Pete Hofmann & the Measured Doses
@ The Bryant Lake Bowl

A true pop classicist, Hofmann is back with his backing band the Measured Doses and celebrating the release of his new record, the sedately grooving Mermaid on the Rocks. It’s been a long three years since his last effort, Crawling Tall, and the downtime has seen Hofmann evolve from a brainy pop-rocker to a highly competent torch balladeer on cuts like the placid, piano-driven “She Balances.” Working with a slew of ace Twin Cities studio men (among them Heath Henjum, Mike Wisti, Tom Herbers and Jacques Wait), Hofmann has come through with a set of stately varied material, placing funkified instrumentals (“Chocolate Bug”) right next to countrified waltzes (“Little Boat You Must Wander this World”) and actually pulling both styles off effectively. Hofmann and his full-band lineup gig somewhat sparingly around town, and the intimate setting of the Bryant Lake Bowl seems like the ideal venue for Hofmann’s understated and subtly wondrous musical gifts. With TBA. 9:30 p.m. All Ages. $8 adv/ $10 door. 810 West Lake Street, Mpls. 612-825-8949. Rob van Alstyne

Landing Gear
@ The Triple Rock Social Club

Years in the making, Landing Gear are finally ready to unveil their first full-length album, Break-up Songs for Relationships that Never Happened, after nearly five years on the scene. The reason for all the delays were the usual set of ailments that tend to beset bands with a knack for cranking out sexy, radio-ready pop (meaning they got the typical runaround from a number of larger labels before finally deciding to record and release their album on local Catlick Records). The behind-the-scenes drama couldn’t matter less once you get the chance to sink your teeth into Break-Up Songs… though, possibly the finest slice of local finesse-pop since the Hang Ups unleashed So We Go back in ’96. Not too surprising since frequent HU collaborator Bryan Hanna had his hand in the studio working as a co-producer with the band and Jason Orris. Things get a bit ’80s in all the right ways on Break-Up Songs… (dreamy keyboards are a big part of the attraction here) and I’ve got a strong feeling that the chiming bitter kiss-off “Surprise, Surprise” may well end up being my favorite local single of the year. With Thunder in the Valley, The Umbrella Sequence. 10 p.m. $6. 21+. 629 Cedar Ave. S., Mpls. 612-333-7399. van Alstyne

The Hundred Flowers
@ The 7th St. Entry

Local riotous rockers The Hundred Flowers may have given their new EP an emotional bummer title, Love & Loss, but then they went ahead and betrayed the name right off the bat with a rockin’ for life, feel good anthem (“Spread the Disease”—you guessed it the disease of rock ’n’ roll). The quartet of Marc Landry (guitar, vocals), Ben Bachman (guitar, piano, vocals), Pony Hixon (bass, vocals) and Eric Tretbar (drums) sound as loose and T. Rex-sexy as ever on the strut-heavy five tracks that make up Love & Loss. As fun as this stuff might be to crank in your car it’s even better if you’re at a club with a couple drinks under your belt. This gig is doubly huge for the band, as its both the CD release shindig for their EP and bachelorette party for Pony. Expect an even higher degree of flamboyant debauchery than usual. With The Idle Hands and TV Sound. 9 p.m. $6. 21+. 701 First Ave. N., Mpls. 612-338-8388. van Alstyne

Die Electric
@ The Triple Rock Social Club

Formerly known as the Voltz Unlimited, Die Electric have wisely shifted names to a much hotter moniker and are about to unleash their debut EP Push Pull (which coincidentally was originally slated to be a piddling 7”) on local mainstay Heart of a Champion Records. Die Electric proudly uphold the eclectic tradition of Heart’s roster, crafting a rowdy racket that’s easy to enjoy, but hard to peg down. The eight cuts on Push Pull are a sinewy burst of nastiness featuring six originals alongside covers of The Only Ones (“Oh No”) and Wire (“Sand in My Joints”). Normally I’d say Wire are the sort of idiosyncratic act that bands would be wise to avoid giving the cover treatment, so it’s a testament to Die Electric’s skills right out of the gate that they’re more than able to do the song justice. With The Red Satyrs, Red Eyed Legends, Belles of Skin City. 9 p.m. $6. 21+. 629 Cedar Ave. S., Mpls. 612-333-7399. Nathan Dean

Northern Lights: The Nine/Eleven Plays
@ Illusion Theater

This fall the Illusion Theater in Minneapolis opens its 30th anniversary season with the premiere of “Northern Lights: The Nine/Eleven Plays.” In their quest to find meaning from the events of 9/11, the Illusion team put out a national call for short scripts, asking playwrights to respond in whatever way they wanted to. Overwhelmed by the response of more than 80 submissions from across the county, the theater has selected works that are largely character-based, and range from deeply moving, to funny, subtle and poetic. Featured playwrights include Jimmy Breslin, a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for Newsday, as well as several Minnesota writers. The show includes 10 plays and one film, and runs for two weeks only. Sept. 18 – 26. Thu. – Sat. 8 p.m.; Sun. 7 p.m. $21; students and seniors $16. Hennepin Center for the Arts, 6th St. & Hennepin Ave., Mpls. 612-339-4944. NANCY SARTOR


