Thursday, April 15, 2010

Weekend What's What 4/15-4/18

IT'S ELECTRIC!

Wow. We can't believe MNFashion Week is actually here! The pinnacle of local fashion events, Friday's Voltage: Fashion Amplified, kicks off what is sure to be an exciting flurry of awesome events and high style in the Twin Cities, parceled out over the next ten days. Don your fanciest Spring finery and prance out to as many events as you can! It brings a tear to our eye to think how you've all contributed to and/or supported the ever-evolving independent arts scene in these here parts. It's really quite astounding. We here at l'étoile are so proud and happy to have witnessed and participated in the growth of such a fabulous group endeavor. Kudos, Twin Cities! You amaze us!

xo-l'étoile

Photo by Eric Eul


THIS WEEK ON L'ÈTOILE

Jahna Peloquin fills you in on all the MNFashion Week events happening this weekend! Check back on Sunday for next week's epic line up.

Jahna Peloquin updates our Sales and Shopping Guide

Jahna Peloquin reviews last week's
Envision: Artopia 2010

Juleana Enright interviews Voltage Designer
Kevin Kramp

Juleana Enright interviews Voltage Designer
Emma Berg

Kate Iverson interviews Voltage/MNFashion founder
Anna Lee on CityPages.com

THURSDAY APRIL 15TH

W7 Gallery Event & HAROLD handbag launch

@ W7 Collective
Pinley Building
1032 7th St. W.
St. Paul

7-9pm / Free

Monthly artist mart W7 Collective makes its statement in the local fashion scene loud and clear with tonight's MNfashion Week edition. Laura Nelli, famed for her NELLE line of delectable party clutches, is launching a new brand, HAROLD at the W7 event. (RSVP to www.nellehandbags.com/harold for your chance to win a tote.) The menswear-inspired collection features large totes and handbags, perfect for your everyday needs. The manly looks should be a good match for up-and-coming designer Jared Zachary (who happens to be a Vision model) and his line of handmade neckwear. Perhaps most exciting may be the husband-and-wife duo of Jonathan Gomez Whitney and Veronica delCarmen Gomez Whitney who will be showcasing work in their respective creative realms. Jonathan, a noted interior designer, is known for his modern, sleek shelves, furniture and furnishings. Avant-garde clothing designs by his wife, Veronica, will also be on display for the first time in years (as she’s been busy raising their adorable daughter).

For even MORE Fashion Week events this weekend visit our Guide HERE



THURSDAY APRIL 15TH

Third Thursdays

@ Minneapolis Institute of Arts
2400 3rd Ave S
Minneapolis

6pm-9pm/free

We heart the Minneapolis Institute of Arts' monthly Third Thursday shebang, and tonight's "ReMix" edition is no exception! The museum ushers a new era of contemporary art into its hallowed halls with the new exhibition, Until Now: Collecting the New (1960-2010). You'll gallery hop through the expansive permanent collection, on the trail of "Art ReMix," a new series of "contemporary art interventions" that are scattered throughout the museum. As you ping-pong between rooms, you'll be treated to an eclectic array of entertainment via circuit-bending musical marvels, Beatrix*Jar, and charismatic rock n' roller, Mark Mallman. Mingle with artsy cool cats while sampling fancy (re)mixed cocktails from the cash bar, and while you're at it, enjoy the awesome Springtime weather in the MIA's charming courtyard. The event runs from 6-9pm and is free and open to the public. For more info visit www.artsmia.org.

