Have you heard the secret? The Twin Cities are the coolest! Well, ok, we already knew that, but judging from this weekend's lineup you'll have to be especially in-the-know to have the utmost epic party experience. With a number of off the radar shindigs happening this week you might have to utilize your sleuthing skills to seek out the hottest happenings. We'll give you a few hints, but the rest is up to you!
xo-l'étoile
THIS WEEK ON L'ÉTOILE
Jahna Peloquin updates our guide to Winter Shopping and Sales
Natalie Gallagher reviews the new Calpurnia Peach collection
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 25TH
MNDR, DJs Solid Gold, Soviet Panda, Elite Gymnastics
@ Medusa
Secret Location
West Bank
9pm / 18+ / $5
If you don't know where this secret location is...um, well, we can't really tell you so you best just ask around! There will, however, be some mad dancing happening there tonight as tunes from beatmasters Soviet Panda, Elite Gymnastics, Solid Gold (DJ set), and Brooklyn's buzzed-about, girl-fronted electro outfit, MNDR, rock the secret West Bank spot (see our Sunday Music Pick for the week for more info on MNDR!). Tim Krause adds to the ambiance with some wild visuals, rounding out what we can only assume will be a night of delightful debauchery.
Click HERE for the Facebook event
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 25TH (THROUGH 28TH)
Rent! (Final Weekend)
@ The Lab Theater
700 North 1st Street
Minneapolis
7:30pm / $46.50 general admission
If you've yet to see Rent, we suggest you step to it, as this weekend marks the close of the popular production. Director and choreographer (and Minnesota native) Andrew Rasmussen has taken on the challenge of adapting the popular Broadway hit in his own evocative version of the tell-tale production of love, music and the fight against AIDS. The musical follows the fast-paced lives of a cast of 15 as they struggle through a twisty-turny world of death, love and poverty. This musical leaves no lull in the action with epic scenes that, at times, cause the audience to chuckle as well as tear up. The awe-inspiring and chill-inducing vocals induce cheering after almost every solo and rightly so -- with a cast that includes local Latin songstress Maria Isa and American Idol's Paris Bennett, the talent involved is no joke. Plus, the in-your-face staging of rugged rafters and urban street scenery brings the audience completely in to the action. Hurry in before your time runs out—the last dates have been extended through February 28th.
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 25TH (THROUGH SUNDAY)
Minneapolis New Breed
@ Southern Theater
1420 Washington Ave.
Minneapolis
7:30pm/ $18
It's a classic “birds 'n bees” story. Three local performers got together and out of their shared love of experimental performance and bred a love child that defies definitions, challenges the norm and pushes the envelope for innovation. The proud parents: MPLS' troupes Lamb Lays with Lion, Mad King Thomas and SuperGroup. The love child: three new works that together form a hybrid of dance, performance and theater. Among the topics in Minneapolis New Breed show are a comedic dance investigating the sexy underbelly of cultural dogmas; a re-staging of Brit auteur-director, Katie Mitchell's The Seagull; and a contemporary musical channeling the four elements.
Click HERE for the Southern Theater Site
FRIDAY ART PICK: CAMILLE ROSE GARCIA + ALICE IN WONDERLAND
We really thought we couldn't love pop surrealist LA-based artist, Camille Rose Garcia, any harder – if you may remember we raved about the Gothy artist in a What's What edition way back in November of '08 – but now that she's “fallen down the rabbit hole,” we've become slightly stalkerish of the macabre sister. Combining her style – one heavy into utopian/capitalist themes and wasteland fairy tales – with an uncanny love for all things Disney, it was only a matter of time before the two collided. Of course we're talking about Garcia's latest project re-illustrating Lewis Carroll's classic novella, Alice in Wonderland! Using vintage papers with ripped up backgrounds, watercolor, acrylic, pen & ink and collage mediums and drawing inspiration from Victorian illustrators and the original John Tenniel drawings, Garcia fills the pages with sinister caricatures, psychedelic colorings and creepy renderings of iconic characters. Garcia owes much of her edgy patchwork to the playlist she rocked while working, full of tracks by Wolf Parade, Arcade Fire, the Dead Weather and Them Crooked Vultures. Her already face-melting phantasms couldn't be more perfect for Carroll's substratal drug references and she makes sure to pour on innuendos with giant mushrooms and “drink me” bottles in almost every picture. Grab your collector's copy on Amazon.com along with other macabre storybooks by Garcia.
