Thursday, March 4, 2010

Weekend What's What 3/4-3/9

SPARKLE UP!

With the Oscars coming up this Sunday, we plan to use it as an excuse to treat this weekend as our own private red carpet. Whether or not you're coming to the l'étoile co-sponsored Oscar Night bash at the Hotel Ivy this Sunday (we think you should!) there's no reason why you can't put on extra-glamorous airs. This weekend holds a plethora of the arts and culture-rich awesomeness you've come to know and love of course, so dress up, dress down, or simply don your signature sparkling personality and we'll meet ya on the "red carpet."

xo-l'étoile



THURSDAY MARCH 4TH

Pocket Reading Lab Series

@Rogue Buddha Gallery
357 13th Ave. NE
Minneapolis

7-9pm / Free

Open your ears this Thursday to some beautiful poetic musings by local scribes. With rhymes and rhythms from award winning writers like James Cihlar (who has been featured in Minnesota Monthly and The James White Review) as well as Adam Clay (who wrote “The Wash”), the night is bound to be both interesting and entertaining. Plus, writers such as Chloe Joan Lopez, Bronwen Tate, and Elizabeth Workman will all make appearances throughout the evening with some witty words of their own.

Click HERE for the Pocket Lab Blog



FRIDAY ART PICK: NUIT BLANCHE

We're seriously in love with this breathtaking short film directed and shot by Arev Manoukian with visual effects by Marc-Andre Gray and a host of other talented artists. The moody, film noir-esque feel combined with mind-blowing effects traces an imaginary, fleeting moment between two strangers. Created with green screens, the CGI-heavy, hyper-realist piece is almost maddening in its slow motion intensity. If only real life could be this exquisite!

After you watch the short below, be sure to click through to the making of the film, which visually breaks down the effects. Marvelous!

Nuit Blanche from Spy Films on Vimeo.




FRIDAY MARCH 5TH (THROUGH SUNDAY)

MarsCon

@ Holiday Inn Select Bloomington
Three Appletree Square
Bloomington

2pm Friday-8pm Sunday / $60 for the Weekend

Fact: Sci-Fi Conventions are the most fun EVER. The annual MarsCon is back with more of the usual wiled-out nerdery and hardcore geekin' that we know and love. This year's theme is "Dark Lords and Femme Fatales" so bust out your velvet capes and corsets and prepare to be jokingly called a "wench" by snort-laughing nerds more times than you ever thought possible. Wench jokes aside, you can be rest assured this Con will rock, with an elaborate masquerade ball on Saturday night, ongoing live music, fun and informative workshops and panel discussions, an art show of nerdy proportions, and of course, the famous all-night room parties where hundreds of magical beings such as Klingons, super heroes, Orcs, Goths, obese middle-aged men and more come together to revel in booze and epic geekdom. It doesn't get much better than this. And we're not even being sarcastic.

Click HERE for the MarsCon site

Photo from MarsCon 2009 by Stephen Stephens


FRIDAY MARCH 5TH

Flat Line

@ SELLOUT Gallery
Northrup King Bldg
1500 Jackson St. NE Studio #456
Minneapolis

6-9pm / Free

One of the many things we've always adored about SELLOUT was their eclectic art collection, the flat file. Aside from the main exhibit du jour, this collection featured a series of small, affordable pieces from a roster of local artists available to buy right on the spot. It was a fabulous way to help new art connoisseurs add to their collections without breaking the bank while introducing fresh artists to the scene. In their final exhibition, Flat Line, Sellout draws upon this initial “flat file” vision with an exhibit that includes works from artists who have shown at Sellout in the past, plus a few new faces. A pun on the medical term “flatline,” Flat Line features the work of John Alspach, Eric Carlson, Kristina Mooney, Allen Brewer, Jennifer Nevitt, Tectonic Industries and many, many more as they interpret the concepts of flatness/line/death through drawings, memento mori and sculpture. l'étoile promises to hold your hand during the mourning process, so don't fear the reaper.

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



FRIDAY MARCH 5TH

Ross Brockley and the Rolling Blackout Revue

@ Nick and Eddie
1612 Harmon Place
Minneapolis

$8 / 21+ / 10pm

Tonight, don't miss the very non-PC comedic stylings of stand-up artist, actor and post-industrial farmer, and uh, llama/goat herder, Ross Brockley. You may remember Brockley from his role as the thirtysomething slacker son in Holiday Inn commercials of the 1990s – although honestly, if you do we're slightly in awe of your useless '90's knowledge. He's also acted alongside fellow comedic luminaries Sarah Silverman and David Cross and truly holds his own in the crude world of self-deprecating stand-up. Prepare to be appalled and left in stitches. MPLS hip-hop funk masters, Bight Club open.

