As the summer season swivels into chill-mode, we cling to the last shreds of those warm summer memories but also look ahead to decadent autumn fashion. And what better way to get yourself in the mood than with MNFashion Week? The bi-annual all-city event brings together a plethora of uber-talented designers participating in a wide range of events. With a couple of great kickstarter events happening this weekend to lead us into next week's fashion blitz, along with a number of sweet dance parties, art exhibits and rock n' roll shows, odds are you won't have much time to mourn summer's passing.
xo-l'étoile
Photo by Chris McDuffie for l'etoile Fall 2010
ALSO THIS WEEK ON L'ETOILE
Chris McDuffie shoots our Fall Fashion editorial
Jahna Peloquin & Lauren Gantner post an extensive MNFashion Week Planning Guide
Jahna Peloquin interviews NY Fashion Week photog, Stephanie Colgan
Rob Callahan interviews Jeremy Messersmith
Jahna Peloquin & Lauren Gantner update our Guide to Sales and Shopping
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 16TH
Style Derby
@ Grain Belt Bottling House Atrium
79 13th Avenue
Minneapolis
7:30 p.m. (9 p.m. Runway) / $10
Models, hold on to your stilettos – this cycle fashion showdown is sure to be a knock out. The name is Style Derby, ladies and gentleman, and headbutting is allowed (save your catfights, however, for the after party). Über bike-chic commercial lines Twin Six and Angry Catfish will lead the show, so expect a runway-full of drool-worthy Ts and racing gear. Minneapolis designers Danielle Everine, Tim+Thom, and Carly Schoen (cyclists one and all) will follow, presenting looks that show how cycling can be simultaneously stylish and functional (cheers to that!). Between collections, grab some munchies a la Aster Café or a cupcake from Cake Eater Bakery. Runway bikes will be provided by One on One, but bring your own ghost bike. If you dare.
Click HERE for the Facebook event
Photo by Crystal Liepa
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 16TH
Red Daughters + the Sex Rays + Anonymus
@ Palmer's Bar
500 Cedar Ave
Minneapolis
8:30 p.m. / 21+ / $3
Tonight, don't miss a rowdy ode to rock 'n' roll show hosted and stamped with approval by KFAI guru and music writer, Cyn Collins. Hot off the heels of a recent release, Shaman Blessed, local boys the Red Daughters bring their melodic Americana/country twang to Palmer's stage for a brassy, Dylan-inspired rock show. And because one is never enough in the world of rock 'n' roll, the Red Daughters share the night with “Sex Pistols meets Link Wray” rockabillies, the Sex Rays, delivering '60's and '70's style punk rock and a whole lot of attitude AND 4-piece garage rockers, Anonymus.
Click HERE for the Facebook event
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 16TH
DJ Dick Pic
@ Club Jager
923 Washington Ave N
Minneapolis
9 p.m. / 21+ / Free
What can we say about tonight's DJ spectacular except that it's too dirty for words and not for the prudish. Join DJs Dick (Maggie) and Pic (Machen) for a lecherous evening of danceable tuneage and cheap drink specials. And – according to the Facebook invite – the debauchee DJs urge tonight's club goers to bring pics of...well, dicks. Yes, you heard us correct; don't make us repeat it. And in whatever context peeps interpret that request, we guarantee a more than interesting array of snapshots and hilar explanations. It's too wacky to miss!
Click HERE for the Facebook event
FRIDAY ART PICK: JEAN-LUC GODARD
What's l'etoile looking at this week?
Here at l'étoile, we're pretty hardcore about our petit obsession with Le Nouvelle Vague (aka French New Wave), so it's no secret that French director, Jean-Luc Godard is among of favorites. As the lynchpin of the French New Wave movement, Godard set out to subvert the norms of narrative film. A concept which could sound snarky and pretentious if he didn't have a brilliant way of making it chic, vogue, damn entertaining along with including the hottest mix of American and French stars. From Jean Seberg and the delicious Brigitte Bardot, to his obsession with the lanky, yet painfully cool Jean-Paul Belmondo, Godard had a way of embracing spontaneity. He led his characters to organically move through the film – often times scantily clad – reveling in their complexities and shelling out quotable quips. As luck would have it, his original major feature, Breathless (À bout de souffle) is playing this week at Lagoon, restored in its 35mm glory and more beautiful then ever. The 1960 film follows Michel (Belmondo) a petty criminal who fancies himself a French Humphrey Bogart on the run from the police with his American girlfriend, Patricia (Seberg). The film is a kinetic joy of jump cuts, lavish shots of Paris, sleek jazz riffs, metafictional and pop culture references, with a noir-ish/gangster mood and a lovely, literate romance packed with all the deception and quirks so idiosyncratically Godard. We highly suggest you go see it on the big screen.
