Fair play The entertainment low point of the 2009 Minnesota State Fair turned out to be a high point for Eric Hutchinson. That was when Kelly Clarkson canceled her grandstand gig at the 11th hour because of post-soundcheck throat problems. Tickets were refunded and opening act Hutchinson played a free concert instead. "I pretended in my head that these were all our fans," said Hutchinson, who sings Friday at Macy's Glamorama at the Orpheum. "So I encouraged people to move down: 'You don't have Kelly Clarkson onstage, but you have a way better seat than you thought you were going to have.' I actually had a really great time. We made a lot of new fans. It was one of the highlights of my year."
JON BREAM
Everyone's a critic I.W. has been the target of insults from Don Rickles and Joan Rivers, but there's nothing quite like being slammed by America's most beloved movie star. Last weekend we had the honor of handing out the award for best movie/miniseries at the 26th annual Television Critics Association Awards in Beverly Hills. HBO's series "The Pacific" won, and executive producer Tom Hanks was on hand to collect. "I can't believe I'm getting this from the guy from the Minnesota Star Ledger," Hanks said in a hilarious acceptance speech, pointing out that the TV critics' party wasn't exactly the Golden Globes. The barb was well-deserved, though: We had introduced Hanks as the star of "Bachelor Party."
NEAL JUSTIN
Blues Saloon blazes on It's a good thing that Wilebski's Blues Saloon decided to move on -- the St. Paul City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to revoke the liquor license that the bar shared with its crime-ridden downstairs neighbor, Moonlight Magic. Still, it was a sad day for owner Ted Wilebski, who reopened the club seven months ago in the Frogtown building where his brothers once ran a pizza joint. "I loved the old building, but this one should be better for doing the things we really want to do," he said, pointing to food service and bigger-capacity concerts at the new location in the former Club Cancun, 1638 Rice St., in St. Paul. "Now we can go after Buddy Guy and guys of that caliber." The new place should be open in time for Jimmy Thackery Aug. 14. Friday's and Saturday's shows by Laurie Morvan will be at Valentino's in South St. Paul.
CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER
Cornering the hip-hop vote The "Legacy Ticket"? Maybe gubernatorial candidate Matt Entenza and running mate Robyne Robinson should call themselves the "Hip-hop Ticket." The duo has received ringing endorsements from such Twin Cities hip-hop luminaries as Slug of Atmosphere, P.O.S., Desdamona, Maria Isa and St. Paul Slim (watch the videos at Entenza.com). Friday, many of them will take part in a Hip-Hop Action Day at 3 p.m. at Entenza's headquarters, 1919 University Av. W., St. Paul. Fans are being encouraged to attend the event and canvass the area with their favorite rappers to help drive turnout for Tuesday's primary. Entenza's street cred doesn't stop there. West Coast gangsta rapper Warren G (half brother to Dr. Dre), who performed here last Friday, endorsed Entenza in a YouTube video: "If y'all want a change, y'all vote for them." Wonder what Snoop Dogg thinks?
TOM HORGEN
Lowertown lowdown The site of last weekend's Lowertown Music Fest -- a narrow block of Sibley Street in downtown St. Paul -- earned a mixed reaction from attendees, but it seemed to go over well with the musicians. Thanks to the sloped street layout, Mason Jennings could see all the glasses and applauding hands that went up when he sang the lines about the president in "The Field." Cloud Cult's members loved the way the surrounding brick buildings seemed to amplify the sea of voices that accompanied "Pretty Voice." Those buildings also added an echo effect to Cloud Cult's use of tin cookie sheets as musical instruments (during "Running With the Wolves"). Brothers Jake and Jeremy Hanson (guitarist for Jennings and drummer for Tapes 'n Tapes, respectively) and all the other fair-skinned musicians could also thank the buildings for shading them from sunburn. But the sun must've still gotten to Peter Wolf Crier drummer Brian Moen, who said, "We can't tell you how great it is to be back in Minneapolis."
CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER
Minnesota Sports Hall of Fame: A class-by-class list of all members
This retired journalist changed professional wrestling from Mankato