Click HERE for the Camille Rose Garcia site
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 26TH
fixedfunction
@ They Won't Find Us Here Gallery
3500 Bryant Avenue S. (Alleyside)
Minneapolis
7-10pm / Free
If you're looking for a bright, spacious gallery space that serves wine in stem wear, They Won't Find Us Here Gallery probably won't impress you. They will, however, inspire with their D.I.Y. method of art appreciation and their grassroots gumption. This little gallery located on the second story of an old garage with a leaky roof and no heat epitomizes the spirit of the independent artist -- and that's something we can't ever get enough of! Tonight venture out to this new-ish spot to lay eyes on work by Josh Hosterman and Andrew Vomhof. Of course, in true artist form, there is virtually no information to be found on this show or the art being displayed...but hey, we like surprises.
Click HERE for the Facebook event
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 26TH
Electric Fetus Tornado Benefit
@ First Avenue and 7th Street Entry
701 1st Ave N
Minneapolis
7pm / $16 advance, $20 at the door
A nasty tornado ripped through the Fetus this summer, causing a lot of damage and sending the store into financial straits. First Avenue is devoting both sides of the venue to a fundraiser that includes a silent auction and raffle, a grip of great DJs, including Jake Rudh and no less than ten bands. Run between the Entry and the Mainroom to hear Cloud Cult, Roma di Luna, Jeremy Messersmith, Trailer Trash, Unknown Prophets, Total Babe, Peter Wolf Crier and Caroline Smith & the Goodnight Sleeps and more. Proceeds go to the Fetus, as well as a portion going to the American Red Cross for Haiti.
Click HERE for the First Ave site
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 26TH
Chip Schilling Opening Reception
@ Open Book
1011 Washington Ave. S.
Minneapolis
5:30-7pm/ free
Local book artist, Chip Schilling, works inside a humble studio mashed up between past and present with equal parts industrial revolution and digital age. His press, Indulgence Press -- a name that nods to high-end art and early religious pamphlets -- is a one-man show, pumping out artist books, prints and broadsides. Tonight, join the Minnesota Book Awards and the Minnesota Center for Book Arts for an opening reception of the exhibit which has been showcasing samples of Schilling's work since late January. The reception is extra exciting because it doubles as a celebration for Schilling's 2010 MN Book Artist of the Year win. And considering his already notable status as one of the best book artists in the nation – having collections at the British Library and the Whitney, just to name a few – this comes as no surprise to us,but is fantastic news nonetheless! Sip on wine and snack on hors d'oeuvres and enjoy live music by Sally's Flag as you peek Schilling's artisan-skilled work.
BONUS: Check out this great article about Schilling by our pal Gregory J. Scott.
Click HERE for this art event and more at mplsart.com
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 26TH
Walker After Hours
@ The Walker
715 Hennepin Ave
Minneapolis
9pm-Midnight / $35 ($25 to members)
The Walker Museum is once again popping corks and putting on the pretty lights in celebration of a new exhibit! Get your arty party on this Friday at the preview event for Abstract Resistance, a collection of nearly 40 works by legendary artists and newcomers alike that revolve around the theme of artistic revolt. Drawn largely from the Walker's own collection, the exhibit features work by such artists as Francis Bacon, Lynda Benglis, Anthony Caro, Sarah Charlesworth, Bruce Conner, Willem de Kooning, Lucio Fontana, Hollis Frampton, Philip Guston, Rachel Harrison, Hirschhorn, Ellsworth Kelly, Paul McCarthy, Robert Motherwell, Bruce Nauman, Cady Noland, Charles Ray, Gedi Sibony, Kara Walker, Andro Wekua, and Cathy Wilkes. Stop by and mingle with the museum’s many minions as everyone enjoys and array of tasty snacks, yummy drinks, art making and even a party photo booth. Also, slammin’ Soviet Panda will be mixing beats and George Landow will be showing off some of his own artistic films. And the whole night is even cheaper for members; and if you become one today, you get free admission.
