They had me at "jumbo Jell-O injector." Downtown Minneapolis' newest addition is a presumably wild dueling-piano club called Howl at the Moon. It opened this week in the former Rosen's space with a laundry list of over-the-top drink concoctions, including the aforementioned Jell-O injector, plus 85-ounce buckets (of booze) and 24-ounce Bone cocktails. Those last two are meant to be shared -- I hope. The bar has a couple of VIP parties this weekend, but will open to the public after 8 p.m. on Friday and 7 p.m. on Saturday. Like the Shout House (still going strong three blocks away), this is a rock 'n' roll piano bar perfect for bachelorette parties and the ilk. The Minneapolis location is the 14th opening in the Howl at the Moon franchise.

SO MANY PIANOS, SO LITTLE TIME
In related dueling-piano news: Bogart's in Apple Valley has transformed its Friday and Saturday nights into "Double Ditty's Dueling Piano Party." The nightclub (and bowling alley) says it's done some research and -- bam! -- people love piano bars. I guess if downtown can handle two dueling piano bars, then surely the suburbs could use one, too.

KILLER 'NOISE'
Another genre-bending (or destroying?) electro DJ will make a big splash in Minneapolis Saturday night. L.A.-based producer Jake Stanczak, better known as Kill the Noise, hangs out with the biggest names in dance music (Skrillex, DJ Craze and Tiësto to name a few), but he's quickly becoming a superstar in his own right. His bass-crushing new EP, "Kill Kill Kill," is the delight of dubstep lovers everywhere. Check him out at the Varsity Theater, where Minneapolis dubstep king Vaski will open.

BANDS, BEER, BOARS

If you're getting antsy for chef Jack Riebel's soon-to-open downtown concept, Butcher and the Boar, I suggest buying a ticket for Sunday's Gastro Non Grata. The beer-food-music party returns to the Triple Rock, with Butcher and Boar goodies in tow. Riebel is expected to offer wild boar sausage, green chili soup and other delicacies (as a preview to his own restaurant). On the beer front, the Fulton boys (fresh from opening their Minneapolis brewery) will be doling out samples. And the tunes? The line-up includes Silverback Colony, Dreamcrusher and Fortified Five. You will go home full (of awesomeness), trust me.

Matt Reeves
Howl at the Moon.