Oh, baby! With V-Day coming up on Monday, the cities are a-buzz with sugary sentiments and lovey-dovey events--most of which will appeal to the single and the boo'ed-up alike. From heartable art shows to lovesick rock outs to Valentine's fricassees, there's enough love to go around and then some. Regardless of your relationship status, make a point to kiss as many cheeks as you can. After all, 'tis the season! And don't forget to come to l'etoile's annual Valentine's Day bash, Paper Hearts, on Monday at Club Jager. Free kisses, hugs, and if you're lucky, gropes, will abound.
xo-l'étoile
ALSO THIS WEEK ON L'ETOILE
Tara Sloane interviews 1419's Ben Gansky
Jahna and Lauren update our Guide to Sales and Shopping, Valentine's-style
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 10TH
Anthology
@ XYandZ Gallery
3258 Minnehaha Ave. S.
Minneapolis
6 p.m. to 11 p.m. / Free
We heart local music. And we heart local artists. We also heart local writers. So it comes as no surprise that our very own Robyn Lewis and Kate Iverson joined forces with City Pages music editor, Andrea Swensson, and the boys of Permanent Art & Design to put on an exhibit that highlights all three. Prolific rock photogs Erik Hess, Steve Cohen, and Stacy Schwartz will display striking images of local music icons as shot over the past year at various live shows, while a handful of local writers contribute gushing words to accompany each piece. In the adjacent Trylon Microcinema you'll be treated to an all-night loop of locally-made music videos including the brilliant mini-documentary series "City of Music" crafted by Dan Huiting and the MPLS.TV crew. A special surprise musical guest will play a set in the gallery between tunes spun by DJ Mark McGee as well. Music, art, words, film, and the who's who of the local scene all in one spot? Count us in.
Click HERE for the Facebook event
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 10TH
Phantoms of the SS CD Release Party
w/ The Night, Paris1919 & More
@ 400 Bar
400 Cedar Ave S
Minneapolis
8 p.m. / 21+ / $5 adv, $8 door
Let's be honest, it's not every day your ears fall privy to an artist with a neo-classical edge, let alone are graced by a night that welcomes more than one band bearing this obscure genre title. Tonight, join local digital/analog juxtaposers and local neo-classi-teers, the Phantoms of the SS, for the release of their latest album, Ventorum and the EP Grayscale. Enjoy a live, tasty preview from MPLS culture remixer, composer, producer, writer, designer, filmmaker and all around jack-of-all-social-liaisons, Chris Strouth and his new group, Paris 1919, plus electronica-fused sets from electro duo, The Night and Pyro Plastic Flow. Not to mention get yer hands on CD giveaways from Shinto Records and other rad freebies all night long, while you ride the waves of darkness; the waves and waves of danceable darkness.
Click HERE for the Facebook event
FRIDAY ART PICK: JOHN KISSEE
What's l'etoile looking at this week?
By day, John Kissee creates packaging art for a dog bone company, but in his free time, he renders vibrant, dreamy narratives from his black-and-white sketches of every day life, movie scenes, or whatever else pops into his head. Fueled by a love of comic books and the
offbeat side of pop culture, Kissee describes his work as a marriage of the hard line of comics and the lush textures of painting, and himself, a “purveyor of fine illustrations.” Playful, romantic, and layered with myth and meaning, Kissee’s illustrations tell the best kind of stories – the kind that hook immediately and continue gaining momentum, with touches of magic and wonder that are just as imaginative as they are wholly personal. Plus, they make your heart flutter just a little bit, which, really, is what Valentine's season is all about.
Click HERE for the John Kissee site
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 11TH
Studio 204: RED
@ Studio 204
1330 Quincy Ave NE
Minneapolis
7 p.m. / Free
Red wine, red-themed art – need we say more? Studio 204 is the sweetest place to be this pre-V-day Friday, when Red, the gallery’s latest exhibit is opening to the public who created it. That’s right, this Northeast Minneapolis art studio is redefining its mission, and that means opening its walls as well as its doors to any and all artists in the community. Through Thursday, submissions of paintings, photographs, and small crafts are being accepted, all of which will be on display until the end of the month. The theme: (can you guess?) red. Sounds (red) hot.
Click HERE for the Facebook event
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 11TH
VD11
@ Cult Status
2913 Harriet Ave S
Minneapolis
7 p.m. / Free
Too cool for flowers and chocolate and hearts? Cult Status (who else?) has you covered with VD11, a non-Valentine’s themed group show just in time for Valentine’s Day. Friday evening, jam to DJ Venus de Mars while ambling amongst art, words, images, paintings, sculpture, photography, audio, video performance, and other things that are being kept hush hush. Artists include Bounthiene, Tara Costello, John Erste, Caroline Keefe, Gina Louise and more, so expect a plethora of color, oddity, and even a funky fortune or two. See you there!
