Hot Summer Nights
Whatever your passion—movies, music, painting, or plays—we’ve got your summer all planned out: We’ve scoured cultural calendars for the Twin Cities’ best events, then added a few dinner and nightcap recommendations. Here, 47 ways to kick up—or cool—your heels after sunset.
Edited by Joel Hoekstra
Photo by Jeff Johnson
On her: “M” Missoni dress, Neiman Marcus, $685; Stephen Dweck Necklace, Neiman Marcus, $395; Monolo Blahnik Shoe, Neiman Marcus, $675 On Him: Juicy Couture Jacket, Neiman Marcus, $350; Etro Shirt, Intoto, $340; Rag & Bone Jeans, Intoto, $225 Hair/Makeup: Angelia, Moore Creative Stylist: Cindy Wagner Stylist Assistant: Sydney Eisbach Female model: KC Krull, Ford/Chicago Male model: Hartley Humphreys, Ford/Chicago
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Jazz & Pop
UP-AND-COMERS GET THE SPOTLIGHT AT ORCHESTRA HALL WITH DOWNBEAT'S RISING STARS
Here’s the problem with jazz these days: For everyone save true aficionados, it’s too damn hard. Hard to understand. Hard to appreciate. Hard to love. Hell, it’s even hard to find a good place to hear jazz live (at least, if you don’t live near Minneapolis’s Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant or St. Paul’s Artists’ Quarter).This summer, however, the people who put on the jazz series at Orchestra Hall have done something scientists once believed impossible: They’ve made jazz easy. On June 26, the venue will host DownBeat’s Rising Stars, a show that should charm innocents and connoisseurs alike, with a lineup that features several of jazz’s brightest up-and-comers, including trumpeter Sean Jones (who also curates the show), saxophonist Marcus Strickland (who’s best know for his quartet), and trombonist Wycliffe Gordon (who’s best known as the man responsible for retooling the theme song to National Public Radio’s All Things Considered). Indeed, the only way it would be any easier to see great jazz would be to move next door to the Marsalis family.
—ANDREW PUTZ
MAKE IT A DATE
Where: Orchestra Hall. 1111 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., 612-371-5656When: June 26
What else: The French like jazz, right? So French food seems apropos when attending a jazz concert. Vincent, with the city’s best French fare, offers a three-course prix-fixe menu Monday through Thursday. 1100 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., 612-630-1189
More Hot Summer Nights
THREE OPTIONS FOR MEALS, MUSIC, AND MORE
Greg BrownMay 2
Brown—whose work has been covered by everyone from Willie Nelson to Joan Baez—is back on stage at the Fitz, where he first gained acclaim as a frequent guest on A Prairie Home Companion. Before the show, hit the St. Paul Grill or Babani’s.
Fitzgerald Theater
10 E. Exchange St., St. Paul, 651-290-1221
St. Paul Grill
350 Market St., St. Paul, 651-224-7455
Babani’s
544 St. Peter St., St. Paul, 651-602-9964
The Magnolias
May 31
Catch this almost-famous band, a mainstay of the legendary Minneapolis music scene of the mid-’80s, just before they kick off their European tour. Fuel up for the show by visiting Solera, where you can score a cheap bottle of good Spanish wine and some tapas-comfort foods. There’s also a late-night menu for after the show.
7th St. Entry
701 First Ave. N., Mpls., 612-338-8388
Solera
900 Hennepin Ave., Mpls., 612-338-0062
Mark Knopfler
July 12
Knopfler, the force behind Dire Straits, is known for his virtuosity (Rolling Stone magazine named him among the greatest rock guitarists of all time) and his amiable on-stage persona (he often drinks tea during perform-ances). Naturally, such refinement deserves a refined meal. Try the Chambers Kitchen’s spice-crusted sea bass.
Orpheum Theatre
910 Hennepin Ave., Mpls., 612-673-0404
Chambers Kitchen
901 Hennepin Ave., Mpls., 612-767-6999
Best of Shows
VENUES, EVENTS, AND OUTINGS
Radio Star
» KT TunstallThe Grammy-nominated Scot with ubiquitous songs hits town behind her Drastic Fantastic album. May 14. State Theatre, 805 Hennepin Ave., Mpls., 612-673-0404
Jazz
» The Dave Brubeck QuartetA chance to see a jazz pianist the Library of Congress describes as a “living legend.” May 25. Orchestra Hall, 1111 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., 612-371-5656
British Invaders
» The KooksThe English indie-rock band arrives stateside a month after the release of their highly anticipated new album, Konk. May 31. Fine Line Music Café, 318 First Ave. N., Mpls., 651-989-5151
Electric Fetus
» 40th AnniversaryA musical celebration of Minneapolis’s iconic record store. June 13. 7th St. Entry, 701 First Ave. N., Mpls., 612-338-8388
Riverside tunes
» RomanticaMinneapolis-based folk-rockers play amid riverside ruins as part of a free summer concert series. June 19. Mill City Museum, 704 S. Second St., Mpls., 612-341-7555
World Party
» Orchestre BaobabThe wildly popular Senegalese group brings world music to Minnesota. June 21. Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant, 1010 Nicollet Ave., Mpls., 612-332-1010
King of Country
» Willie NelsonNelson—legend, activist, dedicated pothead, one-time IRS scourge—performs at the casino’s amphitheater. July 18. Grand Casino Hinckley, 777 Lady Luck Dr., Hinckley, 651-989-5151
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