Author: Cristina Córdova

WINE & WINGS
Break Out of That Cocoon and Spread Your Wings
by Danielle Kurtzleben

If the idea of going to a zoo makes you cringe — pushing a stroller, carrying cotton candy and grumpy, sleeping children — perk up, hire a sitter, and come to the Minnesota Zoo’s adult-only Monarchs & Merlot social. Spend an evening sipping merlot, or chardonnay, sampling hors d’eouvres, and taking a peaceful walk through the MN Zoo’s butterfly garden. If you’re feeling more ambitious, you can also learn about the 40 species in the butterfly garden, as well as how to attract them to your own yard. While the price may seem a little steep at $40, it’s all for a good cause: the zoo’s conservation programs.

Friday at 6:30 p.m., Minnesota Zoo, 13000 Zoo Blvd., Apple Valley; 952-431-9200; $40 (members $35).

FILM
Celebrate Sleep and Winter on a Hot Summer Night

Video cameras abound these days, as do self-proclaimed videographers, but when it comes time to show your work in a venue other than YouTube or the hot new video hosting service of the week, there’s a dearth of serious options. (Not that YouTube could even be considered a serious option, mind you.) More than anything else, video today is meant to make you laugh. But what about aesthetics? What about art? What about framing that perfect shot, capturing the particular way a ray of light bounces off your subject, playing with your palette? What about metaphor? In an effort to create a new venue for emerging video artists to present their work, the Rosalux Gallery is hosting its first annual No Mittens Film Festival, a one-night screening of films about winter and sleep.

Friday at 7 p.m., Rosalux Gallery, 1101 Washington Ave., Minneapolis; free.

Of course, it’s Friday, so there are a whole slew of movies opening this evening. Vitus and Ten Canoes open at the Edina Cinema, Interview and Sunshine open at the Lagoon Cinema, and My Best Friend opens at the Uptown Theatre. Also showing at the Uptown on Saturday at midnight is Sam Peckinpah’s controversial Western, The Wild Bunch. Oh! And don’t forget The Simpsons Movie. Read Rake film critic Peter Schilling’s So Little Time write-up.

VISUAL ARTS
Last Weekend for Smith and Britto Exhibit
by Ann Klefstad

Both Shinique Smith and Michael Paul Britto were in a show called Frequency at the Studio Museum of Harlem last year, curated by the incisively yet inclusively smart Thelma Golden. Also included was Kalup Linzy, whose hilarious and fond videos of various homefolks recently showed at Midway Contemporary Art in Northeast Minneapolis. Indeed, it seems that much of the most interesting art in circulation around here — including the recent show by Jim Denomie and Andrea Carlson at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and Kara Walker’s survey at the Walker — is being done by people with access to at least a couple of different cultures. Maybe that double vision provides the binoculars we need to see the real lay of the land. I’m not sure which of Britto’s videos will be presented, but his Dirrrty Harriet Tubman is pretty funny, an action-thriller parody using a sanctified figure. The thing to ask is, can we all play?

Friday and Saturday from 12-5 p.m., Franklin Art Works, 1021 Franklin Ave. E., Minneapolis; 612-872-7494; free.

MUSIC
Bringing Down the House with Nothing but Fingers
by Danielle Kurtzleben

It’s a finger-picking extravaganza tonight, when Charlie Parr and My Two Toms hit the Kitty Cat Klub, the latest stop on their American Tour. British duo My Two Toms proves that beautiful instrumental bluegrass (what they humbly call “front-porch music”) can come from all the way across the pond. Duluth native Parr, with a country-blues style that ranges from heart-rending to rowdy, is a fixture on the Minnesota music scene. Don’t let his scruffy, regular-joe exterior fool you — this 12-string virtuoso always brings down the house.

Saturday at 10 p.m., Kitty Cat Klub, 315 14th Ave. S.E., Dinkytown, Minneapolis; $5.

Other good music shows this weekend include The Peterson Family tonight at the Fitz, the Humanboy CD Release Party tonight at the Cabooze, and a Reunion Show with Edupoetic at Visage Nightclub.

COMEDY & PERFORMANCE
Improv-a-Go-Go
by Max Ross

For five years now, Improv-a-Go-Go has served as a weekly showcase for local improvisational comedy talent. Performers take cues from the audience to create scenes on the spot, a sort of spontaneous combustion that offers the crowd a sense of immediacy and intimacy seldom found in traditional comedy theater; at its best, everyone feels as if they are privy to an inside joke that keeps on going throughout the night. Previous skits have included drunken Christmas carols and a dinosaur rock-eating party. Tonight’s show features sets by Five Man Job, Scrappy Moose, Straight from Uranus, and Ferrari McSpeedy. It’s only one dollar, so why not?

