Category: Article

As a musician, you ought not name yourself after one of the wonders of the ancient world unless a) you’re damn sure of yourself and b) you’re going to be playing for a long time and assume iconic status. Taj easily meets both criteria: His ego’s as big as the stogies he smokes, and his tunes have taken him about as far as a folk-blues musician not named Dylan can go. His polyglot, border-crossing music takes from the American South, Africa, the Carribbean, Hawaii, Cuba, and beyond, and his proficiency on twenty-plus instruments, starting with his trademark Dobro, can be stunning. Throw in a rich, gruff but honeyed voice and an occasional whistling solo, and there’s no doubt he’s still got what it takes to cast a spell in concert. 651-290-1221, www.fitzgeraldtheater.org

You’d think we’d stay on top of these things: Sigur Ros, the superhip ambient slow-core band from Iceland, has a new record coming out this week, and we never got our secret-handshake-nudge-nudge-wink-wink advance copy, the better to let you know whether you should buy it when it becomes available to the masses. But when it comes to Sigur Ros, well, we figure we have time. Lots and lots of time. We still listen to the beautiful and fragile ( ), and that came out three years ago. Agaetis Byrjun, which sounds a bit like Cowboy Junkies spouting a made-up language on helium in an empty swimming pool with Erik Satie–yes, it’s that beautiful–is six years old, and it’s still in top rotation on our iTunes. Detect a pattern? It may be three years before they pass through town again–hint hint. 612-339-7007; www.hennepintheatredistrict.com

It can be hard to find the blues in these parts, unless you’re also looking for joints with a bunch of crazy crap nailed to the walls frequented by tipsy grandmothers. But this event promises to give the blues lover a real feast for the ears, and in a fancy-pants setting to boot. In addition to performances by a live ensemble–including singer Jearlyn Steele, Spider John Koerner, harmonica player Howard Levy, accordionist Dan “Daddy Squeeze” Newton, and bassist Gary Raynor, the event will include host (and guitarist) Pat Donohue recounting legendary episodes from the blues experience and screenings of rare film footage showing the people whose music came up the Mississippi and got into the souls of a lot of northern folks. 651-290-1221, www.fitzgeraldtheater.org

The strange phenomenon of classical cheesecake is not limited to nubile females posing naked behind their cellos. Violinist and conductor Joshua Bell only has to toss sweat off the ends of his long hair and the band geeks all swoon. Bell debuted at age thirteen with the Philadelphia Orchestra and has since played with many of the world’s renowned orchestras. He’s also the current owner of the Gibson Stradivarius, a storied violin that was made in 1713 and recently resurfaced fifty years after it disappeared backstage at Carnegie Hall. Bell is conducting Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, Verdi’s Quartet in E Minor, and Mendelssohn’s Octet in E-flat for Strings. We’re pretty sure he’ll leave the Strad safely at home. September 23 at Ordway Center for the Performing Arts (651-224-4222; www.ordway.org) and September 24 at Ted Mann Concert Hall (612-624-2345; www.music.umn.edu/facilities/tedMann.php); www.thespco.org

Could the origins of reality TV be traced back to Depression-era dance marathons? These events played out as grueling contests, in which curious onlookers watched young, desperate couples compete for prize money by bopping, literally, til they dropped. Bankrupt City Ballad recalls those days as Peter Rothstein, the brains behind Theater Latte Da, and Mathew Janczewski, ARENA Dances mastermind, hook up to transform the Southern Theater into an old-time dance hall. With a penchant for pretty music and bittersweet plot lines, Rothstein’s singers promise to unearth any tenderness that might be flickering among those Darwinian foxtrots. Southern Theater; 1420 Washington Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-340-1725; www.latteda.org

In a showdown between Saturday Night Live and Second City TV, SNL comes out the shrill, monotonous loser with the long, embarrassing sketches. SC was born onstage in Chicago in 1959, and expanded to the small screen during the seventies and eighties. Eight seasons of inventive ensemble comedy featured young comics like John Candy, Eugene Levy, and Martin Short. While the TV show has been relegated to DVD, the live show goes on, starring up-and-comers who no doubt toss coins into hotel fountains and wish for a contract doing more tedious work on SNL. Until then, they can tour with this live rerun, which revives some of the funniest skits from the SCTV archives, along with new and improvisational material. 2004 Randolph Ave., St, Paul; 1-800-277-6874, www.secondcity.com

With shows in Las Vegas and Disney World, performances on cruise ships, and six globe-trotting productions, what was once an artsy, small-scale French-Canadian circus has blossomed into a seriously big business entertainment. And, while it’s not exactly the exotic spectacle it once was, the troops enlisted by this troupe still put on one hell of a show. The latest production to sweep through Minneapolis bears the same kind of mysterious, seemingly made-up name (Corteo) we’ve come to expect from the troupe, along with contortionists, Euro-clowns (i.e., not the scary sort), child acrobats, tightrope walkers, aerialists, and the like. Actually, “Corteo” is the Italian for “cortege,” which is itself a French word for a procession or parade. But what, exactly, is The Grand Chapiteau? Why, that would be French for “big top,” which Cirque folk will erect, appropriately enough, on the Parade Stadium grounds. 600 Kenwood Parkway (west of the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden) 800-678-5440; www.cirquedusoleil.com

What’s hotter than the jazz at the Dakota? The new menu. When longtime chef Ken Goff departed, young hotshot Jack Riebel (formerly of La Belle Vie) stepped up to undertake a gastronomical renovation. His grilled lamb confit tart with goat cheese and tapenade strikes an earthy, rich note, and the ham and sweet pea soup plays sweet against dusky with white truffle oil. The downtown lunch crowd is going for the porcini burger with Tallegio cheese, while those who intend to skip out on work for the day choose the tequila-marinated shrimp ceviche from the bar menu. And fear not, longtime fans: the apple and brie soup endures. 1010 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis; 612-332-1010; www.dakotacooks.com

Kabobi has arrived in Eden Prairie to save the khaki-clad office teams from yet another giant burrito. This warmly stylish joint offers two main dishes and a bevy of sides. Order the Kabobi sandwich and you’ll get seasoned, fire-roasted chicken, beef, or lamb cradled in flatbread with tomatoes, onions, cucumber, and a creamy herb sauce. Or go for the shish kabob and have your protein skewered alongside grilled tomato. Sides are fresh and oh so snackable; don’t miss the Persian pickles. Add a decent selection of beer and wine, plus the candle-lit ambience of the dining room at night, and this place becomes more than just a lunch spot. 13250 Technology Drive, Eden Prairie; 952-937-1414