March 2007

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Weekend video: Low's "Breaker"

From Youtube via MNSpeak, the bizarre new Low video, "Breaker," and an animated version. From the band's new Sub Pop album Drums and Guns.

Posted by Peter S. Scholtes at March 31, 2007 5:54 PM | Comments (0)

 

Catwalk Confessional p. IV is posted in our gallery section

Filed under: Fashion

Part four of Catwalk Confessional, Mary O'Regan's online diary about her experiences modeling for next month's Voltage fashion show, is now posted in our gallery section. In this episode, Mary takes part in the the Voltage LookBook, a catalogue of band bios and designers' photo spreads. An excerpt: "I try to hold my head still as [Kelsy] spritzes me down with water, divides my scalp into sections, and secures chunks of hair with tiny rubber bands. This will be Kelsy's first year doing hair for Voltage, and her fifth big show. She describes working with makeup artists and models as 'little jam sessions' in which 'more and more people are added to our family.'" Check out the series here: Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV.

Posted by Corey Anderson at March 30, 2007 10:04 AM | Comments (0)

 

KMOJ moves to Uptown, fires Spike Moss

Filed under: Local Music

(Update below.) Homeless since December, black community radio station KMOJ-FM (89.9) announced Tuesday that it has found a new location--in Uptown. Headquartered in North Minneapolis, the heart of black Minnesota, since launching in 1978, "the People's Station" will now be moving at least temporarily to the pricey whitebread Minneapolis neighborhood mythologized by Prince and Atmosphere, in the Rainbow Building at 1422 West Lake Street. KMOJ has been broadcasting pre-recorded content from its transmitter since it was evicted from the now-demolished site at 555 Girard Avenue North in December, after the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (the station's longtime landlord) determined that the building was structurally unsafe. (More here.)

KMOJ had previously been located at the MPHA-owned Glenwood-Lyndale Community Center (at 501 Bryant Avenue North) until that building, too, was torn down--in 2003, as part of the Hollman Consent Decree. The station went on the air on September 15, 1978, launching out of the Glenwood-Lyndale housing projects across the street.

KMOJ signaled another move away from its North Minneapolis roots earlier this month by dismissing longtime community activist Spike Moss, the 12-year host of Voices of the African American Community who once persuaded Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis to buy the station a new transmitter. "What's going to have to happen is the community's going to have to stand up and take this station back," says Moss, reached by phone Thursday night. "They can't take our station to Uptown. It should stay in our community."

General manager Kelvin Quarles, who joined KMOJ three years ago from Atlanta, could not be reached for comment Thursday [update: his response is below]. "Our image is changing and we have seen ratings increases," he told the Star Tribune earlier this month.

KMOJ has undergone many changes since 2002, when the station yanked all of its community-service programs off the air for 45 days (telling hosts to reapply in order to continue their shows), and flipped its format from a mixture of Quiet Storm and hip hop to Adult Urban Contemporary. Since then, "the Heart and Soul of the Twin Cities" has increasingly limited rap music to specialty shows, while paring back political call-in programs and other talk-related content. "Talk about it" Wednesdays on the morning show, for instance, were discontinued, though before KMOJ's eviction, the program came to unexpected life when the host invited listeners to comment on the flap over Keith Ellison's swearing-in.

Some public affairs programming will likely remain part of KMOJ's mix in the future: The station apparently received a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting at least partly on this merit.

Friday update: Reached on his cell phone this morning, general manager Kelvin Quarles says KMOJ's move to Uptown is temporary, and in the long-term best interests of the station. "Our job is to look out for the good of KMOJ," he says. "Our goal is to help African Americans as a people. We can broadcast from St. Paul and still help North Minneapolis."

Quarles adds that the station is looking into buying property on the North Side, on West Broadway, with the help of the Ackerberg Group. "Our decision to move to Uptown is strictly based on us working out a plan for long-term success and survival."

As for Spike Moss's dismissal, Quarles says there were disagreements at the station about the show's presentation. "I have no problem with Spike Moss," he says. "Spike does a great job of being an activist, and we do a great job of communicating to the African American community."

Another update: More on the move at Buzz.mn.

Posted by Peter S. Scholtes at March 29, 2007 9:43 PM | Comments (6)

 

Catwalk Confessional p. III is posted

Filed under: Fashion

Part three of Mary O'Regan's online diary of her experiences modeling for the Voltage show next month has been posted. In this segment, Mary visits local designer Kerry Riley, founder of Red Shoe Clothing Co., at her home studio to discuss preparations for the April 11 fashion blowout: "Going national is typically the next step once a designer finds local success. Some, like Riley's pal, designer Katherine Gerdes, turn to reality TV. 'Since Project Runway's been on, my friends have been bugging me to go do [it]. I've always said no' Riley says, flattening down a seam. 'I think the challenges sound really fun, and I think that'd be a great thing to do, but I'm not interested in doing that on camera in front of millions of people.'" Click here to check out part three.