Sunday at 8 p.m., Brave New Workshop, 2605 Hennepin Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-332-6620; $1.

Today is the last day to register for our Bourne Ultimatum promotion. Vote on your favorite movie car chase for a chance to win free tickets to an advanced screening of the latest Bourne movie next Tuesday.

ART
You Don’t Have to Get on Your Knees, but Crawl

A couple months ago, Christy DeSmith wrote an article describing Glenwood Avenue as a burgeoning design corridor. Tonight, we invite you to explore the new design district for yourself during the 10,000 Arts Crawl. Enjoy live music, visual and design arts, performing arts, and food and beverage samplings at multiple venues between Lyndale and Girard, on Glenwood Avenue. The evening will include performances by Ghost in the Water, The Brass Kings, Beatrix Jar, JAO, and Jimmy Martin. Art Crawl destinations include AbiTare, AIA Minnesota, The Carney Group, Hirshfield’s Design Studio, Ivy Men’s + Design, and Ligne Roset. Keep your eye out for our promotional scooter. It could be yours at the end of the summer!

6-10 p.m., between Lyndale and Girard Avenues North on Glenwood Avenue; free.

COMEDY THEATER
The Label vs. Evil

How does a group of self-proclaimed “stand up comics, failed theater majors, anti-social writers, and film school dropouts” fight the evils of “war, terrorism, crime, and nationally televised pop-star competitions?” Comedy. Comedy. Laughter is The Label’s weapon of choice. “Make laughter, not war,” should be their motto as they strive to wipe out evil, once and for all, with their hysterical blend of monologue, live sketch, and short films. Solve the problem of evil with a night of laughter. (This ain’t Epicurus or Hume, but it’ll do for a Thursday.)

7 p.m. (through Saturday), Bryant Lake Bowl, 810 West Lake St., Minneapolis; 612-825-3737; $10.

According to James Norton, of Metroblogging Twin Cities, Neil Hamburger will be performing at the Triple Rock this evening. Norton accurately describes Hamburger as “the world’s premiere anti-comedian,” extolling the comedic value of his nasty and offensive act. Sounds like a winner to me.

10 p.m., Triple Rock Social Club, 629 Cedar Avenue, Minneapolis; 612-333-7499; $10.

FILM
Starry Silent Summer Nights

I miss the silent movies projected on the wall outside of Riverplace — back in the late ’80s, I guess. I’m a sucker for the silent movie. What can I say? Charlie Chaplin. Buster Keaton. Douglas Fairbanks. Now, those were men! Who needs words when you’ve got such overtly physical communication? We could all use just a little more silence these days… and a little more physical communication. Take yourself back to the good old days, before the talkies, with a screening of Show People. Based on the life and career of Gloria Swanson, Show People gets behind the scenes of the silent film industry as the protagonist tries to break into it. The film stars Marion Davies and William Haines, with cameo appearances by Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, John Gilbert, and Norma Talmadge.

7:30 p.m., Heights Theater, 3951 Central Ave. N.E., Columbia Heights; 763-788-9079; $8 (seniors and children $5).

Look at film through a teen lens tonight at the Twin Cities Youth Media Network Screening at the Walker Art Center. Explore works made by high school filmmakers from around the state. 7:30 p.m., Walker Art Center, 1750 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; 612-375-7656; free.

FESTIVAL
Midwestern Nostalgia

Every small to large vicinage across America, and across the world, has its own form of ritual merrymaking, a community celebration, a regional jubilee. From the carnival, to the block-party, to the barnyard dance, we’ve concocted numerous venues in which to come together with no pretext other than to to have a good time, socialize, commune. Maybe to parade a new hat, a new love. Maybe to give yourself a thrill with a few playful (and careless) smiles. (Surely for someone to make a buck, while you lose one.)

What’s our local version of this clambake? What’s our jamboree? We city folk would like to think it’s ultra-hip — getting jiggy in the streets. But let’s face it, even our most urban fiestas are fundamentally hick at heart. Does this hurt you, dear? Don’t despair. It’s really quite lovely, indeed.

You can count on live music. We’ve always got plenty of that — not bad stuff, either. Quite good, in fact. (And you’ll often find a twang in there somewhere, a little touch of Fargo, a pinch of bluegrass, and a Polka, too. It’ll bring you back home — wherever home is. (Even a Latina like me finds comfort in the familiarity of something so profoundly American — from back when that might have been imbued with a bit of bravado rather than second-hand shame.)

