This weekend, as usual, is delightfully crammed with more cool events than you can shake a stick at. From awesome art openings to live music experiences and even a couple of highly anticipated outdoor festivals, you'll be hard-pressed to find a good reason to stay home. It seems each year the Twin Cities steps it up a notch, and by the initial intel, this summer is on its way to being the best yet. See you out and about!
xo-l'étoile
Photo by Eric Eul for l'étoile 2007
ALSO THIS WEEK ON L'ETOILE
l'etoile says goodbye to longtime writer, Lacey Pripc Hedtke
Jahna Peloquin reviews the Calamity Fashion Show
Jahna Peloquin reviews the Goldstein Garden Party
Jahna Peloquin reviews the St. Kate's Katwalk show
Jahna Peloquin updates our Sales & Shopping Guide
FRIDAY ART PICK: MEREDITH DITTMAR
It seems all those years gettin' creative with Play-Doh paid off for Portland-based artist, Meredith Dittmar. Her elaborately designed artwork is already a visual treat, but after we realized it's crafted entirely out of clay, well, color us impressed! The amazing sculpturess uses Premo polmer clay, wire, resins, fiberglass and spray paint to create “human-animal-plant-energy amalgams” that tackle the themes of meta perspective, technology, biology and mathematics. Her subjects are often found musing in underground/underwater worlds of intricate diagrams, color-rich designs and chimera-esque landscapes. The clay techie has been featured in numerous art books and journals – including NYLON, Hi-Fructose, and ROJO – and dabbles in commercial illustration and clay and stop motion film. Think Wallace and Gromit, but on an acid trip!
Click HERE for the Meredith Dittmar site
FRIDAY MAY 28TH (THROUGH SATURDAY)
Burlesque of North America Garage Sale
@First Amendment Arts
1101 Stinson Blvd
Minneapolis
Fri 12-8pm and Sat 10am-5pm / Free
The bros at BRLSQ are kick-startin’ the summer with a kick ass sale! This weekend, the crew has cleaned out their closets to bring you some cool swag they just don’t have room for. Stop by the studio for sweet sales on BRLSQ loot, including one-of-a-kind paper, vintage Life Sucks Die stickers and mags, old CDs and LPs, swanky office furniture, vintage art, test prints and more. In addition, they’ll be hosting a raffle in which you can win giant gift packs, exclusively put together by our Burlesque favies. Don’t miss out on this uncommon shot to get your paws on a big pile of BRLSQ goodness!
Click HERE for the Facebook event
FRIDAY MAY 28TH
AAXI: A Decade of Aesthetic Apparatus, One Year Late
@ MCAD
2501 Stevens Ave. S.
Minneapolis
6pm / Free
Even if you don't recognize the name Aesthetic Apparatus, odds are you’ve seen their work. The local screen printing duo, comprised of artists Dan Ibarra and Michael Byzewski, is behind the logo of the Triple Rock Social Club, the monsters on the walls at the 501 Club, gig posters for artists local and national, including The Hold Steady and Grizzly Bear, and big timers such as Burton Snowboards and Capitol Records. Not bad for a couple of high school friends whose collaboration started out as a joke in 1983: attempting to make the dumbest posters possible for a friend’s band. In the spirit of retrospect, “AAXI: A Decade of Aesthetic Apparatus, One Year Late” highlights eleven years worth of Aesthetic Apparatus limited-edition posters, as well as an assortment of random studio artifacts accumulated over the years. To name a few: leftover bits of wire from their first studio and the piece of paper on which the pair wrote their first business plan, "Low art. High prices!" We bet their tardiness will be well worth it. On view through June 27th.
Click HERE for this art event and more at mplsart.com
FRIDAY MAY 28TH
Jerome Emerging Printmakers Exhibition
@ Highpoint Center for Printmaking
912 Lake St W
Minneapolis
6:30-9pm / Free
We'll admit, we're kind of obsessive followers of the Jerome Emerging Printmakers' Residency program. Besides being totally jealous of the recipients' perks – 9 months access to Highpoint's fully armed printshop studio and dough for art supplies, just to name a few – we know that the artists featured are beacons that local art lovers will surely be honing in on. Catch an exhibition of the latest three recipients: Katinka Galanos, Miles Mendenhall and Justin Terlecki – printmaking engineers and innovative artists du jour. Enjoy refreshments, meet the artists and get ready to be wowed.
Bonus: As if a Jerome Residency wasn't enough, recipient Miles Mendenhall is also holding it down for the Twin Cities as the local contestant on Bravo's latest reality competition, “Work of Art!” Don't miss the epic premiere party for the show on June 9th at SooVAC. Deets to come!
