Pop Culture Checklist

Welcome to the weekly buzz, a segment that offers listings of upcoming shows, movies and local and regional events. It appears every Thursday. Please feel free to add any events or shows not mentioned.
LOCAL EVENTS
First and foremost, don’t forget to visit the Monroe County Fair! It kicks off Sunday through Aug. 4 at the fairgrounds, 3775 S. Custer Rd. For a complete list of events, check out the schedule published daily in the Monroe Evening News.
In other news:
–129 Lounge is hosting its first ever “Michigan Beer Tasting” event. Sample a variety of Michigan-made beers. It will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at the bar, 129 E. Front St., Monroe.
–St. Mary’s Park concert series continues tonight. “On The Beach” will perform rock tunes at 7 p.m. Thursday (tonight) at the park.
–BlackHawk Motorcycle Club, 6791 Sarah Rd., will hold a poker run on Sunday. Signup after 11 a.m. and ride begins at 1 p.m. For more info, call 243-0651.
–Carleton Community Festival will be held Friday and Saturday at Carleton VFW Post 4093, located at 700 Carleton-Rockwood Rd. Festival begins at 5 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. Saturday.
–River Raisin Jazz Series continues tonight, from 6 to 10 p.m. in downtown Monroe. Listen to live jazz performances at 129 Lounge, Café Classics, McGeady’s, Jefana’s on Front, Monroe Street Grill, and Rendezvous.
–Jazz performances will be held from 8 to 10 p.m. Friday at the pavilion in Loranger Square in downtown Monroe.
–MaggieMoo’s of Monroe will hold its Grand Opening on Saturday. It will be held from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday. Prizes, clowns, DJ, and celebrity scoopers will be on hand. It’s locatd at 2135 Mall Rd., Monroe.
REGIONAL EVENTS
–The annual “Summer Beer Festival” will be held Friday and Saturday at Riverside Park and Frog Island, 5 E. Cross St., Ypsilanti. Sample over 100 beers prepared by brewers throughout the state. Live music, food also available. Hours are 5 to 9 p.m. Friday and 1 to 6 p.m. Saturday.
–Great Maumee River Dragon Boat Festival will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at International Park at the SS Willis B. Boyer, in Toledo.
–Art on the Mall will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at University of Toledo, Centennial Mall, in Toledo.
–The Chelsea Summer Fest will be held Friday and Saturday in downtown Chelsea. Events include a car show, a Kid Zone, food, and entertainment. For more info, call (734) 475-1145.
–The Jackson RaceWeek Festival is being held over two weekends. It begins Friday and also will be held the following weekend. For all the events, visit www.eventsetc.net or call (810) 494-7186.
–Brighton Summer Fest will be held Friday through Sunday. Kids games, car show, live bands, food, and more will be available. For more info, call (810) 494-7186.
–The Toledo Zoo will host a “Fisher-Price Play Weekend” on Saturday and Sunday. The toy company will bring their Play Space for children ages 6 months to 5 years old to explore the newest toys.
TELEVISION
Premieres this week:
–The 20^th anniversary of “Shark Week” begins Sunday on the Discovery Channel. It runs through Aug. 4. It officially begins at 9 p.m. Sunday with “Ocean of Fear.”
–A/E will premiere “The Two Coreys” at 10 p.m. Sunday. It features the 1980’s teen actors Corey Haim and Corey Feldman. (My personal favorite movie of theirs is “The Lost Boys.” Great movie!)
In other TV news:
–In an interview with ifmagazine, executive producer Howard Gordon for “24” said that Kiefer Sutherland (Jack Bauer) will be hopping to the other coast. He will be in Washington, D.C. That’s right, CTU is gone for the next season.
–HBO renewed “Big Love” for a third season. It stars Bill Paxton and Chloe Sevigny as members of a polygamous family in Utah.
–Fox announced that the Oct. 7 episode of “The Simpsons” will be for comic book lovers. The plot is about Comic Book Guy, who gets competition in Springfield from a new store, “Coolsville Comics & Toys” run by Milo (voiced by Jack Black). It will feature cartoon versions of guest stars Art Spiegelman (creator of Maus), Dan Clowes (creator of Eightball), and Alan Moore (creator of Watchmen).
–Fox has picked up “Hell’s Kitchen” for a fourth season. 
–“Cops” has been picked up for its 20^th season and will celebrate its 700^th episode this fall on Fox. The “20^th Season Anniversary Special Edition” will air on Sept. 18 and its 700^th episode will air Nov. 10.
–After three seasons on Laguna Beach, MTV is moving up the coast. This season, they will be following high school students from “Newport Harbor: The Real Orange County.” It premieres at 10:30 p.m. Aug. 15.
–MTV also is set to premiere the third season of “The Hills.” It airs at 10 p.m. Aug. 13. It stars Lauren (L.C.) Conrad, one of the original “Laguna Beach” stars.
–In yet another MTV show, the 19^th season of “The Real World” will premiere at 10 p.m. Aug. 8. The seven American houseguests will be living in Sydney, Australia.
MUSIC
–CD releases for July 31 are Korn’s untitled album and Common’s “Finding Forever.”
–Tori Amos announced a fall tour in support of her latest album, “American Doll Posse.” It kicks off Oct. 9 in New York and goes through Dec. 17. She will be making a stop in Detroit at the Fox Theatre on Oct. 27.
–“Entourage” will have its own CD soundtrack. The HBO hit show will have its own CD, set to be released on Aug. 14.
–Joni Mitchell is releasing her next album through Starbucks. “Shine” will be released Sept. 25 – it’s her first collection of new material since 1998. The 63-year-old wrote nine of the album’s 10 tracks.
MOVIES
Movies opening on Friday:
-The Simpsons Movie
-No Reservations
-Who’s Your Caddy?
-Talk To Me
-I Know Who Killed Me
DVD releases on Tuesday, July 31:
-Hot Fuzz
-300 (2-Disc Special Edition)
-300 (Wide and Full Screen)
-The Darwin Awards
-The Epic Legends Collection (Braveheart & Gladiator)
-Everything’s Gone Green
-Firehouse Dog
-Lonely Hearts
-Pathfinder
-Yellow
-Kung Fu Hustle (Deluxe Edition)

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