Pour some 'Sugar' on us In an 11th-hour coup, Minneapolis' Treehouse Records landed Motowner-turned-mystery-man Sixto Rodriguez for an engaging 35-minute set Monday night before an invitation-only crowd of about 80 people. Rodriguez has come back into the public eye thanks to the recent must-see documentary "Searching for Sugar Man" and new reissues of his two obscure five-star albums from 1970-71. After catching a private Rodriguez performance at the Weisman Art Museum on Sunday, Treehouse owner Mark Trehus coaxed the soft-spoken Detroit rock poet to play at the store. Draped in black and proud to be "a solid 70" years old, Rodriguez charmed the crowd with numbers from the movie soundtrack and a few covers. Not forgetting where he was, he laughingly quoted Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues" at the end of a rousing rock 'n' roll medley of "Shake Rattle and Roll" and "Good Golly Miss Molly." A sign of Rodriguez's changed fortunes: The performance was cut short because he had to get back to his hotel to see a WGN news report about himself.

MARTIN KELLER

A night at the opera After the champagne and lamb chops, Kevin Ramach, president and general director of the Minnesota Opera, got down to business at the opera's 50th anniversary gala Saturday at the James J. Hill Library in St. Paul. Regaling the black-tie crowd with memories of the early days, he said tickets the first year cost an improbable $3, $5 or $7 -- for the entire 1962-63 season, which was staged at the Guthrie Theater. Then he launched a "reverse auction" in which guests donated support for the opera's Resident Artist Program, which trains young talent. Gala chairs Margaret and Angus Wurtele led off with $25,000, which was matched by former board member Judy Dayton. Dozens of others chipped in smaller five-figure sums before they all trooped over to the Ordway Theater for the opening of Verdi's "Nabucco."

MARY ABBE

Sweet little lies I.W. has often wondered how the folks behind the Ivey Awards -- who threw the annual local-theater-feting strut show Monday -- get out-of-town nominees to come back for the ceremony without letting Toto out of the basket. Like, how did they lure Tracie Bennett, the Judy Garland portrayer at the Guthrie and this year's best-actress honoree, all the way from New York without telling her, "Look, sister, you won"? Iveys impresario Scott Mayer reveals: "We resort to elaborate stories. When I told Tracie's agent that we'd love to have her here for a tribute to shows that were produced here, I got a call in about 60 seconds from Tracie herself, saying she'd love to come." The highlight of this year's Iveys came not from any of the winners, but actors Joseph Scrimshaw and John Middleton, who worked the show's sponsors into a skit about two bickering brothers. Sample line: "My God, Simon, what has happened to you? When you were a child, your soul was light, bubbly and refreshing, like a Joia Soda."

KRISTIN TILLOTSON

Speaking of great reads This year's book chosen to represent Minnesota at the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C., is Maple Grove writer Laura Purdie Salas' already much-honored, delightful "BookSpeak! Poems About Books." Her lovely, lively poems celebrate everything book-related. The book won a Minnesota Book Award earlier this year, and also was recognized by, among others, Bank Street Best Books, Librarians' Choice and -- I.W.'s favorite -- the Nerdy Book Award. The National Book Festival's 52 Great Reads (50 states, plus Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands) are meant to represent the literary heritage of each state.

LAURIE HERTZEL

White Russians are optional The Internet is full of analyses of "The Big Lebowski" and its antihero, the Dude. It was only a matter of time before the 1998 Joel and Ethan Coen classic received the serious film-critic treatment -- as it does with a book by local writer and curator Jenny M. Jones. "The Big Lebowski: An Illustrated, Annotated History of the Greatest Cult Film of All Time" tells the story of the film from its origins as a modern L.A. noir to the realm of cult classic. Jones, who has worked at Oak Street Cinema and Walker Art Center, will sign books at Moon Palace Books (5:30 p.m. Mon.-Tue., 2820 E. 33rd St., Mpls.) followed by screenings of the film itself -- complete with a bowling shirt contest -- at Trylon Microcinema . (7 p.m. & 9:45 p.m. Mon.-Tue. $8. 3258 Minnehaha Av. S., Mpls.)

JAHNA PELOQUIN

Zombies go marching in Zombies are about to take over Midway Stadium, and we don't mean the lifeless Twins fans who came out to see the Saints play this summer. The ever-expanding and mystifyingly popular Zombie Pub Crawl will infiltrate the St. Paul ballpark for its eighth annual gore fest Oct. 13 with a concert featuring New York rap vet DMX, Marijuana Deathsquads, Action Bronson and more. Other shows in the Cities-wide crawl include death-metal heroes Exodus at the Triple Rock and the left-for-dead Gin Blossoms at the Cabooze, plus an army of local bands all along the West Bank. Wristbands for the annual tribute to fake blood and necrophilia are on sale for $19 at ZombiePubCrawl.com.

CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER