What’s happening this week
On the radar: This year everyone (including us) had the same bright idea to live-tweet the Oscars, and by general consensus of the Twittersphere, the winner was comedian Patton Oswalt, dropping observations like “Daniel Day Lewis has the depth of commitment to the craft of acting to die just to liven up next year’s death montage.” Oswalt is at Acme Comedy Co. tonight—and needless to say, it’s sold out.
Under the radar: If you enjoyed Girl Talk at First Ave—and who didn’t?—then hit the Varsity tonight for mad mashup-maker Hood Internet.
On the radar: It’s a big night for local music on Cedar Avenue. In what’s sure to be one of the most barn-burning hip-hop shows of the year, charismatic Pacific Northwest MC Astronautalis shares the Triple Rock stage with Doomtree’s Sims, who’s been on a roll with his new record Bad Time Zoo. At a much lower BPM, across the street at the Cedar Justin Vernon’s pre-Bon-Iver project Volcano Choir make a very rare live appearance.
Under the radar: Having premiered its epic new work Yathra (Journey) at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., our local world-class Indian dance company Ragamala performs the piece at the O’Shaughnessy in St. Paul.
On the radar: “There are a lot of things wrong with Chan Poling’s new musical Venus,” I wrote in 2009 as the opening of one of the most negative reviews I’ve ever published—but Poling is now collaborating with Flying Foot Forum, and tonight at the Guthrie I’m going to give him another chance.
Under the radar: Tonight at the Kitty Cat Klub, Menergy channels the panther blood that Mark Mallman and VJ Time Squid share with Charlie Sheen.
On the radar: When I joked about receiving a jump-drive press release (in tiny shopping bag, no less) about the annual Macy’s Flower Show, my boss Jeremy Iggers assured me that the show is no joke: “It’s really quite extraordinary.” Jeremy’s seen a lot of extraordinary things, so I’d take his word for it.
Under the radar: Landmark Center’s Urban Expedition series spotlights Somalia, the original home of many Twin Cities residents.
On the radar: “In punk years, that makes him a sequoia,” writes Vanity Fair about Henry Rollins’s 50th birthday. Actually, Rollins has been a sequoia his entire life: a rock-hard tower of punk. He’s at the Cedar tonight, with a spoken-word show appropriately called “50.”
Under the radar: Back in town after recording and touring behind their new record—including a stop at SXSW—my friends Bella Ruse play a free set at Barbette.
On the radar: I have little idea what Stomp is, except that it’s a bunch of people making a colossal racket. Cool.
Under the radar: There’s a battle of the bands going down at Big V’s; among the acts slated to perform are hip-hop trio the Vagilantes (below). How can this not rock?
On the radar: As befits her surname, the writing of Joyce Carol Oates is substantial, smart, and good for you. Tonight, she reads at the Minneapolis Central Library.
Under the radar: Honey’s second summer as a venue is looking to be even more hopping than its fun first: tonight, the DJs and all-around troublemakers of WAK LYF are inaugurating a new weekly Wednesday night dance party at the underground lair.
Daily Planet arts roundup
• University of Minnesota fashion design senior spotlight: Carol Lee (photos by Jay Gabler)
• University of Minnesota fashion design senior spotlight: Niki English (photos by Jay Gabler)
• Trans-Atlantic slave trade film kicks off Black docs TV series (feature by Charles Hallman)
• Flogging Molly at First Avenue (photos by Stacy Schwartz)
• Crystal Castles at First Avenue: A review in ten images (review by Jay Gabler)
• Umphrey’s McGee at First Avenue (photos by Meredith Westin)
• Cold War Kids leave First Avenue…well, you get it (review by Kyle Matteson, photos by Jeff Rutherford)
• DJ Jake Rudh on ten years of Transmission: “I will definitely give the fans what they want” (interview by Sarah Rattanavong-Wash)
• Lords of Acid at Ground Zero: Legends of underground techno rip it up (review by Sarah Rattanavong-Wash, photos by Trang Do)
• Making music in Minneapolis skyways (video by Kevin Kirsch)
• SXSW jumpstart: Ellie Goulding, James Blake, Gayngs, and more (feature and photos by Jay Gabler)
• Winning at SXSW: The Strokes, the Bangles, the Sounds, and more (feature and photos by Jay Gabler)
• Punching through at SXSW: Men Without Hats, PS I Love You, Sarah Jaffe, more (feature and photos by Jay Gabler)
• Wrapping it up at SXSW: Yoko Ono and Sean Lennon, An Horse, Hoodie Allen, and more (feature and photos by Jay Gabler)
• At SteppingStone Theatre, Get Up Your Irish tells the story of Irish immigration to Minnesota (feature, photo, and video by Deb Pleasants)
• Theatre Pro Rata’s Dido, Queen of Carthage at Gremlin Theatre: Every god needs a BFF (review by Betsy Gabler)
• At the Children’s Theatre Company, Barrio Grrl! is fierce fun (review by Courtney Algeo)
• Goats by the Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company: A whack in the back of the head with the metaphor broom (review by Katie Sisneros)
• Live Action Set’s 7-Shot Symphony weaves a magic spell (review by Matthew A. Everett)
• Ana Voog and the anacam: “At the core of all of us, we really just want to be seen” (interview by Sheila Regan)
• Navigating the effects of the Iraq War (feature by Lydia Schwartz)
• A highway divided, but it didn’t conquer. What is a Bridge? New community project in Phillips West (feature by Dallas Johnson)
• MCAD wants YOU…to fight over Flavor Flav (blog entry by Jay Gabler)
• A man’s epiphany at O’Gara’s (blog entry by Gordy Palzer)
• Cake Eater Bakery (blog entry by Jennifer Larson)
• 1419 and Love Power closed by the City of Minneapolis (feature by Sheila Regan and Jay Gabler)
• Rhythm of the Home, spring 2011 edition (blog entry by Amy Doeun)
• The Uptown (blog entry by Patricia A. Cummings)
• National Eagle Center in Wabasha (blog entry by Ann Treacy)
• Did my sister Krissy enjoy Smucker’s Stars on Ice? (blog entry by Becky Lang)
• A botanical path from St. Patrick to the Easter Bunny (blog entry by Sharon Parker)
• Spring training blues: Is it better to have played and lost than not to have played at all? (blog entry by Jean Gabler)
• Not your typical Irish dancer (blog entry by Deb Pleasants)
• One-parent Purim (blog entry by Jenna Zark)
• Polar Plunge (blog entry by Amy Doeun)
• Change (blog entry by Eleanor Arnason)
• Change #2 (blog entry by Eleanor Arnason)
• A rainy day for writing, but sunny days ahead for the Minnesota Twins (blog entry by Jean Gabler)
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