In an attempt to break the record for number of renditions of "Chopsticks" played in a four month period, the City of Lancaster, Music for Everyone and the Society of Design have teamed up to create a very cool public art project called Keys to the City. According to LancasterOnline.com, beginning on May 21st, the sidewalks of downtown Lancaster will be festooned with as many as 20 decorated pianos that passerby are welcome to sit down and play. Lancaster is a city that clearly gets it, and the collaboration necessary to make this quirky little project happen is yet another example of that. There's something especially rousing about an impromptu piano sing-along. I distinctly remember not one, but two such gatherings breaking out in the aftermath of my wedding reception, one of which took place on an almost certainly off-limits baby grand. It will be interesting to see how all of the pianos end up being decorated, and they should add some interesting flavor to First Fridays and Music Fridays in Lancaster during the warmer months. As for this weekend, here are some suggestions:  

The PA Home Show continues rolling along at the PA Farm Show Complex through Sunday, and that makes me happy. Do you know why? It's the last major winter show at the Farm Show Complex for this season. Spring is almost here folks. St. Patrick's Day often devolves into the consumption of massive amounts of alcohol under the guise of some strawman of Irish nationalism, but if you're looking for a more family-friendly St. Patty's day event, Tales for St. Patrick's Day at Fort Hunter Mansion is perfect. Murder at Mount Hope continues on Friday night, as does Gamut Classic Theatre's production of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged). Lots of theatre going on including Noises Off at the Fulton Theatre and A Chorus Line at not one, but two different locations—York Little Theatre and Hershey Theatre. Folk musicians The Hunt Family will be at Messiah College on Friday night as well.

Saturday, PAWS Abilities fills the one part of the Farm Show Complex that the Home Show hasn't commandeered. The two March wine events, Susquehanna Heartland Wine Trail's Ticket to Good Taste and Adventure and UnCork York's Tour de Tanks continue with a host of events on Saturday as well. In York the York St. Patrick's Day Parade will be stepping off on Saturday afternoon while in Lancaster OperaLancaster will present Puccini's La Bohème at F&M. There is a Spring Folk Coffee House at Fort Hunter Mansion on Saturday night and the Whitaker Center will host its annual production of The Diary of Anne Frank. Also, the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra will present another Capital BlueCross Pops concert.

Sunday is Charter Day at the Ephrata Cloister. Also, the Mermaid Theatre of Novia Scotia will present Goodnight Moon at the Rose Lehrman Arts Center. There's also another public skating session at Hersheypark Arena. Have fun kids.

While America is seemingly just discovering it, curling isn’t a new fad for Canada. Canadians curl. From chats I had with Canadians at the two matches I attended, curling seems to be almost as big a part of their sporting culture as hockey. I don’t know if it’s as commonplace an amateur activity as bowling is in the U.S., but most of the Canadians I spoke to at the matches had participated themselves at some point. A 50ish mom sitting behind me has been in a curling league for the last 15 years, and the two friends with her were also in leagues. A young man in his early 20s grew up curling and followed the Canadian curlers like you’d follow PGA golfers.

And boy, do the Canadians get into it! The curling crowds at this year’s Olympics were wild, and unprecedented. From what I was told, curling spectators are usually on the quiet side and are very respectful of the throwers. Not this year; particularly not when the Canadian teams were on the ice. Each throw from the Canadians brought whoops and cheers. You might have heard about that poor Danish athlete brought to tears when the din created by the Canadian fans affected her concentration. The Canadians just couldn’t contain themselves! Other countries’ fans were a presence as well – I noted one costumed American (think patriotic cowgirl) with an electronic music-playing megaphone. The cowbells never stopped, and whenever the Canadian team scored a point the place jumped like an arena during March Madness.

Curling will most likely never whip American fans into the frenzy it does for the Canadians, but the Winter Games are sparking an interesting in curling here at home. As far as I can tell, central PA doesn’t have a curling club. But Pittsburgh and Philadelphia do, and both held Olympic open houses this past weekend that drew record crowds. The word is that both clubs’ open houses saw waits of over two hours, with about 1,000 attending in each city. Patient curling fans received sweeping instruction and had the opportunity to try hurling those 40 pound stones, which by all accounts is much harder than it looks. The Olympic curlers make that glide look easy, but more folks at the open houses were falling over than successfully getting their rocks down to the other end of the ice. Looks like my bizarre talent at bar shuffleboard may not translate as well to curling as I thought, but I’m ready to try it! Any central PA curling fans looking to start a club?

