You’re either one of those people who are going to see The Police reunion at the Xcel Energy Center tonight, or you’re not. (That’s pert near rocket science for you.) If you’re not, then you can stroke your ego in a number of ways tonight as you mock those poor souls who are so desperately clinging to their past. OK, I exaggerate. It’s not exactly an REO Speedwagon concert, but still…
MUSIC
Mr. Beatnig Man
GenXers, for the perfect contemporary expression of your youth, drive south tonight to the Minnesota Zoo. (Ooo. That almost sounds dirty, doesn’t it?) Michael Franti has come a long way since his power-tool-playing days, but those industrial punk beginnings still shine through. Truth is, Franti has morphed more than once. While The Police will likely sound, at best, as they did two decades ago, I guarantee Franti won’t. The man has evolved. And the man has always chosen the most appropriate style of the time in which to decry the socio-political malaise: industrial punk in the 80s, hip hop in the early 90s, and his own more mature mix following that. Following the dissolution of The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, who opened for U2’s Zoo TV Tour, Franti formed his new band, Spearhead, and brought his music to an entirely new level, fusing his industrial and hip hop past into his own brand of funk soul reggae-tized poetics. (Ain’t no doubt about it, folks, men get sexier with age. And no, the double negative doesn’t cancel itself out.)
7:30 p.m., Minnesota Zoo Amphitheater, 13000 Zoo Boulevard, Apple Valley; 952-431-9200.
Surrender the Body, or Surrender the Mind
Which one are you going for: the body or the mind? We’re in Minnesota, my friend, so dot a little WD40 on those extra hinges and get to know your body a while. You need it. We all do. Maybe it comes from trudging through all that snow (what snow?), but we’re all just a little flat-footed. It’s time to do a little damage control in the great outdoors. The Minnesota Historical Society’s Nine Nights of Music begins this evening with Charanga Tropical, a nine-piece Cuban ensemble. Don’t be afraid to shake those hips. If you find yourself doing the twist instead of salsa, instructor Douglas Little will set you straight. And don’t be afraid of the rain. While a solid dance under the rain might be just what you need to awaken your slumbering sexiness, you’ll find yourself without music when the concert moves inside.
6:30 p.m., Minnesota Historical Society, 345 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul; 651-296-6126; free.
If you prefer to leave the body dormant and stimulate the mind a while, then skip the salsa and opt for some violin. School of Music alumni Milana Reiche and Angela Fuller (Bravo! alumna) will perform a recital this evening for the 2007 Bravo! Summer String and Keyboard Institute.
7:30 p.m., Lloyd Ultan Recital Hall, Ferguson Hall, University of Minnesota, 2106 4th St. S., Minneapolis; free.
BOOKS & AUTHORS
But, Mommy, It’s My Favorite Toy
Nobody, and I mean nobody, describes male adolescence better than Philip Roth. What man can’t relate to a book whose entire first third consists of an extended sequence of masturbation exploits involving sibling undergarments and mother-induced shame? Portnoy’s Complaint is a masterpiece of Jewish literature — a masterpiece of an kind, in fact. But this evening you can focus on its place within the scope of Jewish literature. Professor Maria Damon, faculty member at the University of Minnesota’s Center for Jewish Studies, will lead a discussion of Roth’s novel in an exploration of sex and love in Jewish literature. Tonight’s talk comes as part of the Let’s Talk About It: Jewish Literature series, developed by the American Library Association and Nextbook.
7 p.m., Highland Park Branch Library, 1974 Ford Parkway, Saint Paul; 651-366-6488; free.
FILM by Eeva-Liisa Waaraniemi
Nerdification
Act as if you don’t get to spend enough time in basements. Descend into the murky Dinkytowner Cafe for the monthly Cinema Slop. Don’t pay a cover charge. You’ll get 2-for-1 drinks, satisfying diner-like slop to eat, and most importantly, you’ll know deep inside that that’s not what you’re there for. No, you’ve come for some nerdifying filmertainment, and that’s okay because it’s cool to be nerdy these days. The blurb on the Cinema Slop website says it all: “Geek Out! Nerdlingers rejoice, for July brings a full evening of egghead entertainment: the unsuccessful pilots for Super Nerds and Welcome to Eltingville; followed by Mattel’s glorified toy commercial TV special, Computer Warriors; then a couple of representative episodes of the video-game game show, Starcade: and finally the video game movie to end all video game movies, 1989’s The Wizard. Huzzah!”
9 p.m., Dinkytowner Cafe, 412 14th Ave. S.E., Minneapolis; 612-362-0437.
FESTIVITIES by Eeva-Liisa Waaraniemi
Hop on the Fireworks Express
Experience an ancient mode of transportation — the choo-choo train (after what might be a long car ride)! On the day before July Fourth, the Osceola & St. Croix Valley Railway are taking riders on a 45-minute journey along the craggy bluffs of the St. Croix River on the Fireworks Express. The excursion begins at the Osceola depot. Once aboard, you’ll head to Marine on St. Croix, where you’ll disembark to watch fireworks. On the nighttime ride back to Osceola, expect to be chugged gently into a sleepy dreamland of yesteryear. Keep your eyes peeled for Casey Jones. Tickets are limited so call and reserve them in advance. If you enjoy the ride, you can come back tomorrow for a day ride. Celebrate the 4th with a holiday train ride (11:00 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.).
7 p.m., Osceola & St. Croix Valley Railway, 114 Depot Rd., Osceola, WI; 715-755-3570; $20.00 (children $12).
Leave a Reply