Posted by Corey Anderson at March 28, 2007 9:23 AM | Comments (1)

 

Marshall Rogers R.I.P.

Filed under: Cartoons/Comics

DC has announced that one of the great superhero comic book artists, Marshall Rogers, has died at age 57. Rogers drew Detective Comics #472 in 1976, the first comic this fan ever bought. That run came to be called "the definitive Batman," and laid the template for the Batman movies, the "dark deco" animated series, and Frank Miller's revisions. Here's the email from DC Comics: 'Marshall was one of the radical young stylists bringing new looks to DC in the '70s, especially with his memorable collaboration with Steve Englehart on Batman," says DC Comics President & Publisher Paul Levitz. "His debonair smile and charm were every bit as endearing as his art was energetic, and his colleagues at DC are all shocked to have a great artist pass so young."

'Born January 22, 1950, Rogers studied architecture at Kent State University before pursuing a career in comics. His earliest work appeared in Marvel Comics' black and white magazines; in 1976, his art first appeared in a backup story in DETECTIVE COMICS, the title with which he is most identified.

'Rogers quickly moved up to pencilling the lead stories in DETECTIVE, working with his frequent collaborators, writer Steve Englehart and inker Terry Austin, on a run of issues that featured the acclaimed "Joker Fish" story. He simultaneously drew a memorable run on MISTER MIRACLE.

'Rogers returned to Batman frequently after his initial run on DETECTIVE, contributing stories to BATMAN FAMILY and other titles, including a new look at the Dark Knight's beginnings in SECRET ORIGINS. In the 1980s, Rogers began working for Eclipse Comics, with projects including Coyote, Scorpio, the graphic novel Detectives, Inc., and his own creation, Cap'n Quick and A Foozle.

'By the mid-1980s, Rogers was working for Marvel Comics, where he illustrated Dr. Strange, G.I. Joe, Howard the Duck and more, as well as a long run on Silver Surfer. He became the artist on the Batman daily comic strip at the end of the decade.

'More recently, Rogers illustrated the miniseries GREEN LANTERN: EVIL'S MIGHT, then returned to the Dark Knight for a 5-part story in BATMAN: LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT. He reteamed with Englehart and Austin for the 2005 miniseries BATMAN: DARK DETECTIVE, a follow up on their classic work of the 1970s.'

More here, here, here, here, and here.

Posted by Peter S. Scholtes at March 27, 2007 3:25 PM | Comments (1)

 

DUNation.com sold to Vital Vinyl

Filed under: Local Music

Last Friday, DUNation.com owner Lars Larson announced he'd sold his local hip-hop message board/website to the Minneapolis dance records store and online retailer Vital Vinyl, one of the few surviving local indie shops specializing in 12-inch records, which also powers MNVibe.com--sort of the techno equivalent of either DU or TCPunk.com. In its first six years, DUNation did more than put out a time-capsule local CD and throw some historic parties: It brought together every corner of the Minneapolis/St. Paul rap scene for the first time (check out this recent dialogue with ever-lurking Slug for a good example). The site has been up for sale before. And earlier this month, Larson publicly asked whether it was "worth it" for him to keep running DU. "When people are walking into the basement of my home, fucking with my car, fucking with my friends and girlfriends, prank calling my cell and home line and today someone showing up to my job," he wrote, "I am forced to take a step back and reflect on all this and wonder if this website is worth having this extra stress in my life." A thread about the board's future is already up.

Posted by Peter S. Scholtes at March 27, 2007 1:23 PM | Comments (2)

 

Minnesota bill targets 'impostor' bands

Filed under: Local Music

Last week, Jon "Bowzer" Bauman of '70s greasers Sha Na Na testified before the Minnesota House Commerce and Labor Committee in favor of the Truth in Music Advertising Act (House File 1314, or hf1314; Senate File 1936, or sf1936), a bill calling "for imposter bands to disclose that they are impersonating original artists," according to the press release from sponsoring State Representative Joe Atkins. Similar laws, backed by Bauman's Pennsylvania-based Truth in Music Committee, have been proposed around the country, singling out "in-name-only" groups such as the Platters, the Drifters (more here), and the Coasters--the various versions of which contain zero original members. (Bauman, who's also pushing Congress to pass a federal law, was in '50s revivalists Sha Na Na from the '60s through the '80s, appearing with them at Woodstock, and in the 1978 movie Grease. Today, the band continues without him, with only three original members.)

Locals might recall that two different groups calling themselves the L.A. Guns confusingly played at different Twin Cities venues within weeks of each other last year. But the new legislation requires only that "at least one member of the performing group was a member of the recording group"--which would allow for both L.A. Guns to continue. (Can't they just pass a law against the L.A. Guns?) Otherwise, the proposed law allows for "legacy" or "tribute bands," so long as they advertise themselves as such. The Commerce Committee has passed the bill, which awaits introduction to the State House and Senate floors.

Posted by Peter S. Scholtes at March 23, 2007 4:03 AM | Comments (1)

 

"Guy from Minnesota new king of New York street art?"

Filed under: Art/Museums

Give us the late pass for this, but check out last week's Village Voice cover story, in which a Minnesota train-hopper takes New York graffiti by storm: "Gothamist's Jake Dobkin, who also runs an online street-art collection called Streetsy, declared, 'New King in Town: Deuce Seven.' But there was one strange hitch. Turns out that New York's New King lives in Minneapolis." More here and here.

Posted by Peter S. Scholtes at March 22, 2007 10:31 AM | Comments (3)

 

New hip-hop record store on the North Side

Filed under: Local Music

Reversing the recent trend of record store closings in North Minneapolis (Low Cost and Soul Survivor R.I.P.), the hip-hop-centered Classic's Studio (MySpace page) opened last month across the street from El-Amin's Fish House (best fast food in the neighborhood) and down the block from Bean Scene (best coffee), at 2124 W. Broadway Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55411; 612.588.0414. With a small stage perfect for the mic battles (which have been discontinued at Digital City), and a wall of CDs (including a section of local and mixtapes), the store will "focus in on the community," says owner LeMarco Bell, whose studio in back provides production services for aspiring rappers. "Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis brought the city to the suburbs," he says, referring to the departed Flyte Tyme Studios in Edina. "We want to make this neighborhood a suburb."

Posted by Peter S. Scholtes at March 22, 2007 8:54 AM | Comments (0)

 

Vincent Wyckoff: Tales of a Letter Carrier

Filed under: Books

A letter carrier in south Minneapolis for 15 years, Vincent Wyckoff sees the full range of humanity on a daily basis. In Beware of the Cat: And Other Encounters of a Letter Carrier, he recounts some of his more memorable moments--from heartwarming elderly birthday parties, to violent attack cats, to delivering a lost letter mailed from Saigon in 1976.

City Pages: What drove you to write this book?

Vincent Wyckoff: For years I told these stories around the dinner table when our children were younger. It was an attempt to get them to talk about their day. How was school today? Fine. What did you do? Nothing. My stories were an attempt to create a dialogue. A couple years ago, my wife asked about a story I’d related years earlier. It took a while for me to remember, so I decided to write them all down before they were lost for good.

CP: You have so many stories packed into each chapter. Were there any great ones that failed to make the book?

VW: All the little anecdotes and short vignettes just popped up as I wrote the main story lines. They were either too sweet or poignant to leave out. On the other hand, there were the depressing stories, with less-than-desirable characters, that for the sake of this book I chose to omit.

CP: The tone of your book is very optimistic. Do you ever find it hard to be positive in such a hi-stress job?

VW: Much of the tone comes from the folks on the route. After all, these are their stories. But if you remember Newman, from the Seinfeld TV show, when he described how the mail just keeps coming and coming, or Cliff Klaven on Cheers, when he laments his hard day because the Sears catalogs came out, I can relate to that! But you have a choice how you want to see things. I mentioned Lady in one of the stories, a big black lab that adores me. Every single day she greets me, and her loyalty and obvious affection would bring a smile to even the staunchest curmudgeon. It’s all about what you choose to focus on.

CP: How do you feel about the shift from letter writing to the Internet? Would a "Saigon-letter" be able to happen today?

VW: It's true that first-class letter rate volume is down. But as long as there are devoted employees doing all they can to get a letter to its proper destination, a “Saigon”-type letter will always be possible.

CP: A new guy comes into the post office, his first day of work. What do you tell him?

VW: My advice: Prepare to lose 20 pounds. Drop the ego, and focus on survival.

Vincent Wyckoff reads from Beware of Cat tonight at the Lyndale United Church of Christ. Free. 7:30 p.m. 810 W. 31st St., Minneapolis. For more info call Magers & Quinn at 612.822.4611.

Posted by Jessica Armbruster at March 21, 2007 2:14 PM | Comments (0)

 

3 Questions for Ira Glass

No offense to Terry Gross, but if any public radio personality had to make the jump to television, thank the NEA-funded gods it was Ira Glass. The host of This American Life has spent his entire career on the public airwaves, and still his voice quivers with more quirky humanity than the rest of the dial combined. He's a personality in the fullest sense--one of the reasons why he's such a fine storyteller. City Pages caught up with him via email a few weeks before the television debut of TAL, airing Thursday night on Showtime.

City Pages: You just completed a television series and a full season of weekly radio programs in the same year. Are you completely insane?

Ira Glass: Apparently yes. It was kind of tough. Like I had the best year of my life and the worst year of my life at the exact same time. To ease the burden, we scheduled more radio reruns than we normally do, which I and my co-workers weren't so keen on. If Showtime picks us up for a second season, we're going to try to avoid that.

CP: One of the best things about your radio show is the imagery it creates in the minds of your listeners. Do you worry that the visuals of the television series will supplant that?

