Local Nightlife

Bee + beer = win

Filed under: Local Nightlife

As many people probably realize, having a beer and playing a video game can be a good time, but what about beer with old-fashioned games?

I'm talking about games that can be played without electricity, $50, or special controllers. No, I am not suggesting a game of drunken horseshoe or croquet, which seems like a recipe for a head injury. I’m talking about a boozy spelling bee. This Saturday, the northeast’s 331 Club will hold a spelling bee for adults, hosted by Heiruspecs member (and self-professed hula-hoop extraordinaire) D.J. Jarred. The spelling starts at 7 p.m., and is $8 to sign up, which is a deal because you get a drink for each round. However, you must advance to the next round in order to obtain that next drink. It might be a good idea to bust out that old Speak ‘n Spell and a six pack tonight. Training can only help, right?

Pre-register by email afteralljess@gmail.com or visit www.myspace.com/mplsdrunkenspellingbee

Posted by Jessica Armbruster at May 9, 2008 3:00 PM | Comments (0)

 

Art attacks the suburbs, making it cooler

One needs to look no further than the Norling Photos at the Minnesota Historical Society or the Worlds Away exhibit at the Walker to see that the suburbs can serve as a prolific creative muse. Those that venture out to the fair town of Roseville this Saturday night will be treated to a hip evening of culture when Grumpy’s (2801 Snelling Ave. N.) hosts “Art Attack on the Suburbs.”

A lot will be happening at this shindig, including a mural unveiling of two massive 18-foot tall stencil murals by John Grider, whose previous work includes a wide variety of rock show posters, as well as the Nomad World Pub mural pictured above. The subject of these dual pieces are described as the beer history of St. Paul and Minneapolis (Grain Belt will most likely be making an appearance in the Minneapolis mural). You can check out John Grider’s work here. Also on hand will be the super-popular artist, and Ox-Op Gallery regular, Shag. His playful and boldly-colored designs will be on display and on sale (in limited quantities). Check out his work here. Rounding out the night will be DJ host Lori Barbero of Babes in Toyland, and a screening of the HAZE-XXL and Dalek collaboration, Purge of Dissidents. Click here for more info on Purge. The event is free, and happens between the hours of 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.

Posted by Jessica Armbruster at March 29, 2008 6:06 AM | Comments (0)

 

Criminal Karaoke at Cop Bar?

Filed under: Local Nightlife

Corner bar owners who hoped the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers would use their lawyers to target only the bigger fish got a wake-up call yesterday. The ASCAP filed another suit against businesses where copyrighted music was performed without permission--aka, karaoke-ing without a license. Northeast Minneapolis tavern Scott's 1029 Bar was one of 22 establishments named in the complaint.

How did a random Nordeast cop bar make it into the national dragnet? Vincent Candilora from the ASCAP broke it down for me.

"We have licensing managers who work on teams. They go out, look for new establishments, and explain what we do." If the foot soldier can't convince a 90-person-capacity bar to cough up the $460.75 yearly license fee for performing the works of ASCAP artists, the bar could find the details of its next karaoke night commemorated in court documents.

For Scott's 1029 Bar, a well-loved refuge for Minneapolis' finest, that night came on September 6, 2007. The offending songs? "I Want to Know What Love Is," "Looking for Love" ... and "Runaway Train" by David Pirner (whose "Fuck you, man" to cops busting up a warehouse party was famously preserved on the Replacements EP Stink).

Messages left for the owners of the 1029 Bar, "A place to come have some fun, relax after work, get away from the kids, or just get drunk and be somebody!" were not returned.

Posted by Sarah Askari at March 25, 2008 11:28 AM | Comments (6)

 

Pack up all your crime and porn...

Filed under: Local Nightlife

Block E, 1973

When I was a kid, "Block E" in downtown Minneapolis was where the prostitutes were. It was where the porn was. The cheap drinks too. It was everything city officials didn't want downtown Minneapolis to be. So they destroyed it. And when they destroyed it, the story goes, they sang a song. It went like this:

Pack up all your crime and porn, Block or scorn, be reborn, Bye bye Block E

No one here can stop and aggravate us, No more hard-luck stories will deflate us, Say goodbye to urban blight, Now we'll light up the night, Bye bye Block E.

People don't sing about Minneapolis that much. Okay, Craig Finn sings about Minneapolis a lot. But that's just one guy. Slug has a song about Minneapolis - but it's kind of trite.

You know who kind of nailed it? Tom Waits.

Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis is not about Minneapolis. Not exactly. But whenever I hear the song it's like he's singing to me from the burnt-brown corner of a Block E bar. And he's created a museum in his song of the "hard-luck stories" city officials sang about as they destroyed the block's undesirable establishments.

Block E looks like Houston now: a Hard Rock Cafe, a Gameworks, a multiplex. But Waits, it seems, sings his song from a place that for all I know still exists beneath all the neon and glass.

Here he is...

Posted by Jeff Severns Guntzel at March 21, 2008 9:57 AM | Comments (8)

 

This is What a Dan Deacon Show Looks Like

Filed under: Music , Music

Dan Deacon was at First Avenue last night. Trying to explain Deacon is a futile exercise. And listening to Deacon isn't enough. You have to show him. This is what a Dan Deacon show (at First Avenue) looks like...

And if had been warmer, it would have looked something like this:

To review:

Photo from the Flickr page of user Never To Cool For School. More about this photo here.

Posted by Jeff Severns Guntzel at January 25, 2008 8:26 AM | Comments (0)

 

It's Minnesota Beer Time!

