August 2008

« July 2008 | Main

Flyer of the Week: Military Special

Filed under: Flyer of the Week

This week's flyer of the week is for the Military Special show this Saturday at the Hexagon Bar, which is also a celebration of this up-and-coming band's promising debut EP. Military Special will be playing with Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles, Nobot, and Plastic Chord.

Posted by Andrea Myers at August 27, 2008 1:57 PM | Comments (0)

 

Thomas Frank: The Wrecking Crew

Wrecked beyond reconstruction? Author Thomas Frank discusses how conservatives wreck and rule our government.

It might be hard to believe, but sometimes politicians don't have our best interests at heart. Though this is the gist of Thomas Frank's argument, his in-depth analysis of the conservative movement over past decades is hardly simplistic. In What's the Matter with Kansas? he explored why middle and lower class Americans vote for politicians who support the rich. In The Wrecking Crew, Frank ventures to the capitol of wealth: Washington, D.C. There he pens a stinging indictment of conservatives' ultimate goal: to tear down government and move things into the private business sector.

CP: You state that it's the conservative agenda to dumb down government, and bring in private business. Why would conservatives do this?

TF: For one thing, their hostility toward government runs pretty deep. As a business party they've always objected to government because it meddles with the economy, and regulates things like business and taxes. The particular tactics they use come from their hatred of bureaucracy and the civil servants they regard as the "permanent government," which they think is inherently liberal. The idea is to replace them with private sectors. Privatizing the work of government has a lot of advantages from their perspective: Not only do you get around the civil servants; you can reward particular companies and build your own constituencies. The problem is that it really doesn't work.

CP: We're founded on the principle of separation of church and state, but what about separation of business and state? Do we need to rethink boundaries? Is it even possible to separate the two?

TF: Well, those boundaries have to be there, but ultimately it's impossible to separate them. People have to be ever vigilant. Business and government, you can never disconnect them entirely. And business should have a role. When decisions are being made that will affect an industry, you need to consult with those businesses. But the way things are now they are calling the shots at every level. They essentially control the government.

CP: You state that there’s two types of conservatives: economic and social. Why do social conservatives continue to vote conservative when it's probably not in their best interest?

TF: My feeling is that they vote for Republicans because of culture war issues: chiefly abortion, but also gun control, debates on patriotism. These arguments are phrased in class terms, and the culture wars are a form of class wars. I don’t know if it’s going to work now; the economy is so bad. I’m hoping Obama can reach out. The Democrats were once the party of the working class, and losing that demographic has been disastrous for them.

CP: You believe that conservatives want the public to lose faith in government. Why? Aren’t they, ironically, the government?

TF: It’s basic contradiction or what you would call a paradox. This goes to the core of their movement. You put people in charge of government who don’t believe in their mission and bad things happen. It’s not a coincidence. They don’t have a way to answer to that other than to say after the bad things happen and government fails, Oh those people weren’t conservatives in the first place! This is a standard line. George W. Bush? Jack Abramoff? Tom Delay? Not really conservatives. And of course that is ridiculous; they defined the movement! They were the leaders.

CP: Are we approaching a culture of apathy? Do we simply expect politicians to be corrupt? Are we definitively a plutocracy now?

TF: I would say it’s more about cynicism. When government fails, like FHIMA after Hurricane Katrina, they say, Well, that’s because government can never do anything right. Government failed. That’s not the correct answer. It’s the conservative movement that failed. The people running the government failed. We need to understand why they failed. The public accepts the cynical explanation because it’s the easiest and simplest solution, but the truth is slightly more complicated.

CP: How about this coming election? Are you recognizing any new trends or older ones in the campaign that McCain is running? How about Obama?

TF: It is interesting that a lot of the culture war stuff has worn off. No one is talking about the war on Christmas anymore. A lot of the culture war issues seem silly because the economic pain is real this time. But I don’t see Obama doing what he needs to do to win this thing. I think he is assuming he is going to be able to go on through without getting his hands dirty in the battle. He does this high–flying rhetoric thing very well, but ultimately he has to get into the fight.

CP: And McCain?

TF: I'll tell you, I used to like John McCain. You hear this from a lot of liberals. He was the one Republican in Washington that I really liked; the man that busted Abramoff. He's good on contractor issues, or was. He's good on campaign finance reform, something I really believe in. In a lot of respects he's a really good guy, the best candidate the Republicans could have. He's one of the few not tainted with scandal. But since he got the nomination, that John McCain is gone. I don't know what happened to him. It's just crazy attacks, one after another after another. It's like Karl Rove has taken over his personality. I don't understand it. You know, "McCain the Reformer" could actually get my vote. It's possible! But not "McCain the Hit-and-Run Artist." No. Hell no.

Come see Thomas Frank tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Barnes & Noble (3225 W. 69th St., Edina; 952.920.0633). Also 7:30 p.m. Thursday, August 28, at the First Universalist Church (3400 Dupont Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612.377.6608).

Posted by Jessica Armbruster at August 27, 2008 10:16 AM | Comments (1)

 

Win free stuff! Gnarls Barkley and Cloud Cult ticket giveaway

Filed under: Contest

City Pages and Cloud Cult are giving away a pair of tickets for tomorrow night's show at the State Fair Grandstand, where the psychedelic folk pop band will be opening for Gnarls Barkley. Click here to go to our Promotions page and register for your chance to win.

Posted by Andrea Myers at August 26, 2008 1:37 PM | Comments (0)

 

Over the Weekend: August 22-24, 2008

Filed under: Over the Weekend

I'm not going to lie: I didn't go to a show on Friday night. It was weird, since Friday happens to be one of the prime nights to catch live music in this town, and it gave me a slightly off-kilter feeling for the rest of the weekend. Just as the shakes were about to set in on Saturday, though, I made my way down to the Hexagon Bar and was delighted by a series of surprises.

The first surprise, actually, wasn't so delightful. When I pulled up to the Hexagon, I was greeted by a giant crowd that flooded onto the patio and out into the street, and the doorman was actually turning people away. It was a sight I had never seen at the Hex before, and I'm convinced that it was mostly due to a couple of well-read local blogs who let slip that both P.O.S. and Vampire Hands were slated to play unannounced sets.

After a brief moment of panic/confusion, the doorman started letting in more people and I made my way inside. Luckily, a good 75 percent of the hipsters who hang out at the Hex are habitual cigarette smokers, and it allowed the audience to ebb and flow between the stage, bar, and patio and keep things reasonably comfortable and spacious despite the at-capacity volume.

The party at the Hex served two purposes: launching the latest issue of Rift Magazine, and celebrating the birthday of a young woman named Robyn, whose name was rejoiced many times throughout the night and who, I am guessing, was responsible for lining up all the sweet surprise musical guests.

Solid Gold. Photo by me.

Once inside, I was able to catch the back end of a set by Solid Gold, a band that I had been hearing about for months but hadn't seen live. I was blown away by these guys. Their chilled-out shoegaze music reminded me quite a bit of M83, with twinkling, pulsing synths and persistent guitar feedback layered densely over funk bass lines and electronic drumbeats, and the members of the band appeared confident and relaxed despite the throngs of people milling in and out of the room.

Next up was a "secret" set by Stef Alexander, aka P.O.S., and he used the opportunity to debut a handful of new songs. Accompanied by a little machine that looked like a more complex version of a Speak and Spell, P.O.S. cued up beats and rapped verses about girls and politics to an excited, increasingly rambunctious crowd. "You guys are all about the 'wooo's tonight," laughed P.O.S. between songs. "It's freaking me out. How about you just say, 'Hey, good job Stef!'"

