Thursday, February 4, 2010

Weekend What's What 2/4-2/9

IT'S A COLORFUL LIFE

This weekend, a colorful plethora of art shows, rock shows, and fashion shows await, proving once again that the Twin Cities are not locked into the Winter doldrums. Put on your flashiest frock or don a magenta ascot and show the world that your pizazz cannot be thwarted by something as mundane as "snow." We especially plan to be peacocking around town on Friday for our second edition of the l'étoile Field Trip, which will take us on an visual and sensory adventure to the Weisman Art Museum and the 501 Club (details below). We hope to see you out and about in all your colorful glory!

xo-l'étoile



THURSDAY FEBRUARY 4TH

Grant Cutler & the Gorgeous Lords

@ Barbette
1600 W. Lake St.
Minneapolis

10pm / 21+ / Free

Lookbook beat patriach, Grant Cutler is more than just a synthesized shadow man. And while he may have been content play the silent vocal partner beside bandmate Maggie Morrison's pipes in Lookbook, his latest project has Cutler shining in the forefront. In Grant Cutler and the Gorgeous Lords, Cutler trades mixers and drum machines for quiet baritones and minimal guitar strokes, and switches out '80s dance fever for '70s whispered emotion. Backed by members of The Plastic Constellations, Askeleton and Brutal Becomings, Cutler and his Lords hit Barbette tonight for an intimate jam sesh featuring the band's spacey sound and a few solo songs from Cutler, followed by an eclectic DJ set from the band. And don't forget to take advantage of Barbette's late-night happy hour – $3 PBR, $4 house wine and domestic taps and $5 appetizers!

Click HERE for the Barbette site



THURSDAY FEBRUARY 4TH

Wishbook with James Diers

@331 Club
331 13th Ave NE
Minneapolis

10pm / 21+ / Free

Get out your thick-framed glasses and plaid button-ups: three of the Wishbook boys are getting together this Thursday for a night of music and mayhem chocked full of infectious indie pop goodness. Join Nate, Neal and Jake for ice cold PBRs, catchy tunes and DJ beats between sets. Plus, to start the night off right, Love Cars/Halloween Alaska's James Diers is opening the show with a solo set that is guaranteed to melt your winter blues away.
Click HERE for the 331 Club site



FRIDAY ART PICK: THE GUT OF ART

Just when we thought it wasn't possible to have a bigger creative crush on Rogue Buddha owner and fab artist, Nicholas Harper, he conceives of yet another thing to make our art-adoring hearts swell. Enter: The Gut of Art. Nic's new blog devotes its web-space to all things art, culture and life-related, setting out to make art less exclusive and more locally accessible. Get the skinny on life as a gallery owner, an artist, and an art collector as only Nic can tell it – full of raw opinions and no-nonsense brevity. Every Monday afternoon, he opens up the blog forum to public discussions on art and the scene the mainstream art world doesn't want you to know about. Plus, get your hands on original prints, find out about new exhibits, keep abreast on Harper's latest cultural fixations and even listen to the song of the day! So, far the blog contributions “odes to art” have nearly brought a tear to our eyes. We can't wait to see more!

Click HERE for The Gut of Art site


FRIDAY FEBRUARY 5TH

Common Sense: Art and the Quotidian
(l'étoile Field Trip Stop #1)

@ Weisman Art Museum
425 East River Parkway
Minneapolis

5-8pm / Free

The Weisman's new exhibit "Common Sense: Art and the Quotidian" opens this evening! The exhibit explores "the art of the everyday" and features everything from sound art, video installation, sculpture, photography, painting and more from such artists as Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, Joseph Beuys, Walker Evans as well as locals Michael Kareken, Jan Estep, and David Goldes and many, many more. Plus, the Weisman is totally known for always throwing a good party! (and it’s the first stop on our weekend l’étoile Field Trip!)
Click HERE for the l'étoile Field Trip Facebook Event



FRIDAY FEBRUARY 5TH

Vigilante Justice
(l'étoile Field Trip Stop #2)

