Hot Tickets for April 11 - 17, 2007
Wednesday 11 April @ 15:04:40 |
  Minnesota Poetry Release :: Voltage: Fashion Amplified 2007 :: DJ Trichrome :: Fundraiser for the Earth :: MacHomer :: Jack Brass Band :: 9/11: Press for Truth :: Geek & Dork Tour :: Low CD Release AND THIS WEEK'S HOT PICK: First Communion Afterparty at the NomadCHECK YOUR PULSE ...
Minnesota Poetry Release
Mill City Museum
 Wednesday evening, celebrate the publication of a new collection of poetry from the Minnesota Historical Society Press, "Where One Voice Ends Another Begins: 150 Years of Minnesota Poetry", with a reading at the Mill City Museum. This first single-volume, comprehensive survey of the best Minnesota Poetry showcases the work of 76 of the state's premiere poets. The reading, hosted by editor Robert Hedin, will feature contributing poets Robert Bly, Bill Holm, Michael Dennis Browne, Deborah Keenan, Heid Erdrich, Wang Ping and Angela Shannon. Many of the other participating poets will also be in attendance and available to sign copies of the new anthology, which will be sold at the museum store, along with other assorted books by the presenting poets. 7 p.m. Free. 704 S. 2nd St., Mpls. 612-341-7555. AUDRA OTTO
Voltage: Fashion Amplified 2007
First Ave
 Having more than earned its claim to the title "The Midwest's Premier Rock and Fashion Show," Voltage returns to First Avenue for a third installment after a one year hiatus. Voltage 2005 sold out, and preshow ticket lines stretched a block in either direction from the front door. No less is expected for the 2007 Voltage lineup, which features musical acts Plastic Constellations, The Alarmists, The God Damn Doo Wop Band, Black Blondie, The Mood Swings and Dance Band--styled in clothing and accessories by Elizabeth Chesney & Mackenzie Labine, Greta Herman, Jahna Peloquin, Jenny O, Michelle Henry and Reinvintaged! Between bands, another dozen local designers will show their wares on the runway. And it's all for a cause! This year's show benefits the Springboard for the Arts' Artists' Access to Healthcare program, and also paves the way for an emerging nonprofit, MNfashion, that aims to provide professional development and resources so designers can establish a sustainable livelihood. Amplifying the best elements of both rock and fashion shows, you'll have trouble taking your eyes off the stage even for a moment. The weekend following the show, the runway designers will be selling their wares during Voltage Fashion Weekend at local boutiques Cliché and Design Collective. 7 p.m. $12/$15. 18+. 701 N. 1st Ave., Mpls. 612-332-1775 or voltagefashionamplified.com. DAVID DE YOUNG
HOT PICK
First Communion Afterparty
Nomad World Pub
 I haven't made up my mind about First Communion Afterparty yet. The first time I caught them by chance at the Kitty Cat Klub last summer, I wasn't blown away, but my last experience with them at the Nomad a fortnight ago may have turned me around. Despite the overwhelmingly Patchouli-scented vibe they exude, they actually remind me more of Spiritualized, who similarly re-invigorated the sprawling messiness of '60s acts like Jefferson Airplane with a shot of angst in the late '90s. FCAP seem to be perennially a bit out of tune but oddly, they kind of make it work, and I noted as much on pulsemusicblog.com when I caught them. Follow me here. Once upon a time, there weren't recordings, and, even further back, there weren't even public performances of music. Back in the days of Guillaume de Machaut and Perotin, who wrote sacred music in the 12th and 13th centuries, you either participated in the music, or you didn't hear it. The idea of a final musical "product" didn't exist. Take a moment and really try to imagine a world in which the only music you hear is music made by you and your friends. A world in which there's not even an option to do it another way. First Communion Party have just a touch of that feel to them. You could construe their stage act as an affectation, and maybe you wouldn't be wrong about that. But if you can suspend your disbelief in their earnestness for a moment, I think you'll find a ragged, participatory beauty underneath. There are too few bands out there that confound expectations, so there's always room for one more. With Bridge Club and Tom Cruise Control. 9 p.m. Free. 21+. 501 Cedar Ave. S., Mpls. 612-338-6424. STEVE McPHERSON
