Calendar of Events

Saturday, May 26

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  Mark Sultan

  Turf Club

  Mark Sultan may not be a household name, but he's an incredibly busy and influential musician. Typically thrown into the "garage punk" genre, he's played with King Khan and BBQ Show (he is also known as BBQ), Almighty Defenders (with the Black Lips), Spaceshits, and Les Sexareenos. Currently he is performing as a one-man band. Touring in support of two recent In the Red Records releases and a... More >>

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  Preservation Hall Jazz Band, New Orleans Jazz Orchestra

  Orchestra Hall

  With Orchestra Hall about to close for extensive renovations, the old place will get a Crescent City-style sendoff courtesy of two bands steeped in traditional New Orleans jazz: the venerable Preservation Hall Jazz Band (pictured) and the relative upstart New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, led by Minnesota Orchestra Jazz Artistic Director Irvin Mayfield. Also on hand will be Davell Crawford, one of... More >>

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  Cult Sisters III Love/Hate

  Cult Status Gallery

  This Saturday, Cult Status Gallery will host its yearly group show featuring the work of a handful of talented ladies. And while the creative folks exhibiting in "Cult Sisters III Love/Hate" are all female, the gallery is quick to point out that the event isn't necessarily a women's art show. These people made the cut not because of their gender, but because they are awesome working artists.... More >>

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  Burlesque at the Museum

  Mounds Theatre

  What do burlesque and dusty old museums have in common? Not much, unless you hit up the Historic Mounds Theatre for Burlesque at the Museum. Here, the extraordinary entertainers of Toil & Trouble will present their second show of the season. Think of it a little like Night at the Museum sans Ben Stiller and with a whole lot of glitter, feathers, and tassels. The troupe's previous event,... More >>

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  Live Racing

  Canterbury Park

  Last week marked the start of Canterbury Park's 2012 season. This weekend, the horses will hit the track once again for suspenseful, high-stakes racing (or just entertainment, if you're not the betting type). Many of the evenings are themed, which adds to the fun. For example, there are drink deals and live music on Fridays, family-friendly activities and free pony rides on Sundays, and Buck... More >>

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  Lawn Bowling

  Brit's Pub & Eating Establishment

  Of all of the pub games out there, lawn bowling may be one of the best. Darts can be precarious after a few too many, pool requires a skill level that can be frustrating for folks out of practice, and those video games that take up valuable bar space are straight-up stupid. However, lawn bowling is easy. The rules are simple, and most folks can get the hang of it during their first round.... More >>

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  Hairspray

  Chanhassen Dinner Theatres

  Really, you can't stop the beat. Chanhassen may not be the epitome of cool, but here's something that may be worth the trip to exurbia. Based on John Waters's 1988 look back on his Baltimore youth and the televised dance shows that brought R&B to the lily-white neighborhoods, the musical includes tunes by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (who contributed songs to South Park: Bigger, Longer, and... More >>

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  Bondage A-Go-Go

  Ground Zero

  While there are usually a handful of burlesque shows happening on any given weekend, and Sex World is open 24 hours a day, Bondage A-Go-Go is still one of the most enduring nights dedicated to kinks and sexy subcultures. The crowd can vary depending on the season and the evening, but generally there's a healthy mix of goth/steampunk partiers, bad-ass folks chilling in leather/vinyl gear,... More >>

• More Saturday Events >>

Sunday, May 27

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  The Hollow

  Theatre In the Round

  For all its ghastly subject matter, there's something inherently comforting about a classic murder mystery. Perhaps the satisfaction derives from the thrill of playing detective against an oddly amicable lineup of suspects. How many murder mysteries, for example, take place on an affluent estate amidst a gallery of ever-so-civilized villainy? Warped motives, red herrings, and victims with... More >>

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  Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School

  331 Club

  Classroom drawing sessions are important for beginners; studio and freelance work help pay the bills; and setting up an easel by the lake is a nice way to spend an afternoon. Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School is a slightly different experience from all of these things. Every fourth Sunday afternoon, the 331 Club invites artists, from students to hobbyists to seasoned pros, to play with their... More >>

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  Vasa Lisa

  Minnesota Opera Center

  The current debate about including women and people of color in the conversation at local theaters fits in perfectly with Ten Thousand Things' latest work, Kira Obolensky's Vasa Lisa. Obolensky, who has previously adapted Crime and Punishment for the theater, has brought a Russian folk tale about a young woman's journey into danger — and a confrontation with the witch, Baba Yaga. As... More >>