Click HERE for this art event and more at mplsart.com
Artwork by Miles Mendenhall
FRIDAY MAY 28TH
Zoo Animal CD Release
@ 7th St Entry
701 1st Ave N
Minneapolis
9pm / 18+ / $6
Zoo Animal's hazy, grunge-pop is the kind you'd expect to hear in a '90s indie art flick. You know, something like High Art or Empire Records. Their sound is a puddle of lazily sung lyrics, watery bass lines, minimalist melodies and twangy rock, with nods to Cat Power and Mazzy Star. For a band whose name invokes notions of exotic & feral creatures, the trio and their music are relatively tame. But don't get us wrong, tame doesn't NOT equal boring. Members Tim, Holly and Thom produce catchy, charismatic and ultimately grooveable beats. Join the minimal rockers as they celebrate their sophomore CD release featuring sets from Red Pens, His and Her Vanities and Hildur Victoria. And please, don't feed the animals. But we're sure they wouldn't argue if you bought them a beer.
Click HERE for the First Ave site
FRIDAY MAY 28TH
Bomp!
@Bedlam Theatre
1501 6th St. S
Minneapolis
10pm / 18+ / $5
Shake it at Bedlam’s monthly dance party! Featuring BRLSQ & DJ Shannon Blowtorch in what promises to be another epic night of sweaty, glorious grinding (and probably some cabaret-inspired fabulousness). Come for the best DJs in town and stay for the Late Night Happy Hour from 10-midnight, featuring the Bedlam’s $5-or-less menu! What could you possibly object to?
Click HERE for the Facebook event
COOL LINK: YOUNG ME, NOW ME
First, get your paws on mom’s many stacks of old photos. Second, find the oldest possible one of yourself. Third, retake and remake! Those are the guidelines for ZeFrank.com’s “Young Me, Now Me.” With the help of many contributors, Zefrank has pulled together tons of old and new photos (staged the same and placed right up next to each other!) for us to admire. From moms and babies to boy scouts and big messes to grown men on toy scooters, these photos will make you laugh, cry and want to try to do it yourself. Hilar!
Click HERE for the Young Me, Now Me site
SATURDAY MAY 29th (THROUGH SUNDAY)
Memory Lanes Block Party 2010
@Memory Lanes and Flashback Café
2520 26th Avenue South
Minneapolis
Outdoor shows at 3pm / Free / All Ages
Indoor shows at 10pm / Free /21+
This weekend PBR, Surly, Monster, Jameson and The Current have teamed up with Memory Lanes Bowling Alley to bring you a musical block party blowout that will melt your mind! Saturday, spend your day in the sun with the sweet sounds of Skoal Kodiak, Gay Witch Abortion, No Bird Sing, and many more. Sunday will round out with more music, straight from locals Halloween, Alaska, Lucy Michelle & The Velvet Lapelles, Black Blondie, The Evening Rig, and tons more. Ian from “Drinking with Ian” hosts this two-day long musical mash-up, complete with dunk tanks, drinking games and photo shoots. Plus, step inside each night for 21+ parties with drinks, DJ Shannon Blowtorch, Red Pens, and Le Cirque Rouge Cabaret & Burlesque). You will NOT want to miss out on this weekend of top notch tuneage.
Click HERE for the Facebook event
SATURDAY MAY 29TH
Cover Story: Master Book Bindings from the Collection
@ Minneapolis Institute of Arts
2400 3rd Avenue S.
Minneapoilis
Regular museum hours / Free
From special guest writer Paul D. Dickinson, who insists you see this exhibit!:
Perhaps you have heard people talk about rare and valuable books. Well, the MIA has an upcoming exhibit that shows just how beautiful a book can really be. As a long time book collector and dealer, I wasn't even slightly prepared for what I saw. This is an elite selection from the museum's impressive collection of these unique book covers. Most of these are from French bookbinders, who have a tradition of designing one of a kind book covers for one of a kind artist books. The show highlights amazing handmade bindings by Henri Mercher, Charles de Samblanx, J. Anthoine Legrain, Henri Blanchetiere, George Crette and Henri Creuzevault. The covers relate to the story and theme of the books, including books that feature the art of Picasso and Miro. Designed with Moroccan leather, elaborate tooling and gilding, they really need to be seen to be believed. Runs today through October 31st. -Paul D. Dickinson
Click HERE for the MIA site
SATURDAY MAY 29TH
Sims
@The Nomad World Pub
501 Cedar Ave. S.
Minneapolis
8pm / 21+ / $8
Calling all hip-hop lovers and PBR drinkers, this one’s for you! This Saturday, Westbank’s Nomad World Pub is bringing you one of Doomtree’s finest: Emcee and rhyme master Sims. Lucky for us, this independent, hard hitting hip-hopper will be warming up for his Soundset performance at the Nomad, by tearing up the pub with his own batch of smooth rhymes and fresh beats. Joined by the level lyrics of Seattle’s own Macklemore, you music lovers (and Sunday Soundsetters!) won’t want to miss out!
