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Welcome to Artcetera. Arts-and-entertainment writers and critics post movie news, concert updates, people items, video, photos and more. Share your views. Check it daily. Remain in the know. Contributors: Mary Abbe, Jon Bream, Tim Campbell, Colin Covert, Laurie Hertzel, Tom Horgen, Neal Justin, Claude Peck, Rohan Preston, Chris Riemenschneider, Graydon Royce, Randy Salas and Kristin Tillotson.
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The Shins, Slash, Incubus added to the Brick's kick-off season
Posted by: Chris Riemenschneider under Music, Concert news Updated: February 9, 2012 - 5:50 PM
The Shins will land at the Brick right after its May 31 gig at Harrah's Casino in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
Concert promotions giant AEG Live formally announced the first batch of shows for its new downtown Minneapolis rock club, the Brick. In addition to the previously revealed March 19 opener with Jane’s Addiction, the 2,100-capacity venue – still under construction in the former Club 3 Degrees space – will host indie-rock heroes the Shins on June 1, guitar god Slash on May 14, ‘90s alt-rockers Incubus on May 9, plus several lesser-known acts in the spring.
Tickets for all these shows will go on sale Feb. 17 at 10 a.m. through www.TheBrickMN.com. A limited number of tickets for each concert will also be available in person at the Electric Fetus in Minneapolis. Prices are listed below. The Brick’s site will link up buyers to a new AEG-affiliated ticketing system, www.axs.com (pronounced “access”).
“We’ve spent quite a bit of time thinking through every detail at The Brick to create a welcoming space for both the artists and the fans,” Joe Litvag, AEG Live senior vice president of the Midwest region, said in the announcement press release.
As we first reported last month, the Brick could be stiff competition to First Avenue with its capacity for 600 more people and its backing from one of the biggest entertainment companies in the world. Except for the Shins, though – who have a history at First Ave – this first batch of shows doesn’t seem to be taking away much from Minneapolis’ famed independent rock haven. Here is the full list of the Brick’s shows:
JANE’S ADDICTION: Monday, March 19 ($49.50, 18 & over show)
BRIT FLOYD (British Pink Floyd tribute): Wednesday, March 28 ($38, 18 & over)
FEED ME: Friday, March 30 ($25, 18 & over)
BEATS ANTIQUE: Saturday, April 14 ($18, 16 & over)
HUNTER HAYES: Thursday, April 19 ($22, all ages)
INCUBUS: Wednesday, May 9 ($55, 18 & over)
SLASH: Monday, May 14 ($33, 18 & over)
THE SHINS: Friday, June 1 ($35, 18 & over)
'Caroline' remount a hit in (upstate) New York
Posted by: Rohan Preston under Theater, People Updated: February 9, 2012 - 11:27 AM
Greta Oglesby as Caroline. Photo by T. Charles Erickson
Twin Cities-based actor Greta Oglesby still retains the vocal and emotional power that she demonstrated in the title role of "Caroline, or Change" several years ago at the Guthrie.
Oglesby is starring in director Marcela Lorca's remount of the Tony Kushner musical at the Syracuse (New York) Stage. She plays a black maid working for a white family in 1963 Louisiana as the civil rights movement gathers steam.
The reviews have been breathless, calling the production "compelling" and "masterful."
"Greta Oglesby is a revelation," said one critic. "With a simplicity of movement and emotional calibration she envelopes the audience with the strength of her herculean abilities. The voice, the body, the soul is laid bare."
Another reviewer, for the area's public radio affiliate, said "Oglesby shows us every facet of this complex and troubled character. The emotional and vocal power of her Act II song Lot’s Wife just about stops the show and left me weeping."
The radio review gave the production, whose cast also includes Twin Cities actors Michelle Barber as Grandma Gellman and Regina Marie Williams as Caroline's best friend, "five oranges and juicer."
