MUSIC
The Chris Isaak show at the Minnesota Zoo is sold out this evening, but you’ve got a couple other great options. Catch Rocco Deluca with The Last Goodnight and the lovely Sara Bareilles tonight at The Fine Line Music Café, or let a little O’Reagan into your soul.
From Leatherwoods to Jayhawks to Free Bird
Shortly after Tim O’Reagan’s arrival from Kansas in ’88, it became clear that this Leatherwoods drummer was something special. While other members of the band were singing about eight-balls and dicks, O’Reagan shyly smiled over his drumsticks as he proclaimed himself a happy man in that upbeat Marvin-Gaye style of his. Quiet though he was, it was no surprise when O’Reagan continued on to fame with The Jayhawks as the other Leatherwoods fizzled out. Almost two decades later — with a touch more irony, a sprinkling of Dylanesque grit, and an overlooked solo debut — O’Reagan retains his understated manner. He advances quietly, slips in through the back door in the true fashion of a drummer, and consistently delivers solid performances. And bam, one day you wake up and he’s a true pop star.
Friday at 9 p.m., 400 Bar, 400 Cedar Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-332-2903; $12.
THEATER & PERFORMANCE – PUPPETS by Danielle Kurtzleben
The Mother of All Enemies
You probably know Paul Zaloom as Beakman from the early-’90s kids’ science show Beakman’s World. This is a shame, since the man is a jack-of-all-trades — a political satirist, performance artist, filmmaker, as well as a wicked puppeteer with a whole mess of theatre awards to his name. Tonight., he brings his latest shadow puppet show, The Mother of All Enemies to the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre. Relentlessly of-the-moment, Mother of All Enemies is a comedy about the adventures of Karagoz, “an Arab, secular humanist / Quaker / Buddhist / agnostic / political refugee / immigrant / queer / artist / weirdo” (per the Heart of the Beast website) who is pursued by everyone from the Israeli secret service to Christian ex-gay activists. This is a one night performance only, so don’t put it off.
Friday at 7:30 p.m., Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre, 1500 E. Lake St., Minneapolis; 612-721-2535; $15.
Barebones Dumpster Duels
Also on the puppetry agenda for the weekend is the Barebones Dumpster Duels 2007, a 48-hour contest of theater teams who will write, build, and present a performance art spectacle using puppets, props, and sets made from the contents of dumpsters filled with scavenged materials and actual trash. The event begins on Friday, at 6:30 p.m., with a kick-off ceremony. Cheer your teams on and stop by throughout the weekend to see how they’re doing. Then be sure to go back on Sunday, at 6:30 p.m., for an outdoor performance of the pieces. I imagine it’ll be quite wacky.
Kick-off ceremony Friday at 6:30 p.m., performances Sunday at 6:30 p.m., Bedlam Theatre, 1501 6th St. S., next to the Cedar/Riverside LRT stop, Minneapolis; 612-341-1038; free.
THEATER & PERFORMANCE – MUSICAL by Christy DeSmith
The Musical Cure for the Blue State Blues
The cabaret-style musical Bush Is Bad opens this evening. Regardless of all the reports about beleaguered Republican politicians, it’s liberals who’ve recently been found, by Pew Research Center pollsters, to be “less happy” than their compatriots at the other end of the political spectrum. This madcap musical was created in hopes of cheering them up. Joshua Rosenblum, a New York City-based composer/lyricist, channeled seven years of angst into this comic revue, whose cast lampoons the likes of Dick Cheney, Condi Rice, Ann Coulter, and, of course, our hapless Commander in Chief. The raucous (not to mention vicious) libretto features such memorable lyrics as “Won’t somebody give this guy a blowjob so we can impeach him?”
Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m., Old Arizona Theater, 2821 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis; 612-871-0050; $25 (students/seniors/groups $20).
