What’s Happening This Week
On the radar: For most of human history, no one ever said, “Fo shizzle, my nizzle.” Then Snoop Dogg said it, then everyone said it—and now, thank God, we’re back to no one (except your awkward uncle) saying it. The West Coast drawler will be at Epic tonight, playing to a crowd of former frat boys, aging gangstas, and hipsters who face a tough choice between Snoop and A Fine Frenzy.
Under the radar: Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble isn’t coming to Minnesota in the near future, but tonight we have the next best thing: Robaybat and Güvenç and Burk Orchestra, an all-star cast of local musicians who promise to lead “a musical journey through Greece, Turkey, into the Balkans, through Central Asia and Persia.”
On the radar: This weekend’s Art Attack gives you a chance to see the work of Northrup King artists without having to fight the Art-a-Whirl crowds. If you’re looking for a crowd, try to squeeze in to the Paramore show at Roy Wilkins.
Under the radar: Lowertown has been pushing hard to compete with Minneapolis as an entertainment destination, and at least according to Sean McPherson, it’s working. Tonight, the newly-anointed Lowertown Entertainment District hosts its first monthly First Friday open-studio event.
On the radar: Today at the Minneapolis Central Library, the Twin Cities Media Alliance—the nonprofit organization that publishes the Daily Planet—is holding its third annual fall media forum. The Twin Cities’ most technosavvy journalists will have a series of discussions on “Networking Across the New Media Landscape.” Then, tonight at Target Center, KISS will perform in all their ageless glory. (The makeup helps with the agelessness.)
Under the radar: Bruce Tapola, a multimedia artist who trades in “playful humor and melancholy,” brings all his skills—painting, sculpture, installation—to the table at Art of This, where his exhibit Au Naturel is opening tonight.
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On the radar: Performing entire albums is The Thing To Do right now among veteran artists, from Bruce Springsteen to They Might Be Giants to Steely Dan—who are performing the entirety of Aja tonight at Northrop on a tour they’re calling, with refreshing honesty, “Rent Party 2009.”
Under the radar: Those who are sartorially adventurous but economically limited will find an intriguing array of high-fashion, low-price items today at Cliché, which is hosting a sample sale by several local designers.
On the radar: Demand for today’s John Irving appearance at ComedySportz (he’ll be reading from his new novel Last Night in Twisted River, not performing comedy sportz) is so high that Magers & Quinn is piping an audio feed into the store. Each ticketholder will receive a signed book, but this being John Irving, if he were only to sign a single book, each attendee could be given about 30 pages of it.
Under the radar: Tonight’s episode of Gossip Girl will feature the song “Questions and Panthers” by local trio One for the Team.
On the radar: The Facebook status of one of my friends recently revealed that she “loves that there is a Herb Alpert essentials on iTunes. And agrees that Herb and the Tijuana Brass on ‘If I Were a Rich Man’ is a deep, deep cut.” If you’re lucky, Alpert and Lani Hall will bust it out tonight at the Dakota.
Under the radar: If you were hoping to attend the panel “EISNTFJP Spells Team Success,” you’re out of luck, as it’s reached capacity…but if you have any idea what “EISNTFJP” means, it’s likely that you’ll find plenty to interest you elsewhere at the 75th annual convention of the Minnesota society of the American Institute of Architects.
On the radar: A lot of people who write a lot of blogs and tweet a lot of tweets seem convinced that the Dirty Projectors are about as good as it gets in indie rock today. You can decide for yourself tonight at the Cedar…if, that is, you happen to have a ticket to the oh-so-sold-out show.
Under the radar: Food guru Jeremy Iggers—who also happens to be the executive director of the Twin Cities Media Alliance—is leading a dinner outing to Gardens of Salonica. For $30, you get a multi-course meal (with wine!) personally presented by chef/owner Anna Christoforides; part of your ticket price supports the Daily Planet.
Have an event you’d like to put on our readers’ radar? Submit it directly to our calendar.
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Daily Planet Arts Roundup
Minneapolis’s first branch library is about to get new life; Craig Stellmacher has a video report.
Oscar season is just getting started, and the world is already getting psyched to see Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin host the 2010 ceremony—when, count ’em, ten films will be nominated for Best Picture. The Academy is looking for college journalists to cover the red carpet; Barb Teed has that story. Meanwhile, Jim Brunzell returned from the Chicago International Film Festival with a report on the best movies he saw there; and Sheila Regan reports from the Twin Cities Actor Expo, complete with a photo resulting from her prompt to “do something actor-y.”
We reviewed three hot concerts this week, though they met with varied receptions—from the unmoved audience for Saul Williams to the rapt crowd for Yasmin Levy to the ecstatic throng for Tiësto. Not appearing this week—unfortunately—will be Willie Murphy, suffering from a broken arm. Dwight Hobbes praises Murphy’s new album and talks with Sweet Gravitii about their upcoming disc.
I spent a big part of my week compiling a comprehensive guide to holiday theater—book your tickets now! In reviews this week, Crystal Erickson praises the stark All’s Well That Ends Well beamed to the Guthrie and I did likewise for the even starker Elijah’s Wake at Open Eye Theatre. Also, Sheila Regan reports on Pillsbury House’s Breaking Ice program and I offer a modest suggestion as to whom might have been a more suitable choice than Joe Dowling to step into the shoes of Faith Healer Frank Hardy.
I enjoyed a tour through the new Dan Graham career retrospective at the Walker—conducted by the artist himself—and Sheila Regan dropped in on the Upper Midwest Pinholers to see what’s new in the world of lensless photography.
Delivery by bicycle isn’t just for parcels any more—it’s for food too, reports Bruce Cochran. Joni Strandquest has a report and photos from the fall harvest of the Goose Lake Farm and Winery; and Amy Rea praises the upcoming Taste of Thanksgiving.
Not a subscriber? Click here to get Arts Orbit Radar in your inbox every Thursday—and follow ArtsOrbit on Twitter for 24/7 updates on the local arts scene. For a new video on the local arts scene every weekday, bookmark the Daily Planet’s 3-Minute Egg page. Cyn Collins’s column will return next week.
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