Calendar of Events in Minneapolis

Tuesday, June 11
• 
  Wang
  Regis Center For Art

  This two-part, dual-location exhibition celebrates the work of Beijing artist Wang Youshen. At the Regis Center on the U of M campus (Quarter Gallery, 405 21st Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612.625.8096), the "Wang" portion includes photography on walls and dangling from the ceiling that turns a subversive lens on subjects both Chinese and American. The concept behind the "Youshen" installation at... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Live Racing
  Running Aces Harness Park

  While modern harness racing isn't quite as dramatic (or life-threatening) as the chariot races of ancient Rome, it's still a lot of fun to watch. Like any summertime sporting venue, Running Aces Harness Park features a variety of theme nights and giveaways throughout its season, such as Beach Party Day (June 23), Super Hero Day (June 30), and Whiskey and Cigar Night (August 10). Weekly deals... Read more about this event >>

• 
  The Primrose Path
  Guthrie Theater

  British playwright Crispin Whittell brings his second premiere adaptation to the Guthrie Theater with The Primrose Path, based on Ivan Turgenev's 1859 novel Home of the Gentry. Whittell's first adaptation, the latest version of A Christmas Carol used by the theater, has played to strong audiences and solid notices over the past three seasons. Whittell was looking to create a passionate love... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Christopher Owens
  Icehouse

  The ex-frontman of San Francisco outfit Girls, Christopher Owens left guitar-driven rock band-dom behind to dive into sumptuous orchestral pop on his solo debut, Lysandre. The heavy melodic lifting formerly carried out by electric six-strings in Owens's songs is currently being handled by PBS-evoking pan flutes, warm vintage keyboards, and heavenly female harmony vocals on record. While... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Cheap Date Night
  Red Stag Supper Club

  Can a bar and restaurant with the look and feel of a northern cabin lure a hipster crowd? After numerous visits over the past couple of years, we'd have to say definitely. Since opening in 2007, the Stag has grown from a decent spot to grab an early snack at the beginning of a northeast Minneapolis evening to a destination hotspot that hosts dance parties like Wants vs. Needs, campy movie... Read more about this event >>

• More Tuesday Events >>

Wednesday, June 12
• 
  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. But Transmission doesn't constrict itself to that kind of semi-insincere kitsch. Helmed by DJ Jake Rudh, a veteran of... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Painter Painter
  Walker Art Center

  Paint, as a medium and mode of expression, is so 20th century. Right? Not for the 15 emerging artists presented in the Walker Art Center's new survey, "Painter Painter." Hailing from throughout the U.S. and Europe, this new under-40 crop of painters (including Sarah Crowner, Dianna Molzan, Zak Prekop, and Lesley Vance) takes abstraction and practice beyond the studio and in novel directions.... Read more about this event >>

• 
  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... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Abraham Cruzvillegas: The Autoconstrucción Suites
  Walker Art Center

  On first look, Abraham Cruzvillegas's sculptures and installations have a Duchampian appeal with their incorporation of everyday objects. But on closer investigation, the work collected in "The Autoconstruccion Suites," the first mid-career exhibition for the Mexico City artist, has a dynamism that comes from his creative assemblage of materials. Cruzvillegas calls his process... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Clybourne Park
  Guthrie Theater

  The Guthrie continues its anniversary season with an explosive, award-winning satire on America's uneasy relationship with race. Bruce Norris's award-winning Clybourne Park is positioned as a response to Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun. The play connects two acts separated by 50 years by using the same cast in each part to explore issues of identity, gentrification, and American... Read more about this event >>

• More Wednesday Events >>

Thursday, June 13
• 
  Carolyn Brunelle: Imagine the Tree
  The Annex @ Groveland Gallery

  Joseph Byrne's new works — casein on paper — are abstractions with straight edges pieced together like building blocks. Carolyn Brunelle's recent acrylic paintings are vibrantly colored abstractions brimming with the emotional intensity of a Van Gogh (without his signature brushwork). Together, the two artists herald spring and summer at Groveland Gallery in a double-header as... Read more about this event >>

• 
  From Space to Place
  Katherine E. Nash Gallery

  Back in the 1970s, architects, landscape artists, and city planners introduced the term "placemaking." Both a philosophy and a process, placemaking was used to describe how one approached the creation of, and then created, such urban spaces as parks and avenues in ways that would invite participation and pleasure. In the 21st century, "placemaking" has become a catchall term for any creative... Read more about this event >>

