Seven secÂonds with HilÂlaÂry
HilÂlaÂry RodÂham Clinton brings her travÂelÂing book show to St. Paul this month when she — and her enÂtouÂrage of Secret Service — will spend two hours at Common Good Books on July 20 autoÂgraphÂing her memÂoir, "Hard ChoiÂces." Clinton has faced a lot on the book trail so far, inÂcludÂing perÂsistÂent quesÂtions about high speakÂing fees and low book sales (she was No. 1 on the New York Times bestsellÂer list this week, but reÂportÂedÂly is nowhere close to earnÂing back her $14 milÂlion adÂvance). She also enÂdured a perÂson dressed up like a giÂant squirÂrel, who folÂlowed her from signÂing to signÂing in Washington, D.C. Clinton fiÂnalÂly gave the squirÂrel — who was wearÂing a T-shirt that said, "AnÂothÂer Clinton in the White House is nuts" — a free copy of her book, askÂing the squirÂrel to make the hard choice to read it. In St. Paul, dressed as a squirÂrel or not, you'll have to buy the book in adÂvance. TickÂets for her signÂing go on sale SatÂurÂday at Common Good Books and cost $35 (the price of the book). There will be plenÂty of preÂcauÂtions in place for the formÂer secretary of state, who, as a formÂer first lady, qualiÂfies for Secret Service proÂtecÂtion. The store will be closed that day to othÂer comÂmerce; peoÂple with tickÂets are not alÂlowed to bring in bags or camÂeras (but cellphones and walÂlets are OK) and might have to enÂdure a metal-deÂtecÂtor wand. The line will move swiftÂly, since Clinton plans to autoÂgraph 1,000 books in two hours, which transÂlates to about 7.2 secÂonds per book. No selfies alÂlowed. Not even for squirÂrels.
LAURIE HERTZEL
Finn aÂgain
Even though he's been dropÂping fewer and fewer reÂferÂences to home in his songs, Edina naÂtive Craig Finn still ofÂfered plenÂty of loÂcalÂized shout-outs durÂing the Hold Steady's deÂbut at the Minnesota Zoo last weekÂend. AfÂter singÂing the line about Joe StrumÂmer beÂing "our only deÂcent teachÂer" in "ConÂstrucÂtive Summer," he pointÂed out Breck School math teachÂer Brad Peterson in the audiÂence. "He was a reÂalÂly good teachÂer, too," Finn said aÂpolÂoÂgetÂiÂcalÂly. The BrookÂlyn resÂiÂdent also dediÂcatÂed a new song to a first-time conÂcert atÂtenÂdee: his 3-year-old niece, StelÂla, there with headÂphones on. ApÂproÂpriÂateÂly, the song was "I Hope This Whole Thing Didn't FrightÂen You."
CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER
China callÂing
The St. Anthony Brass QuinÂtet, a Minneapolis-based group, gets the rare opÂporÂtuÂniÂty to repÂreÂsent Minnesota and the UnitÂed States at the 32nd HarÂbin Summer Music Festival in HarÂbin, China, this AuÂgust. The quinÂtet is the first perÂformÂing group from Minnesota to be inÂvitÂed to China through the Sister Cities Program. HarÂbin and Minneapolis, if you haÂven't heard, are sisÂter citÂies. PreÂviÂous exÂchangÂes have foÂcused on busiÂness and govÂernÂment.
GRAYÂDON ROYCE
Movie upÂgrades
Local theaters are keepÂing up with the Joneses, and with the latÂest techÂnolÂoÂgy, in a round of sigÂnifiÂcant imÂproveÂments. The Science Museum of Minnesota is preÂparÂing to conÂvert its Omnitheater from film to Imax's next-genÂerÂaÂtion digÂiÂtal laÂser proÂjecÂtion. The 370-seat St. Paul venÂue will be the first Imax laÂser dome theater in the world, promÂisÂing imÂagÂes with greatÂer brightÂness and clarÂiÂty, a wider color specÂtrum and inkiÂer blacks. The Omnitheater will close Sept. 2-Oct. 3, reÂopenÂing with "Flight of the ButterÂflies." The St. Anthony Main Theater is in the midst of onÂgoÂing renoÂvaÂtions. With new rockÂer seats and addÂed aisle space, the five-plex's caÂpacÂiÂty drops from 1,000 to 790. The humongous Imax theÂater at the Minnesota Zoo is also upÂping its game. It reÂcentÂly addÂed Imax's inÂcanÂdesÂcent-bulb digÂiÂtal proÂjecÂtion techÂnolÂoÂgy to complement its exÂistÂing Imax 70mm film proÂjecÂtion sysÂtem, a setÂup that will reÂmain at least through NoÂvemÂber for the reÂlease of celÂluÂloid purÂist ChrisÂtoÂpher Nolan's "InÂterÂstelÂlar."
COLÂIN COÂVERT
Fast-movÂing Turtles
Right on cue for next week's reÂlease of their sevÂenth alÂbum, "Wild Animals," TramÂpled by Turtles are preÂdictÂaÂbly pickÂing up steam. The Minnesota string band will reÂturn to "The Late Show With David LetÂterÂman" on TuesÂday night, the day the reÂcord comes out. That's in adÂdiÂtion to othÂer East Coast meÂdiÂa gigs next week inÂcludÂing a CBS' "EarÂly Show" apÂpearÂance (airÂing July 19), a WXPN/World Café Live noonÂtime broadÂcast on July 18 and a "Tiny Desk Concert" at National Public Radio headÂquarÂters in Washington, D.C. The Turtles also took care of their own first, by playÂing a homeÂtown reÂlease conÂcert ThursÂday at the Cedar CulÂturÂal Center. They'll celeÂbrate in grandÂer style loÂcalÂly with their Festival PalÂoÂmiÂno — feaÂturÂing the Head and the Heart, Low and othÂers — on Sept. 20 at CanÂterÂburÂy Park.
C.R.
$$ for SpringÂboard
National atÂtenÂtion for SpringÂboard for the Arts is startÂing to snowÂball. In June, the St. Paul nonprofit that fosÂters comÂmuniÂty toÂgethÂerÂness and ecoÂnomÂic deÂvelÂopÂment through the arts reÂceived a $100,000 grant from ArtPlace America for its FerÂgus Falls ofÂfice to help with a proÂject that will soÂlicit resiÂdents' inÂput on what to do with their city's beÂheÂmoth of an old menÂtal hosÂpiÂtal known as the Kirkbride. Last week, the New York-based SurdÂna Foundation pledged $750,000 over the next three years to adÂvance SpringÂboard's artÂist-orÂganÂizÂer program, which trains arÂtists to make strongÂer conÂnecÂtions beÂtween resiÂdents and busiÂness ownÂers in the neighborhoods where they live.
kristin tillotson