Click HERE for this art event and more at mplsart.com
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 26TH
Zoo Animal and Gospel Gossip
@ Nick and Eddie
1612 Harmon Place
Minneapolis
10pm / $5 / 18+
Rock and rollll! Nick and Eddie serves up another stellar show, this time with two Minneapolis favorites on the stage. After the bands, stick around for Ollie from GG and Neil Weir (Old Blackberry Way Studio). They’ll be spinning some records while you drink champagne!
Click HERE for the Facebook page
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 26TH
Sound Gallery Party w/ Me and My Arrow and Death Cube
@ Sound Gallery
Secret Location
Minneapolis
10pm / 21+ / $10 at the door
It's been awhile since the Sound Gallery had a party, but tonight's the night! Located above a similarly named nightclub in the warehouse district, this down n' dirty spot will boast some hot rock n' roll from the likes of locals Me and My Arrow and Death Cube. We hear there'll be free beer, but you're also invited to discreetly bring your own. Enter slyly and behave yourself, so as not to attract the po-po. Ya dig?
Click HERE for the Facebook event
Photo by John Behm
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 26TH
Bomp!
@ Bedlam Theater
1501 S. 6th Street
West Bank
10pm / $5 / 18+
Oooh..another crusher of a dance party! It’s time again for Shannon Blowtorch and BRLSQOTHEQUE to visually and aurally dazzle and challenge you. Tonight's line up includes The Moon Goons, the Get Cryphy crew, Shannon Blowtorch and Wes Winship. Bring your friends, munch on something from the Bedlam’s late night $5 or less menu, and light that Fireplace Lounge up with your hot moves. We know you've got 'em!
Click HERE to RSVP
COOL LINK: PUPS & ORDER
What in the hell?! There is apparently a mysterious message in the Law & Order theme song that only dogs can detect. Here are some cute pet videos of dogs going wild for the popular show. We recommend playing all the videos at once for the ultimate in chaos.
Click HERE for Pups & Order
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 26TH
Matchbox 7th Anniversary Bash
@ 331 Club
331 13th Ave NE
Minneapolis
9pm / 21+ / free
We love the tiny, collectively run Matchbox coffee shop in Northeast! Help them celebrate no boss, seven years of success, and great coffee and treats tonight with Black Blondie, Nightinghales, and The Poor Nobodys. And in the morning, to recuperate from having too much fun at the 331, head down 13th Ave to the Matchbox for some organic fair trade coffee.
Click HERE for the Facebook page
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 27TH
No Bird Sing + Lookbook + Kill the Vultures
@ Cedar Cultural Center
416 Cedar Avenue South
Minneapolis
8pm / $10 advance-$12 door
Local cool kids, The Current, City Pages and More Cowbell have collaborated this weekend to bring you a night full of music! Join No Bird Sing as they tear up the hip-hop norms with their guitar-accompanied rhymes. Don’t forget the electro ambiance of our electro faves, Lookbook, who will be releasing their first vinyl tonight as well. Not only will Minneapolis hip-hoppers/rockers, Kill the Vultures also be playing, but the Cedar is promising a handful of special guests and big surprises to round out the night!
Click HERE for the Cedar site
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 27TH
Metro's Fashion Fight Night 4
@ Uppercut Boxing Gym
1324 Quincy St. NE
Minneapolis
7:30 doors, 8pm show/ $50
Ok, so maybe you won't catch us DVRing the lastest Ultimate Fighting Championship or hanging up shirtless posters of Oscar De La Hoya on our bedroom walls – at least not that we'd admit – but it doesn't mean us fashionistas can't get behind a good fight. Hyped as the one of the most anticipated fashion events of the season and a Vegas/ANTM/Haute Couture mixture, Fashion Fight Night 4 has boasted a sold-out crowd for the past three years and strangely no one's ever even lost an ear. Metro Mag hosts this metaphor-ridden competition where six teams of photographers and models go head-to-head in a stylish fashion photography deathmatch/shootout. And to add that extra element of fight realism, the event is held in an actual boxing gym! Plus, $5 of every ticket purchased goes towards the fantastic non-profit, LEAD Project. Dress to impress. Mouthguards not included. As of this post, there are still a few tickets available, but we'd hurry up if we were you!