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



THURSDAY APRIL 15TH (THROUGH 30TH)

Mpls/St.Paul International Film Fest

@ St. Anthony Main
125 S.E. 115 Main Street
Minneapolis

times vary, check schedule

Believe it or not, MSPIFF is now in its 28th year! We think it's pretty amazing that independent film has such a fantastic following in these here parts. Yet another reason to adore the Twin Cities, as if there weren't enough already. The annual fest will screen a whopping 100 films between today and April 30th that were hand-selected by festival director Al Milgrom via visits to major film festivals in Toronto, Berlin, Karlovy Vary, Montreal, and others, with help from field assistants in more than a dozen countries.These fresh flicks from all corners of the globe will screen in numerous categories including MN Made, International Cinema, American Independent Cinema, Documentaries, Global Film Initiative's "Global Lens" series and more. We could go on and on, but we suggest you visit the website below to seek out what piques your interest. Our personal picks? The Taqwacores a film about the life of Muslim punk rockers; Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child a documentary about the famed artist directed by personal Basquiat friend, Tamra Davis; and Two in the Wave (Deux de la vauge), a fascinating (and dramatic) documentary of two of France's top Cinematic geniuses, François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard. The Festival also contains a number of cool parties where you can rub elbows with filmophiles and visiting filmmakers alike. This is going to be an epic couple weeks for film lovers in the TC!

Click HERE for the MSPIFF site and a full lineup!




THURSDAY APRIL 15TH

Dark Dark Dark

@ Cedar Cultural Center
416 Cedar Ave S
Minneapolis

7pm / 18+ / $10

Every once in awhile a band comes along that is truly impossible to classify. Dark Dark Dark blend Americana, Gothic Cabaret, and European-folk-fusion so seamlessly within each song that you feel as if you are traveling through space and time inside the melodies. And they do this using the least traditional instrumentation the indie music scene has had in a long time. No guitars, no sonic synths or fuzzy effect pedals. Just banjo, cello, piano, trumpet, upright bass, and the accordion. That’s right, the accordion is cool again. Join the band and their friends Spirits of the Red City in a homecoming celebration and release of their stunning new EP Bright Bright Bright to see what we mean. This is music so beautiful that it rattles you to your very core.

Click HERE for the Cedar site



THURSDAY APRIL 15TH

Fashion Forward

@ A25
2548 S Nicollet Ave
Minneapolis

8pm-12am/free

On the eve of Voltage, do you really think your beloved l'étoile ladies would leave you in the lurch, nary a soul to dish snazzy outfits with? Never! Tonight, hop over to Azia’s chic little sister, A25, for a pre-MNFashion Week mixer of tunes, cocktails and fashion gossip. Sip down a few of A25’s delicious specialty, sake-infused drinks as you brush shoulders with charming local fashionistas, and even a Voltage designer or two. Groove to a DJ set by l'étoile Culture Editor, Juleana Enright (aka DJ ana//log) full of Studio 54 disco classics, neo-electro funk and sassy synth and while you enjoy $5 specials on tasty appetizers, mouth-watering sushi rolls and drinks, plus half price sake and wine. While you’re there, don’t forget to snag an official MNFashion Week event guide - your detailed itinerary to a stylish, fun-filled MNFashion Week extravaganza. Happy Hour runs 10pm-close.

Click HERE for the Facebook event

For even MORE Fashion Week events this weekend visit our Guide HERE


CITY PAGES DRESSING ROOM PICK
An Interview with Anna Lee

Voltage: Fashion Amplified and MNFashion Founder Anna Lee -- a designer herself under the moniker Ruby3 -- relocated to Minneapolis from Fargo, North Dakota in the early 2000s and commenced in building a burgeoning empire and indispensable support system for the Twin Cities fashion community. A humble dame if there ever was one, Lee will bashfully scoff at such praise, but the fact of the matter is, Fargo is likely seething with jealousy.

The Dressing Room caught up with Anna Lee this week to get the score on what's in store this Friday the future of local design in the Twin Cities...

