This weekend is your own personal bag of tricks! With numerous events that act as umbrellas for impressive creative endeavors, you'll likely have a blast sussing out the coolest of the cool. What do we mean by that? Well, for one, the Red Hot Art Festival is back again, with a slew of awesome art vendors just waiting for you to happen by and discover their bountiful wares; or the fact that there are at least a couple can't-miss outdoor music events with extensive (and stellar) lineups just begging for you to come lay claim to your new favorite band. No matter what you do this weekend, enjoy, and remember, summer doesn't last forever!
xo-l'étoile
Photo by Joe Johnson for l'étoile agency
THURSDAY JULY 29TH
The Art of Conflict: Opening Reception
@ Tarnish and Gold Gallery
1511 Marshall Street NE
Minneapolis
7 p.m. / Free
Last July, Minneapolis became sister cities with the Shiite holy city of Najaf, Iraq, located fewer than 100 miles from Baghdad. With the intent of fostering understanding and healing, the Iraqi and American Reconciliation Project has initiated several projects to connect individuals from both countries. Their latest effort, opening Thursday at Tarnish and Gold Gallery, brings 15 pieces by Iraqi artists and 15 pieces by American artists together in dialogue on the effects of war and displacement, specifically regarding the current war in Iraq. Titled The Art of Conflict: Identity in War and Displacement, the exhibit will also feature a film screening of The Unreturned, a Minnesota native-produced documentary about five Iraqi refugee families. Two of the Iraqi artists, Ali Chassan and Faten Al Jumaily will be present at the opening, so don’t miss this chance to discuss their work firsthand (and show them some sisterly love, of course!).
Click HERE for this art event and more at mplsart.com
THURSDAY JULY 29TH (THROUGH SUNDAY)
Artery Twentyten
@ Soap Factory
518 2nd St NE
Minneapolis
6 p.m. to midnight / free
Artery Twentyten's latest installment is so epically awesome that it had to be broken up into four evenings so as to not blow your minds. Now in its third year, the eclectic, artist collaborated performance returns to showcase 22 local artists through a series of unique projects and site-specific art dimensions. Viewers are invited to embark on a labyrinthine exhibition of dance, film installations, large-scale artwork, Sonar Tag, puppetry and much, much more. Not to mention new work from innovative locals Jaime Carrera, Venus DeMars, Travis Freeman, and PreCambrian Productions. Part gallery, part playground, the artists involved challenge and stretch perceptions of what can fit inside the gallery's confines. And what they've come up with might just shock even the most devout space theorists.
Click HERE for the Soap Factory site
FRIDAY ART PICK: RYAN MCLENNAN
Check out what l'etoile's looking at this week!
Nature art has come a long way since the days of Bob Ross. Artists like famed naturalist painter John James Audubon have conceptually managed to turn conventional “happy trees” and ducks in a pond, into intricate and cringe-free takes on environmental issues and animal advocacy. Enter Ryan McLennan. The Richmond-based painter is heavily influenced by landscape painters from the 1800s and taxidermy installations. McLennan's depictions of North American wildlife is both realist and mystical and far from cheesy. His anti-canvas paper painting style allows for a completely smooth artistic depiction of a world often overlooked.
Click HERE for the Ryan McLennan site
FRIDAY JULY 30TH
Art Votes
@ Rogue Buddha
357 13th Avenue NE
Minneapolis
7 p.m. to 9 p.m. / Free
Head to the Buddha tonight for a group show featuring the work of socially concious creatives! Earlier this month the Rogue Buddha (with a little help from our own editor) put out a call for artists to create work that conveyed a positive message about voting. Well, numerous artists jumped to create custom pieces for the show and tonight they invite you to come check it all out. The exhibit will be voted on by attendees and the winning work will be reproduced as a free, limited-run poster to be distributed in the Twin Cities. And in case you haven't heard, Ms. Robinson is running alongside Matt Entenza in the Minnesota gubenatorial race, with the arts as one of her major platforms. She'll be the special guest host at the Buddha this evening and will chat about the importance of arts in Minnesota - something everyone should be familiar with, no matter your political affiliation!
Bonus: a portion of all art sales go to support Springboard for the Arts!
Click HERE for this art event and more at mplsart.com
art by Jennifer Sandquist
FRIDAY JULY 30TH
Spontaneous
@spotART Gallery
1828 Marshall St NE
Minneapolis
7 p.m. / Free
It’s no secret that the spotART gallery is a pretty fun place to see local art (have you ever MET the resident dog?!), and tonight's opening reception certainly perpetuates that notion with a fresh batch of talented local artists gracing the walls. Featuring Corey Mcnally, Patrick Smith, Kelly Loverud, Dennis Jenereaux, Konathan Foss, and Fernanda Sequeiros Hart. Add to that the modern, bluesy western tunes of Lonesome Dan Kase and henna tattooing by Judy O., and you've got yourself on heck of an arty good time!