DJ Trichrome
First Ave
 DJ Trichrome spins turntables, setting nasty ambience as a member of Afro-Cuban rockers New Primitives, but, it turns out, he has a track record all his own. He's opened for Sean Paul, has two albums with a Madison, Wis., band called Reason for Leaving, one with Corey and the Fireflies out of Sioux Falls, S.D., and has worked with, among others, Natty Nation, John Brown's Body, Infantry Rockers and Aswah Gregory and the Enforcers. For good measure, he also plays with Three Kings Sound System, doing dancehall and dub. This should be a good night. Headlining is High Times' 2007 Band of the Year, Kottonmouth Kings. 5 p.m. $20. All ages. 701 N. 1st Ave., Mpls. 612-332-1775. DWIGHT HOBBES
Fundraiser for the Earth
Ten Thousand Villages
 Join the Twin Cities Green Guide for its fundraiser this Friday evening at Ten Thousand Villages in St. Paul, where you can shop for fair-trade gifts such as baskets, global treasures, jewelry, stationery and toys. "Fair-trade" is an alternative approach to conventional international trade. Fair-trade partnerships seek sustainable development for excluded and disadvantaged producers by providing better trading conditions, raising awareness and campaigning. Key principles of fair-trade include creating opportunities for economically disadvantaged farmers and artisans worldwide, insisting on transparency and accountability, paying fair wages, maintaining gender equity and good working conditions, and caring for the environment. Ten Thousand Villages is a founding member of the International Fair Trade Association (IFAT) and a member of the Fair Trade Federation (FTF). You can learn more about fair-trade practices and view Ten Thousand Villages fair trade goods at tenthousandvillages.com. From 5 to 8 p.m., 10 percent of all sales at the Grand Ave. store will be donated to the Green Guide's Eco Workshop Fund, which organizes programs on topics such as sustainable cooking, eco home audits and making your own rain barrel, and every $100 dollars raised will finance an additional Sustainable Living Workshop this summer. 5 - 8 p.m. Victoria Crossing, 867 Grand Ave., St. Paul. 651-225-1043. AUDRA OTTO
MacHomer
O'Shaughnessy Auditorium
 Sir Tyrone Guthrie popularized what is now an overused technique: Taking the works of Shakespeare and contemporarizing them in some way or another, so we wind up with "A Winter's Tale" set in the Roaring '20s, or "Hamlet" set in modern office highrises, or "Romeo and Juliet" (redubbed "Rome + Juliet") set on Florida beaches among Hispanic gangbangers. It's all well and good-- this approach can toss in a dash of novelty that energizes the Bard of Avon--but, frankly, it's also growing a little tired. If you're going to mess around with Shakespeare, for the love of Pete, don't be timid about it. Thankfully, Rick Miller is on hand this week, demonstrating how truly daring one can be when re-imagining these timeless works. Not only is Miller reenacting "Macbeth" all by his lonesome, but he's also doing it entirely using voices from television's "The Simpsons." This may seem like the sort of idea that would be funny for a few minutes, then quickly wear thin, but reviews of the play have been enthusiastic, including a rave from the L.A. Times that declared the play "intelligent, often hilariously funny and it works like gangbusters." Through April 15. 7:30 p.m. Sat. & Sun. matinees at 2 p.m. 2004 Randolph Ave, St Paul. 651-690-6700. MAX SPARBER
Jack Brass Band
Cedar Cultural Center
 The Jack Brass Band is the only New Orleans style all-brass outfit in the Twin Cities, embracing old-time jazz, as well as blues, rock, hip-hop, pop, funk and reggae. All this without a guitar, keyboard or reed among them. To boot, they are pretty damned good at it. Don't take my word. Wynton Marsalis heard 'em and promptly said, "If you like your gumbo spicy and your music hot, check out the Jack Brass Band." They've played at the Cabooze, First Avenue, Jazzmine's, O'Gara's, the 400 Bar and the Fine Line Music Café. Now you can catch them at the Cedar Cultural Center. With Gangbé Brass Band. 8 p.m. $22/$25 ($18 Cedar Cultural Center & Walker Art Center members). 416 Cedar Ave., Mpls. 612-338-2674 ext. 2. DWIGHT HOBBES
