The Rake Magazine

Author: Cristina Córdova

  • Healing from Talk Radio Rage

    The sad truth about the Secrets of the Day is that the last-minute nature automatically rules out the hottest (most publicized and most popular) events, because they sell out. Unfortunately (though it is, in fact, a very good thing), such is the case with The Rake’s RestauranTour: Belgian Beer Night at Barbette this evening. I hope you got your ticket already, because it sounds like it’s going to be one great meal.

    BOOKS & AUTHORS
    Terri Persons’s Blind Rage

    Local author Terri Persons is celebrating the release of her new book this evening with a reading and signing at Once Upon a Crime. Blind Rage, the second in Persons’s Bernadette St. Clare series (following Blind Spot), continues the adventures of an FBI agent with unusual powers of sight — the ability to see through the killer’s eyes. This time, Agent St. Clare is determined to get to the bottom of a slew of apparent suicides. Of course, it’s a crime novel — a psychological thriller, in fact — so I’m guessing they’re not suicides at all, but the work of some poor, twisted soul.

    7 p.m., Once Upon a Crime, 604 W. 26th Street, Minneapolis, 612-870-3785; free.

    TOUR & MORE
    Radio’s Drive Time Divas

    Did you happen to read Rake blogger Melinda Jacob’s post on Lori and Julia back in December? She certainly talked up the talk radio duo. "Lori and Julia are not afraid to put themselves on the line, be
    self-deprecating, and most important, have the confidence and gift for
    gab that it takes to pull off a national radio show!" Lori Barghini and Julia Cobb host The Lori and Julia Show, Hubbard
    Broadcasting’s popular drive time program on FM 107, the women’s talk
    radio station. And this afternoon, if you’re a fan (of theirs, of the show, of talk radio, or of women anywhere), you’re in for a very special treat. Arrive at Hubbard Broadcasting at 4:30 p.m. — sharp — for a tour of the facility and a chance to see the audacious duo live, and on the air. Get an inside glimpse into the nuances of the station and learn how women’s talk radio evolved from concept to reality.

    4:30 p.m., Hubbard Broadcasting, 3415 University Ave. (a few blocks west of Hwy 280), St. Paul; free.

    CLASS
    Introduction to Esoteric Healing

    While I know what healing means in a literal sense (you know… you get cut, it heals), I have to admit, I get a bit skeptical when people speak of healing on a broader, spiritual and emotional level — when they talk about healing, awareness, and energy. But you’ve got to love the term "esoteric healing." You’ve just got to. Regardless of any claims made by the Grand Ole Dictionary, we have come to associate "esoteric" with things that are beyond understanding. Funny thing, really, considering the word’s true meaning comes from "inner" knowledge, or "enlightened" knowledge. Should we not all look inward and strive to be enlightened? Why would we associate this with something more obscure and unattainable? Perhaps we need healing after all — esoteric healing. This evening, Well Within will show you how to access and work with the human energy system to affect healing shifts and balance. Class activities will include centering mediation, a Soul Awareness Chart, and exercises to sense energy.

    6:30-8:30 p.m., Well Within, 1880 Livingston Ave., Suite 103, West St. Paul; 651-451-3113; $15 suggested donation.

  • Bowie’s Brouhaha

    The howling is deafening. The
    screaming. The hooting. The pumping legs and shaking hips. Is it…
    the real David Bowie onstage? The Thin White Duke himself?

    For the first three chords
    of "Ziggy Stardust" it’s hard to tell it is the house band Kitty
    Stardust playing and not the rock icon. The crowd is losing it in high-decibel
    ecstatic moaning. The pair of women in glow-in-the-dark earrings look
    like they might faint. And everyone is shrieking the lyrics.

    Ziggy played guitar!

    Tonight is the fifth
    annual Rock For Pussy, a David Bowie tribute extravaganza, at First
    Avenue    . Founded by Current DJ Mary Lucia, the evening not only serves
    as a glam rock community brouhaha, but also as a fundraiser for the
    Minnesota Valley Humane Society.

    Fundraising strategist Adam
    Mehl says he is excited about the opportunity to mix music with his
    Humane Society work.

    "I’ve made it a habit of
    combining work with non-profits and music together," he says. "As
    an organization, we’re excited to get exposure and to have the support
    of local music community. With all Humane Societies, it’s really hard
    to convey to people we don’t get government support."

    This is the second year the
    organization has linked with Rock For Pussy. But for Mehl, his Bowie
    fanatisim goes way back.

    "I got into Bowie with his
    influence in early punk," he says.

    It is a night of music and fashion. Errant Aladdin Sane lightning bolts speckle the faces in
    the crowd. The pants are tight; the skirts are short. The rabid Bowie
    fans in front of the stage are neon and glittering and twisting and
    shimmying as if melding into one sleek creature.

    On stage, it’s a different
    story.

