There seem to be an awful lot of things going on today, so be sure to spend your time wisely. If you're feeling decadent (and financially secure) head to downtown Minneapolis for the opening of r. Norman's, a new steakhouse on Hennepin. Tonight's opening is actually a benefit for Hennepin Theatre Trust, so your decadence will do some good for the theater community. If you have kids, or you happen to love children's theater, then check out Freedom Train, at O'Shaughnessy. And if you're half the Tom Waits fan I am, you'll take a break from this email to buy your tickets to Warm Beer, Cold Women, the Waits tribute opening at the Guthrie this evening.
BOOKS & AUTHORS
Politics Without Words — an Interesting Prospect
We all know from Billy Joel
and Rage Against the Machine that music can be political. But
what about music without words? In her book
Symphonic Aspirations: German Music and Politics, 1900-1945, Professor Karen Painter argues
that symphonic music can and does play a role in politics. Painter
will be discussing her fascinating ideas today at the University
of Minnesota Bookstore. Join her as
she leads a discussion about the use of music as propaganda during WWI
and WWII, and how music can be much more political than it appears. You may discover that the messages that instruments convey may not be
so abstract after all. —Kate Leibfried
4 p.m., University of Minnesota Bookstore, Coffman Memorial Union, 300 Washington Ave. S.E., Minneapolis; 612-626-0559; free.
MUSIC BENEFIT
Heart to Heart
Get your own heart racing as
you rock out to protect the hearts of others. The Fine Line is
sponsoring their Heart to Heart concert tonight to help raise
money for children with heart disease in the developing world.
And did I mention there's a rock show? Popular local performers —
including Hookers and Blow, Billy Johnson, and Atomic
Flea — will be donating their time and talent to support this Heartlink campaign. Buy a ticket, listen to some great
live music, and help support a great cause. General admission ($35) includes a drink and appetizers, but if you really want to
put your heart and soul into this event, buy a VIP ticket ($60) and enjoy cocktails and appetizers throughout the
night, a ticket to the 9 p.m. show, and exclusive seating. Happy
hearts guaranteed! —Kate Leibfried
5 -8:30 p.m. (VIP show at 9 p.m.), Fine Line Music Café, 318 1st Ave. N., Minneapolis; 612-338-8100; $35, VIP $60.
DANCE
Estampas Porteña: Tango Fire
Can you feel the heat?
The sizzling performance of Tango Fire, by the Argentinean group
Estampas Porteñas, will leave you hot, hot, hot. This aptly
named performance will lead you through the riveting history of tango,
the world's most alluring and exciting dance. Prepare to be
seduced as ten stunning dancers and a group of brilliant musicians perform
five different tango styles, including the fast-paced, heart-thumping
milonga, and the contemporary tango, which incorporates acrobatic stunts
and leaps. A ticket to this passion-filled performance would also
make the perfect early Valentine's Day gift for someone you love.
For further fiery fun, check out the Milonga tango party immediately
following the show. If you want to learn how to put a little sizzle
in your step, the Tango Society of Minnesota will give free tango lessons
in the Northrop lobby. Stay until 1 a.m. and dance the night away
to Mandragora Tango, a collective of Minneapolis tango
musicians. No mamacita or caballero is going to want to miss this! —Kate Leibfried
7:30 p.m., Northrop Auditorium, 84 Church St. S.E., Minneapolis; 652-393-2837; $31-$52.
Consider your night completely
planned. The Oak Street Cinema is serving up a scoop of music sprinkled
with a generous helping of video and an after party on top. Start the evening off with 
If music videos aren't exactly
your cup of tea, fear not. There is another option tonight for
people who march to the beat of a different drummer...or violinist. Orchestra Hall is proud to present 
The history of literature—up to and including the stuff piled on the
new arrivals tables at your local bookstore—is crammed with oddballs
and anachronisms. That said, it’s still a rare novel that can take such
raw materials and make something truly funny, compelling, and moving
out of them. Based on the early reports, 
Do all ideas deserve protection? Can and should people say or even
publish whatever is on their mind? Should there be some kind of limit
to free speech? Author, media historian, professor 
Sometime you just have to see an exhibit because the title is far too seductive to pass up. 
It's noir Monday at the Parkway! Today they're serving up a dose of crime, violence, and revenge in the dark 1960s film 
He has been called the world's finest kora player. He has gained international acclaim. He has performed all around the world. He's here. 
Blunt, brutal, to-the-point honesty can be pretty rare in politics, but that
is exactly what Glenn Hurowitz delivers in his candid book called
Fear and Courage in the Democratic Party. Hurowitz is a journalist,
political commentator and the president of the Democratic Courage political
action committee. He is also fed up with the status quo.
Hurowitz' book is frank conversation about the watering-down of Democratic
politics and the trepidation most Dems have to stray too far from the
comfortable middle ground. Fear and Courage in the Democratic
Party is also a call for change. Citing courageous politicians
such as the late Paul Wellstone, Hurowitz encourages Dems to fight for
what they believe in and to resist being "spineless weasels" like
some politicians. Join Hurowitz as he discusses his book today
at Magers and Quinn at 7:30 pm. Politics have rarely been hotter. —Kate Leibfried
Ever wonder how big a hand the 
In terms of wank-out psychedelia, this Buffalo, New York-based jam
band is more peyote than purple microdot: organic, smooth, and offering
a slightly shorter trip than the 
As I'm told, the guitar and the piano are the only two instruments on which you can play both a harmony and a melody simultaneously. If you work it right, it's like... making a woman sing. OK, that's ridiculous. But if we had let ourselves go with it, we'd have to point out that both instruments have feminine curves. Of course, the guitar is much more fun to hold. Guitar lovers, head out to 
Truth be told, I've never met a Native American artist with only one art. It seems the singer can bead, the drummer can sing, the writer can dance, the storyteller can paint, the dancer can drum. In this case, he does it all... pretty much. Kevin Locke has performed in over 70 countries, as a flutist, a storyteller, and a dancer. Come see him this Sunday with his Native Dance Ensemble.