Oh man...can you feel it? People are itching for some summer, itching for that sunlight, laying out on the beach or a cool patch of grass. Drive around, people are just waiting to get out on the front stoop or yard if they've got it. And of course, there’s the army of shirtless dudes, all so ready to lose those restricting undershirts.

And this three-day weekend is just the beginning. You won’t see me around Press Herald Plaza on Monday. Want my advice – a few cold High Life’s and then fire up the grill, I am about to drop some culinary knowledge on you:

1 lb. ground beef (or package of hamburger patties if you’re lazy)
Seasoning salt
1 lb of bacon (thick cut, please)
A block o’ cheddar cheese (or whatever your favorite is)
Buns

Here’s what you do: Cook up that sweet, sweet bacon, chop it up into little bits. (Caution - only use all the bacon if you are prepared and have a medical team standing by.) Crumble the cheese by hand – put both aside.
Add the seasoning salt to the ground beef (or burgers) and form healthy sized patties. You’re going to want to put a dimple in the patty – why, you ask? TO PUT CHEESE AND BACON IN IT.

Make sure you’ve got plenty o’ meat around the filling, completely covering the cheese and bacon.

Let the grilling begin – about 8 minutes for each side, and prepare to have your mind blown.

Who says the Food Network can’t be helpful to the common man? Yummo indeed.

TONIGHT:

• They say it loud because they know they can: Tonight is Say It Loud’s performance over at 1 Longfellow Square, beginning at 7 p.m. The ensemble has been working hard for 10 weeks to put together tonight’s performance with help from a handful of local MCs and DJs. Make sure to stop by and show some love.

• Rock Apostles: This weekend’s the Phoenix’s line up of Best Music Poll shows, so depending on how you voted that could be a good or bad thing. Tonight over at Space Gallery. Cult Maze and Brzowski are on the bill beginning at 9:30 p.m. It’s a $5 cover.
  Meanwhile down the street at Genos something far more sinister is going on. Covered in Bees, El-Grande and MANWITCH will be rocking rather hard and generally knocking things around. Show starts at 9 p.m.

SATURDAY:

• How much for the shrink ray: Blunt Youth Radio is holding its 2nd annual yard sale today over at the University of Southern Maine starting at 7 a.m. Looking for some deals, want to get out of the house or just want to throw a few bucks Blunt’s way? Show up and see what’s available. Each Monday night on WMPG Blunt brings together a staff of young producers, hosts and guests for shows on topics that range from talking with your parents about sex to what it’s like to spend time at Long Creek Youth Development Center.

• The city is hot: Breaking it down, harder then ever before, ladies and gentlemen...Boondocks and DJ Shade at the White Heart. For those of you who spend your Monday nights at the Big Easy, you are familiar with their work. But for those of you who’ve been watching "24" or "CSI: Miami" the last several months, now’s your chance to get down. The show drops at 9 p.m.

  ALSO – if you’re anything like me, summers and warmer weather mean wandering down towards the alley of shame and watching what transpires. Before you get a seat for what promises to be the beginning of the shame season, stop by Amigos. Not only is the promise of a fully-open deck in the air, but the Hot Tarts, Dead End Armory and the Moss Mountain Project are playing tonight starting at 9:30 p.m.

SUNDAY:

• "Who died and made you the #&$!? King of zombies?" I don’t know about you, but something about zombies inspires something in me...the urge to dispense some shotgun-first diplomacy. Today’s the much rumored, much anticipated Zombie Kickball match at 1 p.m.. on the Eastern Prom.

  Zombies. Kickball. The Eastern Prom (just imagine the nice elderly couples out for walks, children in strollers, kids playing baseball...)

  If you’ve ever walked back from the Eastern Prom after a Fourth of July fireworks show, you might have an idea of what the Hill would look like if it were overrun by the undead.

  Now I have to ask, are we talking about George Romero Zombies or the hyper-athletic zombies of "28 Days Later?" This will make all the difference in play I would think.

  Z-Kickball is looking for an undead crowd, or just a crowd (a zombie’s gotta eat) for the festivities, so check it out. If you need me I’ll be holed up with some friends at Amigos, armed to the teeth.

MONDAY:

• Open Mics: Take some time in between grill prep and stocking the cooler to go to WMPG 90.9 and 104.1 FM this morning. Lorenzo Raffa is hosting an on-air open mic show from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.This is the fourth time Raffa’s gone wide open on air, inviting bands, solo performers and anyone else who could fit into the small studio over at WMPG.

  Monday night it’s another kind of Open Mic over at the Big Easy, once again with your hosts Boondocks and Shade. The scene just seems to grow more each week, and with the warmer weather and summer vacations around the corner, things could blow up big, Head down to catch any number of your favorite local MCs as well as the cats trying to rise up – maybe one of them’s you. Party starts around 10 p.m.

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