Click HERE for the Facebook event

See Brockley in some hilar Holiday Inn commercial action below, or watch some stand up here.



FRIDAY MARCH 5TH (THROUGH SATURDAY)

Solid Gold EP Release

@ Turf Club
1601 University Ave
St. Paul

9pm / 21+ / $12

Like our pal, CP's David Hansen writes “Solid Gold is that once-in-a-great-while band whose successes are built off the old recipe...hard work, perseverance, and a glut of talent.” And we couldn't agree more. We knew the band back when peeps were still saying “Solid who?” And through the years our love for the dance-rock, neo-disco pioneers and their sexy groove-injected tracks has only grown. We squealed like teeny boppers when we saw 'em hosting MTV2's Subterranean last Sunday and are the first to admit their “Matter of Time” video is bookmarked on our laptops. This weekend, don't miss the guys' two-night affair at the Turf, which ushers in their latest EP, Synchronized. With adorable indie poppers, Now Now Children and powerpop rockers, Wishbook on Friday night, and Robert Smith Kindreds, CLAPS and remix master, DJ Gigamesh on Saturday.

Click HERE for the Turf Club site




FRIDAY MARCH 5TH

Hotel

@ The Kitty Kat Klub
315 14th Avenue SE
Minneapolis

10pm / 21+ / Free

Our Minneapolis main man, Jonathan Ackerman, has done it again. Join the party this Friday with the usual bangin’ beats from Ackerman as well as a booty-bumping guest line up including the likes of I am the Break, He is the Beat and The Stay Spun. After last month’s stage diving extravaganza, we're quite curious as what this edition will hold!

Click HERE for the Facebook event


FRIDAY MARCH 5TH

Get Cryphy

@ First Avenue VIP Lounge
701 1st Ave N
Minneapolis

10pm / $3 advance, $5 at the door / 18+

Jimmy 2 Times and co. create the dance equivalent of bumper cars, Coney Island-style pretty much every month at Get Cryphy. And this time arond, Last Word is back slangin' beats alongside Petey Wheatstraw of Wants vs. Needs. Get there early, claim your patch of dance floor, and vie for giveaways from Familia and Phenom.

Click HERE for the Facebook event



COOL LINK: A LYRIC A DAY

Start your day off on the right foot with the creative inspiration of typography whiz, Lukes Beard. This year, this artist has dedicated a small part of his everyday life to creating inventive masterpieces combined with some of his favorite lyrics. Come peep through the pieces of this daily project, which includes poetic phrases from work by artists like Kanye West, The Dears, and Haste the Day -- all with a pretty punch of their own!

Click HERE for the Lyric a Day site


SATURDAY MARCH 6TH

Electric Art presents PowderKeg Live!

@ Ritz Theater
345 13th Ave NE
Minneapolis

1pm / $12 adv, $14 day of

The variety show extraordinaires of Electric Arc Radio return with a newly developed afternoon delight brimming with music, performance and mad cap entertainment. Today's spectacle spectacular features live glee club musak from Chris Koza, Twilight Hours, and world-famous tambourine playing from Ken Chastain. Plus, a mini-game show hosted by 331 Club trivia geeks, Chuck and Sean; hilarious stories from comedian/singer, Mary Mack; storytelling from Electric Arc Radio's Steph and Herbach with help from voice actors Joel Liestman and Jenny Adams; and special appearances from Electric Arc's house illustrator/writer, Andy Sturdevant, and freelance writer Molly Priesmeyer. And don't forget the kiddies! PowderKeg offers free childcare in the form of the Childish Film Series for ages 4-10 in the lobby. 89.3 The Current will be handing out awesome swag goodies and the Modern Cafe next door will host a fab after party for those so inclined.

Bonus: Don't forget to mark your calendars as PowderKeg Live! will return with two more shows on April 3rd and May 8th at the Ritz.