@501 Club
501 Washington Ave
Minneapolis

8pm / 21+ / Free

This Friday is going to be a total mash-up of awesome live music, bumpin DJ beats and eye-catching artwork at the third installment of Vigilante Justice! This time the festivities are going down at the 501 Club and will feature a sweet goodie-bag raffle full of CDs, original art, RobotLove swag, zines, prints and much, much more. The indie sounds of bands like Hunting Club, Phantom Tails and Dada Trash Collage will be set to the backdrop of artwork by John Alspach, Garrett Perry, Carley Weber, Brian Nickila, Chris Park, Kristina Mooney (and tons more) -- in other words, a recipe for the perfect night of fun. Plus, stick around for the DJ sets from Vigilante Justice creator Dominique Davis and DJ Midnight Energy. This is also the second stop on the l'étoile field trip itinerary!

Co-sponsored by l'étoile, of course!

Click HERE for the l'étoile Field Trip Facebook Event



FRIDAY FEBRUARY 5TH

Til Death Do Us Part

@ Rogue Buddha Gallery
357 13th Ave NE
Minneapolis

7pm / Free

Oh, romance. This couple of artists are the flip sides of a coin: Karen O’Bryan paints whimsical, cute and somewhat mysterious images of people wearing animal masks. Her other half, RM Hanson, depicts scary monsters with too many teeth that practically lunge off the wall to tear you apart. O’Bryan’s sense of design mixed with Hanson’s horrifically imaginative creatures are the perfect pairing. Through February 14th (Keep your ears peeled for deets on the l'étoile-sponsored Valentine's Day closing party, Paper Hearts, on the 14th).

Click HERE for this art event and more at mplsart.com



FRIDAY FEBRUARY 5TH

Willie Murphy CD Release

@ Bedlam Theater
1501 S 6th St.
Minneapolis

9pm / $15

Twin Cities music legend Willie Murphy has been rockin' for over 30 years! Recently Red House Records released his double album, A Shot of Love in a Time of Need and tonight the legendary tunesmith celebrates. A earnest mix of R&B and funk and soul make up this epic album, a collection of songs that once again proves that Willie has seen it all. He’s played with Joan Baez, Jefferson Airplane, Son House and Muddy Waters just to name a few, and will make you dance like never before. A true Twin Cities classic!

Click HERE for the Bedlam site


FRIDAY FEBRUARY 5TH

Hotel

@ Kitty Cat Klub
315 14th Avenue SE
Minneapolis

10pm-2am / 21+ / Free

Jonathan Ackerman, will you marry us? Is it possible to please your throngs of adoring fans? Our answer: YES! Ackerman's long-running dance night, Hotel, returns once again to transform the KCK's dance floor into a hot, sweaty mess. Grab a drink and get down to the sounds of guest DJs Wildboy, Famuel, and Travis Stearns, and while you're there, give Jonathan a bucket of fist bumps!

Click HERE for the Facebook event



FRIDAY FEBRUARY 5TH

Get Cryphy's 2 Year Anniversary Party

@ First Ave VIP Room
701 1st Ave. N.
Minneapolis

10pm / 18+ / $5, $3 advance

Get Cryphy turns 2?! Say what??? A town without a bit of hype and a lot of crunk is a town we wouldn't wanna live in. Thank god for cryphy mixers Plain Ole Bill and Jimmy2Times, the reckless and rowdy boys who've won us over with banging jams, nasty beats and cheap drinks for 2 solid years now! Tonight, the original Cryphy crew and DJ guests Fundo and Last Word will be crankin' out the club bangers, hip-hop delights, bmore juke hits, and dirty rap anthems for your crunkified pleasure as you put ya drinks to the roof and raise a brassy b-day toast! Per usual the boys are busting out killers surprises for their loyal Cryphy crowd including a brand-spanking new Get Cryphy mix packed with all your tasty remixed faves; giveaways from Phenom and Familia; drink specials; an exclusive new t-shirt designed by Mike 2600 and more! The terrible twos just got crunked!

