For those of a certain age and sensibility, the truly modern American version of John Ruskin’s pathetic fallacy is the mix tape. Who hasn’t spent hours trying to create the perfect soundtrack for friends, family, lovers, or for those purely personal moments of heartache and exultation? Longtime rock critic Rob Sheffield has a particularly keen … Read more
Raban is a marvel, moving with apparent ease between fiction projects, adventurous travel narratives, and experiential and richly observed reportage. Though more widely known for his non-fiction work—Bad Land: An American Romance, his account of the history and heartbreak of eastern Montana, won a National Book Critics Circle Award—Raban’s fiction is always informed by his … Read more
With its sleek interior, this slip of a restaurant feels like it should be wedged in with the boutiques of SoHo, not South Minneapolis. Among standard cold starters is the pleasant surprise of Poke Ahi, cubes of tuna marinated in chili oil and topped with a quail egg yolk. On the hot side, the grilled … Read more
Triple Rock has become known for its bustling brunch (a big achievement for a nightclub—who wants to return to the scene of the crime in daylight?), and for the quality of its entire menu, from wings to scratch-made soups to the Cook’s Revenge (in which said cook serves whatever he feels like). But most fantastic … Read more
Also known as Casper & Runyon’s Nook, this neighborhood hangout sits quietly across from Cretin-Derham Hall High School and has everything a great burger joint should have: the clutter of local memorabilia, the bar games, the friendly and sincere staff. It also cranks out burgers that rival Matt’s Juicy Lucys across the river. In fact, … Read more
Where does the concert end and the play begin? This project blurs the lines by imagining the farewell concert of a fictional, 70s-era troubadour who’s off to join the Sufi Brotherhood—just as soon as she loses the FBI agents on her tail. This is the latest dream-pop musical-theater creation from New York artist Cynthia Hopkins—her … Read more
This is a simple, modern fable about an otherwise-normal country girl who happens to have been born with a marsupial pouch. When a mysterious theft happens in her west Texas community, can you guess whom the townsfolk come after? They won’t be offering six-dollar cocktails in the lobby during this show’s intermissions, but we suspect … Read more
Nautilus scored a big hit last season with its lavish production of Man of La Mancha; now, the artistic team behind that show has poured its energies into another ambitious project. Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel is a heavy artifact to unload from the vault, to be sure—not least because of what many see as its … Read more
Peppered with tidbits about Peggy Guggenheim’s associates—from the favorite artists she patronized, like Man Ray and Marcel Duchamp, to her friend Samuel Beckett, with whom she had a fling—this new one-woman play functions more as celebrity showcase than biography. Played here by Sally Wingert, a dynamo often seen on the Guthrie stage, the twentieth century’s … Read more
This saucy thriller has abundant pleasures, including an intelligent script that never once falters, a cast of strong supporting actors that includes Bill Nighy, and two of today’s best actresses unleashed in fury. Judi Dench, shedding her crown for a change, plays a British schoolmarm bent by her loneliness and a desire for younger women. … Read more