You’ll find food, plenty of food. Fried food, grilled food, fast food, food on a stick. You’ll find food. If you’re lucky, you’ll find mini donuts. Shhh. I won’t tell. Lemonade? Or beer? That’s enough sinfulness. Enjoy some games. Watch the kids get their faced painted. Wander around the arts and crafts booths. Best case scenario? — Uptown Art Fair. Worse case scenario? — pretty much your average fare. What do you have against arts & crafts? (Maybe you can buy yourself a nice reindeer sweater.) Just think of it as retro, and have a good time. This is, after all, the beauty of the midwest. Indulge.

Best case scenario — Uptown Art Fair; and yet beyond the booths you’ll always find the classic cars. In the end, this is the best art of all. I find myself taking refuge from the booths, from the sell, mulling about the cars, exploring, wandering, wondering. Sweet prince in a shiny ’62, divest me of my history — and Elvis shakes the floor. Ain’t that America, baby?

But will someone please explain why there’s a donkey in the middle of the parking lot, trapped between the sweet corn and the organic soap? What’s with the rooster? A petting zoo? Really? Why the hell would I want to pet a rooster?

Why the hell would you want any of it, really? Only that it’s beautiful; that’s all. It’s a more quiet reminder of the American Dream — the right to nothingness, I suppose. The right to frolic. Want some? You’ll have plenty of opportunity yet this summer. But you can get a taste tonight in White Bear Lake, on the last night of this summer’s Marketfest. No, it probably doesn’t merit this long diatribe, by any means, but after writing the Secrets night after night, I, too, felt a need to indulge. Call it my own sense of family fun. Now go have yours. Enjoy the typical fare, along with covered wagon rides, wall climbing, and fun for all. Oh, yeah. Can’t wait to get on that wagon, baby. I’m coming home!

6-9 p.m., Downtown White Bear Lake, just east of Hwy. 61, between 3rd St. and 4th St.; free.

FILM
WARNING: For the Truly Fearless Only

Looking for some seriously disturbing subject matter to digest this evening? If you liked the film 8MM, with Nicholas Cage — or you’re just a freaky snuff fanatic, in general — then you’re in for a big treat tonight. As part of the summer preview series, Fearless Filmmakers is offering a sneak preview of SNUFF: a documentary about killing on camera this evening. The film, directed by Paul Von Stoetzel, explores the dark reality of snuff films, and how they “bring together such unlikely bedfellows as pornography, news media, war, horror-films, and serial killers.” Think you can handle it? There’s only one way to find out. Take advantage of this one-time-only opportunity to see the film before its festival run, and meet the filmmakers for a question and answer session. If you make it through the horror, be sure to join the local film community at Stub and Herbs for the official after party, and enjoy the free food and drinks, and live music by DJ Omen, as you unwind.

7:30 p.m., The Oak Street Cinema, 309 Oak St. S.E., Minneapolis; 612-331-3134; $9 (students $7, MN Film Arts members $5). After Party at 9:30 p.m., Stub and Herbs, 227 Oak St., Minneapolis; free.

BOOKS
Jonis Agee: The River Wife
by Brad Zellar

Jonis Agee has always been a fascinating study, as well as refreshingly free of literary conceits and pretension. She has a distinctly Midwestern, blue-collar sensibility, and is fearless (or perhaps heedless) when it comes to her subjects; this is a woman, after all, who somehow managed to publish a collection of stories built around automobile racing, and that topic provides plenty of apt metaphors for Agee’s fiction: breakneck speed, unexpected twists and turns, and spectacular flameouts. Her latest novel, The River Wife, released just last week, is a gothic family saga set in Missouri’s Bootheel region, and features, among other plotlines and hard-boiled entanglements, river piracy.

7:30 p.m., Magers & Quinn Booksellers, 3038 Hennepin Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-822-4611.

THEATER & PERFORMANCE
A Guthrie Experience Showpiece

Each year, the Guthrie Theater invites actors from advanced acting training programs across the country to participate in the Guthrie Experience for Actors, a nine-week program of classes, workshops, rehearsals, and activities designed to hone their skills. Tonight (though Monday), as one of the culminating activities of the 2007 Guthrie Experience, 14 actors from this year’s program will present a special showpiece for the public. Guthrie movement artist Marcela Lorca directs the collaboration by playwright Julie Marie Myatt (author of Boats on a River and The Sex Habits of American Women), and is assisted by 1998 Guthrie Experience for Actors alum, actor/director Randy Reyes (Boats on a River and Theatre Mu’s Circle Around the Island).