Local band Junkyard Empire joins all-star "Occupy This Album"
Posted by: Chris Riemenschneider under Music, Minnesota musicians Updated: February 9, 2012 - 2:06 PM
Junkyard Empire played the Sounds of Resistance Rally in New York last April, even before the Occupy movement started. / Photo by Jonel Daphnis
St. Paul-based sociopolitical rap/rock band Junkyard Empire is about to occupy some pretty lofty territory alongside Willie Nelson, Yoko Ono, Tom Morello, Devo and Thievery Corporation. The quintet has landed a track on the upcoming “Occupy This Album,” a recorded tribute to and fundraiser for the Occupy Wall Street movement featuring those aforementioned all-stars, plus Lucinda Williams, Crosby and Nash, DJ Logic, Immortal Technique, Warren Haynes, Yo La Tengo, Toots & the Maytalls and about 30 more. The full list of acts is here at the website for the album, slated for an April release.
Fresh from playing a benefit last month at the Triple Rock for Occupy Our Homes, Junkyard Empire will be represented on the compilation with the title track of its last album, “Rebellion Politik,” the video for which is posted below. The band just finished recording its fifth record last month with producer Adam Krinsky.
Led by powerhouse rapper Brihanu and featuring No Bird Sing drummer Graham O’Brien, the Junkyard dudes have a history of activism dating back to a truly riotous appearance in the No Peace for the War Makers Rally during the Republican National Convention in 2008. They performed in New York last April for the Sounds of Resistance Rally (pre-Occupy) and played the Occupy battlegrounds in Washington, D.C., in October. They're headed back to D.C. next month for the National Occupation of Washington.
A sign of the band's youth and/or its radical musical flavor, Brihanu’s reaction to the “Occupy” inclusion did not mention any of the hall of famers on the album. Instead, he boasted, “To even be mentioned in the same sentence with Immortal Technique and DJ Logic is surreal.” Kids these days.
Beer alert: Firkin Fest tickets on sale
Posted by: Tom Horgen under Nightlife Updated: February 8, 2012 - 10:24 AM
It's been a busy couple of weeks for craft beer fans. Most are still recovering in the wake of two recent sold-out festivals -- the Beer Dabbler on Jan. 28 and Winterfest last Friday. But beer bellies never rest: Tickets are now on sale for the Happy Gnome's Firkin Fest, which takes place March 24 in St. Paul.
This year's fest will feature more than 60 firkins filled with a vast array of styles from more than 30 breweries. What's a firkin, you ask? The Gnome sums it up best: "Firkin 'juice' is cask conditioned ale, meaning the carbonation in the beer comes from the secondary fermentation, which takes place inside the firkin. Firkins require great care and this festival is meant to showcase the complexity and versatility of cask conditioned ale." (Here's a bearded beer-loving dude talking firkins on video.)
There are a few changes to this year's Firkin Fest. To contend with last year's busy lines, the Gnome has reduced the number of tickets by 30 percent (to make it more comfortable inside the outdoor heated tent). Tickets are now $50 (up from $35). And it's for a good cause: The Gnome is donating the proceeds to Habitat for Humanity.
Get your tickets here.
Details: 1 p.m. March 24. $50. Happy Gnome parking lot, 498 Selby Av., St. Paul. 651.287.2018. www.thehappygnome.com.
(Above photo by Joey McLeister)
Cheers (and a few jeers) for the Winterfest 2012 beers
Posted by: Chris Riemenschneider under Nightlife Updated: February 7, 2012 - 7:39 PM
The rare beer you could see through at Winterfest 2012. / Photos courtesy Laura Ivanova Photography
So much for this being a lighter than usual winter. Friday night’s 11th annual Winterfest beer showcase, presented by the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild at the Minnesota History Center in downtown St. Paul, was as dark and heavy as one of Surly brewmaster Todd Haug’s favorite black-metal bands.
The cultish success of Surly’s Darkness—and, to a lesser extent, its Coffee Bender -- appears to have inspired a lot of similar brews around the state (unlike the guild’s Autumn Brew Review, Winterfest is exclusive to Minnesota brewers). Granted, Surly hardly invented the Russian Imperial Stouts and other wintertime beers that have always been the crux of Friday’s event. But theirs were the beers that most attendees were comparing all the others to.
Even more noteworthy, the number of Winterfest participants continues to rise sharply. There were a record eight new companies featured at the sold-out event. Truly a case of the more, the merrier.