    Kitty Stardust looks surprisingly
    un-Bowie. Spare the lead guitarist wearing a black boa and another in
    a fancy fedora, the band looks like a brood of renegade hippies in paisley
    print shirts and long, flowing skirts. The drummer is donning a *cringe*
    mullet. The sound, however, is right on-even including a few nice
    flourishes. A slick, white Les Paul lends "Queen Bitch" a crunchier
    sound than the original. "Jean Jeanie" sounds nice with raspy female
    vocals. And, in some ways, watching Kitty Stardust is better than seeing
    Bowie in the flesh because concert-goers don’t have to wade through
    a string of new tracks in between the tried and true hits. Rock For
    Pussy is all about the gems.

    The show is laid-back and friendly
    with a revolving door of notable locals taking spins behind the mic.
    Among them are singer/songwriter Jeremy Messersmith and Minneapolis
    celebrity writer Jim Walsh, who is tricked out in glittery eye makeup
    for his version of "Heroes." Local popsmith Sam Keenan is the glammest
    of them all in a see-through black shirt and silver choker. His version
    of "DJ" is sexy and riotous, easily one of the evening’s best
    renditions.

    The show’s highlight is "Fame,"
    played by Minneapolis goth act, All The Pretty Horses. The intro thumps
    on, vamping and vamping, as two sultry waifs in scandalous police costumes
    shine mini spotlights on the evening’s star, the infamous drag queen
    Venus De Mars. De Mars, outfitted in a black corset, is passionate and
    expressive, and best of all, extremely lewd. But it is All The Pretty
    Horses’ drummer, however, who should be Rock For Pussy’s poster
    boy, wearing a cat ear headband and David Bowie tee. Between the band’s
    high-powered glamour and the fashion-forward audience, in that moment,
    everyone looked like stars.

     

  • Stopping the Art-A-Whirl Spins

    MUSIC
    Javon Jackson & Les McCann

    Javon Jackson has spent his entire life engulfed in some the greatest jazz around. As a child, his parent turned him on to Gene Ammons and Ahmad Jamal. As a teen, he was blown away by Sonny Stitt (and who wouldn’t be). By the ripe age of 16, he was playing professionally with former Max Roach Quintet pianist Billy Wallace. At this time, he also befriended Branford Marsalis, who convinced him to study at the Berklee School of Music, where he studied under former Art Blakey legendary Jazz Messengers Billy Pierce (sax) and Donald Brown (piano). And he finally played with Blakey himself (as a Jazz Messenger) for three years, until Blakey’s death in 1990. But in 1991, Jackson finally took center stage with the release of Burnin’. Much like Stitt did under Charlie Parker’s tutelage, Jackson has taken the skills and schooling offered by his peers and predecessors and transformed them into a voice that’s all his own. This man has got the groove — the funky, old school groove, with a cherry on top. Make that two cherries — tonight he performs with legendary soul jazz pianist/vocalist Les McCann on organ. This show is loaded with serious funkability.

    7 & 9:30 p.m., Dakota Jazz Club and Restaurant, 1010 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis; 612-332-1010; $22 & $30.

    Festival of the Night

    For the past five years the MN sur Seine Festival has been bringing mad international
    flair to the Twin Cities. What began primarily as a French jazz festival
    has morphed into a worldly and wonderful collaboration between musicians
    from Ethiopia, Britain, Spain, and of course, France and Minneapolis!
    This evening, meet at the Black Dog Cafe in Lowertown St. Paul for the Festival
    of the Night, aka Fest Noz, one of many hot tickets (and potential hot
    date nights) this week on the MN sur Seine schedule. Lounge about the
    Black Dog’s airy yet intimate space, sip Sangria, and enjoy the sultry
    sounds of Spanish Flamenco singer/guitarist duo Gabriel Gonzalez
    and Miguel Linares
    along with a few super special guests, as to whose identity I’ve been sworn
    to secrecy. —Kate Iverson

    8 p.m., Black Dog Cafe, 4th
    & Broadway, Lowertown St. Paul; $11.

    Hot Roxx at the Hex

    If you’re not in the mood for
    cool and classy, opt for loud and sassy. This monthly
    hipster-friendly sonic experience is sure to whet your classic rock
    whistle. Join easy-on-the eyes DJ duo Macku$ and Jen as they host an All in the Family
    party featuring local music scene staples Vampire Hands and Private Dancer, who will be playing 1970s covers in
    between Hot Roxx DJ sets. Expect a whole lot of skinny jeans and tousled
    hair, New York Dolls/Bowie/MC5-esque tunes, and the some of the stiffest
    drinks and surliest bartenders this side of the river. —Kate Iverson

    10 p.m., Hexagon Bar, 2600 27th Ave. S., Minneapolis; free.

