MUSIC
Sisterly Love
They’re gorgeous. They’re brilliant. They’re talented. They’re French. They’re African. They’re multicultural. They’re well-traveled and well-versed. And they draw from everything they know. Les Nubian — a singing sisters duo — bring together music from a wide range of culture, genres, and generations: reggae, Afro-beat, electronica, pop, Afro-jazz, British breakbeat, Cameroonian hip hop, and their own unique French style. Nothing crosses borders more beautifully than music. And this Afropean hip hop/R&B duo use their love of music to connect with people across the globe. In addition to working on their own material, Les Nubians have collaborated with a variety of other artists, spanning the globe and crossing genres — from Towa Tei, Black Eyed Peas, and Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek to the acclaimed Red Hot series on Red, Hot & Riot and Red, Hot & Indigo.
Tonight Les Nubians play with local reggae/hip-hop artists The New Primitives, one of the best bands in their genre. Yes, and we’re so lucky to have them in our backyard. The New Primitives have won a number of awards, including Best Reggae Band for the past four years at the Minnesota Music Awards. Like Les Nubians, they use music as a way to bring communities together under a common voice. And, hell, it’s not just political; it can be pure pleasure too.
9 p.m., The Cabooze, 917 Cedar Ave., Minneapolis; 612-338-6425; $24.
Guitar Chops and Apple Sauce
Looking for something with an all-American feel? Check out Natalia Zukerman and Craig Cardiff at Gingko. Zukerman serves up some genuine folk, bottleneck country jazz with smoky come-hither vocals and some seriously mean guitar playing. Canadian singer/songwriter Craig Cardiff surprises you with his poetry in a combination of forms from spoken word, to heart-breaking songs, to some good old-fashioned folksy stories-telling.
7:30 pm, Gingko Coffeehouse, 721 N. Snelling Ave., St. Paul; 651-645-2647; $12.
Watch and listen to Natalia Zuckerman.
Listen to Craig Cardiff.
THEATER & PERFORMANCE by Christy DeSmith
What the Butler Saw
The Burning House Group was once the darling of the local theater scene, a collective of talented young performers forged in the crucibles of such dearly departed companies as Eye of the Storm and Margolis Brown. Today, the troupe is best remembered for its hit ’97 production Knock Knock, which was an uproarious farce with plenty of mistaken identities and slamming doors. Now, the company hopes to duplicate that success by returning to its physical-performance roots.
What the Butler Saw is a ’60s-era sexual farce smartly written by Joe Orton, the playwright most famous for his black comedy Entertaining Mr. Sloane. This vicious send-up of sexual mores takes place in a psychiatrist’s office where the characters are caught, one by one, with their pants around their ankles.
Minneapolis Theater Garage, 711 Franklin Ave. W., Minneapolis; 612-623-9396; $10 (tonight’s preview price).
WINE AND PHILANTHROPY
A Toast to East Side Neighborhood Services
I never know when to mention a fundraiser of sorts. There are so many of them. And some of them can be quite pricey. I can’t help but to consistently call out the irony of how we stuff our guts for peace, drink against domestic violence, and debauch ourselves for AIDS support. Incredible! And yet, it’s all for a good cause… for many a good cause… and as ridiculous as it may seem, it’s no joke. Let’s face the facts. If this is really the most effective way that others have found to turn our money toward good, then let’s go eat and drink, my friends. Tonight is the Eleventh Annual East Side Wine Tasting. Enjoy 200 different wines, food, music, and a silent auction — all for the benefit of East Side Neighborhood Services.
5 – 8 p.m., Nicollet Island Pavillion, 40 Power Street, Minneapolis; 612-781-6011; $50.
SHOPPING by Christy DeSmith
Estate Sale Opener
Birkeland & Associates hosts some of the best estate sales in the Twin Cities. What’s even better yet, they offer a sneak-peek of their weekend sales every Wednesday night by posting pics on their website. In fact, their professionalism makes it so easy to plan your attack–will it be the south Minneapolis brownstone or the bungalow in New Brighton?–that you won’t think twice about the morbid business of estate sale-shopping. They accept credit cards, too.
See estatesale1.com for details.
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