Calling all zombies: this Saturday at noon, Public Space ONE will be hosting zombie auditions for the upcoming short film Cheating Death, from rising New York Film Academy student Shani Patel, an Iowa native. For his thesis work, he chose to return to his home state to shoot his new offering to the rising “zom-com” genre. Have you always wanted to be in a zombie? Just saw Zombieland and feeling inspired? Not to mention Dead Snow, the Nazi zombie (!) flick that’s at the Bijou right now. For what might otherwise seem like a limited genre, people are getting creative with what they can do with it. Cheating Death promises to be something of a zombie romance set in the streets of Iowa City. Do you have what it takes to star as the undead? Auditions will be held from 12 until 4 in PS1. You do not need to come in zombie attire or make-up for this audition. For more information, please email cheatingdeathic [at] gmail [dot] com.

Public Space ONE is located at 129 E. Washington St in Iowa City, next to Subway in the basement of the Jefferson Building.

Thursday
Headlights with Birth Rites, Skye Carrasco / Mill / 9pm / $8
Headlights of Champaign-Urbana, return to Iowa City with a new album, Wildlife. Beautiful, melancholy pop songs abound. Skye Carrasco and Birth Rites open to make what’s one of our most anticipated shows of the fall. Check out Headlights tomorrow as well as part of Java Blend at 2pm in the downtown Java House.

Friday
The Vagabonds & Alexis Stevens / Java House / 8pm / FREE
October is an unusually strong month of programming in the weekly free Friday Night Music series at the Java House, so we’re intrigued. For this week, we’ve got the debut of a new acoustic local acoustic act that includes Sarah of Mannix and the Wandering Bears. Alexis Stevens plays as well.

Saturday
Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit / Industry / 9pm / $12adv or $15 day of
Jason Isbell, one-time Drive By Trucker, is forging out on his own with a new band, the 400 Unit. Their new self-titled record is out now and Isbell is back in Iowa City to celebrate. Iowa goes for 6-0 at noon in Wisconsin, so all you Hawk fans will have plenty of time to clean yourself up and get to the Industry for some southern fried stompin’.