Filed under: Food , Food , Food , Food , Food

It's no shocker that the Midwest, often referred to as the Grain Belt, makes great beer. And though lately Minnesota has experienced a beer renaissance of sorts with brands such as Surly and Summit, as well as notable brewpubs like Town Hall, Minnesotans have been producing beer as far back as colonization. Doug Hoverson, a beer judge, teacher, and drink enthusiast, has meticulously reconstructed the history of Minnesota beer, from homebrews to Hamms to the present, in Amber Water: The History of Brewing in Minnesota. He took a moment in his busy schedule to chat with City Pages.

CP: What originally peaked your interest in Minnesota beer and its history?

DH: When I was at college I had some friends that got me interested in beer other than the readily available, heavily advertised, light beers, and when I came back to Minnesota it was just as Summit and James Page was starting to bring out their new beers. From there I started experimenting with different types of beers to see what was out there. I didn’t really have the idea for writing a book for another 10 years— I was looking at some old newspapers from Morehead back in the 1880s to for a paper I was writing on the Northern Pacific Railroad, and I came across some ads from old breweries I had never heard of. At that point I started to look around to see if there was a book on MN breweries There wasn’t. I thought it might be a fun book to write so I got started.

CP: I see that you’re a beer judge. How does one become an expert in the subject? What are some of things you look for during competition?

DH: The process for training is basically, local homebrew clubs put on a 40-hour class usually 3 hours a night over 12 to13 weeks. At the end you take a three, three and a half, hour and a half test where you describe beer styles, write sample ballots on mystery beers, and describe the brewing process. It’s a fairly tough test. You have to know a lot of trivia about types of ingredients and particular styles. Judging it, it’s really more like a dog show than anything else— it might be the cutest dog ever, but if it doesn’t look like what that particular type of dog is supposed to look like, it can’t win. With beer it’s the same thing—it might be your absolute favorite beer, but if they’re claiming it’s a pilsner, and it doesn’t have the right characteristics, it’s not a winner.

CP: Have you found you have a greater understanding and appreciation of chemistry through your beer research?

DH: Definitely! When I was working on the book, as well as training to be a beer judge, I had to learn things about amino acids and temperatures of reactions—things that I paid no attention to when I was doing chemistry in high school and college.

CP: What are some common misperceptions about beer—be it historical inaccuracies, or just general beer misperceptions that irk you?

DH: One of theories that comes up is what exactly bock beer is. There seems to be a perception that bock beer, because it’s much darker, is whatever is left in the tank at the end of the year, and they scrape that out and turn it into bock. There’s never anything left in the tank at the end of the brewing cycle, it’s absolutely clean afterwards. Bock is simply made stronger, with a darker grain mix. It would be like saying you made a pot of tea, and whatever you scrape at the bottom is coffee— you have to make coffee, and bock is an intentional product.

CP: It’s curious that the beverage industry often reflects trends in society more so than many other products. Why do you think that is?

DH: Beer is ultimately a luxury product. I think because of that it is more sensitive to trends. You don’t have to have it, so you’re going to choose it for enjoyment and the types of things that cause enjoyment change with the culture. There’s a big move with organic beers for example, because that has become important to people. For some, being accepted by a big group is what’s important, so Miller Lite, Bud Lite, and Coors is what you are looking for in a luxury product.

CP: It sometimes seems like we are moving away from local and independent businesses—bookstores being an obvious example. Yet the exact opposite seems to be happening with beers—Surly, for one, has become quite a local superstar.

DH: I think one difference, especially in the case of bookstores or small independent newspapers, is that it's hard to enjoy beer over the internet. There's something about the place where you're enjoying the beer. A lot of the enjoyment is the setting. One of the reasons Coors was so popular in Minnesota in the '70s, and Fat Tire is so popular now, is that it's a beer that people had out West on vacation, and so it has a good association.

CP: Are there any recent local beer developments that have you excited?

DH: Surly brewing is one that has to be mentioned. They’re products are always creative. I think it’s interesting that they decided to start canning instead of bottling. That way, it also finds a different customer group—people that play ultimate Frisbee or take it to the beach— the outdoorsy set The scene around the Twin Cities is quite active with Surly, Flat Earth, and the old standbys. There’s a lot of good beer being made—raising the standards so hopefully we can get away from people having to have 12 Miller Lites to have a good time, how about 3 or 4 nice beers. We’re not quite Milwaukee or Denver, bu we do have a lot of good people. It seems like all of the brewers really get along. There’s competitiveness at tasting events and festivals, but they’re all friendly and complimenting each other.

CP: I’ve noticed a certain stigma amongst beer snobs with canned beer…

DH: Which is another misconception. Let’s face it—the inside of a keg is an aluminum can. Most of the negative association comes from that when people drink straiggt from the can, they can taste whatever was on the top of the can. Plus, the beer hasn’t had a chance to get rid of the excess carbon dioxide from being poured into a glass.

CP: Amber Waters lays out a timeline of beer brewing and consumption in Minnesota that actually predates Minnesota as a state. What were some of the methods you used to reconstruct this history?

DH: There were a fair number of limitations because a number of the documents from the time are long gone. Sometimes I knew a brewery was in a town before the town had a newspaper, sometimes I would discover just by luck that someone else had recorded it and that info made it into a history book. Sometimes I would find references in family histories to someone starting a brewery. A lot of the earliest material was really tough to find. Once we're into the 1850s, almost every town had a newspaper, and at that point I could track info on a much more reliable basis. By 1862, the excise taxes were collected by the federal government, so I had incredible details on who brewed how much and when because the government needed their money.

CP: What are some of the more interesting examples of breweriana you came across in your research?

DH: I hadn’t realized that some of the first beer had been packaged in stoneware bottles. There were a number of early brewerina (items produced with beer logos on it)— and really early, it’s few and far between, but by the 1880s, breweries were buying taverns and stocking them with extremely fancy signs, and furniture with the logo on it.

CP: Do you keep a hefty collection yourself? I noticed that a lot of the pictures in the book are credited to your collection.