• 
  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,... Read more about this event >>

• 
  The Museum of Non Participation: The New Deal
  Walker Art Center

  Imagine you're stuck inside Islamabad's National Gallery. Outside, mass protests are met with government violence. What's your response? For London-based artists Karen Mirza and Brad Butler, it's a traveling multimedia art project that investigates how artists and museums confront, reconcile, or ignore political realities. In its first U.S. presentation, "The Museum of Non Participation"... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Live Racing
  Canterbury Park

  While the Kentucky Derby has come and gone, horse races in Minnesota continue throughout the summer. As of last week, folks can now take a fun little road trip to Shakopee and enjoy a day of food, entertainment, and gambling at Canterbury Park. Special events this year include Memorial Day races, where there will be plenty of family-friendly things to do, like face painting and a petting zoo.... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Clybourne Park
  Guthrie Theater

  The Guthrie continues its anniversary season with an explosive, award-winning satire on America's uneasy relationship with race. Bruce Norris's award-winning Clybourne Park is positioned as a response to Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun. The play connects two acts separated by 50 years by using the same cast in each part to explore issues of identity, gentrification, and American... Read more about this event >>

• 
  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... Read more about this event >>

• More Thursday Events >>

Friday, June 14
• 
  Emilie: La Marquise du Châtelet Defends Her Life Tonight
  St. Catherine University

  In a listing of the most influential minds in the history of scientific research, Isaac Newton will inevitably be ranked near — if not at — the very top. Less commonly found is the name of Emilie du Châtelet, despite her achievements in not only standardizing the French translation of Newton's groundbreaking Principia Mathematica but in critiquing said theories with her own... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Bike Art VIII
  Altered Esthetics

  This Friday marks the return of Altered Esthetics' annual "Bike Art" exhibition. Each year, the gallery invites artists to create works inspired by bicycles, riding, and bike culture. This installment will feature pieces by 15 artists working in varying mediums, including screen printing, painting, and photography. Some capture wheel warriors who ride year-round, while others are more... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Cornbread Harris
  Loring Pasta Bar

  You might've heard of his son -- a man named Jimmy who teamed up with another man named Terry, the rest being R&B history -- but Cornbread Harris is a Twin Cities legend in his own right. Harris is a WWII vet who joined Augie Garcia to record the area's first rock'n'roll record (1955's "Hi Yo Silver"), but also has roots in country, blues and jazz, giving him the repertoire and background... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Hunting Club
  Turf Club

  Listening to the first minute and 45 seconds of "Yours Truly" by locals Hunting Club, music snobs prone to making comparisons might have the band name Muse on the tips of their tongues. There are the ultra-dramatic guitar lines and swooning vocals that manage to capture the width of six notes in the space of one. Then come the Beach Boys-esque harmonies in the chorus. Quickly, the urge to... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Binthere
  Form + Content Gallery

  Citizens of Minnesota visit its state parks for any number of reasons. Artist Cameron Zebrun journeys through the forests, along the streambeds, and across the escarpments of the state for inspiration. Nature's geography offers trailheads into his interior landscapes. Sculpture, light boxes, photographs, and video emerge. The last item on that list is 100 minutes long, and was created with a... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Convolution
  Soo Visual Arts Center

  You might find yourself asking what it is you're looking at in "Everything Is Entrance," on exhibit in the SooVAC's Main Gallery space. That's kind of the point, as Lori Esposito's large-scale drawings are a bit Rorschach test, a bit black-light poster, a bit meditative mandala. "When we don't recognize something, we understand it as being other, mystical, mysterious, transformative," she... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Firkin Fridays
  Grumpy's Bar & Grill

  Folks looking to start Labor Day weekend a little early may want to check in with Grumpy's Firkin Fridays. Each week, the bar sets up snack food and a cask-conditioned beer to be enjoyed by all until it's gone. What kind of beer? That varies, as the brew is usually announced the day of the event via the Grumpy's Twitter account. Past pours have included Epic Brewing Company's Spiral Jetty,... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Lance Armstrong's Steroid-Pumped Comedy Revue
  Brave New Workshop Downtown Stage

  If there's one thing we've learned over the past few years, it's that making sports stars into heroes is a no-win game. At best, they'll outstay their welcome in the spotlight, tarnishing the hard work of their career. At worst, we learn embarrassing facts about their personal lives (hello, Brett Favre!) or discover that they essentially cheated their way to the top. Which brings us to Lance... Read more about this event >>

• 
  The Comedy Corner Open Mic Night
  The Corner Bar

  In 2009, a quirk of the Minneapolis liquor code that required special licensing to perform standup comedy temporarily put a halt to the Comedy Corner Underground's Friday night open mic and threatened other comedy shows around town. After local comedians worked with the city government to amend the law, the room reopened with a renewed vigor and sense of purpose, now hosting multiple shows... Read more about this event >>

• More Friday Events >>

Saturday, June 15
• 
  Josh Rouse
  Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant

  Always on the softer adult-alternative leaning side of the indie-rock spectrum to begin with, veteran singer/songwriter Josh Rouse "rocks" gentler than ever on his tenth album proper, The Happiness Waltz. Now firmly ensconced in his 40s and a married father of two, the reedy tenor's latest batch of songs consist largely of low-key meditations on the trials and tribulations of attempting to... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Walker on the Green: Artist-Designed Mini Golf
  Walker Art Center

  At first thought there wouldn't seem to be much of a correlation between modern art and mini golf. Whereas the former seeks to invigorate with innovative designs and abstract concepts, the latter is often considered a leisurely activity with an artistic aesthetic most charitably described as American kitsch. Challenging such expectations, Walker on the Green: Artist-Designed Mini Golf is... Read more about this event >>

• 
  The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds
  Gremlin Theatre

  Considering the daunting survival rate of new performance troupes, the Gremlin Theatre's enduring success is worthy of celebration. From its nomadic launch in 1998, to a six-year stay at the Loading Dock Theater, to its current residency in a space on the corner of Raymond and University Avenues in St. Paul, the troupe has built an exemplary reputation for creating strikingly original fare... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Hotpants
  Nomad World Pub

  1971's "Hot Pants (She Got to Use What She Got to Get What She Wants)" was one of several immortal singles from James Brown's early '70s run of heavy, J.B.'s-era classics. The same funk factory cranked out Vicki Anderson's saucy "I'm Too Tough for Mr. Big Stuff (Hot Pants)" the same year, and by the end of '72 you could cram a jukebox full-to-bursting with "Hot Pants" singles by everyone from... Read more about this event >>

• 
  The Primrose Path
  Guthrie Theater

  British playwright Crispin Whittell brings his second premiere adaptation to the Guthrie Theater with The Primrose Path, based on Ivan Turgenev's 1859 novel Home of the Gentry. Whittell's first adaptation, the latest version of A Christmas Carol used by the theater, has played to strong audiences and solid notices over the past three seasons. Whittell was looking to create a passionate love... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Balls
  Southern Theater

  Balls open mic cabaret has been a late-night staple of the Minneapolis scene for over 20 years now. The midnight event, hosted by creator Leslie Ball, welcomes a wide range of participants. What audiences might see on any given evening varies wildly per week, but may include an acoustic song from an out-of-town musician, a standup set from a college student, a musical number from local actors... Read more about this event >>

• 
  From Space to Place
  Katherine E. Nash Gallery

  Back in the 1970s, architects, landscape artists, and city planners introduced the term "placemaking." Both a philosophy and a process, placemaking was used to describe how one approached the creation of, and then created, such urban spaces as parks and avenues in ways that would invite participation and pleasure. In the 21st century, "placemaking" has become a catchall term for any creative... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Jessica Dickinson: final remainders 2011-2013
  David Petersen Gallery

  Back in the day, Jessica Dickinson spent time with the artists of Speedboat Gallery. The St. Paul native, Brooklyn-based painter is known for her abstract works that are built, deconstructed, and rebuilt over time. Space, chance methods, a change of mind, and different ideas become incorporated into her work. Whether this process is visually accessible in the final product matters not. Seeing... Read more about this event >>

• 
  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,... Read more about this event >>

• More Saturday Events >>

Sunday, June 16
• 
  Live Racing
  Running Aces Harness Park

  While modern harness racing isn't quite as dramatic (or life-threatening) as the chariot races of ancient Rome, it's still a lot of fun to watch. Like any summertime sporting venue, Running Aces Harness Park features a variety of theme nights and giveaways throughout its season, such as Beach Party Day (June 23), Super Hero Day (June 30), and Whiskey and Cigar Night (August 10). Weekly deals... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Abraham Cruzvillegas: The Autoconstrucción Suites
  Walker Art Center