Click HERE for the Ritz site



SATURDAY MARCH 6TH

Dirty Queer Show

@ Bedlam Theater
1501 S 6th St.
Minneapolis

4pm / $5 after 5pm

An all-night affair of queer debauchery and performance awaits! At 4pm, an art opening kicks off with tunes by the aptly dirty monikered DJ Cum Bucket (aka Jam E-Z). Then at 8pm, the hilarious Gogopimp Tif hosts a cabaret show which will include performances by Foxy Tann, Sweetpea, Shanny Mac, Heidi Barton Stink, plus a million more endeavors of craziness and extravagance while the Dirty Queer go-go dancers keep it raunchy in between. To benefit the Trans Youth Support Network, shell out for raffle tickets and win big from the Smitten Kitten, Hell’s Kitchen, and more. Plus, pick up a safe sex kit from Family Tree Clinic, and then get nasty on the dance floor to the sounds of DJ Shannon Blowtorch after 10pm. Saucy!

Click HERE for the Bedlam site



SATURDAY MARCH 6TH

Animal:Human:Machine Closing Reception

@ Art of This Gallery
3506 Nicollet Ave S
Minneapolis

7-11pm / Free

In all of our advances in evolution and technology, there's still one concept we haven't been able to control: our instincts, and such emotional responses to fight-or-flight, lust, melancholy and the like. And despite living in a digital age – and our Philip K. Dick fantasies – we are not androids. Don't miss the final day of this exhibit that features local artists Ben Severns, Nicholas Knutson and others who explore how our digital accouterments such as cell phones, iPods, etc. have become an inseparable part of us and our lives. Meet the artists and enjoy special guest performances during this evening's closing reception.

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


SATURDAY MARCH 6TH

An Evening of Odds

@ Nicademus Art
225 Snelling Ave N
St. Paul

7pm-11pm / Free

Jon Reischl has conjured up colorful Francis Bacon-esque paintings in which the subjects are odd, and at odds with their surroundings. Come over to St. Paul and see what local artists have been working on this winter while hibernating and creating. The Pines play as an auditory accompaniment to the awesome weirdness.

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



SATURDAY MARCH 6TH

Are You Local? SXSW Send-Off

@ First Avenue
701 North 1st Avenue
Minneapolis

5pm / 18+ / $5 Advance, $10 Door

Once again, Minneap is sending a bevy of bands to the biggest fest in the west, representing a unique cross section of what our fair town has to offer. Whether or not you'll make it down to South by Southwest this year, come out and help send our budding rockstars off in style. l'etoile faves Lookbook, the recently signed Peter Wolf Crier (congrats!), swoon-worthy Jeremy Messersmith, the lush, alt-country hymns of Romantica and the Pines, and the pure old fashioned rock and roll of City on the Make will share the Mainroom stage, while Vita.mn contest winners Bight Club, Hunting Club, and Joey Ryan & the Inks rock the Entry. One band will be crowned the "best new local band" and take home a wicked awesome prize pack. The show starts early, so be sure to not to miss any of this outstanding talent before they hit the road for the Lone Star State.

Click HERE for the Vita.mn site


SATURDAY MARCH 6TH

Bastard Saint CD Release

@ Triple Rock Social Club
629 Cedar Ave S
Minneapolis

9pm / $6 / 18+

Bring your earplugs, because this is going to be loud and wild! Blue Worm Records is releasing longtime local band Bastard Saint’s first full length album, Homewrecker. Local fans have waited through many EPs for this, and will surely be out in full force tonight headbangin' their hearts out. The people watching ought to be stellar and the tunes pure rock and roll with a thrashtastic twist. With Casanatra and Fiero.

Click HERE for the Triple Rock site


SATURDAY, MARCH 6TH

Future Classic

@Future Classic Gallery
Secret Location
2nd Loading dock to the right
Minneapolis

Midnight / 21+ / $15 for members-$20 for nonmembers.

For the first time in four months, Future Classic is BACK...this time with more techno beats than ever. Stop by the Future Classic Gallery this Saturday for a late night of partying with the opening hip-hop jams of Mike 2600 and the speaker-thumping techno of Andy Fargo. Plus, FC fave, Ghetto, is back as well as DVS1 after a two-month recovery from knee surgery. If you can find out where the semi-secret Future Classic Gallery is, this Saturday will definitely be a late night worth attending. E-mail info@hushsound.com to eek out the deets!

Click HERE for the Facebook event



SUNDAY MUSIC PICK: WANDA JACKSON

Wanda Jackson has been around for-ev-er, but younger people are getting a taste of her with her strange cover of Amy Winehouse’s “You Know I’m No Good” produced by Jack White. She dated Elvis, was the first female rock and roll singer, and has always had amazing bouffant hair. She had a hit with “Fujiyama Mama” in 1958 and has been the rockabilly queen ever since. Let this be your foray into solid country music.

Click HERE for the Wanda Jackson site




SUNDAY MARCH 7TH

Oscar Night 2010

@ Hotel Ivy
201 S. 11th Street
Minneapolis

5pm-11pm / $45 (gen) $150 (vip)

Bust out your tiaras and opera gloves, people! It's Oscar Night and this evening's officially sanctioned Academy Awards soiree put on by the Aegis Foundation is probably one of the only events in town this year where your most outrageously glamorous and over-the-top fashion antics will be thoroughly appreciated. Strut the red carpet in your dazzling duds, get your pic snapped, and chat it up with the Twin Cities' own Joan and Melissa (aka Lori and Julia from 107.1fm). 15 big screens throughout they party will be broadcasting the awards ceremony while you sip cocktails, nibble appetizers and brush elbows with other fancy folk. What's better, is that 100% of tonight's proceeds go to benefit two great charities: The Smile Network, an organization that funds surgical missions and provides necessary supplies needed to repair birth defects and Reclaim, an organization that provides mental health support and other resources to LGBT youth. The list of extras goes on and on, with tons of awesome prizes being awarded in the Oscar prediction game as well as a raffle AND a best dressed contest judged by l'étoile magazine (you're a shoe in, you fashionable thing, you!). There will also be a silent auction, a raffle for a diamond pendant from Tiffany & Co., a "sweet goodbye" candy buffet and more. We'll be there with bells on (perhaps literally) so put on something sparkly and come out to support an amazing cause!

Co-sponsored by your pals at l'étoile!

Click HERE for the Aegis Foundation site


SUNDAY MARCH 7TH

Vintage Voltage

@501 Club
501 Washington Ave S
Minneapolis

8pm / 21+ / Free

Vintage Voltage rock is back again with the second in a series of monthly live music shows leading up to the main event, Voltage: Fashion Amplifed on April 16th. This Sunday, join the local vocals of Maria Isa and Dance Band Neil Z (of ZibraZibra) for a night of jump-around-worthy tunes while you mingle with the flocks of flashy fashionistas who will surely be in attendance. Bonus: The first 20 people to show up get their own pair of VIP passes to an advance screening of The Runaways starring Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning (as well as other promotions and goodies floating around the 501 Club!) Plus, MNFashion's Kristen Hasler will be flippin' hot wax between sets and throughout the evening.

Photo of Maria Isa from Voltage 2009 by mordac.org

SUNDAY MARCH 7TH

Alter Ego

@ Azia
26th & Nicollet
Minneapolis

6pm-10pm / Free

Hot on the heels of the popular "Doppelgänger Week" on Facebook, Azia brings you Alter Ego, a celebrity look-a-like bash that encourages you to, well, dress up like your favorite celebrity! Put on by our BFFs at Blacklist Vintage and Azia, tonight's Oscar party will include a live broadcast of the awards show as well as food and drink specials. Bonus: Before Sunday rolls around, head to Blacklist Vintage and get a little styling help from the lovely Jen and Vanessa -- mention Alter Ego for a sweet 10% off your purchase!

Click HERE for the Facebook event


TUESDAY MARCH 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.

NEW SCHEDULE COMING SOON

This week's flick is Akira



NEWSWIRE

WIN A PAIR OF TICKETS TO 'A BRIEF HISTORY OF CAMP'

We're giving away tickets to A Brief History of Camp! This Tuesday, March 9th, join special guests Jaime Carrera (aka l'etoile's 'Best Gay' of 2009) who will discuss how camp performance influences his own work and art historian Ross K. Elfline who will share examples of camp in art and film. Moderated by the Minnesota Historical Society, this hip and relevant ongoing pop culture history series in the Turf Club's Clown Lounge is always highly informative and full of interesting tidbits and obscure secrets. And with our "Best Gay" at the helm, we expect it will anything but boring. For more info on this event, or to purchase tickets visit www.mnhs.org/hip

Enter to win a pair of tix: E-Mail kate@letoilemagazine.com with the subject line "CAMP" to enter. Winners will receive a pair of free guestlist spots for the event and will be notified via e-mail by Monday.


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

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