P.O.S. clearly enjoyed playing for a room of acquaintances, leaning into the crowd to fist-bump with old friends and beaming as he bounced around the little stage. He ended his short set with a favorite from last year's Audition, "Stand Up (Let's Get Murdered)," and a new song that included a crowd chant of "Woah... We're so thirsty!"

The entire bar dumped back out onto the sidewalk for another collective cigarette, and then migrated back to the stage as soon as Vampire Hands started to play. Vampire Hands have concocted a style of indie rock that teeters perfectly between gritty, experimental, and poppy, and their popularity seems to grow exponentially with every show they play. I have a feeling that their September tour through the South and up the East Coast might help them to win over a whole new set of fans.

Posted by Andrea Myers at August 25, 2008 2:29 PM | Comments (1)

 

Red Dragon: in which I have a nice, calm drink with my best friend

Filed under: Mpls Minx

You have a best friend, don't you? The kind of person you can call up and say, I'd really like to have a drink, and they'll say hey, that sounds great, actually. Why don't we get some cream cheese wontons, too?

You should. I do.

So I rode over to the Red Dragon, purveyor of fine and not-so-fine-but-plentiful liquor to meet Julie at an obscenely early hour. When the sun's still streaming through the stained glass at the front of the dining room there's something that feels positively sinful about drinking your first fishbowl full of rum.

Julie lives dangerously close to the Dragon, which I think is part of the reason that we end up there so frequently. So she walks, but this often leaves me stranded in front of the bar waiting for her for a precarious five minutes in which, you must know, leaves you open to the enthusiastic hobos and random drunks. so there I am, standing and waiting for her, when our newest drunk friend comes stumbling out of the bar. He asks me for a light and then proceeds to make wasted conversation about the man in San Jose that has "like, nineteen Beavis and Butthead tattoos" and drinking Red
Bull/vodkas and exactly what he likes to do on the nights that he's not with his girlfriend. Brian who works in construction, if you remember me at all, remember that I know all your secrets.

We extract ourselves, finally, and head in to the blissful air conditioning. There's a booth i like the most, that single booth over on the far edge of the front dining room. I think it's the perfect place to watch the room and figure out if that's your plate of wontons coming out.

The early hours at the Dragon are, they're not full of the hard-drinking, out-to-have-fun crowd. in a way, it's better people-watching. See, there are families and older folks trying to catch the blue plate special. here's a family at the long table in front of me, against the back wall. Grandma, parents, two sons. and dad's having a fishbowl of something milky-white (is that a pina colada? really?) and the boys are bouncing off the walls, singing along with the music, happy to be here, happy to be out to
dinner, because isn't that just the most special thing you can do when you're a kid, to be out on a school night, at a restaurant? and you know that when you're little the smallest things seem grand, the gold wallpaper with the fading peacocks and the stained glass lanterns?

Anyway. there is nothing like sharing a couple of giant glasses of rum, a plate of wontons and a dish of greasy fried rice with your bestie to cure everything that is--or ever could be--wrong in your world. so i won't tell you exactly what we talked about. but it was one of those conversations where you talk about everything but nothing, and you circle your words around again and again. Kind of like getting taking a different route to a place you know well and getting very lost on the way there.

But when i went home afterwards, i rode faster because i felt lighter.

Posted by Mpls Minx at August 25, 2008 4:22 AM | Comments (6)

 

Coolest. Web video. Ever.: Live-action Simpsons

Filed under: Sheer Awesomeness

Via

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at August 23, 2008 4:50 PM | Comments (2)

 

Democrats head to Red Wing this weekend to stomp it out

Democrats looking to self–medicate, release anger, or just have a good time should fit in at this fundraiser.

This Saturday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. marks the second annual DFL Grape Stomp. The event will be held at Falconer Vineyards in Red Wing, about an hour and a half drive from the Twin Cities.

Those that make the trek can enjoy a variety of wines, food, grape stomping competitions, live jazz, and giveaways. Local candidates are expected to discuss campaign issues, and drunken and/or spirited political discussions and rants are welcomed.

Those interested in attending should check out at www.dfl38.org or call 612.618.4446. Tickets are $40 presale, $50 at the door. Though this event is not endorsed by any particular candidate or committee, proceeds from the stomp will benefit the local party units of the Democratic Farmer Labor Party in Senate District 37, Senate District 38, and Goodhue County.

Posted by Jessica Armbruster at August 22, 2008 10:49 AM | Comments (0)

 

Get your nerd on for cheap

Fellow nerds, I am tired of hearing you whine about how expensive Ren Fest is. Here’s how to enjoy Disney-fied 14th Century kitsch for cheap.

Cheaper entry fee: Ok, yeah, tickets are $19.95 to get in at the door. Kinda steep. So go to Super America or Walgreens and buy presale tickets for $16.95. That’s three dollars off, right there. Do you have a kickass costume? You can take a risk and enter the early morning costume contest to see if you can get in for free (bring friends to cheer you on; prizes are awarded based on cheer volume). Also, parking is always bountiful and free, but it’s best to get there in the morning before traffic gets scary.

Free entertainment: Isn’t watching theater people eat turkey legs entertaining enough? No? Well how about taking in free shows featuring jousting performances, juggling demonstrations, log tossing (during Scottish weekend), belly dancing, and that guy that sets fire to a rope 5 feet off the ground and walks on it? There’s 15 free stages throughout the grounds, so something has to be happening that peaks your interest.

Free booze: Check their online schedule, but some days feature free beer tastings, brew competitions, and wine tastings.

Free food: Enter one of the eating contests, which include pie, mashed potatoes, and spaghetti.

Free lessons: Learn how to juggle, smoke from a hookah, belly dance, cook, or play lacrosse.

Cheap/Free Shopping: You may be tempted to buy one of those $300 Viking helmets made out of real fur and horn. But do you really need it? Probably not. There are still souvenirs you can take home for $5-$10. For example, the two main pottery barns have mugs, goblets, and bowls for around $5–$8. Those little pottery devil horns will usually set you back about $10 as well. Did you buy one of those glitter necklaces last year? They’ll refill your bottle for free.

For a complete schedule and list of activities, check out the Renaissance Festival website.

Posted by Jessica Armbruster at August 21, 2008 4:35 PM | Comments (7)

 

Update: Laughing Liberally find local

Filed under: Comedy

The results of the "Laughing Liberally" competition were announced, and after a gruelingly funny night at Joke Joint Comedy Club, Chris Maddock was crowned champion of local laughs.

The Stillwater native is hardly a newbie to the local comedy scene; in 2002 the funnyman was a finalist for the "Funniest Person in the Twin Cities" title, and is currently part of the Comedy Death Squad, a troupe that promises to "rip your arm off and hit you in the face with it with comedy!" While touring the Midwest (and some the East Coast), Maddock has worked with comedians including Doug Stanhope, Tom Rhodes, and Dwight York.

This Saturday at 8 p.m., Chris Maddock will perform at the Ordway’s Laughing Liberally comedy event, which features national comedians Jim David, Julie Goldman, James Adomian, Baratunde Thurston, and Jamie Jackson.

You can check out some of Maddock’s routine here, which pokes fun at Al Franken haters, Republicans who object to porn, and conservatives preferences for the worst performers country music has to offer.

Posted by Jessica Armbruster at August 21, 2008 3:58 PM | Comments (0)

 

... And God Said, 'Let There Be Irony.'