DH: Not particularly. Most of my stuff is fairly cheap. I collected mostly because I knew I would need them for the book.

CP: Do you anticipate another bust in small, local breweries in the future? Do you view the new era of microbreweries and smaller brewers as a progressive success, or is the industry cyclical?

DH: In this particular case, if there's a bust it will be a long ways away. There was a little bit of a shake-out in the craft breweries in the mid-1990s, but there weren't too many Minnesota breweries affected by it since there weren't too many at the time. Minnesota breweries have been creative and smart about making sure that they aren't duplicating each other's product. Schell is famous for their pilsners, wheat beer, and Octoberfest. Summit is more famous for their pale ale and porter. Surly makes beers that defy style guidelines.

CP: What do you think have been the strengths and weaknesses of MN beers, both past and present?

DH: Well, I think the brewers that function in Minnesota are as good as any in the country. We have some really top-notch people doing really creative work. One of the limitations of Minnesota brewing is that some of the laws are more restrictive than in other states. So, some people interested in starting a brewery somewhere might not pick Minnesota because of the tangled laws that they have top cut through, and there are a few that were interested in Minnesota, and they just discovered that Wisconsin was easier to deal with.

CP: Any tips for people interested in getting into homebrew?

DH: The best tip would be to check in with people at homebrew stores, and join a club. We have an upcoming event—on Saturday November 3, a bunch of homebrew clubs will be meeting outside at Barley John’s Brewpub in New Brighton. We’ll be encouraging anyone interested to watch ask questions and watch a series of batches being brewed.

Come see Doug discuss all things beer in Minnesota at several lectures through the city, including one at the Summit Brewing Company (be sure to get there early). Free. 7:00 p.m. 910 Montreal Cir., St. Paul, 651.265.7800. Also 5:00 p.m. Sunday at Magers & Quinn Booksellers (3038 Hennepin Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612.822.4611). Check out calendar for other related readings and talks.

Posted by Jessica Armbruster at October 25, 2007 1:08 PM | Comments (0)

 

Uptown Karaoke King Tom Wheaton

Filed under: Local Nightlife

It might be difficult to imagine that a VFW could be an Uptown hotspot. But then again, if Uptown can make the outside of Rainbow Foods look mildly artsy, why not? Every Thursday through Saturday night, husband and wife team Tom and Judy Wheaton host TNT Karaoke until the wee hour of 1:30 am. Recent hit performances included a pitch-perfect rendition of Frank Sinatra's "My Way," as well as the standard drunken rendition of the Animals' "House of the Rising Sun." Drinks are usually pretty cheap—you'd be hard pressed to find something over $4 (specials go as low as $1.50), so if you need a glass of liquid courage before belting out Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" it won't break your budget. City Pages took a moment to speak to co-host Tom Wheaton.

City Pages: Is there a song that you recommend for beginners?

Tom Wheaton: Well for the ladies I would suggest a Patsy Cline song like "Crazy" since most people know that song and the lyrics. For the men, I would say Roger Miller's "King of the Road"—that was the first song I ever sang for karaoke.

CP: Are there any songs that you feel are the most abused?

TW: Yes—Meat Loaf's "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" is definitely one. The kids screw up the B52s' "Love Shack" a lot.

CP: Are there any good songs you just can't listen to anymore?

TW: Basically no, I appreciate everyone that sings and I give all the credit in the world to people for trying. Although, Motörhead's "Ace of Spades" sometimes makes me cringe.

CP: Are there any undiscovered gems that are karaoke-friendly?

TW: I do a lot of those because I try to sing songs that others don't pick—my favorite would be "The Last Farewell," it's my favorite Roger Whittaker song.

CP: Any tips for beginners?

TW: If you're scared, the thing to do is get up with a group. Two to four people—you need to get used to performing.

Tom and his wife Judy also do karaoke at Mancini's and the VFW in Richfield, but the Lyndale VFW is highly recommended. Be sure to get there early—the line to perform forms quickly. 21+. Free. 9:00 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. James Ballentine VFW Post 246, 2916 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612.823.6233.

Posted by Jessica Armbruster at July 6, 2007 3:58 PM | Comments (3)

 

F*ck the Police: 3 Minute Hero reunites!

Filed under: Local Nightlife

After a seven-year absence, skankin' rockers 3 Minute Hero are reuniting for a couple of shows in Minneapolis this weekend. (Dear readers in St. Peter, MN, can catch a preview tonight at Patrick's on 3rd.) Formed in Fargo in 1995, the eight-piece band was a popular fixture on the Minneapolis scene, releasing three CDs before folding in 2000. 3 Minute Hero's chanteur, the Reverend Colonel J.R. Nelson, tells City Pages all the major players are going be back, including current members of Go Jimmy Go, Rasputina, and the Secondhand Ska Kings. Show highlights will include the opening of a 1997 time capsule, and we can only hope, a rousing rendition of their smash hit "We're So Happy! (We're Going to Pee in Your Pants!)" 3 Minute Hero will be playing Bunkers on Friday, June 8, and the Fine Line Music Café on Saturday, June 9.

Posted by Corey Anderson at June 7, 2007 11:01 AM | Comments (1)

 

Guys like Andy Friedman don't get grants

Filed under: Local Nightlife

Andy Friedman & the Other Failures / 331 Club / April 28, 2007

Like spurs on boots, or bacon in beans, Andy Friedman and Minneapolis just belong together. It all started a few years ago when Friedman quit his job at the New Yorker (he was an illustrator), packed his bags, and drove straight here to meet Spider John Koerner, the legendary West Banker and something of a musical godfather to the young Brooklyner. The two played together that night at the Open Book; it was Friedman's first time on stage. Now he just can't stay away. This time around, he brought some of his friends from New York's western-revival scene, the Two-Man Gentleman Band and the Defibulators.

