SPORTS
Boxing in Minnesota? No kidding.
It’s not too often I see the words “boxing” and “Minnesota” together in a sentence — unless of course that sentence is about how there’s little to no boxing here. Being a huge boxing fan, this displeases me, but today I am quite pleased indeed. ESPN2’s Fight Night will be broadcast tonight from the Roy Wilkins Auditorium. Minnesota Madness they call it. Of course it’s madness; there’s no boxing in Minnesota. But it gets even better. Why Minnesota? Because the headliner is a local. That’s right — Jason Litzau from St. Paul. In fact, the bout marks his first return home since 2004. See what I mean? We really don’t have boxing here. It’s no joke. You best take advantage of the opportunity. The 23-year-old featherweight (20-1, 18 KO’s) is ranked #11 in the world by the IBF. He’s one of the most exciting fighters out there right now, so go get a good seat up front, where you’ll be sure to catch some spray.
7 p.m., Roy Wilkins Auditorium at St. Paul RiverCentre, 175 West Kellogg Blvd, St Paul; 651-989-5151; $20-$100.
THEATER AND PERFORMANCE
Old World Courtship Meets JDate.com
If you’re looking for something a little less bloody, you might want to check out the Minnesota Jewish Theater Company’s latest offering. Modern Orthodox is a play about old world courtship and internet dating. When an Orthodox diamond dealer sells an engagement ring to a non-practicing Jew he gets entangled in the couple’s fate. Whether or not you’ve ever tried jdate.com, you’ll get a kick out of this one. I mean, really… it’s Jewish humor. You can’t go wrong.
7:30 p.m., Hillcrest Center Theater, 1978 Ford Parkway, St Paul (Highland Area); 651-647-4315; $17.
ART
Toxic Landscapes
A razorblade and some spray paint — that’s all it takes to get an exhibit going. OK, that and a whole lot of talent and imagination, both of which artist
John Grider seems to have in abundance. If you haven’t done so already, go check out his latest installation, Big Little Victories. Granted, stencil painting isn’t typically considered hight art, but Grider’s post-apocalyptic landscapes will certainly provoke a response. Isn’t that what art is all about? I don’t know. Maybe he just appeals to my dark side.
5 p.m. – 8 p.m., Art of This Gallery and Design Studio, 3222 Bloomington Ave S, Minneapolis; 612-721-4105.
MUSIC
Electronica from the Congo
Bright Eyes is playing at the State Theatre tonight, and you really shouldn’t miss that; but if you’re looking for something a bit more unusual, you can count on the Cedar. All the way from Kinshasha, along the southern bank of the Congo River — Konono No.1 gives Bazombo trance music a fresh twist with an electronic rock aesthetic. The band’s line-up includes three electric likembés, or thumb pianos, hooked up to vintage and hand-made amplifiers; a rhythm section that includes pots, pans, and car parts; three singers, and three dancers. The result is a provocative blend of tribal rhythms, trance, and distortion-laden electronica.
7:30 p.m., Cedar Cultural Center, 416 Cedar Ave S, Minneapolis; 612-338-2674; $23.
One more item… a little late in the day.
FILM
Two Un-Laborious Labor Films
If you’re up for an interesting film — or two — a couple of good ones will be showing for free tonight. Meeting Face to Face: the Iraq-U.S. Labor Solidarity Tour (Jonathan Levin, 27 minutes) follows six senior Iraqi labor leaders through 25 U.S. cities during the June 2005 Iraq-U.S. Labor Solidarity Tour. Iraqis explain why the primary condition for a peaceful resolution in Iraq is ending the U.S. occupation and why an independent labor movement is crucial in creating a democratic society. Following that, Breaking Walls (Yonatan Ben Efrat, 47 minutes) is an optimistic film about art and labor activism that tracks three people whose roads entwine near a wall in the village of K’ara in Israel.
7 p.m., Lakes & Plains Regional Council of Carpenters, 700 Olive St., St. Paul; free.
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