7:30 p.m., Dowling Studio, The Guthrie Theater, 818 South 2nd St., Minneapolis; 612-377-2224; free, but tickets are required.

FESTIVALS
Legos, Fire Sculpture, and Ice Cream
by Danielle Kurtzleben

For anyone who has pondered, “What is art?” Or perhaps, “Can I make art out of Legos?” Or even, “Can I stroll through the park, experience local art, AND eat free ice cream tonight?” Yes on all counts, my friend, tonight at the Bancroft Midsummer Festival, sponsored by the Center for Independent Artists, a local non-profit that supports local artists of all stripes. Enjoy the Legos, painting, fire sculpture, live music, slam poetry, dance, sing-alongs, and all sorts of other exhibits to stimulate your senses. And, of course, stay to bask in the joys of a good outdoor neighborhood gathering (and, like I said, free ice cream from Pumphouse Creamery).

6-9 p.m., Bancroft Meadows Park, 42nd & Bloomington, across from the Center for Independent Artists; 612-724-8392; free.

MUSIC
Poeticize Yourself

OK, here’s a real secret. Apparently, I’m not even supposed to tell you about it, though I can’t quite figure out why (and I’ve never been very good at doing as I’m told anyhow — especially when it makes no sense to me). Prince fans, hip-hop fans, music fans in general, head over to Trocaderos tonight for a Prince Tribute Show with Sign of the Times and, better still, EduPoetic. The latter, EduPoetic, serves up an original blend of spoken word with hip-hop, jazz, blues, funk, and gospel. Hell, with a name like that… just go educate yourself, my friend. Poeticize yourself. And if all else fails, just stare deep into the drummer’s eyes. I guarantee you’ll be transported.

9 p.m., Trocaderos Nightclub & Restaurant, 107 3rd Ave. N., Minneapolis; 612-465-0440.

Other music options this evening include the Scribble Jam at Foundation Nightclub, and Hugh Masekela at the Dakota.

MUSIC & PERFORMANCE
Circus with Style

Everybody loves the circus, but when you jazz it up with a little bit of class and classical music, then we’re talking gangbuster. Head over to the Orchestra Hall this evening for a performance of Neil Goldberg’s Cirque Symphony and Cirque Populaire with the Minnesota Orchestra. This European-style circus event — banking on the success of Cirque du Soleil — combines the acrobatic spectacle of traditional circus, with the artistic bravado of Broadway-style theater — all set to the most popular circus classics played by the Minnesota Orchestra. Conducted by Sarah Hatsuko Hicks, tonight’s program includes Berlioz’s “Roman Carnival Overture,” Saint-Saëns’s “Bacchanale,” Mendelssohn’s “Dance of the Clowns,” and Stravinsky’s “Circus Polka.”

7:30 p.m. (tonight & tomorrow), Orchestra Hall, 1111 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis; 612-371-5656; $18-$48 (children 6 to 17 years old $9-$24).

THEATER & PERFORMANCE
Monty Python’s Spamalot
by Christy DeSmith

Hands down, this retelling of the 1975 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.

8 p.m., Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, 345 Washington St., Saint Paul; 651-224-4222; $25-$65.

If It’s So Private, What’s It Doing on Stage

Also opening tonight is the Guthrie’s production of Private Lives. Noël Coward’s most celebrated comedy sets two newlyweds — who were formerly married to each other — on adjoining terraces during their respective honeymoons in the resort town of Deauville, France. Of course, they still care for each other, and it takes them the course of the play to discover and accept this. We’ll have a review for you after the weekend. In the meantime, see what Director Peter Rothstein has to say about the show.

7:30 p.m., McGuire Proscenium Stage, Guthrie Theater, 818 South 2nd St., Minneapolis; 612-377-2224; $24-$44.

BOOKS AND AUTHORS
Tuesdays with Maria
by Eeva-Liisa Waaraniemi

The past few days I’ve been stopping in at Amazon to see what material possession therein might be worthy of the $25 gift certificate that’s been smoking in my pocket. Well, until now I’d never heard of the guy or the book, but Abraham Yehoshua’s The Lover might just be “the one.” The story seems interesting enough: a husband’s search for his wife’s lover, lost during the Yom Kippur war. But it’s the customer-reviewers who inspired my booklust. One said he can’t get the book out of his head although he read it two months ago. Another: “you finish reading it and the story goes on in your head.” Isn’t this the kind of experience we’re all looking for? Engrossment that stimulates prolonged consideration? To make a long story short, this book is the topic of discussion led by University of Minnesota Professor Maria Damon at tonight’s “Let’s Talk About It: Jewish Literature – Identity and Imagination” at Highland Park Library. You may not have read the book, or even heard of the author, but I say go for the discussion tonight and read the book later. Although some of the plot will be spoiled, your reading experience will be all the richer for it. And when I find The Lover on my doorstep (okay, mailbox), I’ll read the first page and hope that it’s so good that it won’t make it to my stockpile of unread, yet promising books.