We rolled into the 331 just in time to miss the Gentleman Band, which was a bummer. If their merch table was any indication, they were rootin'-tootin'.

The Defibulators looked right at home on that little 331 stage. Sporting dual washboards, some wicked old-timey tunes, and a Paul Bunyan-looking dude just blazing on the fiddle, they whipped the place into a plaid-and-denim frenzy.

Afterward, they remained on stage, subbing for Andy Friedman's regular Other Failures.

Friedman's lyrics tend toward a sort of hobo fatalism, which suits his troubadour styling. You need a keen sense of your own mortality to play these timeless old-time songs. "I don't want to die like Andy Kaufman," he says at one point. "I understand why Van Gogh took off his ear. I understand why William Blake went mad." The highlight tonight came when he channeled his inner Woody Guthrie on "Talking Blues, from Brooklyn to Minneapolis." During one of the song's extended spoken-word verses, Friedman yelled at a woman in front of the stage to keep dancing while he described his favorite gravestone inscription:

"I was what you are.

"I am what you will b-b-b-b-b-b-b-be!"

"Are y'all ready for a waltz?" Friedman shouts, before breaking into "Guys Like Me Don't Get Grants." It's a beer-cups-in-the-air tune bemoaning the lack of funding for visual artists. Not exactly the kind of stuff Woody would have sung about, but Friedman's an illustrator by trade, so at least his scruffy howls are real.

The crowd, by the way, was definitely ready for a waltz.

"Spider John Koerner changed my life one night in Minneapolis," Andy tells me after he climbs off the tiny stage. "I was watching him at the 400 Bar, and everyone was talking. I couldn't believe it. Then [400 Bar owner] Tom Sullivan says, 'Are you crazy? Spider John's a roadhouse bluesman! He doesn't give a shit if people are talking while he plays. He wants people to talk!' Seriously, that changed my life."

Andy didn't change anyone's life tonight, but the place did get a little rowdy, no one was quiet while he played, and we more or less had a hell of a time. Didn't we?

Yes, we did.

Posted by Chuck Terhark at April 30, 2007 9:50 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)

 

18th Annual Ruth Adams "Not Such As A Surprise" Birthday Party March 3rd

Filed under: Local Nightlife

A fixture at Nye's Bar & Polonaise Room since accordionists first walked upright, Ruth Adams, leader of the World's Most Dangerous Polka Band, will be feted Saturday, March 3, 8:30 to close. Ruth is a bit under the weather, so the party has been postponed from tomorrow night. Put on your favorite Hawaiian shirt and join in toasting and singing "Happy Birthday" to the one and only Ruth Adams next weekend at Esquire's Best Bar in America.

Posted by Corey Anderson at February 23, 2007 9:23 AM | Comments (0)

 

City Planner: Monday 12/18

Filed under: Local Nightlife

In Flames @ First Avenue

From today's A-List: "These four heavy acts span both the globe and metal's stylistic spectrum; not sure how they ended up together, but each is worth checking out. Headliners In Flames are heavyweights in Sweden's Gothenburg scene, which means they thrash with sensitivity and tune. Alongside At the Gates, they've influenced every young metalcore band ever. Italy's Lacuna Coil were doing the melodic female-fronted goth-metal thing long before Evanescence. Their latest, Karmacode, isn't as good as Amy Lee's new one, but it does feature a deliciously gloomy cover of Depeche Mode's "Enjoy the Silence." The Sword, from Austin, churn out hipster-approved, Sabbath-indebted sludge that manages to swing every once in a while. And similarly sludgy Seamless are fronted by Jesse Leach, who used to play in Killswitch Engage."

All ages. $21/$25 at the door. 5:00 p.m.

Elsewhere

Roe Family Singers @ 331
Bizarre @ Station 4

Check out the A-List.

Posted by Chuck Terhark at December 18, 2006 12:00 AM | Comments (0)

 

City Planner: Weekend Edition (12/16-17)

Filed under: Local Nightlife

Mr. Dibbs & DJ Abilities @ Triple Rock

From Saturday's A-List: "Dibbs: Cincy native, occasional Atmosphere DJ, metal as fuck, recruited by El-P to provide scratches on his upcoming album I'll Sleep When You're Dead, co-founder of the annual hip-hop geek-fest Scribble Jam, and owner of the most vicious goatee to ever hover over the wheels of steel. Abilities: Reps Minneapolis, regional champ at the DMC DJ battle contest in '99 and '01, turntablist half of local super-scientific battle-rap monster Eyedea & Abilities, recruited by El-P to provide scratches on his last album, Fantastic Damage, mixtape fiend, and possibly a ninja. Both DJs on the same bill: Batten down the hatches, for the love of God."

With Jimmy2Times & Plain Ole Bill and Espada & DJ Mike the 2600 King. 21+. $10/$12 at the door. 9:00 p.m.

Elsewhere

Saturday

Shadow Cabaret @ Patrick's Cabaret
Melvin Taylor @ Famous Dave's
Bee Gee's Tribute @ Turf Club
Robert Robinson @ Benson Great Hall
Robin and Linda Williams @ the Fitz
Three Days Grace @ Myth
Irv Williams @ AQ
Doomtree Blowout Jr. @ Triple Rock
JoAnna James @ 400 Bar
Scream Club @ Big V's
The Brass Kings @ 331

Sunday

Allen Toussaint @ Dakota
Fuck Party @ 7th St.
Disney on Ice @ Xcel

Go to the A-List!