Filed under: 3 Questions

God's Pottery has done for gently mocking, hokey Christian music what Sasha Baron Cohen's character Borat did for laughing at Kazakhstan. Guitar player Jeremiah Smallchild and bell player and singer Gideon Lamb are always in character, never do press under their real names (Wilson Hall and Krister Johnson), and earn both laughs and jeers for their work. They did quite well on NBC's Last Comic Standing this summer, and now they're setting out on the road bring the Good Word to comedy clubs.

City Pages:Tell me a little about your experience on Last Comic Standing. Jeremiah Smallchild: Boy, it was just a lot of fun to on the TV. We've seen TV before, of course, but to be on it was so different. We were able to reach literally hundreds of people. It was a little scary. We felt the pressure, not from the competition, of course, but from knowing we could affect hundreds of lives. Gideon Lamb: Literally hundreds. Most people might not know this. But it takes a lot of people to put on a TV show. They have people whose job it is to run the equipment and stand by the equipment doing nothing. And snack delivery people.

CP: Is it a jarring to go from unknown to nationally famous in the course of a few weeks?

GL: It's pretty impressive. If you combine TV with the Internet, you're going to be hearing from people from Connecticut, Delaware, and Canada; which is another country. It's remarkable how far this show reached. It was like we went to an enormous mixer and everybody wanted to be our friend.

JS: Nationally famous? We're just the same old guys trying to make some new friends and open some hearts.

CP: Do you consider yourselves to be primarily comics or musicians?

GL: Boy, it's a little bit of each I would say. Definitely musicians. Well, more than anything else we're outreach specialists. I would say we got better as the show went on. We got some tips from the professionals. We wrote some funny knock-knock jokes that take the Devil down a peg. But we were there to share our message of clean living.

JS: Gideon wrote a joke about a snake in the desert, and the snake's name is Sandy. It's funny, we do a lot of singing and talking, but really we're professional good listeners. We're also really good at giving hugs.

GL: One thing you didn't get to see on the show is that we're very good actors. We work on our sketches for kids, they're called “Life Skillz.”

JS: It's cool because it has a 'z.'

GL: We tackle the tough issues with the sketches like premarital intercourse.

CP: Does it surprise you to hear that some people question whether you're actually religious?

GL: I tell you what, it did surprise me at first. But people aren't used to a couple of Christian kids being as cool as they are. People look at us and say, 'Look at all the laughing and dancing and high-fiveing, that doesn't fit.'

JS: We might not have tattoos but we can handle tough issues. What's cooler than that? And one thing we learned from the show is that just because you have tattoos doesn't mean you’re a bad person.

GL: And just because you have tattoos doesn't mean that you're a drug dealer. But all drug dealers have tattoos.

JS: And we learned Canadians are normal people too. They're almost exactly like normal people.

CP: How do you two handle temptation on the road?

GL: There are some temptations on the road. Hotels have soda machines, or as you call them, 'pop machines.' And nobody is there to tell me I can't have a sugary soda. So there is some personal responsibility involved.

JS: And often that responsibility falls to me because I am leader. And that adds to my road stress.

GL: There is some freedom too. I can sleep with two pillows if I want, and nobody tells me not to. Well, Jeremiah tells me not to sometimes. And they have ice machines, and USA Today in the lobby.

JS: For free!

GL: Free! I'm not sure if that do that just because we're on tour, but they're free.

CP: Does it bother you that a large part of your audience might be laughing at your religion and values?

GL: I don't think that's really happening.

JS: There's a lot of laughter, but it's with us I think. We're not here to judge. If they want to laugh at us, that's fine. They think they're winners, but, as a line in one of our songs says, it's tough be a winner when you're burning in hell.

CP: I find it a little strange that your bios say you went to Christ Our Leader College, but I can't find any information about the school.

GL: Well, it's not technically accredited. We haven't been back in a while so I'm not sure if we could even find it on a map.

JS: They also allowed me design my own major called "Christian Practicality in the Everyday, Every Day."

GL: And I was General Studies.

JS: But you did really well.

CP: Anything else you'd like to mention about your show at the Acme Comedy Company?

GL: I'd just like to say that we're going to try to bridge the river.

JS: We're going to relieve the tension between the two cities because we're specialists.

GL: We're going to insist that people from each city sit together at our show.

Give God's Pottery a listen at The Acme Comedy Club at 8 p.m. through Saturday, also at 10:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. $15. 612.338.6393.

Posted by Ben Palosaari at August 20, 2008 3:59 PM | Comments (0)

 

Tightwad On a Stick: How to do the State Fair for Cheap

Filed under: State Fair

With the cost of getting through the gates, two or three food items on a stick, a couple of rollercoaster rides, and a prance through the house of mirrors, going to the Great Minnesota Get-Together can get awfully expensive. Especially if you have kids or a date to drag along. Never fear. With these cash-saving tricks, the Fair won't suck all your cash.

Set your sights on savings ... or a Curious George knock-off stuffed animal.

Let's start at the gate with the price of admission. It requires some planning, but the best thing you can do is buy your tickets before the fair starts. If you get your tickets before Thursday, they're only $8, plus they're good for any day of the fair. That's $3 off the normal ticket price, that's half a pronto-pup!

Next, buy your tickets to the Mighty Midway and Kidway ahead of time. Tickets are normally a fairly steep $.75 each, $20 per sheet of 30, or $30 per sheet of 50. But if you buy them in advance, you can snag them for $10 for a sheet of 20. More tickets means more opportunities to puke up your newly digested bacon on a stick.

As if you needed another reason to skip work tomorrow to go the fair on opening day, it's also Thrifty Thursday. Everybody a the gate is admitted for the child's price of $8, and kids tickets are $5. Several food stands will also have reduced rates.

Timing is also important for saving cash. Sunset Sunday Savings, a new feature this year, has many food vendors offering at least 20 percent off all food from 8 p.m. to close on Aug. 24 and 31. And if you're bringing a bunch or kids (or if you just really want to win a giant stuffed animal) get to the midway on weekday mornings for discounted prices on rides games until 1 p.m.

And keep in mind as a last resort, if you can't make it to the fair during a big discount day, every fair information stand can provide you with a Deals, Drawings & Giveaway Guide which will point you to the freebies and stuff for less than $1.

Posted by Ben Palosaari at August 20, 2008 3:35 PM | Comments (0)

 

Dessa Darling becomes Professor Dessa

Filed under: Local Music

Photo courtesy of McNally Smith

Dessa Darling, the 27-year-old rising hip hop star and member of the Doomtree crew, is McNally Smith College of Music's latest hire. She'll be an adjunct, which means she'll be a part-time, non-tenure-track instructor. Her focus will be on teaching composition.

An accomplished hip-hop and spoken word poet who has always stayed fiercely independent with her music and writing, Dessa seems like a great candidate for sharing insight on the inner workings and seedy underbelly of the music industry.

Think there might be a rush on her classes?

McNally Smith, if its press release is any guide, does:

"Dessa is an outstanding talent who understands what it takes to be successful in today's music business," said Harry Chalmiers, President of McNally Smith College of Music. "As a touring and recording artist who pays close attention to the business side of music, she has incredible insights into the dynamics of the world of independent music. Her enthusiasm for sharing that knowledge will be a great benefit to McNally Smith students."

(Full disclosure: Jonathan Kaminsky contributed to this post, and his brother worked as an adjunct at McNally Smith this past year.)

Posted by Andrea Myers at August 19, 2008 2:52 PM | Comments (3)

 

Yesterday's news: Strib touts Muxtape day after shut down

Filed under: Blogs/Web

The Star Tribune carries a story recommending Muxtape today, a day after the site got shut down over copyright concerns.

