Author: Cristina Córdova

Happy 4th of July! Don’t forget to take a moment to consider the lost ideal behind the holiday. OK. Just a moment, though. You’ve got a lot to do today, so you want to get an early start.

ANIMALS & FAMILY
For the Bears

Grab some breakfast and head over to the Como Park Zoo to watch polar bears Neil and Buzz celebrate their independence (ha!) by devouring edible flags and cake. Yes, eat those flags! Doesn’t that kind of go against the grain of the holiday? Anyway, it’s certainly an unusual way to start your day, and you can stick around for Sparky the Sea Lion’s show at 11:30.

10:30 a.m., Como Park Zoo, 1225 Estabrook Dr., Saint Paul; 651-487-8200; free.

If you have kids (1-9) with you, you’re in luck. Make their day with a short jump to Como Town for their own celebration. It just opened a couple of months ago, and this is the perfect day to treat the young ones. If they’re dressed in red, white, and blue they’ll have double the fun (and probably come back doused from the water balloon war).

Make it a full day if you like. Heck, you’re already here. Get some grub and have yourself a little picnic by the Como Lakeside Pavilion. Rest your feet a while as you settle in to the music of the Como “Pops” Ensemble at 3 p.m., and United We Sing at 7 p.m.

TRADITIONAL
Haven’t We Seen This Before?

If you’ve got a hankering for a more traditional way to start this great 4th of July, then head over to — that’s right — Edina for their Fourth of July Parade. This’ll be your typical white middle-(to upper)-class American fare, with marching youth, a police pipe band, aqua jesters, and cheerleaders. Woo-hoo! The parade departs from City Hall at 10 a.m., and proceeds about a mile east to 50th & France. The evening’s fireworks display will take place further south, at Rosland Park.

Of course, there are a number of these typical Midwest celebrations around town today. See below for more.

HISTORY
What’s It All About?

If you’re more of a history buff — maybe this holiday actually means something to you other than BBQ, beer, and pretty, bright lights — then our Historic Fort Snelling provides the perfect setting to start the day. Celebrate Independence Day military style with cannon salutes, patriotic speeches, theatrical presentations, a military dress parade, patriotic and military fife and drum music, period games, and dancing with the residents of the frontier fort.

10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Historic Fort Snelling, Hwys 5 & 55 near the airport, St. Paul; 612-726-171; $8 (seniors/college students $6, youth $4, children and MHS members free.

For a non-military, old-school celebration with a little bit of history, join the Farmer’s Fourth of July celebration at the Kelley Farm. Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy the farm while animals and costumed staffers dance around the lawn. There’ll be 19th-century games (including Townball, a precursor to baseball) and oratory, as well.

10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Oliver H. Kelley Farm, Hwy 10, Elk River; 763-441-6896; $7 (seniors/students $6, youth $4, children free).

FIREWORKS
Cut to the Chase

Fireworks. Fireworks. Fireworks. Obviously, it’s all about the fireworks tonight. And considering the crowds at some of these events, you might want to consider getting some place nice and early and staking your claim as in the old frontier. Lay down the blankets and belongings and linger in the area, enjoying the great outdoors as you wait for the sun to fall and be replaced by gunpowder — “The bombs bursting in air.” Now you’re feeling patriotic, aren’t you? (Not so much?)

For a metro area fireworks display map see here.

Meanwhile, here are some of the places you can consider:

Minneapolis Red, White, and Boom!
Meet me down by the river sometime after 3 p.m. I’ll be celebrating this year’s Fourth of July on the Minneapolis Riverfront with music at St. Anthony Main and fireworks at 10 p.m.

A Taste of Minnesota
Celebrate on Harriet Island with great food and three stages of ongoing entertainment for both kids and adults from 1 to 10 p.m. Tonight’s the last night of ATaste of Minnesota, so the energy is bound to soar. And while they’ve had fireworks every evening, tonight will be the end all.

Lake Minnetonka
Stick by the water, where the fireworks are bolder. The all-day celebration in Excelsior Commons Park (8 a.m. – 10 p.m.) features a 10K race, a kids’ parade and concert, fishing and sandcastle contests, teen bands, and music from the Minnesota Orchestra, topped off by fireworks.

Powderhorn Park
Enjoy music, food, and fireworks from 4 p.m. to nightfall.

Woodbury
Ojibway Park will feature a little Duke Ellington-style swing by the Red Rock Swing Band from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., followed by fireworks.

St. Louis Park
Aquila Park will host some good old rock-n-roll by Stevie and the Table Rockers, with fireworks around 10 p.m.