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  FLO(we){u}r

  The Soap Factory

  For "FLO(we){u}r," the Soap Factory will go from gallery to bomb factory. The experiment plays off a bit of World War I history, when terracotta manufacturers were employed by the military to create test bombs to toss out of planes. Clay bombs were filled with flour so they would leave white marks upon impact. This aided planes, enabling real bomb dropping to be more accurate. Ceramic artists... More >>

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  Lifelike

  Walker Art Center

  Ever since Marcel Duchamp turned a urinal upside down, signed it R. Mutt, named it Fountain, and submitted it to the Society of Independent Artists exhibit in 1917, interest in the everyday as art has continued unabated. In 2010, the Weisman Art Museum presented "Common Sense: Art and the Quotidian," which examined how artists from Andy Warhol to Lewis Hine were inspired by the "common." On... More >>

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  Crimes of the Heart

  Bloomington Civic Theatre

  Sibling bonds might be famed for durability, but the same connections can be shackles to anyone hoping to make an escape from their family. For example, look to the luckless sisters at the center of Crimes of the Heart, opening at Bloomington Civic Theatre's Black Box Theater. In the story, imbued with an acidic wit by playwright Beth Henley, the three Magrath sisters represent walking... More >>

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  Open Blues Jam with Moses Oakland

  Famous Dave's BBQ & Blues Uptown

  Moses Oakland relocated from the Bay Area to the Twin Cities back in 1987, and since then -- well, it'd probably be easier and less space-consuming to list all the venues he hasn't played and the legends he hasn't gigged with. A blues, soul and jazz aficionado well-versed in a wide array of guitar styles, Oakland has held court at the Calhoun Square Famous Dave's since 2000, and his weekly... More >>

• More Sunday Events >>

Monday, May 28

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  Dr. Mambo's Combo

  Bunker's Music Bar & Grill

  1987 was a notable year for Minnesota: the Twins won the World Series, Prince released one of his best albums in Sign 'O' the Times, and St. Louis Park's own Coen Brothers released their first great comedy Raising Arizona. 1987 was also the year that Dr. Mambo's Combo was formed, and it just so happens that their crowd-pleasing funk/R&B sound has endured well enough to land them a regular... More >>

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  Daily Happy Hours

  Muddy Waters Bar & Eatery

  Fans and residents of the Wedge neighborhood will remember Muddy Waters as the coffee shop mainstay at the corner of 24th Street and Lyndale Avenue. And while rent was one of the reasons the shop left the space, instead of shutting down completely it moved down the street and expanded its offerings in new and wonderful ways. The dry scones and bakery goods that inexplicably thrive at every... More >>

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  Jerome Emerging Printmakers Exhibition

  Highpoint Center For Printmaking

  This Friday, print art enthusiasts will be able to see what the Highpoint Center for Printmaking's three Jerome Artists — Gwen Comings, Graham Judd, and Jonathan McFadden — have been up to during their nine-month residency. During that time, the artists have had the opportunity to further develop their skills and hone their talents through access to the studio's facilities,... More >>

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  Margaret Pezalla-Granlund: Extramundane

  Burnet Gallery at Chambers

  While some artists attempt to capture the landscapes of places they have traveled to, Margaret Pezalla-Granlund prefers to imagine the terrain of locations that no one has ever visited and probably never will. For her show at the Burnet Gallery at Chambers, she examines the creativity that comes with dreaming up the potential landscapes of faraway and "unexplored places beyond what we can... More >>

• More Monday Events >>

Tuesday, May 29

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  Lil' Kim

  Fine Line Music Cafe

  After breaking into the rap game in the early '90s with the help of the Notorious B.I.G., Lil' Kim has had no problem staying in the spotlight. As the self-proclaimed Queen Bee of hip-hop, Kim released a string of hit records before being incarcerated in 2005, but she still managed to turn that misfortune into a reality show and an album that came out while she was in prison. A stint on... More >>