7-9 p.m., Highland Park Branch Library, 1974 Ford Pkwy., St. Paul; 651-366-6488; free, but please call to register.

MUSIC
Mix and Match

There’s all sorts of good music playing tonight, so pick your poison.

Metal Maniacs: Sounds of the Underground, this afternoon at Myth Nightclub, features metal band GWAR with special guests Shadows Fall, Chimaira, Every Time I Die, Job for a Cowboy, Amon Amarth, The Number 12 Looks Like You, and Darkest Hour. 1 p.m., Myth Nightclub, 3090 Southlawn Dr., Maplewood; 651-779-6984; $35.

Jazz Enthusiasts: The Minneapolis Pops Orchestra is putting on a free outdoor performance this evening. 6:30 p.m., Elliot Park, 1000 E. 14th St., Minneapolis; 612-270-4772; free.

Alt. Rockers: Cary Brothers perform tonight with Stars of Track and Field and Mother Mother. 7:30 p.m., The Varsity Theater, 1308 4th St. S.E., Minneapolis; 612-604-0222; $15.

Blacky will be playing this evening with the films of Sean Smuda. (Plus you can get $2.50 Margaritas all night, and 1/2 price bottles of wine til 9 p.m.) 9 p.m., 331 Club, 331 13th Ave NE, Mpls.; 612-331-1746; free.

First things first: Today is the final day of the Summer Sidewalk Sale at Calhoun Square, so go get great bargains on shoes, kitchenware, luggage, jewelry, and accessories from their fine stores. Hennepin and Lake St., Minneapolis.

THEATER READING
Sparkle, Serena!

Be among the first to get a glimpse of Christopher Harmon and Doug Klozzner’s new musical screenplay. Catch a staged reading of Sparkle, Serena! this very evening at the Center for Independent Artists. “A zealous quest to save a friend’s life catapults a young girl into a magical world of old theatres, dance lessons and crystal shoes. Until a painful discovery pulls her back to the real world of limitations and disappointment — and a secret that shows her there are more choices than failure.”

6 p.m., Center for Independent Artists, 4137 Bloomington Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-724-8392; free with RSVP (call).

BOOKS & AUTHORS
Laotian American Literature

One of the first published Laotian American writers, Bryan Thao Worra, will be reading this evening from his first full-length book of speculative poetry, On The Other Side of the Eye, which will be released this August. Worra is literary editor for Tripmaster Monkey Magazine and Bakka Magazine, as well as advisor to AsianAmericanPoetry.com and a freelance writer for Asian American Press. His work has been featured in over 60 international publications in Singapore, England, Germany, Australia, and across the United States.

6:30 p.m., Dreamhaven Books and Comics, 912 W Lake St, Mpls.; 612-823-6161; free.

MUSIC & FILM
There’s Always Tomorrow, but Why Wait

It’s Monday — time for another band and another Douglas Sirk movie in Loring park. The band playing tonight is The Plastic Constellations, playing “infectious, keenly lyrical rock that blazes, squirms, and churns with rhythmic intensity, anthemic melodies, and urgent hooks.” Following their performance, grab a spot on the Loring lawn, wipe off the sweat from all that dancing, and settle in for a sceening of Sirk’s 1956 There’s Always Tomorrow, featuring Fred MacMurray and the adorable Barbara Stanwyck. Having sacrificed his dreams in order to attend to the responsibility of home and family, Clifford finds solace in his rekindled friendship with Norma, who has just moved back to town. She provides the attention he’s missing from his wife and children, but their unconventional relationship raises eyebrows and suspicion among the local gossips.

7 p.m. (movie at dusk, around 8:45 p.m.), Loring Park; free.

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!

Hopefully, you made it to the Robert F. Kennedy Junior event this morning and you’re all geared up and ready to save the world. Now, let me ask you: are you by any chance Middle Eastern?

PUBLIC INSIGHT FORUM
U.S-Iranian Tensions

It’s no secret that Iran and the United States haven’t quite been getting along. The strained relationship has become a focus of tension in the Middle East. But what about right here, at home? How are Iranians feeling about what’s going on in their country? Perhaps if you’re Iranian, or even from any other place in the Middle East, you can share your thoughts. Minnesota Public Radio is collaborating with the Twin Cities Daily Planet and The Friends of the Minneapolis Public Library to gather members of the Iranian community in Minnesota for a public insight forum. Share your views on the growing tension between the United States and Iran. Admission is free, but reservations are required. Register here.