Click HERE for the Facebook event
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 11TH
No One Tells Bette Davis What To Do
@ Trylon Microcinema
3258 Minnehaha Ave S
Minneapolis
7 & 9:15 p.m. / $8
Stage starlet, sassy ball-buster and a damn good actress. No, they don't make 'em like Bette anymore. Of course we're talking about the one and only husky-piped vixen, Hollywood's First Lady, Bette Davis. Before she was a'chugging down martinis like they were water and roasting up parakeets to invalids, Davis was a way-paving pioneer for females in the cinema. In 1936, the dauntless dame fought tooth and nail for the right to choose her own scripts after being fed up by the insipid roles her contract with Warner Bros. was forcing her to take. Davis won total control of her acting career and the result was the star choosing some of the finest, most memorable characters to ever grace the screen – hello, Margot Channing anyone?! As part of their tribute to the most unforgettable eyes in showbiz, Take-Up and the Trylon present four of Davis' masterpieces all throughout February. The second in the series, tonight's film, Now, Voyager, follows the story of a Boston spinster who blossoms under the charm of an amicable psychiatrist, escapes the shadow of an oppressive mother and finds impossible romance. The stunning role Davis wrestled away from the decade's current luminaries Norma Shearer, Irene Dunn and Ginger Rogers was a testament to her drive and tenacity. So, fasten your seat belts, film buffs, because – in the notorious words of Channing – this series is bound to be “a bumpy ride.”
Click HERE for the Take Up Productions site
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 11TH
St. Valentine’s Funk ‘n Fashion Show
@ The Lost and Found
2524 Nicollet Ave
Minneapolis
7 p.m. / Free
This Friday, trendy-vintage shop The Lost and Found is celebrating Valentine’s Day with a second bout of their annual fashion show, PBR fest and dance party. This time around, the St. Valentine’s Funk’n Fashion Show is bringing together sassy (and affordable) looks from B-Squad boutique and The Lost and Found shop, topped with hair and make-up stylings from Head to Toe Salon -- all set to sashay down the runway to tons of tunes from DJ Rambo Salinas. Stop by the shop to take a peek at some cool clothing, sip on some PBR bubbly or just dance the night away. If you’re feeling super spendy, snag one of their 4 VIP dressing rooms in a pre-show auction for front row runway spots and 40 ounces of PBR – all while helping out the Arizona Bridge Project.
Click HERE for the Facebook event
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 11TH
Get Cryphy – 3 Year Anniversary
@ First Avenue
701 1st Ave N
Minneapolis
9 p.m. / 18+ / $5 adv, $7 door
Now that the cryphy gang has passed its terrible twos, they're on to the troublesome threes. And you know what that means...an epic anniversary celebration (and in the First Ave Mainroom, no less)! Tonight's three-year strong crunk-tastic party reunites all the Cryphy alums – Jimmy2Times, Plain Ole Bill, Last Word and Fundo – for the freshest mash-ups, southern rap anthems and hyped jams ever to pump a dancefloor, plus special cameos from old faves like Prof and tons more! As always expect mad giveaways, slick Cryphy merch and killer drink specials. And because it wouldn't be a Cryphy bash without multiple party crannies, First Ave keeps the party rollin' in the Record Room with DJ Mike 2600 spinning tunes all night long. Believe us when we say tonight is sure to be a debaucherous blow-out that you don't wanna miss, so get your tickets in advance from Familia, Phenom or Fifth Element and shake your booty til the crunk cows come home.
Click HERE for the Facebook event
COOL LINK: HIPSTERCRITE'S V-DAY GIFT GUIDE
What's l'etoile lookin' at on the web this week?
At a loss as to what to get that special someone on your V-Day list? Well, fret no longer. LA's cute stuff blogger over at Hipstercrite has a hipster-oriented fool-proof Valentine's Day Gift Guide sure to please even the most esoteric of hearts. With gifts like the I Luff You Annie Hall print, Patti Smith's Just Kids, the ironical romanticize Gene Wilder + Gilda Radner tee, a USB Mixtape device and Harold and Maude Paper Doll sets, there's no way you could go wrong. We'll even let you pretend it was your clever idea.
Click HERE for the Hipstercrite site
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 12TH
Art Shanty Party: De-Iced!