Roseville
Central Park (2540 Lexington Ave.) will have entertainment by the Splatter Sisters, the HeBeGB’s, the Roseville Big Band, and the Roseville Community Band, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., followed by fireworks.

Eagan
Central Park will have carnival rides, food, bingo, a car show, and music after a 10 a.m. community parade down Yankee Doodle Road (so appropriate!). The evening’s fireworks display will come immediately after a Tim Mahoney concert.

Chanhassen
The City Center Park celebration begins with an adult fishing contest at 7:30 a.m. (which you’ve probably already missed), and continues with numerous activities all around the area. Enjoy a treasure hunt, a car show, food, performances, music, rides, and fireworks.

Valleyfair
Of course, if you really want rides, then celebrate the day at the amusement park. You can spend the entire day or just make an evening of it. For half the price, you can go after 5 p.m., enjoy the rides, and end the affair with fireworks. I guarantee the line for the ferris wheel is going to be long just before 10 p.m., so get there early and watch it all from the sky.

You’re either one of those people who are going to see The Police reunion at the Xcel Energy Center tonight, or you’re not. (That’s pert near rocket science for you.) If you’re not, then you can stroke your ego in a number of ways tonight as you mock those poor souls who are so desperately clinging to their past. OK, I exaggerate. It’s not exactly an REO Speedwagon concert, but still…

MUSIC
Mr. Beatnig Man

GenXers, for the perfect contemporary expression of your youth, drive south tonight to the Minnesota Zoo. (Ooo. That almost sounds dirty, doesn’t it?) Michael Franti has come a long way since his power-tool-playing days, but those industrial punk beginnings still shine through. Truth is, Franti has morphed more than once. While The Police will likely sound, at best, as they did two decades ago, I guarantee Franti won’t. The man has evolved. And the man has always chosen the most appropriate style of the time in which to decry the socio-political malaise: industrial punk in the 80s, hip hop in the early 90s, and his own more mature mix following that. Following the dissolution of The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, who opened for U2’s Zoo TV Tour, Franti formed his new band, Spearhead, and brought his music to an entirely new level, fusing his industrial and hip hop past into his own brand of funk soul reggae-tized poetics. (Ain’t no doubt about it, folks, men get sexier with age. And no, the double negative doesn’t cancel itself out.)

7:30 p.m., Minnesota Zoo Amphitheater, 13000 Zoo Boulevard, Apple Valley; 952-431-9200.

Surrender the Body, or Surrender the Mind

Which one are you going for: the body or the mind? We’re in Minnesota, my friend, so dot a little WD40 on those extra hinges and get to know your body a while. You need it. We all do. Maybe it comes from trudging through all that snow (what snow?), but we’re all just a little flat-footed. It’s time to do a little damage control in the great outdoors. The Minnesota Historical Society’s Nine Nights of Music begins this evening with Charanga Tropical, a nine-piece Cuban ensemble. Don’t be afraid to shake those hips. If you find yourself doing the twist instead of salsa, instructor Douglas Little will set you straight. And don’t be afraid of the rain. While a solid dance under the rain might be just what you need to awaken your slumbering sexiness, you’ll find yourself without music when the concert moves inside.

6:30 p.m., Minnesota Historical Society, 345 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul; 651-296-6126; free.

If you prefer to leave the body dormant and stimulate the mind a while, then skip the salsa and opt for some violin. School of Music alumni Milana Reiche and Angela Fuller (Bravo! alumna) will perform a recital this evening for the 2007 Bravo! Summer String and Keyboard Institute.

7:30 p.m., Lloyd Ultan Recital Hall, Ferguson Hall, University of Minnesota, 2106 4th St. S., Minneapolis; free.

BOOKS & AUTHORS
But, Mommy, It’s My Favorite Toy

Nobody, and I mean nobody, describes male adolescence better than Philip Roth. What man can’t relate to a book whose entire first third consists of an extended sequence of masturbation exploits involving sibling undergarments and mother-induced shame? Portnoy’s Complaint is a masterpiece of Jewish literature — a masterpiece of an kind, in fact. But this evening you can focus on its place within the scope of Jewish literature. Professor Maria Damon, faculty member at the University of Minnesota’s Center for Jewish Studies, will lead a discussion of Roth’s novel in an exploration of sex and love in Jewish literature. Tonight’s talk comes as part of the Let’s Talk About It: Jewish Literature series, developed by the American Library Association and Nextbook.

