Amgen part of a busy weekend in Nevada City, Grass Valley

The Cheatin' Buzzies headline Saturday night's entertainment at Coopers on Commercial Street in Nevada City.

Live music, theatre and events mark this weekend in the area. The highlight is the beginning of Stage 1 of the 2010 Amgen Tour of California bicycle race that starts at 11:45 a.m. Sunday on Broad Street in downtown Nevada City. What follows is the weekend calendar of events.

Friday, May 14

Roma Gypsy Music

Fishtank Ensemble plays at 7 p.m. at the North Columbia Schoolhouse Cultural Center on Tyler Foote Road on the San Juan Ridge. Singer Ursula Knudson, Serbian bassist Djordje Stijepovic, Mexican-born guitarist Doug "Douje" Smolens and gypsy violinist and Frenchman Fabrice Martinez will play songs from their Woman in Sin album that has French jazz, Serbian gypsy anthems and flamenco. For ticket information, call 530-265-2826 or visit www.rockpaperscissors.biz/go/fishtank.

Storm Session & Friday Night Tapas

Maggie McKaig and Luke Wilson will perform and tapas, wine and beverages will be served from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Nevada City Classic Café at 216 Broad Street in Nevada City. For more information, call 530-265-9440 or visit www.ncclassicafe.com. 

Saturday, May 15

Cheatin’ Buzzies at Coopers

The Cheatin’ Buzzies will play songs from their upcoming CD at 10:30 p.m. Saturday at Cooper’s in on Commercial Street in downtown Nevada City. The Cheatin’ Buzzies received the Northern California Artistic Achievement Award for Best Independent Band in 2008. Mike Farrell and Band will open at 9 p.m. The cover charge is $8. For more information, visit www.coopersnclive.com.

Trailer Park Troubadours

Antsy McClain and the Trailer Park Troubadours will perform a benefit concert at 8 p.m. at the Grass Valley Veterans Hall for the Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Coalition. Tickets are $30 to $50 and available at www.dvsac.org or by calling 530-272-2046. Proceeds go to programs to help domestic violence and sexual assault survivors and toward the re-opening of a shelter.

Gold Rush Book Fair

The ninth annual Gold Rush Book Fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Main Street Building on the Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley. More than 40 dealers will be selling rare and collectible books and other paper items. Appraisers will be there as well. For more information, visit www.goldrushbookfair.com or call 530-478-9441.  

Sunday, May 16 

Stage 1 of Amgen

The 2010 Amgen Tour of California professional bicycle race starts at 11:45 a.m. in downtown Nevada City and proceeds through Grass Valley and finishes in Sacramento. See story at nevadacityadvocate.com. For more information, visit amgentourofcalifornia.com.  

Ren Zhang on the Piano

Twin Cities Concert Association presents Ren Zhang at 2 p.m. with pre-concert forum at 1:15 p.m. at the Seventh Day Adventist Church at 12889 Osborne Hill drive in Grass Valley. For ticket and other information, visit www.tcca.net.

Songs of Unity

This Concert by Choirs of the Foothills goes from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at Miners Foundry in downtown Nevada City with 5% of the profits going to the Nevada County Food Bank and another 5% to The Ugandan Children’s Choir. For ticket information, visit www.minersfoundry.org. 

Live Theatre 

May 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 23 

‘Into the Woods’

The Tony-award winning musical “Into the Woods” will play on the first three weekends in May at the Center for the Arts in Grass Valley. It starts at 2:30 p.m. on Sundays; all other performances start at 7:30 p.m. It features 21 local actors and a theatre orchestra directed by Ken Getz. For ticket information, call 530-274-8384 ext 14 or visit www.thecenterforthearts.org. 

May 14, 15, 16, 20, 21, 22, 23

‘A Few Good Men’

Sue LeGate and Renee Sprattling direct LeGacy Productions’ “A Few Good Men” at the Nevada Theatre at 401 Broad Street in Nevada City. Show dates are at 7 p.m. on Thursdays, 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. matinees on Saturday, May 22, and on Sunday, May 16 and 23. For ticket information, visit www.legacypresents.com.

April 30 - June 12

  ‘The Be-Bop Stop’

This musical comedy by John Driscoll and Jan Kopp explores an entrepreneurial adventure by some unemployed residents of Willits, Calif.  Off Broadstreet is located at 305 Commercial Street, For information on show times and tickets visit www.offbroadstreet.com or call 530-265-8686.

May 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, 29

The Odd Couple, Female Version

Lake Wildwood Players gives this Neil Simon production a twist at the Center for the Arts in Grass Valley. Show times are 7 p.m. on May 20, 27; 8 p.m. on May 21, 22, 28, 29; and 2 p.m. on May 23, 29. For ticket and other information, visit www.thecenterforthearts.org or call 530-274-8384.

May 14, 15, 16 

Penn Valley Rodeo

Gates open at 5 p.m. Friday; gates open and parade starts at 3 p.m. Saturday and goes from Western Gateway Park to the Rodeo Grounds on Spenceville Road. Gates open at 10 a.m. Sunday. Bull riding starts at 1 p.m. For more information or to purchase tickets visit www.pvrodeo.com.