Before there was David Sedaris, Sarah Vowell, or even, for crying out loud, Dave Barry, there was Fran Lebowitz, a caustic, chain-smoking New Yorker who came on like a cross between Oscar Wilde and Dorothy Parker. In the seventies, Lebowitz was nothing less than a Manhattan celebrity; her Social Studies and Metropolitan Life were best … Read more
No other living American writer can drop us into the wild, wild West or a Texas countryside like Rick Bass. Writing with empathy and great humility, he makes characters we can touch; we meet them in Montana valleys or while trespassing on a Texas ranch. His newest effort, The Diezmo, combines those qualities with gorgeous … Read more
Aimee Mann has made several unusual but ultimately inspired moves in her career, including writing the stunning soundtrack to the film Magnolia and co-founding United Musicians, an organization that allows artists to retain copyright ownership of their work. Musically, with her smoky jazz voice and sharp, melodic pop sensibilities, she can hardly do wrong with … Read more
Soul Coughing disbanded five years ago, and frontman Mike Doughty seems sublimely content with the way his life has progressed since. He’s traded the psychotic sample stylings of Soul Coughing, as well as his moniker, M., for more traditional songwriting that he calls “small rock” and for collaborations with the likes of Dave Matthews and … Read more
In an attempt to reach younger audiences, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra began offering Saturday morning children’s concerts at deep discounts. Progressive. Now it’s presenting a new work, commissioned along with other chamber orchestras, for violin, chamber orchestra, and jazz saxophone. Very progressive. In the scramble to be king of the tenor-sax hill, Joe Lovano … Read more
Broadway has been cluttered lately with Hollywood actors living out their little fantasies. We like them well enough onscreen, but these girls and boys can’t really sing or dance, and they don’t eat enough–which makes a difference to those who believe that good curves can really make a show. Sassy, classy Broadway broads like Gypsy … Read more
One of the more uplifting moments during last month’s worldwide festival of death was Stevie Wonder’s performance at lawyer Johnnie Cochran’s funeral. His appearance made it painfully obvious that millions of pilgrims in Rome had been shortchanged by the papal entertainment committee. It also reminded us that while he is always handy for an all-star … Read more
This tiny shack on a frontage road in St. Louis Park has been around for some forty years, but only during the last four has it begun kicking out truly tasty burgers. Since the former owners of Franks A Million and the Wienery took over the retro spot, they’ve revived that twentieth-century marvel: the window … Read more
If restaurants starred in teen movies, the Longfellow Grill would be the smart and sassy new girl who’s had the makeover, but still knows who she is. Featuring roughly the same menu as her sisters, the Highland Grill and Edina Grill, Longfellow is a little sexier and a little more amped, thanks to a bold … Read more
Libraries have become boisterous “information centers.” Churches offer rock-n-roll services. Art galleries encourage interaction with the art and with other patrons. Where has all the silence gone? To Patrick’s Bakery. One look at that shimmering pastry case seems to render people speechless. Patrons of this most authentic French bakery behave as if they’re in a … Read more