IG: I dunno. Maybe I should. I think some people have a very romantic idea about the "theater of the mind" side of radio. And I love that, but I also think it's okay to tell a story with pictures. It just creates a different feeling. Not better, not worse, just different. Truthfully, the only thing I worry about is that once people see me, they'll carry that picture of me over to the radio show. It's way more powerful for a radio host to be just a voice, not a specific person but an idea of a person.

CP: I don't get Showtime. Showtime's expensive. Why Showtime?

IG: I know. It's sort of random, huh? Our show on Showtime. But they approached us. As public broadcasters, we were suspicious of commercial TV, but the biggest surprise of this whole experience was how easy it was to work with them. They never told us "no," never made us do anything, never asked us to dumb anything down or add more cute young people or do anything at all to make the stories more "edgy." They were incredibly sensible and let us make the show we wanted to make. So in a strange way, working for them was exactly like working in public radio. I know how crazy that sounds. They should be opposites.

This American Life's television debut, "Reality Check," airs Thursday, March 22, on Showtime. 9:30 p.m. CST. View the trailer here.

Posted by Chuck Terhark at March 21, 2007 1:45 PM | Comments (0)

 

Now who will write poems honoring Vanessa Hayden?

Filed under: Books

Renowned poet and WNBA superfan Stephen Burt is leaving the Twin Cities. The chairman of the Macalester College English department has accepted a position with his undergraduate alma mater Harvard University. The prolific poet and essayist's work has appeared in The Believer, the London Review of Books, and Modern American Poetry. He's also found time to publish three volumes of poetry (the most recent being Shot Clocks: Poems for the WNBA) since arriving at Macalester in 2000. Not to mention the amusing blog that he co-authors with his wife.

Burt anticipates that the scholarly demands of achieving tenure at Harvard will force him to temporarily scale back his other writing pursuits. "It means that some of the sports writing and music writing that I'd like to do in the next two years will not be done in the next two years," he says.

As for hoops fandom, Burt says that his allegiances have always been split between the Lynx and the Connecticut Sun. "As long as they don't move the Lynx to the Eastern Conference there won't be much of a problem," he says, noting that his wife is originally from Connecticut. "We've always supported the Lynx and the Sun."

For a recent example of Burt's work, see "Dulles Access Road," published last week by Slate. He will be reading with fellow poets Kathleen Heideman and Bryan Thao Worra on April 10 at Black Dog Coffeehouse, and will begin teaching at Harvard in the fall.

Posted by Paul Demko at March 19, 2007 3:00 PM | Comments (0)

 

SXSW Saturday: Vice Afterparty

Filed under: Music

I saw the Stooges but so did everyone. I couldn't get close enough to take a picture. Mike Watt was mouthing the words to all the songs, the Asheton brothers were beside the point, and Iggy was like one of the Body Worlds displays come to life, all muscles and confrontational frenzy, Dr. von Hagens, you thief, where is my body fat?

He was on my same flight the next day, and I saw him walking with an uneven gait and some sort of corrective sandal on one foot, already in a tight shrunken ab-revealing shirt, it wasn't even noon yet.

After the Stooges, I tried to tag along with some friends to the Vice afterparty. Our cab pulled up to a confusing lightshow of emergency response vehicle sirens and got no farther. Christina lept out to question one of the drunk rockers marching out of ground zero, and he told her that a balcony on the venue collapsed. No injuries, but everyone was being kicked out.
(I read later that the afterparty continued on a bridge??)

Posted by Sarah Askari at March 19, 2007 11:30 AM | Comments (0)

 

SXSW Saturday: Brother Ali

Filed under: Music

Minneapolis's Brother Ali was all over the festival—I caught him at this short Flamingo Cantina set. It was St. Patrick's day, and I thought the audience was made up of local frat boys 'cause there was so much wearing o' the green—but they were singing along like madmen in the front row, down to the girl in the emerald tinsel wig.

Posted by Sarah Askari at March 19, 2007 11:14 AM | Comments (0)

 

SXSW Saturday: Sharon Jones

Filed under: Music

Sharon Jones maybe looked like she was about to chair a school board meeting, but she and the Dap-Kings tore the place up. It was a Motown cool and James Brown blazing set, wild punchy Dap-Kings brass knocking the wind out of your lungs and the sweet soul belting of Ms. Jones breathing life back into them. To everyone who was exposed to my dancing: I am sorry, but honestly what choice did I have? I can't even sit still while remembering this show.

Posted by Sarah Askari at March 19, 2007 10:47 AM | Comments (0)

 

Regret to Inform

Filed under: Film

It seems odd that a movie about the need to educate people would be urged not to find an audience—by its own publicist, yet.

"He'd really sort of rather not have it be advertised or promoted in any big way," says Riverview Theater owner and manager Loren Williams of White Light/Black Rain, a documentary about the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that ended World War II in 1945. "But he does want it to appear on our schedule."

Williams screened the film, which premiered at Sundance in January, six times over the course of three days last week, as per the publicist's request. "He needs seven three-day runs in cities across the country, minimum of two shows per day," says Williams, "in order to qualify for an Oscar nomination."

