Wednesday
February 6th
England Swings!
Tribute/Benefit
@ First Avenue
It took an aging musical comedian best known for silly sing-alongs like “Dang
Me” and “You Can’t Rollerskate in a Buffalo Herd” to finally put it
into words for a disaffected American youth, but by 1965 everybody with a TV set or a
transistor radio knew what Roger Miller knew all along: England Swings, baby! Sure, they
were only bringing those electrified blues riffs back to the land they’d originally
come from, but The Beatles, The Stones, The Who, The Kinks, The Animals, and a hundred
more blew the Pat Boones, the bobby-soxers, and the novelty singers (excepting Miller, of
course, who went on to achieve cult status) right outta the water and off the airwaves.
Tonight’s shindig sees a gaggle of Brit-influenced Twin Cities artists gathering to
both pay homage to the music that inspired them and to help out several worthy charities.
Curtiss A, Ol’ Yeller, Dan Israel & The Cultivators, Phil Solem, Drummer Guy
& His Blokes (featuring John Ewing and KFAN’s Chris Hawkey), Pamela McNeill, The
Beatifics, 2 Ton Crutch, The Wag, The Gap Minders, The Hypstryz, to name a few. The
charity portion of the gig goes to help Minnesota Children’s Heartlink and the Roy
Castle Lung Cancer Foundation. Grab a pint and belly up to your local—this one’s
sure to sizzle. 7 p.m. $5/$7. 21+. 701 1st Ave. N., Mpls. 612-338-8388. (Tom Hallett)
Thursday
Feburary 7th
Crepuscular Society Show of Comedy
@ Acadia Cabaret Theater
Is it real? Think Andy Kaufman and go 12 steps further. Crepuscular Planet Productions
presents “The Crepuscular Society Show of Comedy,” a fast-paced variety-type
show including stand-up comedy, levitation, prestidigitation, and an actual South American
mummy! Featuring the tomb-like observational humor of Long Leg and the whip-smart
witicisms of John Paul Prince, Jr. Join Mike Etoll and Shawn Pike, your horrid hosts, for
an evening of giggles, guffaws, boners, and belly laffs. Leaving the show you might have
such thoughts as “was that cracked-out lady who kept interrupting the show part of
the act? or did she just walk in off the street and join in?” Hmmm... Feb. 7-10. 7
p.m. $10. Acadia Cabaret Theater, 1931 Nicollet Ave., Mpls. 612-872-0092. (Holly Holy)
Silly In Your Shorts Film Festival
@ Riverview Theater
In what is sure to become a yearly tradition, the good folks at the old Riverview Theater
are presenting local short filmmakers, both new and infamous. Aided by my favorite beauty
queen, Miss Richfield 1981, the festival offers up some tasty tidbits to cure those
mid-winter blues. High on my list is the controversial “Shinder’s to
Shinder’s” by Daniel Polfuss. This 17-minute short about Block E stirred
emotions when it first was shown 20 years ago off of a billboard overlooking the streets
it was filmed on. Also look for works by Ryan Wood, Tom Schroeder, Richard Shelton, David
Tufford, and Jim Suthers and Kate Winters. This is the maiden voyage of SIYS, and entries
are already being taken for SIYS 2003. Another excuse for me to leave the warmth of the
Southwest to return to Minneapolis in the dead of winter. Who's the crazy one now? 7:15
p.m. $8. Riverview Theater, 3800 42nd Ave. S., Mpls. 651-248-6181. (Reverend Dubya)
Shots Paul Tour
featuring the Shapeshifters, Atmosphere, Mr. Dibbs and the S.W.E.E.P.S.