7 p.m., Highland Park Branch Library, 1974 Ford Parkway, Saint Paul; 651-366-6488; free.

FILM by Eeva-Liisa Waaraniemi
Nerdification

Act as if you don’t get to spend enough time in basements. Descend into the murky Dinkytowner Cafe for the monthly Cinema Slop. Don’t pay a cover charge. You’ll get 2-for-1 drinks, satisfying diner-like slop to eat, and most importantly, you’ll know deep inside that that’s not what you’re there for. No, you’ve come for some nerdifying filmertainment, and that’s okay because it’s cool to be nerdy these days. The blurb on the Cinema Slop website says it all: “Geek Out! Nerdlingers rejoice, for July brings a full evening of egghead entertainment: the unsuccessful pilots for Super Nerds and Welcome to Eltingville; followed by Mattel’s glorified toy commercial TV special, Computer Warriors; then a couple of representative episodes of the video-game game show, Starcade: and finally the video game movie to end all video game movies, 1989’s The Wizard. Huzzah!”

9 p.m., Dinkytowner Cafe, 412 14th Ave. S.E., Minneapolis; 612-362-0437.

FESTIVITIES by Eeva-Liisa Waaraniemi
Hop on the Fireworks Express

Experience an ancient mode of transportation — the choo-choo train (after what might be a long car ride)! On the day before July Fourth, the Osceola & St. Croix Valley Railway are taking riders on a 45-minute journey along the craggy bluffs of the St. Croix River on the Fireworks Express. The excursion begins at the Osceola depot. Once aboard, you’ll head to Marine on St. Croix, where you’ll disembark to watch fireworks. On the nighttime ride back to Osceola, expect to be chugged gently into a sleepy dreamland of yesteryear. Keep your eyes peeled for Casey Jones. Tickets are limited so call and reserve them in advance. If you enjoy the ride, you can come back tomorrow for a day ride. Celebrate the 4th with a holiday train ride (11:00 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.).

7 p.m., Osceola & St. Croix Valley Railway, 114 Depot Rd., Osceola, WI; 715-755-3570; $20.00 (children $12).

Things heated up a bit in June, but it’s time to bring the summer into full gear now. Our pores have finally opened up a bit, and we have a the mid-week holiday just ahead. Don’t stop at that. Take advantage of the high energy and celebrate the week. Don’t be hindered by the inherent irony in celebrating our independence from an oppressive government. Celebrate your own independence. How, with all those obligations, are you going to do that? Toss in a little variety. Spoil yourself. Act on a whim. Do anything you like, but under no circumstances are you to do anything for more than two hours. That’s right. Mix it up. Fill your day. Two hours at a time.

MUSIC
Noontime Intermezzo

Start your day off right with an afternoon music break. If you can sneak away for an extended lunch, head over to Northrop Plaza to listen to Eileen May and Dave Alstead jazz up some cabaret classics. Take your lunch, or pick up something on the way. I recommend grabbing a Potbelly (326 14th Ave SE) sandwich (with lots of hot peppers) and having yourself a picnic. If you’re close by, you’ll be able to linger a while and bask in the joy. Otherwise, you should still be able to make it all within your two-hour slot.

Noon – 1 p.m., Northrop Plaza, 612-624-2345; free.

SOCIAL
The First-Ever Something-or-Other

Give yourself some time to get out of work slowly, stop at home if you need to, maybe take a little walk around town (it’s good for you), and head on over to Psycho Suzi’s for a MNSpeak get-together. You’re bound to meet someone that can make you laugh a bit, or at least get you riled. And remember, you’re not going to stay for more than two hours anyhow (less, depending on where you’re going from there). You’ll find a couple good excuses below to get you out of there quickly. (Not that you’ll want to…)

6 p.m., Psycho Suzi’s Motor Lounge, 2519 Marshall St. N.E., Minneapolis; 612-788-9069; your own tab.

COMEDY
Not That Kind of Laugh

Maybe you need a good reason to continue the laughter. Or maybe the MNSpeak get-together is just too much of a risk for you (remember, you can always just go and lurk in the corners). There are more certain ways to get a laugh tonight. The Beat Coffeehouse is hosting its Monday Night Comedy Show with sketch artists, monologists, musicians, improv groups, and stand-up comedians. There’s free parking in the lot directly behind The Beat. And if the show exceeds your two-hour limit you can always log into the free WIFI and read The Rake a while. Maybe I’ll post something new for you by then. How about a video?

7:30 p.m., The Beat Coffeehouse, 1414 West 28th St., Uptown Minneapolis; 612-877-2436; $2.