Click HERE for the Lagoon site
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 17TH
Ruins
@ Frank Stone Gallery
1226 Second Street, N.E.
Minneapolis
5 p.m. / Free
Earlier this summer, sculptor Aldo Moroni began building Fragilearth, a gigantic mass of conical clay crags topped with moss. The work carried the grace and poesy of a traditional Chinese landscape painting, though its message was a bit more sinister: the futility of trying to impose human will on nature. Then, on Friday, August 13, Fragilearth was destroyed (by Moroni). But this seemingly tragic art story has a happy ending, dears. Sifting through the ruins of his miniature world, Moroni gathered a plethora of clay pieces in all shapes and sizes with the intent of building a new world. The end result, titled Ruins, opens Friday at Frank Stone Gallery and includes 60 “artifacts” salvaged from the debris. The exhibit will also feature several drawings and paintings related to the original project. The point of all this building and demolishing, we ask? For Moroni, creation and destruction are one and the same: by creating something, one inevitably must destroy another. Sounds like a blockbuster to us.
Click HERE for this art event and more at mplsart.com
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 17TH
Envision: Artopia Fall 2010
@ Graves Hotel
601 1st Ave N
Minneapolis
9 p.m. / $20 adv or $25 door; VIP $40 adv or $50 door
It’s back! This Friday, step back into the whimsical, glittery world of ENVISION: Artopia Fall 2010 for a fashion showcase unparalleled in the Twin Cities in breadth and scope. Join Minneapolis’ best dressed to fawn over the charming Ignite Models as they cascade down the Graves Hotel catwalk dressed in unique designs from 15 designers including ENVISION favorites Amanda Christine, K.Jurek, and Jenny Carle plus newcomers Calpurnia Peach, Tender Cuts and YQY by Vivian, and new fall looks from five local shops. This art and music-fueled runway event would not be complete without a solid lineup of celeb judges: Project Runway’s Christopher Straub, METRO Mag’s fashion editor Mary O’Regan and l'etoile's own Jahna Peloquin to pick and choose their favorite styles from the showcase, with the winners receiving a free photo shoot of their upcoming collections. Throughout the evening, you can expect tons of exclusive surprises including catwalk graphics from Anthem Heart, house and rock tracks from DJ Shiek, an electric violin solo from Spain’s own Dani-Vi and so much more.
BONUS: Friday is your chance to be the first to see Christopher Straub’s new line as it makes its way down the runway for the Envision finale!
Co-sponsored by l'étoile
Click HERE for more info and to purchase tickets
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 17TH
Riot Act Reading Series
@ Turf Club
1601 University Ave W
St. Paul
8 p.m. / 21+/ $2
We definitely missed the literary rebels of the Riot Act Reading Series while they were on their short-lived hiatus last month but the good news for all the scholastic tyrants out there is that our beloved RARS is back and more ballsy than ever. Tonight, don't miss a command performance romp featuring comedians, storytelling geniuses and literary deviants Mary Mack, Paul Dickinson, Laura Brandenburg and John Schreiner. After the show, stick around for the pint-sized rowdy R&B stylings of local diva, Mayda, and tasty tunes from DJ Neviator.
Sponsored by l'étoile!
Click HERE for the Facebook event
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 17TH
Shoot the Moon
@ 1419
1419 Washington Ave. S.
Minneapolis
10 p.m. / $5-10
In its short life, 1419 has taken us to some pretty fantastical places (the balloon ceiling at the birthday party, anyone?). But the space’s next show, happening Friday, will reach even higher heights: outer space! True to 1419 form, Shoot the Moon is multimedia, featuring work by artists, writers (poets, critics), filmmakers and musicians. Notions of bridging light, space, and the nocturnal will emanate through each of the space’s three floors – literally. Aside from several visual art pieces (and possibly one on loan from MoMA!), several Super-8 and 16mm Films will be projected throughout the space. The man on the moon, so to speak, is artist, film curator and MCAD professor Jonathan Thomas, and both local and not-so-local artists will be featured. Musical guests include sound mutation specialists Daughters of the Sun, psychadelic Lunarian sextet Moonstone Contunuum (who may or may not be bringing grapes and rotisserie chicken), and “a song by Larry Wish.” So, go. It’ll be stellar.