9/11: Press for Truth
Riverview Theater
 Although independent investigations began soon after Pearl Harbor and the Kennedy assassination, the same was not true for the attacks on September 11, 2001. Most people are unaware that the Bush administration opposed the forming of the 9/11 Commission. It was only after pressure from a group of twelve 9/11 families, calling themselves the Family Steering Committee, that 14 months after the attacks, the first hearings finally began. This Saturday, the Minnesota 9/11 Group will sponsor a screening of "9/11: Press for Truth," an 84-minute film in which five of the families explain why 9/11 still needs investigation. Far from conspiracy theory, the documentary relies on Paul Thompson's exhaustive research and features overlooked news clips, buried stories and government press conferences revealing a pattern of official deception and spin. The film poses questions like: What actions were taken by government officials, who received numerous specific warnings about the attacks? Was Osama bin Laden allowed to escape in Afghanistan? And why, more than five years later, are so many of the families' questions still unanswered? St. Paul resident, Catherine Statz, whose sister was killed at the Pentagon, will introduce the film. 10:45 a.m. Free. 3800 42nd Ave. S., Mpls. 612-384-8742. KATRINA PLOTZ
Geek & Dork Tour
Arise! Bookstore
 Writers Todd Taylor, Jennifer Whiteford and Mike Faloon are embarking on a road-trip tour to New York City to promote their collected works, and their first stop is Minneapolis. Taylor, who heads the Los Angeles-based Razorcake Magazine, co-heads Gorsky Press and is a regular contributor to Thrasher magazine, will be reading from his first work of fiction, "Shirley Wins." Rock 'n' roll roller derby diva Whiteford will read from her first novel, "Grrrl," and Faloon, the publisher of the zines Go Metric and Zisk, will read from his new collection of essays and stories, due out soon from Gorsky Press. All three authors' works are connected by a punk rock theme and they promise their stories will entertain you. Taylor, Whiteford and Faloon will be joined by local author Sam Richard and local music favorites The Hex, featuring members from the Knotwells, Harlequin and Blackthorns who play punk rock with a viola, tuba and drums. Blah Blah Blacksheep, a two-person acoustic pop punk explosion, also performs. 7 p.m. Free, donations welcome. 2441 Lyndale Ave. S., Mpls. 612-817-7018. AUDRA OTTO
Low CD Release
First Ave
 Low are no strangers to plumbing the darker sides of human experience but, for the most part, the narratives spun by Alan Sparhawk and co. have been of a personal nature. With their latest album, Drums and Guns, they've shifted their focus out toward the world, as signaled by the opening lines of album opener "Pretty People": "All soldiers / you're all gonna die / All the little babies / you're all gonna die." Such dire pronouncements, while absolutely true, never take on the tone of a preacher's sermon here, though, as Sparhawk keeps the songs grounded in the personal. The video for the first single "Breaker" shows Sparhawk, clad in a soldier's uniform and flanked by clapping band mates Mimi Parker and Matt Livingston, passing up a single piece of cake in favor of gorging himself on the whole thing. "My hand just kills and kills / there's got to be an end to that," goes the song and the disaffection with the state of the world and this country's place in it is palpable. Where 2004's The Great Destroyer was a crash of thunder following their long dalliance with hushed dynamics, Drums and Guns marries the shock and awful sinking feeling of the lyrics to spare electronic skeletons, and the overall effect is one of isolation and loneliness that stands in interesting contrast to the emptiness of their earlier albums. Sub Pop co-owner Jonathan Poneman probably put it best when he said, "The arrangements have been robbed of all their valuables." Picture the difference in the hush felt standing on Lake Superior's shore north of Grand Marais amid pine trees and that felt in the middle of a city leveled and emptied by relentless war. With Charlie Parr and Loney, Dear. 6:30 p.m. $12/$14. 18+. 701 N. 1st Ave., Mpls. 612-332-1775. STEVE McPHERSON
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