Suggestions for what to see, hear and visit this weekend

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What to hear: Laurie Ann Fuhr with Tony Vere, April 13 at Jam's Diner, 1 p.m.

Calgary Poet and Singer-Songwriter Laurie Ann Fuhr – Check out her 2019 collection of autobiographical poetry if you're at home. Night Flight from Frontenac House is always a live crowd, and will join Calgary singer-songwriter Tony Vere, who describes his music as “stumbling country folk,” for an afternoon song swap at Jam's Diner on Saturday. Fuhr's gifts as a wordsmith are readily apparent to anyone who's listened to his 2017 Love in the Digital Age EP, whose charming originals like the Lorrie Matheson-produced “Divil is a Saint” and the title track are worth seeking out. He also tends to mix in some imaginative covers of songs by the Tragically Hip, Leonard Cohen, Waxahatchee and Jenny Lewis.

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What to see: George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead at The Globe Cinema. April 12, 19:30, April 13, 19:30, April 14, 15:30, April 17, 20:00

I took my first film class at Brock University before I made it a regular habit to talk about cinema with pride. The first film we studied was George Romero's 1968 black-and-white masterpiece Night of the Living Dead. Needless to say, some of my fellow students—many of whom thought Intro to Cinema would be a “bird course” (do kids still use that term?)—were offended by our young professor's enthusiasm for deep caves. Beneath the seemingly simple zombie tale is satire and Vietnam-era commentary. Romero's second installment came out 10 years later and wasn't as sharp as its original. In fact, it's safe to say that Zack Snyder's 2004 remake is even better (stop Romero fans, it's Sarah Polley!). However, Romero's tale of survivors holed up in an abandoned mall filled with mindless zombies still resonates as a fun and thoughtful critique of consumer culture. . . At least that's what my film professor would say.

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What to see: Vinnie Truong's Strange Nature and Derek Liddington's trees are weeping, the mountain is still, the bodies are rusting. Discover now at Contemporary Calgary.

Since opening its old doors, Contemporary Calgary has reliably presented interesting and often provocative exhibits. Centennial Planetarium 2020, mixing works by famous figures such as Yoko Ono and Diane Arbus, and group shows by local artists. Two nature-themed exhibits open this week at the Toronto Artists Gallery. Truong's Curious Nature explores “harmony, conflict and play between figures and their surroundings” through hand-drawn floral and figurative collages. Liddington's “Crying Trees” focuses on multi-layered landscape paintings that transport the viewer “into a dense forest, obstructing the sense of orientation.” Both exhibits are here until August 25.

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