The Rake: Recent articles and posts

A Midsummer Night's Festival in the Park

Kate Iverson — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:53:17 -0500

FESTIVALS
Midsummer Festival

Come party with The Center for Independent Artists at this creativity-fueled neighborhood festival tonight! Fun for kids and adults alike,

July 23, 2008: Dolly

Jimmy Gaines — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:19:13 -0500

Art Cars!

Christina Schmid — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 08:52:15 -0500

Prelude: A friend--and faithful supporter of this blog--recently told me to consider taking more risks online. So, following this piece of advice, I offer you an essay about cars, hoping not to step on fellow blogger and serious car enthusiast Chris Birt's toes. A disclaimer: apart from driving them, I am not "into" cars. I think of them as gas-guzzling necessities that get me from point A to point B in case those two points are too far apart to bike.

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Story of the Sea

Erin Roof — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:32:33 -0500
Thirty seconds is my guess. The generation of 20-something over-stimulated technophiles has notoriously short attention spans, fitting snugly within the confines of rapidly flashing images in 30-second commercials, mind-numbing YouTube videos, maniacal iPod shuffling and ever shifting favoritism to "bands of the hour." But some musicians have managed to cash in on our generational ADD. Girl Talk is the best example.
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Bruno Making His Rounds

Melinda Jacobs — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:09:33 -0500

Okay, so the above pic is not Bruno, but is the same (Morkie) breed. Could be a cousin. Or future ladyfriend?
Click on the video below to see "Grandma" Mel and her three --rather well-behaved-- pups in action. Note: Bruno is the tiniest (by far) and yet seems to run the show...

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Judging a Book by its (Back) Cover

Max Ross — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:28:40 -0500

I've been taught to trust blurbs about as far as I can throw them, which is roughly about as far as I can throw a book, which is not very far, because I am quite weak, my muscles haveing been described as sauce-like. In fact, the word blurb seems related, if only alliteratively, to the word blog - maybe both should be regarded with about the same amount of seriousness.
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A Gourmet Version of the State Fair

Kate Iverson — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:03:55 -0500

WINE & DINE
Taste of the Twin Cities Originals

Are your eyes bigger than your stomach? Put it to the test tonight at the Taste of the Twin Cities Originals extravaganza where there will be so much to try that you may not be
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July 22, 2008: Cleanin' It Up For Mom? Ehh...

Jimmy Gaines — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 01:19:42 -0500

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A Book for Locals who Love Being Local

Jill Yablonski — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:28:29 -0500
With a few novels under his belt, Minneapolis literatus Bart Schneider tackles a type of local mystery fiction that swings somewhere between the present and the future...the very, very near future.
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The Naschmarkt: Vienna's Outdoor Market

Jeremy Iggers — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 05:17:21 -0500

"Probieren Sie mal, Herr Professor," says the guy behind the counter at the market stall, as he holds out a freshly fried felafel ball. "Have a taste." (I guess the beard and glasses make me look like a Herr Professor.) A few feet away, another vendor holds out a green olive on a toothpick. Strolling through the Naschmarkt, Vienna's open air market, is like running a gastronomic gauntlet. The market stretches out for about a mile through the heart of the city, with scores of vendors on either side of narrow pedestrian walkways.
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Kevin Mahogany Channels Big Joe Turner

Kate Iverson — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 13:01:05 -0500

MUSIC
Kevin Mahogany Sings Big Joe Turner

Mahogany’s resemblance to Turner is more physical than vocal. While matching Big Joe’s large, expansive frame, Mahogany is more dulcet crooner than blues shouter, closer in spirit to another vocalist he feted four years ago on his Mahogany Music label, Johnny Hartman. But Mahogany did play a Turner-Jimmy Rushing composite in Robert Altman’s
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When Mr. Right Throws a Left

Chris Birt — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 21:28:10 -0500

And now for part two of my review on This Sporting Life. Because you play sports like I do, I realize your time is short and you do not favor a Freudian analysis of the film's finer points. And really, don't all rush to read this; the first part of my review was so extensively read that the the servers might shut down again.
Here is a short Monkeywrench review:
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July 21, 2008: The Future Was Saturday