    FILM
    Homegrown Film Festival

    The Parkway Theater hosts an eclectic series of locally
    produced films each Monday through June 2nd. Tonight
    at 7:30 p.m., explore a morbid curiosity with Snuff: A Documentary
    About Killing on Camera    .
    This flick, guaranteed to give you the major creeps, investigates the
    myth and reality of snuff films (killing on camera). However, if you’re not in the mood
    to be disturbed, show up for the 9:30 screening of Grown Men, a collection of five intertwining tales
    (all by different local writers) about the lives of men whose lady troubles
    provide mucho comedic fodder. —Kate Iverson

    7:30 &
    9:30 p.m.,     Parkway Theater, 4814 Chicago Ave. S., Minneapolis; $8 for both.


    Before the Rains

    Before the Rains, the
    first English language film by Indian director Santosh Sivan,
    is a surprisingly effective, accessible, and beautiful riff on familiar
    themes. Set in British-controlled 1930s India during a growing
    nationalist movement, the film is about love and self-destructive
    ambition in the face of a rapidly changing country. The success of the film is
    rooted in its simplicity. The photography, characters,and events
    fit perfectly into a concrete theme that is repeated throughout. Clocking
    in at 98 minutes, it feels streamlined and well edited, sustaining a
    well constructed level of tension until its satisfying conclusion. A cinematographer-turned-director,
    Sivan paints a pretty picture. His mastery of photography is dramatically apparent from the
    first image of sweeping countryside. It is one of the most visually
    masterful films I’ve seen since the tragically mediocre Assassination
    of Jesse James    . —Brandon Root (read full review)

    1:50, 4:30, 7:20, & 9:45 p.m., Edina Cinema, 3911 W. 50th
    St., Edina; 651-649-4416.

    ART
    Gregory Euclide: This is How
    I’ve Been Moving Through It

    While this notable local artist
    and recent MCAD grad may have had the bad fortune to open his show at
    Augsburg College over the biggest art weekend
    in Minnesota    , I
    can honestly say that an afternoon jaunt over to Augsburg’s Gage Family Art
    Gallery     today, or
    any day through June 11th, is well worth it. Lay eyes on the dreamy and
    organically lush mixed media works of young Euclide, whose signature style lies somewhere
    between earth, wind, and water, mixed with a dash of whimsy. —Kate Iverson

    8 a.m. – 8 p.m., Gage Family Art Gallery, 2211 Riverside Ave. S., 2nd Level,
    Lindell Library, Minneapolis; free.

    THEATRICAL READING
    When We Go Upon the Sea

    The Guthrie Theater presents a dramatic reading of Lee
    Blessing’s When We Go Upon
    the Sea    , a politically
    driven and tale about the reflections and actions of George Bush the
    night before being tried at The Hague. Blessing is joined this evening by play Director
    Lucie Tiberghien and will host an open discussion after the reading.
    This event concludes The Ruth Easton New
    Play Series     so
    get thee to the Guthrie tonight for some seriously fresh work from a
    brilliant contemporary playwright. —Kate Iverson

    7:30 p.m., Guthrie Theater,
    818 S. 2nd St., Minneapolis; $10    .

  • What is your secret weapon?

    Publisher Kristin Henning: x-ray vision

    Chief Operating Officer Matt Bartel: [No response yet, but here’s a guess from the editor.]

    Advertising Director A.J. Kiefer: short shorts

    Chief Editor Cristina Córdova: Self-righteous indignation!
    A&E Editor Kate Iverson: Carrot Juice (only sometimes with vodka)

    Contributing Writers
    Chris Birt: [No response yet, but here’s a guess from the editor.]
    Rich Goldsmith: "The power of Greyskull"
    Jeremy Iggers: Musk glands.
    Melinda Jacobs: Being friends with Society’s Finest and Hardest Working People…. Cops.
    Chris Kelleher: Charm
    Britt Robson: [No response yet, but the editor guesses it’s Jiggly Boy.]
    Erin Roof: a well-honed bullshit detector
    Brandon Root: My African fat-tailed gecko, Dr. Heywood Floyd
    Max Ross: my razor wit
    Todd J. Smith: my
    thick neck
    Brian Voerding: [No response yet, but the editor guesses it’s his uncanny foresight.]
    Brad Zellar: invisible ink

    Weatherman Jimmy "Dutch" Gaines: Bullwhip/Leather Fedora

    Videogragher Tyler Jensen: a switchblade comb and some grease lightning

    Edit Interns
    Tom Bartel: an ejection seat (and a Beretta .25 under my left arm)
    Joshua Fischer: [No response yet, but the editor guesses it’s his mature sense of humor.]
    Andrew Newman: I pack a fierce Star Trek gun.
    Hannah Simpson: sarcasm

  • Dance Is a Visceral, Powerful Voice

    We read with disappointment the open letter from Marcie Rendon — "The
    Cost of Silence    " — and several other online posts she has written
    attacking our work with her on our recent production, Border Crossing.
    In some of these communications she has gone to the unfortunate, and
    offensive, extreme of describing our process as "racist." As the artistic directors of Off-Leash Area, we feel a responsibility to
    address some of the concerns Marcie has raised.