Click HERE for the Get Cryphy site




COOL LINK: CABOODLES!

You know, you love them. Yes, Caboodles: those obnoxiously clunky, brightly colored (and often sparkly), toteable make-up/anything organizers from the '80s. How could you not love 'em? A Caboodle is just like a quirky, well-trusted bff, as the website points out...and we totes agree (memories of garish pre-teen makeovers are oh-so-fun). So, we at l’étoile think it’s time to rekindle your caboodle friendship and dig up your old tub this weekend. Or just go out and buy another one because, believe us, the company is STILL up and running!

Click HERE for the Caboodles site


SATURDAY FEBRUARY 6TH

Gimme Shelter: A Benefit Concert for Haiti

@ First Ave
701 1st Ave. N.
Minneapolis

6-10pm / 18+ / $12

Who doesn't love a benefit show you can rock out to? Tonight, join City Pages, Gimme Noise, First Ave, and local radio stations 89.3 The Current and Radio K for a fundraiser of epic proportions. Featuring City Pages cuties Andrea Swensson and Jen Boyles as hosts, live sets from Mark Mallman, Solid Gold, Zoo Animal, Peter Worf Crier, tunes from DJs Jimmy2Times and Mike 2600, plus, a mini-art bazaar with awesome affordable local art by Chuck U, Anthem Heart, BRLSQ, DWitt, Rogue Citizen, Garrett Perry and more. Just $12 bucks gets you inside all the action, plus a free pass to the post-show TML with guest DJ Johnny Love. All proceeds will be split evenly between the Red Cross Haiti Relief & Development Fund and Architecture for Humanity so drink up, dance down and do your part for Haiti!

Click HERE for the Facebook event



SATURDAY FEBRUARY 6TH

Insight U of M Senior Fashion Show

@ Rapson Hall
University of Minnesota Campus
89 Church Street SE
Minneapolis

2 shows: 5:30 & 8pm / $15 adv, $20 At the Door, $8 Standing Room Only
and $40 VIP (adv)

Come check out new styles from Minneapolis’ future, up-and-coming fashion designers from the University of Minnesota! This Saturday, the College of Design is proud to be showcasing 14 of their very own talented designers in the 42nd annual Senior Fashion show. This year the show is titled “Insight”, and the designers are definitely planning on giving you insight into their world of fashion with tons of hot sustainable clothing, stylish avant-garde creations, chic office apparel and crazy stage garb. This is the event will surely showcase the future of our Minneapolis fashion scene, so you better not miss out!

Click HERE for the Facebook event



SATURDAY FEBRUARY 6TH

Bird x Bird

@ Northrup King Building
Gallery 322 1500 Jackson St NE
Minneapolis

6pm-9pm / $5 donation requested

It’s amazing how many artists want to see the Audubon Center of the North Woods & Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary thrive. For the eighth year, a bevy of local and national artists have donated their work for the exhibition and silent auction to benefit this K-12 environmental learning center. Featuring local favorites such as Allen Brewer, John Alspach, Jennifer Davis, Camille Gage, Mary Gibney, Nick Howard, Jenny Jenkins and oodles more. Songbirds Mary Klueh and Norman Anderson tweet and whistle sweet melodies for your entertainment as well!

Click HERE for this art event and more at mplsart.com



SATURDAY FEBRUARY 6TH

Cosmos in Chaos

@ Creative Electric Studios
2201 2nd St. NE
Minneapolis

7:30-9:30pm / Free

We can't think of a better way to spend Saturday than hanging out with artsy peeps at an artsy sale and silent auction for a great cause! Over 30 talented top shelf artists including Amy Rice, Roxanne Jackson, Scott Stulen, Jenny Schmid, Grant Hart, Wing Young Huie, Xavier Tavera and more have joined forces to donate their amazing artwork to benefit Haiti orphans. Can you say GENEROUS? All proceeds from the night to go to the Save the Children organization – a fantastic international relief effort. Pull out your checkbooks, pick out your favorite pieces and get ready to spend!