Click HERE for this art event and more at mplsart.com
Art by Corey McNally
FRIDAY JULY 30TH
Cecil Otter
@ Varsity Theater
1308 4th St .SE
Minneapolis
8:30 p.m. / $10 / 18+
Doomtree’s Cecil Otter is oft praised for his hypnotic wordplay: images of vagabonds, ghosts, boxcars, and “pretty perverts” convey themes of heartbreak, redemption, vengeance – and the spaces where the three collide. His sound is equal parts melancholic and nostalgic, an aesthetic Cecil began developing early: his fascination with rap music started when his big sister ran away from home, leaving a box of intentionally mislabeled rap cassettes under her bed (Easy E was masked with a Bon Jovi sticker to prevent parental confiscation). These days, Cecil is working on Porcelain Revolver, a follow-up to his 2008 album Rebel Yellow (which was re-released by Sage Francis for Strange Famous Records in 2009). The release date is yet to be set, but you can get your Cecil fix Friday at the Varsity, where he’ll be pulling heartstrings alongside Lazlo Supreme and Culture Cry Wolf.
Click HERE for the Cecil Otter Myspace
FRIDAY JULY 30TH
Fort Wilson Riot CD Release
@ Kitty Cat Klub
315 14th Ave SE
Minneapolis
9 p.m. / $5 / 21+
Like most musicians, Fort Wilson Riot is influenced by a number of things, both musical and non-musical. But unlike most musicians, this band’s inspirations include Cabaret, DIY ethics, Scorcese, McCarthy, and Tolkein. Needless to say, their sound is both clever and eclectic, with stylings ranging from sweet ballads to bumpin’ dance tracks to jittery prog-pop. Launching listeners into a world where pirates make journalists walk the plank and a foolish bird named Idigaragua frequently cries “nadie me quiere” (nobody likes me), their allegorical indie-rock opera “Idigaragua” (released in 2007) gained the band heaps of critical praise and inspired a live theatrical performance (fun fact: Queen, The Pixies, and West Side Story were named as influences of the opera). Now down to the band’s core duo, Jacob Mullis and Amy Hager, Fort Wilson Riot will be releasing their newest album, Predator/Prey Friday at the Kitty Cat Klub. While there probably won’t be any swashbuckling acrobatics, expect the catchy beats and quirky lyrics local music fans have come to know and love.
Click HERE for the Fort Wilson Riot Myspace
Photo by Alexa Jones
FRIDAY JULY 30TH
BOMP!
@ Bedlam Theater
1501 6th Street South
Minneapolis
10 p.m. / 18+ / $5 with RSVP / $7 without
Minneapolis’ best monthly dance installation is back again this Friday at the Bedlam Theater! This time around, Bomp is bringing together tons of local DJ hotties from The Moon Goons and Get Cryphy (with the help of Shannon Blowtorch and Wes Winship) to spin tons of jams that will def get your body moving. Join the party this Friday on Westbank not only to celebrate the reopening of their fireplace room, but to dance your butt off to booty bumpin’ beats and chill out on the ever-popular roof top porch as well. In case you haven't heard, the Bedlam is getting booted out of it's space as of the end of August, so this is one of your second to last chance to throw down with Bomp, Bedlam-style.
Click HERE to RSVP for discounted admission
COOL LINK: NOWNESS
What's l'etoile surfing on the internet this week?
Love something new every day. That’s the idea behind Nowness, the life de luxe site launched earlier this year by luxury goods behemoth LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton. Showcasing the best of fashion, art, culture and travel, Nowness features a daily multimedia story; this week’s presentations have included a list of Renaissance man Ramdane Touhami’s favorite scents from around the world (like Moroccan oranges and Sydney’s frangipani flower), a photo tour of the home shared by Mother-Daughter Bloggers Judy and Jane Aldridge, and a short film about French balladeer Serge Gainsbourg. In effort to squeeze some social media into the site, Nowness allows users to vote “love” or “don’t love” on each story, and then uses these tastes to direct readers to archived content they’ll likely enjoy. Pretentious? Certainly. But then again, how often can you experience exquisite while sitting at home in your sweatpants? Now that’s something to love every day.