MUSIC
Jazz Fingers

If the MNSpeak get-together sucks right off the bat (it’s up to you to keep that energy level up and the conversation flowing), slip out the door (tug at my sleeve, and maybe I’ll go with you), and head over to the Dakota to see Tanner Taylor burn up the keyboards. This Iowa-born musician can really tear up those keys and make them sing. Don’t under-appreciate his greatness just because he’s made Minneapolis his home for the past six years. We have good reason to get a little spoiled on the jazz front here, but this jazz pianist’s greatness extends far beyond the bounds of our fair state. He has played with many contemporary jazz giants: Clark Terry, Slide Hampton, Steve Turre, Wycliffe Gordon, Dick Oatts, Eric Alexander, Delfeayo Marsalis.

7 p.m., Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant, 1010 Nicollet, Minneapolis; 612-332-1010; $5.

A New Breed of Ax Mastery

MNSpeakers who manage to endure each other beyond the two-hour mark are best off making a break for the Entry. New Yorker Marnie Stern is certain to add a little flare to the already whacked-out mix — or at least drown it out. “Yes. Yes. Yes. The answer’s yes.” This woman is one of a kind. Yes. She plays a mean guitar — a Fender Jaguar even. Yes. She shreds and yawps. Yes. Will she affirm your independence? The answer is yes. She’s playing tonight with Gay Beast and To Kill A Petty Bourgeoisie (you gotta love the name).

8 p.m., The Entry, First Avenue, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis, 612-332-1775; $7.

MUSIC by Eeva-Liisa Waaraniemi
All That Jazz

Jazz artists are not just middle-aged or elderly men, although that may be a common assumption. At this weekend’s Twin Cities Jazz Festival more than a few talented young ‘uns are getting into the groove. Alto-saxophonist Grace Kelly, who’s hardly turned fifteen, will be “gracing” the stage with both instrument and voice; Dan Kusz, also on the alto-sax, is in his early twenties; and saxophonist Alex Han is nineteen. Local school MITY, is lending its youth jazz band to the event. On its second (and last) weekend, the festival has hopped the river from St. Paul to Minneapolis’s Peavey Plaza. Unlike moments last weekend, you won’t be rubbing damp elbows with strangers; the weather forecast bodes well. Listening, watching, and dancing (if you choose to) are free for the vast majority of you. Those who wish to see performers a block away at the Dakota Jazz Club will pay a reasonable cover charge.

Friday from 4:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 2 p.m. (see schedule), Peavey Plaza, 11th & Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis; 612-371-5693; free.

American Routes

The Twin Cities Jazz Festival finds some sister sensibilities in the American Routes radio show, also on the local radar this weekend. Each week host and producer Nick Spitzer floats interviews and music of the Gulf South down public radio frequencies. This Saturday you can see the host and performers in the flesh onstage at the Fitz as Spitzer brings his New Orleansian show to the northern, stiffer end of the Mississippi (that would be us). Tonight you will be treated to conversations and jammin’ from Kermit Ruffins and the Barbecue Swingers and The Pine Leaf Boys. The latter are a band of young men who play some serious (by this I mean authentic-serious, not solemn-serious) Cajun/Creole music yet apparently are known for wild antics onstage — they call it “youthful exuberance.” This being a radio show, it should be interesting to see how these crawfish festival men enliven the tamer atmosphere of a radio broadcast.

Saturday at 8 p.m., Fitzgerald Theater, 10 E Exchange St., St. Paul; 651-290-1200; $22-$31.

ART
All S.P.A.M. Is from Minnesota

We’re responsible for that nasty meat-like substitute from Hormel. We’re responsible for the loads of emails you get about penile enlargements and erectile dysfunction. And we’re responsible for S.P.A.M., the Sexy Poster Artists of Minnesota, who now bring you Plaster the Town 2007, the best in rock poster and flyer design. This year’s Plaster the Town features art for sale by Aesthetic Apparatus, AmyJo, Burlesque of North America, DWITT, Squad19, Tooth, Adam Turman, Unitus, and more. The opening party will feature music by the Birthday Suits, The Deaths, Seawhores, Mute Era, Death to our Enemies, DJ Mike, 2600 King, and DJ Plain Ole Bill.

6 p.m., The Soap Factory, 518 2nd St. S.E., Minneapolis; free.