6:30 – 8:30 p.m., Pohlad Hall, Minneapolis Central Library, 300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis; 612-630-6000; free, but registration required.

PERFORMANCE
Air Guitar Nation

Watch legions of aspiring young rock stars live out their dream to become the world champion in a strange world where musical ability plays second fiddle to virtual virtuosity. Tonight marks the Minneapolis premiere of Air Guitar Nation, a documentary chronicling the birth of the U.S. Air Guitar Championships. Strange enough for you? Ridiculous enough? People take this shit seriously, my friends; but you certainly don’t have to. Just go for a good laugh, and enjoy air guitar antics set to the music of Motorhead, Smashing Pumpkins, The Darkness, Kiss, Cheap Trick, The Hives, David Bowie, Boston, Extreme, The Donnas, Judas Priest, Queen, The Who, and David Lee Roth (Please, no. Not “Jump”!).

7 p.m., Bryant Lake Bowl, 810 W. Lake St., Minneapolis; 612-825-3737; $7.

Coffee, Soup, and Poetry

If you’d rather be the one performing this evening — or if you’re just in the mood for a fun mellow evening of poetry, stories, and song — head over to Open Book’s Coffee Gallery for their weekly open mic. The Prism Poetry Series, hosted by Fluffy Singler, is open to poets, storytellers, acoustic musicians, and performance artists. Enjoy the artistic camaraderie with the Coffee Gallery’s gourmet coffee drinks, bottled beer, handcrafted soups, sandwiches, pasta salads, and pastries.

7-10 p.m., Coffee Gallery, Open Book, 1011 Washington Ave., Minneapolis; 612-215-2626.

VISUAL ART
Gallery Grooves at CorAzoN

Join us for Gallery Grooves this evening, The Rake’s monthly art, jazz, and wine event. Peruse the art of Andy Richter and Jenny Jenkins at the opening of their new exhibit — Survival and Revival: Photography of New Orleans. Socialize and discuss the latest jazz with Kevin Barnes from KBEM. Enjoy free libations, compliments of The Wine Company. Featured jazz selections include: Harry Connick Jr., Chansons De Vieux Carre; Irma Thomas, After The Rain; and The Wild Magnolias, They Call Us Wild.

7 to 9 p.m., CorAzoN, 204 Washington Ave. N., Minneapolis; 612-333-1662; free.

Source and Metaphor

Also opening this evening is Christine Herman’s Source and Metaphor exhibit at the Nina Bliese Gallery — or at least the opening reception is tonight. Herman’s monotypes tend toward the abstract and seek to establish an emotional resonance with the viewer. “My intention is to translate the literal world and infuse my images with the feelings that are evoked by it,” writes Herman. “The particular qualities of monotype make it an intriguing hybrid of printmaking. I am mesmerized by the spontaneity and painterly qualities of the medium. Technically speaking it is neither a print nor a painting, but a distinct blend of both.” Actually, her paintings remind me a little of my nephew’s paintings back when he was only four or five, back when he would paint emotions and “the sadness of the rain” rather than the stupid little houses and flowers to which social conditioning has now reduced him.

5-9 p.m., Nina Bliese Gallery, 225 South 6th St., Minneapolis; 612-332-2978; free.

DANCE
All Must Flow

Wind and flow — two great concepts from which to derive a fabulous dance number, or two. Local dancers/choreographers Karis Sloss and Kaleena Miller have teamed up to bring you a uniquely musical approach to dance choreography, with a jazz and tap infused edge. Sirocco/Flow combines dance and original music by local composers: the haunting music of Bobb Fantauzzo, the computer-generated score of Warren Park and Richard Sloss, a duet with Ricci Milan of Buckets and Taps Shoes/ Ten Foot Five fame, and even a number by the not-so-local Duke Ellington. Sirocco: Winds of Passion tells the legend of the intense and mysterious wind storm Sirocco, which had the power to drive mortals to commit mad crimes of passion. While Flow, Kaleena Miller’s portion of the show, offers a number of new eclectic musical and choreographic collaborations.

8 p.m., The Ritz Theater, 345 13th Ave. N.E., Minneapolis; 612-623-7660; $17 (seniors/students $15).

