Sure Bet
AVRIL LAVIGNE

Hey, hey, you, you, Avril Lavigne may not want to be your "Girlfriend," but she does want to perform for you in West Palm Beach. The 23-year-old Canadian high school dropout will pull up her pink-argyle socks and belt hits such as "Complicated" and new tunes such as "I Can Do Better." Lavigne released her latest CD, The Best Damn Thing, in April 2007, and critics have described her new sound as "pep-rock" because she calls out lyrics like a cheerleader. But we haven't seen too many cheerleaders with pink hair and skull tattoos. While Lavigne's show will involve her jumping around the stage with dancers and a slew of mall-goth costume changes, we have to admit Snoop Dogg would have been a more appropriate act for an April 20 show, which is like Christmas for potheads. Emo act Boys Like Girls will open.

Location: Cruzan Amphitheatre, 601-7 Sansbury's Way, West Palm Beach

Time: 7 p.m.

Cost: $9-$45

Contact: 561/ 795-8883 or Livenation.com

Free Bet
THE NINTH ANNUAL TOBACCO ROAD AND ROSEY BABY CRAWFISH BOIL

Laissez les bons temps rouler! Partygoers at this New Orleans-inspired bash will shake their asses to the funky sounds of Lil Brian and the Zydeco Travelers, a group that fuses hip-hop with Creole rhythms and shout-along-loud lyrics. Spanglish Southern-rock act The Will Thomas Band also will perform while participants indulge in the messy Louisiana pastime of sucking the guts from buckets of crawfish. The salty, spicy flavor of the crawfish couples perfectly with beer, so all three bars will be open to add to the merriment.

Location: Tobacco Road, 626 S Miami Ave., Miami

Time: Noon-6 p.m.

Cost: Free

Contact: 305/ 374-1198 or Tobacco-road.com

THURSDAY 17: EISLEY

Not all family bands suck as bad as The Partridge Family and Hanson. Eisley, which is made up of sisters Sherri, Stacy and Chauntelle DuPree, their brother, Weston DuPree, and their cousin Garron DuPree will bring their whimsical alterna-pop to Fort Lauderdale to finally promote their August 2007 release, Combinations. The quintet from Tyler, Texas, had taken a five- month hiatus after the album's release due to personal problems. But like all great bands, they're using that pain to fuel an even stronger performance on their current tour. Seattle rockers The Myriad, Kansas City, Mo., pop act Vedera and Ames, Iowa, indie-rock band The Envy Corps also will perform.

Location: Culture Room, 3045 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale

Time: 7:30 p.m.

Cost: $12

Contact: 954/564-1074 or Cultureroom.net

FRIDAY 18-SATURDAY 19: CEDRIC THE ENTERTAINER

Anybody whose last name is The Entertainer is bound to put on a hell of a show. As one of the original Kings of Comedy, Cedric the Entertainer loves to crack jokes about Bill Clinton being the first black president, ghetto weddings, why he can't call his buddies by their teenage nicknames anymore and African-Americans' eventual migration to the moon. With roles in Barbershop, Barbershop 2: Back in Business, Be Cool and Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins, the comedian has starred opposite some of Hollywood's biggest names including John Travolta and James Earl Jones, which is a major step up from his previous job — State Farm insurance agent. But filing a claim with him had to have been priceless.

Location: Palm Beach Improv, 550 S. Rosemary Ave., Suite 250, West Palm Beach

Time: 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.

Cost: $47.93

Contact: 561/833-1812 or Palmbeachimprov.com

SUNDAY 20: GREEN APPLE FESTIVAL

One of eight music festivals taking place in major cities around the country today in celebration of Earth Day, Miami's version of the Green Apple Festival features an eclectic lineup anchored by alternative hip-hop act Arrested Development and a recently reformed Menudo. Reformed may not be quite the right word, though, as the new incarnation of the Latin boy band features a whole new lineup. Also set to perform is Fuzz and Carrie's Caravan of Thieves, an acoustic Gypsy-rock act that certainly represents a far cry from guitarist Fuzz's previous work in the deeply funky jam band Deep Banana Blackout. Finally, Miami's Sabor Latino receives further representation with Baby Loves Salsa.

Location: Bicentennial Park, 1075 Biscayne Blvd., Miami

Time: 1 p.m.

Cost: Free

Contact: 305/358-7550 or Greenapplefestival.com

You will be prompted to register or log in when posting.

Comment

Please note that by clicking on "Post Comment" you acknowledge that you have read the Terms of Service. Be polite. Inappropriate posts may be removed by the moderator.