David Bazan
Messiah College, Grantham
Saturday, March 27
Tickets: Free
The former Pedro the Lion frontman’s music is not going to be for everyone, but a colleague who has seen him live assures me that Bazan puts on a good show. Just like his music with Pedro, Bazan’s solo stuff is stuffed full of thoughtful lyrics.
Essential Track: Cold Beer and Cigarettes

Passion Pit
The Pullo Family Performing Arts Center, York
Monday, March 29
Tickets: $28–$45
Yes, Passion Pit’s debut EP was actually written as a Valentine’s Day present from Michael Angelakos to his girlfriend. They’re a completely unlikely success story, and their music is offbeat electronic indie pop that people tend to either love or hate.
Essential Track: Sleepyhead

The Manchester Orchestra
Chameleon Club, Lancaster
Wednesday, March 31
Tickets: $14–$17
Andy Hall started the Manchester Orchestra during his junior year of high school in Atlanta and over the course of three albums the band has gotten steadily better. Mean everything to nothing has a few tracks that seriously rock and a few poignant but over-thought slower tunes.
Essential Track: I Can Feel a Hot One

“Ben Folds
Hershey Theatre, Hershey
Saturday, April 10
Tickets: $32.50–$39.50
Everybody loves Ben Folds right? The erstwhile ringleader of the awesome Ben Folds Five, Folds has gotten a lot of traction out of his ability to write a catchy piano tune, writing bitingly emotional yet snarky lyrics and curse creatively. So what was he doing on that a capella show?
Essential Track: Annie Waits

The Hold Steady
Appalachian Brewing Company, Harrisburg
Friday, April 16
Tickets: $22–$25
The Hold Steady has been called the greatest bar band in America and who are we to argue. They are unequivocally awesome. All of their music is great, but if you aren’t familiar purchase “Boys and Girls in America” like, right now. Top notch album top to bottom.
Essential Track: Chips Ahoy

The Welcome Wagon
Tabor Church, Lebanon
Friday, April 23
Tickets: $15 (no online purchase)
I’m not one for gospel music, but I am one for beautiful music and this is beautiful music. Reverend Thomas Vito Aiuto and his wife Monique don’t waste a single note — a single sound — in their songs which are heartbreakingly spare. Worth checking out.
Essential Track: Half a Person

Alpine Skiing: No mysteries here. There are plenty of ski slopes in Central Pennsylvania where you can hone your skills.
Ski Roundtop, Lewisberry, PA
Ski Liberty, Carroll Valley, PA
Ski Whitetail, Mercersburg, PA
Blue Mountain Ski Resort, Palmerton, PA

Biathlon: This is a tough one. There are summer biathlons in this area, but not much in the way of winter ones. The PA Biathlon club operates out of the Whitetail Preserve in Bloomsburg.
Pennsylvania Biathlon Club, Bloomsburg, PA

Bobsled: Believe it or not, you can experience the feeling of riding an olympic bobsled for only $75. That seems very, very fair. Of course you have to drive to Lake Placid to do it.
Whiteface Mountain, Lake Placid, NY

Cross Country Skiing: Depending upon conditions, you can cross country ski on most patches of public land. There is also a dedicated facility not that far away, and the the Pennsylvania State Parks listed below offer some great trails.
Crystal Lake Ski Center, Hughesville, PA
Boyd Big Tree Conservation Area, Newport, PA
Little Buffalo State Park, Newport, PA
Codorus State Park, Hanover, PA
Pine Grove Furnace State Park, Gardners, PA

Curling: You can try out the breakout sport of the Vancouver Olympics if you’re willing to jump in the car. You don’t have to leave the state! With a little bit of practice, you could be the next John Shuster. Wait…
The Scranton Curling Club, Wilkes-Barre, PA
The Philadelphia Curling Club, Philadelphia, PA