Click HERE to read the interview

Photo by Stephanie Colgan


FRIDAY APRIL 16TH

Voltage: Fashion Amplified 2010

@ First Ave
701 N 1st Ave
Minneapolis

8pm-2am / 21+ / $25-30

The crème de la crème kick-off to Spring MNFashion Week, Voltage’s rockin' runway event showcases everything we adore in an evening – music, fashion, pretty peeps and - above all - talent! Happily uniting music-loving hipsters with the style-conscious fashion hounds year after year, Voltage is the heavily hyped, community-oriented brainchild of MNFashion founder Anna Lee; an event designed to work as both an incubator and a springboard for local designers to take their skillz and innovation to the next level. Tonight’s show features the best current “it” runway & accessory designers as they debut original Spring collections alongside a hot line-up of hip local bands. Featuring runway designers Raul Osorio, Frances Zerr, Kelson by Brianne Jones, Elena Mercurio, Danielle Everine, Carmichael Claith, George Moskal, Kevin Kramp, Pafoua Thao of PFT Couture and Emma Berg bathed in stunning accessories by Rox Jewelry, Ferociter, Ruby3, Christopher Straub and many more! Plus, rock-tastic sets from Blue Sky Blackout, aptly styled by BlackBlue; Ren Pens, wearing designs by Red Shoe Clothing Co.; Caroline Smith and the Goodnight Sleep, wearing designs by Calpurnia Peach; Mayda, wearing designs by Laura Fulk; and Ruby Isle, wearing Anthem Heart designs. While you’re there, stop by the MNFashion pop-up boutique to get your hands original pieces from the Voltage designers, limited edition event posters by Aesthetic Apparatus and limited edition tees from Anthem Heart. Tickets are still available, but likely to sell out quick due to the event’s awesomeness, so we recommend purchasing your tickets in advance!

Bonus: The fun doesn’t stop at First Ave. After the show, pop on over to OM Restaurant – just three blocks away at 401 N 1st Ave – for an epic 21+ after-party open to everyone! Helmed by DJ Bach, the bash features $5 Voltage-themed cocktails, $5 specialty appetizers and delicious, delicious tunes. Plus, $5 valet parking the entire night if you eat at OM before the show. No Voltage ticket is necessary to enter. See you there in your fab wear!

Click HERE for the Voltage site

For even MORE Fashion Week events this weekend visit our Guide HERE



FRIDAY APRIL 16TH

Dearling Physique “Currency” EP Release Party

@ Varsity Theater
1308 SE 4th St
Minneapolis

8pm-1am / 18+ / $10 or $6 w/ Voltage stub

A rock show joining the ballot for MNFashion Week could seem a bit odd...that is if you weren’t familiar with electronic performance artist, Dearling Physique. Mastermind Domino Davis’ mysterious stage performance – one heavy with theatrics, brooding electronics and costumes even Björk would covet – Davis and his musical entourage are easily one of MPLS most entertaining and envelope-pushing bands. Tonight, join the group for a release party celebrating new material from their upcoming full-length album The Moon Leads Me. Beyond just an electronically-fused rock show, the party unveils a collaborative performance staged by art director, Carl Atiya Swanson. Styled by the ever-artistique Molly Roark and furbished with designs by Hilary Falk, Dearling Physique will be jamming out inside icy, metallic sculptures brought to life by an effervescent light show. Intense! With guest sets from No Bird Sing, The Alpha Centauri, Xavier Marquis and TML’s DJ Sovietpanda. Don’t forget to bring your Voltage ticket stub for a discounted cover!

Click HERE for the Dearling Physique site

For even MORE Fashion Week events this weekend visit our Guide HERE

Dom Davis by artist Kari Schuster


FRIDAY APRIL 16TH

Wants vs. Needs

@Clubhouse Jager
923 Washington Ave N
Minneapolis

10pm / 21+ / Free

Wants vs. Needs is back after for another fun-filled freeloader Friday that will get your blood pumpin’. Clubhouse Jager knows how to kick off the weekend right, with the perfect amount of party music and drink specials. Join the usual Wants vs. Needs crew like DJs Anton, Espada, Petey Wheatstraw and So Gold for a night of dancing chaos! For you early birds, keep your eyes peeled for new, super chic limited party tees designed by Adam Garcia of The Pressure.