@ 801 Washington Ave N
Minneapolis
6-10 p.m. / $15-25 suggested donation
We were totally bummed to learn of the Art Shanty Projects' plan to forgo this year's annual art meets frozen lake extravaganza, but luckily a few diehards have left fans with a taste of the festivities. Tonight, join organizers, long-time artists and Shanty supporters for an indoor bash in the North Loop to raise funds to bring the Shanty Project back and better than ever in 2012. Enjoy some of your fave shanties from year's past including yummy fare from the famous ArtCar Taxi Shanty, a chance to snap your adorbs mug in the photo booth, bring some of your artwork to exchange in the Art Swap Shanty, bust a move in the Dance Shanty or make prudy hearts to share at the Postal Shanty. Not to mention snag a limited-edition Art Shanty shirt or roll up your sleeves and print your own! We'll beat this drab winter yet!
Click HERE for the Facebook event
photo at last year's Art Shanties by Stephen Stephens
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 12TH
Farewell, My Heart: The Last Valentine
@ Umber Studios
3109 E 42nd St
Minneapolis
8 p.m. / Free
After two wonderful, joyous, and art-filled years, Umber Studios, the south Minneapolis gem of a gallery, is drawing its curtains for good. Appropriately, on Valentine's Day weekend while hearts are being broken and mended, Umber debuts its annual collaborative Valentine's show--this time featuring the talented DC Ice, Jessica Helvey, Torey Bonar, and Rebecca Sullivan. We could not be more aggrieved over this state of events, but at least we can send Umber off with a big loud bang and lots of hugs and kisses. Make sure you stop down on Saturday night to remember good times and celebrate the future: Umber honcho, Jessica Helvey, will be packing up shop and moving to Oregon to open a small boutique hotel and artists' residency - an endeavor that seems perfectly suited for the arty sweetheart (and a great excuse for us to visit).
Click HERE for this art event and more at mplsart.com
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 12TH
Rock the Cause presents Hunka Burnin Love!
@ 2601 Sunset Blvd
Minneapolis
7:30 p.m. / $30 advance donation, $50 couple / 21+
You know you’ve always wanted to party down in a mansion, and here’s your chance. This Saturday, Rock the Cause is throwing Hunka Burnin Love, an extra-posh, all-inclusive Valentine’s bash on Sunset Boulevard (the Minneapolis one). Don your most dashing 1950s red and black attire, and prepare for 35 zanily decked out rooms of la dolce vita, including appetizers, wine, and beer from Great Lakes Brewing Company and St. Croix Vineyards, a tarot reader, a chance to be married by an Elvis impersonator (no, really), and of course, music aplenty. The lineup: Cadillac Kolstad and The Melismatics, with Alicia Wiley in the exclusive Euro Jazz Lounge. All proceeds benefit Rock the Cause (not that you needed altruistic reason to go).
Click HERE for the Facebook event
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 12TH
Mystery Palace, Slapping Purses, & Spyder Babie Raw Dawg
@ The Sound Gallery
414 3rd Avenue N
Minneapolis, MN
10 p.m. / 21+ / $12
Uh-oh, Sunday is going to be rough. Because Saturday night at Sound Gallery is where the party's at this weekend, as our pals at Gimme Noise and MPLS.TV launch the first in a series of intimate concerts showcasing cutting-edge local and national talent. This uber-exclusive event will feature live sets by Mystery Palace, Slapping Purses, and Spyder Babie Raw Dawg, visual projections by Playatta, and fresh beats between bands courtesy of the amazing and hilarious DJ Dick Pic. (Airhorn!) Attendance is limited to 100, and lucky guests will be treated to free refreshment and snacks provided by local businesses, as well as a free silk screened poster. Get there early to ensure entry, but if you're late, don't fret: MPLS.TV is broadcasting the shenannies live streaming for the whole world to see!
Click HERE for more info at Gimme Noise
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 12TH
Lovesick
@ Love Power
1407 Washington Ave S
Minneapolis
10 p.m. / $10 with RSVP, $12 without
Love sucks. But Lovesick? Only the most heart-achingly awesome happening of this Valentine’s weekend. Two floors of music and a whole building of merrymaking will be going down at Love Power till the wee hours of Sunday morning, and trust us, the lineup (if not the beautiful people) will have you falling head-over-heels in no time. On the Disco & Dance floor, check out sets from Chicago’s Heiroglyphic Being and Jarvis Mason, and locals Naughty Wood, The Nightstalker (who will also be bringing his kissing booth), Sovietpanda, and DJ Bach. The Rock Solid floor will feature performances by Buildings, Food Pyramid, CLAPS, Chelsea Boys, Night Moves, and Wetlegs. Munchies courtesy of, as always, Jewel of India. Swoon! Check out the awesome promo video below, from l'etoile pal Dillon Bakke, created completely with still photographs. We're diggin' it.