    We are a dance and movement theater company, and we work in a very
    open, collaborative way with all of the artists who work with us — the
    performers, the composer, designers, rehearsal directors, and a writer
    if we engage one. Some of our shows have text, some have very little,
    some have none. Marcie has worked with us twice before; she knows how
    we work. As Artistic Directors, it is our job to bring all of these
    elements together in the way we believe has the highest artistic merit.

    Evidently stung by some of the editorial and artistic decisions that
    are an unavoidable part of any creative process, and that are also well
    within our contractual agreement, Marcie has chosen a regrettably
    public venue in which to air her grievances, some of which we find
    untruthful. Rather than exhaustively catalog our collective grievances
    here, however, we would like to address a few of the charges we feel
    are unwarranted.

    1. Marcie commented that we removed the only Native American character
    in the show, and so removed a significant part of her voice as a Native
    American. What Marcie did not clarify is that the performer we hired
    for this part fell down his stairs and fractured his ribs four weeks
    before the show opened. Marcie helped us try to find a replacement, but
    we were unable to do so, and with just weeks left in rehearsals, we
    felt we had no choice but to remove this part.

    2. Marcie stated that Off-Leash Area did not make any attempt to
    publicize this show to the Latino community. On the contrary: Rosita
    Balch, a Colombian human rights activist who worked with us in the
    development of the show, contacted many Latino and human rights
    organizations, personally emailing them, talking to them, and
    distributing postcards. One of the Latino cast members translated our
    press release into Spanish. Our marketing director sent press
    information to his entire list of press contacts, which included
    minority publications. A Latino cast member who works deeply in the
    Latino community as a performing artist contacted the Latino press and
    organizations he knows. We sent emails from the artistic directors to
    minority press contacts and Latino organizations. We made every effort
    we knew how to.

    3. Marcie wrote that we took away the voice of the migrants by not
    having them speak. Since we first began creating this show a year ago,
    we decided to represent the migrants through the language of dance.
    This statement is included in grant narratives written last summer — of
    which Marcie was given copies. We are, after all, a dance and
    movement theater company; much of our most effective work is wordless.
    We believe the voice we gave to the migrants through dance is a
    visceral, powerful voice.

    4. Marcie stated that we did not engage the community of color in the
    production. Our artistic and development team included a Colombian, a
    Mexican American, an Argentine, a Puerto Rican, an Algerian American,
    an African American, and two Jews. For our auditions we sent notices to
    Latino organizations and Latino performers to spread the word that we
    were especially looking for Latino performers. At the same time
    contradicting herself, Marcie has registered her disappointment that
    members of our multicultural cast were invited to comment upon all
    aspects of the work, including the script. Strangely, this amounts to
    claiming that the voices of minorities were suppressed by input from
    too many diverse voices, a charge we can’t make enough sense of to
    address.

    We are sorry that our creative process on Border Crossing did not
    satisfy Marcie’s wishes, but it was nothing if not inclusive, and one
    would be hard pressed to read anything resembling racism into it. It
    may be that her dissatisfaction stems from a lack of clarity in our
    initial informal working agreement with her, and we resolve to better
    define the nature of our collaborations in the future. We ask only
    that our partners deal in truth, and not in allegation.

     

    Paul Herwig, on behalf of the artistic directors of Off-Leash Area, Minneapolis
    Letter

  • Whirly Girl

    SPECIAL ART EVENT
    2008 Art-A-Whirl

    Oh my goodness. How can I even begin to give you a glimpse of this weekend’s line-up? It’s Art-A-Whirl weekend. Clearly, that’s no secret. If you haven’t yet heard, you probably haven’t the house for the past couple of weeks — or checked your email, or visited any local websites (or businesses of any kind), or turned on the radio, or answered the phone, or even Twittered. Nope. You’re living in a vacuum, and it’s time to change the bag. Yeah, I know it’s no secret, but how can I not mention it? I mean, if you’re going to do any one thing this weekend, this is it, folks. It’s supposed to be a beautiful weekend (finally!), perfect for a full-day stroll.

    Here are just a few must-sees:
    (I realize, of course, that I’m missing many more.)

    Kick off Art-A-Whirl 2008 with the power of women. I like how that sounds. "What is it good for? / Absolutely nothing." (Sorry. I don’t know where that came from.) The power of women: what does it look like? features work by 52 artists from the Women’s Art Registry of Minnesota (WARM) Mentor Program: "18 teams, 52 artists, 52 lives, ONE SHOW." The power of women: what does it look like? You’ll surely get 52 different responses. Choose the one you like best. This evening’s opening features music by singer/songwriter Beth Kinderman (6-9 p.m.), and another Beth — Beth Loraine Bowman — will be exhibiting work from her new series, "Trains and Other Transport," at the Grain Belt studios as well.