Posted by Chuck Terhark at December 16, 2006 12:00 AM | Comments (0)

 

City Planner: Friday 12/15

Filed under: Local Nightlife

Imogen Heap @ First Avenue

From today's A-List: "Something of a P.J. Harvey for the PG-13 set, Imogen Heap is a British beauty who first made stateside waves as half of the electro-folk duo Frou Frou (Americans will recognize "Let Go," their contribution to the Garden State soundtrack). The other half of that group was Madonna producer Guy Sigsworth, and popular perception held him responsible for Frou Frou's luscious sound while disregarding Heap as simply the pretty singer. Her bitter response was 2005's Speak for Yourself, an entirely self-produced, self-released affair that contained the single "Hide and Seek," easily the best a cappella radio hit since Shai's "If I Ever Fall in Love." She returns to the Twin Cities in support of her re-released debut, 1999's I Megaphone, which serves as proof that she's as adept with a grand piano as she is with Pro-Tools. Opening is loopy San Francisco beat-boxer Kid Beyond, who sounds like he's got a 12-piece orchestra and a couple of turntables inside his skull."

18+. $20. 7:00 p.m.

Elsewhere

Jessy Greene (CD release) @ Triple Rock
Cowboy Curtis @ Turf Club
Dakota Dave Hull @ the Cedar
Trashy Little Christmas @ Lee's
Dance Band @ 7th St.
Quarter Acre Lifestyle @ BLB

Go to the A-List.

Posted by Chuck Terhark at December 15, 2006 6:45 AM | Comments (1)

 

City Planner: Thursday 12/14

Filed under: Local Nightlife

Gogol Bordello @ First Avenue

From today's A-List: "'Gypsy punk' is an evocative distillation of Gogol Bordello's aesthetic, but it's also just the tip of the iceberg. When frontman Eugene Hutz left the Chernobyl-damaged Ukraine in the '80s to make his way to Brooklyn, he picked up along the way an impressive repertoire of cross-cultural styles and a busload of musicians who shared his passion for Romany-rooted, international-minded wedding band/performance group/wild-ass party music. Though Hutz has a singing voice somewhat reminiscent of an Eastern-European Joe Strummer, the typical Gogol Bordello record makes Sandinista! sound downright provincial. Their live shows are lunatic spectacles of debauchery that resemble an Iggy Pop show done in immigrant vaudeville style."

With Valient Thorr and Dan Sartain. All ages. $15/$16 at the door. 6:00 p.m.

Elsewhere

DJ Lady Miss Kier @ Foundation
Koerner & Glover @ 400 Bar
Lura @ the Cedar

More at the A-List.

Posted by Chuck Terhark at December 14, 2006 6:32 AM | Comments (0)

 

City Planner: Tuesday

Filed under: Local Nightlife

El Vez @ First Avenue

From today's A-List: "Visually, 'Mexican Elvis' is the Clash and Public Enemy re-imagined as a Zapatista Las Vegas revue, complete with pompadour, pencil 'stache, and female dancers. Musically, he's the P.D.Q. Bach of rock 'n' roll. His sonic and political jokes are so fast and rich, they're a pop-culture nut's dream: One medley from a previous 'Mex-Mas' tour quoted Jimi Hendrix's 'Fire,' Elvis's 'Burning Love,' the Doors' 'Light My Fire,'and the Trammps' 'Disco Inferno' within seconds--a live mash-up that would fall flat if his band weren't so good. Expect a Santa outfit among the numerous costume changes."

With Human Hands. 18+. $10/$12 at the door. 7:00 p.m.

Elsewhere

Benefit for Crazy Amy @ Foundation
Cafe Scientifique @ Varsity

Go to the A-List.

Posted by Chuck Terhark at December 12, 2006 6:09 AM | Comments (0)

 

City Planner: Monday 12/11

Filed under: Local Nightlife

Sean Lennon @ First Avenue

From today's A-List: "Friendly Fire, the new sophomore disc from John Lennon's youngest son, should prove to those who doubted the twentysomething charms of his 1998 debut that Sean inherited more than his dad's fortune. A self-consciously mature step away from the debut's haphazard salad-bowl vibe, Friendly Fire shows off Lennon's songwriting chops with dreamy folk-pop tunes that utilize plenty of studio-nerd texture. But they're really about handsome melodies and heartfelt words; the CD feels timeless and familiar in a way any Beatles fan can recognize. Opener Jim Noir, from the north of England, plays homemade orchestral pop without the aid of an actual orchestra."

18+. $15. 8:00 p.m.

Elsewhere

Jeremy Enigk @ Varsity
Jingle Ball @ Myth
Ann Hampton Callaway @ Dakota
Hoobastank @ Fine Line

These events and more at the A-List.

Posted by Chuck Terhark at December 11, 2006 12:00 AM | Comments (0)

 

City Planner: Weekend Edition (12/9-10)

Filed under: Local Nightlife

Root for Earl @ Station 4

From Saturday's A-List: "Earl Root is the patriarch of the Twin Cities metal scene. For two decades, he has hosted Root of All Evil, a Sunday-morning metal marathon that runs from 1:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m on KFAI-FM (90.3 Minneapolis, 106.7 St. Paul). In addition, he was the proprietor of Root Cellar Records in St. Paul until it closed up shop in 2004. Root's also played in numerous tinnitus-inducing bands over the years, including Disturbed, Aesma Daeva, and God-Awful. What's more, despite his affinity for songs about Satan worship and vegetable masturbation, he's a really nice guy. Lesser known is the fact that the metal maestro has been sick from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma for five years. Recently Root's health has taken a turn for the worse, necessitating additional treatment and undoubtedly resulting in astronomical medical bills. This benefit will, of course, feature numerous metal bands, including Impaler, Sirens of Titan, and Vicious Violet."

21+. $10. 3:00 p.m. Donations are also being taken here.