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  Street Fortune

  Light Grey Art Lab

  Light Grey Art Lab's latest show, "Street Fortune," explores the people and places in the Twin Cities often overlooked or avoided. Think hobos, buskers, drug dealers, and shady cops in locations like alleys, dive bars, Dumpsters, and gutters. The collaborative exhibition features the work of Bill Rebholz and Llew Mejia, two artists with similar interests and inspirations but very different... More >>

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  The Amen Corner

  Guthrie Theater

  When Guthrie director Joe Dowling recently unveiled the main-stage slate for the upcoming 50th season, an online brouhaha was ignited over an alleged shortage of works reflective of gender and ethnic diversity at the storied institution. Even the Guthrie's most adamant social critics, however, will find much to appreciate over the next month as the theater hosts two productions explicitly... More >>

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  Date Night: Tasting for Two

  Kings Wine Bar

  While the official name of this Tuesday-night special isn't cheap date night, it certainly works as an affordable outing for you and your sweetie (or budding relationship). For $45 couples can enjoy three courses, plus dessert, with each plate thoughtfully paired with a pour from the wine menu. Nestled in the cozy—but quickly expanding—corner of 46th and Grand Avenue in the... More >>

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  Kathe Kollwitz: Making Human

  Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum

  "Her silent lines penetrate the marrow like a cry of pain," German novelist Gerhart Hauptmann wrote of Käthe Kollwitz's etchings. The suffering and desperation of early-20th-century victims of poverty and war were the artist's subjects. While she treated them, at times, with evocative empathy, other times she exaggerated their expressiveness into a physicality verging on the grotesque.... More >>

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  Whittier Artists in Storefronts

  Old Arizona Studio

  While Whittier can claim both the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and the Minneapolis College of Art and Design as parts of its neighborhood, the area is becoming even artier over the next couple of weeks. Taking a nod from Wing Young Huie's University Avenue Project, abandoned spaces and unused storefronts have now been filled with installations, interactive pieces, and window art. Take a... More >>

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  Hit or Miss Tuesdays

  Rick Bronson's House of Comedy

  Standup comedy is a lot like swimming: The only way to find out you're any good at it is to try it out yourself, and there's a significant chance of dying that first time. But if you think you're funny and want to give it a shot, a great place to jump in is at Hit or Miss Tuesdays at Rick Bronson's House of Comedy, where every week a blend of newbies and seasoned pros get five minutes to make... More >>

• More Tuesday Events >>

Wednesday, May 30

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  Ishoyet; Isopleth/Seven Billion

  Minneapolis Institute of Arts

  The new work of Minneapolis artists Katelyn Farstad and David Frohlich moves through space and time, even when it's static. That's the nature of "Ishoyet; Isopleth," their installation of paintings, prints, and kinetic media on a double bill with St. Paul artist Gregory Fitz's "Seven Billion," opening at the MAEP Gallery this week. An isopleth is a contour line bringing two points together;... More >>

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  Works Progress: Walking in Our Shoes

  Shoebox Gallery

  Works Progress is a group that encourages community engagement through artist-run events, open discussions, and adventurous activities. Past projects have included Solutions Twin Cities, a pecha kucha-style event where creative and scientific folks shared innovative ideas in rapid-fire presentations; and Mississippi Megalops, in which crowds hopped on a boat to take in performances during... More >>

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  Compleat Female Stage Beauty

  Minneapolis Theatre Garage

  Jeffrey Hatcher's Compleat Female Stage Beauty explores the story of Edward Kynaston, a Restoration-era actor called "the prettiest woman in the whole house" by Samuel Pepys. He specialized in female roles, but found his career in jeopardy when women were finally allowed on the stage. The play, which was also adapted into the film Stage Beauty in 2004, is making its Twin Cities debut. "I am... More >>

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  The Death Comedy Jam

  Grumpy's Bar & Grill

  If you've ever considered writing some jokes and giving standup comedy a try, know this: That first time is gonna be brutal. That being the case, you might as well test your mettle in the most brutal setting possible, which in Minneapolis means hitting up the Death Comedy Jam at the downtown Grumpy's. The show's so tough it was for several years emceed by the Grim Reaper, who ushered the... More >>

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  Transmission

  Clubhouse Jager

  "Retro" is a tricky niche to slot a dance night into. Usually you've got to find yourself an era and a genre, hew towards the hits, and maybe garnish it with an outsized wink, a double-pistol-point and a smirking acknowledgement that you think the past is, well, kinda goofy. Clubhouse Jager's weekly Transmission dance night, one of the bar's longest-running attractions, doesn't constrict... More >>

