad tale of rejection and isolation that consumes the sensitive artist Werther, who is madly in love with Charlotte, but cannot have her as she is betrothed to another. The opera is based on the German novel of the same name, penned by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in the late 1700’s.

“The Show” featuring Krizz Kaliko @ Liberty Hall

Rapper Krizz Kaliko runs with Kansas City’s Strange Music Crew, which can be both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, he’s backed by one of the most successful independent rap labels in the business; on the other hand, he’s inevitably playing second fiddle to Tech N9ne. Krizz made inroads towards narrowing that gap with the release of his 2009 album “Genius” – a collection that shifted from crunk party raps to R&B and rock-influenced cuts with the manic energy of Outkast and Gnarls Barkley. Check out Krizz’s new single “Misunderstood” for a taste of what he’s sizzlin’…

Fortnight @ Beyond the Door

Fortnight is: Sebastian Alfie, electric guitar and vocal; Maria Anthony, guitar and vocal; Clark Jamison, percussion and backing vocal; and Darrell Lea, guitar and vocal. The band performs songs by Led Zeppelin, The Smiths, Radiohead, Modest Mouse, Genesis, Big Star, and The White Stripes, as well as traditional and original material.

Left On Northwood / Viper Room Dance Floor / Daleria @ Bottleneck

It was only a few years ago that the members of Left on Northwood moved to Lawrence to pursue music on a more serious note than their previous projects. After a number of close calls with rent, the group released its debut album “Gut Check Personality.” The disc’s screamo-influenced hard rock tunes take inspiration from Warped Tour godheads like Thrice and The Used. Alternately abrasive and melodic, the album may well help Left on Northwood land its own slot on the lineup of Warped Tour.

Listen to our podcast preview of “Gut Check Personality.”

UUVVWWZ / The Dactyls / Bandit Teeth / Muscle Worship @ Jackpot

UUVVWWZ is the latest buzz maker from Lincoln, Neb. Pronounced “double U, double V, double W … Z,” the group has been called everything from avant-rock to power-jazz, drawing comparisons to Captain Beefheart, Deerhoof and even Bow Wow Wow.

Channeling the glory days of ’90s indie rock (Sonic Youth, Pavement, Dinosaur Jr.), The Dactyls employ alternate tunings and interweaving lead guitars to create densely textured, off-kilter tunes. The group recently tracked an album in Austin with engineer/producer Jim Vollentine (known for his work with …And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead).

The fellows of Bandit Teeth may not take themselves very seriously, but don’t let that fool you. After a seven-year hiatus, this trio of Lawrencians has reestablished itself as a top-shelf draw for their brand of high-energy, punk-influenced indie rock.

Newcomers Muscle Worship are a mathy rock combo featuring former Volara members Sean Bergman and Bill Ning. The trio recently filmed an episode of The Turnpike: peep the promo here.

Red Kate / Heidi Phillips (of Frogpond) / Animals with Armour @ Replay

Kansas City band Red Kate recently celebrated the release of its debut EP “Little Red Songbook.” Members L. Ron Drunkard (an alias, we hope) and Scot Sperry played in Lawrence’s Wayback Machine in the ’90s, and guitarist Brad Huhmann was in Truck Stop Love. The group’s sound is a hard-hitting amalgam of punk and rock styles that suitably hastens the pace of drinking. Blue-ribbon townies may also recall associated acts like Gourmet Mushroom X and 2-Mile Death Plunge.

Brad Slugger Shanks

Sellout @ Jazzhaus

Lawrence’s most party-rockin’ band Sellout is playing somewhere just about every weekend. So it’s no surprise that they’re the cream of the crop when it comes to stupid-fun cover songs. Disco, ’80s pop, hip-hop, grunge, classic rock…Sellout knows just about every guilty pleasure cover song you’d want to hear.

Check out our podcast interview with the band.

Shanks and Sidener Rock and Roll DJs @ Taproom

Brad Shanks of Bandit Teeth and Jeremy Sidener of The Danny Pound Band spin their favorite rock and roll records.

See the full calendar for tonight

And new in movies…

The Messenger
Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson portray Army Casualty Notification officers, delivering tragic news to everyday New Jersey families within 24 hours of the soldier’s death. This is a poignant war movie, but it’s also a buddy movie with a difference. The characters grow in ways that surprise us while remaining consistent with their natures.

The Lovely Bones
Peter Jackson’s mystical thriller is about closure, but offers little of that. Though properly chilling when it’s supposed to be, it’s a film whose effects, script and performances keep it at arm’s length when it should be moving. Saoirse Ronan stars as a murdered girl stuck in purgatory, watching her family struggle and splinter over her death.

See all of today’s movie showtimes