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The Improvolution will not be televised. But you can watch it at the Linen Building.
FRIDAY AUG. 19 comedy IMPROVOLUTION
Top: Joaquin rests in his sheep wagon upon arriving in America. Bottom: At the end of the season, Joaquin and his family recoup at a boarding house in Boise.
THURSDAY AUG. 18 film
Being funny in front of your friends is no big deal. After all, you make it look easy. They appreciate the punchy puns tinged with sarcasm that you throw out effortlessly. But doing the same in front of a crowd of strangers, well, that’s a little tougher. Luckily, there are some selfless souls willing to brave the stage armed with nothing more than quick thinking and a goofy disposition. “Live funny, die laughing” is the motto of local improvisation troupe Improvolution, a group of such individuals who have no qualms about doing off-the-cuff improv. With more than 30 years of collective experience in theater and comedy, the folks who comprise Improvolution are damn good at it. On Friday, Aug. 19, at the Linen Building, you can catch the group whirling through everything from popular improv skits to stand-up comedy to hilarious sketches, all while engaging the audience in their antics. It’s good, clean fun and the show is appropriate for all ages. 7:30 p.m., $7. The Linen Building, 1402 W. Grove St., 208-899-1862, boiselaughs.com.
SATURDAY AUG. 20 ice skating
ZURETZAKO What many of us know of Basque culture doesn’t extend beyond croquetas at Bar Gernika. Naturally, Basque culture encompasses more than just delicious pintxos and folk dancing. In fact, it also extends far beyond downtown Boise into the mountains of Idaho and the Northwest. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many Basques immigrated from their homeland in northern Spain to make a living in America sheepherding along the West Coast. On Thursday, Aug. 18, the Basque Museum and Cultural Center will present a film that chronicles the story of one such sheepherder and his family. Local filmmaker Javi Zubizarreta wrote and directed the film Zuretzako, which chronicles the journey of Joaquin from adolescence to adulthood as he toils in the Idaho hills herding sheep to earn a living for himself and his family. When Joaquin’s son leaves the Basque Country to join him, he faces perhaps his greatest struggle of all: witnessing his child relive his own harsh destiny. The film is based on the story of Zubizarreta’s grandfather and father, Luis. The film stars Zubizarreta’s father and brother Josu in the title roles. Filmed entirely in Euskera, the ancestral Basque language, the movie was shot on location in Idaho. Zuretzako is the first film of its kind to explore the history of Basque sheepherders in the West through a narrative lens. The cast and director will be at the Boise premiere to introduce the film and answer questions afterward. Tickets are $10 and the proceeds go to the Basque Museum and Cultural Center. 7 p.m., $10. Egyptian Theatre, 700 W. Main St., 208-345-0454, zuretzakofilm.blogspot.com.
20 | AUGUST 17–23, 2011 | BOISEweekly
PEPSI FREE SKATE DAY August is a hot month in Boise, and Pepsi is offering flushed Boiseans a chance to flee the sweltering outdoors for a few hours with a free day of skating at Idaho Ice World. Attendees will receive free skate rentals, rink access and Pepsi products from Chicago Connection and Blimpie. Though Free Skate Day claims to be a celebration of the end of summer and the start of school, it’s also an opportunity to press your red faces onto the ice to finally cool off. But bear in mind
that some people might be using the ice rink for its intended purposes. 1:30-4:30 p.m., FREE. Idaho Ice World, 7072 S. Eisenman Road, 208-3310044, cityofboise.org.
SATURDAY AUG. 20 music TAPES ’N’ TAPES ALSO THE CHAIN GANG OF 1974 Lux marks the spot for ass-shaking anthems on Saturday, Aug. 20, with Minneapolis’ Tapes ’n’ Tapes and Denver’s The Chain Gang of 1974. Tapes ’n’ Tapes began its career as a blog buzz band in 2003 at Carleton College in Minneapolis.
Praise poured in from Ear Farm, Music for Robots and Gorilla vs. Bear during these initial years. After receiving a rave review from Pitchfork for 2005’s The Loon, the boys began picking up steam. The band has become a Boise staple over the past couple of years and is currently on tour in support of its latest album, Outside. The driving force behind The Chain Gang of 1974 is vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Kamtin Mohager. This modern-day Renaissance man is an in-line hockey enthusiast by day and phase-shifter by night. Though he had dreams of the NHL, Mohager fell head over heels for Tears for Fears and other ’80s bands as a youngster. After hanging up the skates, he self-released White Guts, his earliest album, and is WWW. B O I S E WE E KLY. C O M