    Opening Party on Friday from 5 to 10 p.m., Saturday from 12 to 8 p.m., Sunday from 12 to 5 p.m., Grain Belt Bottling House Atrium, 79 Thirteenth Ave. NE, Minneapolis.

    One of the most compelling events this weekend is the Creative Electric Gallery Safe House Boat, a recently-recovered houseboat (formerly owned by local survivalist Dennis "Kiddie" Cramer) moored to the banks of the Mississippi River in Northeast Minneapolis. A collaboration between Jenny Adams, Kurt Froehlich, Isabelle Harder, Phil Harder, Geoff Herbach, Karl Rascke, Dave Salmela, Nadine Gross, Eli Anthony, and Andy Sturdevant — who will soon be a contributing writer on a new Rake art blog, The Thousandth Word — the Safe House Boat will feature safety films, water drills, food and drink, and White Map and the Owls playing sets of music while floating by on pontoons.

    Friday form 7 to 11 p.m., all day and evening on Saturday, and during the day Sunday; Rockway Docks behind The Sample Room, 2124 Marshall St. NE; 612-706-7879.

    Minnesota Monitor’s Paul Schmelzer is offering up a triple Whirl with Mok Studio. His wife, Julaporn Mok Buakaow, will be selling her sculptures (including Nong), photographs on canvas, an array of functional and ceramics, and her new limited-edition book, Nong in Minneapolis. In addition to this, they’ll be showcasing and selling art and items they’ve acquired in their travels through Thailand: oil pastels by Chiang Mai-based artist Luck Maisalee and textiles and fashions that include Thai fisherman pants, patoongs (Thai sarong), silk scarves, blouses, handbags, and dresses.

    Friday and Saturday from 12 to 10 p.m., Sunday from 12 to 6 p.m., Mok Studio, The Thorp Building, 1618 Central Ave. NE, Suite 02 (Basement), Minneapolis.

    Our friend Kate Iverson (who will be exhibiting her work at the Q.arma Building) talked up the I Dreamed I Dream exhibit at Fox Tax like there’s no tomorrow, so I’m guessing it must be hot. And the line up confirms it. Yes, the title comes from the Sonic Youth song, of course. (That’s still good, right?) And the show is about dualities — light and dark, so to speak. (Typical!) Not the most original concept perhaps, but certainly an interesting one through the lens of four unique artists: Deuce Seven (whom I hope to finally meet), DC Ice, Rudy Fig, and Keith Eric Williams. Very cool stuff. According to the press release: "Each artist in the exhibition explores the historic duality of youthful optimism contrasted with a fear of surrendering such optimism." Hmm. What about the fear of optimism? Now there’s something I understand.

    Friday from 5 to 10 p.m., Saturday from 12 to 11 p.m., and Sunday from 12 to 5 p.m., The Gallery @ Fox Tax, 503 1st Ave. NE, Minneapolis.

    5th Annual Wayzata Art Experience

    I could make a joke about leaving this event for Mpls/St. Paul Magazine to cover, but I’m guessing it’s too late to make the May issue (or June, or July, or… ). Why Wayzata would choose to have their Annual Art Experience on the same weekend as Art-A-Whirl is beyond me, but then perhaps those Wayzata folks just don’t like to walk into the rising sun. What they do like, however, is towing the hoe. (This is no amusingly disguised criticism.) This year, the Wayzata Art Experience features a special Outdoor Garden Art Exhibit. Plus, expect the usual visual, culinary, and performance art up and down Lake Street.

    Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Lake St., Downtown Wayzata.

    MUSIC
    Art-A-Whirl After-Party with Black Blondie

    Perhaps I should have put this up with the Art-A-Whirl activities, but alas, here it is, under music. If you’ve been reading the Secrets for a while then you’ve probably heard me talk about Black Blondie already, but what can I say? These gals are great. They offer a unique sound — a soul-pounding fusion of jazz, R & B, hip-hop, and trip-hop. They display outstanding musicianship (and a glorious upright bass). Th
    ey serve up some seriously sultry vocals. And they’re just too damn hot. What’s left to say? Oh, well, how about this: we’re looking at a double whammy this weekend — one show on Friday (with Nappy Roots) and another on Saturday

    Friday at 9.m., Cabooze, 917 Cedar Ave., Minneapolis; $17. Saturday at 10 p.m., The Red Stag, 509 1st Ave. NE, Minneapolis.

    Papa Mali

    I may end up doing you a disservice by offering you too many options, but I truly did my best to whittle them down. There are just too many fabulous things happening this weekend — a sure sign of Spring. Bring on the heat, baby! Papa Mail is in town. Oooyeah. Take the swampy blues of Mississippi, where he was born, and infuse them with two decades of New Orleans (via Shreveport, no less), bred on Crescent City Funk. Delta Funk, I guess. Not bad. Actually, Mali arrives in the Twin Cities straight from a three-night gig with B.B. King. That has to say something for the caliber of musician to which I refer. Mali will play in a number of festivals this summer, including Bella Sol, for which this is his pre-party tour.

