Author: Christy DeSmith

He looks like a cross between Buck Owens and Morrissey—which, come to think of it, is a fairly apt description of the Chris Isaak sound. Whether you were drawn in by that bare-chested babe who pranced about the video for his biggest hit to date, “Wicked Game,” or genuinely fell for the man’s ethereal, rockabilly, and surf-styled ballads, an Isaak concert is a virtual lock to be a smooth, stylish, and thoroughly date-friendly affair. In recent years he’s done some acting and cavorted with Hollywood’s most reliable nip-slipper, Bai Ling, but with the release of last year’s Best of Chris Isaak CD, the finest of quavering troubadours seems to be once again turning his attention to what he does best. 651-989-5151; www.suemclean.com

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?” 2821 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis; 612-871-0050; www.bushisbadminneapolis.com

A quartet of the state’s most compelling pieces of choreography come together in this sixth annual snapshot of the Minnesota dance community. An early standout this year is Our Perfectly Wonderful Lives, a riff on the allure of superstardom by one of our favorite physical-theater troupes, Off-Leash Area Contemporary Performance Works. Co-director Paul Herwig says the story involves “three characters happily skipping down the road to disaster with absolute willingness and smiles on their faces.” It uses Andy Warhol’s biography as a rough launching point, weaving together dance, theater, and even visual art—including a giant tinfoil recreation of Warhol’s Factory. Co-presented by the Walker Art Center and the Southern Theater. 612-340-0155; www.southerntheater.org

Master puppeteer Michael Sommers and his itinerant troupe are spending the summer gigging at local libraries and parks, as well as residential driveways, with two offerings: The Adventures of Katie Tomatie and Little Grandpa’s Big Adventure. They’re traveling light, with entire hand-painted sets and most of their characters—handmade puppets, that is—packed into single suitcases, but they don’t skimp on the best qualities of theater: spirited performances, delightful screwball characters, and live accordion music. Sommers’s sly, dark humor may fly under the radar with kids, but certainly sweetens the pot for older audience members. Best of all, this low-tech gypsy brand of theater becomes all the more magical when viewed under open summer skies. Check the Open Eye website for detailed listings. 612-823-5162; www.openeyetheatre.org

Hands down, this retelling of the ’75 flick Monty Python and the Holy Grail is the Broadway hit of the decade. Its success owes to the Pythons’ pioneering formula—sketch comedy bits on flatulence, effeminate Frenchmen, and such—which, in turn, has attracted the loyal patronage of a most atypical theatergoer: the heterosexual white man aged thirty-five or thereabouts. But this production is an unapologetically slapstick, frisky, and therefore supremely escapist entertainment for all demographics. This touring production features an all-new cast of King Arthur and his knights in tights, as the original blockbuster is still going strong on Broadway. Nevertheless, the ersatz proves as popular as the first: Already Spamalot’s twenty-four St. Paul shows are nearly sold out. 651-224-4222; www.ordway.org

This summer, those trapped in the concrete jungle seek relief by wearing nature on their T-shirts. Hot styles include a silhouetted flock of birds hovering over an oak tree, and baroque, often airbrushed, images of dense forests and meadow grasses. As one who rode the crest of this trend, how does botanist-cum-T-shirt designer Sarah Nassif react? “I was really bummed at first,” said the thirty-four-year-old, who, three years ago, turned her passions for plants and apparel into a business called Rectangle Designs. “But,” she added, “images of plants have always figured into textile design, which I think is an interesting almanac of what’s going on.”

Nassif, whose goods are found in boutiques nationwide (including the Design Collective in Uptown and Truly… in White Bear Lake), points out that she is “focused on reproducing actual images from nature—not sketching.” That’s why she carries a digital camera, whether she’s hiking along the West River Parkway in her Minneapolis neighborhood or traipsing about her hometown of Portland, Oregon. Her favorite subjects include ginkgo trees (“They’re sort of ancient, like a living fossil”) and Queen Anne’s lace. She converts her digital images into monotones, then manually screen-prints them onto canvas clutches, soft cotton tees, and, recently—in keeping with the current fashions—extra-long tanks. But Nassif’s love of nature doesn’t extend to a taste for humdrum hues like “oatmeal” and “buff.” Her latest collection pairs black with magenta and even buttercup yellow over lavender. “I think Mother Nature would approve of these not-seen-in-nature color combinations,” she said. —Christy DeSmith

Chiropractors were the first to sound the alarm. Now, some women have answered by tossing aside their gargantuan handbags in favor of miniature versions. Clutches seem to be the most popular of these pint-sized purses; after all, they represent the natural progression from big to small, as their shapeless, hobo-esque forms echo that of the steadfastly popular duffel. Itsy-bitsy alpaca bags and billfolds with hand-stitched embroidery and beadwork are also popular around these parts, as are molded leather “box” bags and pocketbooks attached to shoulder straps.

While this new smattering of small bags will do much to appease the spinal specialists, a further development in fashion forecasting takes this load-lightening trend in a whole new direction. Not so long ago, any self-respecting woman would have recoiled from the thought of wearing something outré as the posture-friendly fanny pack. This summer, however, the area’s forward-looking boutiques are stocking up on the belted pouches in anticipation of a fall comeback. Rest assured: These will not be fanny packs of the Velcro, nylon, and neon varieties. Rather, the season’s most fetching models sport muted tones and come replete with heavy-metal adornments like oversized buckles and coin-purse clasps, just like their monster-bag counterparts.

Read Christy DeSmith’s fashion blog, Hook & Eye.