Elsewhere

Saturday

Atlantic Starr @ Trocaderos
Blueground Undergrass @ Cabooze
Hubert Sumlin @ Famous Dave's
Low/Fog @ First Avenue
Bridge Club @ Hexagon
Mason Jennings @ 400 Bar
Otep @ 7th St.
The Hidden Cameras @ Triple Rock
Winter Blanket @ Turf Club
Hopefuls @ Nomad
Trashy Little Christmas @ Lee's

Sunday

'For New Orleans' release party @ Kitty Cat Klub
Rock the Cradle @ C.T.C.

Go to the A-List.

Posted by Chuck Terhark at December 9, 2006 12:00 AM | Comments (0)

 

City Planner: Friday 12/08

Filed under: Local Nightlife

Shadow Cabaret @ Patrick's Cabaret

From today's A-List: "'What you are seeing here are the crippled products of madness, impertinence, and lack of talent,' declared Adolf Ziegler, president of the Reich Culture Chamber, of 'Entartete Kunst' (translation: 'degenerate art'), the 1937 Munich exhibition meant to exemplify works unbefitting of Nazi Germany. Shudder to think what Ziegler would have thought of 'The Shadow Cabaret,' in which artist provocateur Patrick Scully and friends reprise the cabaret scene that existed before the nasty deterioration of German society. The show features dancers, musicians, and performance artists tangled in a web of past, present, and future reflections on art and politics. Scully, who has lived in Berlin, tells stories of his experiences there, while dancer Kats Fukasawa confounds gender and transcends cultural identity, and Laurie van Wieren explores such characters as the notorious Anita Berber, known in Weimar Berlin as the Priestess of Depravity. Transgender artist Venus and transgenre music groups Brass Messengers and Dreamland Faces round out this transgressive alt-holiday event."

$8. 8:00 p.m.

Elsewhere

Anita Baker @ Orpheum
God Damn Doo Wop Band @ Hexagon
Byther Smith @ Famous Dave's
Joanna Newsom @ 400 Bar
John Lennon Tribune @ First Ave.
The Who @ Xcel
Blueworm Records showcase @ 7th St.

Go to the A-List.

Posted by Chuck Terhark at December 8, 2006 12:00 AM | Comments (0)

 

City Planner: Thursday 12/07

Filed under: Local Nightlife

The Ex @ Triple Rock

From today's A-List: "Tear up that bus ticket, put the kibosh on that 'sick' call to work, and cancel all other plans to ditch out to New York or Chicago or who-knows-where: The Ex are finally playing Minneapolis for the first time in their 27-year history. This band of Dutch anarchists has made a career of mixing angular post-punk and calculatedly stumbling polyrhythm with poetic, political lyrics, and they've made it sound as natural and essential as drinking a glass of water. The band's artistic openness is, for lack of a better word, democratic--collaborators include members of ICP Orchestra, Tortoise, Sonic Youth, the late cellist Tom Cora, and lately Ethiopian saxophone legend Getatchew Mekuria--and it's born out of a desire to see, understand, and comprehend this nutzoid ball of rock rather than to expand their renown. Do not miss this. At frickin' last."

With DJ/rupture, STNNNG, and the Agenda. 18+. $10. 9:00 p.m.

Elsewhere

Menstrual Tramps @ 7th St.
Medeski et al @ First Avenue
Aerosmith/Motley Crue @ Target Center

This and more at the A-List.

Posted by Chuck Terhark at December 7, 2006 12:00 AM | Comments (0)

 

City Planner: Wednesday 12/06

Filed under: Local Nightlife

Les Georges Leningrad @ 7th St. Entry

From today's A-List: "When Canada's government voted last week to recognize the separate nationhood of Quebec on the basis of its unique culture and French heritage, the members of Parliament probably didn't have Montreal's Les Georges Leningrad in mind. But they should have. This cheeky synth-noise trio has all the bombast, visual splendor, clownish spirit, and (ah, hell) "uniqueness" of a Cirque du Soleil troupe, without any of the precious Euro-schmaltz. Plus, as with their aesthetic forebears Erase Errata, you can dance to LGL. Their third and latest release, Sangue Puro (on the German experimental label Tomlab), is less weird but more ambitious than anything they've done yet. Here's to making "Mammal Beats" the new Quebecois national anthem."

With circuit-bending wizards Beatrix*Jar. 21+. $7. 8:00 p.m.

Elsewhere

Forward Russia @ Triple Rock
Gov't Mule @ O'Shaughnessy
Senses Fail @ First Ave
Level_13 @ Q.arma Building
Kevin Kling @ Guthrie

Go to the A-List.

Posted by Chuck Terhark at December 6, 2006 12:00 AM | Comments (0)

 

City Planner: Tuesday 12/5

Filed under: Local Nightlife

The Lemonheads @ 400 Bar

From today's A-List: "When I showed up at Evan Dando's lower-Manhattan apartment building a few months ago for a chat about the new Lemonheads disc, the doorman at the front desk informed me that Mr. Dando was running late but that he was expected back any minute now. "Mr. Dando"--I got quite a kick out of that, as I presume Dando himself would, considering his long history as a scrappy Boston punk with a knack for writing songs about the eternal joys of getting wasted. The Lemonheads, which Dando recorded earlier this year with two members of the Descendents, doesn't sound like a Mr. Dando record. It's fast and loud and catchy, more like the early Lemonheads stuff than the jangly folk-pop hits that made Dando a darling of the 120 Minutes set."

With VietNam and Hymns. $18/$20 at the door. 21+. 8:00 p.m.

Elsewhere

Mark Yost @ Magers & Quinn
Javier Trejo @ Terminal Bar
The Darkos @ Turf Club

More at the A-List. Go there now!