10 Little Puppets
@ Old Arizona Studios

Back by popular demand from this year’s Fringe Festival, the 5th of November Puppeteers perform in Dame Crustie’s “10 Little Puppets”—a 10-puppet epic farce, featuring murder, mayhem and plenty of potshots at the Minnesotan way of life. When the ancient British tradition of Punch and Judy meets the equally ancient British tradition of murder mysteries, upper crust meets slapstick, gruesome meets comical, and guilty little puppets are dispatched to their fates! The perfect late-night diversion for those in search of something irreverent and silly, this show delivers skillful puppeteering and plenty of laughs. Front row audience members beware: props have been known to leave the booth at high rates of speed! Sat., Sept. 18 and Sat., Sept. 25, 11 p.m. $10. 2821 Nicollet Ave., S., Mpls. 612-871-0050. AARON NEUMANN

Peace Ball
@ Historic Grain Belt Brewery, Bottling House

In its inaugural year, the PEACE (Public Engagement And Community Empowerment) Foundation, a newly formed nonprofit to address the growing problems of violence in Mpls, particularly on the city’s Northside, and initiated last spring by concerned citizens and 3 Ward CM Don Samuels, kicks off their initial fundraiser, the PEACE Ball, with one hell of a gala. An evening designed to call together the people bringing life to its mission, this broad collection of supporters may live in very different neighborhoods, but they stand together against local violence and answer a collective call to action.

A plethora of artists and musicians, varying from the famous to the soon-to-be, from the young to visionaries, are donating time and energy to help build the Foundation. Artists include (name dropin’ time): painters Daniel J. Kinney (Babylon), Brenda Litman (U of M), Clarence Morgan – (Dean of Faculty @ the U), and up-and-coming Northside artist Richard Amos; prints by Odessa and Jody Reeb-Myers; sculptures Aldo Moroni, Mina Leirwood (Peace Shrine), and “Missiles by Terrence.” Blues and jazz from Wain McFarlane with vocals from Telesea Everett; Hip Hop from local artists the Unknown Prophets, and DJ Walter QBear from KMOJ radio will be playing dance standards. The Ball is co-hosted hosted by, among others, Council Member Don Samuels & Sondra Hollinger Samuels, Mayor R.T. Rybak & Megan O'Hara, Police Chief William McManus and Lourdes McManus.

All ticket donations go to build the foundation, raise awareness about local violence, connect the broader community to the problem, and support street-level solutions. If you can't afford these ticket prices but want to share the mission and the evening, contact the Foundation about purchasing low cost tickets. This is a great opportunity to meet others promoting local peace! 7:30 pm until late. $40. Historic Grain Belt Brewery Bottling House, 79 - Thirteenth Ave. N.E., Mpls. (612.521.4405). CityPeace.org. Neumann

Don Irish Honored for Work in Peace and Justice
@ Bush Student Center, Hamline University

The public is invited to a celebration for Don Irish, who will receive the Award for Peace and Justice by the Vincent L. Hawkinson Foundation. Don worked for civil rights for African-Americans in Colorado and North Carolina in the 1930s and ’40s. He worked in the Peace Brigades International to try to stop the Guatemalan death squads from murdering human rights activists. He has written on Cuba and Columbia and has been a contributor to this paper. As a leader of the Peace and Justice community in the Twin Cities, and a member of Fellowship of Reconciliation, he has worked tirelessly against war for more than 60 years. 4 p.m. Free. 1536 Hewitt Ave., St. Paul. ED FELIEN

Headwaters Foundation Walk for Justice
@ Boom Island Park

Community activists have long extolled the necessity and importance of grassroots organization. At a time when those in power continue to bungle foreign policy and ignore relevant domestic issues in favor of smear-and-fear campaigns, it’s critical that we heed the call to action. This Sunday, Headwaters Foundation for Justice has organized its ninth annual Walk for Justice, where dozens of community leaders will join more than 100 grassroots activist organizations to walk for human rights, economic and racial justice, and peace. Created in 1984, Headwaters believes that fundamental social change rests in the hands of ordinary people. The organization provides financial support through grants to groups that promote strong, sustainable communities. So show some civic spirit! Get off your ass, meet some folks who actually give a damn, and stroll along the banks of the mighty Miss before we’re all washed up. Sun., Sept. 19, 11:30 a.m. Boom Island Park, Mpls. SARTOR


Go, Dog. Go!
@ Children’s Theatre Company

I went to see “Go, Dog. Go!” again at the Children’s Theatre Company, and this time the humor and knock-down farce overwhelmed me. It was thoroughly warm and wonderful. The cast is exceptional. Luverne Seifert as the Top Dog has the audience in the palm of his paw from his first entrance to the final curtain. Janet Hanson is achingly sweet as Hattie, the rejected but persistent suitor with a fantastic collection of hats. Dean Holt, Yellow Dog, has played a dog before on the CTC stage in “How The Grinch Stole Christmas.” He was the dog who stole that show, and it is a credit to all the other actors in “Go, Dog, Go!” that he doesn’t quite steal this show. But he is easily the most believable dog and the most endearing. Aug. 17 – Oct. 30, 2400 3rd Ave., S., Mpls. 612-874-0400. FELIEN