The Riverview has similarly obliged this publicist before, screening Rory Kennedy's Ghosts of Abu Ghraib three days last month; this week it's doing likewise for To Die in Jerusalem. Both of these docs, like White Light/Black Rain, are represented by HBO.

Last Thursday about a dozen ticket buyers turned up for each showing of White Light/Black Rain, which begins with interviews of young people on the streets of Hiroshima, the filmmaker quizzing them on what major event took place on August 6, 1945. Shockingly, not one of the kids can answer correctly.

Perhaps more Minneapolitans will be enlightened to the film's depiction of the horrors of nuclear war—but not until August 6, 2007. "He isn't interested in attendance numbers," says Williams of the publicist. "He wants to make sure that the big splash is made when the movie airs on HBO."

Why we fight, indeed. Only in America would an atomic blast be subsumed by a big splash.

Posted by Rob Nelson at March 19, 2007 9:33 AM | Comments (0)

 

SWSW Friday: The Redwalls

Filed under: Music

These kids sang poppy, happy harmonies with a really sweet energy and a spunky rock drive. I heard they just got dropped by Capitol, though. I think they won over everyone in the venue 'cause when I visited the ladies' room, girls were all, "Wow, who are these guys?"

Posted by Sarah Askari at March 17, 2007 5:03 PM | Comments (0)

 

SXSW Friday: Sloan

Filed under: Music

I died and went to Canadian power pop heaven, Sloan were playing there and did I just see Tobias Funke in the audience? Sloan fans are tall dudes who sing along to their melodic rock songs with total delight.

The men of Sloan are older dudes, but they're still pretty easy on the eyes—this is Andrew Scott, quite reasonably singled out by Chart magazine as one of the 20 Sexiest Musicians in Canada.

Posted by Sarah Askari at March 17, 2007 4:31 PM | Comments (0)

 

SXSW Friday: Japan Nite

Filed under: Music

I caught Ramones superfans The 50 Kaitenz at the Elysium's Japan Nite showcase. Fifties-style "oo-oo-oos," totally profesh garage rock, and lots of mugging to the crowd. Can't say it was my thing, exactly.

Posted by Sarah Askari at March 17, 2007 4:22 PM | Comments (0)

 

SXSW Friday: Swan Island

Filed under: Music

"I have to ask that the televisions be turned off now," Swan Island's Brisa Gonzales said with complete confidence. Usually, men go to Irish pubs with the assumption they'll be able to have a pint and watch the game. But at SXSW, the princess of a queer-friendly dance-metal band might derail your night with her howling and hair-flipping violence.

The set ended with Brisa pretending to hang herself with the mic chord and collapsing on top of a post-amp-dive Aubree (right), as the crowd of people who'd stopped to watch through the open-to-the-street windows erupted in applause.

Posted by Sarah Askari at March 17, 2007 3:49 PM | Comments (0)

 

Weekend video: "Bitches Ain't Shit" A Cappella

Filed under: Music

From Christina at DUNation: "Bitches Ain't Shit" A Cappella at Youtube. Oddly soothing.

Posted by Peter S. Scholtes at March 16, 2007 6:34 PM | Comments (0)

 

Catwalk Confessional Part II: The Fitting

Filed under: Fashion

Part two of Mary O'Regan's online diary of her experiences modeling for the Voltage show next month has been posted. In this segment, Mary meets with local fashion designer Anne Selden for her first fitting: "She circles me, fluffing the loose waist, pulling it down on my hips, and declares that it fits perfectly, but does not flatter my rear. Rather than letting my ego seep out my pores and form a puddle on the concrete, I take her remark as artistic criticism, and hear my mother's words echoing in my head. Everyone comes in different shapes and sizes." Check out Catwalk Confessional p.II: The Fitting here.

Posted by Corey Anderson at March 16, 2007 5:50 PM | Comments (0)

 

SXSW: The Birthday Suits kick ass

Filed under: Music

As Birthday Suits started their set, a drunk passer-by walked in front of the mic and shouted his own verses over their hyperventilating noise explosion. While Hideo's hands never left his guitar, his foot repeatedly connected with the interloper's ass, kicking him away from the microphone. Hideo started singing, the drunk took a swing at one of the Snake Eyes guys, and then everything was punching, wrestling, rushing-to-help show-goers, and Birthday Suits detonating underneath it all.

Posted by Sarah Askari at March 16, 2007 2:18 PM | Comments (0)

 

SXSW Thursday (Early)

Filed under: Music

PR flackette Christina Schmitt and I hiked for miles to rep local. Minneapolis's own duel combustion engine, Birthday Suits, were playing at record-stack shack Snake Eyes Vinyl, and we wouldn't miss it for the world, not even if that world included long madman-playing-a-haunted-house- pipe-organ metal jams and the stench of a dead rat weighing down the air and damn-you- Bam-Margera crazypants young men throwing themselves onto the hood of unsuspecting minivans. It's all in a day at Snake Eyes.

