Arts Orbit Weekly: 1/1/09

This week's picks

Thursday, January 1
Swing by your local video store to rent a copy of Wall-E, the animated film that's shaping up to be the surprise critical favorite of 2008.

Friday, January 2
"While some bands find Rock 'N' Roll after taking the most circuitous path possible," writes Jon Behm, "Nightinghales take a straight path from A to B minor." Catch them tonight at the 331 Club, where Dwight Hobbes praises the courteous barstaff—who don't "saunter over with a kiss-my-grits disposition like they’re doing you a favor to let you spend your bread."

Saturday, January 3
Northeast Minneapolis on Friday and Saturday nights this weekend?! Yes, and I'll give you two reasons why. (1) $2 beers at Mac's Industrial Bar from 7 to 11—with their selection of taps, it's the best drink special in town, period. (2) The Ruth Adams Polka Band at Nye's.

Sunday, January 4
Sankta Lucia...gee, it's good to see ya! Find out what the story is with the candles and the wreath and the walkin' around and the bein' put to death for witchcraft (what?! yes, it's true) at the American Swedish Institute.

Monday, January 5
On your lunch break, go to the Guthrie's Web site to take advantage of their winter ticket sale. Today, after buying one ticket to a January performance at regular price, you can buy up to three more for just $5 each.

Tuesday, January 6
If you're like me, you're bored of all those bands who just memorize some songs, get up, and play those songs. Why not make it up as you go along? That's the spirit of Improvised Music Night at Art of This.

Wednesday, January 7
2009 is the 200th anniversary of the birth of Edgar Allen Poe. Tonight, appropriately creepy-looking actor Jake Esau brings the thrillmeister to life at St. Paul's Hamline Midway branch library.

Daily Planet arts roundup

Music

Britney Spears is kind of messed up...but Kara Nesvig loves her anyway, and calls her new album Circus her strongest yet. It will sell hundreds of times more copies than Paulopolis, the consistently catchy new album from Luke's Angels—but that doesn't mean it's hundreds of times better, opines Nelson Heise.

More coverage of local music comes from Dwight Hobbes, who talks with Jimmy Lyback of Sunshine Behavior, and David de Young, who reviews a solid late-December show by Dark Dark Dark and Dosh at the Cedar.

And we couldn't let the year go by without at least one best-of music roundup—which I provide, highlighting five great tracks by acts including the Avett Brothers; R.E.M.; Rihanna; Kate Nash; and David Byrne and Brian Eno.

Theater

Jeff Redman, head of Workhouse Theatre Company, writes about how his company is making its way as the only theater company in North Minneapolis: by knowing their audience.

Books

Chris Donlin read Bristol's Bastards, a memoir by his fellow Minnesota National Guard member Nick Maurstad, and found it full of rumors and exaggerations regarding Maurstad's service in Iraq. Also this week, Katie Leo writes about Sherry Quan Lee and her new book How To Write a Suicide Note—a memoir as well as a manual on writing (not just suicide notes, but things you can enjoy the royalties from). Finally, Beth Peloff presents video of bookmakers at work at the Minnesota Center for Book Arts.

Movies

This week Jim Brunzell III and I teamed up to answer two of your most burning questions: what were the ten best movies of 2008, and who dissed Driving Miss Daisy?

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Jay Gabler (jay@tcdailyplanet.net) is the Daily Planet's arts editor.