Rare Chinese Animal Born at the Zoo

Ok. This is just too funny to pass up. We just received a press release from the Minnesota Zoo, with some exciting — though strangely vague — news. The email reads as follows: For Immediate Release04.23.08 Rare Chinese Animal Born at the Minnesota Zoo News release & photo attached. Great, but what the heck animal … Read more

The Young Ones

It is commonly accepted that the population of Europe would be declining in a pretty startling way if not for constant immigration. Unlike Americans, the people of Western Europe are simply not having very many children. Who can blame them? These are heady days for the European economy and I assume the citizens who work … Read more

Living Room Chit Chat

Sitting in my living room, having a beer with a neighbor (and my love), and thought I’d share the chat. My neighbor, making small talk over his Corona Light, asks if we know that the Aborigines are killing themselves. "Ah, of course," I say. "It only stands to reason. Eventually we all begin to imitate … Read more

Passing the Torch

Four kids are sauntering toward Jeff Allen. Their arms are crossed and they look a little scared. "Hey guys," Allen says, affecting a cool older brother tone. "When do you go on?" "Eight minutes," says one of the boys. This is why they’re scared. Exactly eight minutes later, the quartet of three 16-year-olds and a … Read more

Tricia Brown Dance Company

For 35 years, the Tricia Brown Dance Company has been pushing the boundaries of contemporary dance, offering bold and exciting work and choreography. This month, they bring three such works to the Twin Cities: Present Tense, Foray Forêt, and I love my robots. The first and last are newer pieces. Present Tense is set to … Read more

Border Crossing, by Off Leash Productions

Off-Leash Area brings us yet another inventive physical-theater production — this time told through the voices of the Sonoran Desert. Two-time Ivey Award honorees Jennifer Ilse and Paul Herwig team up to direct Border Crossing, written by Jerome Fellow and Anishinaabe playwright Marcie Rendon, with an original score by Ben Siems. Rendon’s story follows a … Read more

The 'Mats Remastered

Replacement fans, look out! Rhino Records has reissued deluxe editions of Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash; Stink; Hootenanny; and Let it Be — available as of yesterday. Listen to a sampling here. Here’s the lowdown from Rhino. This is where the legend of The Replacements begins. Rhino retraces the shambolic swath the … Read more

Double Whammy

FILMDouble Feature Picture Show Back when double features were standard fare, one good film would get paired up with a more questionable one. Granted, sometimes the second billing wasn’t so bad. I saw movies like The Brood and Barracuda like this — great B movies I never would have otherwise known. But tonight the Edina … Read more

Happy Earth Day!

MUSICBen Glaros Ben Glaros’s music is that of the familiar: songs about falling in and out of love; shoutouts to familiar local uptown hotspots like Spyhouse Coffee and the Mayday Cafe; a folk rock blend that includes harmonicas, cellos, and mandolins; and a stint in the local indie pop rock scene since the mid 1980s. … Read more