Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images First, some accountability on my first round predictions. Right now I’m technically five out of seven with the Celts-Hawks still incredibly yet to be determined, but I’d rather not be that simplistic–the devil (and angel) is in the details. For example, if the Celtics do prevail, I’ll have been "right" … Read more
Although it was one of the last plays he wrote, Gem of the Ocean falls first chronologically in August Wilson’s 10 plays about the black experience in 20th century America. It’s not his best — Fences and The Piano Lesson both won Pulitzers — but Penumbra Theatre puts on a solid interpretation at the Guthrie. … Read more
Table Maestro, a personalized answering service and remote booking service for the restaurant industry, is going national this week — offering their services across the United States. I’m not quite sure what the differences are between Table Maestro and Open Table, but they claim to be the only ones doing what they’re doing. (Isn’t that … Read more
It’s in Minneapolis, it’s the best restaurant for miles around, and odds are you have never even heard of it. Sauced, a little neighborhood bistro at 2203 44th Ave. N. (at Penn Ave.) isn’t just the best restaurant in north Minneapolis; it’s the only restaurant in north Minneapolis with a menu of contemporary cuisine and … Read more
(Pictured: The 1000HP Hennessy Viper. More on this one in a later post. Hennessy is the porn king of American cars and reportedly a real prick. E-mail him.) This will be an on-going follow-up post to my "Nature Porn" comments a few months back. In my my previous post, I covered the world’s most obscene … Read more
BOOKS & AUTHORS End of Baseball Is your favorite Major League Baseball team already out of contention for the Pennant? Relax. Peter Schilling’s novel The End of Baseball may be entertainment for those fanatics with a long summer ahead. The End of Baseball covers the complete season of the 1944 Philadelphia Athletics in the race … Read more
Life is no movie. We have no soundtrack. (Ok. Sometimes we do.) But we sure have plenty of background noise — background noise and visual noise, which somehow play off each other in a most fascinating way. Local artists Ben Garthus and Greg Priglmeier have joined forces to bring us Background Noise, an attempt to … Read more
Figure and landscape. Sculpture and photography — black and white landscape photography, to be precise. What’s the connection? Go see a beautiful exploration by recognized Minnesota sculptors and photographers at the Vine Art Center. Experience "the powerful and sensual nature of landscape and figurative work." The exhibition, which runs from May 2nd to June 24th, … Read more
On Wednesday, April 30, 2008, Sen. John McCain jumped the shark. Now, I’ve got a lot of respect for the man. He’s always been something of a straight shooter. And when a man spends time in a POW camp and can’t raise his arms above his shoulders as a result, I’m inclined to cut the … Read more
The Minnesota Jewish Theater Company ends a strong 2007-2008 season with another regional premiere. The Triangle Factory Fire Project — directed by Carolyn Levy— tells the story of a fatal fire in the Triangle Waist Factory, in 1911, that took 146 lives. Author Christopher Piehler (in collaboration with Scott Alan Evans) offers a play-by-play of … Read more