Posted by Sarah Askari at March 16, 2007 1:54 PM | Comments (0)

 

Is Wednesday SXSW Day One?

Filed under: Music

I mean, there are shows on Wednesday, but mostly all your skinny jeans and pompadours are still in line for the airport shuttle come sunset. Friendless and alone in my hotel room, I surveyed my options and decided to stay in and cut myself. Except I needed to eat first. I wandered around the neon-and-ruckus pinball machine of 6th Street and found carne guisado from a street cart. Then I ended up seeing the Bravery. Whether that was a better or worse way to end the night depends on your feelings about goth-gilded synth-rock dance beats, but I was into it.

Posted by Sarah Askari at March 16, 2007 1:42 PM | Comments (0)

 

SXSW updates from our foreign (read: Texas) correspondents

Filed under: Music

Music writers from our sister paper, The Dallas Observer, headed down I-35 to catch the acts at the South by Southwest music festival. Austin Powered: The SXSW Blog is offering daily updates on the scene with live audio, artist interviews, tons of photos, and reviews of performances including Pete Townshend, The Trucks, and Cold War Kids. We'll ask them to keep an eye out for our own music editor, Sarah Askari, who may or may not have been trampled in the mosh pit during Slash's performance at the Parish.

Posted by Corey Anderson at March 16, 2007 11:29 AM | Comments (0)

 

Channel 4 big-ups local bands at SXSW

Nice piece last night, which also gave some screen time to this City Pages cover story.

Posted by Peter S. Scholtes at March 15, 2007 3:40 PM | Comments (0)

 

Rhymesayers sign deal with Warners

Filed under: Local Music

Influential Minneapolis-based rap label Rhymesayers Entertainment has joined Warner Music Group's Independent Label Group, signing a distribution deal through ILG's Alternative Distribution Alliance (which has one of its three offices in Minneapolis). The arrangment, which kicks off with the April 10 release of Brother Ali's The Undisputed Truth, is unusual for the amount of discretion and control given the smaller label. "Basically, we can do whatever we want with each artist," says Rhymesayers co-founder Brent "Siddiq" Sayers, speaking today on his cell phone. "We can keep things as simple as running things through ADA, or bigger records through Warner Distribution. Or we can, at a price, bring in additional services, marketing, sales promotions. Or we can go all the way to other end of the spectrum and put an artist in a situation where it could be 'upstreamed' [signed and fully backed] by the major label...

"It puts everything at our disposal," Siddiq continues. "Take an Atmosphere. If Sean [Daley, of Atmosphere] wanted to be on a major, which he has never before, but if he wanted to be, we basically could roll into a major label deal. Or we could do things the way we've been doing, but we could bring in a larger sales team at an increased percentage, so we'd pay a little bit higher of a percentage. It just kind of opens up the door. I've compared it to, the last ten years we've been building houses with hammer and nails, and now we have a whole woodshed and tools to do the same job."

Rhymesayers Entertainment--which releases music by Atmosphere, Brother Ali, MF Doom, Soul Position, Felt, P.O.S., Eyedea & Abilities, Psalm One, Boom Bap Project, and many other local and national artists--will now have access to the services of companies under Warner's ILG umbrella, including Asylum, East West, and Cordless Recordings. Siddiq calls the deal "unique," but offers a comparison to the situation of indie label Fueled by Ramen, which utilized ADA for new artists before "upstreaming" Gym Class Heroes to Atlantic. "When you look at Gym Class Heroes, it's not coincidence that after they're upstreamed, they're all over TRL. The major then takes over."

Rhymesayers have been nationally distributed for years, well before Warners came calling. Vinyl releases have been handled since 2000 by Fat Beats, an arrangement that continues today. Fat Beats also picked up two Rhymesayers CDs for distribution, Atmosphere's 2002 album God Loves Ugly and Soul Position's 8,000,000 Stories of the following year, while Atmosphere and Eyedea & Abilities released one CD each with Epitaph: 2003's Seven's Travels and 2004's E&A, respectively. (Those discs will continue to be distributed through Epitaph.) Then, two years ago, Navarre began distributing the entire Rhymesayers catalogue, including new albums such as Bluprint's 1988, the solo debut by the Micranots' I Self Devine, and the latest Atmosphere. With the two-year deal expiring this month, Rhymesayers turned to Warners.

"It's nothing against Navarre," says Siddiq. "It just got to a point where technology is changing, and for us to be allied with someone who is ahead of the curve and is thinking ten years down the road because of those changes, it's invaluable for us to be affiliated with that. And to do so on our own terms, you can't do better than that."

More on the story here, and here, and here.

Posted by Peter S. Scholtes at March 15, 2007 3:29 PM | Comments (0)

 

Hot as the Devil

Filed under: Film

Accidental e-mail can be such a gas. Owing to a publicist's computer brain-fart, City Pages has unexpectedly learned that its own Diablo Cody—the paper's TV critic and the writer of Juno, a major motion picture now shooting in Vancouver—has finally turned the temperature that her hellish penname has implied. She's "hot"—by association at least.

