Minnesota played its best basketball game of the season to beat Utah earlier this season. They played one of their worst, least inspired games in the rematch with the Jazz, a contest in which my criticism of the Wolves’ effort was greeted by many commenters with: "We knew they had no chance because Utah remembers … Read more
Theater lovers, don’t delay. Today is last day of the Theater All Year Sale, so take advantage of the six-ticket package, and catch some great shows over the next four months. Tickets also went on sale this weekend for the Kid Rock show at the Target Center on May 24th, the Melissa Etheridge show at … Read more
Brian Blade FellowshipSeasons of ChangeVerveRelease date: April 1, 2008 Blade’s ensemble seems heavily influenced by his membership in Wayne Shorter’s magnificent but overtly cerebral quartet, which isn’t always a good thing. The frequently lethargic pace and finely crafted harmonic and melodic nuances occasionally feel like music that must be listened to for your own good, … Read more
"Where is Brad Zellar?" you might ask, as his hiatus from The Rake has created quite a void. Happily, he’s been busy promoting his new book, Suburban World: The Norling Photos, from Borealis Books. Zellar discovered Irwin Norling in 2002, when he unearthed Norling’s neglected negatives from the Bloomington Historical Society archives. Struck by the … Read more
About three months ago, John and I decided we were in a rut. We went out to eat and then to a movie; we went to a movie and got a bite to eat. There was something missing. Music. So we pledged to go out at least twice a month and listen to some band … Read more
Charles Lloyd QuartetRabo de Nube ECM I’m not a diehard Lloyd acolyte. There’s some stuff in his huge catalog that is deliriously good, like Flowering and Journey Within from the ’60s, and Voice In The Night with Dave Holland, John Abercrombie, and Billy Higgins from the late ’90s. But his last one, Sangam, left me … Read more
Guess which local chef is going to be cooking at the James Beard House in New York City in May? Scott McKee of La Belle Vie? Nope. Been there, done that. Doug Flicker of Mission American Kitchen. Nope. Give up? It’s Christian Ticarro. Christian who? Christian Ticarro, executive chef at the Canyon Grille in Coon … Read more
AP Photo by David J. Phillip American League East 1. Boston Red Sox It’s more interesting (or at least less conventional) playing Devil’s Advocate about why the Sox *won’t* repeat as pennant winners. Practically everything went right last season: Papelbon’s shoulder held firm and Beckett’s blisters didn’t grow, and every rookie was off-the-charts good, from … Read more
A wide stance is key to surviving a Monotonix show. Keep your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms ready to brace the incessant shock waves of bodies crashing into you. Never lose focus of the strange looking man with a bad perm and pervy mustache. He is not a cast-off from a Starsky and Hutch … Read more
Anybody see Jersey Boys? If you did, please let me know what you thought. I will pass your feedback along to one of the investors, whom I just happen to know — Mr. M. 🙂 I may be a little biased, but all of the cast in my opinion have been terrific. Here is a … Read more