entertainment
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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Posts about Concert news
Tuesday's "Love is the Law" concert to feature Suburbs, P.O.S.
Posted by: Chris Riemenschneider Updated: May 13, 2013 - 5:44 PM
Members of the Twin Cities Gay Men's Chorus will join an all-star concert in downtown St. Paul on Tuesday celebrating the passage of the Freedom to Marry Bill. / Star Tribune file
Tomorrow night they’re going to party like it’s Aug. 1, 2013 – the day that same-sex marriages will be legal in Minnesota, pending Gov. Mark Dayton’s signage Tuesday of the bill that passed the Senate today.
Chan Poling of the Suburbs
A truly rainbow-like coalition of Twin Cities musicians will perform at a free outdoor bash celebrating the legislation at Ecolab Plaza in downtown St. Paul, including Chan Poling and members of the Suburbs, the Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus, P.O.S., Hookers & Blow, Zoo Animal and the Jack Brass Band. Mayor Chris Coleman and the City of St. Paul are hosting the party and calling it the “Love Is the Law” concert, named after the Suburbs’ 1984 hit that became an anthem for the legislations advocates.
The party will begin after Dayton’s 5 p.m. signing ceremony around 6 p.m., and is scheduled to last until 10:15. Ecolab Plaza is at 375 Wabasha St. N. More info on the concert can be found on the city’s website.
Concert news: Imagine Dragons, the Cult, Flag (ex-Black Flag)
Posted by: Chris Riemenschneider Updated: May 13, 2013 - 4:35 PM
Imagine Dragons will jump from the Varsity Theater in March to Roy Wilkins Auditorium on Sept. 30. / Al Powers, Associated Press & Invision
After packing the Varsity Theater in March and making a good impression at last year’s Basilica Block Party, Las Vegas rockers Imagine Dragons will make a big leap to Roy Wilkins Auditorium on Sept. 30. Tickets will be $32.50 and $42.50 and go on sale Friday through Ticketmaster or at the Wilkins box office. The quartet landed the radio hit “It’s Time” last year and are doing even better now with the aptly named follow-up, “Radioactive.”
Other concert news issued today:
Flag, featuring one-time members of Black Flag
*One of two bands with original members performing Black Flag songs on tour this year, the group simply known as Flag will hit First Avenue on Sept. 13. That’s the one featuring pre-Henry Rollins singers Keith Morris (later of the Circle Jerks and OFF!) and Dez Cadena along with drummer Bill Stevenson (future Descendents) and bassist Chuck Dukowski. The $30 tickets go on sale Friday at noon through eTix and First Ave outlets. Morris was also part of the great Black Flag tribute tour put on by the Rollins Band in 2002 as a benefit for the West Memphis 3. Black Flag guitarist and ringleader Greg Ginn is also now touring with a makeshift lineup of the legendary Los Angeles punk band, but no local date has been set.
*The Cult will mark the 25th anniversary of its “Electric” by performing the whole thing at the Varsity Theater on Aug. 5. That’s the record that paired them with a hip-hop producer named Rick Rubin and sent them down a more metallic path with the radio hits “Love Removal Machine” and “Lil’ Devil.” Tickets will be $35 and $50 and go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. through Ticketfly.com, the Electric Fetus or Loring Pasta Bar. The British rockers also performed the prior album, “Love,” in its entirety on tour two years ago.
*Sick Puppies had to postpone its show tonight at Mill City Nights due to "vehicular failure." A makeup date is expected in the fall, and fans are being told to hang onto tickets in the meantime.
Heliotrope fest is off, but Art-a-Whirl promises full-on mayhem
Posted by: Chris Riemenschneider Updated: May 13, 2013 - 9:46 AM
Vicious Vicious, with Erik Appelwick and James Buckley, performed in the 331 Club's outdoor tent during last year's Art-a-Whirl festivities. / Tom Wallace, Star Tribune
Consistently one of the most adventurous and electrifying annual live music events in town, the Heliotrope festival has been officially called off for what would have been its 10th anniversary installment this year. Organizers of the Memorial Day weekend event -- which gathered together experimental musicians of the noise-rock, electronic, psychedelic, none-of-the-above ilk – had trouble finding a suitable venue after recent years saw it bounce from the Ritz Theater to the now-defunct Loring Theater to (last year) the Lab Theater. That delay led to the rest of the planning falling short, said Rich Barlow, whose Flaneur Productions produced the event.
“With this being the 10th year, we had hoped to make it something extra special,” Barlow said. “It was starting to look like we might be able to pull something off, [but] it was if anything going to be less special.”