Posted by Chuck Terhark at December 5, 2006 5:58 AM | Comments (0)

 

City Planner: Monday 12/4

Filed under: Local Nightlife

Blind Boys of Alabama @ Guthrie

From today's A-List: "The Blind Boys were supposed to give the final musical performance at the old Guthrie last March, but bad weather scuttled the gig. Now they're back at the new joint with a holiday show based on their 2003 Christmas album Go Tell It on the Mountain, a genuine charmer that matched the Boys' classic gospel harmonies with a slew of higher-profile musical guests. It's a strategy they've used effectively since hooking up with Peter Gabriel's record label Real World about five years ago, but it's been hardly necessary. Sixty-five years (!) into their career, the Boys--still led by founding members Clarence Fountain and Jimmy Carter--easily conjure spirit so ferocious and harmonies so rich they would inspire even the meanest humbugger to mend his ways. Or at least quit the Bush administration."

$36. 7:30 p.m.

Elsewhere

+44 @ First Avenue

Go to the A-List.

Posted by Chuck Terhark at December 4, 2006 12:00 AM | Comments (0)

 

City Planner: Weekend Edition (12/2-3)

Filed under: Local Nightlife

Doomtree Blowout @ First Avenue

From Saturday's A-List: ""I think if you're not angry at something, living in America right now, then you're not paying enough attention," said Doomtree's Dessa in City Pages last year, and more than swing voters seem to have come around to that viewpoint. Once a cottage industry of home-burned EPs and punk-friendly local shows, the Doomtree hip-hop collective now looms as a national subculture, with P.O.S. putting forward underground rap's best new pierced face--giggling, radicalized, hungry for the next adventurous beat. The other dozen-odd Doomtreers--including MCs Mike Mictlan, Sims, and Cecil Otter--each put their distinct stamps on this sensibility, and watching the personalities in collaborative flux is a treat live. With forthcoming albums galore, much of tonight's music will be new, with the added bonus of a fleet of breakdancers, happening-like visuals and decor, surprise guests (friends in Rhymesayers?), and a charitable cause, with 10 percent of proceeds going to People Serving People, one of the largest providers of emergency housing in Minnesota."

Saturday. 18+. $10/$12 at the door. 8:00 p.m.

Elsewhere

Saturday

Guns n' Roses @ Target Center
Create, Destroy, Repeat @ Rosalux
British TV Ad Awards @ Walker
Annual Art Sale @ MCAD
Dosh @ Turf Club
Hockey Night @ Whole
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes @ Triple Rock
Michael W. Smith @ Xcel
Ouija Radio @ Uptown Bar

Sunday

James Sewell Ballet (closing) @ the Ritz
T.I. @ Target Center
subdudes @ Fine Line
Bodyworlds (closing) @ Science Museum
45th Annual Indoor Marching Band Concert @ Northrop
Jordis @ Rossi's
Roma di Luna @ 331

Head on over to the A-List.

Posted by Chuck Terhark at December 2, 2006 12:00 AM | Comments (0)

 

City Planner: Friday 12/1

Filed under: Local Nightlife

Twisted Sister @ Myth

From today's A-List: "One of the most satisfying MTV moments ever occurs during the video for Twisted Sister's 'We're Not Gonna Take It.' You know, when the guitar-slinging son growls, 'I wanna rock,' and blasts his ex-military dad out the window. Because of that rock classic, and because lead singer Dee Snider also turned out to be an able radio jock, Twisted Sister have retained a grudging respect while other hair metal bands of the '80s decayed into a joke. Question: Can Twisted Sister's integrity survive a tour in support of their latest release? How about if that release is titled A Twisted Christmas? That depends on your desire to see silly interpretations of classic holiday carols by an aging metal band."

With Avian. All ages. $40/$50. 5:00 p.m.

Elsewhere

Concert for Kateri @ the Cedar
The Roches @ the Fitz
Whisper in the Noise @ 7th St.
The Pines @ 400
Student Art Sale @ MCAD

This and more at the A-List.

Posted by Chuck Terhark at December 1, 2006 12:00 AM | Comments (0)

 

City Planner: Thursday 11/30

Filed under: Local Nightlife

DeVotchKa @ First Avenue
Photo by Michael Calanan

From today's A-List: "Boulder, Colorado's DeVotchKa could be from anywhere in the world that has a folk music amenable to accordions, strings, and brass. Which is to say, Mexico, Slovakia, Russia, France, Italy--anywhere but Boulder, Colorado. A smart quartet with a taste for tinkering (their tour bus also fits a sousaphone and a theremin), DeVotchKa are too tasteful to let the musicology get in the way of the music. Their mini-smash, 2004's How It Ends, proves that whether you're blazing through a mariachi chart or channeling a band of gypsies, a tune is a tune is a tune, and through the velvety veil of singer Nick Urata's baritone, that tune's a damn good one. It's the perfect soundtrack to red wine nights, Parisian days, Day of the Dead parades, and, it turns out, movies (they and shoegazer heartthrob Sufjan Stevens scored the bulk of Little Miss Sunshine). On DeVotchKa's new EP, Curse Your Little Heart, their antique sound breathes new life into old songs, including the Velvets' 'Venus in Furs' and Siouxsie and the Banshees' 'The Last Beat of My Heart.'"

With My Brightest Diamond. 18+. $13/$15 at the door. 6:00 p.m.

Elsewhere

Making Music: Ant @ the Whole

Go to the A-List now!

Posted by Chuck Terhark at November 30, 2006 6:31 AM | Comments (0)

 

City Planner: Wednesday 11/29

Filed under: Local Nightlife

The Black Keys @ First Avenue

From today's A-List: "Blues-punk purists fearing a defanged Black Keys on Magic Potion--the Akron guitar-and-drums duo's debut for the fancy-pants grown-up label Nonesuch--needn't have worried. Potion kicks just as much shit as any of the records the Keys made before they started rubbing elbows with Randy Newman and the Kronos Quartet. Which is to say that they still sound like two homeless guys playing Led Zeppelin in a subway station. Philadelphia-based openers Dr. Dog have a seemingly endless supply of sunny jangle-pop gems. Expect them to preview a handful from next year's We All Belong."

