Twin Cities Daily Planet (https://www.tcdailyplanet.net/category/daily-planet-originals/page/16/)
I’m starting to wonder if Open Window Theatre is critic-proof. Because it almost doesn’t matter what I say here. If you’re a fan of Open Window Theatre, then you’re already going and you’re not going to be dissuaded. Now in the middle of their fourth season, they’re expanding their space and operating on a budget of nearly $250,000. They’ve got a strong base of audience support. Continue Reading
On February 19, 2015, Beth Hart made a stop in Minneapolis, MN to perform the 3rd night of her Better Than Home World Tour at the Cedar Cultural Center. She was generous enough to sit down with me before the show and chat a bit about her life as a touring musician and the upcoming release of her new album. I talked to several people at the show who said Beth’s music was significant in getting them through some tough life experiences. She has a gift of being able to communicate through her song writing what she has learned along her own life path and told me that she is an open book, so I hope you get a sense of that from this interview.TCDP: There will surely be Blues fans in the audience tonight. Are you happy with the newish direction of your career that finds you playing to more of a Blues loving audience and is that a good fit for you?BH: I did the Rock thing and the Singer/Songwriter thing and once in a while I’d write a Blues or Gospel song and this went on in my career for years. When I did the first record with Joe Bonamassa Don’t Explain, I was so taken aback by how much I loved it and I was really surprised that I didn’t feel like I was doing a bad job. Continue Reading
On Saturday, Feb. 21 Hairball played at Myth in St. Paul. Continue Reading
Natalie Lovejoy welcomed a sold out crowd to “slow, luscious music” at the Icehouse on Sunday night. She was there to introduce us to her third album, Hiding in the Light. The stage was as crowded as the house with as many as nine people on stage. I have to say, a string section on stage is worth the squishing!Lovejoy opened with House of Coates, which has an undercurrent of dance music but it’s a song, like all of her songs, that tells a story. She played a number of songs from the new album.”Would You Be Happy” has the potential to a big song for Lovejoy. Continue Reading
Jeffrey Hatcher’s adaptation of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court is an adaptation in the same sense that the movie Jurassic Park is an adaptation of Michael Crichton’s novel of the same name. The basic concept is the same, some common beats are hit, and much of the rest is entirely its own animal. (No velociraptors were harmed in the making of Hatcher’s A Connecticut Yankee.) The looseness of Hatcher’s adaptation is a strength, producing a satire that is much funnier than a straight adaptation would have been. The Acting Company’s premiere of this play, now at the Guthrie, makes for a light but smartly done evening.Without giving too much away, Hatcher’s version of this tale starts in a scenario ripe for comedy: a high school reunion. Some razzing and an old flame later, Hank (Andy Nogasky) is unexpectedly thrown back in time to the court of King Arthur (Adam Mondschein). Continue Reading
Not many shows bristle with the same visual joy and spark as the Broadway tour of Pippin, now playing at the Orpheum Theatre. Of course, not many shows are set under a circus tent bristling with acrobatics, tumbling, knife throwing, hula-hoops, trapezes, and yoga balls. Yes, you read that right—yoga balls; 6 of them, as a matter of fact, and 15 hula-hoops as well. Want something more like Vegas? How about 7 giant feather fans being sensually waved, or flaming torches if that’s more your thing?The original Pippin made quite a spark when it premiered in New York City back in 1972, with a pile of awards and an exceptional 5-year run. Continue Reading
“Baby I like it,” is not just a line from Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull’s hit “I Like It,” it was also my impression when I left the Target Center on Saturday, February 21. Cricket Wireless Presents Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull tour made their final stop in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Opening for the two artists was Colombian music artist J Balvin. J Balvin did his thing and impressed me with his bangers and the stunts his dance crew performed as they were flipping all over the place to the tune of Latino music. He did his part in getting the crowd on their feet and Pitbull took it to another level when he made his entrance. Continue Reading
Unlike many of the current highly promoted music acts, Beth Hart doesn’t rap, perform to a backing track or rely on outlandish outfits to create headlines. Rather, to the delight of a capacity crowd at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis February 19th, she simply performs her own songs with a raw intensity unlike anything you’ve experienced driven primarily by her signature voice that’s in a league of its own. Hart credits her turbulent past as the inspiration for much of her song writing. However, this time around she is touring to promote the anticipated April 13th release of Better Than Home, a new album written from a more stable and positive perspective.Last night, during what I consider to be the best show I’ve attended at the Cedar, Hart gave fired up fans a sampling of the new material strategically mixed into a nicely balanced set of songs from the various genres she’s explored. The party started with Nutbush City Limits, a fiery upbeat tune noticeably penned by Tina Turner, which had Hart replicating some of Turner’s notorious dance moves. Continue Reading
KFAI radio station is determined to champion the diverse voices of its community, its listeners and its producers. That was certainly the case at an event at T’s Place on Lake Street. Musicians, emcees and performers topped off a daylong of programming dedicated to issues and the lives of African Americans living here in Minnesota. This exclusive day of programming is in its fourth year. The entire day of programming can be found here.Meanwhile, enjoy these awesome photos brought to The Daily Planet by photographer Rajib Bahar. Continue Reading
Sitting on its prime location at the top of the hill of historic Main Street in Park City, Utah, it has been weeks since the 21st annual Slamdance Film Festival ended. The excitement in the Treasure Mountain Inn (where Slamdance operates out of) was felt every time I walked into the building meeting with old friends and being introduced to new folks. Truth be told, I did not get the opportunity to see any of the films at the festival, but thankfully, I was sent plenty of DVDs and links to view as part of my planned coverage on Slamdance. The biggest surprise and best film was by MN filmmaker, Britni West, where she premiered her absolute delightful indie drama, Tired Moonlight, which took home the Narrative Jury prize. (I also interviewed her for Vita.mn.) Continue Reading