ART
Alec Soth: Dog Days, Bogotá
One of these photos—a scruffy dog isolated in the center of
the frame—appeared in passing on a web page and immediately snagged my
eye. There was no attribution provided but I thought, that’s got to be Soth. And
it was. Why was this goofy, tragic dog as good as a signature? For a
young guy, Soth seems to have an old guy’s emotional chops—and not just
any old guy. If you want to see Lear as a dog, or Cordelia as a ghetto
kid, then go see this show. You’ll be so happy you’ll cry your eyes out
and go home confused—the best possible outcome for an art show. —Ann Klefstad
Opening reception Friday from 6 to 8:30 p.m., Weinstein Gallery, 908 W. 46th St., Minneapolis; 612-822-1722.
WINE & DINE
Wild about Wine
Sun bears and chardonnay, monkeys and merlot; join us for a wine
tasting that is wild, exotic, and tropical! This second annual tasting
will take place along the Minnesota Zoo’s Tropics Trail featuring a
variety of wines. Proceeds benefit Minnesota Zoo conservation programs.
Saturday from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., Minnesota Zoo, 13000 Zoo Blvd., Apple Valley; 952-431-9200; $50.
MUSIC
Meat Puppets
The supposedly big news is that Cris Kirkwood
is back from drug addiction and a stint in jail. But the exciting part
is that older bro Curt Kirkwood—the alpha talent responsible for both
the blistering, psychedelic guitar explosions and the sardonic,
semi-sage lyrics thatare the Pups’ signature one-two punch—has responded to the sibling reunion by spooling forth Rise to Your Knees. While perhaps not as crystalline or cow-punked as vintage classics like Meat Puppets II from
the ’80s, it’s a strong Meat Puppets collection from the same lineage,
which augurs well for the trio (a new drummer is on board) as they prove
that contemporaries of The Replacements and The Minutemen can still raise and daze a ruckus in 2007. —Britt Robson
Saturday at 8 p.m., Varsity Theater, 1308 Fourth St. SE, Minneapolis; 612-604-0222; $15.
Ghostface Killah/Rakim/Brother Ali
This is the most informative seminar on hip-hop microphone skills the Twin Cities will likely ever experience. While Biggie Smalls, Jay-Z, and KRS-One would all get some votes, Rakim is
rightfully regarded as the greatest MC who ever drew breath, duemostly
to his quicksilver-smooth flow and pioneering, now
pervasively influential, rhyme schemes. The Wu-Tanger Ghostface Killah is
a gloriously idiosyncratic word-slinger who has dropped as
many five-star discs as Jay-Z over the past decade, without Jigga’s
boorish materialism. And Brother Ali has pulled slightly ahead of Atmosphere’s Slug
in their thrilling competition for best local rhyme slayer. Speaking of
competition, we suspect that none of these three will be slacking when
the potential for embarrassment by comparison is so high and nigh. —Britt Robson
Sunday at 8 p.m., First Avenue, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis, 612-338-8388; $30.
THEATER & PERFORMANCE
Shining City
Along with Sarah Ruhl (see here), Minneapolis is also conducting a love affair with Irish playwrights. There was Martin McDonagh’s The Pillowman at Frank Theatre in September and Brian Friel’s tragic The Home Place, currently on stage at the Guthrie; now the Jungle Theater adds to the bleak themes put forth by Irishmen with Conor McPherson’s Shining City. Billed as a “ghost story for the holidays,” it’s certainly no Christmas Carol. John
is a widower who seeks therapy when he starts seeing his wife’s ghost
everywhere. But his own past, and that of his troubled therapist, prove
to be more haunting. Uplifting? Maybe not. But arresting? Probably so.
What’s more, the play is directed by local favorite Joel Sass, who also
quietly assumed the title of associate artistic director at the Jungle
this past year. Rumor has it he’s being groomed to succeed founding
artistic director Bain Boehlke. —Danielle Kurtzleben, photo by Ann Marsden
Friday & Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m., Jungle Theater, 2951 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-822-7063; $36,$28.
FILM
Lake of Fire
Seventeen years in the making, Lake of Fire, the epic abortion documentary by Tony Kaye (best known for American History X), has
finally arrived. Mercifully shot in silvery 35mm black and white (thus
making its horribly graphic imagery that much less disturbing), Lake of Firees chews
narration to rely on 152 minutes of talking heads, protests, and, of
course, actual abortions. Kaye has been unflagging in his insistence
that the film does not fall on either side of the debate, and that he
seeks only to give us images and information necessary to help the
viewer see both sides of the issue. Oddly enough, the film doesn’t move
entirely into the present day—some viewers have already complained that
the movie barely addresses RU-486 (the abortion pill) which has radically changed the face of the debate. —Peter Schilling
Opens Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday & Sunday 4:30 & 7:30 p.m., Bell Auditorium, 10 Church St. S.E., Minneapolis; 612-627-4430.
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