Click HERE for the Facebook event
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 17TH
Bee Cool
@ Honey
205 E Hennepin Ave
Minneapolis
10:30 p.m. / 21+ / Free
Judging from the garbled event page on Facebook, this night is going to be ridiculous. And awesome. Ridiculously awesome. Featuring favorite local spinners Bach 666 and Monsterbrüsten, you can bet there’s going to be more happening on the dance floor than is probably safe. Plus, with $4 drink specials on Jameson, Lagunitas, and Pilsners, you really can’t mess this one up. Imagine all this happening in the ultra cool, incredibly approachable, so-underground-it’s-not-exclusive-yet loungey space of Honey, and you have yourself a riotously good time. As they say on Facebook: “It’s going to be so fun, you’ll be depressed afterwards.” Man, we’re so in.
Co-sponsored by l'etoile, duh.
Click HERE for the Facebook event
COOL LINK: WANDERLUST
Fall MNFashion Week is almost here! Check out our preview shoot with photographer Chris McDuffie, including looks featured at multiple events during MNFashion Week. And to plan your itinerary use our detailed guide HERE.
Though autumn has officially arrived, the occasional golden September day can still create the illusion of a hazy summer afternoon. These sun-dappled days lend themselves to unhurried meanders and wistful daydreams, to afternoons spent strolling down dusty paths and collecting wildflowers in flaxen fields where the sunlight is still warm on your skin. Cling to the fleeting edge of summer while acknowledging the change in seasons with new fall looks by some of the most talented local designers featured during MNfashion Week. From looks suited for a Minnesota prairie girl to pieces with a street-smart '70s bohemian influence, Twin Cities fall fashion offers plenty of relaxed, romantic options for the country mouse and city mouse alike.
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 18TH
Jeremy Messersmith
@ First Avenue
701 First Ave N
Minneapolis
6 p.m. / 18+ / $10
We here at l'etoile have been totally smitten with the dapper Mr. Messersmith since day one. To call him a "singer/songwriter" is foolish and imperceptive. Messersmith is a composer, a conductor, a storyteller, and a multi-instrumentalist. He is the kind of artist you would want playing at your wedding, your divorce; your birth and your funeral. His absolutely pristine vocals have the uncanny ability to defy gravity, their melodies soaring through perfectly executed compositions. Each song bears the unmistakable imprint of our fair cities, effortlessly splicing together arrangements that recall such Baroque pop luminaries as The Zombies or Andrew Bird. This Saturday evening, Jeremy will bring his pop confections to life in First Avenue's main room, playing choice selections from his three flawless albums - along with his full back up band of musical conspirators. And as anyone in attendance at Jeremy's CD release show this Spring will attest, his live performance leaves nary a dry eye in the house. With Total Babe and Chastity Brown.
PS! If you haven't already picked up a copy of The Reluctant Graveyard, you can name your price for a digital download of this pop masterpiece.
Click HERE for the Jeremy Messersmith site
Click HERE for l'etoile's recent interview with Jeremy Messersmith
Check out the fun made-on-tour video for "Lazy Bones"
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 18TH
Systematics + Alternative Futures Opening
@ Soo Visual Arts Center
2638 Lyndale Ave S
Minneapolis
6-9 p.m. / Free
If you attended our recent “We Heart Art” SooVAC benefit show, you heard the heavy praises local art aficionados dished out about the Soo VAC's awesomeness. Tonight is the perfect time to head down and see for yourself what all the hype is about as the Soo host's opening receptions for two new exhibits: Systematics and Alternative Futures. In Systematics, MN-based artists Liz Miller and NY's R. Justin Stewart explore our world made up of “visual overstimulation” and examine how society consumes information through vivid, eye-popping installations, putting a unique spin on objects otherwise ordinary. And in Alternative Futures, local husband-wife artist duo Allen Brewer and Pamela Valfer throw the viewer into a choose your own adventure-esque time warp, reworking the paths of abandoned relics and re-envisioning the concepts of past, present and future. Two awesome shows; one awesome gallery. SooVAC love!
Click HERE for this art event and more at mplsart.com
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 18TH
4 EYES: A Photographic Exhibition
@ Nicademus Art and Framing
225 Snelling Ave N
Saint Paul
7 p.m. to 11 p.m. / Free
The fine fellows at Nicademus are having their very first photography show, and we couldn’t be more excited. 4 Eyes features four different photographers: Serah Sauser, Andy Hardman, Dana Maltby and Daniel Johnson. Each photographer has a different point of view from the lens, and they cover topics from the sometimes grotesque fashion world (Sauser) to the stillness of an isolated moment that would otherwise have gone unnoticed (Hardman) to incredible light painting photography (Maltby). Look forward to a well-curated, impressive collection of local photography with this opening.
