It's no secret we've got serious warm fuzzies for the Twin Cities, and this weekend is as good a reason as any to shout it from the rooftops! From celebrating 25 years of one of our most iconic record labels to whoopin' it up at multiple CD release shows, epic dance parties and fantastical art openings, this weekend's line up holds a respectable cache of warm n' fuzzy summer memories waiting to happen!
xo-l'étoile
Photo by Joe Johnson for l'etoile
ALSO THIS WEEK ON L'ETOILE
Jahna Peloquin & Kate Iverson visit Max Lohrbach
Dillon Bakke & Mal Lighter preview of the Fair's Fine Arts Show
Jahna Peloquin & Lauren Gantner update our Guide to Sales & Shopping
THURSDAY AUGUST 26TH
Amanda Christine Prêt-à-Porter F/W Fashion Show
@ Nicollet Island Pavilion
40 Power St.
Minneapolis
7 p.m. / $20
To launch her F/W 2010 collection, local womenswear designer Amanda Christine is venturing out on her own for for her first solo runway show. The contemporary designer - long a favorite at local boutique Cliché and a regular at Voltage and Envision fashion shows - is bringing her collection to the Nicollet Island Pavillion for a Parisian-styled fashion show that will also include the new handbag line by Amanda Christine and K.Jurek, as well as a Cliché segment. We can already tell that her mix of bright colors, edgy zippers and romantic prints will definitely make one eye-catching scene down the runway.
Click HERE for the Amanda Christine site
Amanda Christine - Prêt-à-porter Fall 2010 from Rod Hasse on Vimeo.
THURSDAY AUGUST 26TH
S. Carey in-store performance
@ Electric Fetus
2000 4th Ave. S
Minneapolis
6:30pm / All Ages / Free
Traditionally, the rock record books bode poorly for drummers-turned-singers. But S. Carey, the dude who plays drums and piano for Bon Iver, is busting out on his own with his first solo album All We Grow, and is debuting it live for the first time in a special in-store performance at the Electric Fetus. Fans of Bon Iver won't be disappointed - Carey has a gift for crafting expansive, cinematic pieces that unfold and bloom slowly and delicately, creating a stunningly meditative record that you'll want to hear on headphones on a quiet night - proving that drummers can do more than just bang the skins.
Bonus: Like what you hear? Head down to the Southern Theater on Friday night for the official CD Release show.
Click HERE for the Electric Fetus site
FRIDAY ART PICK: STATE FAIR FINE ARTS BUILDING
What's l'etoile lookin' at this week?
Artist and l'etoile homie, Dillon Bakke and photographer Mallory Lighter got a sneak peek of this year's Fine Arts show at the State Fair, and we're pleased to see some familiar faces! Around 400 Minnesota artists were accepted to the annual juried show, plucked from a pool of thousands of submissions. The Fine Arts Building (located on the corner of Randall & Cosgrove) is a great place to lay eyes on new work from artists--some known, some unknown--hailing from all around the state. Peep a few pix below to whet your whistle for the State Fair, which opens Thursday, August 26th and runs through Labor Day. We can't wait!
Click HERE to see more photos
FRIDAY AUGUST 27TH
Amphetamine Reptile 25th Anniversary / GUIT.ART Show / AmRep Retrospective
@Grumpy's Bar (Downtown)
1111 Washington Ave. S.
Minneapolis
7 p.m. to 10 p.m. / Free
While the big show on Saturday may be sold out, you can still pay your respects to legendary Minneapolis record label, Amphetamine Reptile, on Friday. Tom Hazelmyer's iconic label, which launched the careers of so many classic '80s and '90s punk and rock n' roll bands celebrates 25 years in the biz. And although AmRep has cooled down with its releases over the past decade or so, the beat plays on. Bands like the Melvins, the Unsane, Hammerhead, Boss Hog, Calvin Crime and more jumped to reunite for this blowout anniversary weekend under the perfectly tuned eye of godfather Hazelmyer. Head to Grumpy's Downtown this evening to rock out with the Unsane and Lollipop, check out a photo retrospective by seminal local rock photog Daniel Corrigan in the long-vacant (and sorely missed) Ox-Op Gallery space, and peruse an exhibit curated by Kii Arens featuring customized Waterstone Guitars from Aesthetic Apparatus, Grant Hart, Haze-XXL, Gary Baseman, Steve Ellis, Ed Fotheringham, Myles Karr, Jessie LeDoux, Little Friends of Printmaking, KOZIK, Plasticgod, Amanda Visell, plus tons of others. And like we said, the Saturday music lineup is sold out, but you can ease the pain by heading to Grumpy's in Northeast to suck up the sounds of Janitor Joe, Calvin Crime, and Freedom Fighters. Viva la AmRep!
