Arts DEVO

Arts DEVO Submits The sun is such a tease. Those fleeting rays have barely been able to penetrate the February chill that’s settled upon the North State, but here in Chico plants and people are getting fooled and are itching to open for springtime fun. Three budding events in the air:

• V-Day: Chico State’s Women’s Center’s annual production of Eve Ensler’s Vagina Monologues—three shows: Friday, Feb. 25, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 26, 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m., in the BMU Auditorium.

• Erotica Project: The Blue Room Theatre is holding auditions Sunday, Feb. 27, 2-4 p.m., for its production of Lillian Ann Slugocki and Erin Cressida Wilson’s erotica collection, The Erotica Project. To obtain scripts for readings, contact the Blue Room at <script type="text/javascript" language="javascript">{ document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,97,32,104,114,101,102,61,34,109,97,105,108,116,111,58,98,108,117,101,114,111,111,109,64,98,108,117,101,114,111,111,109,116,104,101,97,116,114,101,46,99,111,109,34,62,98,108,117,101,114,111,111,109,64,98,108,117,101,114,111,111,109,116,104,101,97,116,114,101,46,99,111,109,60,47,97,62)) } </script> or 895-3749.

• Sexy Time!: RAYRAY Gallery is now accepting submissions of all mediums for its Real Erotic Art Show opening April 15. Deadline is April 13; submission forms can be downloaded at www.rayraygallery.com.

Oh, the Pageantry A quick shout out and general thanks to the Pageant Theatre for diligently keeping Chico from falling into a cultural sinkhole with its fresh selection of independent, foreign and sometimes forgotten films. On top of its regular schedule this week, our little art house is quietly hosting two special events:

• Oscar Party: Sunday, Feb. 27, starting at 4 p.m, the Pageant will bring out the red carpet, hors d’oeuvres and beverages and show the live broadcast of the 2011 Academy Awards. Put on your party duds; it’s going to be a classy good time. Buy tix at the theater during open hours.

• Found Footage Fest: Craving a marathon of embarrassing home movies, bizarre training videos (“Face Aerobics,” “How to Seduce Women Through Hypnosis”) and footage of a shirtless Arnold Schwarzenegger driving around Rio de Janeiro in a dune buggy during Carnival? The festival shows at the Pageant one night only, Thursday, March, 3, 7 p.m.

Deep inhale, and … The typically jam-packed spring has yet to arrive, and yet here is a list of just one week’s worth of visiting artists that Chico has to look forward to: Tonight, Feb. 24, the Harlem Gospel Choir—the world’s most famous gospel choir—comes to Laxson Auditorium, and Jamaican reggae legends Israel Vibration (at the Senator Theatre); Jazz icon Dave Brubeck’s kids’ band, the Brubeck Brothers Quartet (Laxson), thrash pioneers Death Angel (Lost on Main) and S.F country-soul songstress Nicki Bluhm (Chico Women’s Club) all take over the following night, Friday, Feb. 25; blues guitar virtuoso Jonny Lang (Laxson) and Alligator Records’ swampy soul-rocker JJ Grey (El Rey Theatre) visit Sunday, Feb. 27; newgrass king Sam Bush will be at the Big Room with his Band Monday, Feb. 28; and Brazil’s 38-member music/dance/singing troupe Balé Folclórico de Bahia fills up the sage at Laxson Wednesday, March 2. You don’t get to say nothing ever happens in Chico. Not this week.

RIP Details are scarce at this point, but some time last weekend longtime Chico musician Barney Barbour died. The eccentric Barbour recorded and hosted the Players Club live music show for community-access TV for years and has played bass with just about everyone in town—from Country Folk to Aaron Jaqua. “He was a supurlative bass player,” said Country Folk front man Tom Haithcock, “and he had the respect of the best in town.” Jaqua and friends perform at Café Flo Monday, Feb. 28, 6 p.m., for the first of many Barbour tributes.