July 1, 2009

Dylan revisited by bandmates in July 1 concert

In December 1974, Bob Dylan returned to Minnesota with a pile of tape from New York recordings and gathered local musicians to re-cut what would arguably become his most respected album to date, Blood on the Tracks. Tonight (July 1), many of the players associated with the local sessions, including Peter Ostroushko and Kevin Odegard (author of the book, A Simple Twist of Fate, about the recording) will regroup as a Dylan tribute band for an outdoor show at 7 p.m. at the fine Wolfe Park Amphitheater at 3700 Monterey Drive near Excelsior and Grand in St. Louis Park. Dan Israel and other like-minded acoustic artists, such as Peter Lang, will... Read more »

Posted on Wednesday, July 1, 2009 in Front & Center | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 26, 2009

Your Bollywood Weekend

Tonight, June 26, and for a limited time, Oak Street Cinema is screening a major Bollywood film essentially in line with its worldwide release. And it stands to be a terrific example—Bollywood does New York, essentially. It's called New York, actually, setting the usual gorgeous actors in the paradise that is supposed to be New York until, of course, trouble shows up in the form of FBI shenanigans and the big city, per the usual Bollywood moralizing, turns a little darker. Complete with a full slate of musical interludes, it looks like a blast.

The particular magic of India's enormous film industry, known as Bollywood, is not unlike that of America's Golden Age of... Read more »

Posted on Friday, June 26, 2009 in Front & Center | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 24, 2009

Messersmith, Osgood set to rock for the arts

Last year, when Chris Osgood (the former Suicide Commando frontman, not the Red Wings goalie) left the Springboard for the Arts in St. Paul for a job with the nearby McNally Smith College of Music, Springboard threw a party--the Osgood Do-good Bash. And had so much fun, they're doing it again, to raise money for Springboard, which offers low-cost business, management, and legal resources for artists.

This year's concert is Friday, June 26, and features not only Osgood, with a group called The Warblers, but Jeremy Messersmith and many others, such as spoken-word artist E.G. Bailey, hip-hop hero Tou Saiko Lee, and Ragamala Dance member Amanda Dlouhy. Additionally, an art... Read more »

Posted on Wednesday, June 24, 2009 in Front & Center | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 22, 2009

Rock the Garden is rollicking if not rocking

Saturday night's sight, of nearly 10,000 hip folks filling the hillside behind the Walker Art Center, where the Guthrie Theater used to be, was an inspiring one for anyone concerned that Minnesota Public Radio or the Walker would struggle to find the youth vote. It was the largest crowd yet for Rock the Garden, a concert and membership drive for both institutions--and a group that seemed to thoroughly enjoy itself, despite not having a really rocking group among the four bands.

MPR's The Current is among the best radio stations in the country for tapping the indie-rock zeitgeist, and the Walker, of course, has unfailingly helped set... Read more »

Posted on Monday, June 22, 2009 in Front & Center | Permalink | Comments (1)

June 22, 2009

Amazing jazz, Rock the Garden and more weekend art

This week is shaping up to be the best of the summer art season, and we haven't even gotten warm yet. Firstly, anyone with even a mild interest in New Orleans, New Orleans jazz, R&B, or generally shaking your moneymaker (in a classy way) should consider joining myself Friday night in St. Paul's Mears Park when Allen Toussaint, the dapper pianist/producer kicks off the Twin Cities Jazz Festival, which almost didn't happen this year in a struggle to secure sponsorships (the effect of fewer local companies on the arts is something we can discuss later). Saturday's highlight is Esperanza Spalding, a bassist in her mid-20s who's updating the cool-jazz sound with some funk, blues, Afro-Cuban, hip-hop, etc. And that's just the big... Read more »

Posted on Monday, June 22, 2009 in Front & Center | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 12, 2009

"Titanic" resurrected at the Science Museum

Divers may not be able to recover Leonardio DiCaprio's sunken career, but they have come up with a remarkable number of Titanic artifacts, including a three-ton section of its hull, such personal effects as a top hat and sealskin slippers, and vials of perfume that still give off a scent more than 100 years later. All of this can be seen starting this weekend when Titanic: The Artifacts Exhibition opens at the Science Museum of Minnesota, filling 14,000 feet with recreated rooms, even a simulated iceberg, comprising the largest exhibition the museum has ever held.

Also opening this weekend, on Sunday, is an intriguing exhibit at the Minneapolis Institute of... Read more »

Posted on Friday, June 12, 2009 in Front & Center | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 5, 2009

MOSAIC arts festival opens Saturday with best lineup yet

The MOSAIC arts festival--a free showcase of Minneapolis's diverse performing arts companies--opens Saturday evening at 5:30 p.m. at several venues along Hennepin Avenue and First Avenue, including outdoor stages. The performers include a savvy mix of familiar names (Ragamala Dance, Latina hip-hop sensation Maria Isa) and intriguing under-the-radar groups (the Afro-Brazilian Capoeira Association, capoeira being a kind of mindblowing martial-arts-meets-breakdance wizardry; the Hayor Bibimma African Dance Company, Brazilian parade dancing, etc.).... Read more »

Posted on Friday, June 5, 2009 in Front & Center | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 31, 2009

Review: "Intelligent" flashes brilliance at the Guthrie

 The new play commissioned of Tony Kushner by the Guthrie Theater, The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism & Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures, is the clear successor to Kushner's masterpiece, Angels in America, picking up many of the same arguments about love, sexuality, and politics while adding many more--and brilliantly.

The play centers around a Brooklyn longshoreman who claims to have Alzheimer's and therefore is threatening to kill himself. His children wrestle with this decision, and in doing so they debate with their Communist father the relatives merits of the labor movement, God, and, ultimately life itself. Kushner's skillfully overlapping dialogues and a marvelous set enable all the arguments and counterarguments in... Read more »

Posted on Sunday, May 31, 2009 in Front & Center | Permalink | Comments (1)

May 21, 2009

The mysterious "Homosexual"

Tony Kushner's new play, commissioned with much fanfare by the Guthrie Theater, finally opened this week. It was pushed back a week, of course, which meant the press night was pushed back, too, which has led to an strange silence about the heralded play. Perhaps everyone is still too enamored with Caroline, or Change (and they rightfully are). Word from inside the Guthrie is that the extra week was sorely needed--and another week might have helped, too--or not, given the perfectionist whose play this is--as Kushner reportedly was still writing it through right up to the final rehearsals.

Nevertheless, a few people are posting reviews here and there, including on Read more »

Posted on Thursday, May 21, 2009 in Front & Center | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 16, 2009

Live from Art-A-Whirl

Art-A-Whirl, the state's largest tour of artists studios, began last night and from my studio, which I share with eight other artists in the Northrup King Building--ground zero for AAW--it was an excellent crowd. There were times when I was pressed back into a corner by the sheer number of bodies in the room, and, somewhat to my surprise, given the national state of wallets, a few people even sold things.

Each year, what the crowds are talking about is this: Who has the best food? Who has the best drink? And, oh yeah, who has the best art? I'm happy to say the snack buzz centered around our studio--nine artists, likely the most in one... Read more »

Posted on Saturday, May 16, 2009 in Front & Center | Permalink | Comments (0)