Jimmy Gaines — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 03:09:42 -0500

Click Here To Watch The Original Forecast From February 13th

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Nine Inch Nails

Kate Iverson — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 10:13:26 -0500
The new Trent Reznor isn’t for everybody, including a large portion of his established fan base, who cherished the obsessive perfectionist who pushed the industrial-punk envelope with vintage stuff like Pretty Hate Machine and The Downward Spiral. But after waiting at least five years apiece to put out his first three discs, the sex symbol of brutal gloom has ripped out four or five (decide for yourself if Remix qualifies) since 2005, and two this year alone.
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Vans Warped Tour 2008

Kate Iverson — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 10:23:31 -0500
Less than twelve hours after Nine Inch Nails wraps up, you can roll out of bed and head out to Canterbury Park for VWT, the extravaganza all the snarly-snarky-kewl skate-punks love to disdain. And there’s plenty to curl your lip at, what with 76 bands on the docket (no lie) and a much broader cross-section than the original thrash gatherings. You’ve got the gamut from commercial pop breakthroughs like Katy Perry, to rappers like MURS to ska-punkers like Reel Big Fish to earnest (and must-see) rockers such as Against Me!
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Attitude City Yacht Club 2008

Kate Iverson — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 10:32:42 -0500

A glimmering Minneapolis night on the water. And fireworks. What could be more perfect? Attitude City’s Third Annual Yacht Club sets sail July 26th for a night of dancing and celebration on the Mississippi River.

Boarding begins at 9:15 pm at Boom Island Park. Pre-boarding drinks will be served at the Northeast Yacht Club starting at 7 pm. After the largest charter yacht sets sail, music by DJs Karl Frankowski and Jeff Dubois with special guest Mike the 2600 King will rock the night away until the Aquatennial fireworks light up the sky.

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Midsummer Festival

Kate Iverson — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 10:36:38 -0500
Just about anyone can be an artist when the Center for Independent Artists hosts the Midsummer Festival on Wednesday, July 23 in South Minneapolis. The festival will feature welding, Afro-Cuban drumming, a T-Shirt studio, performances, free ice cream and more.

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Jenny Dalton's Multimedia Showcase

Kate Iverson — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 10:49:19 -0500

The best of the 48 Hour Film Festival will be showcased at Bryant Lake Bowl when Jenny Dalton takes the stage for her second annual performance. She will be joined by former Cloud Cult members Dan Greenwood on drums and Maria Stemm on bass. Local folk heroine Eliza Blue and El Perdido will also appear at the show, which starts at 7 pm July 24th.

Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door. Advance tickets are recommended. Sponsored by Radio K. For more information, visit www.bryantlakebowl.com.

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CSS

Kate Iverson — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 10:52:16 -0500
Brazilian band Cansei de Ser Sexy (otherwise known as CSS) will make a stop at First Avenue on July 30th to promote their new album *Donkey*, which will hit stores July 21st.

The Go! Team with Matt and Kim and Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head will be appearing with the up-and-coming South American group, sponsored by 89.3 The Current. The show starts at 8 pm in the Main Room. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased in advance at www.first-avenue.com.
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Calling For Mr. Franken

Jill Yablonski — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:18:59 -0500

Located on a hellish strip of University Avenue in St. Paul, the utilitarian structure sports the name of the candidate - a name which sparks equal amounts of love, hatred and a lot of stuff in between. The drab walls within, like those for any campaign headquarters, are sprinkled here and there with images of the contender, whose mug, for over thirty years, has graced TV screens, movie screens, book covers, placards, post cards, and, yes, perhaps, even mugs.
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Pitching Coach Rick Anderson on the Kids in the Twins Rotation

Britt Robson — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:44:07 -0500

_{Jeff Roberson/AP}
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Recent Hoops News

Britt Robson — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 14:41:51 -0500

Timberwolves Resign Craig Smith
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Arts Up in Arms: The MIA Attempts to Quell the Rumors this Saturday