Click HERE for the AmRep site
FRIDAY AUGUST 27TH
Beneath the Surface
@ Rhea Pappas Photography Studio
308 Prince St. Studio 411
St. Paul
7 p.m. to 10 p.m. / free
If you haven't gotten a chance to peep Rhea Pappas' breathtaking underwater photography project, Beneath the Surface, tonight is your last chance! One word we'd use to describe this series? Sublime. Languid, ethereal water-nymphs (who are actually real women of many shapes, sizes and ages) dominate large scale photo prints, bringing you into a quiet world of submerged beauty and light. Tonight, head on over to Lowertown and Pappa's studio for the exhibit's closing reception featuring a chance to chat with the uberly talented local about her subaquatic adventures and – of course – see them for yourself. Plus, enjoy live music from folk musician, Sarah Cotner, snack on delicious food, sip down something cool and mingle with awesome art-focused sorts. Maybe join us for a margarita at the Lowertown Barrio afterward too?
Sponsored by l'étoile!
Click HERE for the Facebook event
FRIDAY AUGUST 27TH
Me & My Arrow EP Release
@ Kitty Cat Klub
315 14th Ave SE
Minneapolis
9 p.m. / 21+ / $5
Local band Me & My Arrow have long been proving that size indeed does matter - at least when it comes to band mass. Packing a total of seven members (sometimes more, sometimes less) to create their mini-orchestra indie folk sound, the anthemic clan never fails to capture the crowd's attention and deliver riveting tracks laced with guitars, synths, accordions and strings. Tonight, the band celebrates their long-awaited EP featuring 4 unreleased songs with a killer show to back it all up. Expect sets from garage-punk rockers, Fuck Knights, recent Gimmie Noise “Band to Watch” and LOL/OMG approved band, Pink Mink and noise/electronic rockers, BNLX. Plus, DJ sets by Goldie Mink, Brian McDollars and DJ Skeleton Hand and a CD single release for Fuck Knight's “Bind, Torture, Kiss” track. Not to mention, Sir Gregory of Fuck Knights, Brian of Me & My Arrow and Pink Mink's Christy Hunt will all be celebrating their birthdays tonight so we can only imagine the kinds of shenanigans that will abound!
Click HERE for the Kitty Cat Klub site
Check out Me & My Arrow via Mpls.tv/Gimme Noise collabo series, City of Music
City of Music: Me and My Arrow from MPLS.TV on Vimeo.
FRIDAY AUGUST 27TH
Bomp!
@ Bedlam Theatre
1501 6th St S
Minneapolis
10 p.m. / 18+/ $5 w/RSVP, $7 w/out
When we heard news that the Bedlam was closing, we gotta admit we were majorly bummed. But being the Ursula Upbeats that we are, we have total faith that the theater will eventually find a new home and the monthly dance night we've come to know and love, Bomp!, will continue to rock our socks off. For the moment, the Bomp! hosts say farewell to the Bedlam venue by throwing one last truly epic, ferocious par-tay starring an all-star classic DJ line-up with delectable dance tracks from The Moon Goons, the Get Cryphy deejays, Shannon Blowtorch, Wzz Winship, Rambo Salinas and Superbrush. Get your booties down to the West Bank, show your Bomp! love and get ready to shake it til it just can't shake no mo'.
Click HERE for the Bedlam Site
FRIDAY AUGUST 26TH
Ashtray Hearts
@ 331 Club
331 13th Ave. NE
Minneapolis
9 p.m. / 21+ / Free
We haven't heard a peep from this fantastic group in many moons! Musicians coin their own genres left and right these days, but we’re particularly fond of the way Minneapolis six-piece ensemble, Ashtray Hearts, has chosen to describe their forlorn, alt-country sound: Apartment Music (as it can be made and played in rented rooms). Slow, lush tales of broken hearts and regret are woven together with accordions, pianos, organs, and trumpets, creating a lingering music experience perfect for a lonely, stormy evening. But don’t hole yourself up with their record just yet: Ashtray Hearts is playing their only show of 2010 this Friday at the 331 Club. Because, really, melancholy music is much better enjoyed from the dark corners of a bar – with a good, deep lager and your most contemplative friends, of course.