E-tweaking a Juno press release for the approval of a half-dozen colleagues, including the film's director Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking), the aforementioned flak suggested inserting the word hot before the name of the knocked-up title character's teenage buddy, played by new cast member Olivia Thirlby.

Hot? Why not? Officially ripe at age 19, Thirlby (United 93) has a full quintet of movies coming down the pike, Juno included. Besides, no less a film critic than IMDB message board-poster "boofansa" has deemed her "an orgasmic actress." (Maybe it's not too late to sneak that scorcher into the PR?)

Even jailbait knows that juvenilia rules in Hollywood. Daniel Dubiecki, Reitman's third eye at the production company they call Hard C, swung into the chat room with a pertinent correction for Mr. Hot Publicist. "Jason's quote as he originally wrote it was: 'This is a movie about teenage girls who grow up too fast and thirty-year-old men who refuse to grow up. I can't think of anything more appropriate for the times.'"

I can't either.

Posted by Rob Nelson at March 15, 2007 10:57 AM | Comments (0)

 

M-SPIFF dates, opening-night film announced

Filed under: Film

Last week, City Pages confirmed that Minnesota Film Arts had listed its Oak Street Cinema for sale despite recent box offices successes, and despite previous offers to take over the theater. Now that the organization has at last announced dates for its upcoming, scaled-down 25th Annual Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival (to take place April 19-29 at the Oak Street, the Bell Auditorium, St. Anthony Main, and the Riverview Theater)--with the Danny Glover-produced African IMF drama Bamako screening opening night and Glover himself set to appear--many local film lovers might wonder how to express concern over the Oak Street short of boycotting a potentially great festival. The simple answer: comment cards. For each of the 80 films (from 45 countries), cards will passed out letting patrons evaluate pictures and offer feedback. Whatever else you write is up to you.

Posted by Peter S. Scholtes at March 14, 2007 10:18 PM | Comments (3)

 

Pinball Circus

Filed under: 3 Questions

By some counts, fewer than a dozen pinball arcades remain in the U.S. So count yourself lucky, Twin Cities, because one of the best is in your own backyard. S.S. Billiards, a spartan little storefront in a beaten-down Hopkins strip mall, has been leading the Bally table charge for more than three decades. For this annual party, owner Lloyd Olson will add a few machines to his 20-plus collection (which includes "Big Bang Bar," one of only a handful ever produced), switch them all to "free" mode, and watch the digit counters fall. City Pages recently caught up with one of the area's biggest pinball fans, David Slabiak, of the Twin Cities Pinball Enthusiasts, for his thoughts on his favorite pastime.

City Pages: What's your favorite pinball game?

David Slabiak: Capcom's "Big Bang Bar." Alas, it never made it past prototype stage, but how can you go wrong with a space-bar-themed game that's painted in DayGlo?

CP: What's the most memorable quarter you've ever spent?

DS: That would have to be on a game called "Earthshaker!" I shot the center ramp over 99 times in one game to get to "The End of the Road." I earned full multiplier bonus and over 20 fault trips. My bonus countdown was huge and went on for a very, very long time. It was probably the most rewarding bonus I've ever earned.

CP: Wow. My pinball nickname is "Skill Shot." What's yours?

DS: "The Mahatma of Pinball," because I really and truly believe in the peaceful and harmonious ability of pinball to coexist with home video game platforms. We just have to help create enthusiasm for pinball, so that it doesn't get lost in all the new ways to entertain yourself nowadays.

"The Pinball Circus" at S.S. Billiards begins at noon on Saturday, March 17. $20 at the door. A pinball tournament begins at 8:00 p.m. 732 11th Ave. S., Hopkins; 952.938.9259

Posted by Chuck Terhark at March 14, 2007 10:10 AM | Comments (0)

 

From Snoopy to Dino: the evolution of public art in St. Paul

Filed under: Art/Museums

Last month the Science Museum of Minnesota announced that as part of their 100-year anniversary, they would be participating in the creation of 100 dinosaurs to be unleashed on the streets of the Twin Cities. Though there probably won't be any dark alley knife fights with the Charlie Brown statue people (both series were produced by Capital City Partners), the dinosaurs probably have a slight edge since it looks like they will be slightly larger at 4.5 feet tall and 8 feet long. "A paleontologist ok'd all of the statue designs to make sure that it's scientifically accurate," states Sponsorship Coordinator AJ Kiefer. "They don't want to have anything out there that's cartoony, so all the proportions are accurate to what a dinosaur would look like. Though obviously a real dinosaur wouldn't look like Joe Mauer, probably... We don't know for sure though." We couldn't help but wonder after so many Twin Cities homages through the years with the Peanut character series, what they would come up with this year—would we see a Sex World-themed dinosaur? A Prince-themed dinosaur? Perhaps a First Avenue dino? Although a Joe Mauer dinosaur has been confirmed (complete with sideburns), we'll have to wait to see what else is pitched for this series. Artists can still submit designs until March 15th, followed by a massive spray paint high May 20th, when artists arrive at the Science Museum for a giant paint-off open to the public. All the dinosaurs will be created in the following four days, and will hit the streets May 28th. In early September, some of the dinosaurs will be auctioned off to benefit the museum.