FILM by Eeva-Liisa Waaraniemi
Careful What You Bring Home from a Scavenger Hunt

It’s film night at the St. Paul Central Library. What do reasonable people schlep to an outdoor film? Lawn chairs, blankets, snacks, beverages — yeah, yeah, you know. But, oops. Forgot the bug spray. Again. Not to worry, though. Tonight, you’ll still be reasonable rather than irresponsible if you forget the pesticide. The mosquitos should be scarce (dare I say non-existent?) thanks to the dry weather and temps are promised moderate. The perfect night to view My Man Godfrey whilst lounging under the heavens. There will be more outdoor films at the library this summer, but tonight’s viewing conditions are ideal for seeing this depression-era comedy starring William Powell and Carole Lombard. The film, which starts at dusk, shows what transpires when a crazy rich family hires a new butler straight from the dump.

Friday at 9 p.m., St. Paul Central Library, 90 West Fourth St., St. Paul; 651-266-7000; free.

If you’re a film classics freak like me, then you should also know that the Uptown Theater will be featuring Arsenic and Old Lace this Saturday at midnight. Good old Cary Grant! (and a couple creepy old ladies)

If it’s not the classics but the outdoors you crave, then you’ll be pleased to know about Sunday’s movie in the parking lot outside Patrick’s Cabaret (3010 Minnehaha Ave.). This week’s movie is Chris Smith’s The Yes Men, a comedy following the exploits of a group of jokester liberals who make a name for themselves as they mimic members of the World Trade Organization at venues around the globe.

FILM OPENINGS by Peter Schilling
Ratatouille

This collaboration between writer/director Brad Bird (The Incredibles) and the animation geeks at Pixar takes the medium to new heights. Ratatouille is the simple tale of Remy (voiced by Patton Oswalt), a rat hiding in the shadows of a famous Parisian restaurant who seeks to become a chef. Like The Incredibles, Ratatouille is a comedy of startling action, consistently hilarious jokes, and mechanically brilliant slapstick. But the film is also a deeply felt meditation on the pleasures of hard work, friendship, eating (of course), and, surprisingly, the often cantankerous relationship between artist and critic. Avoid pigeonholing this one as a child’s diversion; Ratatouille is a profound joy, and the best film of the year.

Also opening tonight is Michael Moore’s Sicko, an investigation of the American Health Care System; and Lajos Koltai’s star-packed Evening, a story about a dying woman reflecting on her life, written by Susan Minot and Michael Cunningham.

FILM
It’s a Riot

Today is the anniversary of Stonewall, so take a moment to extol the “the hairpin drop heard ’round the world.” Looking for an appropriate way to celebrate? You can always try the second night of films from the Walker’s Queer Takes: Standing Out series. Tonight’s program includes two sets of shorts from emerging filmmakers. The first set, Women Unite!, begins with a 22-minute film about two women who plan to escape their stifling upstate New York town on a snowy night during the Iran hostage crisis. This film is followed by three others — a comedy about a hold up, a story about a hospice nurse helping her nearly comatose patient, and a documentary about lesbians in Johannesburg. The second group of films, Odd Man Out, focused on the male experience and includes cutout animations, webcams, and young boys struggling to find their place in the world.

7 p.m. and 9 p.m., Walker Art Center, 1750 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; 612-375-7656; free.

MUSIC by Britt Robson
Marsalis Brothers Do Ellington

Even the irrepressible Wynton Marsalis merits no better than third in the current family pecking order after brothers Delfeayo and Branford put out resplendent discs — Minions Dominion and Braggtown, respectively — in 2006. Now Delfeayo (the trombonist, for those without a scorecard) is kicking off the Minnesota Orchestra’s Sommerfest program with a Duke Ellington tribute by an all-star ensemble that features Branford on tenor and soprano sax, pianist Anthony Wonsley (who was superb with Delfeayo at the Dakota this past winter), drummer Winard Harper, and saxophonists Mark Gross and Jason Marshall. Given the level of talent involved, and the titan being honored, expect both the arrangements and the improvisations to be top-notch.

7:30 p.m., Orchestra Hall, 1111 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis; 612-371-5656; $45 (VIP $65).

A Knee-Slappin’ Good Time

If you’re looking for a more casual setting than Orchestra Hall, a slightly less polished, though equally uplifting performance, and perhaps a little less strain on the wallet (like free), head on over to Galleria for their Summer Music Sampler. The Brass Kings are playing tonight at Good Earth, so get ready for a little washboard jamming over CopaBanana smoothies and PowerPlus shakes. At least you’ll have plenty of energy with which to dance and slap those knees. The Brass Kings serve up an amazing mix of back porch experimental music. They take old-time jug-band scrubbing to new heights by applying Latin, Middle Easters, and Eastern rhythms. And their energy is just fabulous.

