I’ve always been fond of Tuesdays — perhaps because they are simply not Mondays, perhaps because they are so oft ignored. Give it some credit for once, folks. Give it a chance to impress you. Everyone deserves that.
FILM
Whet Your Appetite
Start the evening with a quirky visual appetizer — and one worth watching, at that. Head straight from work to the Walker. Take a little stroll around the galleries a while if it’s still early. (The quicker you can wrap up work, the sooner you can begin.) A couple of Michael Gondry short films will be screened every half hour during gallery hours, starting at noon. Be sure to stop and watch them. La Lettre is a 14-minute black-and-white film about a boy who experiences first love behind the lens of a camera. (The final awakening reminds me of my own life.) The finishing touch is the 3-minute, color film, Three Dead People. You actually have a couple months to go see them, but why wait? They’re just a little sampling to work up your appetite for the upcoming film restrospective, Michel Gondry: The Science of Dreams, which begins May 11th. I’m sure you’ll hear more about that later. Look, I can’t support blatant recluse behavior — it’s simply not healthy — but if you really just can’t make it, then don’t miss out completely. Watch La Lettre here. Maybe it’ll inspire you to get to his approaching feature screenings.
Every 30 minutes, Walker Art Center, 1750 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; 612-375-7600; free with cost of gallery admission.
DINING
Sometimes the Best Option Is Right in Front of You
Once you’ve seen the films, go get a bite to eat to pleasure yourself a bit and stop your stomach from rumbling during your next event. This next event couldn’t be closer, so why leave? You’ve got Wolfgang Puck’s 20.21 Restaurant & Bar right there. Don’t overdo it. This is a good place to share a couple of simple pleasures. It’s true — it’s cliche and every place has it, but the tuna sashimi is a no fail choice. Play it safe with that and go crazy with another option. If it’s not yet 7 p.m., you can always have dessert. (Don’t worry, just because you have dessert now doesn’t mean you can’t eat more later.) And if you have a drink or two, this might be the time for the first espresso. (OK. OK. It’s seldom a good idea to have caffeine at night. — but then sometimes it is.)
5:30 p.m., 20.21, Walker Art Center, 1750 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; 612-375-7600.
and then onto your next fare…
LECTURE AND VIDEO
Becoming an Internet Phenomenon
One of the most interesting and baffling things about the Internet is the seemingly random way certain works and certain people rapidly rise to Internet stardom. The Internet is an incredible distribution mechanism. Artists can now get their work seen and their voices heard across the world — often with the help of free “services” such as YouTube, Blip.TV, Flickr, MN Artists, blogs, social networking, and more. Hear from artists and organizations that have had success getting their work seen and heard on the Internet: Kathleen Kvern, Hans Eisenbeis, David DeYoung, Emma Berg, Nate Schroeder, Mike Fotis, and Chuck Olson. (photo)
7-9 p.m., Walker Art Center, 1750 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; 612-375-7600; free.
I hate to suggest this — really I do! — but you might want to leave just before the last person speaks. Ouch! Did I really say that? Look, the truth is… you might just have to decide which event is more important and then choose one or the other. That’s the reasonable things to do (which, as far as I’m concerned, is one more reason not to do it). Anyhow, I’m sure they’ll have some amount of dialogue and questions at the end, so just head out a bit early — without causing a stir — and make a b-line for the Dakota for the evening’s star performance.
MUSIC
Music with Shape and Texture
You can listen to Theolonius Monk CDs all day and all night. You can close your eyes. You can let his music carry you away. You can imagine his fingers churning over and over again on that keyboard. But you’re just not going to see it live ever again. You’re just not going to live it, see it, breath it — what it was to see him perform. But you can come close. Whew! That’s a lot to say. But really, I’m certainly not the first to say it. Ahmad Jamal is probably one of the most artful pianists in the country. If you appreciate the piano even just a bit — and how could you not? — you mustn’t miss him.
7 and 9 p.m., The Dakota, 1010 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis; 612-332-1010; $40 and $25.
THEATER AND PERFORMANCE
For the Children, by the Children, with the Children
Still haven’t found what you’re looking for? (Well, then, you’re mad! No, really.) Perhaps you’re looking for some from-the-heart theater from the Chicago Avenue Project. While it certainly sounds like something we’ve all see 552 times already, Heard It Through The Grapevine is actually a rather unusual concept — a collection of eight short plays, each written by a local playwright for a specific child, and featuring that child alongside a professional adult actor. It’s bound to be fun.
4:30 and 7 p.m., Pillsbury House Theatre, 3501 Chicago Ave S., Minneapolis, 612-825-0459.
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