Raekwon, one of the most successful and celebrated artists in rap and hip hop, will bring 'The Lost Jewlry Tour' to Bangor on Thursday, March 28, for one performance at Tantrum Nightclub and Lounge on 193 Broad Street.  

Raekwon (his real name is Corey Woods) joined the nine-member Wu-Tang Clan in 1992 and helped shape their first major label release 'Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)' issued by Loud/RCA the following year. To date, recordings by the group and its individual members have accumulated more than 17 million in combined sales.

Local church teams up with non-profit to bring fresh water to those in need

Christ has no body now, but yours.

No  hands, no feet on earth, but yours.
Yours are the eyes through which Christ looks with compassion into the world.
Yours are the feet with which Christ walks to do good.
Yours are the hands with which Christ blesses the world.

-Theresa of Avila

BANGOR If you live in Bangor, chances are you've seen All Souls Congregational Church on the corner of State Street and Broadway. It's an impressive stone church, and provides one of the three steeples that reach up over the skyline that can be seen from many a vantage point in and around the city.

L Factor's Hair Show to benefit LifeFlight

BREWER The L Factor's annual Hair Show is always an incredibly popular, fun and stylish good time for all who attend. The event brings glamour and sizzle to the area each year. And each year they manage to top what they did last year, leaving the audience swooning for more.

The event is being held at Jeff's Catering on March 2. Doors open at 6 p.m. with the show starting at 6:30. Tickets can be purchased in advance at the L Factor. VIP Seating is already sold out, but Business Class (front row) is $30, Coach seating is $25, and standby (standing room only) is $20. No tickets will be sold at the door.

Roller Derby: forming lasting bonds

Roller Derby is a sport of contradictions: a full-contact sport just for women; a demanding sport that requires good cardio and hardcore dedication, but also one that anyone can play; a sport where you are crashing into a woman in a bout and then hanging out over drinks afterwards. It's a sport with theatrical roots but grounded in physical prowess, endurance and skill. In other words, it's pretty awesome.

'I like that it's contradictory. It's an aggressive, full-contact sport, but it's a women's sport. It's tough but it's a big sense of family. It's tough but with expressions of femininity,' said Wined Up, a member of Central Maine Derby, who is a professor of sociology at the University of Maine when she isn't cutting up the derby track. 'I love anything that challenges our normative ideas of femininity of what women are and what they should be. I love the contradiction.'

BANGOR - For those cyclists who think they have what it takes to endure a week-long journey, the wait is finally over! The Bicycle Coalition of Maine is putting on the first ever BikeMaine event, in which riders will pedal 400 miles throughout the state over the course of seven days.

Those brave enough to take on this challenge will pedal 60-75 miles daily across the state, while stopping at various communities along the way. The 2013 BikeMaine route was officially unveiled by the Bicycle Coalition at a press conference last Wednesday. The route starts in Orono before moving on the next day to Dover-Foxcroft and during the week stopping at Belfast, Castine, Bar Harbor and Camp Jordan in Bangor.

A look back at some memorable tournament moments

BANGOR After 57 years and countless breathtaking moments, the Bangor Auditorium is hosting its final high school basketball tournament. Starting next year, the new Cross Insurance Center will be the home to the tourney, with the old auditorium scheduled to become a parking lot.

Soon, the Mecca of Maine high school basketball will be no more.

The Auditorium has been an iconic part of the Bangor skyline since 1955; the quirky and beloved structure has played a huge part in making high school memories for thousands of Maine kids over the years. To play in the Auditorium is to be a part of the state's sporting history.  

18th annual juried art show at the Harlow Gallery

HALLOWELL - The Kennebec Valley Art Association invites artist submissions to Art2013, the 18th annual juried show at the Harlow Gallery in Hallowell. Art2013 is open to all Maine artists and also to artists with a strong connection to Maine. This year's jurors are Bob Keyes and Dan Kany, both arts writers at the Portland Press Herald.

Over $1,500 in cash prizes and gift certificates from area business sponsors will be awarded at an awards ceremony at the exhibition's opening on Friday, May 10 at 6 p.m. Art2013 the exhibition will be on view May 10 to June 1, 2013 and is free and open to the public.

Original fine art in any media may be submitted, including hand pulled prints, photography and sculpture and fine crafts, including ceramics, glass and fiber art. Jewelry and clothing are not eligible. Each artist may submit up to three works of art. Entry fees ($25 for members of the Kennebec Valley Art Association, or $30 for non-members) are not refundable. The Harlow Gallery is owned and operated by the Kennebec Valley Art Association, membership-based 501(c)3 non-profit; jurying fees help offset the cost of organizing and presenting the juried show and are not refundable. Decisions of the jurors are final.

The deadline for electronic submissions is midnight on April 1, 2013. For a complete entry rules and instructions on how to enter Art2013, please visit the "artists opportunities section" on the Harlow Gallery website: www.harlowgallery.org. The jurors will do a first review based on the digital submissions. Artists whose work they wish to consider for the final review will be asked to deliver their work to the Harlow Gallery April 27-29 for a final viewing of the actual work.

Local group to present Ferme La Bouche'

BANGOR Local performance collaborative Her Majesty's Cabaret is once more bringing their unique brand of entertainment to area audiences.

This newest show called 'Ferme La Bouche' is scheduled for two performances at the newly opened Coespace, located on Columbia Street in downtown Bangor, on Jan. 19. Performance times are set for 7:30 and 10 p.m.; tickets are $7. In addition, a limited number of tickets are available for presale at the Rock and Art Shop on Central Street.

Five years of fun and games

ORONO For the fifth straight year gamers from across Maine, New England and the United States will gather at the Black Bear Inn to crawl through ancient dungeons, cast arcane spells, try to evade insidious madness and barter for sheep or lumber. SnowCon is back.

This is a weekend of live gaming, as opposed to video gaming. It's people around a table rolling dice, playing cards or moving pieces, whether it's role playing games (RPGs), strategic board games or various card games (think of everything from 'Magic: the Gathering' to 'Apples to Apples').

The Federal Tax Code and the impact of the fiscal cliff received most of the publicity recently. But Maine also has changes affecting your take home pay and 2012 tax preparation. Some of these changes affect everyone having taxes withheld. Others affect fewer filers, but can have a big impact on their Maine taxes.