Kate Iverson — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:19:13 -0500

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July 18, 2008: Congratulations, Kid

Jimmy Gaines — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 04:00:48 -0500

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July 17, 2008: Piece It Together

Jimmy Gaines — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 19:19:45 -0500

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Beer, Brats, and The Government Inspector

Kate Iverson — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 22:21:41 -0500

SPECIAL EVENT
Beer, Brats and Bribery

What's better than sitting in the shade of the modern marvel that is the Guthrie Theater while enjoying a picturesque view of the mighty Mississip, a juicy gourmet brat and an ice cold Summit beer? Not much, say I! The last patio party I went to at the Guthrie was a breezy and
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As The World Burns

Jill Yablonski — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 23:23:17 -0500

The Dark Knight is an impossibly good crime drama, populated with memorable characters and constructed with textured ideas about morality and justice and society's ability to effectively mete it out against the world's evils. It is an instant classic for comic book fans and is one of the most intensely entertaining films in years.
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Vienna: A lot more than just Wienerschnitzel

Jeremy Iggers — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 04:48:48 -0500

Zum Alten Fassl, a typical Viennese tavern-restaurant. Image from Zum Alten Fassl website.
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Asher's Land

Jill Yablonski — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:45:38 -0500

I just got back with a shitload of red lights. You know, Christmas lights, my wife calls them twinkie lights. At the junk store they were 20 cents a box, dirt cheap, so I bought 170 boxes. 100 lights to a box, that's a shitload of lights.
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All Hopped Up on Russian Rye

Jill Yablonski — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:29:19 -0500
I could tell jokes about Tsarist Russians all day long, so I'll just leave it to the folks at the Guthrie's Wurtele Thrust Stage, where a new adaptation of Nikolai Gogol's 19th century comedy The Government Inspector runs through August 24.
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Muja Messiah's Debut Album

Max Ross — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:15:59 -0500

"Don't wait for the critics to jump on this dude before you start giving it up," says everybody's favorite Albino rhymer, Brother Ali. He's speaking about Muja Messiah, the latest local rapper to make a big splash in the national underground hip-hop scene. "Muja is the shit. The man is right with his."
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Monkeywrench Movie Review. Part One.

Chris Birt — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:11:47 -0500

I am a gearhead, or as they say across the pond, a "petrolhead." While this ostensibly disqualifies me from writing a movie review, my British friends think otherwise. Particularly if I am writing about British films.
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Hot in the City: All Music Wednesday!

Kate Iverson — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 22:53:46 -0500

MUSIC
Health

Experimental electro rockers Health take over the 7th Street Entry tonight for a show that will most likely be packed to the gills with hipsters in fanny packs and neon sunglasses.
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July 16, 2008: Hey CJ!

Jimmy Gaines — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 23:54:32 -0500

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All-Star Break Books Edition

Max Ross — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 10:18:36 -0500

Skol, baby.

The Twins' Justin Morneau fairly dominated all-star weekend, first winning the Home Run Derby (even if Josh Hamilton broke the record for most dingers in a single round), and then, in the bottom of the 15th inning of the All-Star Game, he tagged up on a sacrifice fly to right and hustled his buns to score the winning run, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief because they could finally go to bed.

Skol.
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Nostalgia and the Irregular Lens

Collier White — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:14:10 -0500

Reclaimed Memory at Rogue Buddha through July 27^th and
Dots and Loops at Midway Contemporary Art through August 2^nd

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The Marconi Brothers Take Over the Lagoon

Kate Iverson — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:14:55 -0500

FILM
The Marconi Bros

I love independent film, and I love it even more when it's free! Come on down to the Lagoon tonight for a screening of The Marconi Bros, a side-splitting comedy produced right here in Minnesota. Directors
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July 15, 2008: Worse Than Obama's New Yorker Cover?