COMEDY
Roadtrip USA – The Worst Places in America
Multimedia is the name of the game these days. No doubt about it. It’s no longer enough just to write a book; now you have to perform it as well — or something like that. San Francisco writer and performer Harmon Leon serves up a multimedia comedy performance this evening to promote and supplement his latest book — and just to make you laugh. To commemorate the 25th anniversary of National Lampoon’s Vacation this year, National Lampoon sent Leon on a road trip to what they considered to be some of the worst places in the country. (I can’t wait to see what qualifies as a bad place to National Lampoon.) The result was Leon’s latest book, National Lampoon’s Roadtrip USA, and now a comedic performance piece that includes videos from his trip. Yes, I guess he’s a videographer too. Is there anything this man can’t do?!
Saturday and Sunday at 7 p.m., Bryant Lake Bowl, 810 West Lake St., Minneapolis; 612-825-3737; $10-$15 (students $8).
ART & CARS
ArtCar Parade
Surely you’ve seen some of the strange “artsy” cars around town. I’ve seen cars painted with daisies, cars covered in bottle caps, and cars with strange sculptures protruding from the roof. And of course, I’ve always wondered… why? Perhaps I’ve finally found my answer. (Truth is, this is probably not the reason, but that’s ok; it’s reason enough to justify it in my mind.) This weekend is the 13th annual CarSoup.com ArtCar Parade. Don’t miss this community-wide celebration of creativity that takes art out of the galleries and onto the streets. Do you have an ArtCar of your own? Rev up your engines and get ready to burn rubber, at 10 miles per hour. Staging begins on 28th, between Hennepin and Emerson Avenues, at noon on Saturday. Otherwise, just line up along Hennepin and watch the spectacle at 2 p.m. Cars will remain parked at Intermedia Arts for public viewing after the parade. See here for Friday Pre-Parade events, as well.
Saturday at 2 p.m., Hennepin to Lyndale Ave. S. on 28th St., Minneapolis; 612-871-4444; free.
FESTIVALS
Cumbia con Chicharrón
July 20th is Colombian Independence Day, so on Saturday — the day after — Maria’s Cafe will be celebrating its seventh annual Colombian Independence Festival with live entertainment, dancing and dance groups, typical Colombian food, and plenty of beer with which to lube those hinges. Acts include DJ Henry “El Caleño,” musical duo Leo and Kathy Lara, Rumba Eterna, Colombian dancers Fuego Latino, and the Robert Everest Expedition. Get ready to swing those hips, baby. Prove to me that Minnesotans aren’t all flat-footed.
3-9 p.m., Ancient Traders Market Plaza, 11th Ave. & Franklin Ave., Minneapolis; 612-870-9842; free.
Aquatennial RiverBlast & Fireworks
The 2007 Minneapolis Aquatennial comes to a head this weekend with Saturday night’s firework spectacular. This is better than the 4th of July, folks. According to the Aquatennial website, it’s actually the fourth largest fireworks show in the country. What does that mean? Biggest bang? Most fuses? Broadest palette? We’re talking more than 10,000 pounds of explosives and 45 miles of wire. Damn! Start out in the early evening with the KOOL 108 RiverBlast along West River Road – live entertainment, food, and fun for the whole family. Then find a place to settle in for a flashy display of pyrotechnics. The fireworks will be set off from the 3rd Avenue Bridge, so find a good spot near St. Anthony Main, on Nicollet Island, or by the Lock and Dam along the river banks.
Riverblast Saturday and Sunday from 6-10:30 p.m., fireworks Saturday around 10 p.m., West River Road, along the Mississippi River, Minneapolis; free.
FILM
Quick Movie Line-up
Looking for movies and openings this weekend? Rescue Dawn opens tonight at the Uptown. Lady Chatterley opens tonight at the Edina. Joshua and Cashback open tonight at the Lagoon. Casino Royale shows outdoors tonight at the St. Paul Central Library. And Better off Dead shows Saturday at midnight at the Uptown. Enjoy!
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