Click HERE for this art event and more at mplsart.com
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 18TH
Opera Tasting 2010
@ MN Opera Center
620 N. 1st St
Minneapolis
8:30pm / $50
Tickets must be purchased in advance HERE
Opera Tasting is back! One of our absolute favorite annual events, the Minnesota Opera's young patrons group, Tempo, throws an epic wine and dine soiree in the castle-like basement of the Opera Center. Amidst flickering candelabra and impeccably dressed under-40 types you'll be transported into a divine underworld complete with roving serenades by resident artists. Tickets include appetizers, plenty of amazing wines to try and the chance to mingle with arts-obsessed Twin Citizens as well as opera singers and Tempo board members (including l'etoile's own Kate Iverson). The night kicks off with a champagne reception on the first level of the opera center at 7:30pm and at 8:30pm you'll descend into the subterranean performance space for the main event. A stellar and unforgettable night of entertainment, food and wine with the Minnesota Opera! Get your tickets now, this event traditionally sells out.
Bonus: After the event, follow the gang over to nearby Clubhouse Jager for an after party! (see next event listing for deets)
Bonus Bonus: Interested in opera? For just $40 you can become a member of Tempo and recieve heavy discounts on Opera tickets throughout the season, plus invites to fancy opening night after parties and other special events that get you up close and personal with opera performers.
Sponsored by l'etoile!
Click HERE for more info and to purchase tickets
Photo from Opera Tasting 2009 by Stephen Stephens
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 18TH
Numbers
@ Clubhouse Jager
923 Washington Ave N
Minneapolis
10pm / 21+ / Free
Head to the Clubhouse tonight for a body-rockin' evening of fresh beats and hot peeps. Legendary Twin Cities DJ, Dirty Mackenzie (internationally known in the '90s as DJ Apollo and Ralph Laurenn!), hosts this beatfest that spans four decades of electronic music. And trust us, if anyone can merge those decades seamlessly, it's this guy. Hear (and dance to) electro, new wave, house, italo disco and more whilst under the spell of Club Jager's spinning disco ball and strong libations. Not to be missed.
Bonus: Get a sample of what's to come with the free Arcade Fire remix a la Dirty Mackenzie!
Click HERE for the Facebook event
SUNDAY MUSIC PICK: THE SUDDEN LOVELYS
What's l'etoile listening to this week?
From the sweet strumming of a singular guitar to witty, straight-from-the heart lyrics ("I know something that you don’t know. Wait, no. Maybe I don’t") to singer Danny Ferraro’s slight country drawl, this Sunday’s music pick has all the ingredients to make you smile. But then Paige Prescher chimes in with harmonies, and your heart just floats right out of your chest. Together, Ferraro and Prescher are The Sudden Lovelys, and their lovely indeed EP, Songs from a Hallway is just that – a series of songs they recorded in the hallway of their Minneapolis apartment. And we like it that way; the album feels like you’ve stumbled upon a pair of folksy wanderers singing love songs they’ve written for one another, to one another, no mind who might be listening. Stumble upon them yourself Saturday at a last-minute show at 10 p.m. at Dusty’s in Northeast.
Click HERE for the Sudden Lovelys' site
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 19TH
Artpolice Closing/Frank Gaard Opening
@ Shoebox Gallery
Storefront window/ on street
2948 Chicago Ave S
Minneapolis
8 p.m. / Free
If you haven't yet peeped artist Stephen Rife's exhibit/ode to underground zine Artpolice, what are you waiting for?! Head down to the Shoebox tonight for the closing reception of the show that re-introduced a new generation of locals to the brilliant and disturbed minds behind now defunct zine, Artpolice. Lay eyes on pages upon pages of “low brow” humor meets “high brow” sensibilitied drawings, sketches and even get your mitts on limited edition xerox copies of the old rag, signed by founding Artpolice member Frank Gaard. And speaking of Gaard (whose work, by the way, is currently being aquisitioned by the Walker Art Center), the Shoebox will be soft-opening a new exhibit tonight featuring the veteran rebel's paintings simply entitled Paintings. Take a gander at the storefront window gallery's treasures, then head up to Smuda Studio for a special encore edition of Riot Act Reading Series (see our Friday listing above).
Click HERE for the Facebook event
L'ETOILE NEWSWIRE
Vote for Jake Rudh!
VOTING ENDS THIS FRIDAY!
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
Editor in Chief: Kate Iverson // Contributors: Juleana Enright, Tara Sloane, Lauren Gantner, Natalie Gallagher, Kate Iverson, Robyn Lewis, Jahna Peloquin
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