The print edition makes no mention of the shutdown, which occured as the newspaper was going to press, saying "the site is still going strong six months after its launch." That sentence now been changed on the web version of the story:

There have been questions over the legality of Muxtape in the six months since it launched, and, in fact, the site shut down Monday night, saying, "Muxtape will be unavailable for a brief period while we sort out a problem with the RIAA."

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at August 19, 2008 2:00 PM | Comments (1)

 

You haven't had a real summer

Filed under: Concert Review

When my crew biked up to the Square Lake Festival last Saturday, we were hot and we were hungry--and totally amazed that Paul Creager had been generous enough to set up a screen, a stage, and a half-dozen biffys on his lovely Stillwater-area farm, and then invite hundreds of strangers to come camp over. We set up our tent as a couple guys on stage sputtered out something none-too-melodic, and I confided in my friend, "I know this is supposed to be a music and film festival, but I'm really here for the bike ride, the camping, and the swimming."

So we skipped the first few bands, refreshing and refueling with a dip in Square Lake and a burger at the Brookside Tavern in Marine on St. Croix. By the time we returned, The Owls were playing, and we settled in on the grass. The little hill in front of the stage was covered with blankets and bodies, like sprawling scene at Loring Park, only small enough to scan the crowd for familiar faces--does she work at the Wedge? While The Owls strummed their guitars and sang dreamy little melodies, the people next to me whipped up a batch of guacamole and a little girl performed an interpretive dance near the stage. Within five minutes, I retracted my previous statement. I was now here for the music.

The Owls "The Way On" video.

The tiny, outdoor stage amplified the listening experience, as a full moon rose behind the old weathered barn, and the stars twinkled behind the still blades of a windmill. While Happy Apple's talents are undeniable, their music has always seemed to me more an intellectual exercise to stretch your mind and pummel your psyche than to sit back and enjoy. But here, out under the open sky, for the first time in a decade, their performance was less esoteric and almost, dare-I-say catchy.

Happy Apple plays the AQ

Fort Wilson Riot played its first show since finishing their encore run of their rock opera, Idigaragua, bringing along plenty of its visual spectical. Fronted by the hyperkinetic duo of Amy Hager and Jacob Mullis, FWR was more fun to watch than Olympic sprinters, as they raced through raucous guitar licks and perky keyboard chords, with Hager's powerful vocals lacing the chaos together. I had a brief flashback to seeing the Violent Femmes and B52's playing at the State Fair when I was a teenager--a show hadn't seemed this fun in decades.

FWR's promo video for Idigaragua

Things mellowed considerably by the time Spaghetti Western took the stage, though not enough to keep a cheap-ass audience member from shouting, "I checked out your CD from the library." The versatile string quartet showed itself capable of mixing elements of bluegrass, jazz, klezmer, and lullabyes. A mandolin-backed tenor serenade was too much for a woman we dubbed "superfan" who hovered around the stage, mouth agape or shouting accolades, like a hungry cat weaving around ankles, trying to get attention. Even though the rest of the audience may not have been as uninhibited with their affections, I'm sure they enjoyed it just as much.

Spaghetti Western plays "The Percussionist."

Posted by Rachel Hutton at August 19, 2008 11:29 AM | Comments (2)

 

Bon Iver at First Avenue

Filed under: Concert Review

I'd seen Bon Iver before -- several times, actually -- but never quite like this. With each return to Minneapolis he seems to snowball more and more fans, and Friday night's show at First Avenue proved that he's capable of selling out and mesmerizing a room of over 1500 people.

Photo by Ward Rubrecht.

My absolutely favorite thing about seeing Bon Iver live, even moreso than Justin Vernon's warm, wooden falsetto or the band's ability to take a song from barely anything to a crashing everything, is the silence. The silence that falls between the notes of their most delicate songs, when you realize that the entire audience has shut up and that you can hear the air conditioning unit in the Main Room shutting on and off, because nothing -- not gossiping to your neighbor, not ordering another drink, not even cheering -- is more important at that moment than hearing what Bon Iver is going to do next.

Bon Iver played through all but one song on their breakout album For Emma, Forever Ago, and threw in a few surprises: a new song, "Blood Bank," which had been getting passed around between Bon Iver fans via a clip on YouTube, and two covers, Talk Talk's "I Believe In You" and Sarah Siskind's "Lovin's for Fools."

Photo by Ward Rubrecht.

I had never heard of Sarah Siskind before the Bon Iver cover surfaced, but her song "Lovin's for Fools" is heartbreaking. It sounds familiar immediately, mostly because of the line "You'll never know dear how much I love you," which is also a line in "You Are My Sunshine," and Vernon's treatment of the song is absolutely breathtaking. At the end of the night, just before retiring backstage to bask in the success of perhaps their biggest sold out show yet, Vernon instructed the audience that we should be quiet and that he wanted us to hear something special. Vernon gathered his bandmates Mike Noyce, Sean Carey and Bowerbirds' Mark Paulson around an old fashioned microphone at the front of the stage, and he and Moore traded off verses while the others sang harmonies, accompanied only by the soft strum of Vernon's guitar. The result was chill-inducing, to be sure, and people wanting to clap or cheer in appreciation were immediately shushed by others in the crowd. During that song, Bon Iver showed what it means to hold an entire audience's attention with the whisper of a sad love song, and it was absolutely beautiful.

Set List:

Flume
Lump Sum
Creature Fear
Blindsided
Blood Bank (new)
Skinny Love
I Believe In You (Talk Talk cover)
Wolves (Act I and II)

Encore
For Emma, Forever Ago
Lovin's For Fools (Sarah Siskind cover)

Posted by Andrea Myers at August 18, 2008 9:00 AM | Comments (3)

 

Episode two: in which I venture alone to Glamorama

Filed under: Mpls Minx

Tonight I'm headed to Glamorama 2008: Pop Candy Arcade. I'm rolling solo tonight and I'm not used to travelling by myself. I step out of the car and blink in the sunlight. It's still broad daylight so I feel a tiny bit out of place standing on Hennepin dripping in fake diamonds in this ruffly teal chiffon number. Deep breath. In we go.

You forget how grand the Orpheum is. The marquee's all lit up with golden lights and the neon's flashing and it's all high ceilings and brass and chandeliers. Everyone's polished and professional and you thank the woman and flee to Mackenzie immediately after you pick up your ticket. And the you laugh because a fair amount of other folks have, too. Everyone's decked out in eighties gear. There's a girl next to you that's in a Madonna-esque strapless black and white polka dot number and long pearls and gelled permed hair. You feel perfectly at home.

Everyone's drinking normal, un-eighties themed things. Beer. Tawny and clear mixed drinks. It's all the same as always, except the last time you were here you were riding a bicycle and wearing jeans, sneakers and a t-shirt. There are regulars that look not confused but amused. They must see this all the time.

Okay. Settle up. Back into the theatre and down the long hall. It's dim, but you can hear one of your very favorite songs playing from the auditorium. So you prance down the hall and wander up and down the aisle totally confused by your ticket until you have to wave the usher over to un-confuse yourself. Watching people trickle in, it's sartorially more balanced. There are a few people here in jeans and t-shirts thinking, 'Shit, I was supposed to dress up'. It's clearly date night; there are handfuls of men looking like they were dragged here by insistent girlfriends and wives. Clutches of women on girl's night out. And I have still seen exactly zero people I know.

Minx took all the photos in this post. For more Glamorama shots, see our slideshow by James Tran.