Click HERE for the Facebook event
LoveSick from Dillon Bakke on Vimeo.
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 12TH
Everybody Gets Laid: Dress Like a Fucking Dinosaur
@ Nick and Eddie (the back warehouse)
1612 Harmon Place
Minneapolis
10 p.m. / $5 / 18+
Leave it to this epic party crew to put together one of those dance jams that sounds almost too outrageous to pass up. We have no idea what getting laid and dressing like a dinosaur and getting your dance on have in common, but DJs Slamduncapher, Famuel, Jonathan Ackerman, and Plain Ole Bill will surely be able to help you discover the links. Get there early for drink specials and to scout your prospects for the evening.
Click HERE for the Facebook event
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 12TH
SLAPS! A Big Time Dance Off!
@ Honey Lounge
205 E Hennepin Ave
Minneapolis
10 p.m. / $3
After being totally snowed out from their original date in December, Shannon Blowtorch and her DJ buds are finally back to throw the big dance party that we missed out on two months ago. Say hello to SLAPS!! A Big Time Dance Off! Defined by urbandictionary as “Music that is desirable”, this round of SLAPS is bringing together a few of Minneapolis’ finest DJs (King Otto and Shanon Blowtorch, of course) to spin totally “desirable” tunage all night through. Don’t forget – all you early birds will get free drink tickets and maybe some free snacks if you show up around 10!
Click HERE for the Honey site
SUNDAY MUSIC PICK: TORO Y MOI
Okay, so it's not quite a curse to be enamored by a love spell in the winter time. After all, canoodling under warm blankets on a frosty night sounds like a vision of perfection to new lovers – but there is something magical about a summer romance. And while summer is a few bitter months away, we can still dream of hot beach trysts, romantic bike rides and sickeningly precious picnics in the park with our real, or imagined – hey, we don't judge! – significant other. Nothing helps a beach fantasy spark better than the soft, chillwave jives of multi-instrumentalist and lo-fi beats visionary, Chazwick Bundick, aka Toro Y Moi. Think the springy sound of Neon Indian and Washed Out with more texture, more atmosphere and deeper layers. Toro Y Moi is much like the cooler, composed older brother of the chillwave genre, with a sound geared towards those who appreciate production, jaunty programming experimentations and electro-funk elements. If this the tunes of this tasty beatmaker doesn't get you a 'lil sumin' sumin', lord help you.
Click HERE for the Toro Y Moi Myspace
Toro Y Moi - "New Beat" (Official Video) from Urban Outfitters on Vimeo.
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 13TH
Gastro Non Grata Pre-Valentine's Fricassee III
@ Triple Rock
629 Cedar Ave
Minneapolis
6 p.m. / $8 advance, $10 door
In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, show your palate – and your ears – some sweet, sweet love the Gastro Non Grata way. That is to say, chow down on Indian lamb curry with cinnamon-scented basmati rice and Marvel’s seven spice Riata, followed by Truman’s Asian pork short ribs with kim chee slaw, courtesy of Chowgirls Killer Catering (Did we mention they serve you in western wear?), sip the best of Southern Tier Brewery ales and stouts, and satisfy your sweet tooth with a cheesecake-like goodie a la Haute Dish’s Christian Aldrich. And that’s just the food part. The crazy bearded men of 4onthefloor are headlining the evening, with Running Scared and Whiskey Jeff and the Beer Back Band getting you in the mood for beer, tunes, and more beer. The Triple Rock will host this heavenly event on Sunday, and in case you aren’t already convinced, you want to be there. You could even win a dead meat door prize. What better way to impress your sweetie?
Click HERE for the Facebook event
MONDAY FEBRUARY 14TH
Paper Hearts
@ Clubhouse Jager
923 Washington Ave N
Minneapolis
9 p.m. / 21+ / Free
Join l'étoile at Clubhouse Jager this Valentine's Day for our lovey-dovey annual get together designed for singles and couples alike! Come party after a romantic dinner with your sweetie, or gather your unattached friends for a V-Day flirt-a-thon. There will be dancing, drinks and winks galore! Write sweet sentiments to your lovers, friends or that sexy stranger across the room on a pink paper heart and pop it in our anonymous "love note" box. We'll be periodically posting them up on the wall for everyone's perusal. Think of it as a live version of "Missed Connections," or a way to say what you really feel to someone you "heart."
Click HERE for the Facebook event
Editor in Chief: Kate Iverson // Contributors: Juleana Enright, Tara Sloane, Natalie Gallagher, Kate Iverson, Robyn Lewis, Jahna Peloquin, Lauren Gantner
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