Seven things to do this week
TODAY
Mamma Mia, here we go again. Ireland face Italy at Lansdowne Road today for a rugby Six Nations showdown, which means that for a couple of hours the city centre will be a little less hectic than usual. Make the most of it by checking out shops that are usually too busy to tackle on a Saturday, then score a hard-earned cappuccino in honour of our visitors. 1.30-3pm.
TOMORROW
The folk at Future Shorts Ireland, who provide a platform for upcoming artists, are back with their usual assortment of cutting-edge short films and experimental music. The eclectic action, which fuses home-grown films with more international offerings, takes place on the first Sunday of every month at the Belvedere on Denmark Street, Dublin, at 5pm. Tickets €10 or €7 with a student card. www.futureshorts.com/ireland.
MONDAY
Jazz hands in the air for the Cork Jazz Big Band - a 20-piece musical extravaganza - who play the Cyprus Ave venue on Caroline Street in Cork every Monday. Catch them tonight at 9pm. Tickets €5. Call 021-4276165.
TUESDAY
A long-running off-Broadway musical has arrived in Dublin's Andrews Lane Theatre for a limited run. I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change by Joe DiPietro is perfect pre-Valentine's fodder, a witty take on the highs and lows of modern dating, romance and marriage. Tickets €19.50/€25. To book, call 01-6795720.
WEDNESDAY
Waterford New Music Week brings classical and traditional composers together, including composer-in-residence Ronan Guilfoyle, who offers a composition masterclass at the Good Shepherd Church in Waterford today at 3pm. Tonight students from Waterford Institute of Technology Music Ensemble perform in Kitty Kiernan's, at 9.30pm. www.waterfordnewmusicweek.com.
THURSDAY
Heart-melting vocal harmonies? Check. Impressive multi-instrumental skills? Check. Critical acclaim? Check. The Guggenheim Grotto is a three-piece band being championed by people who know about these things, including Today FM's Tom Dunne. They play Bewley's Cafe Theatre on Grafton Street, Dublin, with support from Oscar-bound SJ Macardle. Doors 8pm. Tickets €15. www.guggenheimgrotto.com.
FRIDAY
If Miles Davis, Diana Krall, Everything but the Girl, Laurie Anderson and Annie Lennox all got together and decided to form a band, chances are it would sound a bit like Zrazy (below). These lyrical jazz sisters and brothers perform tonight at Mermaid Arts Centre, in Bray, Co Wicklow. Tickets €16/€13. Booking on 01-2724030. See www.zrazy.com.