And the lights go down. You forget that this is actually a benefit for the Children's Cancer Research Fund and suddenly you're glad that the whole place is packed. Lovely Cyndi Lauper comes out with one of the children from the pre-show video to open the show and then the screen goes up and Prince is pounding over the speakers and there are models everywhere, twirling and strutting and making clothing look good. If you have not seen real models in person, know this: they are as otherworldly and lovely and perfect as they are in magazines and on television. The women are serious and professional, and then there are the men. They're striding in from stage right and stage left, and then they're doing funny dances on their way out, and clearly having a great time.

Now, what can you say about MC Hammer that hasn't already been said? Backed up by ten dancers, he plays at leaving before he finally does U Can't Touch This. It is embarrassingly enjoyable and the crowd is losing their shit entirely. More models, lovely clothes, and you're trying to take furtive photos so the usher doesn't come up to you and give you the same verbal bitch-slap he gave the girl in front of you. And then we get a little Cyndi Lauper. The crowd's singing Girls Just Wanna Have Fun back to her and then there's sparkly confetti exploding into the audience and the show is over. It lasted a little over an hour and so much happened in that hour that I can't believe it's only 9:30.

The crush of people onto Hennepin to walk to the afterparty is thick with chatter and fancy dress. There's a man next to you talking about how he's ready for his next bump, and you laugh, because what else can you do? He asks you if you have anyone you can call and you just keep laughing. It's unclear whether he's serious or joking. Let's give him the benefit of the doubt.

More Glamorama photos.

So Macy's is dark and there are volunteers roping the retail areas off, guiding you upstairs. You take one look at the lines for the elevators and decide to take the escalators up to the eighth floor, which proves to be a terrible decision because two out of eight escalators you take upstairs are shut off.

This is painful in heels.

Now down the long, dark hallway to the auditorium. There's a woman pressing a glass of wine into your hand and you walk in and it's all flashing lights and spangly streamers hanging from the high ceiling. Everywhere you look there are bars and appetizer stations surrounded by people three deep. You join the line and order whatever the ridiculous blue drink the woman in front of you ordered. Why not? The wine's free-flowing and people slowly make their way onto the dance floor in front of the giant boombox the DJ's stationed atop. There is much drunken dancing.

More Glamorama photos.

The rooftop's open and there are breakdancers outside. You watch them for a while, on their special slippery floor and you can look across the city and see other bar crowds on lower rooftops and they are far away and small. And suddenly you're ready to go home to your dogs and your boyfriend and the bottle of whiskey waiting on the kitchen counter, so you place your now-empty glass on a passing cater-waiter's tray and you ride the elevator down, walk through the now-silent first floor and slip into the backseat of a passing cab, and you go home.

Posted by Mpls Minx at August 18, 2008 8:45 AM | Comments (3)

 

The adventure begins ... by falling off my high heels onto Hennepin Avenue

Filed under: Mpls Minx

Hello Minneapolis,

We've been introduced before, but i think it's time we got better acquainted. You know me well. I've been alternately sullying and polishing your reputation for a good long while now. I've been taking your photo and posting it on the internet. It's nice to see you again. C'mere, give me some sugar.

So here's the deal, dear readers. I''m going to be taking you all out with me at night, from restaurant to bar, from rock shows to fancy events. I'm going to write about the silly things you do, the great clothes you're wearing, and the copious amounts of alcohol you're consuming. I'll show you what Minneapolis looks like, in case you don't remember what it looked like last night.

If you want to know more about my life, come have a look at my flickr. I'm happy to have you there. Otherwise, i'll be here a few times a week to regale you with my adventures and mishaps.

Now let's get dirty, shall we?

***

There's something about pulling into downtown around six p.m. on a weeknight. You're caught between the commuters getting a late start out of downtown, the early happy-hour departees, and the people coming in for dinner or drinks or some sort of event. Everyone is in transit, and the air's thick with anticipation and impatience, like there's somewhere else to be, somewhere you've got to get to.

Anyway. You should know, you already do know how things go at the Imperial Room. When you arrive early, around this magical six o'clock hour, you will walk into corporate happy-hour central. And you should expect this: the drinks are strong, they're reasonably priced, and good goddamn if you can't order yourself two martinis for cheap. We met a handful of friends and we all curled onto the big couches in the back corner and proceeded to drink and catch up.

Then we made our fateful decision to go to Hooters. Yes, Hooters. For dinner. And it wasn't horrible. But let me tell you, when someone tells you that the food at Hooters is good and that's why they go there, you are most certainly speaking with someone who loves boobs. Now. Being that it was a Wednesday night, most people were tucked safely away at home, away from our hijinks on the second-story patio. We drank beer in plastic cups and the manager brought us all shots of whiskey. We ate bar food and were kind to our waitress, who happened to be the new girl there. It was a beautiful night, warm but not too, breezy but not windy. The kind of night you can feel the breeze through your hair, but the wind doesn't mess it up, you know? Michelle shared an odd Mountain Dew and vodka drink that we couldn't resist the name of.

We left a nearly-deserted Hooters to very enthusiastic goodbyes from the manager and ladies still working and spilled onto Hennepin to walk to Barfly, ostensibly for the "hottest bartender" competition, but more because we were pretty sure we needed more drinks. Hennepin was surprisingly crowded. There were a pair of sheriffs at the corner, and do you know that nervousness you get around Johnny Law? Maybe you don't, but I do, even when I'm doing nothing wrong. So it figures that as we crossed, I lost my footing and I took a knee at the corner of 8th and Hennepin. In front of the cops.

Still laughing about my tumble, we approach Barfly and the giant security men outside. IDs checked, wristbanded, we head inside. To the bar we go. I try to orient myself by taking a walk through the first floor. Attendance is sparse, but it's early, and it's Wednesday. We pop out to the patio to see what we can see, and it's packed out there. People are perched on stools, at tiny tables. Sprawled on benches, trying to make a play for each other.

Back inside, we find a table in the main room. There are ladies who have clearly been here a while, and they're holding their drinks aloft, tipsily dancing in pairs on the largely empty dance floor. Over to the side, there are poles. Poles. Like stripper poles. Interesting. The back bar is beautiful, all backlit bottles and glass everywhere. We get regular drinks, nothing Mountain Dew-based this time, and take a seat at the edge of the dance floor. We watch the single people waiting for someone else anxiously, the packs of Abercrombie-d men on the prowl (seriously, guys? It's Wednesday), the ladies' night women.

The dance floor got more and more crowded very quickly. The stripper poles became occupied, much to our table's amusement and mock horror. Anything you've seen on TV about going to a club, I can tell you, it's true. Dancing's no longer dancing, it's totally just dry-humping on the dance floor. People are there to meet other people, to hook up, to misbehave. None of this should be a surprise to me. I've never been to a proper nightclub before, and I know that I'll be obligated to go again, to a different club, and I'm betting myself ten dollars that it's going to be exactly the same scene I see here. (See how I worked that? Either way, I win this bet.)

And next time? I'm going to be just as mock-shocked.

Posted by Mpls Minx at August 18, 2008 6:58 AM | Comments (6)

 

Democracy Now! Vote for the Best Toilets in Town

We've all had those unfortunate experiences relieving ourselves away from home in some pee-puddled place with a stench that could kill. Of course, we've also had those eye-opening urinary experiences in shiny and clean restrooms that put your home bathroom to shame. Mizpee is the place to call out the crappy crappers and laud the lovable loos. Users can rate them from one ("prison toilet") to five ("royal flush") rolls of TP, and include information on which restrooms are for customers only.