    Friday at 9 p.m., Trocaderos Nightclub & Restaurant, 107 Third Ave. N., Minneapolis; 612-465-0440.


    Kenwood Symphony Delivers Romantic Notions

    The Kenwood Symphony Orchestra has come a long way since its adult education class beginnings. It went from a chamber orchestra to a symphony, now with Yuri Ivan at the helm. And at a lovely juncture in their journey, they would like to share with you their music — or rather, Weber’s music, Sibelius’s music, Beethoven’s music… at their hands. And what an interesting bunch of hands indeed. So many. So varied. So adept. The program, “Romantic Notions," included Weber’s Overture to Der Freischultz; Sibelius’s En Saga, Op.9 Tone Poem; and Beethoven’s Piano Concert No.4 in G Major, Op.58, with piano soloist Dr. Miroslava Kisilevitch.

    Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Church of the Annunciation, 5409 West 54th St., South Minneapolis, free.

    BOOKS & AUTHORS
    Augusten Burroughs Brings a Wolf to the Table

    Apparently, Augusten Burroughs really tore it up in the last leg of his current tour. I’ve received rave reviews via email. It’s a little confusing actually since the book he’s sharing, A Wolf at the Table, exposes psychological cruelty, abandonment, and alcoholism. I would tend to believe these things are not funny (though with dismay I see they’re so often the source of our laughter). Burroughs, however, has a way of lightening up the bleakest moments without trivializing them. He’s playful and profound — a most beautiful combination. In A Wolf at the Table, the best-selling author of Sellevision, Running with Scissors, Dry, Magical Thinking, and Possible Side Effects plays a game of Pong through the grays, always stopping at the extremes.

    Friday at 7 p.m., Coffman Memorial Union Theater, 300 Washington Ave. S.E., Minneapolis; 612-625-5549; free.

    LECTURE
    What’s Really Happening in Venezuela, Bolivia, Cuba, Mexico, and the rest of the region?

    Why didn’t they just call it, "What’s Really Happening in Latin America?" Am I missing something here? Am I somehow offending my people? Truth is, there’s a lot happening in Latin America. Truth is, we don’t really hear about it here (unless we’re really looking), except for occasional spatters of weather reports and dubious accusations of communist tendencies (as if that were something bad). Maybe it’s time to find out what’s really going on down there (because the earth has an up and a down). Hear tonight from Jorge Martín, International Secretary for the Hands Off Venezuela Campaign and Latin America correspondent for Marxist.com. (What did I tell you? — Commies, commies all. Yay!) Also sharing their experiences and views will be exiled Colombian trade unionist Gerardo Cajamarca, professor and filmmaker August Nimtz (a brilliant man who makes the best mojitos in town), and Twin Cities Venezuela solidarity activist Yasmin Tovar.

    Saturday from 7-9 p.m., Minneapolis Central Labor Union Council, 312 Central Ave. SE, 2nd Floor, Minneapolis; free.

    SHOPPING
    Covered Uptown Grand Opening

    Ok. Wow. I’m getting really tired of writing these Secrets now (as I’m sure you’re getting tired of reading), so let me wrap it up quickly. Shop. Shop. Shop. Uptown continues its facelift with the grand opening of a new Covered store on Lagoon. Enjoy food, drinks, music — plus a 15 percent discount on all merchandise and a gift with any purchase over $100.

    Open all weekend, with the Grand Opening on Saturday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Covered, 1201 Lagoon Ave, Minneapolis; 612-825-1610.

    SPECIAL EVENT
    Sesquicentennial Weekend

    Celebrate Statehood Weekend     and our 150th birthday with stamps, planes, food, and fireworks. Ok. I have to admit, the stamp part seems a bit weird to me. And it’s nothing nearly as cool as the stamp collector tents in Stanley Donen’s Charade. But don’t kid yourself; you’re not nearly as glamorous as Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn. I’ll tell you this, though: If you get yourself dolled up — and I mean dolled up — and head for the Capitol, you can bitchslam glam with a century and a half. This weekend brings, National Guard and vintage plane flyovers, postage stamp unveilings, food vendors, exhibitor tents, and music. Top it all off with a fireworks display on Sunday night.

    Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., Sunday from 4 to 9 p.m., stairs of the Capitol; free.

    BENEFIT
    There are two important benefit this weekend as well. Dusk ‘til Dawn, at the Chambers on Saturday night, benefits Heading Home Hennepin — a 10-year plan designed to end homelessness in Minneapolis and Hennepin County by the year 2016. Dusk ‘til Dawn, will feature gourmet food, open bar, charity auctions, special guests, a date auction, and live music. Throughout the evening, every room and suite in the hotel will be auctioned off, and guests will have the opportunity to stay the night.