Figure Skating: There are a number of local rinks that offer learn-to-skate and figure skating classes.
Twin Ponds East & West, Harrisburg & Mechanicsburg, PA
Lancaster Ice Rink, Lancaster, PA
York City Ice Arena, York, PA

Free Style Skiing: This is all a matter of degrees. Freestyle Skiing includes moguls, aerials and ski cross and you can participate in many of these activities at ski slopes around the region. Camel Back in North Eastern PA holds regular ski cross events and each of the slopes listed below features a terrain park. Is it going to look just like the ones in Vancouver? No, probably not.
Camel Back Mountain, Stroudsburg, PA
Ski Roundtop, Lewisberry, PA
Ski Liberty, Carroll Valley, PA
Ski Whitetail, Mercersburg, PA
Blue Mountain Ski Resort, Palmerton, PA

Ice Hockey: No surprises here. All of the rinks in the region have leagues, pick-up games and learn to play classes.
Twin Ponds East & West, Harrisburg & Mechanicsburg, PA
Lancaster Ice Rink, Lancaster, PA
York City Ice Arena, York, PA

Luge: Whiteface does not give the public a chance to experience the luge, but that doesn’t mean the sport is out of your grasp. With membership to the Adirondak Luge Club, you will receive the coaching and track access at Lake Placid necessary to get into the sport. It is also remarkably affordable if you don’t consider the gas necessary to drive to New Hampshire and they actually offer single-session “Try Luge” packages that will cost less than $100 total.
Adirondak Luge Club, Brookline, NH

Ski Jumping/Nordic Combined: When it comes to Ski Jumping — and by extension Nordic Combined — the barrier to entry is quite high, but don’t let that discourage you. Believe it or not, there’s a place within driving distance where you can get the coaching you need to get into the sport. Well, that depends on what you consider driving distance:
Salisbury Winter Sports Association, Salisbury, CT

Short Track Speed Skating: The madcap world of short track speed skating is one that has the world on the edge of its collective seat once every four years and Koreans on the edge of theirs year round. The barrier to entry is low and the thrills are non-stop.
Lightning Force Speedskating, Mechanicsburg, PA
East Penn Speedskating, White Hall, PA

Skeleton: I can’t decide if Skeleton is more or less crazy than Luge. Yes, you can see where you’re going, but… you’re going face first. Whiteface offers the Skeleton experience for $60.
Whiteface Mountain, Lake Placid, NY

Snowboarding: No surprises here. Anywhere you can ski, you can snowboard. Most of the mountains in the area have pipes, but a word of warning; these are not going to be as big or look as nice as the pipe you saw Shaun White shredding in Vancouver.
Camel Back Mountain, Stroudsburg, PA
Ski Roundtop, Lewisberry, PA
Ski Liberty, Carroll Valley, PA
Ski Whitetail, Mercersburg, PA
Blue Mountain Ski Resort, Palmerton, PA

Long Track Speed Skating: While general ice skating facilities are fairly easy to come by, long track ovals are an entirely different story. While short track can be run on a hockey rink, long track requires an ice surface about the size of an Olympic running track. Not so easy to roof in. Until 1988, the event was actually conducted outside, and the closest legitimate track I could find was the outdoor track at , you guessed it, Lake Placid.
Whiteface Mountain, Lake Placid, NY

Last week my husband and I journeyed to Vancouver for the 21st Winter Olympics. We went to five events: biathlon, men’s curling, women’s curling, men’s ice hockey and women’s ice hockey. I can’t imagine any other sporting event that can compare to my experience in Vancouver (another Olympics aside, of course). Attending a Super Bowl or World Cup final would probably come close, but those are once-and-done events. The 2010 Winter Olympics has more than 100 events in 15 different sports spread over 17 days, and in my experience, each event sustains a higher level of excitement and engagement than any football playoff I’ve ever been to.

Our first event was the biathlon. I didn’t know much about the sport, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Cross-country skiing & shooting didn’t sound very exciting — weird, if anything. But as I discovered on taking my seat, there are plenty of folks in the world that disagree with me and they all seemed to bein the stands ("taking my seat” is probably the wrong turn of phrase, as I never actually sat down). The place was packed with screaming, stomping fans wearing and waving flags from all over the world.