The Minneapolis page is still a little lean on entries, with only 11 at the time of writing this, but there's already a wide range of scores and locations. It looks like Macy's at the Nicollet Mall and the Guthrie both have outstanding bathrooms. The Triple Rock, however, got slammed with one-role score. I'm sure the owners are devastated. Mizpee will even text you when you're on the go to point you the best bathrooms near your location. At the end of August, the victorious bathroom will be honored with the title 'Flush of the Year'. And although it is kinda a funny idea and rife with ... well, bathroom humor, Mizpee makes the point that they are actually a very helpful service to people who often need a restroom quickly, including people with Crohn's disease and colitis. The company promises to donate $1 for each unique vote for the winner to the Minnesota chapter of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America. There's nothing like feeling good for voting for your favorite potty.

Speaking of bathrooms, remember that scene in Trainspotting in that absolutely vile toilet, when Ewan McGregor has to fish through his own waste to find a heroin suppository? No? Watch it below. After that, even the nastiest truck stop restroom looks like the finest water closet in town. Ok, now I've run out of different words for bathroom.

Posted by Ben Palosaari at August 15, 2008 3:23 PM | Comments (1)

 

Pine Derby for adults raises funds for kids

Sure, they’re just a hunk of pine painted fancy on rubber wheels, but you know you’ll shriek and cheer when those homemade vehicles whip by at 4 mph.

You may have made a pine car in girl or boy scouts, or in high school shop class, but 64 Feet of Fun is for grown–ups only.

This Saturday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. come party at 64 Feet of Fun, a benefit for Free Arts Minnesota. The course is set up in the Warehouse District of Minneapolis at the Washington Lofts Backyard Green Space (801 Washington Ave.). Partiers can enjoy races, beer, cocktails, and tunes with DJ Naughty Wood. Looking to keep the party going? Revelers can walk over to Babalu from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. for raffle prizes, drinks, and more (definitely try their mojitos).

Tickets are $25 presale, $30 at the door (limited door tickets available). All proceeds go towards Free Arts Minnesota, a non–profit organization that provides opportunities for artistic expression for abused, negelected, and at–risk children. For more info visit sponsors Metro Magazine by clicking here, call 612.229.8522, or email 64feetoffun@gmail.com.

Posted by Jessica Armbruster at August 15, 2008 9:07 AM | Comments (0)

 

Laughing Liberally looking for locals

Are you funny in front of crowds? Do you routinely show up a Acme’s open mic night or Balls and can get through a routine without boos or polite clapping? Is your fart joke so much more than a fart joke, with greater—yet still funny— implications surrounding the dominant hegemony? Well, this competition is for you, but time is limited!

August 23 marks the date where the Ordway will be hosting Laughing Liberally, a show with political satire, musical comedy, and impersonations featuring comedians Jim David, Julie Goldman, James Adomian, Baratunde Thurston, and Jamie Jackson. There’s also an opening for one local performer. That performer could be you.

Those interested in can submit YouTube videos featuring 3 to 7 minute clips to the Ordway by midnight tonight. The top three finalists will compete for the slot August 17 at the Joint Comedy Club in Bloomington, the winner with perform the following Saturday.

Submit your best clips on the Ordway site here. Not funny, but in need of a laugh? Check out submission here.

Posted by Jessica Armbruster at August 14, 2008 12:07 PM | Comments (0)

 

Minnesota Center for Photography sells some cool stuff

It was a sad day when Minnesota Center for Photography closed its doors late last month. Now you can take a piece of it home this weekend at their liquidation sale.

Those looking to snap up cheap photography equipment and computers are out of luck. Computer gear is being returned to the company that leased the electronics and darkroom equipment most likely will be traveling to the University of Minnesota in hopes of keeping it available to adult photographers around the Twin Cities.

The good news is that there’s still a lot deals to be had at MCP. Some of the items listed include their library of books, from periodicals to MCP publications. Some rare books will be at half price, as well as some cheapie prints at $1 a pop. Those looking to add to their menagerie of furniture and home entertainment items will find chairs, desks, book shelves, filing cabinets, martini glasses—even an espresso machine—for sale. Looking for something… weird? They have a podium, slide and digital projectors, and a big metal tub. Think of the strange parties you could throw with any combination of these things!

Minnesota Center for Photography is located at 165 NE 13th Ave. in Minneapolis. The hours of the sale are Friday from noon to 6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and if there’s still stuff, Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with items being additionally halved throughout the day.

Posted by Jessica Armbruster at August 14, 2008 10:57 AM | Comments (0)

 

Come On, Skinny Love

Filed under: Music

In anticipation of Bon Iver's sold-out show Friday night at First Avenue, here is a smattering of my favorite Bon Iver videos.

First, a new song, which Bon Iver just started playing live a few weeks ago:

This duet with the Bowerbirds (another fantastic, up-and-coming neo-folk band worth checking out) is a lovely cover of Sarah Siskind's "Lovin's For Fools":

Bon Iver's Justin Vernon performing "Skinny Love" on Jools Holland earlier this year:

"Lump Sum," as recorded in the 89.3 The Current studios:

See also: my column on Bon Iver from a few months ago.

Posted by Andrea Myers at August 14, 2008 6:00 AM | Comments (0)

 

Flyer of the Week: Eight is Enough

Filed under: Flyer of the Week

Tickets go on sale today for Eight is Enough, which is sure to sell out fast. Featuring Skoal Kodiak, STNNNG, POS, Low, Dosh, Kill the Vultures, and part of Tapes 'n Tapes. Your $20 or higher donation to Barack Obama's campaign grants you access into the show; reserve your tickets through the Turf Club website.

Posted by Andrea Myers at August 13, 2008 4:53 PM | Comments (0)

 

Local Guitar Hero Chris Chike makes New York Times

Filed under: Gaming

Chris Chike, the Rochester teen who is the world's greatest Guitar Hero player, was featured on the front of the New York Times' Arts & Leisure section Sunday.

We first wrote about Chike in April, when he set a new high score on the popular videogame and was honored by the Guinness Book of World Records. Later, we updated the story when Chike was signed to an endorsement deal by The Ant Commandos, a company that manufactures the plastic guitar controller used in the game.

Now the vaunted Gray Lady has deemed fit to pick up the story.

In his daily life Chris is a senior at the nearby Century High School; he is 6 foot 2, boyishly handsome, a soccer player, a long and high jumper on the varsity track team and painfully shy in conversation, particularly about his plans for college. “I don’t really like to think about it,” he said in a pregame interview, “because I like to procrastinate.”

But to millions of Internet users he is better known as iamchris4life, the Guitar Hero wunderkind whose astronomical scores and YouTube videos of his gaming exploits are, to these fans, as thrilling as actually playing the game. In messages sent to Chris’s account on the Xbox Live network and in notes posted on his personal YouTube page they declare their devotion: “yer god.” “do u wanna marry me?”

For those who haven't need Chike's amazing dexterity in action, here a YouTube clip from the Reporter's Notebook that went with the original story:

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at August 13, 2008 12:39 PM | Comments (0)

 

Reporter's Notebook: Paul Westerberg's 49:00

Filed under: Gimme Noise

While listening to Paul Westerberg's new album for the first time, I made some notes as the song played so that I could keep track of what was going on. Like I mentioned in my column, a sizeable portion of the album is disjointed and layered on top of itself, so these notes were an attempt to distinguish individual "songs" from the mix and keep track of the many changes that happen throughout this schizophrenic, awe-inspiring project.

Enjoy the insanity of my rambling.

Paul Westerberg's 49:00
Notations made upon first listening; each paragraph break marks a new song or sound clip.