• More Wednesday Events >>

Thursday, May 31

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  Happy Hours

  Tiger Sushi 2

  Located on the first floor of the condo stacks mere blocks from Lake and Lyndale, Tiger Sushi is an easy place to stop in for a sushi fix on days when the super-popular Fuji-Ya is a bit too crowded. The ambiance is nice, the bars are long, and the space never feels overly packed, even when it is really busy (as one recent Groupon night demonstrated). Seafood of any sort can rack up the bill,... More >>

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  Messages From the Event Horizon

  Gallery 122 At Hang It

  The work of local artist Alison Hiltner is never dull. Past exhibitions have included an organ-donor vending machine, phosphorescent flora, and business suits that claim to suck up sweat through giant medical tubes attached to the back. Her installations are heavily influenced by science, nature, and technology — think nerve endings, brain waves, and patterns occurring in nature —... More >>

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  Compleat Female Stage Beauty

  Minneapolis Theatre Garage

  Jeffrey Hatcher's Compleat Female Stage Beauty explores the story of Edward Kynaston, a Restoration-era actor called "the prettiest woman in the whole house" by Samuel Pepys. He specialized in female roles, but found his career in jeopardy when women were finally allowed on the stage. The play, which was also adapted into the film Stage Beauty in 2004, is making its Twin Cities debut. "I am... More >>

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  Crimes of the Heart

  Bloomington Civic Theatre

  Sibling bonds might be famed for durability, but the same connections can be shackles to anyone hoping to make an escape from their family. For example, look to the luckless sisters at the center of Crimes of the Heart, opening at Bloomington Civic Theatre's Black Box Theater. In the story, imbued with an acidic wit by playwright Beth Henley, the three Magrath sisters represent walking... More >>

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  The Bungalow

  The Record Room

  Friday night gets all the love, Wednesday night has its nudge-wink "hump day" cachet and everyone hates Mondays so much that there's no choice but to go out and wash that start-of-the-week ennui away. But what about Thursday, the day of the week where people are most likely to put socially-outgoing good times off until tomorrow? Well, there's a dance night for that, too, and it's worth... More >>

• More Thursday Events >>

Friday, June 01

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  Armin Van Buuren

  Epic

  Armin Van Buuren's brand of dance music is not in the usual vein. He has carved out a space in which he functions as an electronic folk singer of sorts. Without singing himself -- he has guests on nearly all of his singles -- the emotions stirred up by pushing buttons and mixing ultra-catchy beats are a bit similar to that of a Bon Iver record -- no joke. This is a night of dancing that... More >>

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  The Shins

  Orpheum Theatre

  The setting for the Shins long anticipated return to Minneapolis has shifted from an initial club gig at the Brick to the rather lavish confines of the Orpheum Theatre, a move which should suit frontman James Mercer's rather tranquil new numbers quite perfectly. Mercer is the only constant in the Shins continually rotating cast of musicians, and his new record, Port Of Morrow (which was... More >>

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  The Hollow

  Theatre In the Round

  For all its ghastly subject matter, there's something inherently comforting about a classic murder mystery. Perhaps the satisfaction derives from the thrill of playing detective against an oddly amicable lineup of suspects. How many murder mysteries, for example, take place on an affluent estate amidst a gallery of ever-so-civilized villainy? Warped motives, red herrings, and victims with... More >>

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  Eye of the Beholder: New Work by Kristie Bretzke

  XYandZ

  With talented artists as varied as Tina Blondell and Frank Gaard working in the genre, it's interesting to see how portrait paintings, once viewed as dated, are flourishing in the Twin Cities. The work of Kristie Bretzke is another example of this expansion. Her latest show, "Eye of the Beholder," will feature portraits and landscapes with a fresh and modern spin. Much like Gaard, Bretzke... More >>

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  Black Water

  In the Former Mediterranean Market Space

  You never know where Skewed Visions will show up. The haunting, disturbing "Strange Love" (2007) took place in a former coffin factory. "He Woke Up in a Strange Place Called Home and Although Looking for Bed He Kept Finding Death Instead" (2010) started in the home of arts patron Nor Hall, then rambled down sidewalks and into backyards in the neighborhood. The third work in what might be... More >>

• More Friday Events >>