Loudspeakers blared the cheesy techno music I’ve come to expect at pro sporting events, but you could barely hear it over the horns, gongs and bells. I was happy to shell out the $9 Canadian for my own commemorative Vancouver 2010 cowbell, just so I could clang my encouragement along with the rest.

The fan getups were equally noisy. There were the predictable painted faces and team uniforms, but also plenty more imaginative get-ups including a few gentlemen wearing brightly colored chickens on their heads (what?!? why?) and even a group of honest-to-gosh Vikings, from horned helmet to boot. I had feared the biathlon would be long periods of boredom followed by a few golf claps, but was instead treated to a four-hour party.

The crowds at the curling matches were different, but no less enthusiastic. For the most part, we all remained seated and the cheering was more muted than the raucous shouting at the biathlon. But if anything, it was because the curling spectators were more absorbed by the details of the matches playing out. I can vouch that curling is a sport that does not translate to television well. At a curling “bonspiel” with four different games going on at once, there is always something to watch. Rather than haphazardly tossing rocks down the ice, the players are actually strategically planning out their moves in advance like a chess game. Curling may seem tame, but when the U.S. men’s team was tied with Switzerland and the match went to an extra end, I couldn’t help but cheer “U-S-A” along with the crowd. And when that last end came down to the final stone, the tension in the arena rivaled a hockey shootout.

Speaking of hockey, the atmosphere at the two hockey games we attended would be more familiar to most U.S. sports fans. The games were in traditional hockey arenas, with Cheez-Wiz nachos and the Kiss Cam. What makes those two Olympic games stand out more than any Bears or Flyers games in my memory was the thrill in the crowd.

Olympic hockey. That’s nothing to shake a stick at. By chance, I got to see both Slovakia’s men’s and women’s teams compete. For a country less than half the size of the U.S., it was astounding to see how many fans had traveled the thousands of miles to cheer on their countrymen and women. And talk about a thrill — when the underdog Slovak men’s team bested the MVP-loaded Russians in an overtime shootout, the Slovaks in the crowd celebrated with such exuberance you would think it was the gold medal game.

Attending the Olympics was such a blast that I’m sure even folks who aren’t sports fans would have a wonderful time. But if you are a fan, and like me do love the sound of a live crowd rooting their team to victory, consider a trip to a future Olympics. London, England is hosting the 2014 Summer Games, and I hear Sochi, Russia is beautiful in the wintertime.

There are two expos at the PA Farm Show Complex this weekend, the Pennsylvania Horse World Expo and the Pennsylvania Garden Expo. I’ll be hitting the Garden Expo on Sunday to try to get some ides for the back yard. This is also the last weekend to enjoy all of the events surrounding Hershey’s Chocolate Covered February. This month as gone very quickly. It’s also the last weekend to check out the Ice Park at Clipper Magazine Stadium. This winter has NOT gone quickly, but I still never made it down to Lancaster to skate. Bummer. Oh well, that means baseball will be here before you know it. Friday evening WXPN will be doing a live broadcast of its Land of the Lost program from the Appalachian Brewing Company (ED NOTE: postponed) while Method Man & Redman will be on stage at the Chameleon Club. Gotta pay the bills I suppose. In theatre, the Harrisburg Shakespeare Festival will be putting on the hilarious The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) while the Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center welcomes the farewell tour of Riverdance. It’s also the final weekend of Comedy at the Pub at Mount Hope.

Saturday, the Harrisburg Senators will be showing off their partially completed new digs with an Open House at Metro Bank Park. See, I told you baseball was almost here. The Lancaster Historic Home Show takes over the Lancaster Convention Center for the weekend and the 2010 Capital Region Heart Ball will be held at the Sheraton Harrisburg on Saturday evening. The absolutely incredible Hershey Bears have a home game against Bridgeport on Saturday night, and if you haven’t yet, make sure you make yourself a part of their record-breaking season. Professional rabble-rouser Bill Ayers will be making his rescheduled appearance at the Midtown Scholar on Saturday night, so I’m sure there are plenty of Central Pennsylvania undies in a bunch. The Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra will be putting the spotlight squarely on Maestro Stuart Malina this weekend with another round of Masterworks Series Concerts featuring the man himself on the piano. Even more theatre on Saturday night in addition to the things mentioned for Friday. The Whitaker Center has Curtains, Millersville has Oedipus the King and the Ephrata Playhouse has what in my mind is Shakespeare’s best — Hamlet.