The track starts out with a fairly straightforward jangly rock beat and a catchy hook: “Terry, Terry/Who ya gonna marry?” or maybe “Tell me, tell me/Who ya gonna marry.” The song appears to be about learning that the girl you like is getting hitched, setting the scene for another Westerberg album about heartbreak, rejection and feeling like a misfit. As the song fades out (3:56) the next song starts up, like the changeover on a radio program.

Possible title: “With or Without Her.” Another quick-tempo song. One thing I am noticing is that the songs have a distinctly lo-fi feel, making it hard to distinguish the vocals at times and further enforcing the mood of an old AM radio program.

6:56 another fade in, with the ending song and beginning song overlapping. This song is terribly sad. “Something in my life is missing/Something in my life is missing him by a mile.” Seems to be about a long-lost best friend who has fallen out of touch. This one churns along at a slower pace, with a Beatles-y guitar hook and echoing vocals giving it a vaguely psychedelic feel.

10:40 Opening line: “Well it wouldn’t hurt you to see your grandma every now and then/I’m sure your mom would drive.” Another song about trying to connect with the past, this time reflecting on family instead of friends. This song has a distinct country feel, with what sounds like a pedal steel or possibly a lap steel laced through the background. Once again Westerberg is utilizing many different textures and sounds, adding a dreamy element to what would otherwise sound like a cut-and-dry country tune.

A really jarring changeover at 14:15. It sounds like there are three different songs playing at once, and the sound shifts from one speaker to the other. At 14:33 it settles into a new song, an uptempo, dirty blues song that might be called “Devil Raised a Good Boy.” For the first time, Westerberg’s electric guitar work is featured prominently with a longer solo midway through the song and a breakdown with just electric guitar and vocals, which is the first time that the layers were removed from the mix. Another solo at the end comes from lower in the mix, and then we’re off to another song…

“You’re my girl,” he sings at 17:44, a nice poppy interlude.

At 18:09 we’re already onto a new song: “Everyone’s Stupid.” This song has a nice classic rock feel to it, with electric and acoustic guitars layered on top of each other, and Westerberg sounds downright jovial. “I’m practically happy/I’m practically happy” he sings, before taking a guitar solo and fading out.

A few strange voices echo over the mix before the start of another song at 20:50. It’s another short-lived song, somewhat of an interlude.

Eight seconds later, at 20:58, he’s already shifted gears. This song is much grittier, and Westerberg is snarling: “What do you want?/Fuck off!”

Another quick change. At 21:15 we are fading into a new song. Lots of layered harmonies--I think this might be the end to “Everyone’s Stupid,” at least it sounds similar to the harmonies in that previous song. The harmonies are shifted dramatically between the left and right speakers, which is very disorienting on headphones.

After 10-15 seconds of two songs playing at once, we fade into “Goodnight Sweet Prince” at roughly 22:00. Slow and somber, this is the most blatantly sad song on the record, and Westerberg is crooning and holding onto each note for a long time. The song plays cleanly until about 23:35, when he starts overlaying clips of other songs. This is very jarring, and distracts from the emotional sentiment of the song. Sounds jump in and out of the speakers, sometimes only playing on the left or right, sometimes together. At one point I think there are three songs playing at once.

25:55 Another short clip that jumps dramatically from one speaker to the other. “Guess I’ll be going, then,” he sings.

New song already. 26:04. “Gotta Get It Out of My System” is a potential title. This song is more upbeat, and almost seems like an apology for the three previous minutes of emotional despair and heavy-handed layering and fading. The ending of this song seems to have another track layered over it, but it’s hard to tell where the other sounds are coming from.

At 29:26 we launch into a song that, to my ears, sounds the most ‘Mats-like so far. “Come On, Be My Darling” is a possible title. There’s more subtle fading in and out in the background, but I am getting used to the sounds of other songs playing in the background now.

33:06 Really short song. I think he’s singing “The money goes straight to her arm.”

Ten seconds later, at 33:16 we are into a punk-ier song and Westerberg is dropping the names of a bunch of Iron Range cities. He is singing out of tune, and it’s sort of unbearable.

At 34:30 he interjects an uptempo rockabilly song. “I’m clean, I’m clean, I’m clean… My soul is gray, my heart is silver/Please don’t ask me about my liver.” This is another lighthearted song, and he seems to be enjoying cutting the guitars out and leaning into the microphone to sing the chorus.

Seven second interlude at 35:40.

At 35:47 we start another song. A lagging, country-tinged song. The lyrics are about staying in the “rock and roll battle.” The melody sounds really familiar, I can’t put my finger on it. Dammit! That’s bothering me. It sounds just like another song.

Beatles’ “Hello Goodbye” snippet of a cover at 39:53.
Another quick clip, can’t tell if it is a cover or not.

39:59 “Born to Be Wild” cover.

40:06 Another new song. This is getting crazy. Not sure if it is a cover or not.

“I’m 18 and I like it” at 40:21.

LOTS of fading in and out and layering on top of each other, hard to distinguish individual songs. Covers: “I Am a Rock” by Simon and Garfunkel, “Rocketman” by Elton John, “Three’s a Crowd,” “I Think I Love You” by the Partridge Family.

At 41:52 I think we have our first non-Westerberg-sung contribution, possibly a clip from something. Sounds like a punk girl chanting angrily. You can barely make out what she’s saying, and there is heavy distortion on her voice. On second thought, is that a little kid yelling? Hard to tell. Everything starts to fade out, and at 43:55 we are done.

See also: This week's Gimme Noise column, in which I review 49:00.

Posted by Andrea Myers at August 12, 2008 5:07 PM | Comments (0)

 

Tour diary: Kitten Forever

Filed under: Local Music

For your viewing pleasure, Kitten Forever have been posting YouTube videos that they made on their recent tour with Unicorn Basement. Here's an especially amusing clip, which features Kitten Forever singer Liz Elton covering the late-'90s Meredith Brooks hit "Bitch":

Posted by Andrea Myers at August 12, 2008 1:50 PM | Comments (1)

 

Random creepy email show and tell

Filed under: Stuff

Music writers are accustomed to getting a lot of mail and email -- from promotional CDs and press releases to mp3s and streaming audio, publicists from across the country are constantly reaching out and trying to find ways to grab the attention of the critics. In my current position, I'd say I probably get around 100 emails a day from musicians, publicists, label people, and venue bookers who want help promoting their album release or show. Most of them are pretty standard: Download this track, go to our MySpace, come to our show, etc., but this morning I received not one, but two weird emails that I couldn't keep to myself.

1. Ominous unlabeled mp3 promising to be someone famous

Subject: Mystery track for you!

A bit of Monday fun for you:

Enclosed is a mystery track for your listening.
I can't tell you who it's by yet as it's a bit of a secret.
However, i can tell you that you've definately heard of this band.
They're english, and this song features someone else English, who is enormous.
It's out in the not too distant future and you'll be hearing it on radio, reading about it etc. for definate.

It's a lot of fun and i hope you enjoy it.

The secret will be revealed soon.. but until then i'm afraid i can't tell you who it's by!
You're also welcome to post it. It's already been on a couple of places and there's some great guesses already.

Since I'm welcome to post it, I am going to. What do you think -- is this actually something we should care about, or is this a hoax to get me to listen to their mp3? Either way, it worked. I am intrigued. Download here.

2. Ominous impending death prediction

Subject: Is Samuel Jackson Next? Death Comes in Threes…

Andrea:

Yesterday, it was Bernie Mac. Today it was Isaac Hayes. Could Samuel Jackson be next?
Daryl Toor, president of Attention!, an Atlanta based publicity firm, a former music reviewer and record company executive notes:

"This photograph, taken from Isaac Hayes' official site is as eerie as the time I read a newspaper obituary on its own obituary writer…."