Click HERE for the Facebook Page



FRIDAY APRIL 16TH (THROUGH SUNDAY)

Somewhat Sci-Fi Variety Show

@Patrick’s Cabaret
3010 Minnehaha Ave.
Minneapolis

6-8pm / $8 from artists, $10 door

Sci-Fi flicks and cabarets? Sounds like an awesome Friday! That’s right, stop by Patrick’s Caberet for a night of futuristic cyber mayhem! The variety show this weekend combines dance, film, comedy acts and more — all inspired by Science Fiction. Just $10 (or $8 if you talk to one of the artists before hand!) gets you a ticket to hilarious comedy with Bryce Davidson and Laura Kirkeby, short-film showings with Tony Larson and Hannah Lund, and a variety of dances from B-Boy J-Sun, Cathy Wright and more. Be sure to grab your robo friends and arrive early, seating is limited!

Click HERE for the Patrick's Cabaret site



VOLTAGE DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT
Emma Berg & Kevin Kramp

With Voltage: Fashion Amplified finally here, l'étoile returns to give you the skinny on the final two talented local designers involved with this year’s runway show. Get the lowdown each participant's design aesthetic, personal style and a sneak peek of their ’10 Voltage collections. Not to mention, l'étoile Culture Editor, Juleana Enright will let you in on an intimate Q&A sesh with each designer, where they'll dish on everything from their favorite local spots to how they sharpen their creative chops. This week’s spotlights include Emma Berg and Kevin Kramp.

Voltage Fashion Amplified happens THIS Friday, April 16th at First Ave. For tickets and more info visit www.voltagefashionamplified.com

Read Juleana Enright's Voltage Spotlight on Kevin Kramp

Read Juleana Enright's Voltage Spotlight on Emma Berg



SATURDAY APRIL 17TH

International Record Store Day

Various Locations / All Day
See below for participating locations

Vinyl lovers, take note: this Saturday is International Record Store Day! Every third Saturday of April, record shops around the world come together to celebrate their independence with exclusive vinyl releases, special appearances, tremendous promotions and more! Minneapolis is celebrating in a similar fashion at indie shops around the city. Pop on in to Fifth Element (2411 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls.) for a Soundset celebration with sick sales on Rhymesayers and Soundset performers’ releases, live sets (from local loves like Eyedea, Dessa, A.R.M, Prof & Rahzwell, DJ Snuggles and more), and with every in-store purchase, you’re entered to win a pair of Soundset tickets. Meanwhile, Electric Fetus (2000 4th Ave. S., Mpls.) is giving the first 200 visitors to spend $15 or more a free ticket to a super exclusive show hosted by Solid Gold and The Idle Hands at Nick & Eddie later that night. The store will also have special Record Store Day releases and an in-store performance by Dr. Dog at 1 p.m. and Paul Cebar at 4:30 p.m. Hymie’s Vintage Records (3318 E. Lake St., Mpls.) is offering live music, free food, and thousands of records priced at 25 cents from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., while Treehouse Records (2557 Lyndale Ave. S., Mpls.) will open early at 9 am. to sell nearly 200 brand-new RSD-exclusive releases, as well as offer used vinyl for $1 a piece, plus a live performance on the sidewalk by Patches & Gretchen at noon. Across the river, St. Paul’s Eclipse Records (1922 University Ave. W., St. Paul, opening at 9 a.m.) will have special RSD releases, local musicians spinning records all day, Red Daughters playing a live set at 7 p.m.

Click HERE for the official Record Store Day site



SATURDAY APRIL 17TH (THROUGH SUNDAY)

I Like You Trunk Show & Anniversary Party

@ I Like You
501 1st Avenue NE
Minneapolis

Noon-5pm / Free

We can hardly believe that totally adorbz local accessory and gift shop, i like you, has been open in its Northeast location for only a year. One of the few shops in town dedicated to local and independent artists, i like you is celebrating its first birthday with an MNfashion-approved trunk show featuring many of its local crafters and designers. Saturday's featured designers include Third Willow, Hero Jones Designs, Lollycopter, Renee Larson, Silver Bug and Annie Fink, plus hula hoop demos by Joslyn Meyers and a live set by local band I Like You. On Sunday, expect accessories by Voltage designer Peas and Beans, designer Rebecca Yaker, and more. (Pictured: Earrings by Renee Larson.)

