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Arts Orbit Radar 2/24/11 What's happening this week On the radar: Having won lots of fans locally (not, however, including Dwight Hobbes), Sophia Shorai made a splash on the national scene earlier this month by wowing the American Idol judges. Her gig tonight at the Dakota is likely to be packed. Under the radar: What would it sound like if Björk recorded an album with Beach House? The answer is Braids, and the answer sounds great. They're at the Entry tonight with Baths and Houses; apparently Beds and Beyonds weren't available. On the radar: On their new record Outside, local heroes Tapes 'N Tapes trade the bristling sound of The Loon and Walk It Off for a more eclectic, pop-friendly texture—but they're hardly going soft, as they'll demonstrate tonight at First Ave. Under the radar: T.C. Boyle, the perpetually restless wild child (still, at 62) of literature, appears tonight at the Minneapolis Central Library. On the radar: "A new play about the science of life and loss, the relationships between fathers and sons, Cambodian fields, Bolivian rainforests and redemption." I just wasn't sure I was quite ready for that, so Christopher Kehoe will be reviewing Theater Latté Da's Song of Extinction for the Daily Planet. The award-winning play makes it regional premiere tonight at the Guthrie Theater. Under the radar: Did you know that there's a Minnesota Peony Society? There is, and today they've declared "A Day to Celebrate Peonies." Because why the heck not. Events at Bachman's on Lyndale include a floral design seminar, a peony culture seminar, and a social that only lasts 30 minutes because this isn't about you and your problems—this is about the peonies.
On the radar: It's Oscar night! I'll be at The Tangential world headquarters, live-blogging and fielding phone calls from Daily Planet writer Barb Teed, who will be backstage at the Kodak Theatre. The official local Oscar night party is going down at the Hotel Ivy. Under the radar: Another good Oscar night bet is The Depot Tavern, which is distributing First Ave tickets to reward those who guess the winners most accurately. On the radar: Word on the Twittersphere has it that Mondays are the new Wednesdays at Nick & Eddie, but with a younger crowd. So if us 30-somethings have been freaking you out, stop by tonight for a show by the Moonstone Continuum. Under the radar: Local opera does not begin and end at the Ordway. Well, it may begin at the Ordway, but then it heads to the Red Stag and subsequently stumbles down to the Front. On the radar: News graphics are like fonts: taken for granted by 99% of the population and completely nerded out on by the other 1%. If you're in that one percent, you won't want to miss tonight's appearance at the Walker by Kevin Quealy of the New York Times Graphics Department. (If you'd rather not pay $20, or if you'd rather watch naked, you can see the talk streaming live on the Walker's website.) Under the radar: Sometimes, it's a struggle to decide what to recommend in this space. Other times, it's easy. Today is one of those latter days: at the Ritz, see a selection of locally-made short comedy films for free. On the radar: Johnny Cash, Emmylou Harris, Bob Seger, Crystal Gayle, Wynonna Judd, Joe Henry—Rodney Crowell has worked with them all, but he may be best-known as the ex-husband of Rosanne Cash, collaborating with her on the material that made her a star in her own right. He's at the Cedar tonight, and the gig will be worth seeing for the stories if nothing else. Under the radar: Indie rock dream couple James Mercer (The Shins, Broken Bells) and Carrie Brownstein (Sleater-Kinney) finally share a...screen?
Daily Planet arts roundup • Books & Bars selection One Day by David Nicholls: A most unconventional romance (review by Courtney Davison) • University of Minnesota fashion design students showcase their work with "Distortion" (photos by Jay Gabler) • Academy Awards and social networking: Where the Oscar comes to you (feature by Barb Teed) • Cedar Rapids: More enjoyable than a trip to the actual Cedar Rapids (review by Emily Weiss) • "And the Oscar goes to..." New glam announcement envelopes and cars designed (feature by Barb Teed) • Kronos Quartet surprise, unsurprisingly, at the Walker Art Center (review by Kate Gallagher) • Jeremy Walker of the Small City Trio: "There is always something to improve on and discover" (interview by Dwight Hobbes) • Justin Townes Earle at First Avenue: "I know better, but sometimes I just don't care" (review by Natalie Gallagher, photos by Mandy Dwyer) • Party for Life Session 2 to benefit ailing singer-songwriter Michael McElrath (interview by Dwight Hobbes) • Tennis at the 7th Street Entry: 20-something love (review by Sarah Heuer, photos by Jay Gabler) • Old 97's and Those Darlins storm First Avenue (review by Jay Gabler) • Are you sure this is how Richie Havens got famous? Part XI: To stone or not to stone (blog entry by Dwight Hobbes) • Sam Green's Utopia in Four Movements asks a big question, but gives a wrong answer (review by Jay Gabler) • Artists "Navigating the Aftermath" of the Iraq War at the University of Minnesota's Quarter Gallery (feature by Sheila Regan) • Food, farming, and relationships—A love story (blog entry by Brian Devore) • Lily Tomlin at the State Theatre: Still makin' 'em laugh (review by Betsy Gabler, photo by Stacy Schwartz) Not a subscriber? Click here to get Arts Orbit Radar in your inbox every Wednesday—and follow ArtsOrbit on Twitter or Tumblr for 24/7 updates on the local arts scene.
