What’s happening this week
On the radar: Local movie lovers’ calendars climax with the opening of the annual Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival.
Under the radar: Gothic chamber-pop ensemble Dark Dark Dark take the stage at the Cedar—with a choir, no less—to release their rich (and only partially ironically named) new EP Bright Bright Bright.
On the radar: We’re unlikely to see David Bowie and the Arcade Fire to take the stage together at First Ave, as they did at New York’s Fashion Rocks in 2005, but tonight’s fantastic lineup of bands and designers at Voltage: Fashion Amplified is just about the next best thing.
Under the radar: Maren Ward. Aditi Kapil. Christopher Kehoe. John Bueche. Kait Sergenian. Alberta Mirais. Ben Egerman. Jon Mac Cole. Tom Lloyd. Jason Ballweber. George McConnell. Any one of those names ought to be reason enough to check out Bedlam’s 20 10 Fest—which gives you all of them, plus many more.
On the radar: Now, Now Every Children headline a First Ave lineup that also includes Big Quarters, the Melismatics, Far From Falling, No Bird Sing, and others—all playing for a good cause.
Under the radar: If I had an accountant, she’d surely advise me to steer clear of the Walker this afternoon. I may spend so much that I’ll be living in a barrel for the rest of the summer, but at least I’ll be wearing some insanely awesome t-shirts.
On the radar: Gabriel Iglesias, who’s at the State Theatre tonight, is billed as a comedian who has the ability to “bring all his personal issues to life.” That’s exactly the opposite of what most of us would like to do with our personal issues—but I guess that’s why he’s the one on stage and we’re the ones in the audience.
Under the radar: Tonight is the third and final night of a variety show at Patrick’s Cabaret that’s styled “Somewhat Sci-Fi.” Of course, these days that pretty much describes the world.
On the radar: The new Cattywompus series at the Red Stag comprises monthly events dedicated to live music and video premieres. Tonight’s attraction is Hey Bear, an animated short about a cute little bear who has to find creative ways of raising money when his smack addiction bankrupts him.
Under the radar: Okay, so this guy’s bike is in the shop, so he asks his dad for a ride to Elsie’s for tonight’s Beer Basics event. His dad drops him off and heads over to the Red Stag to watch some seriously disturbing animation. The guy walks into Elsie’s, and the beer expert exclaims, “Why did you pay $35? I would have taught you all about beer for free, my son!” Presuming that kid is actually the beer expert’s son and that the beer expert isn’t like a monk or a priest or one of those people who just goes around calling people “my son,” how is this possible? Psych! Because the beer expert is a woman, and her name is Molly Auron.
On the radar: While mnartists.org’s Scott Stulen plays DJ, Brooklyn artist Oliver Herring will hold the first of his “TASK parties” to take place in Minnesota. What’s a TASK party? “A complex, ever-shifting, socio-sculptural arrangement of bodies and objects.” And what does that mean? It means you pick a piece of paper out of a bucket and do what it says, then write a directive of your own imagining on another slip of paper and drop it in the bucket.
Under the radar: They’re not a “performance art collective,” they’re a “performance gang.” They’re not “writers,” they’re “fancy scribblers.” They’re not gay, they’re “queertastic.” They’re also “trans-psychic,” “shape-shifters,” and “Power-Point-loving.” They’re Sister Spit, and they’re in town. Are they performing at Bedlam? Is there an afterparty with DJ Shannon Blowtorch? These are silly questions.
On the radar: Blacklist Vintage, one of Minneapolis’s favorite depots for retro cool, opens its new 26th Avenue location with—what else?—a fashion show.
Under the radar: Some of the top teachers and performers in African drum and dance are in Hopkins for the annual Fakoly Dance and Drum Project, a five-day marathon of classes and performances that kicks off today.
Have an event you’d like to put on our readers’ radar? Submit it directly to our calendar.
Daily Planet arts roundup
Writer Eleanor Arnason tells the true tale of facing the blank page, while Andy Driscoll talks with Paul Rogat Loeb about Loeb’s newly revised book on strengthening communities.
As MSPIFF ramps up, Jim Brunzell and Erik McClanahan talk with programming director Linda Blackaby while Pam Colby sits down with festival director Al Milgrom. Erik also has our first installment of your complete guide to MSPIFF, and Jim Brunzell has the next.
I had an unusual and exciting week on the music beat, first stopping by People Serving People to chronicle Jon Bon Jovi‘s visit there and then heading to Orchestra Hall to catch Video Games Live. As if that weren’t enough, photographer Meredith Westin and I were at Brit’s Pub for the announcement of the 2010 Rock the Garden lineup: MGMT, Sharon Jones, OK Go, Retribution Gospel Choir. Also this week, Pamela Espeland pays tribute to jazz great Irv Williams.
I caught three great plays this weekend: Avenue Q at the Orpheum, Frank Theatre’s Metamorphosis, and 3AM/Savage Umbrella’s The Awakening, one of the best shows of the year so far. Also this week, Michelle Christianson profiles YPC education director Julie Magnuson, Alan Wilfahrt drops in on HOTB to see how MayDay preparations are coming along, and Lydia Howell previews the events of V-Day Minneapolis—which include the new play A Memory, a Monologue, a Rant, and a Prayer.
Peter Eleey gave me a tour of his new Talent Show at the Walker.
Andrea Taylor Langworthy gets good vibrations at St. Paul’s Pazzaluna, and Rachel Weeks praises both the taste and the notion of the new Grain Belt Nordeast beer.
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