In Darkness’ shadow: The Herkimer Pub got into the dark business with its usual German twist via the Big Bottom Doppelsticke, an 11 percent Imperial Alt Bier that was thick on flavor. Minnetonka-based newcomer Lucid served an impressive Russian Imperial Stout with an oak tint called the Czar. Rock Bottom Brewery offered a slightly lighter, 8.5 percent RIS called the Dork Lord of Dorkness that didn’t wimp out flavor-wise. And, for solid proof that Surly didn’t bring the darks to light alone, Barley John’s Brewpub (of New Brighton) once again earned the most votes among attendees for best beer with its classic Dark Knight.
Heckuva lotta java: Coffee-infused beers were everywhere, too. Two of the best were served by Lucan-based Brau Brothers, including the all-organic and lightly chocolatey Cherrybean Coffee Stout and the über-caffeinated and ultra-dark Great Coffee Stout. Vadnais Heights cannery Big Wood’s Morning Wood coffee stout was once again a hit. And on the wilder side, Harriet Brewing shined with its way-dark spin on its doppelbock, the Dogwood Coffee-Fruit Elevator.
Absolute wickedest beer: The Herkimer Pub’s Triple Bock was triply potent, coming in at 23% alcohol. You wouldn’t have known it was so wicked, though, thanks to the truly unheard of balance between a Japanese Sake yeast (the Herkimer crew also owns Moto-I) and a dark cocoa body, resulting in a lightly sweet but brawny wine flavor.
What’s for desert?: St. Paul’s Flat Earth Brewing served a decadent cheesecake-flavored porter called Dreamline that I’ve been dreaming about trying again. Lucid’s oak-aged double red Duce had a rich caramel flavor that wasn’t too sweet, thanks to a healthy balance of hops. And Lift Bridge’s vanilla and toasted oak update of its Chestnut Hill brown ale was a real treat.
Rock Bottom's stand
Tasty twists on old favorites: Already a great summer beer, Lift Bridge’s Farm Girl Saison was made all the sunnier infused with blueberries. Brau Brothers also somehow pulled off a wonderfully hopped-up version of its Moojoos Oatmeal Milk Stout called the Hoppin’ Cow.
Misfires: Kudos to Fulton for trying to spike some Vitamin C into our sun-starved lives, but the orange-infused versions of both the Lovely Blonde and Sweet Child of Vine spoiled the otherwise excellent beers. Lift Bridge also made a bold choice that didn't pay off with its Maple Bacon RIS, more sweet than it was meaty and surprisingly flat on flavor.
Don’t forget the hops: Town Hall Brewery, which still works more hoppy magic than anybody else in the state (and was the most voted-for brewery Friday), had two excellent hop-heavy brews, the crisp and 8.5 percent Double Lager and a strong American pale called 342, named after the experimental line of hops that one of its hop farms is testing. I’d say it passed. Fitger’s was pushing a new-ish hoppy brew called Duluth Pale Ale that belied its generic name.
Two newcomers also served some refreshingly different hop-headed beers: Third Street Brewing (an offshoot of the Cold Spring Brewery) had a surprisingly bold brand called the Bitter Neighbor Dark IPA; and Stillwater’s Staples Mill could make a name for itself with its Larry’s Red Wheat, at once a light wheat beer with a red body and a nice pale ale hoppiness.
Best newcomers: Along with the already oft-mentioned Lucid, Castle Danger Brewery was my favorite. You can’t beat its location, just an agate’s throw from Gooseberry Falls along the North Shore. I loved how I could imagine the setting in the flavor of their beers, particularly the woodsy Nordic, a rye lager with juniper berry and honey flavor. Its George Hunter Stout also would go well with flannel.
Kudos should also go to two other newcomers for going against the grain and serving their own unique brews: Mankato Brewery did its town’s German heritage proud with the light but hearty, top-fermented Mankato Original; and Minneapolis’ Boom Island is off to a great start with its lightly spiced, biscuity Silvius Pale Ale. Can’t wait to see what these and the other six newbies come back with next Winterfest.
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