Sunday features a lot more of the same things from Friday and Saturday so be sure to check the calendar. If Evan Lysacek or Zach Parise have gotten you inspired, there’s an open skate at Hersheypark Arena on Sunday afternoon. Later Sunday afternoon, the Susquehanna Folk Music Society and XPN present the multi-talented David Bromberg at the Yorktowne Hotel.

Have fun kids.

With Chelsea Automatic you almost get the sense that they are intentionally over the top. That this is all kind of a performance piece, a throwback to another age. Like they are to garage rock what The Darkness was to the music of the late 70’s. There is a bit of a garage revival going on right now, but not much of it has the swagger and over the top kitsch of Chelsea Automatic.

Guitarist Alex Scott Donalson left Columbus after graduating from high school and enrolled in the Berklee College of Music in Boston. He’s clearly got some guitar chops, and while we was in Boston he slowly but surely convinced his future bandmates to migrate east. After becoming disillusioned with an 80’s metal band they had formed, they moved back to Columbus, stripped away all the pretension and formed Cheslea Automatic.

Their EP Conqueror John has all the guts of an Arctic Monkeys disk and is as booze-fueled as the classic style they emulate or, at the very least, channel. The band goes to great lengths to make itself out as over the top partiers raging out against “The Man” which is definitely a throwback to a simpler time.

You can catch Chelsea Automatic at Coakley’s at 11:00pm Saturday night

Love in October first gained notice in 2007 with its ultra-brief (18 minute) EP Words of Sound. The album was produced by Ed Rose who also worked with the Get Up Kids, and Love in October borrows heavily from the tradition that the Get Up Kids helped to create in the 1990’s. “Method to Madness” and “Words of Sound” sound like The Kids or Jimmy Eat World and “1000 Miles From Here” resembles a slower Green Day track.

From that album on, Love in October has gradually strayed further from traditional emo and more towards indie pop. It’s a transition that suits them well. Full-length debut Pontus, the Devil, and Me is a mishmash of styles that starts sounding like Words of Sound and ends up being something completely different. Little quirks are starting to sneak into tracks like “Oh, The Truth” but we’ll treat the angrier tracks like “Petrula the Destroyer” as an aberration.

2009’s two EP’s Like Nothing Ever Happened and Love in October feel more comfortable, less confusing and flat out better. This is a band that is clearly coming into its own, and I’d love to hear another full-length effort now that they’ve found their voice. So much of the music is up-tempo that they’d have to be a blast in concert.

Love in October will be at Gullifty’s Underground at 8:00pm on Saturday night

This is not a knock, but Sandlot Heroes fit very snugly into the emo-pop extended family. They sound like We The Kings, All Time Low, Forever The Sickest Kids, The Maine, Boys Like Girls, yadda yadda yadda. No, yadda yadda yadda is not a band, but it could be. The thing is, if punk-tinged power pop is played well, it can be eminently listenable for a time. It also translates well to live performance. Notice too, that all of the bands listed above are made up of kids that all the sudden find themselves at least marginally rich. There’s no reason that the same thing couldn’t happen to Sandlot Heroes.

2009 album Pretend That We’re Famous features hooks just as syrupy and and sentiments that are just as earnest as anything put out by any of the aforementioned bands. Single “Out of My Hands” is a ballad in the vain of Boys Like Girls radio stalwart “Two is Better Than One” and album openers “The Train Wreck” and “Someone Special” are high school head bobbers all the way. The band has a significant online following, and has actually been able to break in to radio.

In a day where it is nearly impossible for a local band to get any spin on soulless, conglomerate-owned carbon copy radio stations, Allentown station B-104 not only played “Out of My Hands” but saw it become the station’s most requested song in October of last year. If you’re looking for a relatively local band that might some day get regular play on those soulless, conglomerate-owned stations, Sandlot Heroes is a good bet. Go and check them out. It’s always fun to be ahead of the curve.