6 p.m., Good Earth, 3460 Galleria, Edina; 952-925-1001; free.

Watch a video of the Brass Kings’ “Dynaflow.”

WORKSHOP & LECTURE
B-Glrl Be Summit

The 4-day 2007 B-Girl Be Summit begins today, showcasing women in hip-hip through live performances, fashion, films, videos, workshops and panels. Head on over to Intermedia Arts for a series of events beginning at 4:30 p.m. with an hour-long DJ performance. At 5:30, Ashley Gold, Akira Johnson, and H.E.A.T will perform. And at 6 p.m., the visual art exhibit The Art of T&A… Truth and Activism opens as a welcoming ceremony begins with Aztec Dance Youth, drummers, B-Girl B Drum & Dance, and Tish Jones. The highlight of the evening, however, is the keynote address by Rosa Clemente, a Black Puerto Rican grassroots organizer, journalist, and entrepreneur, as well as a Hip Hop activist, member of the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement and a journalist with Pacifica Radio, WBAI 99.5FM NYC, and Air America Radio. Clemente is an incredible woman with many achievements under her belt and much to talk about. Her commitment to scholar-activism and youth organizing has taken her across the country, and even across countries, sharing her vast knowledge about hip-hop, African-American and Latino Intercultural relationships, the history of the Young Lords Party, and organizing to free U.S. political prisoners. (Yes, we do have political prisoners. And if you don’t know who the Young Lords are, you best find out.) Don’t miss this rare opportunity.

7 p.m., Intermedia Arts, 2822 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-871-4444; $5 (students $2).

If you want to continue on with the B-Girl Be Summit events after the keynote presentation, there’s a Youth (Teen) Dance Workshop from 8:30 to 10 p.m. at Jawahiir Studios, 1940 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis. And the Foundation Nightclub has an interesting lineup this evening, featuring Sistaz In Rhyme, Maria Isa, Stacy Epps, Invincible, and Bahamadia. 10 p.m., Foundation Nightclub, 10 S. 5th St, Minneapolis; $10.

ART by Ann Klefstad
One on One: Annabel Clark, Journal + Arlene Gottfried, Midnight

These two artists (plus Burton Fialk, in the MCP’s Minnesota Projects Gallery) make work about seeing others — in particular, seeing them under duress. Photography lends itself to this, although it’s a use that most of us would not dare undertake. Annabel Clark has documented her mother, Lynn Redgrave, as she endures breast cancer and its treatment (Redgrave plans to visit during the run of the show; see here for updates), while Arlene Gottfried documented the life of a man named Midnight for over twenty years. At first he was beautiful enough to command a premium price as a hustler; then he melts down with madness, bad drugs, and the simple toll of years. As standards narrow for all of us in a consumerist world, we need to push against the limits of what we can love, and what we can find lovely. This show helps.

Noon to 8 p.m. (Thursdays), through July 29, Minnesota Center for Photography, 165 13th Ave. N.E., Minneapolis; 612-824-5500.

MUSEUM by Eeva-Liisa Waaraniemi
Frozen in a Final Moment

The Star Tribune and all other big boys in town have already blown the horn on this one, but maybe you, oddball that you are, only frequent obscure media channels and thus haven’t heard about it. Well, this is a show you shouldn’t miss. Put on your family-friendly face and join the rest of us at the Science Museum’s latest exhibit, A Day in Pompeii, opening today. Unless you travel to Italy to see the ruins yourself, this is a rare opportunity to see wall-sized frescoes, marble and bronze sculptures, jewelry and gold coins from a city frozen in its final moment. Many of us have seen unforgettable pictures of the people caught in their final, unscripted poses, suffocated by the volcanic ash that consumed the city. Eight of these figures are on view in the exhibit as plaster molds of the cavities left by the victims’ bodies. A free audio tour is available with admission. And while you’re there, stop by the Omnitheater to explore the birthplace of Western civilization in Greece: Secrets of the Past.

8 a.m. – 10 p.m., Science Museum of Minnesota, 120 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul; 651-221-9444; $20 (children/seniors $15, members $7), $24 with Omnitheater (children/seniors $18, members $7).

Watch a preview video.