Click HERE for the I Like You site

For even MORE Fashion Week events this weekend visit our Guide HERE



SATURDAY APRIL 17TH

Textile Garage Sale

@The Textile Center
3000 University Ave SE
Minneapolis

9am - 4pm / $1

It’s back again! The Textile Center is hosting the world’s largest material sale of the season for their tenth year running. For just $1, peruse through piles of fabrics, looms, tools, buttons, sewing machines and more. Not only will other cool equipment will be up for bidding at the auction but the library will also be open for a used-book sale! Can’t make it til 3? You’re in luck. From 3 – 4 everything must go! Your $1 entry will get you anything you can stuff into a paper bag...and 50% off the rest.

Click HERE for the Textile Center site

For even MORE Fashion Week events this weekend visit our Guide HERE




SATURDAY APRIL 17TH

Art-o-Mat Swap Meet

@ Chambers’ Burnet Gallery
901 Hennepin Ave
Minneapolis

1pm-4:30pm / Free

Ah, swap meets. The lowbrow cousin to thrift stores and garage sales, swap meets are the best in eclectic outlets where a collection of Precious Moments figurines can be traded for a bootleg copy of Twin Peaks. Art-o-Mat creator, Clark Whittington, takes us back to the old school days of bartering and flea markets as he hosts today’s local swap meet where artists and collectors are encourage to trade, show off and discuss their artistic treasures. Conceived way back in 1999 in an unassuming parking lot, the trading festival has developed into a regional event where peeps can meet the original Art-o-Mat artists, trade art to their heart’s content and walk away with a pile of “new-to-you” art pieces.

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



SATURDAY APRIL 17TH

Fashion for a Cause! Style for Smiles

@ CW Lofts
730 Stinson Blvd
Minneapolis

7pm doors, 8pm show / donations accepted

We always love fashion for a cause! Local line Kokoon is teaming up with Project Healthy Smile, which offers dental supplies to underprivileged children around the world. Kokoon will be showcasing its spring line in a fashion show and donating 20 percent of sales from the event to the cause. Enter to win a private photo shoot with photographer Serah Sauser, enjoy complimentary makeovers by makeup artist (and frequent l’etoile editorial contributor!) Kate Erickson, style tips from HMStyling, and complimentary wine and hors d’oeuvres. RSVP to tiffany@projecthealthysmile.org to get on the list.

For even MORE Fashion Week events this weekend visit our Guide HERE



SATURDAY APRIL 17TH

James Buckley Trio CD Release Party

@ Artists’ Quarter
408 St. Peter St.
St. Paul

9pm/ 21+ / $10

Renowned local Bassist James Buckley found the time while playing in one thousand bands to release an album, Signal Me, with pianist Bryan Nichols and drummer J.T. Bates. Snap your fingers at the bohemian Artists’ Quarter, pick up the latest release from this prolific local artist, and feel the jazz cover you in a wave of sound and hipness. It's officially MNFashion Week now, so feel free to rock that jaunty beret with pride.

Click HERE for the Artists' Quarter site

photo by sasha z. bates


SATURDAY APRIL 17TH

Hot Pants

@ Bedlam Theater
1501 S. 6th St.
Minneapolis

10pm / $5 / 18+

Serious dance weekend alert! Some people’s hips only move to smooth soul music. For you, discerning DJs Ben Mena, Dale Burback, Brian Engel and Rambo Salinas spin 45s until either the dancefloor starts on fire or your pants do. Hotpants is starting its residency at the Bedlam on the third Saturday of every month. The Lord has heard our prayers! Our funky, funky prayers.

