The Cheat Sheet, 8/16-22

Friday night is one of the biggest concert nights Springfield has seen in a while, with Switchfoot and New Found Glory both taking a stage in the city, but there is much to do leading up to that. Take in some baseball (and score a bobblehead doing it), enjoy some competitive poetry, dance to your heart’s content and much more. Summer is drawing to a close; you have to live it up while you have it.

MONDAY, AUGUST 16

• San Antonio at SGF Cards, 7 p.m. – It’s the last home game for the hometown team for eight days. The Cardinals are making a run at the playoffs, having won six of their last eight games. Also, collectors take note: This is the last chance this season to get your Stan Musial bobblehead doll. They’ll be given out to the first 2,000 ticket holders.
• The Skeletons at The Outland – Still haven’t gone downtown to see these SGF legends in action? Consider the effortlessly incredible guitar playing of Donnie Thompson as a good reason to go tonight.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 17

• Make Out at Tonic Ultralounge – Looking for no-money fun? This weekly all-ages dance party is FREE to get into and plays some of the hottest electro dance tracks around. If you’re younger than 21, though, get there before 10 p.m.; otherwise a hefty $10 cover charge kicks in.
• Shawn Eckels at Boomers Campus Sports Bar & Grill – Speakeasy‘s frontman bringing live acoustic tunes in his signature style, surrounded by the four walls of one of the most chill sports bars in SGF? Sign us up.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 18

• Doug & The SOULar Panels at Patton Alley Pub – Patton’s only weekly music show (Friday and Saturday, of course, change each week) combines guitar, bass, drums… and trombone. There’s even a must-catch cameo by local rapper SincerelyYours on many occasions. After the 7-to-10 p.m. gig, it’s happy hour all night.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 19

• 2010 Individual World Poetry Slam Qualifier at Nathan P Murphy’s, 7 p.m. – Mopoetry‘s August Slam features poet Matthew Mercer and musical guest Devlin Pierce. Audience participation encouraged to help induce high scores from the judges (fellow audience members). This month’s winner qualifies for the Individual World Poetry Slam in Philadelphia.
• The Detectives at The Outland – Thursday night’s biggest weekly show takes the dance party back to the early ’60s, with classic rock ‘n’ roll and soul tunes out to get you shaking some tush Mad Men-style. Period attire is encouraged, but never, ever required.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 20

• Switchfoot at Gillioz Theatre – The Gillioz’s Back to School Bash brings a Billboard chart-topping rock band to the city for a show. Tickets are $22.50 for all seating, and you can pick them up by clicking here.
• New Found Glory, The Wonder Years and Lemuria at Remmingtons Downtown. Forever Endeavor Productions closes out the summer with one of the biggest shows it has ever put on, bringing one of the biggest pop-punk acts of the 2000s through with a very popular successor in their genre, The Wonder Years. Get tickets here.
• High school football preseason jamborees – The official kick off to the entire fall sports schedule, high school football preseason jamborees are as much local tradition as they are a part of competition. Three, sometimes four schools get together and run a set amount of plays against each other. We will have a comprehensive list of all of the jamborees later this week. The high school football season officially begins Aug. 27.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 21

• Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin CD Release Party at Randy Bacon Photography Studio & Gallery – The acclaimed local indie-pop band’s third full-length, Let It Sway, finally hits store shelves, and the band is partying first with its home-town homies before hitting the road for extensive touring this fall and winter.
• 7th Annual Discovery Center Moonlight Bike Ride starting at Discovery Center, 8 p.m. – Enjoy astronomy exhibits and party in the parking lot before a leisurely 7 mile ride or take the 14 mile tour through the streets of SGF under the moon.
• Nelly at The Grand Palace (Branson) – Up for a bit of a road trip? One of hip hops’s hottest acts of the 2000s brings his music to Branson for a show that has gained a lot of attention, and could be precedent-setting. Event details are still up in the air. We recommend visiting The Grand Palace website for the most up-to-date details.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 22

• Shawn Eckels & Friends at Ebbets Field – Sunday night is home to some long-running entertainment institutions, and this acoustic covers set easily ranks as one of its best. No charge to get in, either.
• Trivia Night at Patton Alley Pub – The trivia night that started the local trend, and still among the best such nights you’ll find. Be prepared for a challenging team game, but one that’s worth it when you win.