Click HERE for tickets and more info
Check out this video from last year's FFN by Capture Studios
Fashion Fight Night 3 from capture studios on Vimeo.
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 27TH
Kruddler/ Al Grande/ The Mammy Nuns/ Mike Suade
@ The Palace
33 W. 7th Pl.
St. Paul
8pm-1am / 18+ / Free
St. Paul's newest live music venue, The Palace, premieres with a few old-schoolers in its corner. Tonight's show heralds the triumphant return of St. Paul rock 'n' roll hounds, Kruddler. Named after a horse in an episode of “The Simpsons,” the trio emerged onto the Twin Cities' alt scene in the '90s with their debut EP, Think About It Buddy, packed with boisterously catchy jams and crunchy guitar riffs. Despite an ever shuffling lineup, the band remained a favorite among the TC crowd – rockin' such clubs as the Turf, the Red Sea and the now defunct Uptown – until their split in the mid-00s. Fans heading to the Downtown club tonight should expect nothing less than a heavy-handed rock set full of rip roaring energy. With live sets by fellow old-schooler, Al Grande and post-punk from Wisconsin's Mammy Nuns. MPLS graphic designer/musician Mike Suade emcees and Suade and DJ Lord Frenchy spin vinyl between sets.
Click HERE for the Facebook event
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 27TH
Moonstone LP Release Show
@ Turf Club
1601 University Ave.
St. Paul
9pm / 21+ / $6
Rock n' roll propheteers, Moonstone, might be better known around the Twin Cities for their mid-set sermons by bandmate Reverend Micah Mackert than for what they actually sound like. Which is pretty unfortunate because while we still aren't quite sure what exotic beliefs Lunarians hold (phrases like “analytical Factualism" and “individual rebrilliantation” hurt our heads) there's one thing we do know: they rock! Embodying all the elements of hot vintage Krautrock, prog, classic 70's rock, the psychedelic prophet four-piece is a synthy taste of spiritualism you don't need to be one of their apostles to appreciate. Tonight, the band celebrates the release of their debut album, NR:4;3.1-3, (packed with a large format 23-page booklet written by the Reverend) with live sets from Thunderbolt Pagoda, Tender Meat and Children of Euler. And if you're curious about things Lunarian style, check out the Moonstone's blog, Moonstone Ministries, below. Truth be told, we're still not sure if it's all a big PR ploy.
Click HERE for the Moonstone Ministries site
Photo by Nick Vlcek
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 27TH
Soft Targets: LANDLAND
@ First Amendment Arts
1101 Stinson Blvd. (Basement rooms A & B)
Minneapolis
7-10pm / Free
In 2007 two Minneapolis art-makers, Dan Black & Jes Seamans, teamed up to create the design duo Landland. And this Saturday the twosome will be showing off their big collection of almost everything they’ve ever made, including CD covers and screen printed posters of old scaffolding, dirty roller coasters and groups of ghoulish ghosts! In addition to her art, Jes Seamans will be making the night musical with the poppy-progressive tunes of her band, Best Friends Forever accompanied by the DJ-beatz of BRLSQOTHEQUE DJs.
Click HERE for this art event and more at www.mplsart.com
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 27TH
Attitude City
@ Clubhouse Jager
913 Washington Ave
Minneapolis
10pm / 21+ / Free
The Attitude City boys are back at Jager once again for their monthly mix of badditude, blowing up the dance floor with a carefully curated cache of beats and creating the perfect setting to get buck wild. Sweat and shimmy to the glorious disco sounds of this longtime favorite DJ duo while sippin' cocktails and makin' eyes at the beautiful people. Most def one of our favorite parties of the month!
Click HERE for the Attitude City site
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 27TH
Worn to be Wild
@ Secret Location
Northeast Minneapolis
email ken@anthemheart.com for location
11pm-4am / Free
Once again the Anthem Heart crew busts out with their "wildly" popular Worn to Be Wild series, this time is collaboration with the beatmasters of Wants Vs. Needs. Super-amazing graphic designer and artist Adam Garcia (aka The Pressure) will be joining forces with AH's Ken Hannigan to unveil a new custom t-shirt design that will be live screen printed for you on the spot for a mere $7 (or bring your own blank t-shirt and get it printed for just $5). The Wants Vs. Needs boys will be on the decks serving up hot jams all the live-long night featuring DJ Espada, So Gold, DJ Anton, and Petey Wheatstraw.