Click HERE for the Bedlam site



HWTS VOLTAGE BAND SPOTLIGHT
Caroline Smith & The Goodnight Sleeps

David De Young of HowWasTheShow.com profiles Voltage: Fashion Amplified band Caroline Smith & The Goodnight Sleeps!

Caroline Smith is going places. Literally. Smith and her three piece band band The Good Night Sleeps, which consists of Colin Hacklander (Something With Kites) on keyboards, Jesse Schuster (Lucy Michelle) on bass and Arlen Peiffer (Cloud Cult, The Wapsipinicon) on drums, will hit the Voltage Fashion Amplified stage a week after a tour of the Midwest and the East Coast that takes them from Iowa City to Brooklyn and back again. As soon as Voltage winds up, the band will be back out on the road less than a week later to Madison, Chicago and South Bend, Indiana.

Click HERE to read the full profile on HowWasTheShow


SUNDAY APRIL 18TH

InsideOut Fashion Show

@ Spill the Wine
1011 Washington Avenue
Minneapolis

1-5pm

This installation-style fashion show takes models off the runway and into styled vignettes. Live models wearing fashions from local designers Ilze Bruvelis, Maggie Dayton (MHD Couture), Brittany Hughes and Lauren Koehne (Flower Child Designs) will intermix with hair and makeup demo stations, a live-action photo shoot and the audience itself. Cash bar available downstairs. (Pictured: A look by Brittany Hughes.)

For even MORE Fashion Week events this weekend visit our Guide HERE



TUESDAY APRIL 20TH

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 ANNOUNCED!

APR 20: Doctor Who: The Enemy Within (Plus Rob Callahan's B-Day Party! Cupcakes galore!)
APR 27: Tank Girl
MAY 4: Moon
MAY 11: Ghostbusters
MAY 18: Pontypool
MAY 25: Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
JUN 1: The Neverending Story

This Week's Flick is Doctor Who: The Enemy Within



L'ÈTOILE NEWSWIRE


VOTE FOR L'ÈTOILE STAFFER BRIAN GIOIELLI!

Excuse us while we gush. l'étoile's own advertising manager, Brian Gioielli is one of the finalists for the annual One Man Minneapolis contest! The competition identifies the one man in the Twin Cities who represents the best of the best from the perspectives of community involvement, personality, intelligence and fitness. Well, if you ask us, Brian embodies all of these! Our boy not only volunteers his time for l'étoile, but also does a ton of charity work including being the Vice President on the St. Paul Festival Association board, 12 Bars of Christmas charity event co-organizer, and YMCA volunteer. He's also hilarious, adorable, and one of the most kind-hearted and fun dudes we've ever met.

The best part? If Brian wins, he gets to donate $2500 to his choice of charity, and has even committed $1000 of his personal winnings to l'etoile, so we can put together outfits to donate to another great non-profit, Dress for Success! Isn't he sweet? Vote for Brian every day starting this Friday at www.onemanminneapolis.com!!!!


Save the Date: Imagination Mechanism
an interactive fashion party exploring the creative process

Friday, April 23, 2010 / Free
7pm to 11pm (photo shoot styling begins at 7:30pm)

Join l'étoile magazine for a real-time peek inside our creative process! We'll return once again to the Eitel Building's gorgeous Rooftop Sky Park on Loring Park for a stylish, interactive mixer that will invite you to play creative director for a day. Try your hand at designing fashion photo shoot mood boards and story boards with the help of l'étoile staff, then watch as we implement these same processes to create a live fashion photo shoot that will include everything from styling, shooting, retouching, and even editorial layout -- all right before your eyes. Complimentary cocktails and appetizers will be available, along with music from l'étoile DJs. And dress to impress: we'll be giving away prizes to the most "fashion photo ready" attendees! Sponsored by l'étoile magazine, MNFashion and Secrets of the City.

For even MORE Fashion Week events this weekend visit our Guide HERE

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

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