Friday, January 18
Bluegrass in the Snow
WHAT: Pert Near Sandstone’s Winter Stringband Gathering
WHERE: Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis
WHEN: 8 p.m.
A two-day winter hootenanny, hosted by the fastest, maddest, back-porch pickers in town, kicks off with the Black Twig Pickers and continues on Saturday with the Freight Hoppers. With a two-day pass you can get enough live old-timey music to forget your iPod even exists. Learn more at thecedar.org
Friday, January 18
Immigrant Story
WHAT: Calle Lake
WHERE: Augsburg College, Christensen Center Art Gallery, Minneapolis
WHEN: 6 to 8 p.m.
Photographer Xavier Tavera moved here from Mexico City, and his photography has generally focused on subcultures—the alienated or invisible. Here, he’s documented Latino immigrant life along Lake Street, among the most vibrant, distinct, and little-understood communities in the area. Learn more at augsburg.edu/galleries
Saturday, January 19
The Voice of New Orleans
WHAT: Aaron Neville
WHERE: Hopkins Center for the Arts, Hopkins
WHEN: 8 p.m.
The New Orleans legend makes a rare appearance at this end of the Mississippi River, just days before the release of his new album of doo-wop classics. It’s the sort of music he was singing in his youth, produced by a couple of rock legends (Keith Richards, Don Was). He’s come a long way since then, but here you sense the gentle, lulling pull of the old Crescent City and where his unique sound came from. Learn more at hopkinsartscenter.com
Saturday, January 19
Life of a Sidekick
WHAT: Joseph Scrimshaw’s Obsessed
WHERE: Bryant-Lake Bowl, Minneapolis
WHEN: 10 p.m.
Scrimshaw’s Obsessed podcast got a boost recently when it was labeled a “staff favorite” in the comedy section of iTunes. He records the show live at the BLB, and this week he’s bringing in comedians Andy Kraft, Mike Fotis, and Sam Landman for a little competition over who would make the best sidekick for the burgeoning show. Meanwhile, he’ll be interviewing DC Comics artist Christopher Jones, who knows a thing or two about sidekicks. Learn more at bryantlakebowl.com
Sunday, January 20
Artists Take a Bow
WHAT: MN ORIGINAL’S 100th episode
WHERE: Airing on TPT2
WHEN: 6 and 10 p.m.
Before or after you get your Downton Abbey fix, you can get your Minnesota artist fix, with the centennial episode of this boosterish show that never feels glib or simplistic. For this special episode, the line-up includes acclaimed photographer JoAnn Verburg, Chilean-born sculptor Alonso Sierralta, and percussive dance troupe Rhythmic Circus. Learn more at mnoriginal.org
Sunday, January 20
A Day to Laugh
WHAT: No Rest Sunday
WHERE: Bryant-Lake Bowl, Minneapolis
WHEN: 7 p.m.
This Sunday and next, comedy writer Laura Buchholz will stage a sketch-comedy show with a small cast of fellow writer-performers, a musical guest, and one catch: they’ll write, rehearse, and perform the show all in one day. It’s a concept she practiced in a similar show in New York, before coming to Minneapolis to write for A Prairie Home Companion a few years ago. Learn more at norestsunday.com