Sandlot Heroes will be playing at the Conference Mainstage at the Radisson Friday night at 8:00pm

She’s in the Norah Jones family of musicians, but rather than sounding breathy, MacKenzie’s voice is crystal clear. Clear and powerful. On songs like “Whisper” you feel like there’s no reason her voice could not carry an album for a major studio. Her music, while simple, also has a polished feel that belies her youth — according to her website she is only 18 and is currently attending the Berklee College of Music in Boston.

MacKenzie clearly identifies with folk artists and she claims to draw inspiration from musicians like Dar Williams and Allison Krauss. Nevertheless, she definitely has some pop sensibilities. she’s at her best at her most subdued, though; this is rainy day music all the way. It appears as though the best way to listen to her music is via her website or go see her live this weekend.. Her EP was supposed to be released in spring of 2009, but I couldn’t find anything about it online.

Kasey MacKenzie will be on stage at Carly’s in Harrisburg at 10:00pm on Saturday night.

At least their 2007 full length album “Looks Like Fireflies” does. And it’s a very nice album. “Hello Image” and “Hotel Pool” are probably the strongest tracks, but all in all, the album feels a little bit more subdued than it should.

Fast forward to 2009’s EP “Go” and Gold Streets’ sound seems much more developed. The prominent bass lines from “Looks Like Fireflies” are still there, but they’ve been ramped up and feel almost danceable. The production is a bit slicker and the band harnesses its alternating male/female vocals in a more sophisticated way.

Gold Streets lists bands like the Velvet Underground, Pavement, The Smiths, The Pixies and the Cocteau Twins as influences, and that’s readily evident on “Looks Like Fireflies.” On “Go” they seemed to have strayed slightly from that sound in the direction of a band like stellastarr*. At their slickest some of their songs sound like the less decadent stuff from The Virgins with some female vocals added to the mix.

Gold Streets will be playing a short set at the Abbey Bar on Saturday the 20th at 11:00pm.

As we mentioned earlier in the week, the 2010 Northeast Futsal Regional Championships are going on at the York Expo Center. I can’t encourage you enough to go check it out if you are in the area this weekend. It’s a very cool game. If you’re interested in sports of a different kind, the Eastern Sports & Outdoor Show continues through the weekend at the Farm Show Complex. In Lancaster, the the Suburban Pennsylvania Spring Home Show runs all weekend at the Lancaster Convention Center. Friday afternoon is the beginning of the Lititz Fire & Ice Festival, one of the biggest events of the year in one of the region’s coolest small towns. The ice statues will be on display downtown through Sunday. Some of Harrisburg’s most accomplished visual artists came together to create the 100 for 100 exhibition benefitting the Salvation Army of Harrisburg at Gallery Blu, and there is an opening reception on Friday night at 7:00pm. In the theaters, the Hershey Area Playhouse is putting on I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change!, Messiah College continues its run of You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown, Millersville Univeristy will stage its own showing of The Vagina Monologues and the Fulton Theatre has Driving Miss Daisy.

Saturday a lot of those things continue. Of course there are tons of events that are part of Hershey’s Chocolate-Covered February going on as well. If you’re looking for something the kids might like, Theatreworks USA’s touring production of Charlotte’s Web will be at the H. Ric Luhrs Center at Shippensburg University for two shows on Saturday afternoon. A very interesting program called Kunst macht frei: Pearls from Terezin will be presented at Dickinson College on Saturday evening. If you are not familiar with Terezin, it was a Jewish ghetto during World War II where many visible musicians were held. During the war, it was the one place in Europe where Jewish music was still freely heard and played, and the artists of Terezin created some amazing pieces that will be performed as part of this program. There is plenty of popular music being performed in the area on Saturday night too. Alternative act Chevelle will be at the Chameleon Club in Lancaster, gravely-voiced singer Leon Redbone will be at the Carlisle Theatre, Owl City will be at Messiah College and The Hackensaw Boys will be on stage in the Lizard Lounge in Lancaster.

