This week’s picks
Thursday, December 25
The Roundup Beer Hall opens at 1 p.m.
Friday, December 26
There are just a few days left to catch “the Twin Cities’ most honest holiday tradition,” the British Television Advertising Award Winners at the Walker. Many screenings are already sold out, so order your tickets now.
Saturday, December 27
Jenny Dalton and James Apollo are playing a cozy free set at the Kitty Cat Klub. Be sure to check out the Conquistador Museum while you’re there!
Sunday, December 28
Stop by your local bookstore for a copy of David Michaelis’s Schulz and Peanuts: A Biography, now in paperback. It’s a fascinating, very readable portrait of one of the 20th century’s greatest artists…who just happens to be from St. Paul.
Monday, December 29
Have you seen Adventures in Mating, the interactive comedy staged every Monday night (“until they make us stop”) at the Bryant-Lake Bowl by my close personal Facebook friend Joseph Scrimshaw? No, neither have I…but I’ll bet it’s pretty funny.
Tuesday, December 30
The year’s almost over, so it’s time to peruse the many year-end best-of music lists at our media partner Culture Bully—then empty your stocking and take your stash of Christmas cash to Cheapo Records.
Wednesday, December 31
Wenso Ashby will be grooving into the new year at the Zurah Shrine Center with a little help from his friends Willie Moore and Zsamé. BYO fez.
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Daily Planet arts roundup
In the department of Compliments You’d Rather Not Receive, this week I discovered that Richard Wagner thought “the best Germans” had immigrated to Minnesota—and that he almost came to join us. Fortunately, the immigrants who actually showed up included Joe Shalita, one of the Twin Cities’ greatest African musicians.
Good riddance to the now-shuttered Babalú, says Dwight Hobbes, who enjoyed a fine Wenso Ashby show there despite being served “the weakest double-jack-rocks I’ve ever tried to get a kick out of.” No word from Jon Behm on whether the drinks at the Entry were any more kickin’, but he had a great time at the Yer Cronies Christmas show.
Laura Stopyro covers the dance dance revolution that is Ballet of the Dolls—while I attended Ballet Minnesota’s Classic Nutcracker, a production that’s anything but revolutionary.
Intermedia Arts held a meeting to rally its supporters, and Chuck Olson was there with his video camera.
Dwight Hobbes talks with Graywolf’s award-winning poet Katie Ford, who is proud of her new post-Katrina collection Colosseum but says “I’m not writing about New Orleans any more.” Jeffrey A. Hess and Paul Clifford Larson are probably done writing about St. Paul for a while after completing their exhaustive (and exhausting) survey St. Paul’s Architecture. Also, Beth Peloff contributes a video on the Minnesota Center for Book Arts.
Jim Brunzell III finds the new Tom Cruise vehicle Valkyrie to be less than gripping. Significantly less than gripping.
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Jay Gabler (jay@tcdailyplanet.net) is the Daily Planet’s arts editor.
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