@ The Lab
If Devo were hip-hop, they’d sound like the Shapeshifters. I tell this to Awol-One
from the L.A. based troupe, who does me one better:
“If L. Ron Hubbard could rap, he’d be talking about shit like this.” The
Shapeshifters rock topics like alien abduction, the Illuminati, Area 51 and the life of a
rap star—one who plays dives around the country earning close to $10 an hour, that
is. The Shapeshifters definitely lead the blue-collar rap pack, with sci-fi,
ambient-yet-funky production and lyrics like “Who built the pyramids / Masons, slaves
or Martians?/ The next person who can answer this question / Will win an all-expense
filled ski vacation to the planet of Hoth.” “When we were doing this stuff out
here, we was by far being the outcasts,” he says in his trademark rambling, breathy
style, in part due to a serious case of asthma as a youth. “People got to pay their
dues. There’s a lot of these people, they come out with a CD right away before cats
have even touch a mike.” Rest assured that Awol One, Circus and Daddy Kev have all
touched several. They perform tonight with Atmosphere and the S.W.E.E.P.S. 9 p.m. $10/$12
. 18+. 201 4th St., St. Paul. 651-298-0173 (Bruno Zaire)
Friday
February 8th
New Pornographers
@ 400 Bar
A power-pop supergroup from up north, Canadian dream team the New Pornographers
are likable for many reasons. Their late 2000 debut, Mass Romantic, was so good that it
wound up on numerous Best of 2001 lists, critics forced to break away from strict calendar
adherence when faced with its rugged rock splendor. Featuring Neko Case (usually an alt
country siren) on vocals with additional help from Carl Newman and Dan Bejar on vocals and
guitar (both of whom front their own bands when not in the Pornographers) this group
clearly has talent to spare. The Frames open. 9 p.m. $10. 21+. 400 Cedar Ave., Mpls.
612-332-2903. (Rob van Alstyne) |
Saturday
February 9th
Concrete Blonde
@ First Avenue
Like a lot of current Concrete Blonde fans, I didn’t have a clue who they were until
I heard their 1990 Top 20 hit, “Joey,” on old KJ104. It didn’t take me long
to become a full-fledged convert. Lead singer Johnette Napolitano’s
growling-yet-heartfelt vocals were the perfect complement to guitarist James Mankey’s
alternating rawk riffs and understated picking, and every album seemed, amazingly, better
than the one before it. By 1994, though, the band had gone through several lineup changes
and Napolitano seemed to have tired of the
write/record/tour run-around. The band split up, re-forming briefly (with only Mankey
& Napolitano) in 1996 for a joint effort with L.A.’s Los Illegals—an album
that none but the most ardent fans seemed to notice. Well, Johnette, Mankey and original
drummer, Harry Rushakoff, have reunited for a solid new album (the teasingly-titled Group
Therapy, out Jan. 15), signed to a decent label (Manifesto, along with former Suburb Chan
Poling and the Dead Kennedys), and are in the middle of an extended U.S. tour. 6 p.m.
$18/$22. 21+. 701 1st Ave. N., Mpls.
