Chambers' Ice Bar thrills with a chill

Categories: Local Nightlife
Doors wide open and a starless sky above, the Chambers Hotel Ice Bar grand opening was a crowded soiree of black pea coats and rosy cheeks. Heaters were scattered about the front half of the patio, sandwiched between the two bars, DJ and private lounge tents, causing the bulk of the crowd to rub elbows and backsides with other heavily clothed strangers. A large fire pit of rocks and flames offered not only heat but a nice glow on the little bit of skin left exposed.

CLICK HERE FOR ICE BAR SLIDESHOW

Overall, the Ice Bar itself wasn't near as impressive as I had hoped. Columns dripping slightly on my toes, the bar's shelving was even wetting the computers. Ice booths and tables surrounded the bar, but few sat still while trying to keep limbs warm.

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While a plethora of stylish coats and mittens were in attendance, the sea of bulk black attire meant no one in particular stood out for excellent style. Mostly experienced Minnesotans in the crowd seemed appropriately dressed for the chilled air. I, on the other hand, came ill prepared, wearing a pair of peep toe heels. I quickly discovered the absence of feet heaters and therefore was left with no choice but to prop my feet up on the fire pit's ledge. While I only received a few strange glances from people opposite the blaze, my frozen toes were an excuse for conversation with the otherwise silent men standing nearby. Ten minutes later, I saw another woman put her boots up to the fire and I no longer felt like such a rookie.

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Greygoose Vodka sponsored the event and the staff of female-only bartenders were definitely pushing their $11 specialty martinis named things like, "Jinx's Juicy Conditions", "Bibi Dahl's For Your Eyes Only" and "Cosmo Chill." Being that it was a friend's birthday, the sexy Eskimo behind the bar offered us each a Jello-shot "on her" (as in, gratis, get your mind out of the gutter). Not only do the ladies making drinks wear boots with fur and short white skirts, this particular dame's name is Kissy-- hello fantasy for the three straight men in attendance. We ordered a "Kissy Suzuki's You Only Live Twice", a special recipe by the woman herself, mixed with vodka, crème de menthe, crème de cocoa and Bailey's Irish Cream. Delicious and smooth, I only wish my budget would've allowed three more. 

Show review: Maudlin CD release w/ The Hopefuls, So It Goes

Categories: Concert Review
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Maudlin CD Release with So It Goes and The Hopefuls
Nov. 26, 2008 @ The Triple Rock.

While a good percentage of the city was either rocking out to Ike Reilly or getting blind drunk in preparation for a long, dysfunctional Thanksgiving Day (or possibly both), the Triple Rock Social Club became local power-pop heaven for a few hours Wednesday night. You can say what you will about this type of music, but as much as it's nice to be completely caught off guard by a band it's also nice sometimes to have a general idea of what you're getting yourself into--and then still be surprised a few times during the course of the evening. Local up-and-comers Maudlin were hosting the release of their self-released sophomore CD, "Maudlin and the Second Law of Thermodynamics" and could hardly have picked more perfect bands to help them out than So It Goes and The Hopefuls.



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Because we don't get enough cold in Minneapolis

Categories: Local Nightlife
Chambers Hotel Ice Bar Grand Opening
7-9 p.m. November 27, 2008
8th & Hennepin Ave. Minneapolis

If you like your martinis with a side of babushka and mini-skirt, you might be interested in tonight's opening of the Ice bar at the Chambers Hotel. Frigid, clean, and embracing minimalist design, the inside of Chambers is surprisingly similar to it's cool outdoor counterpart. Greygoose Vodka is sponsoring the event and to celebrate the opening, there will be free Greygoose martinis from 7-9 p.m

 Minneapolis house legend, Jack Trash, and other local DJs from the Sound in Motion crew will be providing dance music for the evening. Expect it to be packed and come in style (does this mean with Gucci mittens?). The Ice Bar is one of those novelty places you go to once a year and tonight is probably it. After, you'll probably find a shivering wasteland of frozen chi-chi girls and rigid, robot-like business men. Take advantage of the free booze and warmth of others while you can and celebrate the good things about winter while you still enjoy it. -- Justin Flower 

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Derek Plaslaiko sends Shelter off with a bang

Categories: Concert Preview

Derek Plaslaiko -- Barfly Loft
Friday, November 28th, 10 pm, 18+, $10

Sluggish from all the turkey you wolfed down yesterday? Don't lie, we know you went back for thirds. If you're feeling a little thicker after giving so much thanks, you could work off the extra junk in your trunk with a night of vigorous dancing. Lucky for you, New York techno favorite Derek Plaslaiko will be in town to help you along. Michigan-bred Plaslaiko was a Detroit staple for years before his relocation to NY brought him even more success, and after numerous stops here in Minneapolis, Twin Cities dance fans have gotten a taste of what makes him so popular. He works turntable magic, constructing DJ sets that revel in exquisite tension before the inevitable release, leaving heaving masses of satisfied party people in his wake.