Bonus: This is the first time Creative Electric Studios has opened for an art event in many moons, so it's certainly a special occasion!

Click HERE for this art event and more at mplsart.com



SATURDAY FEBRUARY 6TH

Aloha O'e

@ 414 Soundbar
414 3rd Avenue N
Minneapolis

8pm-2am / 21+

If you've partied at the Warehouse district's 414 Soundbar at any point over the past couple of years, you've undoubtedly been greeted by the club's charismatic manager and saucy hostess with the mostest, Erika Aresta. The statuesque sweetheart is leaving our frozen tundra to return to her home in Hawaii for family reasons (if you lived in Hawaii, wouldn't you want to return there too?) and tonight, her pals at Soundbar send her off in style, with a huge party! Join in the fray with TimeFog DJs James Patrick and M. Gervais, as well as DJ Fresko. Erika also hints at a "special celebrity surprise at midnight" which we're rather curious about (Hello, we run a gossip blog too!). So, put on your dancin' shoes and say farewell to one of our favorite party girls tonight!

Click HERE for the Facebook event



SATURDAY FEBRUARY 6TH

Anthem Heart's Worn to be Wild

@ Secret Location
Minneapolis

11pm-4am / Free

Yet another awesomely artsy party pops up at this secret location (which, if you don't know where it is by now, you can find out by messaging the creator of this facebook event). Live screen printing by the Anthem Heart gang, outta sight visuals by projection maestro Time Squid, and bangin' beats a la DJ Bach, Jeff Dubois (Attitude City), The Nightstalker, Monsterbrusten, and Real Talk Radio. The best way to cap off Saturday night that we can possibly think of!

Click HERE for the Facebook event



SUNDAY MUSIC PICK: X-RAY SPEX

A trip to the library’s CD section made us remember how much fun this British band from the '70s was. A fine example of how screaming ladies, pure rock and roll, and a saxophone can fit seamlessly together in a pair of Lycra pants. X-Ray Spex is great screaming-at-the-top-of-your-lungs in your car music, most definitely. Their classic, “Oh Bondage, Up Yours” is on repeat on our pods permanently!





SUNDAY FEBRUARY 7TH

Vintage Voltage Rock Show

@ 501 Club
501 Washington Avenue
Minneapolis

8pm / 21+ / Free

Join your friends at l'etoile along with the Voltage Fashion Amplified and MNFashion Week crew as we present the first in a series of special pre-events for April's big fashion show! Tonight you'll be treated to tunes from past Voltage bands including The Melismatics, First Communion After Party and Black Blondie, as well as DJ sets in between bands from l'etoile! 2-for-1 Lonestar Tallboys, 1/2 price bottles of wine, and good times will abound. Keep your eyes peeled for info on pre-events every first Sunday of the month leading up to the big day. See you there!

Click HERE for the Facebook Event


TUESDAY FEBRUARY 9TH

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.

Upcoming Events:

FEB 9: Dune
FEB 16: Dreamcatcher
FEB 23: Nightwatch
MAR 2: The Hunger

This week's flick is Dune!


NEWSWIRE

Vote for XYandZ Gallery's public art project in the Pepsi Great Idea Contest!

Locally-based artist co-op the XYandZ Gallery has thrown their hat into the ring for the Pepsi Great Idea Contest! Each month, the soft drink giant plans to give away $1,300,000 in grants to artists and dreamers. In other words, peeps with great ideas! XYandZ has proposed a big public art project to transform vacant buildings in the Twin Cities into art installations. They are going for a $50,000 grant for the project. VOTE HERE to move them up in the rankings! They are hovering around #40 right now, but with your help we can push them up and beautify the Twin Cities at the same time!

Editor in Chief: Kate Iverson // Contributors: Lacey Prpic Hedtke, Juleana Enright, Lauren Gantner, Kate Iverson, Beth Hammarlund, Jahna Peloquin

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