Click HERE for the 331 club site
Classic Ashtray Hearts:
COOL LINK: NEW DRESS A DAY
What's l'etoile peepin' on the web this week?
No matter how bad life gets, everything just feels better in a pretty new dress. Just ask Marisa Lynch, a West Hollywood gal who, after losing her job just months before her 30th birthday, decided to give herself 365 new dresses in 365 days – on a budget of $365 dollars. Blogosphere, meet New Dress A Day, Lynch’s daily account of what thrift store dud she picked up for a dollar, and what she made of it. Uber-frumpy 80s floral mu-mu? Hello, sassy new sundress. Blue frock that looks like Mickey’s magician’s suit in Fantasia? No big deal – it’ll make the perfect shirt for a Dodger game. Follow Lynch’s sewing adventures and be inspired (you might want to un-drop your jaw, too) – here’s to the next 96 days (and $97)!
Click HERE for the New Dress a Day blog
SATURDAY AUGUST 26TH
Green Room Music Source 4-Year Anniversary Party
@ Clubhouse Jager
923 Washington Ave. N.
Minneapolis
6 p.m. / 21+ / $8 before 10 p.m., $6 after
Step aside, pony rides and ice cream cake. Green Room Music Source may only be turning four, but they’re celebrating the real way: with drinks, a patio, and live music aplenty. Clubhouse Jager hosts an evening of local tunes from Ruby Isle, Story of the Sea, Johnny and Molly of Communist Daughter, and Maudlin on the patio followed by DJ sets on the dance floor, courtesy of The Current’s Barb Abney and the boys of Ruby Isle. The folks at Green Room are all about helping their artists reach a larger audience, so come on out and show your support – local bands in the national scene definitely deserves some celebration.
Click HERE for the Facebook event
SATURDAY AUGUST 28TH
Terror Eyes
@ Cult Status Gallery
2913 Harriet Ave S
Minneapolis
8 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. / Free
Fans of crappy horror movies, put on your seatbelts! Tonight's art ride at Cult Status Gallery takes you on a visual tour of fictional artistic reditions of b-movies. Collaborators Heather Gabel and Chuck Norris (Steak MTN) piece together some creepy eye candy for you to suck on: movie poster art, film stills, collage and more. And no Cult Status opening is complete without some cold refreshments, some good tunes and lots of super-cool, artsy peeps.
Click HERE for this art event and more at mplsart.com
SATURDAY AUGUST 28TH
A Theory of Values
@ Soap Factory
518 2nd St SE
Minneapolis
7 p.m. to 11 p.m. / free
The latest exhibition from the Soap Factory is a kudos to a short story by Minnesota-born author, Sinclair Lewis in which the protagonist seeks to ameliorate his surrounding and “do something in and for the world” in order to prove his value. In the spirit of creation as form of transcendence, curators Kris Douglas – Chief Curator of the Rochester Art Center – and Project Director for mnartists.org, Scott Stulen, present the biannual survey show featuring some of MN's most innovative contemporary visual artists. The experimental pieces and artists within this exhibit challenge and explore personal and cultural involvement with the notions of “place” and “location” while throwing a creative cog into the mix. Artists include Jesikah Orman, Andy Messerschmitt, John Fleischer, Joe Smith and many more. Not to be missed!
Click HERE for this art event and more at mplsart.com
Art by Jesikah Orman
SATURDAY AUGUST 28TH
The Quickies! Tour
@ Clown Lounge at Turf Club
1601 University Ave. W.
St. Paul
7 p.m. / Free
Few things are worse than long-winded, nonsensical prose, and nobody knows that better than the Quickies! In fact, this literary group is so adamant about quick prose, they’ve rented a van and embarked upon a Midwest tour, stopping Saturday at Turf Club’s basement Clown Lounge. In "short," each reader on this prose showcase has five minutes to read a complete work. Not poetry, not excerpts, not in five minutes and one second, but a complete work of prose in five minutes. Readers include bookseller, monster maker, and author of the forthcoming novel My Only Wife, JAC JEMC; Chicago-based slim fiction writer and co-host of a flash fiction reading series also dubbed Quickies, Lindsay Hunter; and Minneapolis’ own John Jodzio, whose If You Lived Here, You’d Already Be Home was recently published by Replacement Press. Long story short: don’t dither. Quickies! will be here and gone in a flash – and you don’t want to miss it.
Bonus: After the reading, head upstairs for the Debut's EP Release party. Details in our next listing below!
