Competitors get serious about MarioKart 64. All photos provided by Tipsy Pixels.

My time at Tipsy Pixels crashed and burned on the very first lap of Kalimari Desert, when Princess Peach -- my MarioKart 64 character -- hit a bouncing, roadway-strewn gold bomb and fell out of first.

For nearly an hour, I'd sat amidst an impressively large crowd at Triple Rock Social Club, nursing a Tallgrass 8-Bit through 11 lead-up races. When my turn finally arrived, the three Pixelers beside me hurriedly chose their red-shell-wielding avatars before I could inch my joystick to Yoshi, my standard.
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Kendra Sundvall

Bill Murray's appearance may have been a hoax, but any excuse for a party

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Bill Murray Mobile Dance Party slideshow
Bill Murray Mobile Dance Party: Will it feature Bill Murray?

Let's get this out of the way: Bill Murray, object of our love, star of 60-some Hollywood movies and TV series, did not show at Tuesday night's Bill Murray Mobile Dance Party.

Or, if he did, he did not make it known. Who knows, he might've bicycled beside us in disguise, Venkman himself incognito on a bright blue Schwinn Traveler III with handlebar streamers and a hamburger bell. Maybe he had Wayfarers on, despite the late-summer-evening dark. Maybe he smoked a thin cigarette and spouted witty remarks to the cyclists around him. But he was quiet about it. He did not fly into Gold Medal Park on angelic wings amidst a burst of heavenly light, like many hoped and--after a few shots of whiskey--sadly imagined. Bummer, dude. We still love you, Bill Murray. And the party went on anyway.

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This week, nomadic reading series Literary Death Match is returning to the Twin Cities to bring some spunk to the local lit scene. The event pits writer against writer in a battle for literary bragging rights.

In each corner of the metaphorical ring is a formidable literary talent raring to go. Pete Hautman won the National Book Award and the Los Angeles Times Book Award for his works Godless and The Big Crunch. Stephanie Wilbur Ash, of MPR's Electric Arc Radio fame, has written for many national publications and companies. Juliet Patterson, author of The Truant Lover and the forthcoming Threnody, has won numerous prizes and fellowships for her work. Accomplished photographer Jeffrey Skemp released his debut poetry and music album, Spent, last year.

Deciding the readers' fates, judges include celebrated author and professor Marlon James, Lutefisk Sushi podcast host and prolific cartoonist Danno Konowski, as well as sci-fi writer, professor, and former journalist Dennis Cass.

Critically-acclaimed novelist James will lend his sharp wit to the evening's festivities as a
judge. We chatted with the Jamaican author of The Book of Night Women and Jim Crow's
Devil about his upcoming gig at this week's Literary Death Match.

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Todd Zuniga

​Since 2006, Todd Zuniga has been holding Literary Death Matches across the world. The event promotes local talent by giving them an opportunity to perform in a rollicking night of trouble-making. This Thursday, Zuniga will hold his sixth Twin Cities Death Match at the Nomad World Pub.

During the evening, four writers -- Martin Kihn, Tristan Jimerson, Sarah Stonich, and Kao Kalia Yang -- will read from new work. They will be judged by Emily Goldberg, Ian Rans, and Alexis McKinnis.

City Pages caught up with Zuniga last week as he was finishing a Death Match in Los Angeles that included Mark Mallman in its audience (the musician participated in LDM's fourth Twin Cities event last June). Zuniga will be holding more Death Matches over the next month in the U.S. and Europe.

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B FRESH Photography

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Works by Guo Gai

​The Soap Factory's current show, "Three Artists: Guo Gai, Meng Tang, Slinko," is a provocative and lively exhibition that is both thought provoking and engaging. Political, humorous, and at times titillating, the works challenge the viewer to think about roles that culture, society, and government play in our everyday lives.   More »

Be on the lookout for this man

​If you're familiar with the downtown Minneapolis bar scene, then you'll probably recognize L.A. Nik. He's easy to spot, as he often wears all black, including his nail polish, and looks like a rock star (because he is--he worked as a drummer in various L.A. rock bands in the '80s). His favorite haunts include the Loring Kitchen and Bar (he lives upstairs), Hell's Kitchen, Prohibition, and the Kitty Cat Klub.

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Photo by jilly~bean

​Always a bridesmaid and never a bride? Don't fret--there's finally an event for bridesmaids that doesn't involve dress fittings, shower planning, or finding the perfect "something borrowed" for your girlfriend-turned-bridezilla.

This Friday marks the first annual Bridesmaid Bar Crawl. Now is the time to dig out that bridesmaid dress that is too adorable to have only worn once, or give one last gasp to the abomination that at one point was actually considered fashionable.

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​While pro cyclists will be whipping through Uptown and downtown St. Paul this week at lightening-speed pace at the Nature Valley Grand Prix, northeast Minneapolis will host a slower, more buzzed race as the Pedal Pub turns into a sporting event this Sunday.

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​Most couples share common interests and hobbies, but sports often lights up the incompatibility meter like a fire. For all of you basketball fanatics whose significant other couldn't care less about a guy who dribbles, we may have a solution for you: The Nomad World Pub has brilliantly combined date night with game night at Romansketball Wednesdays.

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