Jimmy Gaines — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 21:03:45 -0500

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Fake Out Fest

Erin Roof — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 10:30:49 -0500
Fake Sonny has that deer in the headlights look. The right side of his mustache is slowly slipping down to rest on his bottom lip, looking like a venomous breed of wooly caterpillar. It doesn't take long for audience members to notice. They erupt in gut-breaking cackles at poor fake Sonny's expense. This mockery is not undeserved, being that he did break rule number one of fake mustache wearing-make sure fake mustache is properly affixed.
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For Die-Hards Only: Vegas In Mid-July

Britt Robson — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:52:24 -0500

_{Garrett W. Ellwood/NBAE/Getty Images}
The best way to sucker me into watching something like the Wolves-Mavs Summer League tilt in Vegas last night is to give me another deadline upon which to procrastinate. That was the situation, and thus here are my thumbnail takes on a meaningless game that may still have a tea leaf or two worth parsing over.
Biggest disappointment: The shot selection and accuracy of Corey Brewer.
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Basilica Party All Blocked Up

Erin Roof — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:07:39 -0500
DAY ONE

The warnings start off nicely enough, with the Basilica Block Party MC kindly asking people to stand further away from the stage, you know, for fear of electrocution or something.

Then it is, "Ladies and gentlemen, if you're worried about getting wet, you can go in the parking lot or go in the church. If you go in the church, you better say a prayer." That quickly morphs into the pleasantly shouted, "Head into the parking lot!" Then, essentially, "RUN FOR YOUR LIIIIIIVES!"
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Movies and Music Return to Loring Park

Kate Iverson — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 21:39:19 -0500

MUSIC
Movies and Music in the Park featuring The Alarmists

This annual tradition is one of my favorites. I still remember my first
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I Freak Danced a Stormtrooper

Kate Iverson — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 23:01:25 -0500

If you happened to read my last article, you've probably already pigeonholed me as a sci-fi geek. While that much is true, I'm also an art, music, and Photoshop geek, among other things. I use the term loosely because in my mind a "geek" is someone who obsesses on any given topic with unabashed over-interest to the point of social questionability. I personally find this endearing. At any rate, last weekend, my understanding of the word "geek" took on a whole new depth.
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July 14, 2008: Weather Robot: Pimpin'

Jimmy Gaines — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 01:01:19 -0500

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Gastronomy in Germany? Ja, Sicher!

Jeremy Iggers — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 01:40:53 -0500

photo: diners in Bad Lauterberg listen to the bawdy stories of Fra Davolo
Goettingen, Germany. Most people don't come to this German university town in search of great cuisine, and I didn't either. I came because my father is recovering from quintuple bypass surgery at a clinic near here.
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Kevin Mahogany Sings Big Joe Turner

Kate Iverson — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 10:26:12 -0500
Mahogany’s resemblance to Turner is more physical than vocal. While matching Big Joe’s large, expansive frame, Mahogany is more dulcet crooner than blues shouter, closer in spirit to another vocalist he feted four years ago on his Mahogany Music label, Johnny Hartman. But Mahogany did play a Turner-Jimmy Rushing composite in Robert Altman’s film, Kansas City, and as recently as last year was playing Turner tribute gig at Birdland in New York with the likes of saxophonist Red Holloway and pianist Cyrus Chestnut.
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Bill Maher

Kate Iverson — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 10:33:08 -0500
Maybe the best thing about Maher is his refusal to be pigeonholed, his keen negotiation of the difference between unorthodoxy and hypocrisy.
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Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis

Britt Robson — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:40:45 -0500

_{Joe Fornabaio}
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An Existential Miscommunication

Max Ross — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:42:40 -0500

I live over by Kenwood Elementary School...and steal their wireless Internet signal from time to time...somewhat by accident...Anyway, they've been doing a lot of construction on the school this summer. Right now they're working on replacing the windows, I think, and there's a big yellow cherry picker that goes up and down the side of the building, and a guy who takes out the old frames and puts in the new ones and then, I imagine, eventually washes the panes.
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In the Woods

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:57:57 -0500
It's often said that you can't go back, but sometimes it would be wise at least to try. A murder detective with a forgotten past is at the center of Tana French's tense debut novel In the Woods - a man whose lost memories collide with the present in what should have been an open-and-close case.
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