Click HERE for the Facebook event
SATURDAY AUGUST 28TH
The Debut “Carbon and Water” EP Release
@Turf Club
1601 University Ave
St. Paul
9 p.m. / 21+ / $7
Ah, there’s nothing quite like a good indie rock band with solid guitar riffs and catchy energetic tunes. Enter the Debut, with all that plus major on-stage pizazz to boot. Debuting (pun intended) their new EP Carbon and Water, the band will yet again prove their chops alongside rockin' local bands White Light Riot, The Idle Hands and The 4onthefloor. Now, not only are we super excited to hear some new stuff from these talented gents, but we are thrilled to say that the cost of admission to this show includes a free copy of Carbon and Water. Um, hello? We’re so there.
Click HERE for the Turf Club site
SATURDAY AUGUST 28TH
Gaga Save the Queens
@ Jetset Bar
115 N 1st St. NE
Minneapolis
10 p.m. / 21+ / Free
The Ball is upon us, little monsters, so let’s celebrate! In honor of the lady herself, Jetset is throwing a dance party with nothing but your favorite Gaga songs, videos, and of course, cocktails in copious amounts. Even you suckers – er, unfortunate souls who didn't snag tickets for Gaga's Monday/Tuesday shows can get in on this event. So don your mesh bodysuits, tie your hair in a bow, and get your poker face ready: you may lose your keys and phone, but at least the dance floor’ll be hot like Mexico. Rejoice.
Click HERE for the Facebook event
SATURDAY AUGUST 28TH
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). Show yourself off in the video portal by Playatta (peep the vid below to see what we speak of!). Serious Manplicants only (sorry, couldn’t resist).
Click HERE for the Facebook event
Check out Mpls.tv's vid from the last installment of Menergy. Hilar!
What the F**k are YOU Wearing? MENERGY Edition from MPLS.TV on Vimeo.
SUNDAY MUSIC PICK: TRAFFIQUE
What's l'etoile listening to this week?
When he's not serving up some lo-fi folk tunes as Peter and the Wolf, Austin's Red Hunter is doing the obvious: making catchy, ambient soft rock as his cross-dressing alter ego, Traffique. So it's not really the most obvious of hobbies for the folk singer, but we're digging it! A little more rock than Brian Eno and less operatic goth than Klaus Nomi, Traffique is holding it down for modern-day leopard-print-wearing rockstar dudes and bringing a little tranny flare to an otherwise tame indie world. Influenced by the native musicians Hunter met while playing in Fiji, Traffique's sound incorporates mellow beach harmonies and dreamy island jams with drum machines, psychedelic guitar riffs and synths. Summer ain't dead yet, baby!
Click HERE for the Traffique site
TRAFFIQUE // NORA from Brandon Tauszik™ on Vimeo.
L'ETOILE NEWSWIRE
Vote for Jake Rudh!
Remember last year when Jake Rudh was in the top tier of contestants for the Mad Men Casting Call Contest, then got totally shafted when the website crashed for the last few days
of the contest and a bunch of randoms who weren't even in the top somehow got into the finals? We remember it, bitterly. Anyhoo: the Transmission kingpin and general party starter (he's the one who throws the Mad Men party at Jax Cafe!) is not giving up. This year he's back once again for the online voting-fueled competition, which awards a male and female winner the coveted prize of a walk-on role on Mad Men. Visit site everyday HERE to vote for Jake. You needn't sign up for anything, just click "vote" - it's that easy. All personal l'etoile love for Jake aside, he REALLY would be great for the show. Just look at his picture: old-timey AND foxy!Click HERE to vote for Jake
SAVE THE DATE: OPERA TASTING 2010
Join l'etoile and the Minnesota Opera's Tempo group on Saturday, September 18th as we
explore the depths of the Inferno and travel through the circles of Hell. You will indulge in luscious wines, nibble on tasty morsels and be seduced by the sounds of the Minnesota Opera's Resident Artists. myTalk107.1's Jason Matheson and Alexis Thompson will guide us on this perilous journey, which takes place on Saturday September 18 at the Minnesota Opera Center.Tickets are available online for a well-worth-it $50: Includes wine, appetizers, and performances by the Minnesota Opera's Resident Artists. Sponsored by l'etoile!
Editor in Chief: Kate Iverson // Contributors: Juleana Enright, Tara Sloane, Lauren Gantner, Natalie Gallagher, Kate Iverson, Robyn Lewis, Jahna Peloquin
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