The good news is Barlow and his partners seem intent on bringing it back next year. In a press release announcing the postponement over the weekend, the Flaneur crew said, “We will be working from now until the spring of 2014 to bring ‘HX’ to the fullest fruition.”
At least local/underground fans can still look forward to a similarly wild weekend of music this weekend with Art-a-Whirl, which takes over northeast Minneapolis again Friday through Sunday. Here are some of the Art-a-Whirl highlights to plan for:
THE 331 CLUB: The usual indoor/outdoor music mix with Kill the Vultures, Milwaukee’s new Sub Pop signees Jaill, the Blind Shake and Carroll on Friday (6 p.m.-1 a.m.), Marijuana Deathsquads, Prissy Clerks, Story of the Sea and the Stnnng with its new spilt-EP partner FT on Saturday (Noon-1 a.m.), and Night Moves, Josh Grier’s Ginkgo and the Sunny Era on Sunday (1 p.m.-9 p.m.), with many more each day (331 13th Av. NE, free, click here for more info).
GRUMPY'S NORTHEAST: Dillinger Four and ’90s Iowa favorites House of Large Sizes make a great one-two- punch for headliners, plus new Afrobeat act Derobé Dance Band, Seawhores, Germaine Gemberling, Pennyroyal and more. (1-10 p.m. Sat., 2200 4th St. NE, free, click here for more info).
ANCHOR FISH & CHIPS: Romantica, Valet and Black Audience – all featuring Anchor founder Luke Kyle’s brothers -- play Sunday, while Saturday features Steve Kaul & the Brass Kings, the F- Knights, Mad Son of Unknown Prophets and more (2-9 p.m. Sat. & Sun., 302 13th Av. NE, free, click here).
STANLEY'S NORTHEAST BAR ROOM: Capitol Sons and Orange Whip will be on tap for music alongside 100 beers at the inaugural Stanley’s Craft Beer Festival (2-5 p.m. Sat., with free music till 9 p.m., 2500 University Av NE, $59 for beer ticket, click here).
Saturday's Engelbert Humperdinck concert has been rescheduled
Posted by: Chris Riemenschneider Updated: May 10, 2013 - 4:01 PM
Saturday’s concert by British balladeer Engelbert Humperdink at Mystic Lake Casino has been rescheduled due to a medical emergency. The casino has already set a makeup date for Sept. 27, when all original tickets will be honored. Refunds will also be given out for fans who can not make it. A statement from the singer's representative did not say what ails the "Release Me" hitmaker, 77, but it did manage to plug his new record:
“Engelbert wishes to extend his deepest apologies for having to reschedule the date due to ill health. He assures everyone that he is very much looking forward to the new date and promises an amazing show featuring music from his new album along with all his greatest hits. He hopes that all his fans can make the new date and share in an engaging evening of music.”
Trampled by Turtles, 3 former SNL cast members booked for state fair
Posted by: Jon Bream Updated: May 8, 2013 - 12:30 AM
Trampled by Turtles (Dave Carroll & Dave Simonett above) are headed to the grandstand
Star Tribune photo by Jeff Wheeler
So the Cat Video Festival wasn’t enough animals for the State Fair grandstand. Now a double dose of musical turtles has been booked.
Trampled By Turtles, the Duluth-bred bluegrass/folk group that has developed into one of Minnesota’s all-time great live acts, will graduate from the bandshell to the grandstand to headline MN Music on a Stick on Aug. 30, with Mason Jennings and the Chalice. Tickets, priced at $28, will go on sale at noon May 18.
The Turtles, those peppy 1960s hitmakers (“Happy Together,” “She’d Rather Be with Me”) starring vocal powerhouse Howard Kaylan, will return to the grandstand for the third consecutive year with their Happy Together Tour.
This tour also features Chuck Negron of 3 Dog Night, Gary Puckett, Gary Lewis & the Playboys and Mark Lindsay of Paul Revere & the Raiders. Tickets, priced at $21, will go on sale at 10 a.m. May 18.
And for something totally new at the grandstand, it’s a trio of former “Saturday Night Live” staffers -- Dana Carvey and Dennis Miller, from the 1980s and early 90s, and Kevin Nealon, who was on board from 1986-99. They will kick off the grandstand series on Aug. 22. Tickets, priced at $38, will go on sale at 11 a.m. May 18.
Tickets will be available at the state fair box office (open from 10 a.m.- 1 p.m. on May 18; full time in June), etix.com, mnstatefair.org and 1-800-514-3849.
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