Click HERE for the Nowness site
SATURDAY JULY 31ST (THROUGH SUNDAY)
Red Hot Art Festival
@ Stevens Square Park
18th St and Stevens Ave
Minneapolis
Sat: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. / Sun: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. / Free
Forget lukewarm or mildly spiced – this art festival is on fire! This Saturday and Sunday, head to Stevens Square Park for the Red Hot Art Festival, featuring a sundry of local artists, 28 local bands on two stages (To name a few: Phantom Tails, A Paper Cup Band, and I Like You) and, of course, food from local vendors, including Asase Yaa and La Loma Tamales (don’t worry – each has menu options that won’t make your eyes water). With a focus on emerging Twin Cities artists, Red Hot is a must-go for anyone who wants to know what’s cool in local art and music before everyone else does. And speaking of which, Stevens Square Center for the Arts will be hosting an uber-cool (er, hot) after party on Saturday, in conjunction with its new mixed-media exhibit, The New Antiquarians.
Click HERE for this art event and more at mplsart.com
SATURDAY JULY 31ST
Blacklist Vintage Digger's Sale
@ Blacklist Vintage
25 E. 26th St
Minneapolis
Noon to 7 p.m. / Free
This Saturday, the retro gurus over at Blacklist Vintage are cleaning out their closets for the annual Digger's Sale. All day, join tons of other thrifters at the shop to peruse their mounds of retro clothing, furniture, and housewares now all at remarkably dirt-cheap prices. On top of that, Blacklist will be playing jams and grillin' dogs to make this retro sale an all out party. BONUS: Keep your eyes peeled for the super cheap $1, $3, and $5 bins of vintage swag. We TOLD you it would be a bargain!
Click HERE for more shopping events this weekend from l'etoile!
SATURDAY JULY 31ST
Lowertown Music Fest
@ Lowertown
201 E 5th St
St. Paul
2 p.m. to 10 p.m. / $25
It's official. Lowertown is St. Paul's hottest neighborhood! A bold claim, we know. But with a plethora of cool bars and restaurants, and hip summer events galore - not to mention oodles of awesome artists - it's hard not to gush. Today the buzzworthy district offers up one more reason to make the mini crossover: the day-long Lowertown Music Fest. This year's line-up features some of the best guitar-slinging, lyric-powered rock artists inside the local scene. Sip down tasty, ice cold Summits and enjoy the sounds of local musicians Mason Jennings, Cloud Cult, Tapes N' Tapes, Peter Wolf Crier, Frank Turner, and Koo Koo Kanga Roo. See you in Lowertown!
Click HERE for more info
SATURDAY JULY 31ST
Punk Show: The Pist + Defiance
@ Bedlam Theatre
1501 6th St S
Minneapolis
9 p.m. / 18+/ $10
One could say punk rock has taking a few blows since its '70s/'80s glory days. From pop punk to the painful fest inception, the Warped Tour, it seems “punk” has gone from raw, hardcore energy to an attitude easily purchased at the mall. Tisk, tisk, Mr. Punk, we expected more from you. Thankfully, some bands haven't forsaken their rebel roots and “sold out.” Tonight, the Bedlam presents three dedicated punk bands from the underground DIY scene as sincere, energetic, noisy, crust and all killer, no filler as they come. Sponsored by Extreme Noise Records, get ready to fist pump to Connecticut's The Pist (reunited after a five year haitus!), Portland's Defiance and openers Ponx Attax. Viva la punk!
Click HERE for the Bedlam site
Vintage Pist!
SATURDAY JULY 31ST
JM Airis w/ Death Cube
@ Nick & Eddie
2600 27th Ave S
Minneapolis
10 p.m. / 21+ / Free
Wisconsin native (and one of the founding members of Solid Gold!) JM Airis has made his way through the NYC music scene as a jack of all trades. Known for his fierce drumming talents and meticulous production skills, Airis has finally stepped into the forefront with his debut solo album, Indian Summer. Lyrically and instrumentally, this record shows off Airis' songwriting chops, as he played every instrument on the album and recorded it himself - each moody track glides over languid, crunchy guitar with pleasing dissonance - a record you can put in on a long drive or while staying in on a stormy night. Tonight, he makes a stop in Minneapolis with his full band, an ensemble of NYC musicians from rock outfits that everyone on the Lower East Side loves (Dead Sparrows and Des Roar). With Death Cube (Shon Troth of Solid Gold), creating an unfuckwithable formula of good friends, great music and fun times. Cant make tonight's show? Don't fret, make your way to the Hexagon on Friday night to catch JM Airis playing with two of the most bombastic acts in town, the Bombay Sweets and the Blind Shake!
Click HERE for the Facebook event
SATURDAY JULY 31ST
Menergy Presents: MANARCHY
@ Kitty Cat Klub
315 14th Ave SE
Minneapolis
10 p.m. / 21+ / $1 (from 10-11) or $3 (after 11 p.m.)