"Brutal Beauty" and "Zenith": New and not-to-miss on video As a film journalist in the Twin Cities, I try to catch almost everything that gets released in town. In other cases, I get intrigued about films that don't open in the Twin Cities and I have to get them through Netflix or Red Box—which has its benefits, of course, but it's not the same as seeing a film on the big screen. Two films released on DVD yesterday—the sci-fi noir Zenith and the sports documentary Brutal Beauty: Tales of the Rose City Rollers—didn't open in the Twin Cities, and both are certainly worth a look, even if it's on your home television or computer and not at your local theater. Zenith comes with the tag line, "The Film They Don't Want You to See," and it's directed by "Anonymous," which would seem to be two strikes against it normally, but Zenith is a nifty futuristic noir that will improve in repeat viewings. The less you know about the film the better, but with that said, this low-budget feature works wonders with an original story, complicated editing schemes and lighting throughout the film, turning areas of Brooklyn and Queens into convincing wastelands to convey the story's year: 2044. There are two storylines, which unfold concurrently; Ed, an ex-priest, gave up the church in search of the elusive "Zenith" conspirators, who are drugging all humans into a nirvana-like state without feeling any pain. During Ed's investigation, he has been making videotapes of each episode and labeling the VHS tapes for documentation. Jump to 2044, where Ed's son, Jack, a former doctor turned drug dealer selling expired pharmaceutical drugs, to give humans pain again, is given the first tape in his father's search to uncover the conspiracy behind "Zenith." Director "Anonymous," a.k.a. Vladan Nikolic, has plenty of fun evoking old sci-fi tricks (authors Richard Matheson and Philip K. Dick come to mind), but half the fun of Zenith is riding an inventive Mobius-strip narrative without getting tangled and letting the pieces fit into place. Nikolic, responsible for the screenplay too, lets the future play out with limitless possibilities. After my disdain for Drew Barrymore's flimsy roller derby film Whip It, I can forget those awful memories and cherish new ones of roller derbies in the new documentary Brutal Beauty, about Portland, Oregon's Rose City Rollers. With names such as "Madam Bumpsalot," "Scratcher In the Eye," and "Blood Clottia," they participate in the violent—and, from the looks of it, exhausting sport, getting more than bruises for their efforts. Using a fly-on-the-wall approach, director Chip Mabry interviews many of the women/players and gets personal stories about their past and how they got involved in the sport. One of the better ones told comes from Marollin' Monroe, who wanted to be on a team; when a friend from high school asked her to come to the tryouts, she goes and stayed with the sport, while her friend quit two weeks later. The highlight of the doc might have nothing to do with actual derby play but with the explanation of the rules. Working at Voodoo Doughnuts in Portland, the coach of the Rose City Rollers, grabs donuts off his tray and smothers chocolate on certain old-fashioned ones, moving plain donuts around each other; earning huge laughs, he explains the rules better than anyone in the movie. Showing two different sides to the sport, one within Portland and the other on the national circuit, Mabry's doc brings an energetic spark in capturing these women not only as tough players but as women with surprising big hearts. The release of Brutal Beauty makes me think about our own Minnesota Roller Girls and North Star Roller Girls; I, for one, will be dragging friends with me to check out roller derby for the first time. Q: Who IS that? A: Jon Davis, maker of strange sounds Name: Jon Davis What's your job? Other than your job, what are your claims to fame? What's your relationship status? Where are you most likely to be seen? Where are you most likely to not be seen? With what person are you most likely to be seen? Where were you born? What neighborhood do you live in now? What's your ride? What's the best way for someone to start a conversation with you? |    |
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23 Şubat 2011 Çarşamba
Arts Orbit Radar 2/24/11
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