FESTIVALS
Carry the Torch

Tonight is the annual Minneapolis Aquatennial Torchlight Parade across downtown. Grab a chair, a bench, or a curb, and join the tens of thousands of people along Hennepin Avenue for a two-hour spectacle with 100-plus floats, numerous live bands, an excess of torches, and specialty units. Along with Saturday’s fireworks, this is really the highlight of the Aquatennial events, so don’t miss it. I also recommend you stop by the American Iron Metal Sculpture Contest in front of the IDS Center on Nicollet Mall during the day (10:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.) to view the “Art of Recycling” metal sculpture competition and public art display. There’s actually some fairly impressive work there.

8:30-10:30 p.m., Hennepin Ave., from the Basilica of St. Mary near Dunwoody Boulevard to the end at Fifth and Hennepin, Minneapolis; free.

FILM – LOCAL
This Is How We Do It

Time for another Cinema Lounge this evening. Go check out what our local filmmakers are doing, and meet the minds behind the movies as they bring the filmmakers to the stage to answer your questions. Tonight’s films include include Urban Lull (At Once Charmed) by Micah Dahl, an Umbrella Sequence music video captured entirely in one shot; A Satisfied Life by Freya Schirmacher, the 2006 Greatest Generation Project winning short exploring the life of North Minneapolis resident Ted Wryk; Who To Trust? by Dean Peterson, in which a man loses his journal and then loses his mind trying to figure out who is reading his every secret; Buddy, Buddy by David Matenaer and Jesse Roesler, winner of “Best Film” in Minneapolis’ 2007 48-Hour Film Project; and Unhinged by Gregg Holtgrewe, a frenetically-cut exercise in style takes a sparring couple form communication problems to deadly peril when their car is hijacked.

7 p.m., Bryant Lake Bowl, 810 West Lake St., Minneapolis; 612-825-8949; free.

FILM – ASIAN
Late Spring in Summer

If you’ve enjoyed the Summer Asian Film Series so far, you won’t want to miss this evening’s screening of Japanese director Yasujiro Ozu’s Late Spring. The 1949 movie shows the relationship of a widowed father and daughter who live a happy and humble life in a countryside town near Tokyo until her father wants to see her married and conspires with his sister to trick his daughter into pursuing an arranged marriage. Director Ozu creates a poignant portrait of devotion, separation, and familial love, quietly creating a tension between the traditional Japanese family structure and the stirrings of social progress in occupied postwar Japan. Tonight’s film will be introduced by Christine Marran, Department of Asian Languages and Literatures, University of Minnesota.

7 p.m., Institute for Advanced Study, Room 155, Nicholson Hall, Minneapolis; 612-626-5054; free.

FILM – OUTDOORS by Danielle Kurtzleben

“Hey, you guys!!!”

Sean Astin! Martha Plimpton! Corey Feldman! That kid from Temple of Doom! Brush up on your 1980s child stars tonight at Steven’s Square Park with a screening of The Goonies, the 1985 cult classic about a bunch of kids and a treasure map made my a pirate named — no kidding — “One-Eyed Willy.” Show up at 7:00 p.m. to check out local music and art (the film starts at dusk) as part of Steven’s Square’s ongoing “Cinema and Civics”-themed Music and Movies series. We’re not sure what the civic message of The Goonies is, but hopefully it has something to do with Sloth.

7 p.m., Steven’s Square Park, three blocks east of Nicollet at the intersection of 18th St. and Second Ave., Minneapolis; 612-879-0200; free.

BOOKS & AUTHORS
Meet Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Tomorrow Morning

This is actually an event for tomorrow, but I figured since it’s so early in the morning, I better let you all know today so that you can make plans to attend. Noted author and environmentalist, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. will discuss our environmental destiny at the Conference on Social Change hosted by Walden University on Thursday, at 8:30 a.m. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., author of Crimes Against Nature: How George W. Bush and His Corporate Pals are Plundering the Country and Hijacking Our Democracy, will talk about how regulatory rollbacks have threatened our health, our national security, and democracy as we know it. As one of the country’s most prominent environmental attorneys, Kennedy examines how the administration has orchestrated these rollbacks almost entirely outside of public scrutiny and in tandem with the same industries that these laws are meant to regulate. He will be signing copies of his book following the discussion.

Thursday at 8:30 a.m., Northrop Auditorium, 84 Church St. S.E., Minneapolis; 612-625-6000; free tickets available at the U of M Bookstore at Coffman Memorial Union, 300 Washington Ave. S.E., Minneapolis.

Today is your last day to R.S.V.P. for the Us Weekly Hot Hollywood Summer Event at the Chambers Hotel tomorrow. Celebrity or not, you can enjoy the lifestyle for at least an evening — beauty consultations, gift bags, Midori cocktails, samples, and hors d’oeuvres for everyone. Email usrsvp@usmagazine.com to register.

