Today marks the beginning of the Milwaukee International Film Festival which means I need to get on the ball in deciding which flicks I want to see. One thing I do know is I'll be attending a VIP Reception with Academy Award-nominated Willem Dafoe on Friday, who's films are being showcased all day at the MIFF. I feel a little foolish going to a party to celebrate this guy when I've only seen two of his movies which could be considered...shaky, at best - Spider-Man and Once Upon a Time in Mexico.

This weekend is Center Street Daze, in which the businesses of Center Street in Riverwest show their pride for the street they sit on. A decidedly Un-Center Street non-Business...the Bike Co-Op (which typically resides on 29th and Clyborne) will be there fixing bikes, tuning them up and raising money for their non-profit organization. Good people, those guys, if a little eccentric.

Also of note, The Scarring Party will be playing on the streets somewhere through the festival. If you haven't heard their odd brand of old-timey, end-timey carnival-esque eccentricities, you should definitely check out their MySpace (myspace.com/scarringparty) and listen to their cover of Leonard Cohen's Everybody Knows.

And speaking of music, I picked up The 1900s new album, Cold & Kind and could not be happier with this purchase. The 1900s hail from Chicago and sound as if they were ripped directly from the syrupy, sexy folk-pop scene of the early 70s. I would almost swear that CD was made of vinyl. And the CD is dirt cheap at Atomic Records. Pick it up and hopefully they'll stop by when they tour.