18+. $15. 8:00 p.m.

Elsewhere

Wax on Radio @ Triple Rock
Back-Up Plomo @ Blue Nile
Transmission @ the Hex

Go to the A-List.

Posted by Chuck Terhark at November 29, 2006 12:00 AM | Comments (0)

 

City Planner: Tuesday 11/28

Filed under: Local Nightlife

Bob Seger @ Xcel

From today's A-List: "More than a decade after disappearing down on Main Street--reportedly to concentrate on the consequences of his night moves (raise kids, that is)--Bob Seger is back with a solid new album. Proving rock 'n' roll never forgets, Seger, at 61, is still the same Midwestern working-class rocker at heart, juggling hard-driving anthems and epic ballads delivered with undiminished intensity. If anything, the songs on Face the Promise (Capitol) are several cuts above the tepid stuff he was putting out before his hiatus. Recorded mainly with Nashville studio vets (with cameo vocal appearances by Kid Rock and Patty Loveless), Promise is surprisingly lean and mean, especially on the Stones-like rouser "Wreck This Heart." Seger also hits hard at topical/political themes, like a rock--er, Iraq--and runaway consumerism. Expect the hit parade amid evidence that Seger's fire down below still burns."

$60. 6:30 p.m.

Elsewhere

Paquito D'Rivera @ Dakota
Fear Factory @ the Rock
Kottonmouth Kings @ First Avenue

Posted by Chuck Terhark at November 28, 2006 12:00 AM | Comments (0)

 

City Planner: Monday 11/27

Filed under: Local Nightlife

Paquito D'Rivera @ Dakota

From today's A-List: "Paquito D'Rivera was the fiery saxophonist in Irakere, the phenomenal big band that reanimated the bond between bebop and Afro-Cuban music in the 1980s (other members included Chucho Valdes and Arturo Sandoval). An anti-Castro immigrant from Havana, his stateside career has been a piquant mix of jazz, classical, and Latin flavors in both large- and small-ensemble configurations. Like Dizzy Gillespie, D'Rivera enjoys careening momentum with lots of brio, but also has a less heralded quiet side. Alongside trumpeter Diego Urcola, his alto saxophone and clarinet galvanize the room with their mix of beauty and excitement. The rhythm section of drummer Mark Walker and bassist Oscar Stagnaro have been with him long enough to mesh his love of European classicism and south-of-the-border flare. A six-time Grammy winner, novelist, and writer of a ribald autobiography, D'Rivera sometimes mistakenly thinks his between-song patter is as entertaining as his music. But when he and his band get down to business, their distinct fusion is bold, witty, and versatile enough to render moot any quibbles about the hammy emcee side of his persona."

$35 at 7:00 p.m.; $28 at 9:00 p.m.

Elsewhere

Brazilian Girls @ Fine Line
Ray LaMontagne @ Orpheum
Sepultura @ the Rock

These events and more at the A-List.

Posted by Chuck Terhark at November 27, 2006 12:00 AM | Comments (0)

 

City Planner: Weekend Edition (11/25-26)

Filed under: Local Nightlife

Pere Ubu @ 400 Bar

From Sunday's A-List: "David Thomas is enough of an artist that I believe him when he writes that the title of Pere Ubu's new Why I Hate Women (Smog Veil) came to him as an imagined Jim Thompson novel, and that "knowing what would lay ahead, I was not happy. Weeks went by as I searched in vain for an alternative." By now his claim on rock 'n' roll history is more a 30-year tradition of shaken sounds and ideas than a band, but his latest bitter pill for publicists accompanies the best lineup in years, with trademark analog synthesizer squeals meeting more aggressive stabs of guitar fuzz over a ready-to-bolt rhythm section. Thomas's ghost-wail never fails to chill, but the recent Rocket from the Tombs reunion must have put him in his old Cleveland state of mind, because Why I Hate Women veers and throbs like a punk record, and a great one at that."

18+. $15. 8:00 p.m.

Elsewhere

Saturday

Anonymous 4 @ the Fitz
Choreographer's Evening @ the Walker
Dierks Bentley @ Xcel

Sunday

Mary Mack @ Acadia
Ludacris @ Myth

Go to the A-List.

Posted by Chuck Terhark at November 25, 2006 12:00 AM | Comments (0)

 

City Planner: Friday 11/24

Filed under: Local Nightlife

Panic! at the Disco @ Target Center

From today's A-List: "Though their accelerated ascent to big-time rock stardom has provoked suspicion among indie folk convinced that shitty dive bars are where real expression hides, the precocious pretty boys in Panic! At the Disco might be emo's most assured, ambitious artists. With its Broadway flourishes, circus-music interludes, and synth-pop breakdowns, A Fever You Can't Sweat Out, the Las Vegas quartet's million-selling debut, sounds like nothing else currently being peddled at the Hot Topic cash-wrap. Panic's live show is similarly unique—expect dancing girls and a Moulin Rouge-inspired stage set. English post-punk darlings Bloc Party were scheduled to open the show, but earlier this month drummer Matt Tong suffered a collapsed lung, so they've canceled. Warped Tour vets the Plain White T's open instead, along with Jack's Mannequin, a tuneful emo-rock outfit led by Andrew McMahon of Something Corporate."

$30. 6:00 p.m.

Elsewhere

Patrice Pike @ Cabooze
+/- @ 7th St.
Idle Hands @ Hexagon
Mallman @ 400 Bar
Dad in Common @ Big V's
Thunder in the Valley @ Turf Club

Posted by Chuck Terhark at November 24, 2006 12:00 AM | Comments (0)

 

City Planner: Thursday 11/23

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