612-338-8388. (Hallett)
- Dave Zollo and The Body Electric with Shot to Hell
@ 400 Bar
The good folks at the 400 Bar have once again put together a double bill that’s
guaranteed to set your feet a-tappin’ and your lips a sippin’. Whiskey and piano
keys are the fuel behind the honky-tonk-meets-roots-rock tour de force that follows Dave
Zollo and the Body Electric wherever they roam. From the cornfields of Iowa City to
erudite poet laureate digs in Europe, Mr. Zollo’s just about done it all. He’s
released a handful of records with High and Lonesome (who were country rock for about five
years before Ryan Adams even learned to play guitar), worked with Bo Ramsey, started
Trailer Records and toured the states and a good chunk of Europe. And if that wasn’t
enough … Zollo’s about to release a new album in conjunction with the Knitting
Factory in New York. The real treat of the evening is the damn near poetic pairing of
Zollo with fellow small town roots rock openers Shot to Hell, who carry on where Neil
Young’s Crazy Horse left off. This bare bones rock trio fills their songs right up to
the rim with smarts and country swagger. They’ve shared the stage with the likes of
Hank III and Alejandro Escovedo and truly can deliver the goods. They can turn on a dime
from heavy rust to Flying Burrito twang and make it all sound smoother than your
Grandpappy’s moonshine. 9 p.m. $6. 400 Cedar Ave., Mpls. 612-332-2903. (Zack Norton)
Sunday
February 10th
Flickerstick
@ The Quest
Forget VH1—the key to this band is their live show. I know, I’ve seen
it, but TV doesn’t do justice to this Dallas based quintet. These guys have a
reverence for the classics and a love of all that is romantic (read: excessive) in rock
’n’ roll. Don’t misunderstand, the music is decidedly pop, but in a good
way (think Oasis, only from Texas), and it’s delivered with such starry-eyed optimism
and a driving beat you’re guaranteed to get swept up yourself. For all their hard
rockin’, the band can slow everything down for a cover of Mazzy Star’s
“Fade Into You” that simply cannot be beaten. So yes, it will be tough to break
free from the VH1 sap factor, but when I told my mom about Flickerstick she said their
name sounded obscene ... so there’s plenty of hope for these guys yet. Doors 7 p.m.
Music 8 p.m. $13.50. 18+. 110 5th St. N., Mpls. 612-338-3383. (Amy Dunn)
- Celebrate Langston Hughes’ 100th
@ U of M
Writing from the Harlem Renaissance 1920s to 1967, hip-hoppers (and post-WWII
literary movements) owe a debt to Langston Hughes. He recoznized the lyricism of everyday
language and honored lives sustained by “crumbs from the table of joy.” His
“blues” poems “express sorrowful with jazz poems” birthed the Beats;
his anthems for freedom still ring. The annual African-American Read-In honors the
Centennial of his birth with U of M Hughes scholar John Wright, novelist Alexs Pate, poets
Angela Shannon, J. Otis Powell, and others. 2 p.m. Free. Coyles Auditorium, Humphrey
Insititute, West Bank U of M Campus, 301 19th Ave. S., Mpls. (Lydia Howell)
24 Hours Black History on KFAI
@ 90.3 FM Mpls/106.7 St. Paul
A whirlwind of African American history is unleashed on Twin Cities’ community radio
station, KFAI. Music segments spanning jazz, soul-R&B, hip-hop, and a gospel concert,
broadcast live from Walker Church along with literary giants to inspirational
breakthroughs, local voices, visionaries and freedom-fighters. Feb. 10, 6 a.m. – Mon
Feb. 11, 6 a.m. KFAI Radio, 90.3 FM Minneapolis or 106.7 FM St. Paul. www.kfai.org.
(Howell)
Wednesday
February 13th
Savage Garden,
featuring All the Pretty Horses
@ First Avenue
On February 13th, the House of Vagabondage transforms the VIP room at First Avenue into a
dungeon for their third installment of the “Erotogenic” club night. Dubbed
“a celebration of kink,” Erotogenic is a platform for Vagabondage to proudly
expose what is most often committed to a netherworld of underground parties. Vagabondage
seeks to combine art, music and erotica, and above all, to show the world that sensual
expression is a thing of beauty. Bondage and discipline, fantasy and role-playing, gay,
trans and hetero, these are all elements of a Vagabondage event. Are you intrigued yet?
How about this for icing on the kinky cake? Six musical acts, from ambient to jungle, will
provide the soundtrack to the evening. Musical artists are Dolores Dewberry, Starfive, DJ
Noise, DJ So Supreme, Monkeybox & CXR. Areas of BDSM on display will include leather
bondage, electro-stimulation, latex suction bags, and other fetishes we’ll leave to
your imagination. Proper attire is strongly encouraged. Vagabondage recommends leather,
rubber, vinyl, cyber, uniforms, gothic, club wear or basic black. Doors at 7 p.m., show at
9 p.m. $8. First Avenue, 701 First Ave., Mpls.
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