George Clinton, Taj Mahal

For the past several years, the Minnesota Zoo’s outdoor amphitheater has been one of the most reliable venues in town, with a roster of solid locals and national touring acts from John Prine to Ween. This summer’s series winds up well, with two cornerstones of African-American music. George Clinton, of course, is the grandmaster of … Read more

Paul McCartney, The Who, Bruce Springsteen

This is one helluva week for the Xcel Center, and it points up why this may be the perfect model for the future of arena entertainment, at a state-of-the-art civic center in the heart of a vibrant city. We can certainly expect major growth in the area of mid-sized geezer rock ’n’ roll shows, thanks … Read more

Mr. Show Live

While their movie Run Ronnie Run languishes at New Line Cinema, the comedy duo of Bob Odenkirk and David Cross has released the first two seasons of their now-legendary HBO program, Mr. Show , on DVD. The sketch comedy follows in the tradition other recent HBO hooters such as The Larry Sanders Show and Curb … Read more

Napa Valley Grille

On a recent weeknight, we had the few odds and ends to pick up at the Mall of America and decided to see what was cooking at Napa Valley Grille. Chef Tom Anderson was up to his usual stuff, so it was extremely hard to decide what to order—not that the menu is terribly long, … Read more

Uptown Diner

So you walk out of a late show at the Uptown Theater on a Friday night and your stomach is angry with you for stuffing it with Sour Patch Kids and popcorn instead of dinner. You only have $10 in your pocket and you don’t feel like sitting in a dingy, smoky bar waiting for … Read more

The Op-Ed Slam

Top honors for the July 11 Op-Ed Slam went to Tim Shea of Minneapolis. Judges were an assortment of folks who were challenged by the wide range of 3-minute presentations. Some sang, some shouted, some railed, some simply read, and some waxed poetic. Some had opinions. Other awards went to Colleen Kruse of The Rake … Read more

Any Resemblance to Living Persons…

Being a concise survey of bizarre coincidences in the life of real public figures and wholly manufactured fictional characters. 1. Astonishingly, Garrison Keillor was included in the top 10 of Playgirl’s sexiest men of 1986. Others on that list included Sen. Robert Dole, Billy Crystal, William “The Refrigerator” Perry and Donald Trump—so one begins to … Read more

More information on Twin Cities private high schools

Academy of the Holy Angelshttp://www.ahastars.org6600 Nicollet Ave SRichfield, MN 55423(612) 798-2600Roman Catholic; Upper School, 800 students; 80% of applicants accepted; avg. class size 23; Tuition: $7200; Fees: registration $200, transportation $600; 25% students receive financial aid; Athletics balanced participatory/competitive; Languages: Spanish, French, German; 8 AP offerings; 40% take SAT; 70% take ACT; 92% of grads … Read more

From India: High Roller

At 17,582 feet above sea level, the Taglang La is the world’s second highest motorable pass. It’s the highest point on the 300-mile “highway” that connects the northern cities of Leh and Manali. On a bicycle, getting to the top of the pass from the southern side requires a 3-hour, 12-mile climb that takes you … Read more

Iron Will

I have great admiration for Ann Bancroft; she is an amazing woman and a good friend. I was taken aback, however, by your reference to Will Steger and the idea that Ann has eclipsed Will by creating an educational program and meeting and greeting her followers [“If the Breakers Don’t Get You…,” July 2002]. In … Read more