THEATER & PERFORMANCE
Ten Minutes at a Time

The 6th Annual Bedlam Community Ten-Minute Play Festival begins this evening. The five-day event consists of 20 plays — each only ten minutes long — featuring a Sasquatch, a time machine, singing robots, three bears, an astronaut love affair, and plenty of sweet sugar cookies. Start with the first set of plays — that’s half — this very evening. Coming?, by Emily McPeck, directed by Michael Kelley; Dues, by Dwight Hobbes, directed by Michael Kelley; Robot Musical, by John Francis Bueche, directed by Cherie Anderson, music by Marya Hart; The Sunny Day, by Donna Sellinger, directed by Avedis Monoogan; Times of Changes, by Savannah Reich, directed by Samantha Johns; The Book of Ben, written and directed by Ben Kreilkamp; Albert Went Down to the Intersection, by Josef Evans, directed by Jon Cole; No Sugar Cookies for Herbert, by Tommy Jamerson, directed by Georgia Leigh Hallman; First Day on the Job, by Nathaniel Hicklin, directed by Emily McPeck; and Kind Eyes See So Far, written and directed by Jeremey Catterton.

8 p.m., Bedlam Theater, 1501 S. 6th St., Minneapolis; 612-341-1038; pay-what-you-think-it’s-worth today and tomorrow, after that it’s $10.

All the World’s a Stage

The Great River Shakespeare Festival’s 2007 Summer Season opens this weekend with Macbeth, directed by Doug Scholz-Carlson, and As You Like It, directed by Paul Barnes. It doesn’t get much better than this — comedy and tragedy, love and ambition. Take in a lesson on the morality of power tonight, and enjoy a comic mediation on love tomorrow. All is as it should be. Yes, Winona might be a little way off, but it’ll be worth the drive; and if you make it to the preview performances tonight and tomorrow night, you’ll end up saving almost half the price — and you can be among the first to rant about it.

7:30 p.m., The Performing Arts Center, Winona State University, Johnson St. and W. Howard St.; 507-474-7900, ext.110; $15 preview performances, $20-$25 following.

FILM
Redefining the Notion of Family

With the Pride festivities having come to a head this past weekend, the notion of societal acceptance has been at the forefront of much media over the past couple weeks. But the exotic and flamboyant nature of the Pride Parade is certainly not a call to assimilation. Quite the opposite, in fact; it’s about creating new parameters, redefining social constructs, challenging norms. (Isn’t that why so many people still feel threatened by it?) Following suit, the Walker film series Queer Takes: Standing Out begins this evening with two films that help expand our notions of love and family. The first, Spider Lilies, directed by Zero Chou, follows a tenuous relationship between two women as they reconnect with a troubling past. The second, I Don’t Want to Sleep Alone, directed by Tsai Ming-liang, follows Chinese immigrant Hsiao-kang (Lee Kang-sheng) as he is lovingly cared for by a local man after he is beaten unconscious in Kuala Lampur.

7 p.m. (Spider Lilies) and 9 p.m. (I Don’t Want to Sleep Alone), Walker Art Cente, 1750 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; 612-375-7656; $8 (members $6).

Not finding anything that entices you here? Check out our events calendar for more options.

And go support the Twins!

ON THE NET
Pssst…

More great city secrets
Another great source for secrets — if you’re willing to dig a bit
Metroblogging Twin Cities
Minnesota Stories
The Bottle Gang: The Twin Cities Guide to Sophisticated Drinking
Signal Eats Noise, music and more

The historical musical 1776 starts at the Guthrie this evening, and Tool is playing at the Xcel Energy Center, but that’s no secret. What can I tell you that you don’t already know?

POETRY
The Dead Poetry Slam

Grab your best poetry and take it on down to Keiran’s for their twice-a-month poetry slam — 12 poets, 3 minutes, 3 rounds, 1 winner; you be the judge. Don’t sit around idly. Those who participate don’t have to pay the cover, and the top three poets win prizes ($75, $50, $25). Sign up by 7:30. It’s first come, first serve. And be as creative as you like. Remember, some of us will just be sitting back and watching, so keep us amused, eh? While I can’t seem to find anything about it on their website, I understand that tonight will actually be a dead poetry slam. What does this mean? It means you don’t even have to bring your own poetry. Bring a three-minute poem by a dead poet, and prepare to win.

7:30 p.m., Kieran’s Irish Pub, 330 2nd Ave S. (Towle Building), Minneapolis; 612.339.4499; $5 (to watch), free to perform.

MUSIC AND A MOVIE
If Only They Had Some Bug Spray

If poetry doesn’t exactly get you going, you might be in the mood for something a bit less heady. How does a screening of Starship Troopers sound? Watch as the beautiful, white-teethed Americans fight against villainous stick insects, cockroaches, and giant maggots. It’s time for another Holland neighborhood music and a movie night. Head on over with your blanket in hand, and chill to the music of B.C. Lucy before the 1997 sci-fi movie.