Sunday is Valentine’s Day, so buy your sweetie something nice. If he/she is a hockey fan, there’s a Bears game. If he/she likes Celtic music, Cara will be playing Stage Two at the Whitaker Center.

Have fun kids.

Not familiar with Futsal? It’s basically a more authentic version of indoor soccer. Two teams of five — including a goalkeeper — play soccer on an unwalled field that is 27 yards long and 16 yards wide. The name and game are basically derived from a Portuguese game that literally translates to “hall soccer.” All that congestion on the field forces the game to be played very quickly and with extreme technical skill. It is wildly popular in South America, and many Brazilian soccer stars get their start playing futsal. Brazilian Alessandro Rosa Vieira — more often known as Falcao — lacked the pace and physicality to be a major soccer star. But his unbelievable technical ability and punishing left foot have made him one of the greatest futsal players of this generation. Check out this highlight film to see futsal at its most exhilarating:

Now, admittedly, you’re not likely to see skills like that on display this weekend, but this is no small potatoes tournament. The United States Futsal Federation breaks the country into six regions and this is the championship tournament for the entire northeast. Here’s another video, this one produced by the USFF, explaining the game:

The Championships run Friday to Monday, so if you have a chance, drop in for a game or two.

During the two weeks, Brett will spend a number of days on picket duty — basically watch — and make a few ten mile marches down into Harrisburg. I don’t think that this event has gotten nearly enough local attention and I don’t want to see Brett freeze his giblets off in vain, so please spread the word.

Thanks to the efforts of Hershey High School Social Studies teacher Jeff Mummert and his students, following Brett’s progress from the comforts of your own desk chair is very easy. Mummert’s students will be taking pictures that will be posted on the museum’s Flickr page. They’ll also be maintaining a Wordpress Blog where they will pass along Brett’s hand-written diary entries. Finally, you can follow Brett on twitter at cwsoldier24_7. This is a very cool effort, and I hope the local community gives it its due.

First off, the York Builder’s Association Home Show starts on Friday. More than 200 exhibitors filling 74,000 square feet with all manner of things for your home. One of the signature events of Chocolate Covered February is the Chocolate Dinner Extraordinaire at the Circular Dining Room, and it take place on Friday night. There are a few interesting things going on in Midtown Harrisburg on Friday with controversial activist and reformer Bill Ayers speaking on education at the Midtown Scholar and Folk Artist Sarah Blacker on stage at the Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center. In Theatre, Messiah College is staging the awesome You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown and Millersville is putting on A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant, A Prayer, a show dealing with violence against women. Staying in the Lancaster area Who’s Bad: The Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute will be on stage at at the American Music Theatre. Also, another February of Improv Comedy at the Pub kicks off at the Mount Hope Estate and Winery.

All of Saturday’s events come with the caveat that you should check official websites in case of snow cancellation. One thing that probably won’t be cancelled is In Their Footsteps: Walking The Picket Line at the National Civil War Museum. Check back tomorrow for a post about that. The organizers for the Special Olympics Polar Bear Plunge on City Island say that they will not cancel their event unless they absolutely have to. I think eight to twelve inches of snow would add some panache to an already crazy event. The Eastern Sports & Outdoor Show starts on Saturday morning, but frankly, I’d wait until later in the week to go. There’s a chance the weather could keep some exhibitors from getting in to town. An outdoor event for Chocolate Covered February, Winter Animal Wonders at ZooAmerica would be great for kids. I hope the animals like snow. If you live in downtown Lancaster and need a snow day activity, the Fulton Theatre continues its run of Driving Miss Daisy. Back in Hershey, the Circular dining room is having a Chocolate Chef’s Table and the Hershey Bears will be at home against Wilkes-Barre Scranton. The Art Association of Harrisburg’s annual rager, The Bal Masque, is Saturday night at the Appalachian Brewing Company, while the West Shore Hardware Bar is throwing a Jersey Shore Party with cast member Angelina Pivarnick. Finally, the PA Fighting Championship II is going on at the Zembo Mosque. We’re trying to get some coverage of it, but thus far have been unsuccessful.