  On first look, Abraham Cruzvillegas's sculptures and installations have a Duchampian appeal with their incorporation of everyday objects. But on closer investigation, the work collected in "The Autoconstruccion Suites," the first mid-career exhibition for the Mexico City artist, has a dynamism that comes from his creative assemblage of materials. Cruzvillegas calls his process... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Youshen
  Mpls Photo Center

  This two-part, dual-location exhibition celebrates the work of Beijing artist Wang Youshen. At the Regis Center on the U of M campus (Quarter Gallery, 405 21st Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612.625.8096), the "Wang" portion includes photography on walls and dangling from the ceiling that turns a subversive lens on subjects both Chinese and American. The concept behind the "Youshen" installation at... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Sunset Boulevard
  New Century Theatre

  The 1950 film Sunset Boulevard remains a masterful example of using noir conventions to heighten a sense of creeping anxiety and existential dread. Such praise, however, has not been as universally extended to the musical adaptation first staged in 1993. As developed by Broadway maestro Andrew Lloyd Webber and co-writers/lyricists Don Black and Christopher Hampton, the musical does generally... Read more about this event >>

• 
  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... Read more about this event >>

• 
  El Willy's Vive! Open Mic Comedy
  Willy's

  There's a chance to slip in one more comedy show before the end of the week every Sunday at El Willy's Vive! Not only is this your last opportunity to catch a laugh before the start of the work week, it's also one of the metro's quirkiest open mics. Host Corey Adam has a wrestling promoter's flair for gimmicks and special events, including the open-mic cage fights that pit new comics in a... Read more about this event >>

• More Sunday Events >>

Monday, June 17
• 
  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... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Walker on the Green: Artist-Designed Mini Golf
  Walker Art Center

  At first thought there wouldn't seem to be much of a correlation between modern art and mini golf. Whereas the former seeks to invigorate with innovative designs and abstract concepts, the latter is often considered a leisurely activity with an artistic aesthetic most charitably described as American kitsch. Challenging such expectations, Walker on the Green: Artist-Designed Mini Golf is... Read more about this event >>

• 
  The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds
  Gremlin Theatre

  Considering the daunting survival rate of new performance troupes, the Gremlin Theatre's enduring success is worthy of celebration. From its nomadic launch in 1998, to a six-year stay at the Loading Dock Theater, to its current residency in a space on the corner of Raymond and University Avenues in St. Paul, the troupe has built an exemplary reputation for creating strikingly original fare... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Weekly Happy Hours
  Blackbird

  Although many restaurants close over the years, few are forced to do so because of fire. This is what happened at Blackbird's original 50th and Bryant location in 2010. A benefit party and a new lease later, the pleasant little restaurant has flourished in its new digs at 38th and Nicollet. The decor is charmingly artsy and features an odd mix of steel chairs, warm lighting, church pews, and... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Daily Happy Hours
  Herkimer Pub & Brewery

  Don't try to order up a Surly at the Herkimer; this joint actually makes their own beers. And though some brews are better than others, most are pretty decent. You can try their best award-winning items easily during the 10 after 10 happy hour. For $10 after 10 p.m., barhoppers can enjoy five mini-burgers, sweet-potato fries, and choose between a pint of the Alt Bier (a pale ale) or the Sky... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Daily Happy Hours
  The Lowbrow

  Things are happening in the Kingfield neighborhood. A few years ago the area was considered more residential; if you wanted to barhop your best bet was to stay in the Lyn-Lake area just north of the region. However, thanks to places like King's Wine Bar, Patisserie 46, and Jack's (formerly Java Jack), which has added wine and beer to its menu, the area is bustling with activity. The Lowbrow... Read more about this event >>

• 
  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... Read more about this event >>

• 
  Daily Happy Hours
  Bar Abilene

  For more than 10 years Bar Abilene has served as a check-in point in Uptown Minneapolis. During the afternoon, people come in after a morning shopping at the nearby farmers' market and the Kitchen Window. In the evening, folks stop by for a beer before seeing a flick at the Lagoon or Uptown theaters. The weekend clientele tend to be tipsy and a little messy, but are friendly enough and reach... Read more about this event >>

• More Monday Events >>