Click HERE for the Nomad site
SATURDAY MAY 29TH
Attitude City
@ Clubhouse Jager
913 Washington Ave
Minneapolis
10pm / 21+ / Free
Our favorite dance party is back! The badass boys of Attitude City are at it again with their monthly installation of music and mayhem. Join the DJ duo for a night of delicious dance beats and Clubhouse Jager’s tasty cocktails. Not only is it free, but we guarantee that you’ll have an awesome time mingling (and sweating) amongst some of Minneapolis’ finest.
Click HERE for the Attitude City site
SATURDAY MAY 29TH
Menergy
@ Kitty Cat Klub
315 14th Ave SE
Minneapolis
10pm / $1 before 11:30 p.m., $3 after
Bros of Dinkytown, step aside, it’s time for everyone’s favorite (and only?) monthly, mustache and muscle-inspired dance party. Sip the latest Menergy Drink and dance your you-know-whats off to the usual (read: pulsating and homoerotic) menergetic beats of “mechanical machismos” Bach 666, The Nightstalker and Sweet Talk Radio (Ken Hannigan of Anthem Heart). Time Squid will also be returning to create some more Andy Warhol “Screen Test”–esque video remixes of party guests. Serious Manplicants only (sorry, couldn’t resist).
Click HERE for the Facebook event
SATURDAY MAY 29TH
The Alpha Centauri w/ Les Ourses and Colonial Watts
@331 Club
331 13th Avenue NE
Minneapolis
8pm / 21+ / Free
You probably know about the Alpha Centauri by now, but in case you don’t, here’s a quick overview: a dynamic local quartet, featuring breathtaking vocal interplay between Linnea Mohn and Lance Conrad and songs composed so intelligently and with such intricate subtlety you’re liable to forget about that drink you’re holding (which is kind of what a good band makes you do, anyway). Experience the sound at the 331 this Saturday, along with Les Ourses and Colonial Watts.
Click HERE for the 331 Club site
SUNDAY MUSIC PICK: FLORENCE & THE MACHINE
We’re all guilty of belting out our favorite tunes in front of the bathroom mirror from time to time, but this Sunday’s music pick, Florence + The Machine, was actually discovered that way. After a night of one too many cocktails, London born-and-raised Florence Welch followed Mairead Nash (of the tres-cool U.K. DJs/promoters Queens of Noize) into the “loo” and sang her some Etta James. The rest, as they say, was history – with history being her debut album, Lungs, reaching number one on the UK charts, and on this side of the ocean, a song in the trailer for “Eat, Pray, Love” and a single on the soundtrack for Eclipse, the newest Twilight installment (admit it, you’ve had it pre-ordered on iTunes for weeks). Fiery, eccentric (she’s been known to perform in chainmail suits and the like), and with an Aretha Franklin-big voice, Florence and her Machine -- a 7-piece band/collective frequently guest-starring her close friends -- craft whimsical, sometimes cheeky narratives inspired by everything from Greek mythology to art to heartbreak. Featuring a mishmash of sounds, including harps, choirs, drums, elevator shafts, bits of metal, sighing, stamping, and delightfully bizarre electronic wailing, Lungs is nothing short of exhilarating – a soaring, fantastical, Gothic fairytale of an experience.
Click HERE for the Florence & The Machine site
SUNDAY MAY 30TH
Soundset
@ Canterbury Park
1100 Canterbury Road
Shakopee, MN
11am / All Ages / $35
The next time someone tries to tell you hip-hop is dead, tell them to take a trip down to Canterbury Park Memorial Day Weekend. The third annual Soundset, a culmination of the best hip hop artists of our time presented by Minneapolis' empirical label, Rhymesayers, is set to go down Sunday at Canterbury with ten raptastic hours of hip hop, b-boy battles, breakdancing, live DJs, a low-rider car show, skateboard demos, and plenty of awesome performances by a bevy of local and national artists including Atmosphere, Murs, Redman & Method Man, Del, Hieroglyphics, Souls of Mischief, Brother Ali, P.O.S, Eyedea & Abilities, Dessa, Ice Rod, Man.i.fest and way more than we can possibly list here. The fest is totally kid friendly, so bring your young’ns down for a rap spectacular on this lovely holiday weekend!
Bonus: After party at First Ave featuring Z-Trip, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, BK-One, The Radio Do Canibal All-Stars, Jimmy 2 Times, Plain Ole Bill, Mike 2600, and Wezz Winship!
TUESDAY JUNE 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.
JUN 1: The Neverending Story
Editor in Chief: Kate Iverson // Contributors: Juleana Enright, Tara Sloane, Lauren Gantner, Natalie Gallagher, Kate Iverson, Robyn Lewis, Beth Hammarlund, Jahna Peloquin
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