The photo has since been removed from the Isaac Hayes webpage, but it was a photograph from the upcoming movie Soul Men which stars Bernie Mack, Isaac Hayes, and Samuel L. Jackson:

So strange. Here's a video for you:

Posted by Andrea Myers at August 11, 2008 3:39 PM | Comments (1)

 

Fringe By Numbers: The End

Filed under: Fringe Festival

And so it goes... the 2008 Minnesota Fringe Festival is behind us and it was good.  I wrapped the thing up seeing three shows, which were all chosen due to various obligations.  I'm not going to do full reviews of these.  But here in this entry I'll mention a couple of things about each, as well as give them the standard treatment of a rating and a Ten Word Summary.  Thereafter, it'll be time to share some final thoughts and say goodbye.

"Secrets of the Little Yellow Diary" was one of Christopher O. Kidder's favorite shows this year. Be sure to check out our Fringe in Photos slideshow gallery for pictures from this and other shows, afterparties and more. Image by B FRESH Photography.

Day 11 - 5:30 p.m. Time Slot

My first show of the day was Secrets of the Little Yellow Diary.  I'm really glad this show had a final Sunday performance.  Patty Nieman's play was all that I would've hoped.  She is talented, fun to watch, and tells a tale of what it is to be 12-going-on-13 remarkably well (probably because it was written by a 12-going-on-13 year-old).  The songs were superb.  The arrangements were el-neato.  And for reasons that I'm not completely sure of, I started to cry when she pulled out her green dress-clad Scarlett O'Hara doll.  The show is simple and innocent and wonderful.  It's a reminder that though four-letter words reign supreme at the Fringe by sheer overwhelming volume, a good script will win out over vulgarity any day.

Rating: d20 = One Of The Best

Ten Word Summary: Twelve year-old Patty loves boys and theater.  It's Superb!

Day 11 - 7:00 p.m. Time Slot

The second show of the day was (lifeseed) by Nic Hager.  The cast (and the writers for that matter) were primarily from the U of M's BA program.  I went to see this to support Kate Gunther who starred in my company's 2006 Fringe offering.  This play had some beautiful images in it, but generally it proves another of my theories.  For whatever reason, students at the university level latch on to former theatrical movements as if they are new ideas and latch-on hard.  It seems that at the U of M, someone forgot to tell the students that absurdism wasn't terribly successful commercially, and there's a reason that it is no longer considered cutting-edge.  Please, folks, try to find what is new rather than rehash this style over and over.  It's taught as history for a reason.  This play was a mess.  While the ladies in it are skilled, and the imagery (as mentioned before) was quite beautiful in brief glimpses, the overall presentation was a cluster of disjointed, disconnected and meaningless drivel.

Rating: d6 = Has Some Merit

Ten Word Summary:  Dreams and leaves and blood and picnics left me uninterested.

Day 11 - Encore Slot

I look forward to the encore slots every year because it allows me to catch one show that I've heard great buzz on that I didn't get a chance to see due to the dice rolling.  I did try to make it to Nosdrahcir Sisters, but they sold out just before I got up to the ticket table.  Instead I got to see Musical: the Musical!  This play didn't live up to the hype for me.  There were solid performances turned in.  The direction, choreography and the air of spoofiness (that's a new word... it's mine!) were all good.  But, the script itself was predictable and easy.  Meaning:  I was ashamed of the audience laughing at some of the jokes.  They were ones that you could see coming miles away, and they weren't that funny to begin with.  I got the feeling that people had been told that they should enjoy this show and so they did so because of peer pressure.  The best thing I can say about this show is that it will clearly keep one of my favorite small theatres well funded for a while.  You should go out of your way to see plays by Urban Samurai any other time.  Producer Aaron Christopher is terrific, and director Mattew Greseth ranks highly on my list of directors whose work I'll go out of my way to see.  Their last show, American Apathy, was far better that this Fringe offering.

Rating:  d8 = Not Bad, Not Great

Ten Word Summary:  Muppets Take Manhattan did same spoof better 25 years ago.

Some closing thoughts...  There is a lot of hype surrounding the Fringe Festival.  It is now headed into its 16th year.  A lot has changed since I produced my first Fringe show back in 2000.  Back then Dean J. Seal was still in charge of the festival.  The internet wasn't a factor in promotion, the venues included a number of theatres that don't even exist any more, the festival hadn't yet reached its immense media presence and gargantuan size, and the cast of Audish was just learning to read!  In my time on the staff of the Fringe, as a reviewer of the Fringe, and an artist in the Fringe, I have come to love the changes that arrive each year and with each new Executive Director.  There is a perception that because the media presence is huge, that the organization must be, too.  It really isn't.  The small group of people who pull this thing off each year are an amazing assemblage of folks. 

I'm already looking forward to next year's festival.  I'm also looking forward to the sleep that I'll fit in between now and then.  The frenzy of Fringe is welcome once a year, but not that it is done... oh, sweet respite!

Finally, here's the links to my compiled lists of ...ratings ... and ... Ten Word Summaries!

Until next year!

Posted by Christopher O. Kidder at August 11, 2008 11:31 AM | Comments (1)

 

Over the Weekend: August 8-10, 2008

Filed under: Over the Weekend

First of all -- Isaac Hayes, rest in peace. Lots of bad stuff happened this weekend. Luckily, there was also plenty of sunshine and beer available for consumption.

"Let's have a moment of silence for Bernie Mack and Gene Hackman," announced Pizza Luce Block Party host Ian Rans before introducing one of the bands. Rans' inclusion of Gene Hackman (who is still very much alive, by the way -- unless news of his death has somehow stayed mysteriously clear of the internet) in his moment of silence plea sent a strange, rippling rumor throughout the block party about poor Gene Hackman.

I didn't catch all of the bands at the block party because I left midway through to catch Tim O'Reagan over at the Common Roots one-year celebration, but there were a few definite highlights--especially Millionth Word, who I hadn't seen before. I recognized many of the members of Millionth Word from other projects (Koalas, The Swiss Army) and really enjoyed their current formation. Rita Puskas swaggered about the stage smoking and drinking and occasionally singing and screaming into the mic, and guitarist Andrew Lund took on most of the main vocal duties, alternating between a yelp and a raspy yell. When the two sang together it gave their sound a nice Pixies-esque element, which was only reinforced by their tendency for loud-quiet-loud song structures.

Other highlights of the festival were the Evening Rig, who always provide a nice soundtrack for eating and drinking and gathering in crowds; Kill the Vultures, whose subtly textured spoken word/hip-hop made for a nice transition into the dark hours of the evening; and the Crossing Guards, led by Martin Devaney, who closed out the night with plenty of high leg kicks and beer guzzling. The Crossing Guards were also handing out free download cards for their new three-song EP, and you can listen to their new tracks for free on their MySpace page.

Posted by Andrea Myers at August 11, 2008 8:37 AM | Comments (0)

 

Fringe By Numbers, Day 11: The Beginning

Filed under: Fringe Festival

This is the final day of the 2008 Minnesota Fringe Festival.  It is time to catch the last few shows that you can fit in.

On the last day I throw out my dice.  When it comes down to it, my reviews at this point won't help or hurt any show, as they don't have any more performances.  So, I reward myself for a Fringe well-done by seeing shows according to my own choices.  Luckily for me the Fringe Festival also does this thing on the final day of giving the best selling show in each venue