What’s happening this week
On the radar
Along with many other local music fans, I’m heading to Chicago this weekend for the Pitchfork Music Festival—but those who stay in town will have plenty to keep their earsy happy, with the big multi-artist Keys to the City show at First Ave on Friday and a Totally Gross National Party at Club Jäger on Saturday. The Minnesota Black Music Awards will rock the Pantages on Friday, and this week will also see visits to the Twin Cities by Fleet Foxes and Gillian Welch.
Those who like to watch will also be happy, as the Walker Art Center showcases Minnesota-made films and the Guthie welcomes (back) Rainn Wilson, best known for playing Dwight Schrute on The Office.
Under the radar
Fun and fanciful is the order of the weekend at three highly recommendable under-the-radar stage shows:
• The Eclectic Edge Ensemble presents Send in the Jazz at the Ritz Theater.
• At the People’s Center, Paige Collette and Tatiana Pavela present the regional debut of their dark original comedy Buttercream & Scotch.
• A short road trip away, the Jon Hassler Theater in Plainview presents The Happy Cafe, a new show by the funny(wo)men of Minneapolis’s Four Humors Theater.
Daily Planet arts roundup
• Eddie Vedder’s uke is easy, though his burden is not light (review by Chrissy Stockton, photos by Meredith Westin)
• A Perfect Circle have it covered—unfortunately—at Roy Wilkins Auditorium (review by Kyle Matteson, photos by Eric Petersen)
• Pitchfork Music Festival forecast: 99% chill, with a 1% chance of ill (preview by Jay Gabler)
• Fine Line (blog post by Dwight Hobbes)
• Black Label Movement plans to send a dancer into (very low) orbit (blog post by Jay Gabler)
• Fringe Preview: Firsty Thursday (blog post by Phillip Andrew Bennett Low)
• Street Scene by Girl Friday Productions: “Three parts dynamite, one part Army mule” (review by Matthew A. Everett)
• Saboteur by Walking Shadow Theatre Company: Skipping happily through the puzzle-laden spy genre (review by Matthew A. Everett)
• Theatre Pro Rata’s Waiting for Godot: “Do you think God sees me?” (review by Matthew A. Everett)
• Paige Collette and Tatiana Pavela ready final mix of Buttercream & Scotch (preview with photos by Jay Gabler)
• Art of This plans fourth annual One Nighter series, seeks $5,000 funding via Kickstarter (blog post by Jay Gabler)
• Michele Spaise explores a sense of place from Whittier Cooperative (report and photos by Sheila Regan)
• HOTTEA’s Wildlife: 12 skeins of yarn, a stencil and an empty urban lot (blog post by Paul Schmelzer)
• Playing tourist (blog post by Teresa Boardman)
• Guerrilla bike culture: Urban interventions (blog post by Paul Schmelzer)
• Besides the beans: Hard Times, Caffetto, and the late-night undercurrent of Minneapolis coffee culture (feature by Collin Peck-Gray)
• Minnesota Mamaleh: 11 kid friendly Shabbat ideas by 11 fab Jewish bloggers (blog post by Galit Breen)
• Antiques Roadshow shines light in St. Paul’s Wabasha Street Caves (feature and photos by Barb Teed)
• A nice afternoon on the Wisconsin side of Lake Pepin (blog post by Steve Date)
• Water walkers and basket-making (feature by Jim Northrup)
• Green alleys of St. Paul (feature and photos by Cynthia Frost)
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