Ever wanted to run with the bulls in Spain? Minnesotans at the State Fair had an opportunity to run with a bull this morning when the 1,600 lb. testosterone-fueled animal named Saber, became agitated and somehow managed to escape from his handlers.

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As reported in City Pages earlier this month, all-ages rock club the Toybox is closing after a final show this Friday (click the flyer for a larger image), with club owner Andy Everson citing burnout and show violence as reasons he's decided to move on. Headlined by Four Letter Lie, the concert doubles as the CD-release party for Sing It Loud. Hopefully the place will be taken over by a new owner--we'll let you know what we hear. For more all-ages club happenings, check out my MySpace page devoted to all-ages venues in Minnesota and surrounding areas, www.myspace.com/tcallagesclubs.

Click the photo to view the Slideshow

Wu Tang at the Myth Nightclub
Review by Jordan Selbo

Better Than: A sharp stick in the eye, as I always say.

After slashing three major acts from the lineup and starting the obligatory two hours after opening, Rock the Bells (corporate festival, joyous celebration, nostalgic movement?) rarely failed to disappoint Saturday at Myth in Maplewood. Apparently, the affluent, abhorrent suburb is the new home of hip hop. But most of the fans Saturday, regardless of their class, race or age (usually upper middle, white and 21 on average, respectively), showcased genuine adoration and respect for each act; this is even more amazing when you consider that although they are all still making relevant music these days, the bulk of these artists had their "hay days" in the mid to late '90s. Is rap so bad currently that shorties as young as 15 are seeking out music that was hot when they were sucking thumbs? In the end, my attitude towards mainstream hip hop's ever-evolving audience demographics is weary but conciliatory.

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For 30 years Lon Haldeman has been cycling -- though not three-mile commutes to and from work, and not leisurely weekend/family trips along scenic bike paths. Haldeman has been cycling like Forrest Gump might cycle had he not been running. A trailblazer in the relatively new sport of ultra marathon cycling, Haldeman holds the double transcontinental record and the tandem transcontinental record and has twice won the Race Across America solo. He got off his bike between bike tours to speak with City Pages.More >>

Read the City Pages profile of local-music filmmaker Rick Fuller (his website) and then head down to the Riverview Theater tonight, if you're near Minneapolis, to see his 7 Nights in the Entry, a must-watch 1981 punk/new wave documentary featuring early performances by Husker Du, the Replacements (click for a video sample), Fine Art, the Dads, Things That Fall Down, Hypstrz, the Neglectors, Rusty Jones & the Generals, the Situation, Wilma & The Wilburs, Stagger Lee, and Peer Group. It's screening as part of this week's Sound Unseen festival (City Pages reviews here, more here), which mostly takes place at the Ritz in Northeast Minneapolis. Girls Rock!, which screens Saturday afternoon at 3:00 p.m., also looks pretty awesome. Afterparty tonight in the 7th St. Entry honoring "Artists of Distinction" Tony Paul (of KFAI), Dessa (of Doomtree) and Conrad (from First Avenue). See you at the Sound Unseen Dance Party Saturday! (See also this post at Complicated Fun, and the MNSpeak thread.)

Tonight's scheduled program for the Walker's Music & Movies in Loring Park has been relocated to the Walker's own cinema. Doors will open at 6:30, when free tickets, required for admission, will be given out, first-come-first-served. Andy Palacio and the Garifuna Collective, will perform from 7-8, and the Douglas Sirk movie Magnificent Obsession will begin at 8:30 pm.

Scott Flansburg, the Guinness World Record holder for "fastest human calculator," sees the world in digits. We called him to ask a few questions about numbers, and other unknowns, in advance of his appearance on Thursday at the Minnesota State Fair, where he'll demonstrate his skills in the Qwest tent between 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.

City Pages: How big is the problem of innumeracy?

Scott Flansburg: People get nervous even talking about math. They're afraid of me because it. We could save the world if everyone knew math.

CP: What are some of the ways you get kids into math?

Flansburg: I tune people into the language of numbers. Those ten digits on your calculator, the Arabic numerals zero through nine, those are the foundation of all the numbers in the universe. If you write down any number and add up the digits, and subtract that sum from the number, you end up with nine. That works with any number to infinity.

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Behold the scooter! Some may say that the vehicle has had a meteoric rise since the humble post-war production of the Vespa in Italy. And Minnesotans love their bikes— be it bicycles on the Greenway on Saturday to Harleys cruising the University strip in St. Paul. This weekend marks a celebration of the scooter, where enthusiasts will embark on rides, mini-safety courses, enjoy live music, and even compete in a scavenger hunt. City Pages took a moment to speak with Kent Aldrich, one of three coordinators of the Rattle My Bones Scooter Rally.

City Pages: So, what type of wheels do you drive?

Kent Aldrich: I’ve got two scooters, one is a 2003 Stella— people may have seen me around town because I have around 46 mirrors. My other bike is a 1964 Vespa VBB.

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Looking for a rock and roll road trip? Twin Cities bands are battling Austin, Texas bands in downtown Lawrence, Kansas, this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday during the fourth annual North Versus South Festival. Read Chuck Terhark's account of last year's festival, then pack a cooler. Bands include the Meat Purveyors and Charlie Parr on Thursday, Little Man and Moonlight Towers on Friday, and Grand Champeen, Grant Hart, Chooglin', and Superhopper on Saturday--plus a couple dozen other bands. Directions from Minnesota: Take I-35 into Kansas City and hook up with I-70 West; go bout 38 miles to the East Lawrence exit, pay your $1.40 and go down to the traffic light and turn left; proceed about 2-3 miles into downtown Lawrence; cross the Kansas River bridge and make a quick left and then right and you will be on Massachusetts Street (like the Main street or High Street); cruise down to 10th and Mass and you will be in the center of North Versus South.

The Wilco show scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, August 14th, at Duluth's Bayfront Festival Park, has been canceled. Apparently, Wilco guitarist Nels Cline has come down with the chickenpox. Guess he didn't get 'em in kindergarten like everybody else. But take heart, Wilco fans--a make-up date is set for the same location in three weeks, on Tuesday, September 4th. Tickets for the original date will be honored, but if you can't pull it off, you can get a refund from Secret Service Concerts. More info is available at the Bayfront Festival Park website.