    And on Sunday is the annual Minnesota AIDS Walk in Minnehaha Park (11 .m.). Join the fight to stop HIV.

  • Rootclip Starts the Film, You End It

    This just in:

    Rootclip offers a new venue for amateur and indie filmmakers who want to take part in a joint story-telling experience.

    How It Works

    Rootclip provides an
    initial story idea with a "root" or starter clip – one to two minutes of
    compelling video that begins a story and is totally open-ended.  How the
    story ultimately ends is up to the video contributors.
     
    Contributors then submit their one-minute videos to move the story along to the
    next chapter, with voting on all video submissions so the most voted upon video
    is used for the next chapter.  A total of six chapters are used to
    complete the story – and take that initial story idea into totally unexpected
    directions.
     
    Ultimately, Rootclip is about the user community. Contributors to YouTube,
    amateur and Indie filmmakers, budding screenwriters, even actors that want to
    show their stuff – all get a chance to contribute their best material to Rootclip
    to add to the story. The best, one to two minute video submissions are added
    over time to the original story idea until an exciting six to 12 minute film is
    completed.

     

    New creativity may open
    the door to the film industry

    Talent is talent.
     Each one minute video submission that becomes a chapter in the story gets
    acknowledgment in the Rootclip video credits and a cash prize of $500.  

    The
    Grand Prize winner – which is determined by winning the final chapter round –
    receives a trip to the Traverse City Film Festival in Michigan to hobnob with Indie film producers
    and creative types.  
     
    Michael Moore, a Michigan native who needs no introduction, programs and plans this festival and will meet
    with the ultimate Rootclip winner.
     
    Where will the story end – both at Rootclip and for the most creative
    contributor?

     

     

     

  • Northeastern Winds

    MUSIC
    Heliotrope V

    Art-A-Whirl weekend is fast approaching, and with that come many exciting events. If you made it out last year, perhaps you passed by the Ritz for their first year hosting Heliotrope, Flaneur Productions‘ annual three-day exhibition of contemporary underground music. Now, mind you, last year wasn’t Heliotrope’s first year — this year marks year five — it was just the first year at the Ritz, to which it will return this year — tonight and through the weekend. So meander on over to Northeast Minneapolis, and plan on spending your weekend engulfed in a sensational art and music extravaganza. Today’s performers include International Novelty Gamelan, Noise Quean Ant, Paul Metzger and Davu Seru, Zak Sally/F.O.S., Tender Meat, Jesse Petersen, Sean Connaughty and Jason Kesselring, and Alexandra St-Germain.

    6 p.m., Ritz Theater, 345 13th Ave. N.E., Minneapolis; 612-436-1129; $8 for one day, $15 for a two day pass, and $20 for a three day pass.

    Loudray

    If you prefer to start your weekend art and music bliss on Friday, then head for Lee’s tonight for twangy music by Loudray, Eliza Blue, Cadillac Kolstad and the Flats, and Nikki Matteson
    and her Ruemates    . I have to give kudos to a band (Loudray) that sends a press release (or at least a myspace invite) with 18 exclamation points. I mean, talk about excitement! That was about 20 percent of their characters. "If you have not yet experienced the power that is
    LOUDRAY live, here’s your next chance! Witness the Twin Cities’ best
    live band, LOUDRAY!!! Be There!!!"

    Thursday May 15th!!! 9pm!!! Lee’s Liquor Lounge!!! $5!!!

    Are you excited?

    ART
    Techno Textiles: Inner Space to Outer Space

    And for a little art appetizer with which to wet your whistle prior to the weekend’s art saturation, check out the new exhibit at the Goldstein. Techno Textiles: Inner Space to Outer Space examines the world of specialty textiles and how these innovative materials are being used by leading designers from around the globe. It sounds quiet interesting actually — something different: protective clothing, intelligent buildings that dynamically respond to the environment, luminous wall interiors, interactive digital displays that are part of furniture upholstery, and fabric balloons used to ensure interplanetary probe vehicles land safely on the surface of Mars. Wow! The exhibit runs from May 16 to July 27, but the opening reception is this evening and features a panel discussion with Su Sokolowski of Nike and Mary Carey of Procédés Chénel International.

    7-9 p.m, Goldstein Museum of Design, 241 McNeal Hall, 1985 Buford Ave., Saint Paul; 612-624-7434; free.

     

  • John McCain Nude – 64 Results

    It was on the far right, literally. A tiny block of space someone had purchased to help The Rake live another day. Pay up, and you can paste your sign/add your link/sing your song on my web page/television/telephone/window/door/floor/car/bus/butt/etc…

    In
    the ultimate capitalist pervasion of everyday life, this heat-seeking
    piranha of an ad jumped at me, propelled by the finely tuned instincts
    of specialized software, somewhere in cyberspace, sensing Barack
    Obama’s name on the page and inferring from it the presence of
    intellectual prey.