Sunday the Sports & Outdoor Show and the York Builders Show continue. Even if it really snows, everything should be under control by Sunday, so you can take the family Ice Skating at the Ice Park at Clipper Magazine Stadium or Public Skating at Hersheypark Arena. Also, If you’re looking for a chance to see the world covered in snow, there’s a Winter Tree Walk at Wildwood Park in Harrisburg.

Have fun kids.

Yes, it’s only $15 extra a month, bringing the monthly charge to $65. Yes, this city is broke as a joke and probably needs the money more than I do. Yes, it may or may be true that they haven’t raised the rates for parking on the City Island lot in ten years as the Parking Authority claims. Nevertheless, it irritates me that the Parking Authority continues to get away with sticking it to people that have no other option. To be honest, I don’t know if most people even realize how absurd the cost of parking in Harrisburg really is.

As I write this, I am looking out andCulture’s window at the River Street Parking Garage. If I wanted a monthly spot in that garage — which is never, ever full — it would cost me $130 dollars per month. If I wanted a reserved spot it would cost me $175. On days that I can’t park on the island for one reason or another or I need easy access to my car, I pay the hourly rate, which comes to $15 for a business day. I would pay the same at any of the many downtown garages that, sadly enough, dominate Harrisburg’s modest skyline. I always had the feeling that this was kind of a rip-off, but after doing some research I’ve realized that these prices are patently ridiculous.

If I worked in downtown Lancaster — which is at the center of a similarly-sized metropolitan area — I could get an unreserved spot in the Penn Square Parking Garage for $65 per month. Literally half as much as I would pay in Harrisburg. If I worked in downtown York I could park in any of the downtown garages for $81.52 per month. Random, but still a lot less. Scranton? $100. Allentown? $65. Obviously, Harrisburg is far and away the most expensive midsize city in Pennsylvania in which to park.

Let’s compare Harrisburg to other like-sized urban areas: Des Moines Iowa? $98 per month. Knoxville Tennessee? $74 per month. Here’s the absolute kicker. Over the holidays my wife and I went to visit friends in Arlington, VA, just south of Washington DC. It is one of the fastest growing areas in the country and also one of the most expensive places in the country to live. According to citydata.com, the estimated median household income of residents in Arlington proper in 2008 was $101,171. By comparison, the estimated median household income in Harrisburg proper was estimated at $34,037. Monthly garage parking in the Ballston area of Arlington with easy metro access into D.C. ranges from $77 to $105.

I called the Harrisburg Parking Authority, left my information and was never called back. It doesn’t really matter. There is nothing that anyone that works in Harrisburg can do but shut up and pay, but at least now you now just khow ridiculous what you are paying really is.

Let’s see. Friday the Pennsylvania Auto Show continues at the Farm Show Complex. Didn’t it used to be the Auto & Boat Show? What happened to the boats? There is also another Semi-Annual York Antiques Show this weekend at the York Expo Center. Of course there are things happening at a number of local theaters. Cabaret will be on stage at the at the Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center in York, RAIN: A Tribute to the Beatles will roll into the Hershey Theatre while the Fulton in Lancaster has Driving Miss Daisy.

The Auto Show, Antiques Show and IceFest continue on Saturday. If you’re looking for more winter-themed fun, there is public skating at Clipper Magazine Stadium’s Ice Park and Hersheypark Arena. Also, don’t forget about the Tusks! Ice Age Mammoths and Mastodons exhibit at the State Musuem. I’m going to get to that one of these days soon. The Hershey Bears are at home on Saturday night against Albany and there are number of noteworthy musical things going on Saturday, too. Arena-indie outfit Lovedrug will be at the Chameleon Club in Lancaster, Catskill folk act The Felice Brothers will be at the Strand-Capitol and Duff from Ace of Cakes will be in Harrisburg! His band ...soihadto... will be at the Abbey Bar. This weekend also marks another set of Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra Masterworks Concerts at the Forum with shows Saturday and Sunday.

Speaking of Sunday — more music! The Midtown Scholar is throwing a Benefit Concert for Haiti and the Susquehanna Folk Music Society presents the multi-talented Alexander Mitchell in the barn at Fort Hunter.

Have fun kids.