Click HERE for the Facebook event
SUNDAY MUSIC PICK: MNDR
In this gloomy weather, we at l’étoile are always on the hunt for a way to warm up our winter blues and get our blood pumping. Lucky for us, that is exactly what the beats of leading lady MNDR does! MNDR (or, as it is supposed to be said “MAN-DAR”) is a one woman-electro-wonder hailing all the way from “Brooklyn through Los Angeles via San Francisco”. With her shaggy blonde hair and thick white frames, MNDR brings a perfect mix of nerdy yet Madonna-esque, electronica music to the table. And believe us, her rad synth-music making is the perfect fit for a bumpin’ house party or even on the stage of First Ave. Lucky for us, this lovely lady is making a stop in Mpls this Thursday, with local wax-flipper Soviet Panda, a DJ-set by Solid Gold and Elite Gymnastics at the Medu$a (see our Thursday listing).
Click HERE for the MNDR site
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 28TH
Gastro Non Grata presents “Leftover Love”
@Triple Rock Social Club
629 Cedar Avenue South
Minneapolis
6pm / 21+ / $7
This Sunday, invite yourself into a world of better eating and smarter drinking, mixed with a kick of dirty garage rock. That is the key to Gastro Non Grata’s quarterly gig at the Triple Rock, and this time around they are all about “making a bid deal out of small plates.” With the help of Doug Flicker from Piccolo Restaurant, samples of his scrumptious smoked sturgeon dish will be shared as well as a taste of the best pork meatballs in town. On top of that, the Left Hand Brewing Company is bringing some of their tasty beers to share. All of this food and drink is even better mashed with the rockabilly riffs of Bitch and Brown as well as sounds from the likes of Bella Koshka, Unknown Prophets and Noise Noise Noise. Sounds like music to our ears AND to our taste buds!
Click HERE for the Gastro Non Grata blog
TUESDAY MARCH 2ND
JagerCon: Sci-Fi Tuesdays
@ Clubhouse Jager
923 Washington Avenue N.
Minneapolis
Every Tuesday
10 p.m. / 21+ / Free
Join hosts Kate Iverson (l'étoile magazine, Secrets of the City) and Beth Hammarlund (l'étoile magazine, A Tiny Machine) every Tuesday Night for JagerCon! JagerCon is a weekly sci-fi party featuring screenings of classic nerdy movies and television shows -- topped off with 2-4-1 cocktails all night served by Star Captain Paul!
Mingle with like-minded sci-fi geeks, discuss D&D strategies, and use that Captain Picard impression you've been perfecting to pick up chicks at the bar. Snort-laugh the night away while bragging about your MMORPG addiction and enjoy a cozy, nerd-friendly environment.
This week's flick is THE HUNGER!
GUEST BLOGGER: A TINY MACHINE
Beth Hammarlund posts a weird video of Kirstin Dunst performing "Turning Japanese" in an anime getup. The strange video was commissioned by artist Takashi Murakami, filmed by McG.
For more from A Tiny Machine click HERE
NEWSWIRE
Tickets on Sale now for the Official Oscar Night Party co-sponsored by l'etoile!
This stylish evening of glitz and glam at the Hotel Ivy marks the first year that the Aegis
Foundation is at the helm of the official Academy-sanctioned Oscar Night Bash in Minneapolis. This fabulous event is the ideal night out for film aficionados, fashion fanatics, and people who want to have an exciting Hollywood-themed evening -- all while helping support two great local organizations, www.SmileNetwork.org & www.Reclaim-lgbtyouth.org . This ticketed benefit event is all ages and open to the public. Click HERE for tickets. Co-Sponsored by l'etoile!WIN TICKETS!
Want to come to the Official Oscars party at the Hotel Ivy? Show us your celebrity look alike and you might win two tix AND a limo ride to the party AND a makeover! Click HERE to enter the contest.
Editor in Chief: Kate Iverson // Contributors: Lacey Prpic Hedtke, Juleana Enright, Lauren Gantner, Kate Iverson, Beth Hammarlund, Jahna Peloquin
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