    There I was, and there it was, so close:

    "The Real Barack Obama (link) The truth behind the canditate (sic)" – "Barack Obama Exposed – Free!" (with another link)

    I hesitated. The piranha bit down hard. I clicked!

    …and could almost feel the blood rush:

    "From
    his radical stance on abortion to his prominence in the corruption
    scandals that has been virtually ignored by the mainstream media,
    Barack Obama is not fit to be Senator — not to mention the next
    President of the United States. Obama has declared his presidential
    intentions, but it is up to well-informed and energetic conservatives
    like you to spare our nation from the scourge of a far-left President
    Barack H. Obama."

    Presidential
    politics is the grand stage of the most aggressive promoters, the
    truest believers. Neglect their theater and they will seek you out,
    seek to turn you out. I slept through the 2004 and 2000 elections. Even
    now, I was placidly detached. But this impassioned gnome of an ad leapt
    from the stage, snatched me from the placid pages of an innocent,
    literate webzine, and forced me, drove me, deep into its chosen thicket
    of passion and intrigue.

    I was in the hunt. I clicked a link, then another, and got:

    "It
    must be just me! I mean, does anyone else see the lying racist? The
    Obamination of this country is about to walk right into the Democratic
    nomination and no-one is doing a damned thing about it! PEOPLE…Obama
    hates this nation and WHITE people! HELLO! Is anyone out there? Are you
    folks so stupid and blind that it is already over? Is America already
    doomed from the inside out? Was President Lincoln correct when he said
    this nation will only be defeated from within?! Jesus people…can’t
    you see what is happening here? Wake up! The man will not cover his
    heart during the National Anthem…oh god…I could go on forever!"

    Hokey
    smoke! From clever, benign, literacy to full frontal attack in three
    clicks. I recalled twentieth century sites affixing Bill Clinton’s name to
    the legends of dead people, many legends, many dead people – the
    Clinton Body Count, they called it. One page had animated graphic blood dripping down the sides. I
    remembered admiring the enthusiasm (and the graphics!) more than the
    argument. Had I convinced myself that towering invective was unique to
    Bill? The question begged for investigation.

    I enlisted Google.

    "Barack Obama exposed" brought 38,500 Google "results". Oh, my! A huge number. But compared to what? I tried for context.

    "Hillary
    Clinton exposed" scored 12,600 pages, a bare third of Obama’s total; "John McCain exposed" an almost negligible 2,350. It’s an Obama
    phenomenon. But why?

    My
    brain churned through the usual suspects. Is the web’s free wheeling
    candor a cultural Petri dish, nurturing explosions of racist bacteria?
    Does Obama’s generic celebrity merit the poisonous paparazzi pursuit of
    Paris or Britney? Are the White Knights of the Right so certain of
    their enemy that they write off Hillary as a dead woman walking?

    Or
    was I, naive in the ways of The Web, missing the connotation of
    "exposed"? Perhaps it’s that Obama is, how to put this delicately, hot?
    I tried something else.

    "Barack Obama nude" brings 725 results, but "Hillary Clinton nude" launches 21,200 pages.

    Aha! The light goes on. Sealing the deal, "John McCain nude" scores a pitiful 64. That’s it!

    It’s
    about testosterone. The Bad Old Surfer Dudes want to see women naked
    and new kids trashed. What about McCain? 64 "results" close that
    question. Nobody cares about the old guy. He’s not a threat.

    I’d
    like to think elections are about ideas and principles, about who would
    do the best job. But there’s waaaay more than that. Frank Luntz
    theorizes it’s about talking to the reptilian brain: "80 percent of our life is emotion, and only 20 percent is intellect." I think I’ve found supporting evidence.

  • The Rape of Europa

    You’ve seen this image before. Of course you have — if nothing else, at
    least a cheap print in a college dorm. Gustav Klimt’s Gold
    Portrait, stolen from Viennese Jews in 1938, is now the most expensive
    painting ever sold — and the opening subject of The Rape of Europa,
    an "epic story of the systematic theft, deliberate destruction, and
    miraculous survival of Europe’s art treasures during World War II."
    Have you heard of the Venus Fixers, the Monument Men, the Roberts Commission, the MFAA? They were essentially a pared down Secret Service
    of the art world through the 1940s — young museum directors, curators,
    art professors, and architects who volunteered to protect Europe’s
    strong artistic cultural history by policing looting, theft,
    destruction, and artistic loss of any kind. Written, produced, and directed by Richard Berge, Nicole Newnham, and Bonni Cohen, The Rape of Europa
    maps out Europe’s artistic loss at the hands of the Nazis over the
    course of twelve years — the most savage theft and destruction of art
    to date.

    Opens Friday, May 30th at Landmark’s Edina Cinema, 3911 West 50th St., Edina.