Grab your man meat and make your way over to the Kitty Cat Klub for a night of total Manarchy! This Saturday, the legends behind Menergy have come together to present yet another incarnation of their famed monthly dance night, this time with even more drink specials, fabulous freebies and super secret surprises than even before! Stop by the KCK to grind on your favorite mens (to the tunage of Bach 666, The Night Stalker and Sweet Talk Radio, of course), sip on the super cheap Menergy Dranx and get your paws on some epic Anthem Heart swag. Plus, Smitten Kitten has some surprises up their sleeves to keep the night especially saucy.
Click HERE for the Facebook event
SATURDAY JULY 31ST
Attitude City
@ Clubhouse Jager
923 Washington Ave
Minneapolis
10 p.m. / 21+ / Free
The hot, hot hotties of Attitude City will be waiting for you at Club Jager tonight, their fists full of Yacht Club tickets ripe for the picking! This special edition of the AC monthly residency at our fave North Loop clubhouse doubles a pre-sale event for the annual yacht party - a highly anticipated river cruise bash that sells out every time. So, put on your dance pants, head to Jager, buy your ticket (traditionally 75% of the tix sell out at the pre-sale event alone!) and polish the dance floor to fresh disco beats courtesy of Jeff and Karl of Attitude City!
Click HERE for the AC site
SUNDAY MUSIC PICK: GENEVA JACUZZI
If Ariel Pink is the god of retro chillwave, then LA's Geneva Garvin (a.k.a. Geneva Jacuzzi) reigns as goddess supreme. Though she takes the cake as one of the oddest peeps currently making pop/dance music these days, don't write her off as just another pixie poseur. Geneva is a bonified synth master, with fresh beats, Kate Bush-esque dance moves/music videos and insanely catchy tunes. Lo-fi witch house, tropical goth-lounge, occult italo-funk, pick a genre – they all sound made up anyways – just don't box her in. This chick obvs has some mad smarts and isn't afraid to poke a little fun at herself now and again. Artists that don't take themselves too seriously?! Refreshing, isn't it? Her Casio, drum machine-driven beats make us wanna jump around 80's workout video style and endlessly hand clapping until we explode, like some sort of Buffy episode...but that's just us. Her latest video explains more than we ever could, plus it has the best dancin' doll cat scene we've ever laid eyes on. YES!
Click HERE for the Geneva Jacuzzi site
Geneva Jacuzzi “Clothes on the Bed” video on Vimeo:
SUNDAY AUGUST 1ST
The Kidneys are Alright
@ Club Jäger
923 Washington Avenue N.
Minneapolis
2 p.m. to 10 p.m. / $8
It’s a PARTY! Benefiting KIDNEYS! We could go on and on with funny ironic jokes about it, but instead, we’re going to concentrate mostly on how utterly cool this event is. Put on by (as our friends at MN Original quipped) Chris "Social Media Kidney" Strouth, along with a little help from yours truly and the cool kids at Club Jager, today's outdoor rock out features a solid lineup of quintessential Minnesota rockers: Faux jean, Felonious Bosch, Starfolk, John Munson, The Mighty Mofos, the VibroChamps, Blue Sky Blackout, Fauna, and BNLX — whew. Not to mention a handful of stellar DJs to rock your socks between bands including Dean Vaccaro, Joseph Pettini, Danny Sigelman, DJ Drone and Scott Pakudaitis (who also happens to be Strouth's kidney donor!). Seriously? Are you thinking about not coming? Really? What’s your excuse? Yeah, that’s what we thought. The best part about this the cause behind it - funds raised go directly to benefit the National Kidney Association. And our hard-rocking hearts always melt at the chance to do a little good - especially when good music and good friends are involved!
Sponsored by l'etoile!
Click HERE for the Facebook event page
L'ETOILE NEWSWIRE
Register now for the 1st Annual High Heel Dash!
The first ever Aegis Foundation High Heel Dash invites both men and women to show off their
glamorous athletic prowess for a good cause! On Wednesday, August 11th at Peavey Plaza in Downtown Minneapolis contestants will compete against each other in 25-yard dash heats wearing heels 3 inches or taller. MyTalk 107.1's Lori & Julia will begin broadcasting live with emcee Foxy Tann at 3pm! Heats will start at 5:30pm to give you time to leave work and dash to Peavey Plaza for a great cause. Prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place dashers! The top fundraisers will get Spectacular prizes too!!Participants are encouraged to raise a minimum of $100 to dash (tax deductible). Contestants will receive an official High Heel Dash t-shirt. All proceeds benefit Soles4Souls and the Emergency Foodshelf Network. REGISTER NOW!
High Heel Dash 2010 is proudly co-sponsored by l'étoile!
Editor in Chief: Kate Iverson // Contributors: Juleana Enright, Tara Sloane, Lauren Gantner, Natalie Gallagher, Kate Iverson, Robyn Lewis, Jahna Peloquin
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