MUSIC by Eeva-Liisa Waaraniemi
Take It Down to the Bayou

Aaah, the sounds of the steamy bayou. Music can be the most efficient transportation to the essence of a people, time or place. The Cajun dance band New Riverside Ramblers — a foot stompin’ fast French talkin’ fiddlin’ five piece band — do an especially good job of bringing you the flavor and beat from life at the other end of the Mississippi. If you like what you hear this afternoon, be sure to attend the Taste of the Twin Cities Originals this evening for some more Cajun-spiced music. But if you attend the noontime concert and don’t leave a little spiced, a little swingin’, it’s debatable whether or not you had a pulse in the first place. Another office casualty, perhaps?

Noon-1 p.m., Northrop Plaza, 84 Church St. S.E., Minneapolis; 612-624-2345; free.

Take a Musical Tour through Bulgaria

As part of their 9 Nights of Music series, the Minnesota History Center will be hosting a performance by Traki this evening. Bulgarian transplants Nikolay Gueorguiev (gadulka) and Nikola “Kolyo” Nikolov (gaida/bagpipe) lead a team of top local musicians, including acclaimed percussionist Tim O’Keefe, string fiend Jim Parker and vocal chameleon Natalie Nowytski, in a performance of authentic Bulgarian dance music. Prepare to be transported with Traki for an evening of nonstop Bulgarian folk dancing from Thrace, Shop, Rhodope, Strandzha, Pirin and Dobrudzha. Can’t sit still? Learn the energetic dances of Bulgaria from Ethnic Dance Theatre Artistic Director Donald LaCourse. Dance along, pack a picnic, or purchase food from the Cafe Minnesota terrace grill. In case of rain, concerts will be held inside the History Center.

6:30 to 8 p.m., Minnesota History Center, 345 Kellogg Blvd. W., St. Paul; 651-296-6126; free.

Also playing this evening is Ponytails and Ivory with Liz Draper and Jon Kaiser, at the 331 Club.

FOOD, FUN, AND MUSIC
Taste of Twin Cities Originals

Summer is always the busiest time of the year, so mark your calendars today for the second annual Taste of the Twin Cities Originals. Held once again at the Nicollet Island Pavilion, this year’s festivities will feature even more of the same great food from 37 of the Twin Cities finest restaurants, along with complimentary wine from the Gallo Family vineyards. You’ll also enjoy live New Orleans-style entertainment from Minnesota Music Award winners, The Jack Brass Band. Visit The Rake’s booth while you’re there. Say hello to Rake staffers, and sign up to win prizes!

6-9 p.m., Nicollet Island Pavillion, 40 Power St., Minneapolis; $45.

BOOKS AND AUTHORS
Dog Days

I’ve had just enough cat stories to last me a life time — from the blogging world, of course — so I understand completely if you’re not exactly revved up to go hear dog stories tonight. But think again, my friends. Jon Katz, author of sixteen books — both novels and nonfiction — will be appearing at the Burnsville Barnes & Noble this evening to promote his latest book, Dog Days: Dispatches from Bedlam Farm. His aren’t just any old dog stories, however. Katz — who lives on Bedlam Farm (in upstate New York) with his wife, Paula Span, and his dogs, sheep, steers and cow, donkeys, barn cat, irritable rooster Winston, and three hens — uses entertaining anecdotes to share insights about man’s best friend. A two-time finalist for the National Magazine Award, he writes columns about dogs and rural life for the online magazine Slate, and has written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Rolling Stone, GQ, and the AKC Gazette. He also co-hosts the award-winning show, Dog Talk, on Northeast Public Radio.

7 p.m., Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Burnhaven Shopping Center, 828 West County Rd. 42, Burnsville; 952-892-9280; free.

Another Impossible Love Story

As part of the Let’s Talk About It: Jewish Literature – Identity and Imagination series, Professor Maria Damon will lead a discussions on Shmuel Yosef Agnon’s A Simple Story this evening. Though the novel was not available in translation until 1985, fifteen years after the author’s death, Agnon is certainly one of the most lauded and widely translated Hebrew authors. A Simple Story tells the tale of an orphaned child who goes to live with her aunt and uncle and ends up falling in love with their son — who, of course, must marry another. Stop by tonight to join the exploration of this year’s theme “Your Heart’s Desire: Sex and Love in Jewish Literature.”

7-9 p.m., Highland Park Branch Library, 1974 Ford Pkwy., St. Paul; 651-366-6488; free.