Posted by Jessica Armbruster at March 14, 2007 7:20 AM | Comments (0)

 

Whiskey Reborn

Filed under: Local Nightlife

Drinks will soon be flowing again at Whiskey Junction. The West Bank watering hole closed its doors at the end of last year after drowning for months in red ink and acrimony.

But last week the Minneapolis City Council granted a liquor license to new owner Tom O'Shea.

He expects the biker bar to be open for business by the end of this week. "It really seems like we've got a lot of people in our corner now," he says.

O'Shea originally attempted to purchase the bar from its previous owner, Cami Freeman-Waag, in January of last year. He paid $250,000 up front and began taking over management duties as he waited to secure a liquor license. But Freeman-Waag then allegedly reneged on the deal and refused to hand over the business (see "Bar Fight," 7/12/06).

The two parties then filed dueling lawsuits in Hennepin County District Court. In January O'Shea was granted a default judgment of $350,000. But he doesn't expect to reap that dividend anytime soon. "I don't think there's any money," he says.

For now O'Shea is concentrating on rejuvenating Whiskey Junction. He's gutted the kitchen and painted the interior walls. Blues singer Rae Singer has been hired to book the live music. "I ain't got time to look back," he says. "I got things to look forward to."

UPDATE: March 14 press release from Tom O'Shea...

Whiskey Junction Re-Opens With A Little Luck Of The Irish

Under new ownership, Whiskey Junction will again be serving up live music, food, and drink. On St. Patrick's Day, Saturday, March 17, 2007 Whiskey Junction will re-open with a Luck Of The Irish Celebration featuring local Irish folk rock band, Machinery Hill.

The club will host local live music every Friday and Saturday night from 8:30 pm to 12:30 am. Whiskey Wars, a battle of the bands competition, is scheduled to start Monday, May 7 and will help reintroduce live music into the club six nights a week. An official Grand Opening Celebration is being planned for later this year.

Contact Soup Music Company, P.O. Box 431244, Minneapolis, MN 55443, 612-280-7890 www.soupmusiccompany.com for live entertainment bookings at Whiskey Junction.

Whiskey Junction hours of operation are Sunday - Thursday, 10:00 am to 1:00 am and Friday - Saturday 10:00 am to 2:00 am. A full menu is available during select hours. The club also offers a late night walk-up pizza window. Libations are served daily from open to close.

A bar has been operated continuously at 901 Cedar Avenue South, in the West Bank neighborhood of Minneapolis, since at least the 1930s. In 1984 Gary Mackenzie purchased the bar and renamed it Whiskey Junction. Earlier this year Elizabeth "Little" Obregon and Tom O'Shea were awarded ownership in a formal legal settlement with previous owners, Cami Freeman-Waag and Roal Waag.

Posted by Paul Demko at March 12, 2007 9:27 AM | Comments (3)

 

3 Questions: Choreographer Stephen Petronio

Filed under: 3 Questions

by Linda Shapiro

Stephen Petronio's most recent work, "BLOOM," is the choreographer's second collaboration with composer Rufus Wainwright. Incorporating the 40-member Minnesota Boychoir and exuding a spirit of peace and hope, it may surprise fans of Petronio's fierce, fast, and often sexually charged dances. His New York company is known for executing death-defying movement with formal rigor, likened by one critic to "a torrent smacking against the concrete walls of a twisty canal." Prior to this Walker Art Center performance, Petronio explained to City Pages the appeal of Wainwright, Igor Stravinsky, and dancers who dare.

City Pages: Why did you choose to collaborate with Rufus Wainwright?

Stephen Petronio: Because he has the voice of an angel and the wit of a devil. The first time I heard his voice I could tell in the first three bars that it needed to have dance choreographed to it. It's operatic, theatrical, and moving.

CP: Your work "The Rite Part" follows in the footsteps of countless choreographers who have created dances to Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring." Why did you take it on?

SP: "The Rite of Spring" is a 20th-century monolith. It marks the beginning of Modernism in performance. Every choreographer of note takes it on as a challenge to measure themselves against. Stravinsky bangs the piano like a drum. I find that all very appealing.

CP: What do you look for in your dancers?

SP: I look for dancers who have such good technique that it is invisible. People who are not afraid to make fools of themselves, have a good sense of humor, and who are willing to go anywhere that I take them artistically.

The Stephen Petronio Company performs "BLOOM," "Bud Suite," and "The Rite Part" at the McGuire Theater in the Walker Art Center. $25. 8:00 p.m. 1750 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; 612.375.7600. Tonight through Saturday.

Posted by Corey Anderson at March 1, 2007 1:26 PM | Comments (0)

 

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