Friday, March 23
Blurring Boundaries
WHAT: The 802 Tour
WHERE: Walker Art Center, Minneapolis
WHEN: 8 p.m.
They’re the new music mafia: composer Nico Muhly, avant-folkie Sam Amidon, singer-songwriter Doveman, and violist Nadia Sarota. Based mostly in Brooklyn, they’ve obliterated the distinctions between classical, folk, and pop music, and in a way that has made them both hip and critically acclaimed. Here, they’ll be backed by the local Laurels String Quartet. Learn more at walkerart.org
Friday, March 23
Balanchine is Back
WHAT: Houston Ballet
WHERE: Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis
WHEN: 8 p.m.
The legacy of both George Balanchine and the Ballet Russe rests, however improbably, in southern Texas, where the Houston Ballet has kept classical ballet vital. Romance is foremost in this evening of pieces new and classic, including an award-winning pas de deux and an examination of three couples’ dramatic relationships, sped through like time-lapse photography. Learn more at hennepintheatretrust.org
Saturday, March 24
New Soul
WHAT: Chastity Brown’s CD release party
WHERE: Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis
WHEN: 8 p.m.
The young and vibrant Chastity Brown, sporting the best hair this side of Esperanza Spalding, releases Back-Road Highways, a new mix of roots music, soul, and blues unique to the Twin Cities. The folk/pop band Romantica opens. Learn more at thecedar.org
Saturday, March 24
Dark Laughter
WHAT: Mike Doughty
WHERE: Woman’s Club, Minneapolis
WHEN: 8 p.m.
The former frontman of Soul Coughing, a band much beloved in the Twin Cities, reads from his new memoir, The Book of Drugs, a wry and gleefully dark recounting of addiction and the band’s bitter dissolution. He’ll also perform and take questions. Learn more at womansclub.org
Sunday, March 25
Hebrew-centric Cinema
WHAT: Minneapolis Jewish Film Festival
WHERE: Sabes Jewish Community Center, Minneapolis
WHEN: Times vary
Two weeks of movies from a Jewish perspective include As Seen Through These Eyes (Sunday at noon), a documentary of artists rebelling against Hitler, narrated by Maya Angelou. Other highlights: My First Wedding (Mi Primera Boda), a popular comedy from Argentina about a mixed marriage; and Naomi, an Israeli thriller about an astrophysics professor’s obsessive love with his young wife. Learn more at sabesjcc.org
Sunday, March 25
Brazen Jazz
WHAT: Hiromi: The Trio Project
WHERE: Dakota Jazz Club and Restaurant
WHEN: 7 p.m.
For sheer drama, it’s hard to think of an artist in almost any medium who can equal pianist Hiromi, a force of personality translating into some of the most virtuosic, joyful music being made today. She returns to the Dakota with a bassist, drummer, and a slew of new tunes. Learn more at dakotacooks.com
