'Confidence' builder

"Pure Confidence," the Carlyle Brown drama, was a success at Mixed Blood Theatre earlier this year, then transferred to an off-Broadway theater in New York. On Monday, it won three of the five Audelco awards for which it was nominated. Now in their 37th year, the Audelcos honor achievement by African-American theater artists. Winners included director Marion McClinton as well as Gavin Lawrence, who portrayed ex-slave and jockey Simon Cato. Lawrence flew to New York for the first award ceremony of his life with other cast members from the show, including Christiana Clark. "It was enough to be in the same room with people who I grew up watching, the masters of black theater like [actor] Andre De Shields and Melvin Van Peebles," he said. Lawrence met playwright Lynn Nottage, whose Pulitzer Prize-winner, "Ruined," also took home an Audelco. Lawrence is performing in "Ruined" at Mixed Blood through Sunday.

ROHAN PRESTON

Gold turning Green

"When they told us it was sold out tonight, we said, 'Well, who's playing then?'" So quipped Solid Gold frontman Zachary Coulter a few songs into his band's capacity-testing, "Danger Zone"-covering show last Friday night at First Avenue. The fact that the gig sold out made for a pretty fitting climax to the band's wild ride of a year, and it looks like the momentum will carry over into 2010. The band has entered into a new "partnership" -- calling it a record deal is so 1998 -- with Green Label Sounds, a new music company started by none other than Mountain Dew. Amazing Baby, the Cool Kids and Matt and Kim are also, um, dewing the GLS thing, so it sounds promising. Solid Gold's not done locally for this year, though: It's headlining the New Year's Eve party at the Marriott City Center ($25, www.vegaproductions.com).

CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER

Don't mess with Seinfeld

Observational humor is the egalitarian approach to comedy, since everyone can relate. However, sometimes it's too relatable, as Jerry Seinfeld (the observational king) found out last Friday during his sold-out show at the Orpheum. Twice he was interrupted by audience members. The first time, Seinfeld wasn't even telling a joke -- he was simply commenting on the fact that he had tiny carrot bits stuck in his teeth. One guy yelled out, "Tell us more about the carrots!" Later, Seinfeld had just finished a hilarious bit about iPhones when someone shouted, "I wanna see your phone!" To which Seinfeld replied, "I didn't bring the phone ... because I thought I'd be a little busy." Zing! Let the man tell his jokes, people.

TOM HORGEN

Licorice stickler

It was one clarinetist sniffing out another when Osmo Vänskä came to see Evan Christopher at the Dakota the other night. Christopher, who is composing a symphonic suite that he'll perform with Vänskä's Minnesota Orchestra next July, was in town for an impromptu duet engagement with another New Orleans compatriot, pianist Henry Butler. Vänskä (who reportedly was curious about Christopher's German-made instrument) slipped out midway through the second set, so we didn't get a chance to grill him, but his enjoyment was self-evident as he playfully clapped behind the beat, just like any New Orleans tourist, and gave a thumbs-up after Christopher executed a deftly articulated glissando.

TIM CAMPBELL

Chat with a 'Mad' man

As "Mad Men" fans visiting New Orleans last week, we dropped in on Bryan Batt, who plays closeted (and recently fired) ad designer Sal. Native New Orleanian Batt co-owns a lovely little home-accessories shop in Uptown called Hazelnut, and his gracious Southernness almost gave us the vapors. Is he even more handsome in real life? Yes, that day's beard stubble notwithstanding. Will Sal be back next season, as clamoring fans hope? "I don't know -- really -- and I'm about to cancel Facebook and go into hiding because everyone keeps asking." Is Jon Hamm as nice as everybody says he is? "Yes, the opposite of Don Draper." You can read more of this interview on our Artcetera blog, at startribune.com/artcetera.

KRISTIN TILLOTSON

Stepping in

In a related item, Sha Cage took over the role of the brothel owner's assistant for the last three weeks of "Ruined" at Mixed Blood. She compares this experience to wearing clothes that have been made for someone else's body. "When you move into an understudy part, you have to model what's been done," she said. "But with this, I don't feel like I've been crippled by that." Cage, the mother of a 7-month-old boy, stepped into the production after recently performing in "The Buddha Prince" in New York and Minneapolis. Regina Marie Williams, who stars in the gut-wrenching production, said Cage is "doing a great job." The production closes this weekend.

ROHAN PRESTON