8 p.m., Edison High School Amphitheater, 22nd Ave N.E. and Quincy St., Minneapolis; 612-781-2299; free.

FILM by Peter Schilling
La Jetée and Sans Soleil

At least one critic has dubbed Chris Marker a “cosmonaut” — this in apparent admiration of the French documentary filmmaker’s ability to make other cultures look like products of distant planets. Marker’s documentaries jettison conventional narrative, instead telling stories by way of letter-writing and striking imagery. Sadly, his fascinating oeuvre has rarely, if ever, been seen in this country. But the good folks at Criterion are now trying to remedy this problem by releasing Marker’s two most popular films on DVD. Sans Soleil (1983) involves odd footage of Africa and Japan — images of people and their ceremonies paired with poetic observation. La Jetée (1962), Marker’s sole fictional work, is a thirty-minute photo-roman — that is, a variety of stills culled together — with narration. The movie is a short and stunning science fiction work and noted in this country as the inspiration for the inferior 12 Monkeys. With its striking imagery and haunting story of time travel, love, and the trap of memory, you can watch La Jetée in the time it takes you to sit through an episode of My Name Is Earl, and be moved in ways you never imagined. DVD available today.

MUSIC (with no movie)
Traditional Jazz Music

Born and raised in Minnesota, Doc Evans was among the most celebrated dixieland and traditional jazz cornet players in the ’40s and ’50s. For years, he played sold-out shows at the Walker and added to our rich musical heritage. Today, the Bill Evans New Orleans Jazz Band carries on the jazz tradition born in New Orleans and brought to Minnesota by local legends such as Doc Evans and the Hall Brothers. The Bill Evans New Orleans Jazz Band honors the traditional sound and repertoire, anchored in the nearly 50-year musical partnership of trombonist Bill Evans, cornetist Charlie DeVore and drummer Don “Doggie” Berg.

7 p.m., Bennett’s Chop Railhouse, 1305 W. Seventh St., St. Paul; 651 228-1408.

American Gypsy

You have to love a motorcycle babe with a guitar. And this one can really sing. American Gypsy sings the blues, and this woman — actually Jodi Jarchow — has something to sing about. Her lyrics are real, and powerful, often exposing her personal hardships, including the loss of her husband, partner, and lifeline. The name, American Gypsy, given to her by her late husband, was in fact the name of his tribe, those that follow the way of the White Buffalo.

9:30 p.m., Half Time Rec, 1013 Front Ave, St. Paul; 651-488-8245; free.

More Freebees

As will be the case throughout the next month or two, there’s loads of free outdoor music to enjoy. Put your wallet away and pull out the picnic basket.

Enjoy lunch with the Kurt Jorgensen Band. 12-1 p.m., Northrop Plaza, 84 Church St. S.E., Minneapolis; 612-624-2345; free.

Head over to Peavey Plaza right after work for a music happy hour. The Alive After Five Concert Series presents rhythm and blues by Armadillo Jump. 5 p.m., Peavey Plaza, 11th St. and Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis; 651-338-3807; free.

Or grab a blanket and enjoy a full picnic in the park. What do you prefer — an evening of classic jazz favorites, or a little something new?

Why don’t you do right and go see the Bend in the River Big Band at the Lake Harriet Bandshell? 7:30 p.m., Lake Harriet Bandshell, 4135 W. Lake Harriet Pkwy., Minneapolis; 612-661-4785; free.

Or broaden your horizons at the Minnehaha Falls Outdoor Concert Series with Chile Sin Fronteras. You can even bypass the picnic and enjoy some fresh oysters and wine at the Sea Salt Eatery. 7 p.m., Minnehaha Park, 50th St. and Minnehaha Ave., Minneapolis; 612-673-2489; free.

ART by Ann Klefstad
Angela Strassheim Photographs

Local artist Strassheim is a former forensic photographer who now shoots her own family in disturbing tableaux. Her reputation has been growing ever since her work was featured in the last Whitney Biennial. Small wonder, then, that she has a beautiful show at the Burnet Gallery in the Chambers Hotel — which, of course, has built its own reputation on both overweening hipness and an abundance of adventurous art. Since good art is rarely served in close proximity to good cocktails, don’t miss this chance to take in both.

Through August 4, Chambers Hotel Burnet Gallery, 901 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; 612-767-6900.