Nibbles and tidbits: This one sounds too good to miss: Monday night, (June 16), French Meadow Bakery and Café is hosting a five course Brazilian dinner, with live Brazilian jazz and Brazilian-inspired fashions. Cost is $50, including organic/ sustainable wine pairings. It’s a benefit for KBEM, Jazz 88 FM, so at least part of the … Read more
Here’s another seamless, masterful mix of Latin and African pop music from Orchestra Baobab, proving that their phenomenal comeback album, 2002’s Specialist In All Styles, was no fluke. Baobab was the house band for Senegalese government officials during the 1970s, and was renowned throughout Africa before splitting up in 1985, beset by dissension and the … Read more
MUSICElectric Fetus 40 year Anniversary Party It’s hard for me to believe the Electric Fetus has been slingin’ records almost 10 years longer than I’ve been alive. I’m not sure if that makes me feel young or old; I’ve still got a few years to go before I need to start validating my youth. I … Read more
MUSICGogol Bordello Crazy Gypsy-punkers Gogol Bordello make a scene on the Cabooze’s outdoor stage tonight. These New Yorkers with eastern European roots are well known for their wild performances and sleazy/sexy punk rock charm. I would not recommend this show for the faint of heart; prepare to be groped, sweat on, danced on, and generally … Read more
What’s in a word? More specifically what word makes a post zoom up the popular pole faster than others? Of course, there are the easy words like "porn" and "sex." Then there are the more inventive words (for professional writers) and happy accidents (for plebians like me). I have come across one recently. I won’t … Read more
Your job is a prison, gas is expensive, you’re in debt, and both your house and your SUV aren’t worth the money you chuck at them. During times like these, it’s hard to see the merits of the American way of life. If you’re desperate for some escapism, check out Surfwise, the story of a … Read more
We had a delightful dinner at Jasmine 26 last night — a dramatic improvement over my visits last summer, shortly after the Vietnamese bistro at 26th and Nicollet opened its doors. Most of the Vietnamese staples are offered, like the spring rolls and egg rolls, and pho, for a dollar or two more than you … Read more
NBA Finals, Game #3: Boston 81, Los Angeles 87 Series to date: Boston 2-1 1. Superb Coverage In all my years of watching NBA basketball, I can’t remember more incisive and illuminating commentary about the game than we got last night from Jeff Van Gundy and his cohorts on ABC and ESPN. The general purpose … Read more
The widely-discussed flamboyant personality of Irish playwright Oscar Wilde (1854 – 1900) is such that many often forget that Wilde was married and fathered two sons. It is his wife, the comparatively uncovered Constance Wilde, that gets the spotlight in Thomas Kilroy’s The Secret Fall of Constance Wilde, which opened June 6 at the Guthrie … Read more
SPECIAL EVENT Drinks with the Devil Cock your top hat to the side and jaunt on over to Skyscape Condominiums for this red-hot cocktail party put on by the Minnesota Opera and The Rake. No need for those fancy mini-binoculars (aka "Opera Glasses") tonight; you’ll get your up close and personal mingle on with Kyle … Read more