The first Cafe Au Lait of the semester gets underway tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Maintenance Shop.

The monthly event features a wide variety of performers that will offer a diverse evening of entertainment.

There will be belly dancing from Shiara, Turkish singing, guitar playing and Indian singing accompanied by Indian drums.

The event is free and refreshments are always served at no cost.

For those interested in performing at next month’s Cafe Au Lait, call Priya Kothari, the multicultural director of the Student Union Board, at 297-3847.

Another opportunity to experience a different culture awaits this weekend in downtown Ames.

Nigerian musician and storyteller Tunde Oduhnlade is performing Saturday at Worldly Goods, 223 Main Street, from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.

The nonprofit retail store, which specializes in the handicrafts of low-income artisans from developing areas around the world, is hosting Oduhnlade to kick off Black History Month.

Oduhnlade has performed in Nigeria with the Ademola Onibonokuta Musical Group and co-founded the Dudu Arts Group to organize art exhibitions and musical drama performances, according to a press release.

Last fall, he also founded Nigerian Artists for a Nation Anew, with the goal of using art as an effective means of communication in the new democratic nation.

Regional

Slipknot’s popularity isn’t just a Midwestern thing, or even a national trend. The corn-fed metal band has been graciously accepted overseas.

Their popularity was recently demonstrated in the United Kingdom, where the HMV record store chain banned Slipknot from appearing at its store in February and March to sign autographs for fans, Datebook reported.

The decision was made due to fears that over 1,000 fans might attend the signing, posing a safety and security risk, according to New Musical Express.

Consequently, Virgin Megastores have decided to take on the challenge, allowing for the U.S. hardcore invasion to begin.

National

The Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Foo Fighters will co-headline a spring tour and Iowa City will host the bands at the Carver Hawkeye Arena on April 26.

While a long time awaits before the concerts, tickets for the shows will be available at MTV.com today through Friday, according to All-star News.

Tickets for the Iowa City show will officially go on sale at Ticketmaster outlets starting Saturday at 10 a.m. and will cost $30.

Although the Peppers and the Fighters will launch their tour March 24 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, a few nearby stops are scheduled thereafter.

The two groups will continue touring throughout the Midwest, with a performance at the Civic Auditorium in Omaha on April 25.

Recently the Chili Peppers and Foo Fighters were down under, getting to know one another better at the Big Day Out festival in New Zealand.

“We go back because we played with Nirvana a bunch of times when [Foo Fighters frontman] Dave Grohl was the drummer,” Chili Peppers lead singer Anthony Kiedis told MTV News via satellite from Auckland, New Zealand.

The Big Day Out festival also included such bands as Nine Inch Nails and Blink 182.