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Plaslaiko's return marks the last of the weekly Shelter events, Friday night parties focused around one headliner playing for four full hours, which have given clubbers a closer look at the record collections of some of their favorite DJs for the past five months. With Derek at the controls of Shelter's impressive wall of speakers for those four hours, Barfly's Loft is sure to be packed with plenty of fans that have forsaken a post-holiday gym visit in favor of the serious dancefloor workout they'll receive tonight. Besides, what sounds better: flipping channels trying to find a station that isn't already playing Christmas movies, or attending a raucous send-off bash with one of New York's finest party starters?

-- Ian Traas

AIDS Wolf, Skoal Kodiak and Gay Beast tonight at the Entry

Categories: Just Announced
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In this dystopian present, where many popular forms of music seem to approach the drain in ever tightening orbits, the intrepid among us, who populate our basements and work sheds, strive tirelessly to bring music to ever more unfathomable outer reaches.


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Weekend Checklist

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Distended from orgiastic turkey feasts, lobotomized by tryptophan, the streets of our fair cities will be aswarm with zombified masses, lurching about in search of loud noise and cold beer. Clip your mittens to your sleeves-- this weekend's a big one, and it's almost ready to come out of the oven.

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28

7th Street Entry

AIDS Wolf
Skoal Kodiak
Gay Beast

8:00 P.M. 18+ $8.00

Earplugs can't save you-- polyrhythm and feedback are way too smart for your petty ruses.

Triple Rock Social Club

Boris
Clouds
Zebulon Pike

9:00 P.M. 21+. $13.00 advance/ $15.00 door

Fresh off a tour leg with Nine Inch Nails, Boris ought to look and sound more brazenly at home on a stage less dwarfing.

Turf Club

Black Cobra
Sea Whores
Gay Witch Abortion
Castle

I know, I know. It's already a loud weekend. But when there's two feet of snow on the ground and the world is muted by head gauze, you'll wish you'd stockpiled all your loud sounds when you had the chance.

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 29

Hexagon Bar


Faux Jean (CD release)
The Parlour Suite
Rebel Yello
John Swardson

9:00 P.M. 21+. Free.

A touch of unseemly class in our dreamiest dive bar, one wonders how Rose will handle all those blue martinis and fitted sportcoats.

Turf Club

Alpha Consumer
Gospel Gossip
First Communion Afterparty
Margaret Lane

9:00 P.M. 21+

7th Street Entry


White Light Riot
Readygoes
Invincible Kids
Polydream

8:00 P.M. 18+. $8.00





Boris, ''Ibitsu''

Categories: The Popstream
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As you might've gathered from my A-list blurb for their show at the Triple Rock tonight, Boris are a pretty multifaceted and unpredictable band -- not to mention a loud one. Loud, loud, loud. Of course, they perpetrate different varieties of loud: there's the hellacious squalls of feedback, the deep, subwoofer-destroying doom rumble of super-slow-motion sludge-metal, and in some cases, the kind of loud that would be quiet in any other context aside from their forays into ultra-minimalist ambient experimentation. And if that's all a bit much for you, there's always their straightforward rock jams, the ones that run off the theory that Motörhead was a good start.More >>

Boris, Clouds, and Zebulon Pike at the Triple Rock

Categories: Just Announced
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The latest experimental rock act to become deservedly aggrandized by Trent Reznor's visionary tour plans, the Tokyo-based protean three piece Boris is hot off the Target Center stage, where they wowed a capacity crowd on Tuesday night in an opening slot for Nine Inch Nails. 

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Keith Sweat gets smooth up on you at Epic

Categories: Concert Review
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Keith Sweat: Hey girl. How you doin'?

In retrospect, a shower and a shave might have been in order.

"What you here for?" said the doorman when I arrived. "Keith Sweat," I said. He laughed mirthlessly. "You gonna be underdressed, that's for sure," he said.

After idling for a couple minutes at will-call while the clerk composed a lengthy and annoyed text-message, I tapped on the glass. She looked at me with contempt. "What are you here for?" she said. "Keith Sweat," I said. "I see," she said. "You just elected not to get dressed up?"

The owner of the club breezed by and spied me. "What are you here for?" he said. "Keith Sweat," I said. "I can't let you in," he said, "until you take off your hoodie. Is your t-shirt clean?"

The ticket taker stopped me from proceeding. "What are you here for?" he said. "Keith Sweat," I said. "You're going to have to check that backpack," he said. "Can't have you walking around like a bum."

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Dusty Springfield, ''Lost''

Categories: The Popstream
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Maybe we lost something when we took a headlong dive into the idea of the music video as pseudo-narrative miniature movie. I've seen a pretty good number of pre-MTV broadcast television music clips from back in the day, typically involving the artist(s) standing around lip-syncing on a soundstage, maybe dancing a bit, and sometimes that near-primitive simplicity is just a bit short of astounding. When you grow up watching Duran Duran cavort around in the jungle on some fake-Spielberg business, your garden-variety ca.-1970 pantomime performance is pretty damn novel.More >>
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