Wednesday
January 30th
The Sixth Annual Cover Song Contest
@ First Avenue
This annual shindig brings together the best of the Twin Cities’ music communities
from both sides of the river—The Mammy Nuns represent St. Paul and The Busiest
Bankruptcy Lawyers in Minnesota honor the Mill City. Each year, a slew of artists best
known for their original compositions get together and present sometimes predictably
on-the-money, sometimes wildly creative versions of their favorite cover tunes. You might
hear a punk band smoothly crooning their way through a Frank Sinatra standard, or a
country-rock outfit rippin’ the guts outta a Slayer tune ... you just never know. As
has been the practice, the gig will fill both the Main Room and the Entry, with The Mammys
judging the M.R. and The BBLIM judging 7th Street. The lineup is as follows: Main Room:
Raven’s Personalities, Unbelievable Jolly Machine w/Brian Herb, NATU (Andy
Crowley’s Beauty Pageant), Soviettes, The Beatifics, Baby Grant Johnson, The Mammy
Nuns. 7th Street Entry: Cars With A K (Mike Suede), Plate-O-Shrimp, Lucky Jeremy, The Sons
of Temperance (Drunk Drivers W/Rick Fuller), Arcwelder, The Busiest Bankruptcy Lawyers.
Oh, yeah, and just to ensure everyone “gets” the intended friendly spirit of the
evening, the Grand Prize is a case of Night Train wine. Fred Sanford would be proud. Doors
8 p.m. $3/5 doors. $1 taps & $1.75 well drinks all night. 701 1st Ave. N., Mpls.
612-338-8388. (Tom Hallett)
Thursday
January 31st
Bruce Campbell and The Evil Dead
@ Oak Street Cinema
Don’t let yourself be sucked in by “Must See TV” tonight, folks. The
ever-talented and charming Bruce Campbell is set to appear tomorrow at the Oak Street
Cinema showing of “The Evil Dead,” which, as we all know, is the “ultimate
experience in grueling terror.” Tickets are on sale starting noon tomorrow with shows
at 7:30 and 11 p.m. Tickets are a mere $7.50. Hail to the king, baby.
(Kari Larson)
Bon Appetit Farewell Bash
@ Bon Appetit
Despite a nearly hopeless battle with a snooty, in-bred neighborhood “Business
Association,” stiff competition, and less-than-desirable sound equipment, Bon Appetit
has been one of those loveable little venues-that-could over the past six years.
They’ve provided countless local acts with a place to break in and hone their chops,
offered a great meeting/drinking joint in an increasingly bland Dinkytown area, and proven
time and again that you don’t have to be an asshole to host an eclectic lineup of
live music in a small Minneapolis joint. Due to the aforementioned problems with those
good folks in Stinkytown, the Bon will be closing their doors forever this Thursday. This
goodbye party will provide bands and fans a chance to get together and reminisce, but more
importantly, a place to plot their next musical takeover. Whether you were a regular or
not, tonight’s a great opportunity to catch some great local talent and (I’d
imagine) some damn cheap beer prices. Booker Joe Holland put together a line-up sure to
satisfy a range of tastes—house band Pleasure Pause, Buss, and Racketball will all
lend their talents. 8 p.m. Free. 18+. 421 14th Ave. SE, Mpls. 612-379-3002. (Hallett)
Friday
February 1st
The Nightingale
@ In the Heart of the Beast Theater
Minneapolis’ very own world-famous In The Heart of the Beast Theater is giving us a
treat to tide us over until the spring. HOBT brings to life Hans Christian Andersen’s
tale of a simple bird, a beautiful song, and an emperor’s search for his soul. A
modern day parable for adults, The Nightingale is a tale of haunting beauty that utilizes
dance and puppetry to bring this story alive as only HOBT can do. Artistic Director Sandy
Spieler (who oversees the annual May Day parade) and a veteran HOBT crew will once again
turn an old porn theater into a magical land on Lake Street, and, as usual, invite us
along for the ride. Feb 1-24. $17 adults/ $12 students, seniors, groups. In The Heart of
the Beast Puppet & Mask Theater, 1500 E. Lake St., Mpls. 612-721-2535. (Reverend
Dubya) |
(friday,
cont.)
Works-In-Progress 2002
@ Red Eye
Sample some experimental new theater this weekend and help give new artists some feedback.
The shows aren’t perfected yet, but five groups of up-and-coming theater artists will
test out new works in front of audiences. As part of Red Eye Theater’s 18th Annual
Works-In-Progress series, you’ll see a 20-minute slice of five new productions. What
am I in for, you ask? Here’s a synopsis of the five snippets: “Translation”
explores the act of writing and what happens during translation; “Infestation of
Gnats” addresses problems of nature, anxiety and beauty; “Stone Heart: A Journal
of Sacajawea” tells a different version of Sacajawea’s journey with Louis and
Clark; “The Riddles of Gwayne Lutemas” goes back in time to hear stories that
were not written in history books; and “Opowiesc O Dwoch Saintes Vierges Noires: (The
Tale of Two Black Madonnas)” is a solo performance piece about experiences with
Haitian Vodou and Polish Catholicism and their impact on the artist’s spiritual
journey. See how the previews go, and maybe you’ll discover something you can’t
wait to see in full. Feb. 1-3. Fri.-Sat. 8 p.m.; Sun. 7 p.m. $6. Red Eye, 15 W. 14th St.,
Mpls. 612-870-0309. (Katie Bodin)Keys
Please!
Three Generations of Piano Stories
@ Janet Wallace Concert Hall, Macalester College
Three pianists take the stage to present a mixture of solo and group pieces, ranging from
carefully composed works to on-the-spot improvisations. The players, Carei Thomas, Paul
Cantrell and Todd Harper, now in their 20s/40s/60s, mingle the sounds and philosophies of
a variety of musical styles. Thomas will premiere two new works, “Hidden Peaces”
and “When Where is Lost,” featuring his signature mixture of ensemble
improvisation and “poemmetry.” Harper will revisit his first “piano
haiku,” reveal a three-person arrangement of “St. Groundhog’s Mystic
Swing,” and use the piano as a well-tuned drum. Cantrell will perform a pair of
Chopin nocturnes, and premiere his new work, “In a Perfectly Wounded Sky.” The
show starts at 8 p.m. and admission is $10 for adults and free for students with ID.
(Larson)
Tuesday
February 5th
Mingus Mingus Mingus on KFAI’s Fresh Ears
Local musician, educator, host and producer Richard Paske presents another installment of
his great jazz series, in honor of Black History Month. This time ‘round, he takes an
in-depth look at legendary composer, bandleader, bassist and pianist Charles Mingus, who
influenced generations of musicians and ranks up with Coltrane, Jelly Roll Morton and
Charlie Parker in the jazz pantheon. Though his roots were in blues and gospel, Mingus
melded the rough-and-tumble music of his youth with a passion for European classical, and
the result was a fiery, passionate style all his own. Tonight’s installment,
“Ming Sings,” will focus on the album Oh, Yeah. The series will run every
Tuesday in February, with “Live at the Antibes” on Tues., Feb. 12, “Mingus
Ah Um” on Tues., Feb. 19, and “Myself When I Am Real” on Tues., Feb. 26.
Every Tuesday in February. KFAI’s “Fresh Ears” airs from 10:30 p.m.-12 a.m.
on 90.3 FM in Minneapolis. and 106.7 FM in St. Paul. (Hallett) |
